Recycled Style 5

It has been quite a while since I posted anything here. Been working on other projects not related to clothing or beading. But now I am caught up, and can post three projects that were all finished up within the last month. Being in Covid-19 self-isolation for almost two months gave me plenty of time to finish these projects - and I admit, it helped that for two of them I was on a deadline. LOL

All material in these clothing items were T-shirts bought at the Goodwill unless otherwise noted. Beads and embroidery thread from my stash. 

Crafters/artists/jewelry makers/sewers, etc. sometimes get teased about all the supplies we stash away for "someday." But with all the stores closed due the pandemic, having a supply of things on hand to tide me over worked out really well. 

First item is a light jacket I made for a very good friend who shares the same birthday date as mine.  The necklaces were made to wear as a pair. 

The jacket was a woman's size M T-shirt that I cut up the middle, and also took about four inches off the sleeves to make them 3/4 length instead of full. The banding is sewn on with embroidery thread in a feather stitch, then beaded using regular sewing thread. The tank top under the jacket is an old one of mine, and used to show how the jacket could be worn. I like these light jackets for summer, so when I go into a restaurant where the air-conditioning is on full blast and set at arctic temperatures I won't freeze to death. 

The second project that I finished is this beaded and stitched mandala shirt. The stencil was done on a sleeve cut from another shirt (I have dozens of these sleeves, cut from XXL mens shirts when I use the body of the shirt as flat fabric). The paint color is Coastal Waters by Americana. The beads were ones from my stash. The stenciled sleeve was backed by another cut off sleeve, then pinned to the front of the shirt. Here is the sequence.

I like the design of this mandala very much, but in retrospect think it would have been better on the back of a jacket, or on a sweatshirt, as its size seems to overwhelm the T-shirt. 

Lastly is a necklace I made as a birthday gift. 

All this productivity has left me with just one old project to finish that has been sitting sidelined for months. With things still pretty much in lockdown, although some restrictions are lifting, I have plenty of time to catch up on things and then start new projects. That's always exciting. 

Hope you are all staying safe and healthy. 

Recycled Style 2

Number 2 in my ongoing attempt to get people inspired by using recycled clothes, whether you wear them "as is" or play around with modifying them, as I do. The garment industry is one of the top five sources of pollution in the world, so buying used clothing is just one little way you can help the environment. 

For this project I used one man's XXL T-shirt and one size large woman's shirt bought from the Goodwill. For the binding around the neck and armholes I cut strips from an old tank top of mine. Then I went through my stash of Goodwill kimonos to see if I had anything that would match. Bingo. Then I topped it off with a necklace I made years ago. All-in-all, it makes for a pretty nice outfit. 

Here are the details.

Simplicity pattern 1463 (view D modified by me), stencil, Tulip Soft Cover fabric paint in Dusty Rose, pink bugle beads and purple seed beads, J & P Coats embroidery thread in a dusky rose (it was an old skein I'd had for years, with no color numbers on the sleeve) 

Beads are sewn on with a back stitch using regular sewing thread doubled. These beads all had holes large enough that I could use a regular sewing needle instead of a beading needle. This made me VERY happy, as beading needles are a pain in the rear to thread. Well...for me, anyway.

The binding was hand sewn on with embroidery thread using a fly stitch. I cut strips 1 1/4" wide with a rotary cutter, then fold the strips in half the long way and iron them. This gives me the equivalent of bias tape, and I use the strips in exactly the same way.

 One of the places I modify the pattern is to round off the neckline instead of leaving it a V. This makes it easier to sew the binding on.

Normally I avoid buying shirts with pockets, as it cuts down the amount of fabric I can use, but I liked the color of this shirt, and it was an XXL, so I had plenty to work with. 

The back is also where I do a bit of altering from the pattern. When laying out the pieces, I add width to the center back (About two-three inches). I can get more gathers that way, which makes the lower part of the shirt hang a little nicer. 

Next I added the Liz Claiborne kimono I had found last summer in the pajama section at the Goodwill. It is a great example of the kinds of things you can find that don't need any customizing or sewing...just a good wash.  

The necklace was made from vintage navettes (the diamond shaped dangles) I bought years ago on Ebay, pieces of a vintage chain necklace that had belonged to my husband's grandmother, but was broken, and some beads from my stash. The center "jewel" is an old chandelier crystal.

A few notes. 

The yoke on this shirt was made from a woman's large top and was not pure cotton. It was also thinner material than I like. However, despite those two drawbacks, I really liked the colors and the pattern, so I went ahead and bought it. The cotton binding around the neckline and armholes help stabilize it, but in all honesty, it would probably have been better if I had reversed the colors and used the patterned piece on the bottom and the heavier cotton T-shirt material for the yoke. I just didn't have enough of the patterned piece to do that. 

I hope these posts about recycling clothing inspires you do give it a try, with the understanding that not everyone wants to bother with beading and stenciling, or may not know how to sew. But trust me, there are tons of garments out there that need nothing more that a really good cleaning (I run my finds through the wash twice). As an example, the patterned shirt I used for the yoke could have been worn "as is" with the kimono and it would have looked fantastic...all for less than $10. And remember, check out the pajama section at any used clothing store or the Goodwill. I have found some really nice kimono-type coverups there for around $4.99 or less.