DAY 2

Three days at the recycle pad
Almost everything I found today is either blue, white, or blue and white. Mostly dress shirts. I found one child's blouse in autumn colors and Some flannel burp clothes that are rather well worn but might work well as the batting for a few small quilts that will come out of this project. I did find a knit shirt with some beads that I will salvage to embellish at least one quilt.

I do hope the next and last day I go to the recycle pad for this project brings me different colors to work with.

three days at the recycle pad

If you have not heard about our wonderous recycle pads here in Fairbanks do a google search or I am sure they are mentioned in our local paper somewhere. The Daily News Miner.

 I have really been enjoying my opportunity for some peaceful quiet sewing time. I have been making some wall hanging quilts and I have inspired myself.

When people ask where I get my fabrics, my typical answer is that I salvage what I can collect or occasionally someone’s scrap stash finds its way into my world. Both sources have the recycle pad as the vector.

 So  after several years of sharing my goodies with others I have decided to challenge myself to one or more pieces made purely from the scraps and salvaged clothing I find on my local recycle pad in the course of 3 days. The batting could be a bigger challenge unless I find some felt or such.

 Day 1 collected so far:

Note this was done latish at night with poor lighting and I have not yet looked over my spoils closely.

 1 pair of small scrub pants with a bright green Dr. Suess green eggs and ham theme

1 pale blue button down oxford type shirt

1 med. Dk. Blue Chambre shirt

1 blueish bed sheet with blue circles as the pattern.

Once I have washed these and ascertained their real colors and condition I will figure out how usable they are.

I am looking forward to seeing what I find next.

Sustaining Creativity

When I look at other works of art or intricate crafts done by others I often find myself more in awe of the time involved rather than the skill.  The ability to sustain my interest or drive to complete a project sometimes escapes me.
I am also learning that different types of projects take different methods to get myself to sustain my energy and interest.

For example fiber art and quilting I need people.  I need the energy of other people, the vibrancy of their input/feedback as well as the inspiration of their own efforts keeps me focused on my end result.
Beading and wire wrapping are meditative to me.  I can work on them as completely unrelated noise and activities take place in the background. Both are easy to put down and pick up without missing a beat.
Writing and painting though I do better in solitude. I tend to follow a winding path with these and I have no clear picture of the end product and so I let myself wander and experiment and paint over or erase as I look at the results and search for the level of satisfaction I want. A fly on the wall might hear me talking to myself or the skull in front of me.

With some forms of creativity I need a road map to know when it is complete and with other the project leads me and I cannot always guess what the outcome will be.
I find that it is easier to sustain a long-term creative effort if it is a project that leads me. There is excitement and surprise.
But a well mapped project needs to be quick or I will get bored and give it up before my objective is reached.
For other people I know it is opposite. The unknown uncharted end has to come quick or fear of the possible outcome will keep the unfinished project in a drawer. And it is the well charted design the may take long hours of carful stitching they prefer.
My mother and I worked well together this way. I loved designing cross stitch pieces and latch hook patterns. I could even sustain through the painstaking process of creating the color chart for my mother to follow, but then the actual repetitiousness of making the rug or the pillow front bored me and I was ready to move on long before it was done.

creative point of view

For myself one of my favorite stages in problem solving is the brainstorming part of the process. Where ideas are thrown into the ring without judgement. If I am in a group and we are doing this it is often a great insight into how other people think and a way to lead them to the idea that any idea is a valid one to start with.
There is always more than one solution to a problem. (Sorry math teachers) Some solutions are better than other though.
And then there are those rare times when I feel the urge to be creative but I have no real idea of what I want to do or where to start. When this happens I will pick up a magazine, newspaper, catalog, pamphlet or just stare out the window in search of the tiniest thing that grabs me.
It might be the juxtaposition of two colors used in an advertizing, it might be the pattern of shadows from a tree branch, it might be the bulletin board in the background of a photo. I never know what it will be. But once I have that tiny spark I begin my own brainstorming session. Would those colors work well in a quilt? Is that pattern something I can weave in wire? or would it make a good resist pattern on a piece of cloth? Do the color blocks on the bulletin board lend themselves to a dying, painting or printmaking process?
I wish I could say that I walk around open to inspiration all the time everyday, but the reality is I need to adopt a certain point of view to even notice the backgrounds of photos, or the shadows out my window.
Having a diversity of art and craft media I enjoy doing also allows me to use a variety of inspirations in combination and in many different ways.

How to avoid becoming a horder

One of the hazards in seeing so much potential in everything is that everything then has value. And when something has real financial potential value we tend to grab on to it.
So how do you avoid seizing every stick, old t-shirt, empty bottle, or old bone and sticking it in a corner while mumbling "my precious, my precious"?

I try to avoid picking up things because it ought to be good for something. I avoid picking things up because I am "saving them from the landfill". I try to avoid picking up things that have a nebulous future potential.

*I have a specific purpose for the item. I will use (blank) for (this use) within the next (number) of months. Never the less I do bite off more than I can chew and I have to reassess now and then.
*I rehome things that others are more likely to use. If that means that I end up taking something apart so it has more potential use for them I will. If it means I cluster things into batches that go together so someone else can use them I will do that too. And for somethings, like that batch of t-shirts I picked up that were too small to wear and I never got around to turning into scarves there is always the thrift shops.
Even then I end up with stacks I have to make painful choices about. For example I have been collecting lamp and lighting parts with the idea that I would turn them into table top or floor displays for a wide variety of items at sales and shows. But really when it comes down to it. I never have time to assemble them and I go back to my perfectly adequate standby displays.

*Remember that when you choose to pick up items to transform you maybe taking time away from another project you had planned. Does this new project have a better chance of being completed? Does this project have a higher monetary potential?

All that said, there are some things that either do not take up a lot of room or have many different potential uses. Wood is one of those things for me since we are in house construction mode. Trim pieces and moldings as well as the stray 2x4 are instant pick ups. They may not end up used in the house but then again they will be used.

*Stay organized. Keep like things together where they can be easily accessed when you are ready to use them or group all the items for a project into a "kit". So when you are ready to get it you do not end up searching high and low for a critical part.

*Keep it fun. If any project or potential project has become a chore or a burden it is time to free yourself. Donate the parts to others who can use them.

Upcycle rescource: Fabric

For most of my life I think I have been something of a scavenger. Making good use of the things others did not. My parents sometimes did not know what to make of my predilection for bringing home broken things and using them.
 I write this not only to suggest creative way to enhance your life directly, but as possible ideas for objects to sell. Value added to something you got free or nearly free is all profit for you and worth your time to go get it. Details on how to make most of this stuff can be found with a little internet research. This is just a place to get you thinking.
today I continue with another easily upscaled reused resource:

FABRIC

Sources: furniture upholstery, old clothing, old bedding, sewing scraps, window dressings, table clothes, damaged sweaters...
some of these ideas take some skills in sewing, knitting, crocheting.
Things you can make from Fabric

Home decor:

    •    Quilts from all sorts of fabric pieces
    •    throw pillows can be made from old clothing, sweaters or even upholstery fabric salvaged from worn sofas. The backs of these are often pristine fabric.
    •    hot pads and pot holders. you can use layers of terry cloth and a layer of mylar to provide padding and heat protection.
    •    Table runners. A stained table cloth can be turned into a table runner.
    •    new upholstery. Use that fabric from an old sofa or old insulated curtains to re-cover a seat cushion.
    •    pillow cases can be made from worn out sheets or even an old flannel nightgown.
    •    Pet beds for cats or dogs can be made from salvaged upholstery fabric or denim jeans. To make them ultra light and washable stuff them with packing peanuts of bean bag filling.
    •    Rugs can be made by weaving or braiding strips cut from salvaged cloth such as sheets or t-shirts.

Jewelry:

    •    Necklaces and bracelets can be made from strips of t-shirt material grouped in complimentary colors.
    •    Felted beads can be made from yarn unravelled and combed out into wool fibers.

Outdoor/Garden:

    •    Tool holders for BBQ tools or garden tools can keep them handy and organized
    •    A good heavy duty denim apron has utility in the garden, greenhouse, or garage.
    •    Pieces of fabric can be used to line flower pots to keep soil from escaping the drainage holes.
    •    Old T-shirts can be made into a bag to hold manure for manure tea to fertilize plants.

Toys:

    •    Doll clothes can be made from any type of fabric
    •    Dolls and stuffed animals can be made from plain fabrics or something more colorful and fun.
    •    Cat toys can be made from strips of fleece or t-shirt fabric and attached to a stick. Small toys can be filled with catnip.
    •    Puzzles are also easy either with a jig saw or by stacking cubes into a matrix. laminate a picture on one side, cut apart the cubes and turn another blank side up on each cube the laminate another picture, cut apart. do this until all six sides of each cube is part of a puzzle.

Other:

A variety of dog bandanas made from salvaged shirts and scrubs

• Purses. drawstring bags, and even laundry bags can be made from pillow cases. bedding fabric or jeans
• Dog bandanas or cat bandanas for those who like to ornament their pet.
• Dog sweaters and full costumes can be made from salvaged fabric since it does not take yards of cloth to clothe a shitzu.

Clothing:

• Mittens and hats can be made from old sweaters.
• Quilted vested and jackets can be created from a variety of fabrics.
• Unravel sweaters for yarn to knit any number of clothing items like mittens, hats, socks, slippers, leg warmers.
• Create "yarn" from t-shirts cut into long spiral cuts around the body of the shirt.

starting my upcycle with Wood

Today I would like to start on one of those new directions I have for this blog.
For most of my life I think I have been something of a scavenger. Making good use of the things others did not.
I have aspirations of writing a books about a 2nd hand life, but for now I want to focus on creative uses for things many other people would toss away. I will organize this mostly on material or source. I write this not only to suggest creative way to enhance your life directly, but as possible ideas for objects to sell. Value added to something you got free or nearly free is all profit for you and worth your time to go get it. Details on how to make most of this stuff can be found with a little internet research. This is just a place to get you thinking.
 So today I will start with the a simple material that is typically all around us though sometimes hidden from view.

WOOD

Sources: broken furniture, twigs, firewood, lumber scraps, pallets

Some skills with a simple saw, hammer, sand paper and pocket knife needed to make the best use of this "free" resource.

Things you can make from wood

Home decor:

• Boxes: use molding scraps and thin plywood to make open boxes.  Create small open boxes and add sand as a safe decorative place to put pillar candles.
• Ornaments: take turnings from old crib rails, cut them to a pleasing size and paint in festive colors. add a small eye screw to the top to thread ribbon for hanging or attach as knobs in ceiling fan pull chains. Fresh twigs can be bent into small or large wreaths to hang on a tree or your front door.
• Small shelves: made from moldings or the wood found inside that old sofa sitting on the curb. 
• Lamp: Use the wood from the old sofa and some lumber scraps to create a one of a kind lamp. You can glue them together in such a way that you won't have to drill for the cord.
• Game pieces: use small pieces of tree branches to create rustic chess or checker pieces. Wittle down a twig to create cribbage pegs.
• Other furniture: Willow twigs furniture, scrap lumber and salvaged wood from pallets and old furniture can be remade into chairs, stools tables.
• Cutting boards and trivets: Glue together scraps of wood into a sheet, then cut to shape and sand till smooth. Finish with oil made for cutting boards.
• Picture frames: miter cut scrap molding or even rustic barn wood to create frames.

Jewelry:

some bamboo tiles salvaged from an old table mat, marbled with salvaged spray paint and turned into pendants

• Use small pieces of exotic or highly figured wood to create pendants and beads for your jewelry. The easiest way might be to drill a series of holes in a thin piece of wood and then cut them into cubes with the holes centered in each bead. Sand and paint or lacqer.

Outdoor/Garden:

• Use pallets to create sheltered areas for delicate plants, or create a compost bin. Twigs and branches can be woven into fantastic trellises and even fences for the garden.
• Use shavings from hard woods like hickory, maple, birch or fruit woods for smoking. Each type of wood adds a subtly different taste to smoked meats. (do not use evergreen wood or exotic hardwoods)
• Build bird feeders and bird houses from firewood or scrap lumber

Toys:

• Blocks are easy to cut from scrap lumber or leave them in irregualr shapes and paint them in bright colors. Add pegs and holes to the blocks in random ways to add another dimension to building blocks.
• Carving skills can create anything from a simple wooden snake to something amazingly ornate.
• A broken rocking chair could become a rocking horse.
• Puzzles are also easy either with a jig saw or by stacking cubes into a matrix. laminate a picture on one side, cut apart the cubes and turn another blank side up on each cube the laminate another picture, cut apart. do this until all six sides of each cube is part of a puzzle.