Showing posts with label upcycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label upcycling. Show all posts

Friday, December 13, 2024

Making over Knit Dresses

As some long-term readers might know, one of my favourite knit patterns is Kwik Sew 3559, an older OOP pattern that I've made 10+ times. Two of my 3559 dress versions haven't been worn much, so I decided to remake them into tee length tops instead. I really need more comfy tees, and these were easy fixes. 

The first was a plain black short sleeved version. I never wore this, as I had added a band on the bottom to get it to the right length, and somehow it just didn't sit right. The hem curled up after a couple of wears and I just couldn't sort it. Perfect candidate for a chop! I sewed the pocket openngs shut from the inside & then cut off the pocket bags. This one I cut to a high hip tee length, and just ironed on some knit interfacing to keep the hem smooth, I didn't sew it at all. Quick and easy, and will mostly be worn under a cardigan or jacket anyhow. 

The second one was a little bit fussier. This knit is really lightweight and springy, which is why it never worked well as a dress. I wore it a couple of times, but I found that once I put the sash on, the back of it clung to my bottom more than I liked. Also it is a bit static which doesn't help. So I wasn't reaching for it often, but I love the pretty fabric and how soft it is to wear. I thought if I made it over into a tunic, I wouldn't be tying it around my waist and the fabric could fall more naturally. So I did the same with the pockets - sewed the seam shut and then cut off the pocket bags. I then measured down from the yoke and cut this one a bit longer than the black one. I also added hem tape to the bottom of this. 

I then took the 9" that I cut off and sewed into a tube for a quick infinity style scarf that I can add to this if I want a little extra coverage or just a different look. This was fun to do and I'm glad I could use the fabric for another piece. I think I will get a lot more wear out of this tunic version! 



Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Hot Pink Upcycled 90s Dress!


This delightful project was done just in time for a 3 day return of summer temperatures here - perfect for cotton dresses 🙂 It's made from a 100% cotton IKEA duvet cover which I bought at the thrift store this summer, just because of the intense colour that I noticed from an aisle away.


When I got it home I realized I would have to be very careful with print placement! There are a series of fairly closely packed circles all over it. I looked through my stash for something with princess seams so I could slice up the motifs & came up with Simplicity 9601, a 1996 shirtdress pattern. I think it worked re: motifs but it also has a great fit, the cut-on sleeve isn't too revealing in the underarm area, but it also doesn't restrict movement at all. I really like it! I think I may use this one again. 

I had to cut the length somewhere between their long and short to get the perfect longer skirt look for me. Of course I added some side seam pockets as well. I did shorten it an whole inch above the waist, and I cut the shoulders at 14 and the rest at 16, giving myself a smidge extra at the hips. The only thing I would change if I make it again is to take a little sway back adjustment to deal with a bit of extra fabric at my lower back. Otherwise I love the fit and feel of this - the sleeve is great, the V isn't too low, and it's comfy.

And I was thrilled that the perfect buttons were in my button box - I wasn't sure what to use with this fabric until I saw these. I bought them at my local Fabricland some time ago with another project in mind, but am so glad I never used them because they are just right for this fabric! The only issue I had sewing this dress was that the bright fabric made me see spots if I didn't look up to rest my eyes often enough. It's so nice to have a problem free sew once in a while!


Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Burda Knot Front top

PatternReview is running an upcycling contest this month, and that gave me the push to try a project I've been thinking of for a while. I received quite a bit of fabric, including a few finished projects, from a friend a year or two ago. One item was a gorgeous blue shift dress in a linen/cotton or rayon blend, I think - anyhow it's beautiful. I tried just fiddling with it a bit to see if I could make it fit me but it never worked. The neckline & shoulders were just too big, and the hip area too small. 

So I took the plunge and cut it up! I laid out a few simple tops but found that this Burda top (109-08-2021) worked best with the available fabric. Plus it has this very cute knot feature at the neckline, which I have wanted to try for a while now!

I cut everything out except for the armhole facings; I ran out of enough fabric to cut these longish pieces. I could have pieced the remaining bits and probably had enough, but didn't want a bunch of seams on the arm facings, might be uncomfortable. I looked through my stash of vintage bias binding and found one pack of a perfect blue. So the armholes are finished with binding instead!

Another change I made was to cut the back piece across the existing back seam of the dress. There is a back neck slit in the pattern but I sewed together the neck facing and tested it to see if I could get it over my head without unpicking the back piece to get an opening. It fit very easily. So I didn't put it the back slit. I always hate that fiddly button loop anyhow, haha. 


I cut this in my usual Burda size, 42 at the neck and 44 at the hip. There is not much leftover scrap fabric from this one, and I'm so pleased that I can wear this glorious fabric now. It will be a great piece for summer days! 



Tuesday, October 31, 2023

I AM Barbara in Skull & Crossbones

I've had this project in mind for a few months, and with a weekend of intense sewing, managed to get it made in time for my Halloween workwear! 

The I AM Barbara blouse caught my eye a while back - I don't have anything like it; it was the flounces that interested me. I like the ones with the least flounce to them, and thought that this fabric was a perfect match to this design. I bought it with this project in mind, and happily it all came together just as nicely as I'd imagined in my head! 

The fabric was originally a 100% cotton IKEA sheet, which I bought at the Goodwill. When I saw it, it looked like a repeated print in black & white, which fits into my wardrobe parameters. But when I looked a little closer, I saw that it is tiny skull & crossbones. How delightful! 

And, the fabric is very soft and light, so I thought that a double layer, like in the Barbara blouse, would work well with it. It wouldn't be too bulky, and it would also be a bit more wearable if two layers make it a tiny bit less transclucent. 

I really enjoyed sewing this, even if I was pushing myself to finish it. The instructions were clear, even with some fussy bits like the front hidden placket piece.

I ended up not doing it perfectly but close enough to wear and be functional - that's all I ask! I also made a small boo-boo on one cuff, which buttons the opposite way to the other, but that's easily fixable but removing and replacing that cuff. I will do that at some point ;) 

I cut a 42/44 with a little more width at the hip/hem. And I had to shorten the sleeve by 5/8", which meant also shortening the flounces. I didn't take any length off the body of the blouse, in fact I added 1/2" to the bottom to give me more hem allowance. I think that it's just right. 

I used flat black buttons for the placket, but used 4 hole buttons for the collar and cuffs (the visible buttons) so that I could stitch them on in an X pattern using white thread, to echo the print. I really love everything about this! 


The fabric is so soft to wear, and works really well with this design. The only slight drawback is that it needs a lot of pressing! I love it and am so glad I pushed to get it done. This is an interesting design that I enjoyed making, and I also love the fabric a lot. 








Sunday, October 8, 2023

Weekend Review: StyleHacking

 

StyleHacking / Karoline Dahrling Hughes
Concord, CA: Stash Books,c2021.
128 p.

This book is a quick and dirty look at creating a 5 piece wardrobe of pattern templates that can then be hacked with various details to give you some variety. It's one of those books that is heavily DIY -- ie: sewing patterns are complicated and boring, there isn't a 'right way' to do anything, just do what you like! 

The book proposes five basic garments - a tee/tank, pants, skirt, dress and jacket, all of which you get a pattern for by "cloning" (tracing off garments that you already have in your wardrobe). Then there are a variety of sewing options to put them together in different configurations. Since there are no real rules, it's a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure way of learning. Four of the five projects are knits (easier fitting I guess) and the last can be made in woven. 

I loved the idea of this, and do like that the photos are bright and use colour. They are fun and encouraging for a certain kind of new sewist who likes to learn by experimenting. I think this one might appeal more to younger sewists who don't mind the DIY feel. 

For me, it feels a bit messy with the pattern clashing and boxy unfitted styles. There are some good ideas, though, that someone might use to create things more in their own style. This might be a different way to look at things for newer sewists who are afraid to deviate from a pattern, even with the simple ideas of adding a gathered  skirt to a favourite top pattern to make a dress. 

I'm not sure this one is for me, as I'm not a loosey-goosey sewist, I like to use patterns and fit things well. But I can see there being an audience for this book, and it's fearless approach to being just good enough and using what you have. Worth taking a look at if you can find it in your library as I did. 


Sunday, October 1, 2023

Weekend Review: The Re:Fashion Wardrobe

 

The Re:Fashion Wardrobe / Portia Lawrie
Tunbridge Wells, UK: Search Press, c2023.
176 p.

I've been waiting for this one from my local library, and finally got a copy! This new book by Portia Lawrie (creator of The Refashioners blog challenge, for those who remember those peak blogging years) is a great find. 

In an interview in Seamwork Magazine, Lawrie stated that "I don't want my clothes to scream refashion. I just want them to scream 'nice clothes'!" I think she's really captured that here. The 11 projects are well conceived, meant to work together, and look like clothes you might actually wear. Sometimes refashions can be laudable ideas but not really wearable; this book is very conscious of making casual clothing that looks both in-style and wearable. 


The book is broken up into 3 main sections; first, a bit on the concept of the book, capsule wardrobes, thrift shopping and sourcing garments to refashion, and some info on notions and supplies. Then come the projects themselves, with lots of large clear photos and instructions. The book follows Lawrie's colour palette, which is cool and modern, neutral with blacks, tans, denims and so on. So there is a sense of cohesion in the projects and photos, and what will eventually come together as a capsule wardrobe. 

The book then finishes with a longish section on refashioning techniques, so that you can take these ideas and go further with your own concepts and garments, creating your own new versions. It covers a lot, from sizing, fitting, making pattern templates, adding buttons, pockets, or darts, finishing seams and edges and so on. There are lots of great ideas and examples, and I think if a reader made a couple of the projects here, and then looked at the technique section, they'd be confident in trying their own projects as well. 


These are cool clothes, ones that sewists would enjoy wearing, I think. They seem to match a casual aesthetic, and are fairly straightforward for anyone with sewing experience. I like a couple of the top refashions - a cropped blouse is especially interesting - and think I might see if I have any 'source garments' around the house to give it a try. This one is definitely worth checking out, especially if you're wary of the rough, patched together feel of many refashions. You will only find good finishes and classic lines here. 

You can see a full flip-through of the book at the publisher's youtube channel, too! 




Sunday, August 6, 2023

Weekend Review: Reclaimed Textiles

 

Reclaimed Textiles / Kim Thittichai
London: Batsford, c2014.
128 p.


I'm always interested in upcycling and using unexpected materials in my textile art. So I thought I'd check out this book for some new ideas! It's broken up into chapters on Inspiration, Textiles, Paper, Packaging, Plastics & Mixed Media. Then there is a follow up on some of the featured artists, links and bibliography, etc at the end. 

It's a Batsford book, so it's really beautifully done. Those fuzzy Batsford covers always get me! And there are many glossy photos of lots of projects and ideas inside. 

Somehow I didn't really click with this one, however. The projects felt too random and junky for my preferred style. I do find that British artists seem to like a looser, rougher, or messier aesthetic overall, which doesn't always mesh with my personal tastes. There were still some really interesting ideas, though, especially in the plastics section, that I could use in a different way than the artists featured here did, and still get that upcycled ethos in. There was one artist in particular, Mary Grey, who used plastics to make a water scene, and it was very effective. 

I was most drawn to the reused textiles; there were vintage embroidered dresser cloths and tablecloths that were stitched into to create new messages and artwork on top of the original stitching, and I thought the juxtaposition worked well to emphasize the concepts. And of course upcycling fabric scraps is familiar and something I feel comfortable doing, so those projects felt more approachable. 

This book was well done, in that it delivered what it set out to do. It's put together with variety and lots of colour and imagery, so if you are interested in this topic you might also want to take a look. There may be something in it that will inspire you. 

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

When Refashions Go Wrong

Way back in the spring, PatternReview was running its Sewing Bee challenge. I made it to Round 2 on the strength of my first project, a Knit Dress With A Twist. 

The challenge for Round 2 was Collars. I have lots of collars that are interesting, and lots of things I've always wanted to try. I decided to try to make a Book Dress with a Chelsea Collar that would be multi-layered to look like book pages. Well, great idea but not so great in the execution. 

I used Simplicity 7238, a Christie Brinkley pattern from 1991. I had some good base fabric for the dress -- an old sheet, which had tones and shapes that reminded me of old book bindings. So far so good. Then I tried to create layers of sheers as "pages". So many problems! 

First off, the Chelsea collar wasn't the right choice for this concept - there was too much collar, and the sheers that I had in my stash just weren't stiff enough. I sprayed them all with spray starch and pressed but still not enough body to have the effect I wanted. Also, I caught Covid right at the beginning of collar week so was way too exhausted to do anything that might have added to the effect, like adding a text underlay, stitching with wire edges etc. I gave up and just got done what I had started so I had an entry. 

But I didn't like very much, I felt that it really didn't work for me. I put it aside thinking that maybe I could take off the sheer layers and make the dress actually wearable. I finally got to the refashion this month, and removed the sheer bits, sewing the plain collar back on. I like it much better, and think it could be wearable. But not, alas, by me. 

I don't like the shape of this dress, or the collar, or the fabric colours (why did I think I would like these colours on me?). It doesn't have any drape, and the whole outfit is just a big fail, refashion or not! 


However, the fabric is very interesting in its own right, so I'll be unpicking the zip to go back in the stash, and cutting up the dress to put into my art quilt scrap box. I can see it making a great background for something :) The joys of having non-garment sewing possibilities! 

This project was another reminder that the things I make for challenges or contests that don't already fit in with my wardrobe plans and/or colour-pattern preferences are rarely successful. I will be able to reuse this fabric, but will never get all the time back that I sunk into the project. Have you had projects like this too? I have to remind myself to be more conscious about what I'm choosing to make, in many different ways. 



Wednesday, April 26, 2023

1986 Blouse in Upcycled Rayon


This Style pattern was one I had on my wishlist to make at the beginning of this year. It all came together to convince me to make it now, as there is a blouse making challenge on IG, as well as the return of The Refashioners, AND a challenge to sew with some Viva Magenta. 


This was a perfect fit for all of that. It's a pattern from 1986 that I thrifted a while back. The price on the back for Canada is $6.75, which I think would have been a pricey pattern back in the mid-80s. And for such a simple design! The cover images look like there are some big shoulder pads in there, which I would have expected of a pattern of this vintage; however, there are none called for in the pattern. 


I used a half-made dress that I was given a few years ago. The rayon print is beautiful, and there are swirls of magenta in that print! I had first taken the bodice off and made a simple elastic waist skirt from this fabric but found I wasn't wearing it much in that form. And the print is too lovely to waste. Thankfully I had kept the bodice in my scrap bin, so I unpicked the skirt from the elastic and used that to cut the main body of the blouse. It was slightly too short on the left side of the pattern that had the button extension at the shoulder, so I ended up piecing a bit onto that side to get enough length. This print hides those extra seamlines well. 



I used part of the bodice to cut the collar pieces, and scraps from the skirt for the two small facings. There is still a little of the bodice left so I will reuse that in future! I dug through my button stash and finally decided on some plain black buttons that have a little extra with a white streak that runs through them. They were also from a big batch of random buttons given to me a few years ago. 



The blouse is a little shorter than designed (about 1/2") just because I had to fit it onto my skirt pieces. But I think it works. The front is fractionally shorter than the back but there are slits in the side seams so that's not an issue either! I cut a 14 at the neck and shoulder, and 16 the rest; however, I also added about 1/2" in width to the side seam, starting at the waist point and grading out to the hip. This shirt is basically a rectangle, so if I hadn't added that extra, it would have been too tight around my hip. 



I love this silhouette and may try one of the other views someday. The buttoned up one definitely caught my eye first, though, and I enjoyed making this simple, purely rectangular top that is a great piece for under a jacket. The original dress that I recut this from had some thin shoulder pads already covered in this fabric, so if I can find where I put them when I deconstructed this dress originally, I think I will add them in to give it just that touch more of the cover look!