Soft Sculptures From Upcycled Wool Sweaters
I like to use recycled (or upcycled!) wool sweaters in my textile art.
The concept of using recycled or repurposed materials is not a new one. I learned this from my grandmother, who used to make hooked rugs from old garments. She would cut the wool into strips and loop them through a burlap frame to create beautiful designs. This is a technique that has been used for a long time, especially by settlers in eastern Canada. They never wasted anything; they would make rugs and mats out of old clothes so that their homes would be warmer and their floors were covered and beautiful.
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Quilts, rag dolls and toys were also made out of old clothes; really nothing was ever wasted as people didn’t have money to go buy brand new fabric so they used what they had. These items became heirlooms that had a story beyond their obvious usage; they had bits of history sewn into them. I find this concept interesting. I have offered to make dolls’ clothes from clothing that was passed down from a family member; my grandmother used to make mittens with dog fur from her dog. I had a pair of golden retriever mittens. My grandmother also made teddy bears out of an old wool coat, which she gave to her grandchildren.
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More Fibre Arts Examples:
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_7606-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_1811-1024x888.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/316585041_1532552403909018_2838296565574130003_n.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/316576234_1536712253469771_3781224386726399658_n-1.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/316433221_451367267075050_8495223989024685540_n.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Polar-Bears-King-Winter-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.shucachalifour.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/King-Winter-Jack-Frost-and-Polar-Bears-1024x768.jpg)