Reuse, don't Chuck that Tee!

At my library we celebrated our local Trashion Week (leading up to Fashion Revolution Week) with a few workshops. I was lucky enough to be able to lead a session on upcycling t-shirts into scarves, alongside a friend and volunteer who is also a sewist.

This is a quick and easy idea for a workshop, whether it's at a library or just a crafternoon activity with friends (in that case you could also have refreshments. Just sayin.) We asked staff and a few family members for donations of any old tees they no longer wanted, and encouraged attendees to bring one if they had one they'd like to reuse. We ended up with plenty!

Then we found a few patterns online for variations of t-shirt scarves, printed off the instructions, and queued up the smartboard with some youtube tutorials in case we needed them (we did). We had a great time! Over the course of an hour and a half, we cut up old tees, made them into new and wearable fashions, and had a lot of fun together.

I chose to share a pattern which I've made a few times as a Christmas gift, this braided scarf, and we also found another semi-braided variety. One of the participants came with her own design as well -- isn't it gorgeous?

I got so excited by the possibilities that I rounded up a few more links of things to do with old t-shirts. Here are the ideas I shared at our workshop -- I hope some of them will catch your interest and give you a good way to use up old tees or even your leftover knit scraps (I know we all have a lot of those!)


12 Ways to Recycle Your T-Shirts

Recycle a T-Shirt

39 Ways to Reuse, Recycle & Rewear your Old T-Shirt

 

50 Recycled T-Shirt Craft Projects
 

Fashion Revolution: who made your clothes?

April 24 marks the one year anniversary of the tragic collapse of the textile complex Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh where over 1,000 people lost their lives while producing the cheap and accessible clothing that the Western world has come to expect.  Abby (Things for Boys), Celina (Petit a Petit and Family) and Laura (Behind the Hedgerow) have joined the Fashion Revolution Day initiative by getting home sewists involved. They say:

The goal is for all of us to stand together for a united cause and help to show sewing (in all its forms) as an ethical and sustainable alternative to fast fashion and mass consumerism.  It’s one piece in a very large puzzle but by showcasing home sewn items we will help spread the word that in some cases the answer to ‘Who Made Your Clothes?’ can proudly be answered, “ME!”

So today, home sewists can join in by posting images of ourselves wearing something inside out, asking Who Made Your Clothes?

While I didn't wear these out and about, I can proudly say to the question Who Made Your Clothes?... I did. The next route of investigation is to find out who made the fabric...something to study in future. As Laura has shared today, try to do as Vivienne Westwood says...