I love creating my own designs and sewing from patterns but never shy away from a good upcycle! For those of you who are new to the term “upcycle” it means the following:
“To process (goods or used goods / material or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.” This is a fairly new creative process to me as well, but I’ve quickly found out how much I love it!
I utilized just about every section of the daishiki for this maxi skirt. I used the pattern pieces for View B as my guide. Once I had my pattern pieces aligned (I tried to keep as much of the lady centered as possible) the rest was easy to assemble.
The flounce ruffles may look intimidating but if sewn slow and steady, they’ll come out just fine. The only change I made to the pattern was opting out of the zipper and waistband. I went with an elastic waistband instead. It’s easy and breezy for the summertime. This took about two and a half hours. The most time was spent on hemming the edge of the ruffle.
Finished product! I love how it turned out! I’ll be wearing this for years to come!
Below are two other upcycles that I made last year. The cotton black and white dress is inspired by the brand Farm Rio. Their clothing invokes being swept away to a seaside resort or an island to me. I love lantern sleeves and in keeping with that style, I gave the bottom of the dress a bubble hem. AND I love pockets on dresses!! They should be a requirement. LOL
I made this skirt for my mom. The fabric is rayon which gives it a flowy look. I paired it with a black halter top on the mannequin but I’m sure my mom will put another style top with it!
I’ve got more upcycles to come! Let your creativity flow!
