Since I am learning to sew (better) right now and actually don’t own t-shirts I want to cut up I decided to delve into the saucy project #69 “Cinch City” with some organic cotton scrap fabric. I bought my organic cotton for $2 downtown Asheville NC where the Spiritex warehouse sells off the leftovers from their locally woven organic fabric production. (Major score!) The “Cinch City” skirt truly was easy, although they say to only cut one rectangle to make the tube skirt, I actually had to go back in and make more of an angle to fit my waist. To make this skirt all you need is a swatch of organic or upcycled fabric big enough to wrap around your waist & hip, a ribbon, and the most basic sewing skills. It really inspired me to use more drawstring and cinching in my sewing for decorative effect! You can get super creative with this simple design too by making a longer more sultry skirt, instead of the Vegas style mini- or even adding a drawstring cinch at the waistline too so that you can fluctuate in weight and still sport your skirt, well, forever.

Many of the projects in the book are also no sew, and so basic you will want to giggle. What’s even cooler is in the second half of the book they show you how to take all your tiny scraps and make hair pieces, fabric flowers, earrings, and shag-a-delic rugs so that nothing goes to waste. If that isn’t amazing enough, the finale project is an entire upcycled wedding dress made entirely from 6 white t-shirts!

 I give this book a green crafty star for being so environmentally friendly and resourceful, and for inspiring it’s reader (like me) to think of even more ways to use up the things we think are crafting garbage. If you now feel like you have to have this book (and I agree that you do), keep with your eco-minded style and buy it used or see if your local library carries a copy.

Have you made any creations using t-shirts or fabric scraps? Tell us about it and send pics of them at craftingagreenworld@greenoptions.com! We love to see what you’re crafting green <3 !

Corn, soy and bamboo are all very similar in texture and feel, being very smooth, silky and soft. The soy was totally easy to work with, in fact it was like a crochet dream come true - it never got caught on the hook like the funky acrylics do, it pulled through so easy my project went twice as fast, and the end product was soft and pretty.  I didn’t get to try my banana fiber yarn yet, but the texture is really fascinating - it looks a little wild, frayed and fun…could possibly get caught on the hook? I asked my local yarn shop owner what she thought about the banana fiber to get a better idea, and she revealed that sometimes it pulls apart. Yikes! That is like a yarn project nightmare for me, but I have not ruled out it’s yearn worthiness just yet. (I will keep ya updated on this one.)

Knit For Brains also carries other eco friendly diddies for your knitting habits, like bamboo needles and hooks, patterns and adorable vinatge buttons! Also you can find used books and vinatage patterns. I love it when really cool people with a really cool vision make a perfect store for us! Vegan! Natural fiber! Pure knitting fun! Thanks Knit For Brains.

Have any of you tried the foods turned yarn fiber for your needling pleasure? Please share your thoughts, trials, and experiences with natural fiber yarns!

PS- If you made any projects with these yarns that you would like to share, e-mail a pic of it to craftingagreenworld@greenoptions.com  so we can feature them here on Crafting A Green World.

Before I rant anymore about how silly we humans have gotten with our toxic craft inventions, I think I shall go ahead and share this mythical creature I found. Eco Art Works! (Oh my gawd, I hardly know where to begin because this online store has such a cool and interesting selection, every single item is a green crarfters treat.) Eco Art Works crosses barriers between the artist, the crafter, and children to bring a full range of eco art supplies from non toxic professional watercolors, pastels, and paints to organic yarns, beeswax modeling clay, soy crayons and paper making kits. If you aren’t dizzy yet from this Bigfoot-like sighting there’s even more, so hold on to your chair… They have basket weaving kits, recycled journals, hemp paper products, non toxic colored pencils and a flower press… yippee! At this point if this store was not just in virtual space I would be skipping down the aisles in amazement and completely giddy like we all won the non toxic art supply lotto. Cause virtually, we did.

I think this store is a great example of what we are all working towards here at Crafting A Green World, this is where our dream store would begin.

The First Runner Up is Becky, a loyal fan of Crafting A Green World and a wonderfully obsessed crafter who writes the blog Sew & So. Becky’s upcycle fashion is totally awesome cause she is willing to experiment with some really super fugly clothes and manages to  resuscitate life back into their once doomed future. Her ability to take a way out of style bridesmaid’s dress belonging to her mom and turn it into this adorable cocktail dress rocks! For the record, Becky has inspired me to go on an upcycling 8o’s prom dress binge that has been really fun. The Before and After shots of her mad sewing skillz really drive home the point…lame can be made cute.

The Crowning Queen of Upcycled Fashion is the lovely Suzannah **hands over a dozen organic roses and vintage tiara**. She hails from Vermont where she has been “obsessively making oodles of clothes from recycled and organic fabric” and with colorful, fun, and innovative results. Suzannah manages to find really vibrant upcycle fabrics and chooses wonderful combinations of these bright hues to make the style of her clothes really pop out.  You can see clearly in her creations how she makes use of scrap fabrics and the simplicity of design lends to current yet timeless pieces - and timeless is superb for the environment. Doesnt that sun dress & tank look so perfect for this hot summer inferno? Congrats to Suzannah!

Thanks for sending in all your awesome pictures and please send more. It’s so much fun to share crafting achievements, especially when they give momentum to the green crafts movement!

The last few years have thankfully brought us far beyond the once confused crunchy DIY & organic wedding designs into a realm where your green wedding dress fantasy will now become a memorable reality. This is a joyful list of craft culture worthy bridal gowns that will not only beautify your celebration but will solidify your environmental beliefs.

For those of you who may cower at the thought of sewing your own organic or upcycle wedding dress, don’t stress- there’s affordable eco designers who will handcraft your dress, plus bridal gowns are available from charities, vintage, or on auction.

DIY: If you are the type of grrrl who has the sewing skills that can pay the bills you may just want to consider the intimacy & loving quality of creating your very own wedding dress. You will be able to choose all your own eco safe fabrics, save plenty green in your wallet for your biodegradable ecofetti & wedding favors, and be super proud to wear your handcrafted eco lux gown.

Get some DIY bridal inspiration from the Stitch Lounge, where Hope shows her step by step experience. If sewing your own dress makes your knees feel weak and your blood pressure rise, you can hire your local seamstress who will whip up your pretty dream dress from that coveted picture you tore from Brides Mag or a pattern (look for vintage patterns on e-bay and at local thrift stores). Purchase the organic fabrics online from a store like Near Sea Naturals who sells swatches and samples so you can actually touch it before you decide what you want. The types of fabric with the most traditional look and feel would be hemp/silk blends, tencel or eco silk, but many ladies are branching out with bamboo, organic cotton blends, and hemp linen.

UPCYCLE: This is where the imagination can run wild and free the way it should. Anywhere from creating your own eco couture design (without a couture price tag), forgoing expensive fabrics for something cheap, already used, embellished, with seams in place- to creating a simple elegant design based on that almost perfect dress you saw at your local thrift. Remember what Molly Ringwald did with Lona’s fru fru prom dress in Pretty In Pink? Hell yeah!

A great place to start is good ole’ Ebay for a crazy amount of used & vintage wedding gowns - some priced as low as $9, that’s totally cheap! You or your seamstress can transform these old bridal gowns (from the thrift, your mom’s closet, Brides Against Breast Cancer, or in the local classifieds) into new one of a kind creations, and leave almost no environmental footprint behind. Hint: Personally I find, the weirder the wedding dress is to start off with the further you will have to push your design and the better the end product will be.

HANDMADE JUST FOR YOU: There are fabulous eco designers out there who have already designed an array of organic & eco friendly wedding gowns and are just waiting for your measurements to sew one for you. The prices range from $250 to over $3,000, all of which are made specifically for you. This is an important environmental factor, because the traditional wedding dress industry pumps out tons of gowns that may or may not ever be bought or worn & are made from toxic materials causing a serious environmental impact. The eco designers listed below use only the most environmentally safe fabrics & practices.

1.Designer Rene Geneva makes incredible, show stopper, eco wedding gowns and corsets (as pictured here with corset)- using sustainable materials such as hemp, organic cotton, and eco silk. This is for the high end eco wedding, these ethical bridal dresses can price well into $3,000 range- but holy crap they are awesome!
2. Get Conscious makes extraordinary eco wedding gowns for every genre, from the clean lined strapless, to the flowy Marilyn Monroe, Flamingo Dancing, Mermaid, and various other fun designs. Seriously, these dresses have character! Their prices start around $630 and go up well into $2,000 range for their eco couture styles. They also carry bridesmaid & groom gear.
3. Thread Head Creations -Choices! Choices! At Thread Head Creations you can choose from a handful of organic bridal dress already designed, alter these designs, or even work one on one with designer Rai-Lynne to design your very own dream dress. All materials used are sustainable fabrics like hemp/silk blends. These dresses are very affordable (as far as organic weddings go) starting at $475.
4. Isadora (eco Etsy artist) has designed a beautiful stylish bamboo wedding gown that is absolutely gorgeous! This is for the wedding goddess in you. It runs about $750, which for an all eco wedding gown is rather comparably priced to a traditionally made gown (aka-sweatshop/bad for the earth). Plus when the wedding is over, this dress can be dyed and cut to be an adorable timeless cocktail dress.
5. Wholly JO - Custom made eco wedding dress created exactly the way you want it, by someone who lovingly will help you design just the right one for you. Only drawback for gals in the USA is this designer is based in the UK - Prices start around $600. Check out her picture gallery for inspiration! For those in the USA, try Olivia Luca who provides the same personalized service as the UK’s Wholly Jo.
6. Gaia Conceptions is an eco designer on Etsy, her organic wedding dress is made with locally grown and milled organic cotton, this is a simple formal wedding gown that you can have custom designed, starting with this basic example. Priced at only $250!
7. Spiritex - A North Carolina based organic clothing/fabric maker, Spiritex has added organic, bamboo, hemp and silk wedding gowns & bridesmaid gowns to their collection. Call to order & ask questions (828-254-8949) because their designs are absolutely stunning. A must see for the eco-bride!
8. The Frock - Exquisite, stunning, fabulous vintage wedding dresses, that would make a drag queen shed tears! What could be more earth lovin’ then a gown long since been made, like since the 1920’s. These though are not cheap, running $1,000 and way up. The selection is 16 pages long, and every gown is a complete showstopper.
9. Blue Sky Bridal (for wedding accessories) - an eco esty store that carries pretty organic & vintage & upcycled wedding veils, wraps, and corsets. Prices start as low as $35. While your at Blue Sky Bridal, go ahead and search Etsy for all the lovely handmade wedding gear a crafty girl could want.

Now go and get married in your saucy planet friendly wedding gown! Don’t forget to write us and tell your DIY wedding story @ craftingagreenworld@greenoptions.com .

Images: Spiritex, Stitch Lounge, Isadora, My Corset

Once you begin deconstructing fulgy clothing you will find that all the supplies you need are right there! Elastic, yarn, lace, and a plethora of fabrics & patterns to choose from- to mix, match and create your own indie style beauty.

My first project was this strapless sun dress, which started out as a clogger riverdance puff sleeve frill collared mess. I took apart the top half of the dress, sewed the belt in(which ties in back), and then added the button trim from another old yellow polka dot top.I think it’s agreed that no one wants to wear that heavy 70’s polyester fabric anymore, since it is like wearing a non breathable chemical suit (think boy in the bubble), but vintage polyester can make fabulous trim on hemlines, seamlines, and anywhere you want to add pizazz! Next I want to tackle some of those 80’s prom dresses!

Share your reconstruction ideas here, and if you have  cool pictures of your eco construct email us here at craftingagreenworld@greenoptions.com so we can ogle your skills and feature our favorite one!

Photo/Image: Amour Sans Anguish, Supayana

You Will Need:

• One large thrifted or kidnapped scarf
• Wide ribbon
• Stretch lace/Elastic (optional)
• Scissors
• Thread (that either matches your ribbon or is a fun contrasting color)
• Sewing machine or Olympic hand sewing skills

Step One: Choosing- Find, beg, thrift, or steal a scarf that has a pattern you want to flaunt and is made of a comfortable fabric. Avoid overly crunchy polyester fabrics that feel like your 1984 taffeta holiday dress, and lean more towards soft cottons and silk. I found my scarf  for $1 at a local thrift shop that supports ending domestic violence. The organic satin ribbon was already waiting in my craft box.

Step Two: Cutting- In order to get the sizing perfect without having fret over a pattern that may not fit, I use a pair of panties & bra (or) bikini I already have to outline the shape I need. Bikini’s are great for sizing since they usually have side ties and can be taken apart and laid flat for measuring. Remember when cutting that you will be sewing a seam line, so cut a tad wider then the exact outline of your previous lingerie. Note: You can make your new lingerie set have more coverage by cutting the triangle shapes wider, or less coverage by thinning them out even smaller.

Step Three: Sewing- This is the part that always gets me excited! For the panties you will want to either use stretch lace when you sew the seam line on the right and left inner thigh, or a loose stitch with some stretch. I opted for no lace, since none of my local craft stores carried any. (Another great place to find some used lace is on old not wearable thrift lingerie, none of which I had on hand.) Once you have your seams in place you can now measure & sew on the ribbon, at the top front and top back of the panties. I simply used a fun wavy but very tight stitch across the front. Make sure the length of your ribbon is enough to tie the sides generously, that way this lingerie set will not only look hot but will fit even as your weight may fluctuate (now that is super eco!) The bra top seams can now be sewn (no need for stretch lace unless you want it to match your bottoms), just sew around all the edges till you reach the straps. Then fold the straps exactly in half and stitch one seam straight down the middle. Next sew each bra cup to the ribbon, making sure they are not too close or far apart when sewn on. Each person is built unique, so make sure you pin the bra cups to the ribbon and try it on first, and then sew.

Step Four: Finishing - Because I am a lazy -n- thrifty seamstress I don’t always take the time to add in a cotton liner in the panties. If you do, simply sew in a swatch of organic cotton (or some other breathable natural fiber) and voila!

Now it’s time to show off your sexy eco skills, while still having money to pay your bills!

You Will Need:

• legs left over from your last denim craft project
• scissors
• sewing machine or turn of the century hand sewing skills
• thread of a fun contrasting color

 STEP #1: Choosing - I chose legs from two different stone washed jeans to make subtle contrasting stripes, but you can use any number scrap colors. You can also go for the mono color look, and let the thread be your main contrast.

STEP #2: Cutting - Now is the time to lay out those jean legs and cut them open. You will want to save the thick seams for the straps of the bag, so cut directly up the seams on both sides and remove them. Then cut 9 rectangles at 13inch X 5 inch  ( you can make them larger or smaller if you’d like to change the size of the bag, as long as every rectangle is the same exact size.)

STEP #3: Sewing- This is the fun part, that you can be experimental with! I took this as an opportunity to try out every bizarre stitch on my sewing machine, you know all those stitches that are zig zaggy, wavy and you don’t always know what they are for. I laid each jean strip right edge on top left edge, and then used a new (yet tight) stitch to sew each of the four front panels together. Repeat this step for the back four panels also. All eight stitch lines are totally different and unique, which makes the bag extra attractive. Now you have two pieces (each made of four panels), which you will turn inside out and prepare to sew the left and right sides, leaving the bottom and top completely open. (Kind of like making a pillow.) The one left over panel can now be sewn into the bottom. I put this in by centering the panel in the middle of the front piece and then simply sewing an inner seam by following along the edges (including the sharp turning edges).

STEP #4: Finishing Touches - The last of your finishing touches will be the straps and a snazzy decorative item. I turned the seam-line straps with the inside facing out, and placed them on the very inside corners of the bag (right and left) & used a very tight stitch over them. Make sure they are not twisted when you do this (cause that would stink). Now throw this BYOB baby in your wash & dry cycle with your next laundry load and let it make the 80’s fray. For the perfect finishing touch put an old and preferably gaudy broach from the thrift store on it and use as a clasp. Adorable!

Now go out and flaunt your eco craftin’ style at your local grocery & farmer’s market!

Supplies Needed :

*Funky jeans past their prime (beyond patching or your style threshold)

*Scissors

*Sewing machine or mad hand sewing skills

*Thread of any color you enjoy

Step one: Choosing - use either old jeans, or thrift jeans that you really love the color of but you just don’t wear that MC Hammer style anymore. Just make sure the jeans fit your hip or waist where you plan to wear the skirt.

Step two: Length - I like mine short, and I measure it against a skirt I already own that is the length I like by laying them flat on top one another. It’s a good idea to start with a longer length, since you can always go back and cut it shorter. Decide whether you want it to hit your knee, mid thigh, or super high.

Step three: Cutting- Once you know the length, cutting will be easy. Cut straight across both the legs at the length measured and wa-la, now you have some jean shorts! But you want a sexy mini, so take the scissors and begin cutting the inner seam line and cut open the crotch of the jeans. Then cut along the front seam up to the zipper. (If you made your skirt longer you may want to cut along the back seam 2-3 inches, so it doesn’t pucker in the back when you sew it back together.)

Step four: Working it- At this point you will be able to see how this will come together again as a skirt. I don’t use pins, but if you do this would be the time to start folding over the zig zag flap in the front for pinning. With it facing you fold the left over right side (or thick seam side on top) and pin if desired. Turn it over and pin the back making sure there is no puckering (which is death to a denim mini). Your bottom length may have changed a little, but that’s OK - now is the time to cut any extra fabric hanging at the bottom to straighten your hemline.

Step five: Sew- Yay! Now sew a thick & tight stitch along your newly created seam, in the front and then in the back. I usually sew all the way up to the top in the back, just to make the thread match and to tie the project together aesthetically. For many styles of jeans the front will have a minimalist zig zag look, like your own personal lightning bolt!

Ending : The Fray - I put mine through a wash and dry to create the traditional look of the 80’s cut off mini jean skirt with frayed edges. Pair with some cute sneakers, or some vintage heals and you are too hot to handle!

Coming Next ::: What to do with the legs of the jeans you just cut up !!! (BYOB Project)!

related post: What Can You Do With Jeans?