The funny thing about this Sew it Again project in which I set out to reduce my clothing stockpile is that I seem to be accumulating more! There is so much surplus clothing in the world, that people either give it away, donate to charities or dump it to reduce the burden it has become.

Because I see waste clothing as a resource, I’m spending this year coming up with ways individuals can reuse it and sharing them on this blog, at workshops and talks. Around the world, there are other thrifty, resource-savvy people reusing waste clothing too – just google upcycling or refashion. We are part of a DIY refashion revolution exploring more sustainable, mindful and resourceful ways of living.

When I reflect on progress to date, I’m excited that local government authorities are inviting me to demonstrate what can be done with old clothing – via the t-shirts reworked workshop last Sunday at Redcliffe City Council’s What’s Cooking in the Gardens event, and a similar activity planned for Brisbane City Council’s Green Heart Fair at Carindale on October 12. 

With consumption of textiles escalating in the past decade, there is emerging awareness the waste needs to be better managed. This 2012 Ecouterre article from USAgain based on EPA data, shows that nearly 80 percent of Americans don’t realise they collectively trash 11 million tonnes of textiles every year. I’m still looking for Australian data, but suffice to say we would not be much different.

This is my contribution to helping shift our thinking around textile waste including alternatives uses for waste t-shirts, rather than just turning them into rags. T-shirt ribbon is easy when someone shows you how (see how-to photos below) and then it can have new life as string to tie-up tomatoes and beans in the garden, for knitting and crochet, as homespun necklaces or for hanging things.

Jake was one of those who discovered t-shirt ribbon at Redcliffe on Sunday – and he did look so gorgeous in his porkpie hat I’ve made him the Sew 217 pin-up.

To make ribbon, fold the body of an old t-shirt together just off-centre, remove hem and top part of t-shirt above sleeves to use for other purposes. Cut the body of the t-shirt into 1cm strips from middle, across one seam but not the other. Open out the uncut portion, cut on the diagonal across the other seam so you create a continuous length, stretch so it rolls up on itself, then roll the ribbon into a ball.