Conscious by Chloé

Chloé Lepeltier - Conscious By Chloé

A Sustainable Lifestyle Blog focusing on Zero Waste, Slow Living, and Ethical Fashion.

Repurposing an Old Tote Bag with a Punch Needle Patch

Personalized Punch Needle Tote Bag by Conscious by Chloé

YouTube made me do it!

I had never used a punch needle before, but I saw this video by Jenna Phipps and decided to get a punch needle starter kit to practice a little before diving into this major crafting project.

I'm not a designer, or good at drawing, so I looked for inspiration online and stumbled upon this cute children’s stool by PunchioArt.

Personalized Punch Needle Tote Bag by Conscious by Chloé

I couldn't believe how easy punch needling is, especially considering how much I struggle with my latest knitting project (a mohair cardigan)!

This piece only took my a couple of hours!

Personalized Punch Needle Tote Bag by Conscious by Chloé

Supplies

Techniques

The secret to punch needling is to stretch the fabric really well onto your hoop (so the fabric catches the yarn), to push the needle as far as it can go through the monk's cloth, and to make sure you don't lift the needle too high (so you get even loops).

Personalized Punch Needle Tote Bag by Conscious by Chloé

Once I finished it, I wondered what I could do with this round fluffy piece...

Then I remembered I'd had this tote bag for a few years. It had been gifted to me when I helped out a friend at a destination wedding.

Its design was not relevant to me, but I really like the shape and size of the bag, so I decided to give it a new life and slap my punch needled patch on it!

Now, I’m excited for more punch needle makes.

A pair of espadrilles inspired by The Urban Acres is 100% on my to do list (I may or may not already have the supplies 😜)

So stay tuned for more projects and more detailed step-by-step instructions!

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

The Conscious List

Full Moon Daylight Over Mountains

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? I'm gonna celebrate the full moon!

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Sewing a Pair of Cozy Mittens from a Thrifted Quilt

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

In the spirit of using every bit of the quilt I thrifted and after sewing a jacket, a giant tote, and a vest (check out all my quilted pieces), I decided to tackle smaller projects and came up with the idea to make a pair of quilt(ed) mittens.

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

I had no experience in glove or mitten making and spent some time looking for free patterns on the web.

Here's the mitten pattern I used. It wasn't the most professional-looking one, but it did the trick.

I later found this other one, but I like the "articulated thumb" of the first pattern better. This one might work best with more flexible fabric, like an old sweater.

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

The process was pretty simple, except that I wanted matching mittens so I took a little time looking for the spot where I'd cut all my pieces.

In hindsight, I wish the top part of the mittens didn't have this huge white stripe, but at this point, there wasn't much fabric left. Beggars can't be choosers!

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

After I finished sewing the mittens, I realized that they could use some elastic. So I ripped a bunch of seams and sewed the elastic on the inside of the wrist with a zigzag stitch.

This took some finessing and I'm not 100% satisfied with the result, but this will do for now.

A later iteration of this project will include an encased elastic for more comfort and a more professional finish.

And one day I'll commit to French seams to hide the inner seams, but that would have been too bulky for the inside of a quilted mitten... I think...

In the meantime, I'm happy with the look my serger with multi-colored thread gives to the inside of my sewing projects.

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

I'm pretty satisfied with this first pair. It was a quick project, which means I'll probably make it again in the future.

Now, what should I do next with the leftover fabric? Another bucket hat?

I could also make quilt mittens from scratch!

Thrifted Quilt Elastic Wrist Mittens DIY by Conscious by Chloé

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

The Conscious List

Winter Perched Bird in the Snow for Conscious by Chloé

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? I'm going to a bird-themed birthday party!

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

My New Favorite Mending Tool

Snag Repair Needle Mending Tool by Conscious by Chloé

Have you ever heard of a Snag Repair Needle?

I hadn't... until a few months ago when I added to my mending kit.

I can't pinpoint exactly when and where I first saw it (probably on my Instagram Explore Page), but my world has been rocked ever since!

Snag Repair Needle Mending Tool by Conscious by Chloé

I used to mend snags and loose threads by threading a needle, tying a knot around the pulled thread, and feeding it through the fabric.

Snag Repair Needle Mending Tool by Conscious by Chloé

But now, with this nifty little tool, a repair takes seconds. I just poke through the fabric with the sharp side of the needle, then wrap the loose thread around the grippy side of the needle and feed it through the fabric.

Snag Repair Needle Mending Tool by Conscious by Chloé

These pictures show how I regularly take care of my (very fragile) gauze coat.

I also use the needle pretty regularly on my workout leggings (I snag them often while hiking in the woods 🫣).

Snag Repair Needle Mending Tool by Conscious by Chloé

This little needle has become my new favorite mending tool! And you know how much I love mending!

Have you ever used a snag repair needle? What else is in your mending kit?

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!