honey, i shrunk my sweater!

shrinking a sweater is not always a bad thing. when a sweater gets washed in hot water and is no longer stretchy, it has become 'felted'. if you can't wear it, why not transform it into a bag?

first, use the main body of the sweater to cut the front and back panels. in this design, the front and back should be equal in height and width. my finished bag measures approx 12" x 12" so it was a little bigger before I sewedthe sides and the bottom.

boxing the bottom of the bag will give it depth. after you sew the sides and bottom, fold the bag so that those seams match up. then sew a triangle shaped wedge at each side.

i cut the strap out of the sleeve of the sweater. if you pull the cut strap, it will roll into a finished shape. stitch by hand or machine to each side.

since the sweater can no longer stretch, you can cut the slits for the belt right into the fabric. make sure that the slits are the right size for the belt you choose.

finished bag!

hello from mixdbag

welcome to my blog!

bags are my passion. not just designer bags-I love them but mostly use them for inspiration. i have been working on a project where i use favorite garments that are no longer wearable to create useful and creative new bags. if you visit my blog every few weeks, i will post a new project! let me know how you like my ideas and also, send me a jpeg of your creation and i will be happy to feature it here.

if you have a sweater that you bought that is itchy or just doesn't fit any more, you can shrink it yourself in the washer. use hot water and dish detergent, then rinse in cold water. if it does not shrink enough, just do it again.

if you have a sweater that has been shrunk by mistake, you are ready to start...honey, i shrunk my sweater!