How to make your old t-shirt into a statement t-shirt? A green statement? Well, we are collecting & sharing 100 ideas to do that! This week it’s not a shirt but a jacket <3 For green statement #39 we are joined by upcycle designer Katerina from Katerina from Fitolojio workshop. How does she turn preloved materials into new designs? Check it here! And you can read more about her in the Meet the designer blog
How did you make the creation?
The sleeping bag project idea was born this summer when, I was hunting vintage and preloved garments in Flea markets here in Amsterdam and I had my first unplanned discoveries with two preloved sleeping bags.
I came home and started checking on the web to find more.. it wasn’t easy as the most of them were only pickable from different Dutch cities or in bad condition or too expensive i.e. 100 e plus… but I am in love with this #upcycling idea and spent hours and hours to find the best and in the best condition!! Most of them are from 70’s and only 4-5 from 80’s!!
What did you make, and why?
It will be a limited edition & made -to -order collection with boxy fit jackets and vests!! Every sleeping bag is repaired and mended as we are talking about 40+ years old textiles that Dutch people used in their caravan vacations. I spent hours to keep the best part for making the designs trying also to keep every detail from the sleeping bags such as the ribs and the zippers. With the remnant and leftover pieces, I made scarfs as I support zero waste approach which means that I do not produce any textile waste 🙂 🍃🍃
Each upcycled design works in its particular time and space. I create the patterns and cut the fabrics my shelf here in my studio. Each design consists of 12 or more pieces that had to resew together and make one new perfectly imperfect..
70% of the produced garments, are made by me in my little studio following the end-to-end process (drawing, deconstruction, designing, pattern making, cutting, finding trims and buttons, sewing, fitting. For this project, I collaborated with a small atelier close to my workspace because the sleeping bags were very thick for my sewing machine.
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Read more?
Check the website of Fitolojio workshop or have a look at her Instagram!