Fabric Hacking Fun at Sustainable Living Labs

Last Wednesday was the first time I gave a workshop at Sustainable Living Labs (SL2), but did you know that the idea of having an upcycling workshop was first brought up in March last year? It took so long for it to materialise because I had a few blips, including falling ill (HFMD and flu). Fortunately, it wasn't enough to stop it from happening - I managed to get there with all my workshop materials, sewing machine and all!

My Chinese New Year Refashion

There are less than 4 days until it is the year of the Horse! I've been running around, trying to get our flat less messy (due to my fabric and t-shirt yarn Rainbow Loom knitting) and more presentable for the Chinese New Year (I hope!). Out with the mess and dust, and in with the new. Traditionally, this also applies to clothing, but, in the spirit of upcycling, I have refashioned a red t-shirt. I sewed on a tree to represent the money tree that the Chinese always talk about during the new year. 

Note: this style of tree isn't original and has appeared many times on various craft pages.

Upcycling: turning unwanted materials into desirable fashion - live chat

Zsuzsanna Kilian

I'm looking forward to this text-based live chat that's happening at 12pm GMT (that's 8pm Singapore time) on the The Guardian. A panel of experts, including Orsola de Castro of From Somewhere, will explore the emerging trends and talents in upcycling. The questions that will be explored include:

• What are the possibilities and challenges of taking upcycling mainstream?
• Which designers are leading the way?
• How to build a business on upcycling?
• What opportunities does upcycling present for collaboration across sectors?
• How can citizens be empowered to take fashion back and do their own upcycling?

I wonder whether business models based on upcycling are sustainable, especially when it might be difficult to sustain a good supply of quality old garments (particularly in today's era of fast fashion)?  If waste textiles were to be sourced, it would mean relying on a textile factory that supplies the fast fashion industry. This is a bit of a conundrum.  

Rainbow Loom Upcycling

Have any of your kids caught onto the Rainbow Loom craze? My son got a Rainbow Loom from his relatives staying in America. We initially didn't know what it was until he got the package and eagerly read the instructions. It is a basically a weaving loom made of pegs and that comes with a crochet-like hook. You weave small rubber bands onto the loom to make bracelets and necklaces. From what I have seen on Youtube, if you put your mind to it, you can even make key chains and even a bag!  It is addictive, but I am not so keen on the usage of rubber bands. I was also thinking what would happen to this loom once the craze was over. 

Fabric Hacking Maker Nite @SL2

SL2 and I are collaborating on  Maker Nite Fabric Hacking (22 Jan). That's right, we are going to look at our T-shirts differently and give them a unique look. Just bring your creativity to the table along with your old cotton T-shirt. You will have the opportunity to experiment with different techniques (applique, buttons & studs, bleach dye and the good old sewing machine). Don't worry if you don't know how to sew as we are going to be taking it nice and slow.  What's important is you get to try out the various methods and enjoy the process!

Sign-up below!

http://sl2exchange.com/collections/cny-season/products/maker-nite-fabric-hacking

Venue: SL2, Bottletree Park, Khatib MRT
Date, 22 Jan, 7.30pm - 10.30pm
Dinner is provided.
Cost: $35 (but if you sign up for 3 people or more there is a 10% discount!)

Upcycling Leather

I was at New2U recently and came across a few old leather bags, belts and even leather jackets. Yes, I know, what would anyone be doing with a leather jacket in our extremely hot and humid climate? Plus, leather does not keep very well in this weather either, it becomes sticky, moldy and changes colour. But still, I do see this material pop up quite regularly at the thrift store.

So, can we upcycle leather? Yes, we can! I have seen some really good projects with the item being given a complete makeover. Are you ready to see some of my favourites? Do you have any you would like to share?

Upcycling T-shirts into Toys

Boys can get a little carried away with mechanical-type toys. My son wanted to make a robot, but I'm not very good with electronics and so we ended up making a stuffed toy robot out of old t-shirts. You can try this out with your kids - get them to design the toy they want, choose their colours, and sew something on their own. 

Time taken - two afternoons. You may need to split this into 2 - 3 hour sessions as kids get grumpy after a while.

Whose Responsibility?

I read this NYTimes article on the latest news since the collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh killing garment factory workers. Aside from the Bangladesh Accord to improve work safety in Bangladeshi garment factores, a US$40 million fund has been created by retailers (note that not all retailers signed up for this) and prominent retailers to help the families of those killed. 

This article has raised three questions in me: