Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Creative Space~Recycled Wool

 I've made a little more time for creativity this past month, which has refreshed my soul. I'll share my modest creations here as I have found the internet to be a wonderful community of sharing creators and I have been inspired in my own creative endeavors by what others have shared. That I may help to inspire one other person...

First, a casual portrait of my trusted sewing machine, a gift to me from Dear Husband on Valentine's day 31 years ago, and the machine is another 20 or so years older than that! He bought the used machine for $200 in our first year of marriage, a financial sacrifice for two students both working part-time. I continue telling him that it is the most thoughtful gift he has given me.


After the all the kids left after the holidays, I ventured into my cluttered, dusty, sewing space seeking inspiration. I found a somewhat forgotten plastic tub of ribbings cut from the wool sweaters I've felted over the years, and decided to turn them into a blanket. This project was a true use-what-you-have endeavor, as I used all the ribbings in this box, no matter the color. A few had to be trimmed and pieced a bit, but for the most part I just grouped them together by width and started sewing them into strips.

I love the way it turned out. It is a heavy blanket and will be perfect for our cold winter months--next year!




I pieced the blanket by zig-zagging the edges of the wool ribbings, which have been butted up against each other. I used lighter, finer ribbed ribbings for the binding pieces. And it true use-up-the-scraps-style, I used up all the lingering lengths of threads on my bobbins. This is about as random and free I've been with a project and I enjoyed it. 


It's found a home for now on one the beds in a spare bedroom.


A couple of good friends had birthdays this month, and so I sewed up a couple cashmere scarfs, using colors that they like to wear. 



The scarves are double sided, pieced using the same zig-zagging of butted edges that I used for the blankets. I zig-zagged the two scarf pieces together by putting the wrong sides together and topstitching with a slightly smaller zig-zag stitch. Finally, I trimmed the edges with pinking shears. The scarves are oh-so-soft and warm.




2 comments:

Jenny said...

You said, "This is about as random and free I've been with a project and I enjoyed it." Love your projects and love this statement. I've been encourage and inspired by others, and now you, to try something creative but random. Just for the experience of experimenting, of just 'playing' and see what comes of it. I love how your's turned out.

~Jenny

Holly Newman said...

I didn't know anyone else had an old Bernina like I do! Mine is circa 1985, it's a Bernina 801, I still love it and it has served me well!