Taking on the fast fashion industry, the second most polluting industry in the world, Kiell Smith-Bynoe welcomes back Reduce Reuse Recycle week. First, the sewers attempt a quilted bag using scraps sandwiched between sheets of organza.
In the Transformation Challenge, the sewers come face to face with the idea of the mountains of discarded clothes created every day by the fashion industry. In 90 minutes they are tasked with cherry-picking items from textile waste to create a brand new item in a colour palette of their choosing.
Finally, in a Sewing Bee first, the sewers take wedding dresses and repurpose them in to an outfit fit for a party. They cut, dye and even paint the dress and produce a range of ingenuous garments.

FABRIC MASTERCLASS: UPCYCLING

WHAT TO MAKE

The options really are endless! Traditionally smaller scraps of fabric can be put to great use in patchwork quilts or home décor items such as cushions and runners. This is best suited to cotton and wovens. Try hand-sewing as a mindful activity in the evenings or whizz up designs in no time on your machine.

Denim comes in all manner of dyes and washes and, as can be seen in the skirt opposite, it’s also a whole lot of fun to create patchwork designs with. Depending on how much you have, you could try skirts, dresses or even a handbag. Many people also use the original jeans pockets as patch pockets and a quirky finishing touch. When sewing with denim, we recommend an all-purpose polyester thread for construction and a top-stitching thread. A 90/14 needle is great for light to medium-weight denim and a 100/16 for more heavyweight options. You may need to use heavy-duty closures and a flat-felled seam to ensure your garment or accessory stands the test of time.

Knit fabric can be perfect for colour blocking, whether it’s a sweatshirt with contrasting sleeves and yoke or a T-shirt with a contrasting peplum like we have on page 76, there are lots of fun options. Try small details like collars and cuffs or opt for something more dramatic like a panelled dress with each section made in a different colour.

A walking foot is ideal for sewing through multiple layers with control and when sewing heavyweight fabric so it will certainly come in handy when upcycling!

EMBELLISH AWAY

Sometimes all a garment needs is some fun decoration or embellishments. Try adding contrasting ribbing to sleeves, a lace strip along the bottom of a cropped tee or an iron-on motif to a plain jumper.

To embroider onto garments, you can use an embroidery machine or stitch by hand. You’ll need to use a stabiliser on the back, especially for thin or delicate fabric or if you are using metallic thread. A water-soluble stabiliser or tear-away interfacing as a stabiliser is easy to remove afterwards but it’s worth practising on scrap fabric to see what works best for your design. Use an embroidery hoop to keep your design taut and consider the placement carefully before you begin!

VISIBLE MENDING

Garments that have holes in, scuffs or marks can be given a new lease of life with the help of visible mending. Use sashiko or boro stitching to add little scraps of fabric and embroider carefully on top. Or use these ancient techniques to reinforce areas of frequent wear such as pockets, elbows or knees with delicate stitches. Be warned, this is rather addictive once you get started!

Upcycled Denim Skirt

Upcycle your old jeans into a new eye-catching denim design with this cleverly pieced A-line skirt. This download includes both the pattern instructions and templates so make sure you have everything downloaded before you begin!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PATTERN

LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?

JEAN-IUS SKIRT
Ripped your favourite jeans and don’t want to throw them away? Grab some fabric, fire up the combination overlock/cover stitch and transform them into a Boho skirt!