What to do with worn-out clothes?

[BookLoverL]

I often sew up small holes in clothes I like that are starting to get worn, rehem them, attach new buttons, etc., and continue wearing them - so far so good. In fact right now I have a whole box full of clothes that are broken and waiting for them to assess them for repairs. But in the case where the clothing is beyond my skill to repair directly, then in the past, if a piece of clothing had too many or too large amount of holes in it compared to my level of sewing skill, I've ended up throwing it in the bin (or using it for cleaning cloths, but we already have plenty of those). This always makes me sad, because a) waste heading to landfill, b) I get emotionally attached to my clothes and honestly get annoyed that I can't wear them any more.

We have a pretty good level of fabric craft skill available in my household - my mum's main hobby is knitting and crocheting, and she also has and is able to use a spinning wheel, and has just bought herself a loom for weaving as an early Christmas present. She's skilled enough at the knitting and crocheting that she sells some of the pieces online. We also have a sewing machine available and other sewing equipment. I myself have been learning to spin yarn using a drop spindle, and am getting gradually more consistent at it.

I'm wondering a few things:
- is it really true that it's too expensive to do something like replace a zip on a broken fleece compared to buying a new one? My mum always seems to act like repair work involving zippers is a non-starter, but she's about WL2 so I don't trust her opinion on what's worth the effort despite her overall textile skills, and I actually have a fleece right now that I've just been pulling on and off as if it were a jumper because the zip malfunctions if you unzip it more than 2/3 of the way.
- would it be possible to do something like break down the fabric of the clothing that was completely beyond repair and respin it into new yarn that actually looked decent? This could then be used in either knitting, crocheting, or weaving to create an entirely new garment.
- what are the most economical ways of getting fabric for things like patches?
- are there any other ways of using old clothing to avoid having to buy new clothing (or, well, new second-hand clothing from the charity shop)?

Maybe I could even do something like learning to sew old t-shirts into new underwear next time I need some, since underwear's something considered not suitable for buying second hand...

[Gilberto de Piento]

- is it really true that it's too expensive to do something like replace a zip on a broken fleece compared to buying a new one? My mum always seems to act like repair work involving zippers is a non-starter, but she's about WL2 so I don't trust her opinion on what's worth the effort despite her overall textile skills, and I actually have a fleece right now that I've just been pulling on and off as if it were a jumper because the zip malfunctions if you unzip it more than 2/3 of the way.

If you google "how to repair a zipper" there are some less involved fixes you could try lubricating with wax.

I've installed a few zippers on bags I've made. I have very little sewing expertise though. I'm looking at a fleece and the zipper is accessible from the back except for the collar. The collar part is covered up by some folded over fabric but looks easy to take apart and put back together. First I would rip out the seams and then remove the old zipper. Then I would pin my replacement zipper in place. Then I would unzip it. Then I would run two straight stitches on each side of the zipper and then remove the pins. I'm not sure how visible the new stitches would be with a repair but the existing stitches on my fleece are invisible with color matching thread.

Whether the fix was too expensive in terms of time and money will be up to your circumstances. Some people love sewing or love their fleece. If you have a free zipper from another coat already on hand that would save money. Otherwise there are usually fleeces for very cheap at the thrift store or big box store.

[BookLoverL]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Initial research seems there are several methods that can be used to mend zippers without replacing them depending on the problem, so I think I'll look at the items I have with zippers and see if any apply. (I think I have... 4? things with broken zippers in various ways, and not all the same problem as each other.)

[Jean]

My dad has thé habit of separating and keeping functioning zippers and other expensive parts from old clothes when he turns thème into rags. Also, patchwork is a thing, but it takes a lot of Time.

[BookLoverL]

I've just attempted to fix one of the broken zips (the pocket zip on one of my office-suitable trousers) by copying the method shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0nMpHixbeM

It seems to have worked so far, I guess I'll see how it holds up as it's used.

[shaz]

You can make the worn out clothes into rag rugs or smaller things like potholders after cutting the fabric into strips. You might be able to sell those once you accumulate too many for your own use.

You could check with your local animal shelter or an animal rescue to see if they can use anything you could make with worn out clothes. I helped at one rescue that made little jackets for small dogs out of t-shirts.

[basuragomi]

I cannibalize the most worn-out shirts and use them to patch the ones in the same formality tier. I will unravel knitwear and reuse the yarn. I'm surprised you have a surplus of rags though, I use up all of mine just cleaning and oiling my bike through winter.

[BookLoverL]

I've mainly been walking rather than biking, so I don't use rags for bike that often. Mostly I just use them for household cleaning.