I’ve made a weird patched dress using twelve old Tshirts of my boys’. I know it’s bizarre and crazy and probably a little bit ugly but I totally love it!
I’m constantly pinning patchwork-y and randomly asymmetric things. I’m actually very inspired by and crave to wear stuff like this A LOT in reality, even though I also make and wear a lot of plain things. I think I have a very non-cohesive brain, wardrobe-wise. It plods along all plain and quiet and unobtrusive for a while, “fitting in” with the norm *yawn* and then will suddenly have the urge to zoom off into arty, thrown-together-land. Making something kinda weird and wild like this makes me feel quite exhilarated; sorta free and unconstrained and satisfied and happy. I don’t think I act upon this often enough. Clearly, I need a little more such craziness in my life!
Anyway, the new dress. I was inspired by this dress credited to Jurgen Lehl.
I used one of my oldies, Vogue 7795 with some adjustments; namely with the front bodice tucks and back bodice darts removed and the waterfall skirt drape transformed into an asymmetric box pleat. Also I made the back bodice and back skirt as one piece each, with the CB seam removed from both. In my memory this is a very drop waisted design, so I also shortened the bodice pieces by about 4cm.
I’ve made this pattern up a couple of times before; both many years ago, my first version in white swiss dotted voile is pictured here looking tres touristy with a gelato and at the Fontana di Trevi in Rome, and my second version was pink, although I can’t find any pictures of that one.
When you’re making a large scale, randomly patchworked design like this one, I’ve found it’s a good idea to draw out the adjusted pieces full scale and lay them out as a guide for the patchworking. That way, you can see how the design is looking on the scale of the dress as the piecing progresses.
I selected twelve Tshirts, all old, some very old, cast-offs from my boys. This is one of the things I love the most about it actually, in that I am so familiar with each and every one of these shirts, having watched my boys run around playing in them a zillion times, also of course I’ve washed them all, hung them on the line, folded them and tucked them away into their dressers about a zillion times each also.
A sentimental dress then, in a way 🙂
There’s also one “new” fabric, harvested from a recent Absolute Fail… *sad face* IG’ed here.
I cut all the fabric into varied width strips and then just got creative.
In a super random design like this one it’s good to install some order to the thing somewhere, and in this case I stuck to the same order in the colour arrangement. I finished the neckline and armscyes as simply as possible with strips of black Tshirt, stitched on right sides together, then folded to the inside and topstitched.
And lastly, I recently received an email from Charlotte regarding the sew solidarity challenge run by the charity TRAID. Essentially it’s this: to commemorate the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse you select an old, not new! mass-produced garment, possibly from Bangladesh although I didn’t restrict my options country-of-origin-wise, re-fashion it fit for a new life and then you’re supposed to wear it on 24th April. Last year I joined in the same-aimed Fashion Revolution movement by wearing my self-made clothes inside out. Theoretically this year I could do either of these commemorative activities… option 1, wear this dress as per the Sew Solidarity challenge; option 2, like last year wear something else I’ve made inside out as per the Fashion revolution challenge; OR option 3, combine the two challenges and wear this dress inside out. The only problem with option 3 is that I’m pretty sure my insides might be kinda too ugly for me to get away with this in my very conservative suburb! The insides are a gridlock of overlocked seams, and because I used some fabric pieces wrong side out, the prints are then on the inside of the dress; so it’s a bit of an unholy mess in there. But I guess the option is there, should I choose to look irredeemably ridiculous.
Details:
Dress; modified Vogue 7795, made from old Tshirts
Shoes; Zomp, from Zomp shoe boutique
You're so talented! I really love this dress, it is so special and pretty. And it suits you very well. To my eyes it looks great even from inside too. Thank you for reminding me of that the 24th April is coming, I think I need to plan what I do.
Wow that is soooo cool. It's a masterpiece!
thanks so much Kate! 🙂
Insanely gorgeous! I love it inside out too, you could definitely get away with it.
Your blog is my favourite sewing blog, and this dress just reaffirms why. Wow this is awesome I have never seen anything so crazy, yet it is perfect. Well done again.
thank you so much Louise! that is so kind of you to say so 🙂
Your blog is my favourite sewing blog, and this dress just reaffirms why. Wow this is awesome I have never seen anything so crazy, yet it is perfect. Well done again.
I totally love it! This must be the best up-cycled garment I have seen in years. Ugly it is definitely NOT. I think it is stylish and modern. Really a masterpiece.
It's really very beautiful and stylish!
wowwwoow a m a z i n g!
Your dress is one of the most beautiful garments I've ever seen, I love it! It was a lot of work and it shows becaue it's stunning and looks perfect on you, bravo Carolyn 🙂
It's fabulous. You could combine 1 and 2 by wearing the dress over an inside out long sleeve T.
Interesting Designer! Süper. ….
I love this on so many levels. I loved it before I read that it's patchworked from your sons' T's. Even more special – & that aqua really pops. Brilliant.
Carolyn, I love the way your brain works! This is a a wearable artwork!
This is the sort of style I a drawn to… I love it! And it looks so similar to the inspiration dress. You should do ore things like this 🙂
Crazy but phenomenal.
Crazy but phenomenal.
Wow, just wow! *Off to rummage for old T-shirts*. This dress is all kinds of amazing. I L O V E it!
There is nothing ugly about this dress–it is an amazing work of art! It is beautiful and I love it!
Beautiful indeed! Love the colours and that it's made from old t-shirts. I remember patchwork quilts where every square had a story and a history, very special.
I have a whole box of castoff t-shirts, but they are all either black, white or grey! Yours just looks sensational.
i am super-impressed. I never would have guessed it was made from old tshirts. The color combination and the order you used is very striking.
Definitely a work of art, but a very wearable work of art. I love the sentimental element too.
Hm.. sensational. Should I dare say that I love it inside out better??? I like how the order of the colours, has some disorder that it doesn't meet up through the seam lines. Oh for your patience! This dress made me think that someday we may see your creations in an art gallery somewhere.
Stunning – the t-shirts must have been good in their previous lives to be reincarnated as something so fabulous;) I'm really impressed you pieced together enough to make a long dress, I would have totally gone with a tank top (or something similarly small)!
this must be one of my favorite thigs you ever made 🙂 amazing dress!
Really high impact! It's a fantastic wearable piece of art. Reminds me a bit of butterfly wings. And a terrific use of old t shirts. I imagine it's very soft & comfortable too.
I absolutely adore this dress! It looks stunning on you. I love that it was made from your sons' t-shirts. It just appeals on so many levels. I have to say, I was surprised that I like the inside almost as much as the outside.
The dark overlocking on the inside makes it look like stained glass. Stunning, as always!
Awesome, awesome, awesome! I am always inspired by your creations. Love this dress!
I love the dress. But, I do love the graphic nature of the black overlocking a little bit more. Brava!
well – this is just totally amazing!! Definitely the coolest and most wonderful thing I've seen on blogs this year! I just love everything about this and the thought that you`ve used up your sons` shirts makes me almost a little sentimental. What an inspriring make!
Just amazing!
What a cool dress! I love the inside even more! I think the little bit of print here and there, and the overlocked seams make for great designer details, something one might see down the runway. At least in less conservative places like London!
You're a wizard. Seriously. This is mindblowingly beautiful. I would never have given that pattern a second look based on the cover art but you're such a master at personalizing it! BRAVO!
Gorgeous! Screams artistic creativity to me, in a most pleasant way. 🙂
I think it's great! I really like those 3 brighter colors with all the neutrals, it really elevates the interest level without making it garish. And I love that it's all recycled t-shirts!
This is absolutely gorgeous!
I love this dress, what an amazing job and great use of fabric.
Love this so much!!! so beautiful!!!
This is a true work of art! I always amazed at how patient, meticulous and persistent you are with your work. Congratulations!!
Just jaw-droppingly fabulous! I'd say those t-shirts died and went to heaven. You need to give in to that urge more often.
NOT UGLY at all … insides and out… honestly, I'd wear both ways… really, you need this crazy because you have super vision, super skills!
Is it really heavy? I would LOVE to make something with leftover knits… I just finished some shorts for my boy, and I'm always trying to think up ways to use the extras.
Well done!
thanks Veronica! It's a heavier dress than, say, chiffon or voile would be but that's all due to the fabric and not to the seaming, I reckon. Overlocking thread is not all that heavy 🙂
Madness! Where do you get all of your patience? I am so impressed by both your patience and creativity!
Absolutely stunning. Looks like it should be modeled in a fashion show!
I think it is awesome! Love it!
Wow! This is gorgeous! 🙂
Wow, Carolyn, just wow!
Wow, this is a masterpiece!! WOW. I am speechless. You just blew my mind. 🙂
Wow. This is absolutely breathtaking.
It is lovely and I really like how you have transitioned the colours. With all the seaming though, is it heavy to wear? You must have a huge collection of your families clothing, to come up with so many gems!
thanks Andrea! It is a slightly heavier dress than, say, a chiffon or voile dress, but I reckon that is due to the weight of the fabric and not the seaming. Overlocking thread is not particularly heavy 🙂
and would you believe, I've hardly made a dent on my "refashioning bag"?! I need to make loads more from old stuff!!
It's simply amazing!! I can't imagine how many hours you must have put into this dress. I think I wouldn't have had the endurance to cut all those shirts into strips and sew everything together anew. Wow, you're a master source of inspiration to me. Thank you for posting.
Carolyn, again – you are so inspiring! Sigh…. I wanna come sit in your sewing room and just watch your amazing skills in action. Oh well….. as I'm a few thousand miles away, you are safe! LOL!! But seriously, I am so impressed with your creativity and plain ol' skills at sewing. You truly elevate sewing into an art form!
This is truly the most inspiring t-shirt refashion I've ever seen. What an amazing piece of art!
So beautiful! What a fabulous refashion. Just stunning!
Wow. If I made a dress out of a bunch of old t-shirts, it would look like a bunch of old t-shirts!
OK. I never comment, but that dress is the best thing I've seen anywhere in a long time. I can imagine how wonderful it feels on. Well done! And thanks for the inspiration!
This is spectacular! I love that it's made of your family's t shirts. It's like a hug!
This looks AMAZING!! You've chosen the flow of colours so well. And the whole not-wasted aspect of recycling pre-loved clothes just makes it that much better.
This is a beautiful dress, I love the way the colors flow around the dress, with the turquoise accent glinting among the deeper tones.
I love this dress. Fantastic color coordination.
whaou ! so amazing and a great job !!! I love it ! XOXO.
the balance of your colours and patchwork is subtle-y fantastic. the turqoises really pop with the neutrals. very very inspiring
Not Ugly at all I think is it absolutely Lovely and Exactly what a Cool Mom would do. AWESOME !!
What more can I add… it is totally splendid. Does that sound very English! Jo x
I have no words! This is perfect refashion!
So inspiring! The wheels are already turning for harvesting fabric. Love this dress.
What an incredible dress!
Amazing, creative, inspiring, and beautiful!
This is an amazing creation – something I would never have thought to do and I love it!! I kinda like the look of it inside out for the challenge – random but interesting 🙂
Wow, the details are amazing and it looks great on you.
This is awesome, great job. I like the inside-out look, it gives the dress a new aspect
Wow!! The first picture I thought"that's such a pretty fabric and the dress is awesome" then I realized you made it from old tsirts! Holy cow! This is definitely my favorite creation! ! Did you know that Myco Anna makes clothing with a symilar style in Quebec? All their clothing is a remix of materials and colors, they style most of their pieces seams out! I LOVE your dress!
Fabulous!
Fabulous!
Wow – that is stunning, great choice of colours – rather like a stained glass window. Beautiful!
Amazing. really! You are a constant inspiration to sewists everywhere (Australian south eastern coast in this case!)
Everyone: thank you so very much!! for all the lovely comments 🙂
This is definitely one of my favourite pieces you've ever made (I can't say that too strongly because I never know what you'll show next). The colours, the design, they all fit together perfectly, not to mention the fact that it is comprised of bits of things worn by your family. An heirloom dress? Is that weird?
Very inventive and gorgeous colour choices.
This is a work of art, Carolyn!! Fantastic!
There is a book, Remake It: Clothes, that shows a number of designers who specialise in 'rescued fabrics', usually luxury fabrics. I don't think their creations have anything on yours – and that dress has the added advantage of being sentimental as well as beautiful. I do have one question: are the seams comfortable to sit on?
thank you Shelley! In reply; it is probably one of the most comfortable dresses I have; the seams are barely noticeable. Perhaps they could be if it had been a tighter dress, but not in this loose flow-y style 🙂
This is stunning! No other word for it.
Just adding my amazement to all the others – you certainly had vision when you set out with a pile of old T-shirts. Fabulous.
This is really beautiful. You're a genius.
This is amazing! Totally and utterly inspired.
A master piece through and through! Love how you picked those colours and arranged them. It must have been a lot of hard work, but the result is beautiful. The things you do with your sons´ ´t-shirts! I still remember that Vogue dress, can't remember the number now, that you also made by recycling some t-shirts. You are an inspiration, Carolyn!
Wow. This is stunning. You put a lot of work into this. It is truly inspired.
completely and utterly gorgeous!
Stunning!
Stunning!
Love, love, love this dress!
You have a very good 'eye' for colour. The combination and placement is a masterclass in how to combine colours. Looks great on you too.
This is absolutely gorgeous; something you would find at an exclusive, high-end boutique!
What an awesome idea, it looks amazing!! I'm in awe of the patience it must have taken to do the patchwork, and in jersey, no less… you are a star 🙂
You have to admire this from a number of perspectives – stunning design idea, frugal reuse of materials, construction expertise! I bow down to you Carolyn!
This is simply amazing. No other words. You did a marvelous thing!
Hi, I found your blog,like it very much. I sew myself. This dress is great! Never seen something like this. Compliments!
Bye, Philo from Germany
http://houseofphilo.blogspot.de/
This dress is incredible and looks great on you! I love visiting your blog and getting inspired.
On the matter of documentation – this dress gives me a pang whenever I see it in your feed because it reminds me of all the things I made in my youth. I was always scrounging around for fabric, so I patched and redyed and fiddled and scrimped. A favourite dress was one like yours, but I think mine was mostly velvet. It had a satisfying heft and swirl, I remember. But alas, that was long before digital cameras.
Thank you for documenting the journey of your needle and thread, Carolyn.
Dear Caroline, I’m from the other side of the world and came across your blog a few days ago. Now I’m hooked :). I love the dress that immediately reminded me of a Slovenian designer Draž who knits her clothes: http://www.draz.si/en/projects/ . I admire your creativity and how beautifully made your clothes are.