I’ve been hanging out at Craftster, soaking up ideas and wishing I had half the talent and imagination of the people who post there. I’ve found so many crafts I’d like to try, but I always chicken out, for fear that it won’t turn out perfectly. I have figured out the common quality that most of the crafty people of the world seem to have: they are fearless.
They’re not afraid to try something new, even if it may not work out. They chop up old t-shirts and make wallets out of duct tape; they paint murals and build their own furniture. They embroider Star Wars quilts and make their own shoes; they create their own greeting cards and etch their own glasses.
I decided to try a recon…a reconstructed item. I had an old shirt I had bought in Disneyworld but hadn’t worn in ages, since the sleeves were too short and the style was no longer my thing. I was afraid to cut it up, to try to change it, to ruin it, but I decided that trying would be better than keeping it in the back of my closet.
I spread it out on the table, laid one of my favorite shirts over it, and started cutting, following the general shape of the cute shirt. I trimmed down the sleeves and cut out the collar, then pinned it all together and started stitching. I think it turned out well for my first not-from-a-pattern item, though the sleeves are uneven and the stitches aren’t beautiful. It’s mine, it has sentimental value, and it’s cute. What more could I ask for?
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