5 "Non-Rules" for Refashion Goddesses

Refashioning, upcycling, altered couture - a craft by many names, but whatever you choose to call it, this is a fun way to exercise your creativity while keeping older clothing out of landfills!  This is a sub-genre of sewing that I love.  It makes me feel super creative while I divert fiber waste from the dump.  Here are 5 "Non-rules" to get you started on this creative path.

1.  The sky is the limit (to your collection)!  Unless your storage space is extremely limited (ok, whose storage space isn't somewhat limited?) amass a collection of garments for refashioning.  Sometimes a garment on its own is pretty uninspiring, but when two or three of these ho-hum garments are put together, ideas for what they might become begin to flow!  Putting two or more disparate pieces together yields something I like to call a Frankengarment, because you're sewing pieces from different garments into one.  If you crave organization, put like-weight fabrics into a bin together, or group by colors.

2.  In this case, size definitely does not matter!  By this, I mean the size of the original garment.  All garments are eligible for refashion whether they are miles too small or swimmingly large.  Even a tiny baby dress can be reused in embellishment on an adult garment.  If you love something about it - the print, the color, or the hand of the fabric - you are more likely to incorporate the piece into your art.

3.  The world is your source!  Be open to traditional and non-traditional means of acquiring materials for your art.  Start, of course in your own closet, looking for garments you have not worn in a year or more.  Expand into the closets of your family and even friends!  Thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales and consignment shops are another source.  And, don't forget scavenging and dumpster diving.  With a little fortitude, you can score great items for refashioning.

4.  Forget what the garment is now!  A dress need not stay a dress, a blouse is not always a blouse, and trousers are not forever sentenced to trouserhood!  Open your eyes to the possibilities and liberate the garment within the garment.  While strictly not a refashion in the truest sense of the word, sometimes you can just re-use the fabric from one garment to create another.

5.  Start simple - do what you know!  My first upcycle was the simple addition of an appliquéd dragonfly to a denim jacket.  Years later, I still wear that jacket frequently because I love it.  You, too, can start by embellishing already existing garments.  Wear them out and about.  Soon you'll be complimented on your lovely and unique creations.  Compliments are like crack to the crafter - oh so addictive!  You'll soon want more, and begin to push the creative envelope further and further.  Who knows where your creativity can take you?

A Little Girl's Upcycle

Just knocking around the sewing room on Saturday, when a little inspiration came to visit!  I have a few piles of old clothing in need of remakes, but there's nothing like a little visitor to get the creative juices flowing.  In my stash of clothes to restyle I had a rayon long sleeve top from Chico's with a grease stain...

...and a really cute skirt with an under-ruffle that I just think is a little too young, or prep, or something for me to actually wear.  It was originally a Christopher and Banks, but I believe I got it at a consignment shop with the idea of recycling it.

Using the subject's chest measurement, I cut out a bodice, retaining the original neckline.  I sewed the side sleeves and used ribbon as a bias finish on the armholes.  Next, I measured and cut off the amount of the skirt I wanted to use, retaining the original hems.  Gathering the skirts, I then attached these to the bodice and Voila!

She loves her new dress, and I hope you enjoyed seeing it!  Thanks for looking!

5 Ways to Divest Yourself of Unwanted Clothing Without Using a Landfill

So, if you read our last installment, now you've identified a pile of things you no longer need, wear or want. Congratulations!  Luckily we're ready with a great list of ways to get those unwanted garments out of your house without visiting a landfill.

1.  Host a clothing swap for your friends.  This is a fun way to gather the gang for coffee, cocktails or wine without selling anything (you can probably list all the at-home party sales companies popular in your area), yet everyone still gets some benefit.  Everyone gets to pass along some unwanted items and potentially get something new to take home without spending a dime!  If you want you can even have a themed party: business casual, weekends, travel, or accessories could all be the central theme.  A really thoughtful hostess will arrange for those unwanted items to disappear after the party so no one has to schlep home their undesirables.

2.  Resell. OK, this one will probably take some effort on your part, but you may reap back a small reward for having invested the time.  Of course, usually only the cream of your cast-offs will sell, so hand select items to try this with.  Resale options include consignment (check local shops, their rules, and choose a dealer you can work with), garage/yard sales (where you are likely to recoup only pennies on the dollar), and online sales.  The options for online resale are growing daily, but the granddaddy is probably eBay.  If selling online, be sure to describe your items honestly and fully.  Sometimes even slightly damaged goods may sell if you are meticulous in your description.

3.  Donate.  This option is rife with ethical considerations.  The charity you donate to, is of course, your choice.  Some things to consider might be what works are supported with the funds raised, how much of each donation goes to support these charitable works, and what is done with any "non-salable" goods.  For instance, some groups sell clothing not perceived to be salable in the US to foreign second hand goods markets, others sell them to be made into rags for cleaning, or to be made into fiberfill for soft-goods. Don't forget that you are generally entitles to a tax deduction equal to the resale value of the items donated.  Check with your tax professional for details.

4.  Give away.  Not quite the same as either donating, or swapping, where chances are, you are getting something in return (a tax deduction or another item of clothing), giving your clothing away entails exactly that - giving.  Think hand-me-downs for grown ups.  If you are tired of a perfectly serviceable sweater or coat, perhaps another family member could get some use out of it.  At the office where I work people often bring in items they no longer want and leave them in the break room.  If nobody takes them in a week or so they are donated to the charity next door.  You can also use your local Freecycle online group to give items away for free.

5.  Restyle or re-use.  Well, the last stop on our list does not exactly remove the item from your home.  However, restyling two or more old garments into one new, upcycled one is all the rage!  Think how crafty you'll feel as you make something new and chic out of something that just hung in your closet unloved and unworn!  Or, if you are really never going to wear it again, make it into something completely different - a rug, a potholder, a fort for little ones - the possibilities are endless!  And, if you really can't think of anything, you probably need some cleaning rags, too.

The Absolute Best Way to Reduce Textiles in Landfills!

In a previous post we talked about the fact that the average American family discards approximately 68 pounds of textile waste into landfills annually.  I am doing my best to decrease this amount, both personally, and hopefully I can influence a few other people as well <winking at you!>.

It should come as no surprise that keeping used clothing and other textiles out of landfills begins with...

...SHOPPING LESS!  Shopping has become an end in itself in our culture.  A pastime or even a hobby.  In part, we're responding to the siren song of advertisers and even our government about the need to keep the economy moving through spending.  And, I often wonder whether we're harking back to some primal hunter-gatherer instinct basic to the human psyche.

I often find sustainability closely linked to frugality, though I am far from immune to consumer culture.  My name is Dee, and I am (at times) a recreational shopper.  I have lofty goals of spending minimally and strategically.  I won't shop at stores which support policies and politics which I cannot support (examples would be Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby), though I realize that I'm not always aware of all hidden agendas.  I buy re-used and recycled whenever possible, and I'm obviously a huge proponent of DIY.

I am far from perfect... but, instead of hitting the mall, I go to yard sales, thrift stores and used goods stores. I also frequently use Pinterest as a shopping substitute - just because I pin it does not mean I have to buy it - and I can go back and look at it whenever I want!  What strategies do you use to decrease your urge to shop?

Next in this series:  Knowing When to Let Go: 7 Reasons to Remove an Item From Your Wardrobe!

Shared at: My Repurposed Life

Isn't That Pinteresting? - 6

My pin this week is central to the very theme if this blog!  It leads to a wonderful post by Sarah at The Fuzzy Square, where the author condenses a ton of great ideas for recycling and upcycling clothing onto one easy and inspirational page.

As you know, I do not like to see clothing and textiles go into land fills.  I much prefer that they be donated to others, or, if you're of a creative bent, upcycled into another garment.  I have (literally, I think) a ton of clothing I need to get serious about refurbishing.  If I run out of ideas, this pin will jump start my creative engines, and I hope it inspires yours as well!  What are your favorite upcycle ideas?

Another Refashion Top

In my quest to quickly sew up some items I can wear everyday instead of that uniform T shirt and jeans, I'm doing another top restyle.  As a pattern, I'm using a me-made patternless top from about two years ago.  It's just a simple boxy, or crop, top.  There are no real design features (no closures, no darts) and it relies on the drape of the fabric to lend shape to the garment.

The subject of the upcycle is a thrift store dress I got for $4.99 on the same day that I scored the men's shirts.  It seems hopelessly 80s, but may actually be 90s.

It was originally a very nice dress, I'm sure.  It was a Karin Stevens, a quality brand.

What sold me on it for a restyle was the pretty floral print fabric, which, as you can see is 100% rayon.  Dry clean only - but I washed the dress and hung it to dry when I got it home.

And I'll have to think of something to do with the remainders because I do like the lace collar detail, but obviously not for this project.  Any suggestions?

Stay tuned!  I'll probably cut today and sew tomorrow.

Refashioned Top: Frankenstyle

I was reading a thread on A Fashionable Stitch about refashioning.  Sunni was asking her readers' opinion about refashioning.  One commenter described the results as generally looking like a girl scout project gone horribly wrong.  I agree that sometimes it does seem that way.  I've seen many an item in Altered Couture, for example, that I would not be caught dead in.  However, that being said, I really enjoy refashioning, and I try to keep my stuff wearable by the average Josephine.  Here's my latest.  You be the judge, please.

I had a leftover Mom Jumper top portion.  You may recall that I made a sixties top wearable muslin from the fabric I harvested from the skirt of the jumper.

I ripped off the remnants of the skirt that were still attached.

I also had an old T.  Love the color (brings out my red hair), but it shrunk in the wash and was too short.  I don't like to be suddenly showing my tummy when I'm loading groceries into the car.

So I married the two together to make a new Frankentop.  The top now hits at my hips, so there's no danger of scaring small children and animals with a view of my tum.

Now, this is nicer looking than my usual hockey tournament T shirts for everyday wear.  Once it warms up I could wear this out and about.  I can even put a sweater over it.

Economically it works out well, too.  The jumper was $9.99, but I used most of it for the other top...I'd say $3.00 toward this top.  The other T was free, as I already had it and had stopped wearing it due to the shrinkage.  Thread, negligible... so, new Frankentop for about $3.00 plus labor!

Thoughts?  Girl Scout project gone horribly wrong, or CPR for unwanted clothing?  Let me know what you think (and I promise not to be sensitive!)!

Lessons From the Past:2 - Shirt Shuffle

The Make and Mend for Victory book has been so much fun to read, and such an inspiration.  I have always been interested in reuse of discarded or unwanted fabrics, but this book has helped me to see things through my grandmother's eyes even a little bit more than before.  Having been a young woman during the Great Depression and WW2, she knew how to pinch a penny until there were tears in Abe's eyes!

I stopped into our local Salvation Army store the other day and picked up two old men's shirts.  Both are large sized.  One was $2.99 and the other $4.99.  And, of course, you may have a stock of worn out men's shirts at your disposal for free!

I have plans to modify these into women's blouses, but another chapter of Make and Mend for Victory had me looking at the many other potential garments hiding within these shirts.  Many of you have young children.  These shirts are ideal for making all kinds of garments for the little ones! Again, patterns of the day are used in these layouts, but modern patterns would work as well if you haven't a source (or the budget) for vintage patterns.

I hope this gives you some great ideas, as it did me!  Happy sewing!

Shared on Frugally Sustainable.

Cutting to the Chase

I needed to vacuum my bedroom today.  Not really worth mentioning except that I thought I might as well cut a few patterns first.  The logic in that is that my carpet is chocolate brown and shows every thread (and bit of goosedown from my comforter), so I thought I'd cut first and then vacuum.  Here's the color scheme in my bedroom below:

Here in the northeast we spend so much of the year in hibernation, that these colors work great for that!  However, it does mean you vacuum frequently to get rid of the fluffies on your carpet.

First I laid out a pattern I've been wanting to get to since last summer.  I bought it in a discontinued pattern bin, and even though it's not vintage, it definitely has that vintage sixties feel.  It's Burda 8995. 

I reminds me of a dress worn by Emma Stone in her role as Skeeter in The Help.

I'm doing the dress in a contemporary print somewhat like a barkcloth, and the jacket in plain black.

Then I cut a (hopefully wearable) muslin of the top of the Butterick 4228 I got yesterday in the mail.  I'm using fabric harvested from another one of those thrift store mom jumpers.  But confusion, consternation and kerflufflement ensued when I laid out my pattern pieces and found that the original owner had decided to alter the facings.  She cut each facing into two pieces!

Which I then carefully pinned together to make them whole again.  I will now trace these onto freezer paper to make replacements.

The fabric is a soft jersey, and I really like the little violets.  If it does turn out to be wearable, I have just the skirt fabric to go with it!

And now I'm done cutting, and my room is vacuumed.  What other trouble can I get into today?

Lessons From the Past - Suit Salvage!

So, one of my birthday presents to myself was Make and Mend for Victory which was published in 1942 by the Spool Cotton Company.  Chapter 5a deals with converting a men's suit to a woman's suit!  If you've ever been confusied about turning one garment into another, this chapter is for you.

In the chapter, old men's suits were converted to women's suits using three contemporary patterns of the day, Hollywood 949, Advance 2997, and Vogue 9137.  Prior to thinking about the pattern or the layout, one needs to acquire an old men's suit, too worn for daily wear, as is, but in goo enough condition to warrent a restyle.  For instance, severely worn cuffs on sleeves and pants might make the suit look too tacky for your man to wear, but if the main of the suit is in good condition, you're in business!  What?  Your man doesn't wear suits?  No problem!  Head on down to your thrift store and look for a larger sized men's suit.  These can often be had for a few dollars, when the wool suiting would cost scads if new!

Next, clean the suit in whatever manner you plan to use for your finished garment.  This will assure pre-shrinking, as well as give you nice clean fabric to work with.

Next, become best friends with your seam ripper and take the entire garment apart.  Save those buttons, and any detailing you think you can use.  Press all of the pieces flat for a proper layout.  Your pattern is laid out on the pieces as in this example (using Hollywood 949):

As you can see, the women's pattern fits into the pieces salvaged from the man's suit!  The sew your pattern as you normally would, you Goddess of Ecological Reuse!

Linked to:  Frugally Sustainable, The Thrifty Home

Upcycled Mom Jumper

I call them "mom jumpers".  Those shapeless long jumpers that fill the racks at thrift stores.  Even if they are not your style, they offer lots of potential for restyling. Here's one I picked up at Salvation Army yesterday.

I felt as though the price for this one was a little high, given how very worn the jumper was in appearance.

There was fading along major seam lines and pleats.

And the kick pleat on the skirt was tearing.

But it was a nice sturdy jersey material, and I really liked the fish print!  So, first I cut off the skirt.

Next, I sewed the new raw edge to create what would become shoulder seams on a new crop top.  I left a wide opening for a boat neckline.  Next I made bias binding from more of the fabric.

The I cut sleeve holes just beneath the new shoulders.

I bound the neckline and the sleeves with this self bias binding.  I left the hem of the former skirt intact as the hem of the new top, but that left a problem because the kick slit was ripping.  So I made a little bow from more fabric and covered it!

Then I added my label!

And here's the finished product:

That was fun, and it took about two hours, start to finish.