Tuesday, June 09, 2009

If You Must Take Up One Hobby This Summer...

Feeling weird about taking up anything yarn-related this summer? (Not to say that there are no gorgeous, summery lace-inspired shawls to be made; on the contrary, I'd suggest either a cotton or a lightweight acrylic for that kind of thing.)

Here's another hobby to pick up: T-shirt renovations!


I just borrowed Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt from the public library today, and up to now I'm still getting a lot of inspiration from this book... and by "inspiration" I don't mean cutting up my T-shirts into unwearable-in-public ensembles. (Though I must say here that there are a few designs in this book that look like they've been held up by nothing more than a safety pin and the grace of God. Yikes.) And you don't really need to have a sewing machine or a fully-stocked sewing arsenal to create these looks, either - in some cases, even the sewing-required projects call for nothing more than a needle, a thread, a tape measure, and a very steady hand with the scissors.

What I like best about Generation T, though, is that the ideas don't stop at wearables alone. There are instructions for T-shirt shag carpets, headbands (o hai, Blair Waldorf!), and even earrings. Yeah, you heard me, earrings. I've already copied their concepts for pillows (stuffed with scraps from previous projects, naturellement), and I might even end up taking their concepts for bags, scarves, and quilts with me, as well.

And if the great ideas don't compel you to start shredding - or at least salvaging some cool designs from an otherwise unwearable shirt - consider the rising costs of shopping and the dire state of our landfills. Even if your attempt at making a punky shirt, skirt, or dining-chair cushion ends up not working as well as you hoped it would, let's face it: at least you would've made an awesome gift... or Halloween costume... or an even more awesome donation to Goodwill!

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