Cross Revive: Reclaiming Materials

Part of the inspiration for my new etsy store was to be able to use mainly reclaimed materials for the products. I truly enjoy seeing the potential in things that are no longer treasured or useful, then working with the raw materials until they have become something good and desirable again.

I saw the potential in the genuine suede leather and 100% wool tags of these garments. The feel and drape of the leather is so nice. But I wanted to start with something more familiar and something I had the right sewing machine needles for. So I pulled the plaid skirt for my first work. It may not show in the pictures, but trust me, the red of this skirt is so dark and rich and everything you hope to see in a nice tartan plaid.

The buckles on this skirt also spoke to me. And then began the deconstruction process. This part can take minutes to hours depending on the piece and how many seems I decide to pull out. In this case, I liked the fabric so much that I removed every. single. pleat. But it was well worth the effort.

Two things led me to decide what I wanted to make with this skirt. The first was quite simple: desire. My husband bought me an iPad mini to run my etsy store from and to replace my crashed computer. And by the way, it's awesome. He knows his stuff my husband. He also got me a smart case to help protect it from me and the kids. But I still wanted a sleeve of some kind to go around it and protect it that much more. And so I decided to make a sleeve.

The second deciding factor was that I saw room in the market for quality, reasonably priced iPad covers geared towards men. My cousin makes great quality tablet sleeves and accessories in beautiful colors and designs for women. I hope to be able to offer a similar product in reclaimed materials for men. The first cover I created, I kept for myself. This is the second.

It is a top open sleeve with a flap to protect all sides of the tablet. I installed a belt buckle closure to keep the iPad secure. The sleeve is fully padded in a stiff material between the layers of wool.

I double stitched every seem to ensure the sleeve will last for a long time. The sleeve fits an iPad mini with or with out a Smart Case or Smart Cover. The fit is snug to protect your iPad.

I matched the pattern of the plaid so that it lines up neatly on the outside. If you'd like to purchase this sleeve, you can find it in my etsy store. I have another buckle and enough fabric to make one more cover in the tablet size of your choice should you like a custom sized cover.

Thank you for taking a moment to read about and support my work. I'll continue to post about my new creations as I make them, and hopefully there will be some new products this week.