Trash sewing

I’ve seen the expression “trash sewing” recently, and it makes great sense to me! Here are some raggedy reuse projects from the last while. Above: some folks on my Buy Nothing group asked for a range of things they needed to set up house. Cleaning cloths were on the list. So I offered to make them some. Each of these is a double sided cloth. They are made from the worn out pants and discarded t shirts of one of my friends. Yes, she favours all kinds of glorious prints for her pants!

Of course, there is always just rag. This is my screen printing set-up. A couch made from a very old towel and a pile of ragged flannelette sheets (left)–this is the slightly soft surface where I set down the cloth I am screenprinting onto. Eventually a print will come through onto those sheets and I’ll either wash them or toss them. On the right–a little pile of small rags for cleaning up.

This is my indigo vat. I made it an insulating cover from a very old tarp, with layers of old blanket underneath. There is also a strip of ancient velcro someone gave me in there.

No sewing here, but here are my old seed packets (and any other small zip lock bag); and new seed envelopes I’ve made from calendars. It’s the same principle–using something destined for landfill or recycling, one more time.

And here are some worm farm insulating blankets I made for a friend. The outers are mostly worn out workwear and trousers. The padding is all kinds of discarded warm clothing, from jumpers and flannel nighties to skivvies and tracksuit-type clothing. My indigo vat maintains warmth so much better with this cover–and evidently worms enjoy a more stable temperature too!

I’m really interested by trash sewing. And in particular, how some of it begins with someone needing something, or having a problem (worms dying in summer, for example); and other projects begin with me looking at a particular kind of “waste” textile and wondering whether I can find a way it can be put to use.