What would you do if you come across a jacket and skirt that were from different companies but almost exactly the same color at a thrift store? This happened to me one day and I loved the texture of both. The Jacket is made out of a soft Chenille fabric and the skirt is made out of Linen. They are both one of my favorite materials to work with. What are the odds of finding something like these at a thrift shop in one day? I took this as a sign and decided to come up with a new refashion project.
I think this is kind of a unique refashion situation and not many people have exactly the same types of items to work on. I wrote a simple and brief tutorial for you to get an idea of what I have done and hopefully you can apply it to your own projects.
* How to
1. Cut 5 1/2" wide bias strips to create two rows of ruffles for the jacket.
2. Once you know the exact length of the strip, sew both ends of the strips.
3. Pin the strip to the bottom of the jacket and sew it on with zigzag stitch. Pin the second row where you think looks good and sew with zigzag stitch.
4. When I was trying the jacket on, I felt that it was a bit too boxy. I created four darts two in front and two in the back. With this I felt that the shape of the jacket was perfect.
5. Next it was time for embellishing the jacket! In my opinion, this is the most fun part. I found a floral fabric in my stash and the color and the style looked like a great match with the jacket. To start the applique, fuse the fabric to double sided adhesive (follow the manufacture's instructions) and cut out the flowers with the other side of the paper still on. Lay the flower pieces onto the jacket finding the best layout, then peel the paper and iron them onto the jacket. I used zigzag stitch to stitch around the shape and used the free motion setting to stitch the designs inside of the flowers and leaves.
6.Once I was happy with the result, I added a strip of lace combined with velvet ribbon to blend the top portion and the bottom portion of the jacket.
7. I also appliqued a small flower in front to carry what I did on the back of the jacket.
Spring is near but not quite. I feel like I finished making this jacket with perfect timing to enjoy it.
I wore a skirt in the photo, but I bet it would be fun to wear it with jeans to dress down. :) I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and are able to create your own unique piece!
