Fashion Upcycling, Part 2

Hello! I am excited to be sharing the second project from my fashion upcycling class today! In a previous post, I explained that I have been taking a class which specifically focuses on creating a fashion collection, using only upcycling fashion methods. I have spent the last 6 months working on my pieces (off and on) and have absolutely loved this class. I will be sharing the projects and fashion line that I created in separate posts.

Incase you are new to fashion upcycling, it focuses on making new fashion from existing materials. This includes cutting up and re-sewing items you already have or using items found second hand- nothing new. Taking details from an existing garment and adding them to create a new piece. Really, anything that is made out fabric could be conceptualized into a new garment. I have used vintage sheets, towels and even curtains. It also includes dying, painting, stenciling and drawing on fabric, embroidery and other details.

For the line I created, I chose to make pieces for myself that I will love and wear for many years to come. As a reminder, my inspiration for this line was Avatar: Legend of Korra, specifically the Metalbenders aesthetic.

Below is the original drawing and the color rendering I did for this project. With these pieces I am sharing today, I wanted to create something with a bold shape and simple lines on pieces that are more casual and flowing. In this drawing I am showing a full, tiered skirt and short sleeved shirt. My intention was also to be able to wear these two pieces as separates and mix them with other pieces in my closet.

I had drawn the idea for these pieces but did not already have the materials to create them. Then I remembered that I had a skirt sitting in my studio that might work. I had the intention of reworking this skirt for years, but had not come up with the right thing. I was ready to donate it when I realized it was perfect for this project. The tiers on the skirt I had were smaller than what I had drawn, but I thought it still might work. That skirt became the main part of this second project.

Here is how the skirt started out. It was originally from the Gap and I think I had it for over 20 years. It was long, tiered and pink linen with a side zipper.

The style of this skirt did not work for me anymore and it was too small, but for some reason I held onto it. Now I am glad that I did! I knew that all the pieces for this line would be green, so that is where I started. I dyed the skirt, in my washing machine, with the intention of creating a pistachio green color. I mixed different dyes to achieve the color I was looking for.

This is how the color came out after dying.

Once I was happy with the color, I cut the top 4 tiers of the skirt off and set them aside. I added an elastic waist to the skirt and added pockets on each side. It was now knee length and felt like a totally new piece.

Here is the skirt after shortening it.

I knew that I wanted to create the triangle shape from my drawing onto the skirt, but wanted to find the shirt first. I had planned to use two different colors of green for this outfit and wanted to recreate the contrasting color on both pieces. I found a shirt at the thrift store that was the prefect color of green and hoped it would work well.

Here is how the shirt looked when I bought it.

Now that both colors were determined, I moved forward with the skirt. For this project, I wanted to try creating the triangle shape with fabric paint. I thought about trying to dye it but worried that I could not get a crisp looking line. The paint I used is Tulip brand fabric paint that has a matte finish and is supposed to stay soft. (Here is a link to a sample pack, if you are interested).

I taped off the shape I wanted to create, on the front and back of the skirt, and then painted it in a color to match the shirt.

The painting was pretty easy but used more than I thought it would. I used cardboard under the fabric, which I would recommend because it did seep through. This paint cleans up with soap and water, making it also great for kid projects.

With the fabric painting, I tried to create more of a distressed look, thinking that it might wear/ age better and look more intentional than a solid block of paint. I am happy with how it turned out, but it is more stiff than I wanted. The skirt has been washed a few times, but I’m hoping it might relax more over time. For me, experiments like this are part of the fun!

While my skirt was drying, I moved onto the shirt. The plan was to paint the stripe in a pistachio to match the skirt. To achieve the desired color, different colors of the fabric paint were mixed. Once it was dried, the color was close but not an exact match. It still blends nicely and I am happy with how it turned out. I also think using the fabric paint in a smaller application, like on this shirt, was more successful.

As shown in my drawing, I wanted a short sleeved shirt with a ruffled sleeve. I cut off the long sleeves but was stuck on how to create the ruffled, short sleeves. Then I remembered that I saved the top tiers of the skirt, and they were already dyed green! I turned those tiers into sleeves and sewed them onto the shirt.

Below is the final result!

Here are some close up shots of the details.

I am really happy with how it turned out. The outfit is comfortable and the final result is so different than how the pieces started out. I think I came really close to achieving the look I wanted from my drawing and rendering. This project was really fun to work on! I think next time I will try to create shapes with fabric dying and save fabric painting for smaller areas.

Thank you for being here and following along!