Seriously, how was I meant to choose a winner this year?! SO many entries this year have blown my mind and given me the heart eyes. In the end though, there was one make that I just could not get out of my head. And when I sought feedback from those involved in this years series, the consensus confirmed my gut. I am beyond excited to present to you the overall winner of The Refashioners 2018. Ben…This stunning gown inspired by House of Worth has been fashioned from a musky pair of curtains found in Oxfam.  Self drafted and meticulous detail and hand sewing. Hours and hours have gone into this and I thoroughly encourage you to head over to Ben’s instagram account to see more gorgeous detail like this…

Of course, as always, it’s impossible to pick just one entry and leave it at that. And this entry from Charlotte is our second place winner for this year. A stunning recreation of the iconic Dior Bar suit. Made from a thrifted suit and skirt and….a fruit bowl!!

A portion of the main prize package has been separated for Charlotte to recognise this phenomenal creation. You can see more details here.

The sheer variety on display this year, both in terms of skill and creativity, has been phenomenal. So as a side from the main competition, I really wanted to recognise these two entries as well….

Naii Costura and Mouselline Patterns have shown such creativity and skill in these two makes that I wanted to recognise that too. So I have a little package of goodies courtesy of Mettler Threads and Fiskars UK to send to them.

So that’s it. The end of this year’s series! And…. it’s very likely, that this will be the last series of The Refashioners. It’s alot to organise, and part of me feels like we’ve achieved what we set out to do; and also that some things are best finished on a high….rather than milking the life out it until it becomes something….well…not so awesome as it is now. It’s possible The Refashioners may appear in a different guise. But, for now, I’m signing it off, and hoping…that over the past few years we’ve encouraged you to see refashioning in a new light and see old clothes as a sustainable resource for your sewing adventures!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every blogger that helped spread this message, every business that helped promote the cause through sponsoring prizes and most of all, every one of you that embraced this challenge and shared you skill and creativity with the wider sewing community.

Big love to you all!!

With thanks to our fabulous 2018 official sponsors below Keep Refashioning, kay?!!

Right you lot!! NOW, it’s over to you! You have until midnight 31st Oct 2018 (GMT) to share your take on this challenge to be in with a chance of winning the amazing prize package (Now worth over £1300!) We want to see your inspiration image, your before photo, and your final creation. You can use any thrifted/preloved garments, bedding, accessories etc you like. I am drawing a line in the sand here and saying, simply using thrifted yardage (ie fabric that has never been anything else and is just the result of someone destashing there fabric to a local charity shop) doesn’t quite fit the spirit of the challenge. The challenge is reimagining something that was once something else, and turning it into your take on your inspo image. So far we’ve had garments, curtains, quilts bags and shoes/boots as an example. The brief is really open so go for it! (I keep hoping someone will do something with an old wetsuit!!)

UPDATE: 2 prizes have been added since the original prize post:

These beautiful hand finished Japanese shears from Beyond Measure…

And £20 to spend at Like Sew Amazing…

 

You can click here for details of everything in the prize package and here for the full brief.

So that’s it. The end of this blogger element.  And now it’s over to you!!!! The stars of this show. We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) It’s very likely, that this will be the last series of The Refashioners. It’s alot to organise, and part of me feels like we’ve achieved what we set out to do; and also that some things are best finished on a high….rather than milking the life out it until it becomes something….well…not so awesome as it is now. So this may very well be your last chance to enter. If you are one of those people that has watched from afar and thought, “oooh, I’ll enter that one day”….my friends, that day is here. Go for it!!

Mark these dates in your diary and GET REFASHIONING AND GET SHARING :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

So this is it. This is the end of the inspiration phase of the challenge! Before the main event kicks off (that’s you and your refashions!) as always, I’m closing off this phase with my take on the brief.

My starting point were these colour blocked coat designs by Regina Pyo…you can see my full inspiration board here as I explored variations of this theme. But this remained my primary starting point. (Although there are other images on that board I may revisit!)

These were my starting garments. All sourced from a local charity’s clearance warehouse which is open to the public! Essentially, it’s the last stop for donated garments that haven’t sold in their main shops (or are not in good enough condition to be sold there); before they go on to recycling. So these have been properly rescued. The grey coat fit me and was actually in good nick. The two coats behind, not so much. Pretty poor condition. The fabric was worn and bobbled on both these. But there was good fabric in amongst the worn areas and it was that that I planned to harvest fro the back section of my coat.

What I liked about this is it was a way of taking a fairly cheap coat  and giving it a designer edge. Without having to alter the fit or overall construction of the original garment. Refashions needn’t be about finding an oversized garment and making it smaller. Not all of us can do this. As a size 16 (UK) finding garments that are massively bigger than my size is not easy. So I don’t always have alot to play with in terms of fabric for my refashions. I often overcome this by combining more than one garment to increase my fabric quota; and colour blocking is a great way of doing this, whilst making it look intentional! In this instance though, the colour blocking is purely aesthetic. If you can find a coat that fits you already….then it’s simply a case of switching out the back section with something a bit more va va voomy!

My first step was to figure out the size and placement of my belt. I wanted to do this first because it would impact on where the seams of my colour blocked section would fall. I wanted the belt to cover the horizontal seam of the first section of my colour blocking. Which I more or less achieved. Once I’d done this, I marked the approximate position of the belt on the back of my coat and set my belt pattern piece aside for later…

In order to gain full access to the back section of my coat I unpicked the lining all along the hem (Not the facing!) and wherever it was anchored (along some seams and at the underarms). This enabled me to peel bacl the ining so I could access the back section of the coat from the inside…

I then seam ripped all the way up the side seams (to about an inch below the underarms, and simply lopped off the back section of the coat…

The original coat had a back vent which I didn’t want to keep in my finished design. So I simply pinned together following the line of the centre back seam…

Sewed my new CB seam and cut away the excess…

Pressed the new CB seam open and flat. I now had a template. Essentially I created a colour blocked duplicate of this section by sewing together pieces from the two “donor” coats…

I then attached my colour blocked duplicate section to my original coat, and sewed up the side seams. Here’s how it looked from the outside and the inside…

You might notice that  I have interfaced some pieces, but not others. The grey and red fabrics were of a similar weight. But the blue was a tad lighter so I interfaced the blue sections to give them a similar weight and handle to the rest. The top blue section is cut from the sleeve of the blue jacket. On the right you can see the original interfacing from the sleeve hem. I left that in place and interfaced the rest of the piece so it was all a similar weight. The lower colour blocked section (both the red and the blue) are harvested from the back sections of the donor jackets….

I used some of the original back section to create the belt. 2 lengths of fabric, both interfaced, sewn RS together then turned through and topstitched. I wanted my belt to have good weight and structure so it would “stand” rather than hang if that makes sense? 

The belt is attached by opening up the side seams, inserting the belt, and then closing up the side seams again. Simples!

As the original back section had a back vent, so did the lining!. So I had to close this up first, before going on to hem and reattach the lining…

That was the coat done. But then I took a little segway into shoe refashioning, lol! The original image shows shoes that tie in with the colours of the coat. Ok…I can do that!! I found these in the charity shop, brand new. Fiver! WEIRDLY, despite looking like lace up oxfords, in every other way, they had velcro fastenings. Curious!

I removed the velcro. Masked off the areas I did not want to paint, and cleaned the shoes using acetone nail polish remover. It takes the shiny finish off and gives the paint a better chance of adhering…

And I sprayed these babies blue to match the back section of my coat!!

I used my trusty Rolson punch to punch in some holes for laces…

Rummaged in my stash and found these eyelets left over from a previous project…

I opted for mismatched colours on my eyelets which I really love the look of…

Et voila! Refashioned shoes to go with my refashioned coat!!

Full disclosure….I’m not convinced I used the right paint on these so I’m not sure how well these will hold up. Also, er….blisters! Even just wearing these for these photos (sans socks) gave me blisters on both heels. So it remains to be seen whether the shoes will make it into regular rotation. But take the concept (rather than the details) and have a play!

The coat however, I LOVE. It is so cosy. And I love that it looks super plain from the front, then there’s this whole colour block party going on in the back! I honestly think this elevates a really basic coat into something with a bit more edge; and am seriously considering repeating this refashion on a black coat I already own, (thrifted obvs, lol!)

So that’s it. The end of this blogger element.  And now it’s over to you!!!! The stars of this show. We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) It’s very likely, that this will be the last series of The Refashioners. It’s alot to organise, and part of me feels like we’ve achieved what we set out to do; and also that some things are best finished on a high….rather than milking the life out it until it becomes something….well…not so awesome as it is now. So this may very well be your last chance to enter. If you are one of those people that has watched from afar and thought, “oooh, I’ll enter that one day”….my friends, that day is here. Go for it!!

Mark these dates in your diary and GET REFASHIONING AND GET SHARING :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

I’ll confess when I asked Clare to take on the challenge…I knew what I was hoping she would do….and boy oh boy has she delivered! In spades!

Clare took her inspo from Meghan Markle and the final garment is a mash up of inspo of these two Givenchy numbers. Her wedding dress and a classically elegant piece worn at a formal royal engagement shortly after her wedding…

Her starting point was this 80’s charity shop find….more than a nod to the groom’s mother…this is a classic Princess Di inspired wedding gown typical of the era…

And here is the outcome in all it’s stunning and elegant simplicity….our first refashioners wedding dress! Eeeeeep!!

Thoroughly encourage you to read about this one. Clare also has some posts coming up about what she did with the left overs and a feature planned on ethical bridalwear. So follow if you have a particular interest in that! Head over here. 

This is the last week of this blogger element . Designed to provide you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! After that, the main event! We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) So mark these dates in your diary :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

Today it’s Sasha’s turn to take up the refashioning baton…

Her starting point was this dress by Regina Pyo…

And in a bittersweet twist…two pairs of her father’s trousers. He sadly passed away some months ago. So this refashion not only reuses textiles; it also provides a way of keeping a loved one close. This one tugs on my heart it has to be said.

As always with Sasha the result is impeccably stylish and brilliantly executed…

If you’d like to read more about the story behind this one, head over here.

This is the last week of this blogger element . Designed to provide you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! After that, the main event! We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) So mark these dates in your diary :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

Kicking off the final week of this inspiration element is Rosie.  A combination of refashioning and free flowing mark making/surface decoration with fabric paints makes for a truly unique piece…

Her starting point was a loose fitting jumpsuit that had sat in her wardrobe since it had been gifted to her by a friend. The proportions of which simply didn’t work for Rosie on her petite frame…

Kudos to Rosie for recreating the look and feel of the original inspiration garment, but also the pose! Oh the pose! 😉 Right down to the thrifted and customised hat!! Eeeep!

There is a GREAT post about this one over here!

This is the last week of this blogger element . Designed to provide you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! After that, the main event! We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) So mark these dates in your diary :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

Closing up this week is Rosie in the most gorgeous maternity friendly refashion!!

Taking “Von Trapp” style as her inspiration and using a vintage pair of curtains found on ebay for a tenner….

Rosie used the Kim Dress pattern (with added details) fro By Hand London to create her refashion…

If you’d like to read more about this one, head over here!

Next week is the last week of this blogger element . Designed to provide you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! After that, the main event! We want to see YOUR #inspiredby refashions! (They’re starting to trickle through already. SO exciting!!) So mark these dates in your diary :

• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

Hannah’s up today with this remake of a thrifted leather jacket…

She started with this jacket from her local charity shop with some interesting details and took her inspo from this image of a Whistles leather skirt…

Working with leather can be challenging and I think Hannah’s done a great job with this!

If you’d like to read and see loads more detail about this make, head over here!

This year’s series, as ever, will begin with this blogger element . For the whole of September, a fabulous line up of talented stitchers will be providing you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! So mark these dates in your diary (and make sure you’re following me either here or on IG to stay updated):

• Blogger Element: Running from 3rd Sept to 28th Sept this year.  A month of inspiration posts to get your creative juices flowing. Line up announced shortly
• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!

Keeping it simple and proving refashioning doesn’t have to be complex, we have Marie with today’s inspo…

Marie took a gorgeous but unworn me made from her wardrobe, and used the image on the right as inspiration to create something she would actually wear….
Refashioning can be as simple as looking in your wardrobe, finding the stuff you don’t wear, and figuring out a way to make it fit your look and your lifestyle. And that include me mades. Let’s face it, who among us hasn’t made something that ends up never being worn?!

For Marie’s thoughts on this head over here!

This year’s series, as ever, will begin with this blogger element . For the whole of September, a fabulous line up of talented stitchers will be providing you with loads of inspiration, tutorials  and tips to get you going! So mark these dates in your diary (and make sure you’re following me either here or on IG to stay updated):

• Blogger Element: Running from 3rd Sept to 28th Sept this year.  A month of inspiration posts to get your creative juices flowing. Line up announced shortly
• Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
  • On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
  • On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)

  Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.

Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!

With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!