Lorraine Torrence Creative Clothing Class 2014 - #1 Repurposed Ready-to-Wear

I signed up for Lorraine's Creative Clothing Class at Gayfeather Fabrics again this year, as did most of my classmates from last year.  The first  assignment was to repurpose a piece of ready-to-wear.  My project for this go around was a long, black silk Dana Buchman vest I found at a consignment store for $20.  I decided to use some of the beautiful pieces of handprinted silk scraps that I had bought from Laura Goldstein, who has a business in Milwaukee called Grotta & Co.  She makes the most fabulous scarves and pillows from her fabrics (www.grottaco.com). 




Before

After

I first fused the silk pieces onto some fusi-knit interfacing and then sewed the pieces into strips which I basted onto the hem of the vest.  Then I used some black and white ribbon I got at Gayfeather Fabrics and topstitched it onto the top and bottom edges of the strip to finish it off.





























Using a grasshopper motif from one of the silk scraps, I made a patchwork square which I stitched on the upper back to add interest.

 

 

I had planned to change the button that came with the vest but decided the large mother-of-pearl button was perfect.