UP-CYCLING BOB'S SHIRTS

 

My weaving addiction is keeping me busy and recently I decided I needed to make something to display my holiday stitchpics on.  I wanted to use the soft blues of Bob's old shirts and some green linen from my stash along with some cotton yarns.

 

I cut up the shirts and kept the collars and button bands to use later and started to make strips from the fabrics.

 

I used a rotary cutter on a cutting mat to make even sized strips approximately 2 cms wide.  I found a pale blue net curtain donated by a friend and some green organza to add variety to the collection.

 

I set up the loom with pale blue cotton yarn and started to weave a 35 cm square, luckily it just fitted on the loom although it was a bit tight as I got near the end.

 

Here's a close up of one of the 9 squares I made over a week of afternoons;

 

And here is a square auditioning for it's future role as a background for my favourite holiday stitchpic.

 

I think this is going to turn out well as the colours complement each picture perfectly.

 

I machine stitched around all the edges of the squares to keep the weaving secure, cut away the surplus ends and then machined them together into a metre square.  I used a slice from an old sheet to back the piece and then I used the collars and button straps to edge it.  The collar stands became the loops at the top to hang it to the rail.

 

Here it is completed at last ready for the next step.

 

I have hand stitched each picture to the hanging and left plenty of space for future embroideries to be added.  It will soon be hanging in the hall, as soon as I can persuade Bob to drill some holes in the wall for the rail!