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Neck warmer transformed... |
It often doesn't take long for the newness and shine to wear off and before
long, this "thing" loses our notice and gets shoved to the back of the
closet, shelf, what have you.
If you're a maker like me, this tendency may be even more evident (and
problematic), as we flit from one creation to the next.
Even though I've only been at this for a little over eight years, the reality
that I can only use so much of what I make has always been top of mind.
For example, I have assorted bags and purses hanging off hooks in my sewing room. I have used every bag I've ever made, but — quite honestly — some of them will never be used again. And I will not fool myself into thinking that there exists any feasible market in which I'll find a buyer for them. For one thing, they were made with the intention of being "testers" and not as "product to be sold". (I give myself credit for knowing the difference.)
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| Eyelets/grommets added to one edge of the original neck warmer... |
This thing that you see here was a
neck warmer
that I made about four years ago out of a couple of my
Canadiana fabrics
in fleece.
I never wore it much because of the loose fit. While it generally added
warmth, it was bulky and sort of unwieldy in how it sat around my neck
without being able to be gathered up. Whenever I did wear it, I kept wanting to fold and tuck it in.
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| ... and also the other edge... |
My other half pretty much felt the same way early on, asking that his be
turned into a headband, which I did four year ago using
this method. The remnants were then turned into the second neck cowl featured in
this post. (Apparently I've been doing this repurposing thing for awhile!)
When I took out our winter accessories at the start of the season last November, I
set this aside to see if I could brainstorm a way to change it up and make
it more user-friendly for me.
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| A channel created along both edges... |
The idea of a snood came to mind not long afterwards, like this one
in my
Contrado shop. All I'd need to do is sew a channel along the edge to accommodate a
drawstring.
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| Threading paracord through the channel with the help of a bodkin... |
This neck warmer, however, was originally reversible. Thus I had the happy
idea to sew a channel along the other edge also to enable the drawstring to
be threaded through to show the other side.
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| Pulled through successfully! |
There are only two logistical things to consider in making this conversion. Number one is to install the grommets on alternating sides of each edge. Number two is to ensure that the print on the fabric will show right side up when all is said and done.
In very much the same way as we know to "measure twice and cut once", I thought I had figured out what side was "up" when I determined how the grommets should be installed (because there is a top and bottom side to a grommet).
However, by the time I had sewn down the channels along both edges, it
became apparent that my maple leaf print was upside down.
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| Cordlock (which was rescued from a discarded jacket) completes the project... |
Not a huge deal, since the leaves aren't green, which implies that they're
dead... and falling... and therefore they are actually positioned correctly,
according to the laws of gravity! At least, that's my explanation and I'm
sticking to it.
The photo at the top of this post shows the snood with the white side out.
With the help of my trusty bodkin, re-threading the paracord is a fairly
smooth process. (I burnt the ends of the paracord and then wrapped black
electrical tape around them to facilitate ease of use. Longer sports shoelaces
would be an excellent option in the absence of paracord.) Of course, if this
wasn't a repurposing project, I would have sewn the channel using only one
layer of the fleece instead of two.
As a measure of success, however, this has gotten a lot more wear than it did
in its earlier form, so it's a thumbs up from me.
Now it's time to explore what you might call a true repurposing; as in, making use of something in a way different from what was originally intended.
Check these out. They're two mini skirts.
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| What can you do with old mini skirts? |
Now, before you think that I have the wardrobe of a sixteen year old — or that
I've kept clothes from when I was sixteen — my original use for these stretchy
short skirts was to add a layer on top of leggings, underneath a top
that wasn't long enough to cover my butt.
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| Mini skirt as repurposed snood #1... |
But if you take the same short skirt and pull it over your head, it becomes
a "no sewing required" repurposed snood all on its own!
Something like this easily adds another layer of warmth to your head when it's
cold out.
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| Mini skirt as repurposed snood #2... |
As you might guess, you wear this with the narrowest part (the waist band of
the skirt) at the top. You can go with this "Kenny from South Park" look or
just use it like you would an infinity scarf.
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It provides coverage all the way down the back... |
These are about 16" (40.5cm) long, so you can see how they extend down the
back quite a ways. I might yet get ambitious and sew them together so that it
becomes a single, reversible snood providing even more warmth.
It almost makes me look forward to next winter! (Almost.)
What do you think?
'Til next...
'Til next...
I adore repurposing. Unfortunately I have no knit mini skirts to refashion.😱 I waited for 20 degrees (F) for my walk yesterday, and thought about my need for a balaclava. (Although my face mask does provide some wind protection, lol.) Now I'm pondering new uses for the old boiled wool I've saved (previously thinking of possible stuffed animals). Thanks for the inspiration. Yes, we all love shiny, but we consume far too much, and the oceans are only so deep...
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. When one imagines how much we've dumped into our oceans that we don't even know about, it's staggering.
DeleteI'm always tickled when something that's been tossed aside is refashioned into something "new". I often wish for some discarded wool to felt so that it can be repurposed into something new and unique, but anything made of wool that hubby and I have are still being used as is.
Good luck with your pondering.