Upcycling.
There are oh-so-many reasons to do it!
To name a couple:
- Eco-friendliness;
- It's good for the wallet (we all love to buy beautiful fabric, but we also know it can break the bank);
- It's FUN!
To not get sidetracked into a whole discussion about sustainability, environmental consciousness and saving our planet, I'll focus on the fun part of this experience: the Sewing! ;)
Sometimes, the reason for an upcycle is a favorite piece of clothing that doesn't fit you anymore or went out of style and is in need of an update.
That is (sort of) what happened here.
I found this black shirt in a thrift store, it looked brand new (still had tags on) and I immediately fell in love with this sheer and black striped fabric.
Unfortunately, the shirt was a size M and I wear XL.
But I was so drawn to the fabric that I just had to get it!
I knew that there was enough fabric there for me to make something with it. My initial thought was a tank top, but after talking to Nikki about making a bralette using the Oasis pattern that shirt's fate was sealed! ;)
I'll apologize for the lack of step by step photos, personal life prevented me from sewing during the day and late night sewing plus the lack of good lighting weren't very conducive to photographing every step. I'll try to walk you through what I did, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me!
For this project, I only used the back panel of the original shirt and the inner top for the lining.
The pattern pieces used were: front panel (1 main and 1 lining) and back panel style 1 (main fabric only).
I cut the front lining creating a sort of sweetheart shape and followed the pattern instructions on how to attach the front and back pieces together and how to attach the binding and straps.
Now for the back modifications:
I sewed the straps closed around the neck, halter top style and used 3 elastic pieces to close the back. To create a more interesting back I added another piece of elastic going vertically and attached it to the neck strap and to each back strap.
I must say that the final result had me smiling ear to ear while doing a happy dance. :P
A new bralette asks for a new top to show it off, right?
I used the Women's Beach Cover Up pattern and sweater knit to create the comfiest shirt ever!
I cut two fronts, shortened it to hit me around the high hip area, omitted the facings and back strap, and finished the edges with a serged rolled hem.
That's it! Super simple, fast, and easy!
I'm seriously thrilled with how this turned out! I LOVE everything about it!
Love it too?
Grab the Oasis and the Cover-up patterns and give it a go! They are all quick and easy modifications and the possibilities are endless!
I played around with a different back, but at the end opted for the simpler look. But now looking at the photo, I might just need to make another one!
WOMEN'S OASIS SWIMSUIT MIX AND MATCH PATTERN
WOMEN'S BEACH COVER-UP PATTERN
This was an upcycle from one item of clothing to another. But what about using something that had a totally different purpose?
Well, I was on a roll and did that too.
The Sound of Music style!
Once upon a time, I had lace curtains in my bedroom.
They were lovely and gave the room a romantic look, letting the light in and providing privacy at the same time. Then we got cats and they turned into a feline playground/climbing area, got destroyed and had to go! Seriously, between the kids and the cats, we can't have anything nice or remotely delicate looking in this house anymore!
But I digress...
The thing is, we have a narrow window in the bedroom that only required 1 curtain panel, and that left me with a single curtain panel left over, put away in a closet and forgotten.
Until Lindsey announced the 24/7 top.
I took one look at the pattern and new that I'd be putting that panel to good use!
They're from Ikea and I believe they're called Alvine Spets.
The beauty of this upcycle is that there's no extra work, mods or hack needed. Just use the curtain as regular fabric and follow the pattern's instructions.
This is great!
About 3/4yd of CL + unloved lace curtain = Romantic 24/7 top!
That's some lovely math, isn't it?
Didn't I say Upcycling is fun?
It's so great to give new life to something that was unused or unloved.
I still have enough shirt fabric and curtain left over to make other projects, so I'll leave you now and go browse for some pinspiration! ;)
If you have any questions or would like to see more of my makes, I'd love for you to visit me at my blog: www.liviality.com! You can also find me on Instagram: @livia.jy ;)
xxx
Livia
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