Fashion Upcycling, Part 4

I have been away from this blog longer than I intended, but am excited to be sharing my fourth project from the fashion upcycling class today! In previous posts, I explained that I have been taking a class which specifically focuses on creating a fashion collection, using only upcycling fashion methods. Over the past 6 months, I have been 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 brand new, or 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. In the past, 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. All pieces for this collection are done in shades of green with accent colors.

Below is the original drawing and the color rendering I did for this fourth project. This look is the most costume looking that I created for the line and the greatest amount pieces I made for one look. It is also probably the closest outfit in the line to looking like the inspiration and fashion from the characters in the show. In this drawing I am showing an overdress that is open on the sides with button closures. The overdress also has a front slit and a neckline feature piece. With the feature piece, I was going for a large, geometric kind of necklace look, that is attached to the dress only along the top. There is also a pleated skirt and a high necked shirt with a large key hole and a simple frog closure using buttons. The shirt also has bell sleeves. As usual, my intention was to also be able to wear some of these pieces as separates and mix them with other items in my closet.

When I drew the idea for these pieces, I already had the pleated skirt and knew I wanted to use it. I did not have any of the other pieces. (Except the shoes, I always use shoes I already have :)) This idea and drawing were the first I made for this class, but they took a lot longer to complete than some of the other pieces.

I had no idea how to create the neckline for the top, but thought that a stretchy turtleneck might work. At the thrift store, I found a turtle neck in the perfect color of green, and started with the shirt. First, I cut the neck in half (along where it would typically be folded) and then cut the front in a U shape. To finish the edges, I used a darker green, folded bias tape that I already had. Next was to create the closure that creates the keyhole shape and adds details. I wanted a simplified version of a frog closure on the neck of the shirt. (This is a detail used a lot in the show). I collect vintage buttons and am always trying to come up with ways to use them in my projects. Buttons turned out to be an easy way to achieve the look I was picturing on the neck. The bow piece that goes around the buttons is made from leather string that I had left over from another project. I secured one side of the closure to the shirt, the other side buttons and unbuttons. To finish, I cut the sleeves and then used the left over material to help create the bell shape I wanted in the sleeve.

This is how the shirt started.

Here are details of the frog closure and the sleeve.

This is how the two finished pieces looked while I searched for the overdress materials.

Finding just the right piece for the overdress took longer. It had to be the right color and the right material. I got really lucky and found a simple, straight cut, stretch knit dress in the perfect color at the thrift store. One of the best parts of this dress is that it is the kind of fabric that will not fray when cut. This means that machine finishing the edges is optional, depending on the look you are going for.

This is how the dress looked when I got it.

I began by cutting off the sleeves, cutting open the sides and cutting in the front slit. Again, I wanted to incorporate some of my vintage buttons for the side closures. I stitched a small amount of elastic on the inside of the dress to wrap around the buttons and connect the sides of the dress.

Here is a close up of the side button closure.

I got really lucky with the neckline for the over dress and did not have to change it at all. It hit perfectly with the shirt. Below is the inspiration for this neckline and the front detail piece that I made. My intention was to create something that was reminiscent of the original, but softer and more wearable. I created this piece out of felt and hand embroidered the lines and edging. It is attached to the dress only along the top, so it moves naturally and does not pull at the dress.

Here is how the finished pieces look on me. I really love how it turned out and have no idea where I will wear it! I am sure that I will come up with something… Maybe for Halloween! ;)

Thank you for being here and following along! Let me know what you think of this kind of look and if/where you would wear it.