When you love a fabric... - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Inspiration

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

When you love a fabric...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

When a garment no longer works for you, but you really like the fabric (print, color, etc.) have any of you found a good way to repurpose these things that does NOT require amazing sewing skills? I have a couple of old pieces that just don't work for me, but I love the print (or in one case, a perforated leather). They are tops, so not a lot of fabric to work with...

Otherwise I'll just put them in one of the two big donation bags I have collected. Just thought I'd throw it out in case someone has an idea I've not considered. I could possibly make a scarf out of one floral silk sleeveless blouse...

19 replies

Latest reply was from Kate

anchie

Veteran

Not very creative but I give them to my daughter for her creative projects. Making clothes for dolls and like.

Runcarla

Veteran

I'm a quilter and sewer, so I would put it in a quilt - but that is probably more work than you see doing. I've seen T-shirts with a square of appliquéd fabric on the front - maybe you could have someone make up something like that? You would have to REALLY love the fabric though....

Dana

(website)

Veteran

Hey Janet!
I sewed when I was young, but then life got too busy, so I don't have any thoughts on something easy to sew. BUT what if you use the fabric to cover a bulletin board or boxes that could go in your closet? It would be a nice reminder of the item you loved!

I don't think this applies to your case, but a friend had her father's old sweaters made into pillows and teddy bears as a remembrance. I've always thought it wonderful. I'm sure you could find someone to refashion your items.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Anchie and Carla, nice ideas -- thank you! -- but not quite so applicable to me. Dana, that's an angle I hadn't thought of -- applying it to a non-wearable item other than a pillow. I do have some old coats from my mom and grandmother that I have thought about having made into covers for throw pillows -- very sentimental.

Chris987

Veteran

I've thought of re-purposing fabric into the covering for a clutch bag, but I've not done it. If you can find a simple cloth clutch with a zipper you could attach your fabric to one side. Or you could make one from scratch. Jean at extrapetite posted a tutorial once on doing that, I'll see if I can find it.

Chris987

Veteran

Here is Jean's posting. You do need to be able to sew a zipper into the rectangle. http://www.extrapetite.com/201.....orial.html

...or try a google search on "DIY clutch purse". Two youtube tutorials show up right away.

Dianna

Veteran

Nothing new to add, but I think Chris' idea about the clutch is a great one, specially with the perforated leather piece.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, I like the clutch idea very much.

Stephmonster

If the tops are cotton, you could laminate the fabric with iron-on vinyl and cut to size as drawer liners. I did that a couple of years ago. Alternatively, you could mat and frame small pieces of the fabric. IKEA's frames are super cheap; depending on how well the fabrics tie together you could put up a gallery wall at very little expense.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Great ideas! I'm taking notes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Throw cushions.

rebekahphoto

Veteran

I use soft old garment leather in the binding of handmade journals. It works wonderfully, and I love the feeling and the history in the materials.
If you are interested, PM me, (no charge, I'm sure we could figure out a trade of some kind) & I could make you a photo journal! But I will be leaving next Tue for Italy & wont be back until fall if you can wait till then.

Anonymous

Many great suggestions.
On the non- leather one.... can you get a big enough piece for a circle scarf, a small bandana type scarf or a small accent scarf for your purse?
It can be no sew and you can just pull threads to make fringe.

If you have great concert t shirts a “t shirt quilt” is great- made one for my daughter using a large piece of no sew fleece and hand sewing concert squares .( you could use fabric glue too I imagine.)
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

You’ve gotten great ideas.
I’ve just taken a full IKEA bag of damaged clothing to be recycled. The plan for it had been to make T-shirts like I wear to protests, with widely diverse people and the phrase “United we stand” which can also be read “we stand united” encircling the shirt. But I don’t have time before the move, and it seems a little silly to take a rag bag across the ocean.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

If you like the clutch idea but don’t fancy putting a zip in ,how about a drawstring evening bag or you can make a simple envelope bag that shuts with a snapper. various scarves and neckties also spring to mind.

krishnidoux

Veteran

I have done this by taking it to my trusted seamstress and let her suggest something (such as transforming pants in shorts, or long sleeves into sleeveless...).

Alternatively: if you are good at crafts using glue, why not repurpose it to line small drawers or put as a shleves backsplash for small organizers in your closet.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Ah, Hadn't seen Stephmonster's great suggestion!

Joy

Veteran

I stumbled across some great no sew ideas on YouTube for using old tee shirts as bags.

Kate

Veteran

You can use the fabric to reline an existing bag that needs a new liner.

Your thread made me think of doing just that with my beloved woven summer bag. Its current lining is pretty much in tatters. I have minimal sewing skills, but I figure I might be able to tackle this. Off to raid my box of fabric!