If you came over to my apartment and looked in my closet you’d find stacks and stacks of t-shirts.  The amazing part about it is that I only use a few of them but I can’t seem to part with the rest of them, they are just too special.  I know that it might seem silly but I worked hard for a lot of those t-shirts- lots of sweat, physical pain, tears of joy or disappointment.  How could I get rid of them?

I spent a long time contemplating on what I was going to do with my shirts.  I know I can’t frame them or hang them up on my walls and giving them away would just be sad.  I also thought about how sad it was that the only time I reminisce about these important events in my life was when I get in a cleaning frenzy and try to throw everything away in my closet.  So, I had to come up with a plan- how could I enjoy my t-shirts on a daily basis and get them out of my closet?

In college, a great friend of mine, gave me an idea.  Her family, 10 people all together, were tired of sacrificing socks to the dryer and being left with a lonely pair.  So, they decided instead of pitching all those lone socks they’d make a blanket- a tribute to the fallen pairs in the hidden land of the dryer.  After hearing her story, I knew what I had to do…make a shirt blanket.

Now, I must tell you that I am not very handy with a needle and thread and even worse with a sewing machine.  You’d think it would be easier but some how I make a process that would make your work easier and faster take much too long, believe me!  I started my shirt blanket in 2001 and I just finished it last Friday. Yup, that only took me 9 years to finish.  I do have to give myself some credit, I did take about an 8 year break.

Even my dog likes it!

Having the finished product is better than I had expected.  I absolutely love my t-shirt blanket.  I get to see all my old shirts that I loved to wear in high school and keep warm at the same time.  Each t-shirt reminds me of a special moment in my life and now I get to remember those every day.  While my sewing may not be the best and I fear the blanket will fall apart any day, I am still really glad I have it.  I realize that I will always have these moments in my life t-shirts or not but now I get to see them and think about them more often than I would otherwise (plus, I have a terrible memory and its always good to have reminders).

The only problem with my blanket is that since it took me so long to finish and now I have more t-shirts from college sitting in drawers.  I don’t know if I am up for round 2 just yet but I will make another one for sure–maybe in a few years:)

Reusing older, gently used fabrics is not a new concept and I certainly can’t take the credit for it.  In fact, there is a whole line of GreenShows that showcases green designs that are much more stylish than my t-shirt blanket.  Recently, Gary Harvey produced a line of recycled coutre where he used newspapers, laundry bags, trench coats, baseball jackets and much more as his fabric choices.  While his line is exciting, I think it falls short of real, usable fashion.  In a lot of his garments he overuses fabrics and makes the clothes look bulkier than they need to be.  But, I gotta give him credit, he is showing off creative ways to recycle fabrics and is inspiring others to do the same.  Let’s just hope they do it a little more functional.

Some other designers have taken to recycled plastics for material and put their designs on the runway.  Others have stuck to reusing plastics to make crafts around the house or office.  All of them are amazing and should be applauded for their creativity.

How are you reusing materials in your closet or your home?  Share your ideas and help others start reusing their old stuff too!