The Sweater Chop Shop: Sewing One-Of-A-Kind Creations from Recycled Sweaters

Recycled wool sweaters are given new life in Crispina ffrench's creative hands. Playful, stylish, and utterly captivating, Crispina's unique wearables, blankets, pillows, and dolls are hand sewn using felted pieces of recycled wool knitwear. Snapped up by museum stores and gift shops across the country, her pieces have been popular gift items for 20 years.

Now, using simple sewing skills and a few basic stitching tools, home crafters can learn Crispina's techniques for felting, cutting up, and reassembling recycled wool knitwear. It all begins with a fleecy, fuzzy pile of gently worn sweaters. Hand-me-downs, accidentally shrunken sweaters, and thrift store finds all work well in the sweater chop shop.

Five uniquely fashionable sweater styles, artfully crafted from pieces of former sweaters, form the heart of the book's projects. The ways in which colors, textures, and sweater parts are mixed and matched is inventive and magical. Smaller items use up wool scraps and inspire crafters to make beautiful home accessories and whimsical toys.

Each project includes a complete list of required materials and tools. Detailed advice on advance preparation is followed by step-by-step instructions and strong graphic illustrations drawn by Crispina's own hand, plus creative ideas for personalizing each project.

Large or small, simple or intricately embellished, every project is a work of recycling art - rewarding to make, fun to use or wear, and good for the environment.

Recycle, Re-create, Re-enjoy

You don't even need a sewing machine to upcycle old sweaters into new wearables, blankets, pillows, and dolls that are fresh, playful, and utterly captivating.

It's easy as felting the wool, cutting the pieces for your new project, and stitching everything together using simple hand-sewing skills.

Noted designer Crispina ffrench shares her techniques and passion as she introduces you to the beautiful possiblities in old sweaters.

"Crispina's blankets and throws and rugs are piled on and over each other on my beds, chairs, couches, and floors. She's a great artist who understands texture and how it adds individuality and comfort to a home, not to mention a car, or an old refurbished orange trunk seat!!" - Carly Simon

"Crispina makes the most beautiful soulful blankets, pillows, and sweaters, out of people's old sweaters. In this amazing and magical book she shares her secrets so that you can do it too." - Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's

Crispina ffrench started her recycled design business in 1987 while still a student at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Her manufacturing operation, Crispina Design Workshop is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  She has exhibited at the prestigious American Craft Council Exhibit as well as the New York International Gift Show.