For textile reuse, my biggest one is that every pair of pants that wears a hole in the knee becomes shorts. For boys, this means I never buy shorts because they wear through so many jeans and sweatpants in the winter months that by the time summer rolls around we're set! For girls, leggings with holes in the knee become shorts to wear under skirts and dresses. And you can fold under a seam and fix it with a hot glue gun to prevent fraying if you don't want to sew (I usually sew but I have done both). Worn out towels and T-shirts are excellent cleaning rags, and sheets become pillowcases or maxi skirts (those are sewing projects, but they're pretty much all straight seams). But there are clothes that are not worth saving, and I take clothes to our county recycling station which does accept textiles when they're not eligible for reuse. While I have dreams of braiding a rag rug I haven't accomplished it yet!
Thank you for the Dappled Things article! It blew me away.
We cut up our worn-out clothes to use as rags. We keep a huge stash in the kitchen and they are tremendously handy. We hardly ever have to use a paper towel (we do use paper towels for cleaning up milk or lots of grease).
Synthetics (that aren't blends w/cotton) don't work well for this but it uses up everything else!
Anything related to Dante's Divine Comedy is my catnip, so of course the article on Beatrice and Sirena caught my eye. There's a lot to think on in the (counter-cultural) idea of beauty shaping our pursuit of pleasure!
I just subscribed to so many newsletters thanks to you! Thank you for expanding the good part of the internet for us all!
As for the fabric, I have shredded it and used as stuffing for stuffed animals and also in my son’s turtle costume I made him for Halloween 😂 this isn’t the sort of project I typically do though so that only goes so far but that’s all I got on that.
I read that Chis Arnade piece last week and found it so depressing. I also wondered at his admittedly limited choice of places. Would he have found much happier stories in, let’s just say, “the heartland” of America, outside the cities? To me it felt like a very lopsided snapshot- but I don’t know how much of that is my own experience and/ or perspective from someone who only visits a few places annually. I thought Addison del Mastro’s essay several months ago (last year?) on the gradual decay/ decline seemed more aligned to my very limited experience.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this piece in relation to all the strong towns/ urban planning / related pieces you’ve read.
> clothing and fabrics that are beyond use or repair
Lots of things. We’ve cut up the less worn sections of a worn-out sheet and hemmed them for handkerchiefs. Cotton tshirts have become cleaning rags. Knits can be cut into strips and made into coiled baskets (I have several of these) or braided rugs. Wovens can be made into braided rugs, too, but you want to deal with the raw edge first (this is an upcoming project for me). An old-fashioned, if labor-intensive, route is patchwork quilts.
For textile reuse, my biggest one is that every pair of pants that wears a hole in the knee becomes shorts. For boys, this means I never buy shorts because they wear through so many jeans and sweatpants in the winter months that by the time summer rolls around we're set! For girls, leggings with holes in the knee become shorts to wear under skirts and dresses. And you can fold under a seam and fix it with a hot glue gun to prevent fraying if you don't want to sew (I usually sew but I have done both). Worn out towels and T-shirts are excellent cleaning rags, and sheets become pillowcases or maxi skirts (those are sewing projects, but they're pretty much all straight seams). But there are clothes that are not worth saving, and I take clothes to our county recycling station which does accept textiles when they're not eligible for reuse. While I have dreams of braiding a rag rug I haven't accomplished it yet!
Thank you for the Dappled Things article! It blew me away.
We cut up our worn-out clothes to use as rags. We keep a huge stash in the kitchen and they are tremendously handy. We hardly ever have to use a paper towel (we do use paper towels for cleaning up milk or lots of grease).
Synthetics (that aren't blends w/cotton) don't work well for this but it uses up everything else!
Love Stegner. I wrote my masters thesis in part on Angele of Repose but I haven't yet read all the little live things. Will have to do that!
One of my favorite books!
It may be next on the novel docket for me.
realizing now I spelled "Angle" wrong lol.
haha. That aside, for the longest time I always read the title of it as "Angel" of Repose
Thanks for sharing, Haley <3
Anything related to Dante's Divine Comedy is my catnip, so of course the article on Beatrice and Sirena caught my eye. There's a lot to think on in the (counter-cultural) idea of beauty shaping our pursuit of pleasure!
I just subscribed to so many newsletters thanks to you! Thank you for expanding the good part of the internet for us all!
As for the fabric, I have shredded it and used as stuffing for stuffed animals and also in my son’s turtle costume I made him for Halloween 😂 this isn’t the sort of project I typically do though so that only goes so far but that’s all I got on that.
I read that Chis Arnade piece last week and found it so depressing. I also wondered at his admittedly limited choice of places. Would he have found much happier stories in, let’s just say, “the heartland” of America, outside the cities? To me it felt like a very lopsided snapshot- but I don’t know how much of that is my own experience and/ or perspective from someone who only visits a few places annually. I thought Addison del Mastro’s essay several months ago (last year?) on the gradual decay/ decline seemed more aligned to my very limited experience.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this piece in relation to all the strong towns/ urban planning / related pieces you’ve read.
there is an epilepsy society around here that picks up donations of used clothing that they then sell by the pound. maybe there is a branch near you? https://donateclothes.epilepsynewengland.org/we-make-donating-household-items-easy?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2ou2BhCCARIsANAwM2GjSN41tbunjqsSlFocpkmq87Jc2ERP2tlBjZgJDbPs9mO_umCcXS8aArThEALw_wcB
> clothing and fabrics that are beyond use or repair
Lots of things. We’ve cut up the less worn sections of a worn-out sheet and hemmed them for handkerchiefs. Cotton tshirts have become cleaning rags. Knits can be cut into strips and made into coiled baskets (I have several of these) or braided rugs. Wovens can be made into braided rugs, too, but you want to deal with the raw edge first (this is an upcoming project for me). An old-fashioned, if labor-intensive, route is patchwork quilts.