I love to upcycle furniture, glass, metal, pianos – you name it. It’s one of my favorite creative outlets. Recently, I was introduced to the world of refashion which is basically upcycling clothes, shoes and accessories.
According to Wikipedia: Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming useless and/or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.
As my body begins to change and I find that my big clothes no longer fit, refashioning them into new garments or other useful items appeals to both my frugal and creative sides. I have already created a skirt for my daughter out of one of my old shirts that I no longer wanted as well as throw pillows for my sofa out of an old skirt. I found that once I stopped thinking of my old clothes as garments and started thinking of them as fabric which could be used as the foundation for an entirely new project, the refashion ideas began to flow.
One of the best upcycling or refashion blogs on the internet is Refashionista. This fabulous blog was created by Jillian Owens – a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. She wanted to change the way the world thinks about fashion. While digging through the racks at a local thrift store, she realized how easily some of the ugly pieces on the rack could be transformed into something new. Her initial thrift store purchases generally cost her $1.00 or less but what she does with them is priceless – sorry, I just had to use the p-word.
I have been so inspired by her that I actually dug out my sewing machine and serger from the attic, set up a sewing area in our studio and convinced my entire family to participate in some refashion projects.
If you are interested in starting your own refashion projects or just want to visit a really great blog that is well written, funny and full of inspirational creations, check out the Refashionista. You will love it.