Portia Lawrie

DIY, Uncategorized

FO: Harper Culottes

This week has been a welcome distraction from the current reality or our world. I’ve been digging into the wonderful new book, Sewing Basics for Every Body from the always wonderful Wendy Ward. A collection of patterns for core basics, designed and drafted so brilliantly, that they look great on any gender. Hence the “Every Body” (as opposed to “everybody”) title. Clever huh?

The blog tour started a couple of weeks ago and is being organised by Cico Books  with fabrics provided by George and the team at Fabworks. So far it’s featured Mercedes, Fiona, and  Zoe, So be sure to check them out! Next up is me; and then after that you have the delights of Ben and Elisalex to come.

 

The book comes with 3 double sided pattern sheets with the pieces for each pattern marked out in their own colour. So first stage of realising any of these patterns is tracing them off.  No pretence here. I hate tracing patterns! BUT I loved Wendy’s designs. They are right up my strata. Relaxed, loose fitting styles with an androgynous feel. I particularly love men’s tailoring on the female form.  Generally the pieces are really easy to make out through Swedish Tracing Paper; even thought it’s a bit of a visual overwhelm when you first clap eyes on it! I opted for the Harper Classic pants though, and THOSE pattern pieces are marked out in a pale grey which was a taddly tricky! But other patterns on the sheet would be pretty easy to make out.

I opted for a gorgeous soft caramel twill from Fabworks. Rather spookily the same one Fiona chose for her wonderful boiler suit. If we ever meet up after the pandemic has passed we could have a matchy matchy coffee date drinking caramel lattes and eating caramel shortbread…

The Harper Classic pants, designed for woven fabrics; are a relaxed fit, pleat front trouser with cut away pockets, fly front fastening and a cinching tab at the back waist. There is a variation for a knit version with drawstring/elasticated waist and a number of variations inbetween if you allow your imagination and creativity to have a play. Which naturally I did because I can never leave a pattern well alone and am compelled to hack everything, lol!

Essentially I squared off the front and back legs as pictured above, and blended with the side seams and inseams to create more of a wide leg culotte shaped trouser. Length wise these are 41cm from the knee line on the pattern piece to the hem. (Including a 1.5cm hem allowance).

I didn’t want to cut my pocket bags from the twill so I used an old shirt that Elliott has outgrown.

 

However, because they are cutaway pockets I employed a little trick on the underpocket that I’ve picked up from RTW men’s tailoring. (See above). The twill “add on” is a little bit bigger than the part that will be visible behind the cutaway pocket curve. So as far as anyone will be able to see when wearing, it will appear as if my pockets are the same fabric as my trousers. But inside is a gingham check party!

The pattern calls for a couple of d rings for the waist cinching tab at the back. I only had super huge D rings so I adapted and used a waistcoat slider/buckle I had in my stash.

This required a slightly narrower strap than the pattern…..

I’m really pleased with the way the style of the buckle combines with the colour and the fabric to give the whole thing a slight 1940’s military vibe…this detail reminds me of my Dad’s RAF uniform when I was a child.

I went for the same contrasting fabric for my fly shield, as for the pocket bags, a white brass metal zip and a scrap of twill tape as a hanging loop. (I have taken to hanging my trousers on door hooks between wears because I is lazy like dat!) Everything apart from the fabric I made a point of only using what was in my stash because….pandemic.

Genuinely love these trousers AND this fabric. (Even though my resting bitch face would never betray that, lol!) If you haven’t checked this book out yet and, like me, you are a fan of these kinds of relaxed androgynous basics, I thoroughly recommend checking it out. Wendy’s drafting and instructions are meticulous and you’ll be in excellent hands.

DIY, Uncategorized

Simplicity/Eve Appeal Hackalong: Carpenter Jeans

Today I’m taking the baton for the Simplicity Hackalong in aid of the female cancer charity The Eve Appeal. If you’re not familiar with it, essentially Simplicity are harnessing the power of sewing to help raise awareness of the charity and the female cancers it deals with. Use any of the nine patterns from the Simplicity Pattern Hacking range, and join in a WORLD-WIDE SIMPLICITY PATTERN HACK-ALONG to help raise funds, awareness, and be in with a chance of winning some fab prizes. . Share your hack on social media using the category hashtags #hackalongday #hackalongpart or #hackalongvintage. Whichever one best suits your finished garment.

If you don’t use social media you can email your entry (don’t forget to include pattern number and category) to simplicityhackalong@icloud.com

At the end of the Hack-Along Simplicity will select their favourites from your posts in the three design categories. There’s the chance to WIN Sewing or Coverstitch Machines from our friends at Janome and Goody Bags from Simplicity and our sister brands.

Simplicity will be making a contribution to the Eve Appeal for every ‘Hack-Along’ pattern purchased in the UK during the event.

You can find a full list of the patterns included and more deets on whats involved here.

For my own part I opted for Simplicity 8701. Wide-leg fly-front trousers, designed for woven fabrics. Some of the design hacking options this pattern offers include leg length variations, and instructions for distressing denim. I had the most AMAZing barkcloth  weave denim to work with from Minerva Crafts. I also have these cut and ready to sew in a black stretch denim. And seeing as I’m completely in love with these….I’m hoping to finish the black pair within the next week…

For this pair I really wanted to show that pattern hacking doesn’t require you to have in depth pattern cutting skills. Starting with a base pattern, like these hackalong ones, you can completely change the look and feel of a pattern by making simple changes and additions. In this instance I wanted to demonstrate how size and placement of pockets can create a different style of jean to the envelope image. So instead of a 70’s bell bottom vibe…the use of a different style of pocket and topstitching gives these a more Utility/Carpenter jean vibe…

The back pockets are actually the same pattern piece used for the front pockets on the pattern envelope, except I angled the bottom corners a little. The oversized patch pockets positioned at an angle across the side seam are simple rectangles with the edges pressed in…

In order to sew the larger pockets over the side seams, I needed to machine baste the jeans together first to establish and then mark the pocket placement. Then remove all the basting, sew & finish the side seams first (different construction order to the pattern), apply the pockets, THEN sew the inside leg/crotch seam in one pass.

I had a real battle with the top stitching on this one and it can best be described as “rustic”. But actually it really works. And worth bearing in mind that your choice of thread for topstitching details can ALSO afford you th opportunity to hack different looks from the same pattern. I opted for tonal shades of blue and grey to pick up on the colours in the weave. But you could also use traditional orang/gold topstitch thread for a different vibe. Hell, bright red or pink or yellow. Why not?!

 

I used a metal zip for this make. And a little tip that may well save your machine….use pliers to remove the teeth that fall above the stitching line, before sewing on the waistband.

I also always ALWAYS use Closet Case Patterns fly zip construction method regardless of what the pattern says. It just works. Every time.

And lastly, when working with thick fabric like this denim…it can be helpful to use scraps of folded denim to create “shims” that support the side edge/back of the presser foot  when edgestitching bulky details like pockets. It helps with feeding the fabric through the machine evenly and makes it less of a battle 🙂

So that’s me done! All that remains is for you to get your hack on! Head over to Simplicity for more details, snag yourself a pattern and get hacking!

DIY, Uncategorized

My Denim 3 Quarter Coat (and pillarbox patch pockets!)

This post has been a ridiculously long time coming. I actually made this last summer….JUST before I launched into the craziness of The Refashioners. Meaning to blog it when The Refashioners finished, then finding myself hitting the buffers and screeching to a halt energy wise. (That’s why it’s been pretty quiet around here of late). Now I’ve just dug this denim lovely out again in preparation for spring, it seemed the perfect time to share some details.  Mostly THESE giant pillar box pockets…

They really are the standout feature of this make so the main focus. The rest is pretty standard. I used the pattern hack I did for this jacket as the base, but with wider 3/4 length sleeves; and traced the opening and neckline to create a facing (below) rather than the bound edge with zip fastening.  So it’s an open jacket if that makes sense. The denim (here) is LUSH and has washed and worn beautifully. So far have tried 2 different denims from Sew Essential and both are da bomb!

The facing gives a really simple and clean finish around the neckline and opening….

The cuffs are also faced to add a bit of weight/structure and echo the neckline finish…

Just a band, sew RS together and raw edges aligned with the sleeve hem…

Then flipped out and pressed away from the sleeve (That raw edge will get enclosed in a minute)…

Understitch….ALWAYS understitch…

Then turn and press to the inside….and topstitch from the outside.

Now the pockets. I kinda accidentally did this for the first time while trying to learn how to do a welt pocket. I decided I really liked the effect (Basically a welt pocket without the welt, and a patch combined) and it kinda sat in my subconscious for almost 2 years (!) until I made this.  Essentially, GIANT rectangles with all edges pressed under and machine basted in place. Place a narrow rectangle of fabric RS down and mark and stitch a box as pictured. Mine is about 1cm wide. You could make it wider if you wanted a wider “pillarbox opening” on your pocket. snip down the middle and into the corners….right up to the stitching but not through it…

The fiddly part is flipping that facing through to the wrong side and getting it to lay flat. Lots of steam, pressing and wiggling!

Here’s how it looks from the outside. Like a postbox opening!

I topstitched right around the opening close to the folded/pressed edge. Then another line of topstitching outside of that to echo the twin stitching I had done on the rest of the garment…

The whole “patch” pocket is then pinned in position and all four edges stitched to the garment. So whereas a normal patch pocket would have the top edge open, this one has the top edge sealed and the pillarbox “slit” as your means of accessing the pocket…

A little bit of  subtle “quirk” on an otherwise simple coat…

Also added a little label action to this one (you can tell when I’m pleased with a make, lol!). The scrap of leather can from a sample swatch from a sofa manufacturer…labels from The Dutch Label Shop…

All that’s needed now is some warmer weather here in the UK so I can switch from my winter coat to this beaut! C.mon Spring!!

DIY, Uncategorized

DIY: Wipeable Drafting Board

It’s been a while since I made any alterations to my set up in ShedQ. If you want to get more of a feel for my set up and layout you can check out the build and kitting out posts for my space here and here. But before I move onto this particular diy, I ought to mention this big expanse of blue in the picture below….as it’s kinda pertinent to the rest of this post….

Essentially this is a HUGE blackout roller blind that I put up last year and am using as a photographic backdrop. (Click here for the blind I used). Essentially the painted white walls of ShedQ were not providing enough of a contrast to get sufficient definition in some photos so I installed this to address that issue and it works pretty well for that purpose I have to say!

Because of the way a roller blind is mounted there is a decent size recess between it, and the wall. And there….is where today’s DIY is hiding! Like a hidden strategy board in a Bond villain’s lair….

So why a wipeable board? When I’m designing say, a patternless project for the magazine, I like to plan it out first. I’m quite a visual person and often need to draw things out, and figure out measurements and calculations to get the process straight in my head before I crack on with it. Consequently I get through alot of paper which is not ideal. This way, I kind of have a massive sheet of pattern paper that lasts forever and can be used over and over and over again.  It allows me to adjust/tweak/write the whole thing up as I go….full size if I want….without wasting large amounts of paper or scrabbling around on my cutting table for a notebook. I can jot a measurement down…..write a reminder…rejig the order etc. When I’m done….wipe clean and onto the next project. Basically all the benefits of an office whiteboard but the kicker…..it’s made with dressmakers squared paper! So I can draw to scale, plan pattern adjustments etc…

So…here’s how. Materials are fairly straightforward and you can make this any size you want. You can also experiment with different backing materials. As long as the front is acrylic/plexiglass type material so that it’s see through and wipeable. Mine is 1m by 60cm and the sheets for it were supplied cut to that size (they cut them to any size you specify):

100cm  x 60cm backing board (I used this opal 3mm acrylic sheet)

100cm  x 60cm clear perspex/acrylic/plexiglass (I used this clear 2mm acrylic sheet)

Dressmakers squared paper (here)

6 x Stand off wall fixings (here)

Really straightforward. Adhere your paper to the backing board, then trim with a craft knife all along the edges.

I used double sided tape either end BUT if I did this again…I might test out spray adhesive. So the paper is completely stuck down across the whole expanse of the board rather than just where there is a strip of double sided tape (if that makes sense?).

Lay the clear sheet on top. Clamp all layers together . (I  used bulldog clips because it’s what I had to hand)

The aim is to drill a hole the size of the fixing, through all layers. BUT….acrylic needs to be drilled carefully and slowly. You’ll need a drill bit with a really sharp tip like the ones on the left in the pic above. Not the brass or aluminium ones (wood and masonry). You also have  to go slow, drill a pilot hole first with the smallest size drill bit….then work your way up through the drill bits. Gradually enlarging the hole with a larger drill bit at each pass,  until it is the size you want. This, and the masking tape in the image below, will avoid slipping, cracking and chipping and the like.

Now peel back the protective film of the clear top sheet, brush away any drill dust that may have gotten inbetween the layers and insert the “male” part of your fixing. I did this at 6 points (3 along the top and 3 along the bottom) for the size of board I have. So now essentially there is an acrylic sheet sandwich with dressmakers paper in the middle…

The back part of the fixing gets fixed to the wall so the board can be screwed into place like so…

Ta dah!

There are so many variations of this concept I can think of. Obviously this one is for use in my sewing space. But I can see me making a smaller version as a wipeable shopping list in my kitchen….a maths or art board for little man in his bedroom. Or as a decorative rather than functional piece to display precious textiles, kiddo art or family photogaphs.  Also eyeing up old picture frame glass and backing board that could be repurposed using this concept.

I shall be getting through alot less paper anyhow!

 

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. As always, all views and ideas expressed are entirely my own.

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: The Results are in!!!

 

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?!!

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: Over to you!!!

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!

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: Me

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!

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: Clare

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!

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: Sasha

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!

refashioning, the refashioners, the refashioners 2018, Uncategorized

The Refashioners 2018: Rosie M

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!