This world is surely overflowing with any sort of fiber or fabric waste. So why not take what is already there in masses and turn it into art?
In that matter I decided to dedicate some of my time to find different ways to create new fabric from scraps.
How could I sew scraps back together and give them a new texture or design?
Lost in my thoughts questioning, rethinking, dreaming I realize what an awesome time it is to be alive when your inspiration is feed by limitation and rubbish.
Reusing, recycling or upcycling, where does an object change its identity?
Meanwhile there are a lot of ways to reuse an object, I want to look for ways to completely changer their identity.
Change them in a way that you could not guess what object it was before.
If I cut of the arms of a T-Shirt, is it called reusing, recycling or upcycling? If I take a plastic bottle and use it as a hanging flowerpot, what am I doing there? Repurposing?
There are without any doubt tons of realistic and really cool ways of reusing and altering waste. Or extend the lifespan of unwanted objects, when we could have thrown them away instead.
One of the easiest solutions would be a secondhand shop, simply passing on the items. And you don’t have to deal with waste or any sort of recycling process.
But coming back to where my inspiration resonates. Working with limitations and finding ways to create a new thing out of rubbish.
Over the past two years this fascination brought me to alter all sorts of “not wanted anymore” clothes. I upcycled shirts and vests, trousers, you name it. All kinds of garments and the further away they would be from their original form at the end of each project, the more satisfied I would be with the result.
Nonetheless all those upcycling projects where very different one from the other I always chose to alter existing pieces of garment.
But what about all the other fabric waste that exists?
Scraps. Little pieces. Ripped clothes with wholes. The real leftovers.
In what ways can I reuse fabric waste and shreds putting them together in a new form?
I do not have the answer to this question yet. But I started to work on ways. Experimenting with my own sewing scraps.
Some scraps from recent leggings I sewed.
Can I just sew them back together to recreate a decent size piece of fabric?
I also got to have access to some left-over fabric boxes.
Figuring out what shapes I could create.
I am trying out different ways. Sketching. Cutting. Collecting.
Mainly I use small pieces of fabric I have laying around in all my boxes and drawers.
How to create a colour concept...
...when I am not able to choose the fabric, I am working with.
Where should I get my scraps from? My own workshop? The bin?
How could I get to fabric waste that is produced by industries or individuals?
It is about trying out, finding my way. Meanwhile I am thinking of ways where and how to get my further rubbish supply from.
Ironically rubbish doesn’t seem to be that easy to find anymore, once you are actually looking for it. It seems like a hidden spirit of this society, always there but quietly hiding behind the corners.
All photos are mine taken by me during the process.
Thank you all for passing by and have a lovely week!