What to Do With Fabric

so lucky

so lucky

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I was just wondering if anyone has any good ideas to recycle old clothing and fabric. I have made rag rugs, used old shirts to make various other clothes, made doll clothes, cut them up for patchwork pillows and throws. I have seen people use old jeans to make purses. Of course, use in animal beds and the cotton ones for all purpose polishing and scrub rags. I make stuffed animals out of socks. What else? There has got to be a goldmine in all these old clothes--just haven't found it yet! (I just sent a huge pile of clothes to the Salvation Army. I know I am gonna be so mad when somebody tells me a killer idea I could have used!)
 
I have a great pattern for very, very warm crocheted slippers.....after I finish making the slippers, I put them down on a piece of denim and draw the soles + 1/2 inch more around, cllip curves and turn in. Then hem it around and apply to the under side of the slipper for reinforcement.....sometimes I do 2 layers and form a pillow, one side sheet material and one side denim and form a pillow with a little filling for a softer feel under the feet, while walking, plus more insulation. Very warm.
My grandmother would cut up old tee shirts for rags and keep them in her kitchen closet.......always a use for a rag. She kept some in the trunk of her car too.
I cut a single tee in one inch strips very, very long (going around and around) to tie up my tomatoes. One tee usually takes care of all my vines.
I use whatever fabric I have to make my patches. Sometimes I get as wild as I can with the choices of colors, just to make a crazy looking garment.
 
I have seen people take a t-shirt with a nice logo or pattern on it, and wrap it around corkboard (staple it on the back), to make an interesting bulletin board. Especially great for school t-shirts, or those with cartoon characters.
 
i cut up old tshirts for rags. old jeans cut into @ 6-8" squares and 3-4 layers (sewn) make good potholders. (i have a friend with an industrial sewing machine) and a friend of ours collected harley davidson tshirts cut the fronts out and made my husband a quilt. i thought if i ever have a grand baby it would be neat to make a quilt with disney pic shirts.
 
I have made dog toys out of blue jean legs. Cut to size, sew up, stuff, insert a squeaker, more stuffing and sew up the end. They last longer than store bought dog toys and my DD's mini-weiner LOVED his toys!
 
oh ya! I forgot about dog toys.

I would take a heavy t-shirt, roll it up tightly and cover it with duct tape. The dogs loved it. I did learn the hard way that you don't want to use el cheapo tape for something like this. Other times I would just take a piece of t-shirt and knot it randomly.

Love the denim idea. I bet my dogs would, too.
 
Make rolls, stuff them with fabric scraps and use them to block drafts in your windows. You will want to measure your windows ahead of time so they fit.
 
Have you ever seen heavy braided rugs? You use the sturdiest rags for the outside of the three rolls that are braided together and you can use worn-out or ugly rags to stuff the rolls [important that all three rolls be uniform] then the rolls are flat braided coiled [circle or rounded rectangle] and sown with HEAVY thread as the coil grows. I have one my grandmother made at night while listening to the radio that is how old it is. ~gd
 
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