Bringing new life to old bedlinen…
A few years back, one of our quilt covers was accidentally damaged by our cats. Since the fabric was in such good shape (fairly new), and I loved the design, I decided to repurpose and reuse it. Since then I’ve made a few projects out of it – including my Kimono Style Bathrobe and Pyjama Trousers. But what to do with the pillowcases? Make a Pillowcase Laundry Bag of course!
If you’re one of my regular readers, you probably know all about my ongoing goal to be more sustainable. So I’m always on the lookout for ways to repurpose and reuse materials. Whether they are leftovers from projects or damaged items that can be repurposed. It’s a constant challenge but one that is worth it.
I found the Pillowcase Laundry Bag project in one of my craft books. ‘Creating the Vintage Look’ – 35 ways to upcycle for a stylish home – by Ellie Laycock. I did purchase this quite a while ago so it might take some finding. It’s much more a craft book than sewing exclusively. Some projects require other skills such as woodwork or crochet. All projects require items to upcycle, reuse and repurpose. It’s a fun book with some cute projects to make.
One of my favourite things about this book is the inspiration! Upcycling is all about taking something old or broken and giving it a new purpose. And the old things you have in your house are going to be different from the things in mine. So not all the projects are going to be perfect for you. But it’s given me plenty of ideas for items I do own.
The Pillowcase Laundry Bag project is quite easy to make. It doesn’t have a specific skill rating. But I think its a great project for beginner sewers. The instructions are fairly straightforward and there’s a few pictures to help out. Also a few ideas on how to variate the project to your liking. I did have to make a few changes to the construction of the drawstring channels but that is because my pillowcases aren’t vintage.
I just love the end result! I’ve taken something I no longer use and repurposed it into something I do. Upcycling saves me heaps of money because I’m choosing old over new. Plus it’s great for the environment so you really can’t go wrong!
