Finally, Winter is coming (you may notice I haven’t re-watched Game of thrones for a long time, or I would not rejoice over signs of winter). Outside the air smells of burned wood and coldness, the roofs are white and frozen over and the grass is crisp and hard because every single drop of dew is frozen.
Finally… I have a good reason to make another shawl. Last week I presented you my brown crochet shawl, which I made for a brown coat, which I now do not wear, because it is too cold. Oh my, what a chain of causation. With ice and snow, blizzards and dark nights looming over my head, there were only two feasible solutions: making a new coat or making another shawl.
The shawl it is. And it is the first one I neither knitted nor crocheted, no I sewed it.
I follow some sustainable fashion brands on instagram and last week I stumbled over the photo of a ginormous fluffy shawl made from scraps and old sweaters. It was in different shades of white, beige and pink and I needed it immediately. So, I hopped into my fabric den (aka the sleeping room) and excavated several scraps of pink and red jersey and a bit of fluffy fabric my husband had used for toy making. But I must confess I also bought a bit of fabric, as these scraps were not enough for the vastness of the shawl I envisioned.
Back home (sorry it was late, therefor the badly illuminated photos) I immediately arranged the fabrics and got to work. I imagined a more colourful and variegated front and a calmer backside made from only two different fabrics and all pulled together by knitted white end pieces. My first act, because I have no serger, was to secure the knitted fabric with an overlock stitch, so that it would not unravel during my designing process.
After this step I cut the different scraps and sewed them together, so that I got a 20-wide rectangle. I have no experience in quilting and so I only dared to cut straight lines (although I really wanted to sew a circle) … ok, I tried myself on one curved line, but that’s it. The rest of the scrap fabrics I formed into triangles and mostly rectangles. The more difficult forms are a future project.
The last step was to turn the shawl inside out which was easier than thought because of the stretchiness of the fabric. But it looks kind of funny... as if I turned a poor snake inside out.
Playing with the different colours and structures of the fabric was a lot of fun, so much fun, that I initially made the shawl too big (actually the shawl is still too big, but I tell myself its fashion forward).
I cut out a whole section which I later formed into a kind of cowl.
I love this shawl so much, that I went hunting for discarded knitted sweaters which nobody wants to wear anymore and I will make more ginormous sewn shawls in different color combinations (I cannot speak more clearly about this… you know Christmas…. loved people might read my blog).
at the bottom of these photos you can see our half frozen kohlrabi, which I fear, will not get bigger this year.
Thank you @crosheille for initiating and @muscara and @marblely for hosting the #needleworkmonday. If you want to see more beautiful projects with yarn, fabric and most of all needles, follow @needleworkmonday. Or even better grab your needles and keyboard and join the #needleworkmonday community.
Ohhh, if you don't have a hive account and want to comment then visit my Wordpressblog Bliss and Blisters and write me there.
Wunderbar! I often use old sweaters as filling for potholders or stuffing for toys if they are not pretty enough to reuse otherwise. I once read about women who made quilts from sock tops after the feet wore out.
A sock quilt sounds very funny, I have to google this!
I have often wondered about sock tops, and sometimes the body of the foot. The heels and toes seem to wear so much more quickly. Like you, I had mainly been using them as stuffing or wadding for inside quilting.
Love it!
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Ohhhh how wonderful, thank you so much for the compliment and the feature!!! I am already on the next shawl, which will be a gift. I am washing old wool sweaters in my bathtub and hope the smell goes away
:-DDD
That looks like a lot of fun!
Yeah, I maybe got a bit carried away :-DDDD But I already have a bag full of scraps for another one. Sadly I cannot post it, as it is not for me....
😍 🎅
I LOVE this! So glad you gave this idea a try. It looks really warm and cozy on you. Now you have two new neck warmers to enjoy!! 😃
@crosheille
It is warm, I guess I could use it as a blanket if I ever get lost in the wild and it could double as a rescue rope :-D The one I am making as a gift will be a bit shorter 😂
I am happy you like it <3
Hahahahaha my room is also in those conditions 😂.
I loved this idea, everything that is recycling I love. The combination and colors of fabrics was very good, it will be so useful for this winter.
And don't let anyone tell you that your shawl is too big, it is never enough when it's cold. 😅
Thank you for your moral support <3 I am already working on another shalw from two discarded sweater and some fabric scraps I have in my stash from other projects.