Upcycled Curtain Dress
Recently, I (accidentally) shrank some curtain panels we have in our family room. They are linen, tricky to wash and even though I followed the tag instructions, they shrunk at least 12 inches. Thankfully, I was able to get replacement panels of the same curtains. As a bonus, I ended up with 3 panels of white linen.
You know the saying: when life gives you linen, make clothes!
This is what our curtain panels look like.
Probably like many of you, I have lists upon lists of ideas and projects I want to make. Painting on fabric and creating my own, one of kind, design is something I love to do. Pattern stamping on fabric has been on my list and I thought this was the perfect fabric to try it out on.
When painting or stamping on fabric, always make sure to prewash your fabric. Pre-washing helps to ensure that your fabric shrinks up, if it’s going to, and that you are starting with a clean surface. These kinds of projects work best on fabrics that are made of cotton and/or cotton blends.
Here is a close up of the fabric I used.
Since I had already washed and shrunk my fabric, the next step was to plan my design. I knew that I wanted a series of large triangles that would be purple and orange with fringe on the edges. Also, I knew that I wanted to sew this fabric into a simple, short caftan that could be worn through the Spring, Summer and Fall. After making a quick sketch of my design, I put it to graph paper.
Because my design is very geometric, I wanted to carefully plan where each triangle would be. Drawing it to scale really helped with that. I also wanted to make sure that the shapes were going to fit onto my fabric the way I was picturing.
Most caftans are created from a large square. Once I had the dimensions of the pattern, I was able to translate that to the graph paper and determine exactly the size of my triangles. I played around with the center triangles and ended up with two design options.
After determining the design options, I wanted to play with the color options. Seeing the different colors laid out was really helpful.
After making four different color options, I decided against the square in the center. I liked the option with the most purple and chose the top left version for my design. It was almost time for the fun part (painting!), but first I needed to create the stamps.
There are many options for ready made fabric stamps that can be found in craft stores or online. Most of them are rubber stamps and they are usually on the smaller side. I see them used more for towels and linens than for clothing. Since I wanted specific sizes and shapes, I knew that I would be making my own stamps.
The materials I used were:
2 layers of thick craft foam to make the stamps more rigid.
A hot glue gun.
Left over wood pieces that my husband has in his workshop.
I thought that I would need to make two sets of each size, one for each color, but surprisingly these stamps washed right up and I was able to reuse them with no issues.
Before stamping, I used an iron to press a line down the middle front of my pattern. I used this line as a guide for my shapes because I wanted to make sure they were centered.
The fabric paint I used is Tulip brand. It can be found at most craft stores in many colors. I like it because it is easy to apply, dries matte, can be easily mixed for the perfect shade and stays softer after it dries than others I’ve tried. When using fabric paint, always make sure to place cardboard under (or in between) the fabric or garment. The paint can bleed through when it is wet.
I started with the orange sections, and ended up needing to mix two colors to get the shade I had in mind. It’s also always a good idea to do a sample test before moving to your main fabric.
Keeping in mind the seam allowances on my finished garments, I started stamping the dress. I used the line I pressed into the fabric to place the tip of the triangle.
My stamps had a large surface area and I found that brushing the paint onto the stamp worked better for me than dipping the stamp into paint. Once stamped, I was happy with the design and how the shapes looked. The paint from the stamp wasn’t solid, which can be a nice texture. Depending on the look you are going for, the paint could be left that way. I wanted the shapes to be more solid for this design so I filled them in with a brush after stamping.
With the purple, I started with the triangles around the bottom edge because wanted to make sure to leave enough room for my seam allowance and hem. Once I had all of the shapes stamped, I also filled the purple in with a brush.
After the design is complete, it will need to dry for at least 5 hours or overnight. After drying , it is a good idea to wash the fabric again because this helps to set the paint and it usually fades slightly. I let mine dry overnight, washed it and then stitched my dress.
The final step was to add some fringe to the bottom hem.
I love this pom pom trim so much! It’s vintage, upholstery trim that I found in an abandoned fabric warehouse years ago.
The only items that were purchased to make this dress were the craft foam and the fabric paint. All other materials were things I already had on hand and repurposed.
This dress turned out exactly as I pictured in my head and I cannot wait to wear it!
This isn’t the first, or last, curtain dress in my closet. Often I have used vintage sheets, quilts and towels that I thrifted to make one of a kind pieces. It’s an excellent way to get a lot of yardage and give new life to a beautiful fabric.
Would you wear clothes that were once curtains? Let me know in the comments and please share your projects!
