To discover that it is possible to create beautiful garments by using pre-loved clothing, thereby extending their lives, keeping them out of the landfill and giving them more value. This is an ethical and economical way of creating a unique designer wardrobe. Who doesn't have too many t-shirts in their closet.
Making t shirt boleros, vests, tunics, scarves and jewelry is fun and doesn't require using complex sewing patterns. It is a wonderful way to upcycle old t shirts into new fashion pieces of our own original design.
When cleaning out closets for spring cleaning and end of school year we all come across piles of t shirts which are either too small or stained or worn. We don't have to throw them away. T shirts are perfect for use in the construction of new garments.
Applications They can be sewn into tunics, shirts, vests, boleros, scarves and jewelry to name a few.
Before going on this journey We need to collect our t shirts, clean them and sort them according to color and fabrics. Not all t shirts are made from the same materials. T shirts can be made from a number of different fibers, each one with different properties.
Cotton, combed cotton, jersey, linen, rayon, modal and polyester to name a few.
When choosing t-shirts for the construction of upcycled clothing, it is preferable to use t shirts of the same weight and type of fabric. The stretch capacity of jersey is greater than that of cotton for example. If one sewed clothing with these 2 fabrics it would stretch out of shape very quickly.
Sourcing T Shirts for Recreating
All of us have used t shirts at home which can be used for these projects. All of the t shirts, even the ones with holes and stains can be used. Old school t shirts with school symbols can be used as well. If we would like t shirts in specific colors or fibers they can be found in abundance at charity and second hand stores.
The sky is the limit with this abundant source of upcycling fabric, so go ahead and create and share pictures of your finished products with us.
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