Recycling Hawaiian Shirts

Pages: 1 23 replies

H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 04/18/2009 I made this messenger bag from a Hawaiian shirt! I love the fabric - it's so whimsical, but I couldn't imagine anyone wearing it as a shirt. It make a perfect purse/bag, though, I think. I kept many of the shirt's features, like the the buttoned front seam (which runs down the middle, front to back, of the bag), pocket and the flap is a complete sleeve piece (hence the round edge, which was originally the armscye seam. It has a patch pocket section, for wallet, phone, keys, pens, lipstick, etc. It also has a more secure internal pocket on the other side, as well.
QK Queen Kamehameha Member So Cal Joined: Oct 21, 2003 Posts: 1413	QK Queen Kamehameha Posted posted on 04/18/2009 What a great idea! something new Amy
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 04/19/2009 Mahalo! It's great fabric, and I really just couldn't see anyone seriously wearing it as a shirt. It was screaming to be made into something else. And I love making handbags, as weird as that seems...
H Heath Grand Member (1 year) Suburban San Diego (The Drawer) Joined: Dec 31, 2005 Posts: 709	H Heath Posted posted on 04/19/2009 I most definitely would have worn that shirt! But since it was yours and not mine... From now on, call me first! :lol: Anyway, I think you did a fantastic job on it.
P princessP Tiki Socialite alameda, ca Joined: Jul 17, 2004 Posts: 133	P princessP Posted posted on 04/19/2009 That is really nice ! If you have the time. I have an old dress or two I don't want or like. I would love one. I think I see a new green business here!
PD Pikeys Dog Member England Joined: Jun 03, 2008 Posts: 305	PD Pikeys Dog Posted posted on 04/19/2009 Who WOULDN'T wear that shirt? It's a crying shame that such a cool shirt is lost....
S sungod Grand Member (1 year) Tampa Bay/New Port Richey Joined: Feb 07, 2003 Posts: 220	S sungod Posted posted on 04/19/2009 I have that shirt!!!!
N NOTCH Tiki Socialite San Jose.Ca Joined: Apr 23, 2006 Posts: 507	N NOTCH Posted posted on 04/19/2009 Thats A Super Cool Idea! I need one for my sugar baby for her Birthday And I know for a fact that she would love it.. Awesome Notch
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 04/19/2009 Oh dear... Didn't mean to offend. Hella serves me right for passing judgement. My bad. How about, instead, I say: "I LOVED this fabric so much, but the shirt wasn't my size, so I changed it into something I would wear more often!" ? On 2009-04-19 09:36, Heath wrote:* I most definitely would have worn that shirt! But since it was yours and not mine... From now on, call me first! :lol: Anyway, I think you did a fantastic job on it. On 2009-04-19 09:43, Pikeys Dog wrote: Who WOULDN'T wear that shirt? It's a crying shame that such a cool shirt is lost.... On 2009-04-19 10:33, sungod wrote: I have that shirt!!!!
D dangergirl299 Grand Member (1 year) Bay Area Joined: Feb 18, 2003 Posts: 893	D dangergirl299 Posted posted on 04/20/2009 What a neat idea - when I find a vintage Hawaiian shirt that is too small, I sew up the arms, neck and stomach and make use it as a pillow case for throw pillows - it unbottoms easily for cleaning, and you don't need a lot of seamstressing expertise (believe me!)
KVT Kiki von Tiki Member Irvine, CA Joined: Mar 01, 2008 Posts: 758	KVT Kiki von Tiki Posted posted on 04/20/2009 Haole'akamai, I love your purse! I think it's a great idea to re-use fabric that you're not using otherwise, good use of the front pocket too, very cute! I wandered over to your website - girl, we should talk! I have a serious vintage affliction. haha! Left you a msg over there. Nice to see another vintage sewist here on TC!
M Monkeyman Tiki Socialite Vista, CA Joined: Mar 04, 2003 Posts: 2386	M Monkeyman Posted posted on 04/20/2009 Ive used vintage shirts to make lamp shades as well. With reasonably good results. Some of the older hostess gowns with the mini-train in the back can yield 2-3 yards of fabric and with that quantity you can really create some cool stuff.
L Louiethefish Member Hawaii Joined: Jul 26, 2008 Posts: 29	L Louiethefish Posted posted on 04/20/2009 Nice work Haole'akamai! Way back in the 60's, I remember when I lived in Hilo with my bestest buddy and phenominal collector, Dick Crawford, who still, to this day, sits in his little store, called Mid-Pacific store, in Hilo (808 935 3822), selling all sorts of Hawaiiana, shirts, dresses, and that shop is a trip, just crammed full of interesting old stuff. Dick was great at finding really valuable old stuff, and he met a Mr. Kichi, over 90 years old, whos job back in the 30's, was to go around to Hawaiian homes selling fabric and other stuff, by horseback and wagon! Mr Kichi had a warehouse full of old stuff, and we all got to be the first to see it in over 20 years. He had piles of fabric remnants of the really valuable 1936 rayon Hawaiian prints, now in collectable catalogs. Dick and friends bought it all! I made vests, shirts , etc out of the stuff I got. I made stuff with combinations of fabric prints, but like an idiot, I wore them all out! I'm sure Dick still has the good stuff tho, and I recently got a classic shirt in his shop. If you ever get to Hilo, check it out! I was into making my own hippy clothes back then, and even tracked down all the original brocades and fabrics worn by the Beatles back then, the Neru look, and made copies of all that, and wore it all over, adding to my already mega-hippy persona! Later, Louie the Fish! http://www.louiethefish.com
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 09/08/2009 So, the next iteration in refashioning this fabulous Hawaiian started with trimming down the width of the messenger bag. And just like the Inuit, I wanted to use every part of the lovely creature that once was a Hawaiian shirt, so I created two other purses from what remained. The bag at the bottom is made from the sleeves. The opening takes it shape from the natural curve (armscye) of the pattern pieces. "If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." -Catherine Aird [ Edited by: Haole'akamai 2009-09-08 12:13 ]
L leleliz Tiki Socialite NorCal Joined: Sep 02, 2008 Posts: 1982	L leleliz Posted posted on 09/08/2009 These came out so well! Great use of a great print. Did you use a pattern or just sew from scratch? [ Edited by: leleliz 2009-09-08 12:21 ]
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 09/08/2009 Yep, I made up my own patterns! They aren't overly complicated, to be sure, but still, making the patterns stirred up my creative juices, since I wanted to develop 3 distinct designs that used all the shirt materials. Mahalo!
ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Tiki Socialite Costa Misery Joined: Jul 19, 2009 Posts: 7122	ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Posted posted on 09/09/2009 You killed it! you killed that shirt,what did it ever do to you...... well I guess you needed to do something creative with it's carcass.
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 09/09/2009 Yeah, I thought long and hard before I started this project. I had an idea that there will be a few guys upset. I also knew that I'd get sooo much more wear out of the shirts I was choosing and I'd actually be "spreading around the wealth" by divying up the fabulousness. I also have a rule that I won't take apart a shirt that is pre-70s. Believe me, I treasure these creatures.
ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Tiki Socialite Costa Misery Joined: Jul 19, 2009 Posts: 7122	ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Posted posted on 09/09/2009 Yeah, the young ones are fine, the vintage are sacred.....respect the vintage. LOL
ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Tiki Socialite Costa Misery Joined: Jul 19, 2009 Posts: 7122	ATP Atomic Tiki Punk Posted posted on 09/09/2009 Since the 70s tried to kill my beloved Tiki, death to the 70s, the 70s mostley sucked anyway.
T TikiMango Member Satellite Beach, FL Joined: Jun 17, 2008 Posts: 798	T TikiMango Posted posted on 09/09/2009 Great looking bags, and nice recycling/reincarnation of a Hawaiian shirt. I can't wait to see more.
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 09/09/2009 Mahalo. Here are some other sets:
KVT Kiki von Tiki Member Irvine, CA Joined: Mar 01, 2008 Posts: 758	KVT Kiki von Tiki Posted posted on 09/12/2009 These look really great, nice shapes on your bags! And I think it's great that you're repurposing old shirts. They're a great source of fabric, and if they're damaged or unwearable - why not? I hate to see great fabric wasted!
H Haole'akamai Member The Polynesian Port of NOLA Joined: Jul 07, 2005 Posts: 2276	H Haole'akamai Posted posted on 09/14/2009 Mahalo! And coming from someone who makes such cute bags, I take that as an extra compliment. :)

Pages: 1 23 replies