Green Options » wardrobe

Green Style How-To: Knitty’s Fall 2007 Frankenknits

Victoria Everman — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:09:40 +0000

Remember how bummed you were when your favorite sweater got a hole in it? Even with similar structural blemishes, I find it hard to part with my favorite garments — ones that have been worn during so many memorable moments. With a few snips, unravelled rows, and sections of knitting, you can easily turn these old, damaged favorites into fashionably new creations with Knitty.com’s Frankenknits column. Knitty was started back in 2002 by Toronto-based, New Jersey-born knitter Amy R Singer, who still edits and publishes the "web-only knitting magazine with a sense of humor and absolutely no doily patterns."

Each quarterly issue features 10-15 new patterns tailor to each season, as well as columns, articles, interviews, product recommendations and more. One of the consistent columns, titled "Frankenknits," is written by Kristi Porter, in which she chops up clothing, and transforms them into updated items of wonder (perfect for us reuse-loving crafters). Knitty’s Fall 2007 issue recently went live, and the Frankenknits column features two handy dress incarnations: one for women and another for baby.

Past installments of Frankenknits, which became a regular column last year, include dying wool with Kool-Aid, knitting superheros, duplicate stitching (also known as Swiss darning), intentionally adding dropped stitches into designs, transformed bags, and shibori scarfs (which make great quick gifts). If you happen to love knitting for your pooch, you should check our Kristi’s first book, Knitting for Dogs: Irresistible Patterns for Your Favorite Pup — and You!, released in 2005.

Green Style How-To: Burda Open Source Sewing

Victoria Everman — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:50:48 +0000

Prefer to take your personal style into your own hands? Had enough of mass produced cheap fashion? Looking for something unique? Then Burda Style, the newest community-based online do-it-yourself style destination, is for you. According to the site’s "About Us" page,

We like to think of this website as a virtual sewing circle, an open-source hub of ideas, expertise, and amazing patterns you can download and sew at home. We want you to learn something new every time you visit BurdaStyle. We want this website to inspire you. And most importantly, we want you to get involved: We’re offering our ideas, expertise and download-able patterns to the BurdaStyle community, and we hope that you’ll contribute, too.

Though the website has online been online since late January 2007, it has gained popularity in the crafty community quickly.

With users uploading images of their creations, and sharing tips and tricks via the wiki-style Sewpedia and How-To sections, inspiration is only a mouse click away. Though the images in this entry feature skinny, youthful models, nearly all patterns feature a wide range of sizes. As of late, the website’s official blog has featured a number of user’s pattern customizations for pregnancy.

Currently, there are 35 patterns available, with new ones being uploaded at least once a week. Everything from pants and dresses to accessories and lingerie are online in PDF format, easily printable from any home printer. As with any good pattern, difficulty ratings and details on amount of fabric needed are provided for each project, as well as direct feedback from other users who have completed them.

What’s your favorite part of creating your own wardrobe? Where do you prefer to find your stylish patterns?

Leave us your feedback and you could be featured in a future Green Style How-To post!

Green Style How-To: Make Your Own Stylish and Functional Reusable Bag

Victoria Everman — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:35:37 +0000

Accessories, such as shoes or jewelry, are just as important as the basics of your wardrobe. With all of the reusable bags available on the market (many of which have been covered right here on Green Options), it’s likely that you will be able to find one to your liking. For those of us that prefer a personal, do-it-yourself, advertisement-free touch - this post is for you! In less than an hour, you can whip up a versatile tote made from any fabric you fancy. For pattern ideas, Altered Cloth recently posted a great collection of 7 options from around the web. Even if you are a beginning in the sewing department, these projects are great for first-timers or experienced stitchers.

Out of all 7 projects, my personal favorite it the design from U-handblog, a TypePad-featured blog all about (you guessed it) making handbags. This bag (featured in the accompanying image) has a curved seam and reinforced straps, so no matter how much to put into this sucker, it will still feel comfortable on your shoulders. Don’t let the curved seam scare you off: Lisa does a fantastic job of providing step-by-step instruction and pictures on how to get the job done easily. She also provides directions on how to make a cute little storage pocket, so you can carry your new bag with you all the time (you know, in case that urge to buy some tasty organic peaches comes along). Curious just how much this little bag can carry? A whole heck of a lot: Lisa graciously posted a few images on her blog of the haul she fit into this homemade gem.

Being the greenies we are, using recycled or sustainable fabrics is the first choice when sewing your own creations. You can find a wide range of recycled fabrics just by shopping through any vintage or second-hand store; the drawback here is that you might not be able to find a shirt or pants with enough fabric for this particular projects. For something a bit more modern and colorful, check out my collection of eco-fabric links on my website.

Completed this project? Come back and post some pictures of your creation - we’d love to see them!

Image source: U-handblog