One Stitch At A Time
Scarecrow Competition
This October Loopy Connections entered the Waukegan Dandelion Gallery Scarecrow Competition. In addition to being handmade the scarecrow had to be made from 75% recycled material. How perfect is that for a fiber arts community as so many things can be made into yarn or fabric.
Our "One Stitch At A Time" exhibit showcases the many facets of fiber arts and how you can reuse and recycle everyday materials became the basis for our design. The scarecrow is even demonstrating how to reuse a knitted sweater.
The scarecrow is made from many different recycled materials including grocery bags, food packaging, bubble wrap, fabric scraps, waste garden furniture fabric, fabric mailers, thrift store clothes and a disused tumble dryer hose. We wanted to incorporate a spirit of fun with a bit of spooky!
Tattered Rag Shirt
The inspiration for the rag shirt came from Border Morris dancing in the UK. Traditionally Border Morris was danced by farm laborers and fishermen as a way to earn extra money. Their uniform included a jacket covered in colourful strips of cloth or "tatters" to provide an eye catching display. Here is a link to the Dartmoor Border Morris group with tatters that represent the moorland, tors, heather and sky of the local countryside
Crochet & Grocery Bags
400 plastic grocery bags were crocheted to make the scarecrows head and a green bag folded and sewn to create the pumpkin leaf.
Photos below show how the grocery bags are folded, cut into strips and looped together to make "yarn" that can be crocheted.
The head and body are connected with a "spine" which was an old tumble dryer hose
Snack Pack Quilt
The quilt was made from plastic food bags and bouquet wrappers. The plastic was cut into shape to make traditional blocks such as Nine Patch, Sawtooth star, Log Cabin and Circle in a Square.
The quilt is stuffed with bubble wrap and backed with plastic bags so has the three layers of a traditional quilt.
Can you find you favorite snacks, treats or local coffee shop in the quilt?
Fold the bag lengthwise
Cut the handles and the end off the bag
Cut the bag into strips
Loop the strips together to create a continuous yarn
Crocheting the head
The head took 4 to 5 weeks to make the yarn and crochet
The Spine!
Our scarecrow has a spine but not a brain!
Overalls
Strips of unwanted awing fabric were sewn together to make the overalls
Washing food bags
Collecting snack packs
Strips of yarn
Bamboo accents