3.09.2010

make. do.

I've been loving all of the Alabama Chanin inspired projects popping up around the blogosphere, but one in particular really caught my eye. Lettergirl's skirt over at Rich Inner Life, found via Craft Gossip. Oh my. As I read through the post, the phrase "mother is the necessity of invention" led me to think of the expression "make do". Then I added a period after each word and changed the phrase into something entirely different - two of my favorite verbs. Make. Do.

I knew immediately I had to reverse applique this phrase on something. In the spirit of making do, I decided to cut into two t-shirts bound for donation and make a dish towel. Funny thing about t-shirts - they typically get stained on the front, but the backs are in perfectly good condition.

make. do.


An afternoon of stitching later I had a new favorite dish towel, and a constant reminder in my kitchen to make do and make. do.

I picked up a few more t-shirts on the 3 for $1 rack at the thrift store and made another dish towel, this one for a friend who was kind enough to loan us some chicken feed when we ran out.

upcycled t-shirt dish towel


I'm tempted to spend the rest of my crafty days making dish towels out of t-shirts. One can never have enough dish towels, can they? But alas, I've already been inspired to make something else. Have you seen the slippers over at Infusion Fibers Etsy shop? I think I'm going to cut into some wool and make myself a pair. It's in the forties here and my feet are a little chilly. I can make and do something about that.

37 comments:

  1. Oh, I love these, and I love "make. do." I see some reverse applique in my future...

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  2. I love this - make. do. - I am immediately inspired and touched by the words - I would say it's your anthem and a very noble and beautiful one indeed! Love it Molly - really, really think it's fabulous.

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  3. wonderful post and fun fun projects molly. make. do. indeed.

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  4. Wow! These towels are genius! I too, love Make. Do.
    Must go make my own version now.

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  5. LOVE IT. Thank you so much for posting this so that someone like myself can steal the idea. :)

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  6. these are wonderful. make. do. is perfect!

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  7. Molly,
    This is so cool...and honestly I needed to hear that today. I really did. Tempted to get a tat...but I think a sign will do :)
    Boy, you are back, huh!
    ~Dawn :)

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  8. love this!

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  9. *heart* the reverse applique and the sentiment AND it's true you can never have too many dish towels. especially of the inspirational variety.

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  10. Very creative. Tho it's just a pity men don't feel the dish-towel love as much us women do.

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  11. I have the Alabama Stick book on my kitchen table right now. She is from my home town. I hope to make a few things for my girls to wear this summer! LOVE the MAKE. DO.

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  12. awesome.

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  13. And here I thought I was the only one with a dish towel obsession. My next reverse applique project is a set of cafe length panels for the windows in my studio -- still dwelling on a motif, though. Thanks for the shout out, and for sharing how my project inspired yours!

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  14. Love it Molly!
    Have you seen the t'shirt rug from Alterknits? Cool stuff!
    Love working with t'shirts!

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  15. Love that skirt! Love the dishtowel! I'm currently elbow deep in my own Alabama Chanin project (striped jersey skirt)

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  16. You are right on about the backs of T-shirts. I think I will dig out some of my old ones and make.do...

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  17. I love the dish towels, esp. the second (floral) one. Did you do all hand-stitching? I fear using my machine on stretchy fabrics...

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  18. true, about the t-shirts. Maybe I should start sending my girls to school with their shirts on backwards. They'd look (a little) lees like ragamuffins.
    Love what you did.

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  19. Awesome dishtowels - I love those!

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  20. Yeah, I'd definitely say you qualify as an urban homesteader!

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  21. I love these dishrags....I also like the double message it can send.

    Those house slippers are divine.

    Karen

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  22. When you MAKE the slippers, please DO post them! I love seeing what you get up to, thanks for coming back!
    a-m x

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  23. I *love* the towels! I'd say "make do" is a good motto to have.

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  24. I love, love, love that towel! Really, I need to get my hands on that book!

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  25. a fabulous project molly!!

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  27. So funny that you mentioned this! The other day I pulled out a box of my daughter's old summer dresses that no longer fit and I've been slicing them up....and sewing them into new skirts for this summer for her. =)

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  28. My mom and I have a funny inside joke about "making do" -- remind me to tell you ;)

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  29. eek my comment got lost.. the short of it.. AWSOME!! any chance of a little how to to show how you did this? I have a billion t shirts to get something done to!

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  30. this is so cool! Love it! I am also completely enamored with Alabama Stitchin'!

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  31. these are fantastic! i love the make. do.
    your ideas for repurposing are always inspiring!

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