Saving the planet... one garment at a time!

... and one upcycle at a time... Welcome to my blog: A place to have an "over the fence conversation" about sewing, altered couture, upcycling, and all kinds of crafts using found objects, beads, ephemera and other vintage finds!


Friday, August 8, 2014

Trashed Tee to Colorblocked Dress

Sale rack meets junk T in this upcycle project!


I had a really soft comfortable T shirt (which came from Chico's, so it was not cheap either) that I was wearing during a crafting session one day.  Needless to say I ruined the shirt by getting some glue on it.


The glue spots look really small in the picture, but I always felt self-conscious wearing it.  I decided to make a dress out of it when I saw a plain black children's maxi on a sale rack at Target.  The maxi is made of a very soft knit with lycra, and is black.


After removing the elastic waistband, the cropped top and the skirt lined up PERFECTLY!  I think they were meant to be together!  The only problem was getting slippery knits to cooperate and play along.  I decided to use dryer sheets as a stabilizer (what?).  First I cut the sheets into strips.


Then, I placed the strips under my work so that the knit was not touching the feed dogs.


When the dress was completed, I clipped away the dryer sheet.  Here's the finished dress!  I hope you like it, and I hope you let me know what you are working on!


Revealing Wrap to Trapeze Top

Feels like a long time since I've sewn anything.  I finally got a day to work on some things, thanks to a day off!  Today's project:


I have a lightweight (almost scarf material) summer wrap dress I bought several years ago while on a cruise in the Caribbean.  I love the fabric, but I always felt a little exposed.  The dress draped over the front and tied like an apron, then did the same but in reverse to cover the back side.  I was always afraid my sides were showing, or that it was a little too short.


So, I decided to make a trapeze top out of it.  With this particular fabric, it will flow nicely, look great with jeans, and be a little more secure.

I put the dress on and marked where the armscye should close.


Then I spread out the dress on the cutting surface (which happens to be my bedroom floor).





Once I evened everything out and sewed the new sides together, I realized that with the weight of this fabric, only a rolled hem would do, so I for out my trusty rolled hem foot.



The completed top came out pretty cute!


Please share your latest creations!


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Isn't That Pinteresting? - 8: Upcycled Skirt/Tunic

I just love upcycled clothes.  I think that's pretty obvious.  I troll Pinterest and other internet sources looking for great upcycles that I can do at home.  This one really caught my eye:


I like the colors, the length, the loose fit which is treating me so nicely this summer.  I'd love to give you the source, but when I clicked the link, I get a 404 error (link not found).  From what I could gather, this is a skirt melded with an old T, somewhat like the dress I made recently, but even cuter!  More Pinspiration!  I plan to try a copy of this one soon.  What have you been working on this summer?