A whole lotta upcycling going on!

The next couple of posts will be about upcycling some bits and pieces into other bits and pieces. I'm presenting a workshop at our local council's LIVING SMART FESTIVAL on Sept 12. It's all about inspiring the community with a whole lot of sustainable living type of displays and talks - mine is all about sewing and how to recreate old stuff with a few sewing skills and some imagination.

So, I purchased a couple of 2nd hand men's business shirts ....

And used this free download from Colette Patterns to make this super cute and quick and easy Mini Bloomers! This was my first go at Colette Patterns and I was very impressed with their instructions and diagrams!
I used the front button placket as a feature on the centre line of each pant and sewed on the extra buttons as another feature.
There is elastic in the waist and ribbon in the leg, but some of my students have since made them and opted for elastic in the leg instead - which still looks great with the ribbon sewn on as a decorative element.

I then took the leftover sleeves and collar from one of the shirts and added them to this ready made tunic top donated to me by my friend (who is helping me with this whole thing) Nicole ....
I gathered the top of the sleeve head and sewed t in, and then simply attached the collar as a 2 step operation - as you would if doing it from scratch. I covered some buttons with leftover fabric and added them as a feature to the centre front.

Quick and easy, cheap and earth friendly ..... stay tuned for more!