Reverse applique headband from Hang Loose T-shirt

I have found a lot of inspiration from Alabama Stitch Book by Nancy Chanin.

http://alabamachanin.com/books/alabama-stitch-book

My headband project in this post uses my spin on a reverse applique technique from the book. I started with a T-shirt I purchased at the Goodwill.

The headband is two layers. The Hang Loose image will be the bottom layer. For the top layer, I chose an orchid-colored, T-shirt scrap from my stash.

Then I cut out the pieces for the headband.

Next I used a stencil and fabric paint to make a design for my applique work.

       

To make the headband, I put the two layers together and hand-stitched around all the stencils shapes with gold thread. Then I cut out the inside so the Hang Loose image would show through. I always enjoy cutting the fabric out of each shape to see what's underneath. I think is interesting how a novelty image can take on an artistic and even abstract quality when a portion of it is isolated.

The back has an elastic insert.

I hand-stitched around each shape with gold thread, then cut out the inside.

Mini re-satchel from grungy white T-shirts

My son Jasper has had a personal style for several years of wearing a white T-shirt every day under any shirt he has on. Needless to say, that creates quite a collection of old, dingy "white" T-shirts. I used to throw them away when they reached an unacceptable condition, for they were even unworthy of the Goodwill. Recently, I began adding them to my recycle pile, believing that even these shirts could have a new life. So my project this week is making a mini re-satchel from two of Jasper's old, white T-shirts.

Jasper's old T-shirls, stained arm-pits and all.

 My first step was to de-construct the T-shirts. I will need three pieces for my dyeing technique.

I used a low-water immersion dyeing technique from the book Color By Accident by Ann Johnston. I did a "color parfait" in which I dye all three pieces in the same container, but I stack them one a time.

This is my dye bath with the first and second piece. The first piece was in blue dye and it is now underneath the green piece.

This is the third piece on top of the second. It is brown.

Here are the results of my dyeing. Even though the pieces all sat in the same dye bath, each one is different because they were added at different times. I always love the results of this technique.

Next I cut out the pieces for the purse. There is actually four layers - outside, inside, and two layers of muslin for stability.

Here's my mini re-satchel, all sewn. The dimensions of the purse are 6" x 6" with a depth of 1 1/2". I showed it to my almost 16 year old daughter, Hanna. She immediately told me that it was "hipster." "Is that good or bad?" I asked her. "Well, if you're a hipster, you don't want to be called a hipster. It's very complicated. But I really like the purse," she assured me.

I always try to use things I already have to complete my projects. In the case of this mini re-satchel, I didn't have the perfect button. So I thought a trip to visit Shirley Savoy, nationally famous button lady at F and S Fabrics in Los Angeles, was in order. 

Shirley and I testing out buttons.

Read about Shirley here. http://www.fandsfabrics.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=11

With the additional opinions of my husband, Michael, and daughter, Hanna, we did find the perfect button.

As long as we don't call her hipster, Hanna might even like to use this mini re-satchel!

Knitted purse from Union Rescue Mission T-shirt

Today I am starting a blog chronicling my adventures in repurposing old, unloved and/or unflattering T-shirts into something new. In this post I will show you how I created a purse from two Union Rescue Mission T-shirts that my family and I wore at the Mission's annual Thanksgiving dinner. Even Paris Hilton wore one. I wonder what she did with hers?

Here's the T-shirts. My first step was to dye them.

After I de-constructed the T-shirts, I cut the front and back into continuous strips to make the "yarn." Once I knitted the main body of the purse, I selected a color for the top band from my T-shirt fabric stash. I chose a novelty yarn, also, to knit in with the rust/orange T-shirt strips.

After I finished knitting the purse, I chose metal handles - the kind that you can slide your own beads onto. I used some wooden beads that I had left over from another project. They coordinated quite nicely, I thought.

One of my philosophies when creating my products it that, while they're a work of art, they must be functional and durable. This purse needed to be lined so that it wouldn't stretch when full of all the necessities one carries in a purse. So I lined it with a tan silk fabric and also sewed a orange grosgrain ribbon inside the top band for stability. I also added a snap at the top.

My purse is finished. Does anyone know Paris Hilton's address? I was thinking if i sent it to her, maybe the purse would show up in In Touch magazine!

Thanks for looking at my first T-cycle project. Please "follow" me so you won't miss next week's project!