June 26, 2018

Upcycle Cycle Challenge

I wanted to enter Candice Ayala’s Upcycle challenge, so I went out to the Goodwill and grabbed a men’s button down shirt for a new upcycle project. You can read about another upcycle here. I just could pass up the awesome prizes from Michael Miller Fabrics, Baby Lock, and more. We had a great time taking some before photos before we got started.

I wanted to get two looks from this button down. I combined parts of this yellow shirt with some new fabric from Michael Miller Fabrics. Part of the requirement for this challenge was to mix but new and old.

For the first look, I used the Satya Shorts from Jennuine Designs. Let me just say, I am loving this pattern this summer. I have the Satya romper, but hadn’t utilized the separate pant/short pattern. These shorts are so quick and easy. I would put my stamp of approval on this pattern. I’ve made multiple pairs already and I plan to make more for school. For this look, I wanted to utilize the front pocket on the men’s button down. I had to lengthen the inseam on these slightly so that the pocket didn’t interfere with the hemline, but I’m completely happy with the end result. It was a fun feature to include.

I used the Pleat Fold Top from Made It Patterns for the top I paired with the shorts. It’s a fairly simple pattern to follow, but I love that it creates something with a little bit of a design feature. I actually ended up making two of these so that both girls would have one of their own.

For the second look, I used the Molly pattern from Simple Life Pattern Company as my base. Instead of lining the bodice, I created a facing so that I would be able to keep the button placket that already existed on the shirt and still be able to finish the neckline and arm holes.