Workroom shelf for library technical services

An old shelf, left by the side of the road, has new purpose in SRCSA library. It’s the perfect size to hold my supplies for processing and repairing books. I’m glad that I happened upon this shelf and that I was able to repurpose it.

Divided skirt and tunic, repurposed from tablecloth and men’s shirt

My latest sewing project is a divided skirt repurposed from a tablecloth that I got from The Legacy crafting shop in Sebastopol. Being a cyclist, I like the freedom of wearing a divided skirt. But soon as I laid it out to take a photograph ... how quickly it became a cat bed!

With it is one of Jonathan’s shirts, repurposed as a tunic for me. I marked the shirt along cutting lines from a paneled blouse pattern that I like. Then I cut along the lines and resewed the shirt, matching hem and shoulder seams.

I added a length of lace along the collar, put a new pocket where the men’s shirt pocket used to be, and added a length of eyelet-lace trim along one of the front panel seams. The accent pocket is also from the tablecloth and the trim came from Legacy as well.

Book-cleaning rags from old towel

“Greener” tools for book care in the library: this stack of book-cleaning rags were repurposed from an old towel. I cut the towel into smaller pieces, and bound the raw edges with my Serger. Now they’re ready to embark on their new life, used for cleaning books.

Reverse applique on ‘Big Bang Theory’ shirt

Sonoma County crafters, who else has visited The Legacy near downtown Sebastopol? It’s a great thrift-consignment shop that features crafting supplies.

Came away from my first visit to The Legacy with some great floral-patterned fabric, which I used to create a reverse applique for my “Big Bang Theory” T-shirt.

(Yes, even something as awesome as this shirt, depicting “Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock,” can become even more awesome through the marvel of customization.)

Best of all, the “fabric” was a no-longer-used cushion cover — thereby diverting something for repurposing that may otherwise have had no further use.

The Legacy is located at 789 Gravenstein Highway South. The merchandise has been donated, and it’s run by volunteers for the Sebastopol Area Senior Center.

Hat and blouse from repurposed fabrics

My latest hat and blouse creations repurpose fabrics from other uses. Lace and embroidered trim are from a now-retired blouse, and the patchwork fabric is from a computer cover. I love the way that the patchwork fabric, in its rich dark green and burgundy, work with the white lace and the trim.

Green-herringbone jacket and hat

Here are a couple of my recent sewing projects, out of a beautiful green herringbone flannel. The jacket is from an old McCalls pattern, #7799, enhanced with a layered applique that I made from repurposed garments.

The newsboy hat is a rare monochromatic creation. I usually combine various colors, textures and patterns when I sew these hats, but I needed a hat in a plain neutral color — and for me, “neutral” is dark green. It’ll easily go with the many other shades of green that dominate my wardrobe.

Bags from give-away materials

Each of these bags is one-of-a-kind and these two are the only two like them there are. Anywhere. In the world. I made them out of repurposed materials. The handles were strips of wool fabric, the decorative panels came from chair upholstery and the body fabric bore evidence of pleating — possibly curtains or a skirt. I feel good that this bag “closes the loop” by salvaging valuable materials and giving them new life.

‘Hattitude’: Cap in orange, green, blue and brown

I assembled various fabrics, in orange, green, blue and brown, into a spectacular hat. I love the way these fabrics work together, most re-purposed from other garments. Old pants, a skirt and fabric cut from a dress to make it “bicycle-friendly.” (’Cause at the risk of digression, a short dress over pants is much easier to ride in than a long dress that might tangle in the chain.) The blue-stripe comes from a sash that was very loose weave — just threads held together at intervals — so I stitched it onto another fabric to give it greater durability. Same thing with the green lace.

Book bags from shirts and other materials

Repurposed shirts and other materials find new life as decorative book bags. They’re great as a planet-friendly alternative to throw-away gift wrapping paper and could as easily hold a digital reader or tablet as they could hold a traditional printed book. Appliqued onto the bag in front is the international symbol of the library.

Cat stuffie from repurposed sweater and socks

This little cat-like creature came home with me after spending an enjoyable “Teen Crafternoon” in the teen department, Ashland branch library. I constructed the cat’s body from a repurposed sweater and fashioned it a couple changes of clothing from the legs of socks. Watch for regular teen activities during the school year and during Jackson County Library Services’ summer reading program.

Read Across America Day: Time to bring out my hat

Sewing helper Starfire and friend

Time once again to bring out my “Cat in the Hat” hat for Read Across America Day, which is being observed on Monday, March 2 to commemorate the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss. I made this hat out of felt, and the appliqued cat is from a repurposed potholder. The lovely model is Miss Starfire.

The “Dr. Seuss Wall” (actually a length of paper from a newspaper end-roll) is up again in Bellview library too, and I’m hoping that staff, students, parents and visitors will share their favorite Dr. Seuss quotes.

Crocheted cat ears hat with fabric liner and ties

I spent “Caturday” adding a fabric liner and ties to my fabulous cat ears hat, originally crocheted from Kelley Freeman’s pattern on RamenNeedles.com.

And as there often is with my favorite projects, there’s a story attached.

Hattitude: Earflap cap with brim from sweater

Teen Crafternoon on Monday with the Ashland library Teen Department presented a perfect opportunity to make a cap with earflaps from two repurposed sweaters.

Teen Crafternoon: Repurposing sweaters

Ashland Teen Library on Facebook

Teen Crafternoon continues with the Ashland Public Library’s Teen Department at its new time, 3:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month.

This coming Monday, Nov. 10, teen librarian Esther Mortensen will guide us in upcycling sweaters into bracelets, arm and boot cuffs, hats and stuffed animals. Sweaters will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring one to upcycle if they’d like.

‘Year of the Book’ by Andrea Cheng

Because both of us are sewers and designers, I deeply related to Anna Wang, main character in The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng.

Anna has sewn a lunch bag out of repurposed fabric and she makes it the subject of a classroom essay on the subject of “Perseverance.”

When composing her essay, Anna relives and documents the false starts and failed attempts before successfully completing the bag.

I could entirely relate this to my own experiences when creating an original project. I begin by visualizing the finished project in my head and the pattern shapes I need to create it.

Self-striping socks with reinforced soles

These beautiful creations, out of self-striping blue and green yarn, were knit with needles that were better suited to a thicker weight of yarn.

I couldn’t bear not wearing these somewhat loose-knit socks after the care I put into them, so I cut foot shapes out of jersey-knit fabric that was salvaged from a repurposed T-shirt.

I hand-stitched the foot-shapes to the bottom of the socks, effectively giving them soles.

Hattitude: Medieval-style knit-swatch hood

This Medieval-style hood is assembled from knit swatches from The Web-sters in Ashland, Oregon. Originally used in a banner for the store’s entry in this year’s Independence Day parade, I salvaged nearly all of the swatches plus the streamers that hung from my banner.

Friday cat blogging: Starfire and new hat

Starfire loves being my sewing helper, even when her “help” takes the form of a nap. Here she is with my newest hat creation, cut from a repurposed skirt.

Repurposed dress joined to sleeves and neck of T-shirt

My latest refashioned garment is a tie-dyed dress combined with the neck and sleeves of a T-shirt -- specifically with a T-shirt that was used in an earlier project from a book I checked out from the library.

When shelving returns or locating patron “holds” during my work in libraries, my interest is invariably piqued by what other people read. And in August 2011, one of those returns was Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay.

One of the projects involved cutting a scoop out of the back of a T-shirt, snipping incisions along both sides and threading a drawstring through the holes.

Superman/House of El shirt, version 2.0

Version 2.0 of my House of El/Superman shirt

Version 2.0 of my Superman/House of El shirt, moves the machine-appliqued crest from one base garment to another, this a dark-green knit shirt with crocheted-lace sleeves.