About Me

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New homeowner in Black Rock, Buffalo NY. Bachelors in art ed, masters in social studies/ special ed, job where I use neither. Addiction to thrifting, tights/leggings, boots, VHS tapes and liquid eyeliner. Enjoy painting, drawing and occasionally some chalk on the sidewalk. Love de- and reconstructing clothes, knitting, making jewelry and experimenting with fun eye makeup and hair color changes. Love the outdoors, learning to garden, practicing composter. Obsessed with greening up my life but not a preachy, pretentious jerk about the subject (maybe a bit pushy on the recycling thing *cough*). Loads of interests, small circle of friends, always looking for more of both. My fashion is influenced by street style, movies, comics, and my imagination.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Moongreen Fashions: Too tights for your budget?

The purpose of my Moongreen segments, as previously stated, is to get you to reconsider things you or others may ordinarily toss out or donate as well as to save a few cents by reusing, repurposing or upcycling an item into an unintended use or new item. Todays item - Tights. TIGHTS. I freaking love them. Maybe it's because even when I was cancer-patient thin I still had semi-rubanesque thighs with *gasp* some cellulite that I started my obsessive love affair with tights/stockings. It was only many years later after I learned to somewhat deprogram the media-fed obsession that I could never look good enough that I noticed that MOST women, even very thin ones, have cellulite and/or stretch marks on their upper legs. It was too late by then, though. The tights bug had bit - they come in every pattern, stitch and color imaginable, they can be purchased absurdly cheap from a huge variety of sources, especially when you are lucky enough to come across them at the thrift store, preferably unworn (but hey if chlorine bleach can kill AIDS in a swimming pool I'm sure the color safe version in some hot washing machine water will nuke whatever is in those bad boys - those girls were right about me in highschool, I AM a scumbag). Years later, I have two small laundry baskets FULL of tights and stockings, and many of them have seen better days. They are filled with rips and runs or so stretched out from years of use (and the sadly non-permanent flexibility of spandex) they won't stay up anymore. This begs the question, as someone who hates to waste, WHAT can I do with these??? Here are a few solutions.

The problem: they have runs and rips I can't hide 

Solutions:1) Go ahead and wear them ripped. Why the F not? Had Sid not killed Nancy, she would approve. Besides they SELL pre-ripped ones now. Don't let them rape your wallet like the ripped-before-you-buy jeans people may have!

2) Wear ripped/running tights over an opaque pair for a cool layering effect, a la my tank girl costume at ComicCon this year. This can lend a funky, punk edge to your outfit without actually freezing your booty off/exposing leg hair you may not feel like shaving in the winter months(lawd, I know I don't).

3) Use them as stuffing for a homemade teddy or throw pillow.

The problem: Only ripped in the lady bits region

Solutions: 1) Make a shrug - Turn your tights upside down and using a pair of sharp scissors CAREFULLY cut around the edge of the hole to make a symmetrical circle or oval shape - obviously the bigger the rip the wider of a hole you will have to cut. Double over the edge of the fabric and do a whip stitch by hand/with a machine or use ironable basting tape to finish the neckline (why not, since we're going with the punk theme here, just use actual duct tape?). Cut the feet off if the tights have them and finish to whatever length you want the sleeve to be. Slip what was the waste band down first, like the bottom of a shirt, putting your head through your newly make neckline and your arms into the former "legs." Voila. You have a shrug, similar to the one this lovely lady from Cryoflesh.com has on (correct folks, this is NOT me, I know you were all fooled for a second - also I didn't take this picture; please don't sue me).

2) Thigh highs - Cut the legs off at about half way up your thigh; they can be worn with a garter belt after you finish the tops.

3) Simple spring scarf - Cut the legs off as high up as you can, avoiding any spreading rips/snags from the torn crotch. Sew the two legs together at the top. Snip off the toes. Finish the ends. Voila.

The problem: all stretched out

Solutions: 1) make into a light scarf or thigh-highs as above. Save the top as a pair of play undies for your man/lady to tear off you during fun time. 

2) Using a sharp pair of scissors cut the tights in a spiraling motion starting with one foot and working your way up the top and back down the other leg. This will give you one long, thin piece of fabric. Use several of these to knit, knot, weave or braid a scarf, belt, hair band or purse strap (I plan to attempt this - I have seen it done with other thin materials such as t-shirts - more to come!). I am imagining some bitching macrame with this.

There are also dozens of other uses - make a rag rug, use in the kitchen in place of cheesecloth to strain things (once properly sterilized of course) or to strain paint, home-mixed concrete or other chunky liquids for home projects, use as a rag to dust (they pick up lint like crazy!), cut them into strips and weave them into dreads or use them as part of a synthetic wig, hair ties, etc.

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