New Year New Uses: Upcycling Glitter Style
/Are you having fun with us in our Upcycle week???? Share your own upcycle escapades with us on Facebook and here in the comments so that we can be inspired!!!
Rachel is here today to showcase how adding your own details can turn a standard upcycle into something extraordinary. She is pulling out the glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl, and by george I think I'm going to have to place an order now!!! If you don't have a cutting machine, you can embellish with embroidery, free motion applique, fabric paint and more!
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Happy New Year, Pattern Revolutionaries! It’s no secret that I love upcycling (and am a hoarder of clearance XXL finds for that purpose), so I’m excited to share one of my first projects of ‘16 with you. This women’s tank from Target was super soft and a nice, pale shade of grey and it’s been on top of my stash for the last few months begging for a project. Miss P and I had a glitter-fest over winter break, and I finally used my Silhouette for something other than cutting freezer paper stencils. I wanted a pattern that would have a large enough bodice for the ballerina stencil that Miss P selected, so I went with the Brooklyn dress from Made for Mermaids. (I opted to use the Riley skirt instead of the Brooklyn skirt because it was a circle skirt - my girl’s favorite - and I cut it to tunic length.) Once I cut the bodices from my tank, I had enough fabric leftover to cut flutter sleeves as well. Awesome!
Let’s recap: Target tank + glitter vinyl + Made For Mermaids Brooklyn bodice/Riley skirt = cute new tunic for my 6-year-old. So easy and a fun way to brighten her wardrobe for the new year.
If you’re going to use heat transfer vinyl, I recommend cutting your pattern pieces out but adhering the vinyl before you sew the pieces together. This way, if I messed up, I could simply recut the bodice and not have to scrap the whole project. Just make sure that you account for any seam/hem allowances, especially at the neckline. I was cutting it a little close here, but because the Brooklyn has a lined/faced neckline, it worked out just fine.
One of my favorite things about upcycling is that it is an easy way to incorporate different fabrics into my kids’ clothes, and the stripes and prints that I find in RTW styles coordinate nicely with the collection of solid knits that I like to keep on hand. Miss P’s finished tunic didn’t cost much but was made from quality materials and still looks fun and on-trend. She was thrilled, and wore it to school for the first day back after break. I call that a Mom-win, and am already scouring my bin of clearance finds for the next project. Here’s to another year of resourcefulness and creativity!
Until next time,
Rachel
