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Recycling Fabric

ElizabethJeanAllen by ElizabethJeanAllen

Recycling is not a New Concept

Recycling is a popular buzz-word in today's society, but recycling in one form or another has been around since the beginning of time. The driving force behind it was not an eco-friendly attitude but necessity. The old and the worn were not thrown out, but recycled into something useful. A chipped bowl became a flower pot and empty coffee cans were used as storage containers for sugar, flour, and beans. Carrot and potato peels didn't disappear down a garbage disposal, but ended up in a compost pile to fertilize the next round of home-grown produce.

My great-grandmother didn't discard a piece of ripped clothing. She repaired the rent in the fabric and put it back into use. When it reached the point where it could no longer be repaired, it landed in one of two piles; it was used for rags, or if the color had not faded to nonexistence, it was used to make quilts, throw pillows and rugs.
Quilt

I Love my Quilt! 

Patchwork Quilts

Patchwork Quilts originated out of necessity. Throughout time, women horded little scraps of material. No scrap was too small. When they had enough pieces, they stitched them together in a random pattern. They were used for warmth, not decoration. It wasn't until the eighteenth century that patchwork quilts as we know them came into being. By that time English patchwork had branched out to appliqué and garden designs rather than just geometric patterns.

Handmade Quilts are as unique as they are as they are functional.
A treasure worth creating.

The American Tradition

The American Patchwork Quilt has another interesting twist to its history. Quilting evolved into a community project. One quilt would be worked on by any number of people. Bridal quilts were made that way. It was all hush-hush as different members of both families worked on the individual blocks. A quilting party was then arranged and the blocks were sewn together and the engagement announced. It was an early version of a bridal shower.

The colors and the designs have changed over time, but the premise behind the patchwork quilt hasn't. They are as unique as they are functional, a treasure worth having.
Jeans

Baby! You Look Good in Jeans 

I love using old denim in baby quilts. The quilts are as durable as they are soft.

Sew Easy

Brother LS2125I 10-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine with Automatic 4-Step Buttonholer


Brother LS2125I 10-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine with Automatic 4-Step Buttonholer

The Brother 10-Stitch Free Arm Seweing Machine is perfect for basic sewing, mending, crafting, and scrapbooking projects, this lightweight, portable sewing machine comes with 10 built-in stitches, each with multiple stitch functions. The unit threads easily, offers an automatic bobbin winder, and so much more.
patches

Every baby needs a pair of jeans. 

More often than not I use the pre-quilted backing for my quilts. It saves time.

Quilting

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An Enjoyable Hobby

I love to sew, but it has been years since I actually made clothes for myself. I prefer to spend my leisure time making crafts and toys. When I made a quilt for my first great niece, I didn't plan of continuing the tradition. Sixteen babies later, I'm still sewing. The denim quilts are my favorite. They are soft and warm, and never seem to wear out. I still have the first quilt I made for my oldest son. It's been through the wash machine a million times. It has faded some, but the day will come when it will be passed on to the next generation. The day will be both a bitter and sweet reminder that time marches on.
Fiskars 45mm Contour Rotary Cutter

Fiskars 45mm Contour Rotary Cutter

Amazon Price: $4.97 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Cut large numbers of quilt blocks with a rotary scissors. It's so much faster than using a regular scissors.

Raggedy Ann Dolls are Fun to Sew

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Have you ever made a quilt?

  • Jolene_Belmain Dec 1, 2011 @ 10:51 am | delete
    Beautiful lens. I have not made a quilt myself but have been given one... they are gorgeous, and people always appreciate the time and effort put into one.

    ~BLESSED~
  • Wednesday_Elf Mar 22, 2011 @ 4:41 pm | delete
    I've never made a quilt, but my grandmother made several every year. She also made most of my clothes when I was a child and it used to be great fun to go through the pieces in her latest quilt and 'recognize' a scrap from one of my dresses!

    Today, I have a daughter-in-law who loves to quilt. In fact, she just opened an Etsy shop featuring her latest passion -- quilted purses! :-). I'm so glad quilting continues to be popular as a handmade fiber art!.

    And, as far as 'recycling fabric' goes, I've lived my whole life with my grandmother's New England philosophy "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without!" Our generation believed in 'going green', 'eco-friendly' and 'recycling' long before it became the 'fashionable' thing to do. It was more along the lines of 'common sense' -- the 'waste not, want not' frame of mind! :-)
  • cherylsgifts2go Oct 12, 2010 @ 10:33 am | delete
    Yes I have and, had to laugh about you making baby quilts. I have done the same thing for my grandchildren, great nieces and great nephews. I am now working on a quilt for my guest room. I enjoyed your lens and the tips you gave about recycling fabrics, including the denim. Thanks
  • Jun 3, 2010 @ 3:49 am | delete
    linen fabric wholesale
  • poutine Mar 21, 2010 @ 8:56 am | delete
    Recycling Fabric has been added to the following lens:

    Fabric With A Theme Are So Much Fun

    Poutine
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ElizabethJeanAllen

I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three.
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