book: Sweater chop shop
The Sweater Chop Shop: Sewing One-of-a-kind Creations from Recycled Sweaters
Sweater Chop Shop is full of clever and cool ideas on how to re-use those felted sweaters. Refashioning and recycling are pretty hip on the crafty scene and while there isn’t a shortage of books on the subject – it still remains fresh and interesting and new designers have scope to add their own unique take on how to re-use the old.
This book has lots of sassy designs – nothing too refined or overly worked – her hacked sweaters and toys have a mix ‘n match aesthetic that verges on the clunky but still manages to maintain the funky. I actually really like this folksy chunky style – with big stitches and patchwork styling – some of the toys have fallen off the cliff into the crazy clunky abyss – but even these are fun and simple to make and appeal strongly to children. However its the reworked dresses and sweaters that really make this book worthwhile for me. Take elements and sections from 3 or more different sweaters and cut and swap and mix them up, add some big stitches and you end up with a very cool outfit. Along with the hand drawn illustrations and clear instructions – this will be a useful addition to your recycle and refashion library.
