Beautiful felted jewelry made from recycled sweaters by The June Bride.
Born in a field somewhere in the world, each of these delightful brooches began as pure lamb’s wool, nature’s soft coat for a baby sheep. Lambswool is much softer and finer than the wool of a mature sheep. After the careful process of shearing, the wool was then cleaned, carded, spun, dyed and knit. For a time it existed as a garment, aptly warming its wearer better than almost any natural substance. And then, some way or other, it found me.
When I come across the right sweater, I bring it home and think about it… imagining its future life. Once I’ve settled on a happy fate, I thoroughly wash it, felt it, dry it, stretch it, cut it and shape it. Some of the wool becomes other useful objects, but my favorite little things to make are these brooches. Each type of wool has its own characteristics, and I thoughtfully choose the flower shape to best highlight its qualities. I match the petal color to a shade of green for the leaves that peek out the back to make a harmonious finished product. Some have a vintage button for a center, some have a simple gold center and some have no center at all.
Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook or learn more about her love of the handmade.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! I've seen lots of swelted flowers, even made some, but these are truly beautiful! It's so nice to see upcycled goods that will appeal to even those who don't want to look "eco-chic".
The June Bride fabric brooches http://tinyurl.com/cr5lpf