upcycle Archives - Clobber Creations

Pattern Review and Upcycle: Cleo Pinafore

Post author:clobbercreations
Post published:July 28, 2019
Post category:Dressmaking Upcycling
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This is arguably one of my faourite makes of 2019 so far – the upcycled cleo!

Details

Pattern name: Cleo
Variation/Style: Knee length
Design House: Tilly and the Buttons
Size I made: 4

Fabric

I made this completely out of two pairs of size 16 jeans which were gifted to me the other year. I had my sights on transforming them into a pinafore towards the end of the year but Sewisfaction’s Great British Sewing Bee challenge brought it forward.

The denim of the jeans is lovely and thick and and as a result it is a real treat wearing this pinafore. Best of all is that it doesn’t crease – yes!

Difficulty

The pattern is beautifully simple. I did not have to make any adjustments as it is loose fit, but you may wish to grade between sizes if your measurements vary.

The most challenging part for me was topstitching as I wanted to use a contrast thread colour and I struggled to get the tension right on my machine. If your fabric is thick and your machine is not suited to heavy weight materials, you may struggle going over seam bulk. However, I found that using a denim needle for the sewing up and a top stitching needle helped, along with the trusty walking foot.

The hardest part was cutting out all the parts from the jeans. I am not convinced that I cut the front sections perfectly on the grainline, and unpicking the seams took hours!

Clarity

As I have mentioned in other TATB pattern reviews (and many others have said the same), the instructions are very clear and guide you step by step.

Design and Fit

Cleo is a loose fit garment and as a result, is easy to fit. If you use buckles and don’t stitch down the straps, it even leaves room for adjusting in this area at any time.

I decided to put the front slit at the back. I think a slit is needed for the knee length version or your walking gait might be a bit restricted. I really like the hip pocket detail as well. I was tempted by the bib pocket but it seemed a shame to not use two of the ready made back pockets from one set of jeans!

Time Taken

It is really difficult to evaluate how long it took me to make this garment. The sewing up was pretty quick and didn’t take long. The main time sink was unpicking the original jeans construction as they are made so well! However, if you made these from a piece of fabric it would not take long at all, especially as the pattern is designed for use with stable woven fabrics

Conclusion

I have always had reservations about the Cleo. Like many of the TATB patterns, I’ve always felt that I like the look of them but that they might not suit me. However, having made it and worn it many times, I am really happy I went ahead with it. It has soared to the top as my favourite pinafore to wear and I really feel that repurposing the jeans has made it such a satisfying make to wear that is likely to last a long time. The fabric of the jeans is so substantial and feels so nice – I suspect it would have cost me fair bit to find the equivalent in a fabric shop!

In particular, I love the blend of the two jeans. They are a similar weight, but I like the fact you can see the medley of the two types of denim.

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Eat.Sleep.Surf the net. Apron

Post author:clobbercreations
Post published:March 10, 2017
Post category:Upcycling
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Usually, my poor family members get a handmade gift, whether they want it or not! However, my dad has learned this, and decided to make practical use of the situation. Sometimes, I ask them what they want before deciding myself. My dad was ready for the question when it came to his birthday gift.

Christmas makes 2016

Post author:clobbercreations
Post published:December 30, 2016
Post category:Applique Craft Skills Stash Busting Upcycling
Post comments:2 Comments

Just a quick post to reflect on some of the makes I have made this year for Christmas! There are a few which have been good or challenging which I wanted to share.

The upcycled t shirt cushions

My dad suggested that his old Hard Rock cafe tshirts should be transformed into cushions about two years ago but I wasn’t convinced and didn’t do it until this month. They have come out much better than I expected! I was worried that they were too faded, but I simply cut out the designs and appliqued them onto calico and created envelope cushions!

The 1940s tapestry bag and purse

This is another gift which had been on my mind for years but I had never got round to creating. However, I finally created it this year, even having time to create the matching purse (from Making Vintage Bags).

Hare bag

I wasn’t intending on making a hare bag this year, but when I clapped eyes on the fabric, I had to make something with it for one of Phill’s relatives who loves hares. I followed a free pattern online but I was a bit disappointed with the depth of the bag, which I would have preferred to have been a bit deeper, but I added a magnetic clasp to it to make it more like a shoulder bag. I did find a preferred tote bag pattern but I don’t have a photo of it yet so will write about it another time.

Oscar glasses case

This personalised glasses case was fun to make as well to add to my grandad’s collection of Schnauzer based gifts over the years.

Baby Showers Mobile

My biggest challenge was making this mobile for my niece! I gave my sister the choice of patterns for a baby mobile, and halfway through making this mobile I felt a bit of regret at doing that! However, it was a great challenge and pushed me much further than the other choices (and it looks much more impressive too)! I adapted the pattern from Chloe Owens (All Sewn Up) to what I had available, using Christmas tree decorations for the raindrops instead of jewellery chain. Glittery sequins were attached to the butterflies, which make light bounce off it.

I could not follow the pattern precisely as I could not get a needle through the fabric flowers when assembling as the fabric glue made it too hard. Instead, the embroidery floss was attached securely either side of the flowers.

I greatly underestimated the many stages to this mobile! I would recommend starting far in advance to ensure you make this in time to avoid the last minute stresses of making gifts! Fortunately, my mum helped ensure the clouds were sewn securely and to help with the final construction stage.