LockDOWN & UPcycle
My mum has always sewn; she was a sure-fire win for any and every school play costume and Easter bonnet parade. I remember finding quilts that she had made as a teenager and photos of her at university dressed up in some mad creations. Impressed and willing to emulate her, aged eight I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. Mum helped me with my first creation, a laundry bag, but my attention dwindled when it got hard and she ended up making it on her own - I never had the patience for the fiddly bits. Almost 12 years on, I have somewhat progressed in my textile skills, graduating to sewing my own name labels in my school sports kit and fixing holes in jumpers. But I have always been afraid of the proper stuff. Scared of getting it wrong, ruining the garment beyond repair, and needing my mum to come and help me.
However, with the current lockdown, and a growing need to engage myself in something physical, tangible, not just staring at a screen, I decided to apply myself to the craft again. With the added inspiration from the brilliant Sewing Bee on BBC, as well as my lovely friend Maddie Pope and her sustainable fashion enterprise, I decided to try and upcycle something. My eyes landed on a playsuit that I’d picked up for £5 at a Freshers’ Week kilo sale. Despite its sorry state, I’d still worn it to my first lecture, covering up the holes with a big jumper. In this way, the playsuit had a lot of fun memories attached to it, and thus deserved some proper attention.
I started by giving it a wash (always a good idea with vintage or secondhand clothes). Then I attacked it with an unpicker, taking off the outdated denim collar (now part of the spare rags box, awaiting a new life as a patch on a pair of jeans, I reckon!), and removing the strange brown buttons. I then rifled through my mum’s button box (not a euphemism) to find some nice white buttons to compliment the fabric. Using my (very basic) skills, I sewed on the shiny new buttons, shoddily patching up holes along the way. I then had to top-stitch (note the lingo learnt from Sewing Bee!) the new collar shape, trying my best to keep the stitches neat and uniform. The final step was a very thorough iron (never underestimate the power of a good press).
I am thrilled with the final result. This playsuit is perfect for the heatwave, light and airy enough to avoid chafing thighs and loose enough to get away without wearing a bra. The whole process took under an hour and really improved the whole garment - not bad for £5 and a bit of effort! It isn’t perfect, but it is mine.
So, if any of you have old clothes or just something that isn’t quite right, have a go at altering it yourself. You don’t need a sewing machine or much skill, just some time — and who’s got a shortage of that at the moment?