Slow stitching and Creative Mending

 I purchased another class from Craft school of oz!   I was inspired after doing a couple of free classes learning Shashiko stitching and decided to venture more into this meditative method of stitching.   I have been re-purposing unsold garments to sell in the op shop instead of sending them to landfill.  This made a white ripped pair of shorts into a more interesting piece before I turned it into a bag.  

For Christmas I enjoyed making some little needle cases, it really is quite meditative to sew random little stitches.

I tend to look at descriptions of crafts, and then run with them and make them my own.  I love the idea of sashiko stitching, but some of it seems quite rigid.   I have been playing around with a few samples, and then thought that would be an ideal way to personalize some of the phone bags I have been thinking of making.  I didnt have a washable marker, so marked out a sort of grid with my tailors chalk.  Luckily this fabric had lines as well.  

A friend had given me some lovely sari silk, so these are going to look very pretty with that as a liner.  I am now toying with the idea of stitching a yolk to make a silk dress or top.  I am really enjoying making lots of different projects and learning different techniques.

Do you stick with the same craft, or tend to veer off in other directions as I do?

Re-fashioning Jeans

 In our hot and humid climate, jeans are not big movers in our op shop.  We had a $1 a pair sale, and still have full racks..... so I decided to make up a few different bags to see if we can value add items saved from landfill.

 Re-fashioning those items into something useful. 

I made a few variations just to try out the market and sold this one on the first day they were put out! Each one is individual, depending on what fabric I have available.

I tend to lay things out, and then just play around a bit.  Here I am laying out all the options before I start sewing.

 I actually made a lining for this bag with the doilies, and didn't like it, so made another lining.  No worries, I can use that on another bag. 

another bag finished!  

 Do you make items from clothing that would have been thrown into the trash bin?  It gives me such a feeling of satisfaction, and I am so glad to be doing my little bit.  I cannot look at it in the whole scheme of things when I see on the news about piles and piles of garments thrown away.  I just know that I am doing my little bit here and there.  One step at a time.