Extreme Recycling

Janine And Her Amazing Collection Of Handwoven Blankets

One of my favorite places to shop when I visit my Mom is at my aunt Janine's guest bedroom.

My aunt make the most wonderful, amazing handwoven cotton dish towels on earth and I usually drop by her place to buy some as they make the most excellent gifts.

My Recycled Plastic Bags Shopping Bag

Janine weaves every day. She weaves rag blankets and rugs, dish towels, tablecloths and tablemats. It's a real pleasure to have all of this handmade linen at home and a real source of pride. In recent years, she has started weaving plastic bags to make really cool shoppers. Plastic bags you say? Yes, women in my family collect bread plastic wrappers so my aunt Janine can weave them. Once woven, they get sent out to my aunt Pauline who sews them up. How's that for recycling?

Plastic Bags On The Loom

I went a little overboard this year as I didn't only take dish towels, but tablemats and a bag and some smaller stuff like this crocheted dishcloth with glitter, it's so cool!

This Year's Loot

One of the thing I'd like to do next time I go, is to spend quality time with Janine et Pauline to learn more about weaving. It's still a mystery.

Recyclage Extrême

Janine Et Son Extraordinaire Collection de Couvertures Tissées à La Main

Un de mes endroits favoris pour magasiner quand je visite ma mère est la chambre d'invité de ma tante Janine.
Ma tante tisse le linge à vaisselle (torchons en France) comme personne et je lui en prends toujours car ils font de super cadeaux.

Mon Sac en Sacs de Plastique Recyclés

Janine tisse tous les jours. Elle tisse des catalognes (couvertures), et des laises (tapis), des linges à vaisselle torchons), des nappes et des napperons (sets). C'est un réel plaisir d'avoir tout ce linge de maison fait à la main et une grande source de fierté. Ces dernières années, Janine a commencé à tisser des sacs de plastique pour en faire des sacs de courses qui sont très très beaux. Une fois tissés, elle les envoie chez Pauline qui les coud. Oui, les femmes de ma familles collectionnent les sacs de pains pour que Janine les tisse. Ça c'est du recyclage!

Sacs de Plastiques Sur le Métier

Cette année, je lui ai pris des linges à vaisselle, des napperons, un sac et d'autre trucs comme cette guenille crochetée qui brille que je trouve très cool! 

Le Butin De Cette Année

Il faut absolument, lors de ma prochaine visite, que je passe plus de temps avec Janine et Pauline pour en apprendre plus sur le tissage. C'est toujours un mystère.

Restraint / Retenue

Au Canada, il faut faire attention aux nids-de-poule et, quand vous cousez, passer chez Fabricville, comme on va chez Joann's quand on va aux US. 

Je ne pensais pas pouvoir y aller, je n'ai pas fait de liste alors, j'ai pris quelques gadgets pour marquer, mesurer et ranger et beaucoup de fil. Pourquoi du fil? Parce que la grosse bobine qui coûte €15 ici est $9cad (TVA incluse) là-bas. En rentrant, j'ai regretté de ne pas en avoir pris une de chaque couleur.

Et je suis un peu fâchée. Je voudrais bien qu'on m'explique pourquoi je dois payer presque le double en France. Le double du prix! 

C'est pas super étonnant que certaines personnes ici pensent que la couture c'est un sport de riches.

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In Canada, you have to beware of potholes and, if you sew, stop by Fabricville, just like you would to pay a visit to Joann's when in the US.

I hadn't made a shopping list, I didn't think I would have the time to shop much so, I took some marking, measuring and storing doodads and lots of thread. Why thread, because the big spool of thread you find for €15 here in France is $9cad (with VAT) there. When I came back, I regretted not buying one of every colour. 

And I'm a little angry. I would really like to know why I have to pay almost double the price here in France. Double!

It's not super surprising that some people here think sewing is a rich person's pursuit.

Prada in Waiting

Photo curtesy of I Miss You Vintage

I'm surrounded by enablers.

Bright, funny, creative and generous people who makes stuff with various materials with which I need to sew the moment I receive them. It doesn't always work out.

Before I left, Ellie gave me some very light Cuben Fiber leftovers and I thought transparency + black bias = Prada vinyl trench coat. I wanted to make this quickly so instead of choosing a trenchcoat pattern, I opted for McCall's 2980 which looked perfect because it had a hood and I wanted one. As all the seams will show, I wanted to eliminate the breast and back darts and made a yoke. 

I had doubts though so I made a toile of the yoke and mounted the sleeves and I'm glad I did, because it's much too small. A raincoat should have lots, lots of wearing ease. I chose the wrong pattern.

So I'm looking for a solution : do I make a yoke + sleeves kind of pattern piece? Do I get a trench coat pattern and add a hood? I don't know. Do you have a suggestion?