beads from clothes

[Tibetan Empress]

Hi,
our friend’s Dad passed away last week. His girlfriend heard Opera mention on one show that old clothes could be crushed down into beads.  We were thinking this would be a great idea for our friend, use his Dads old clothes to make beads for a necklace or bracelet, so he can always remember his Dad.
I don’t know what this process is called or where it can be done. Does anyone have any information at all?
Thanks for the help

[Polly]

I haven't heard of clothes being crushed and turned into beads, but you could cut them up into triangular strips and roll them around a toothpick or straw with some fabric glue, to make beads the same style as the bead that people make from cut-up magazine pages, like these Ugandan paper beads.

[Tibetan Empress]

I will pass that along, thanks for the help!

[Russ Nobbs]

A google search for "fabric beads" finds a number of ideas. I doubt if the great firewall of china will block these kinds of things, assuming that you can reach google.

There are other sorts of fiber art where cloth, dryer lint, threads are built into thick blocks, impregnated with resin and sliced to make interesting patterns. I can't think of the name of the Seattle area artist known for that work. We have several of her pieces in our collection.

[Luann Udell]

You have dryer lint beads???  Now I've seen everything!!!   

[Polly]

My wedding invitations were made using dryer lint too!

OK, so it was only a little bit of dryer lint, and it was the right color to mix into the handmade paper mash.

Wow, I had a lot more time on my hands way back then!  I can hardly believe my husband & I made our own wedding invitations - from the paper and up.

[Polly]

Wait - what?  That pretty purple pin is made of resin-impregnated dryer lint?  Huh... I'm not sure I knew that.

[Russ Nobbs]

Former R&T employee Dina Fernandez has a hit product this season with her rolled or felted fabric beads that look like candy.
The beads are strung in long strands that work as garlands on a tree or can be worn as a necklace.
Dina's work is part of the Tinman Gallery's annual handmade ornament show here in Spokane.
Sorry, I can't find a link to any pictures.