Friday, June 14, 2019

Paganoonoo Upcycled Boro Style Unisex Jean Jackets - Customer examples by Trudy Smith and Evan

Paganoonoo's upcycle sewing instructions walk you through the process of transforming garments into new fashion. In this case combining a waffle robe and jeans into a timeless denim boro-style jacket.

Shown are 2 wonderful examples made by customers.

EXAMPLE #1, Trudy Smith

We were at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup when Trudy showed me photos of her version of the upcycled Paganoonoo Boro jean jacket. I was smitten and begged her to mail it to me for a photo shoot so you could see what a fantastic job she did. Thankfully she said, “Yes.”

Trudy used the Paganoonoo Boro-Style jean jacket sewing instructions as a starting point—combining jeans in a magical way and made an outstanding version. Truthfully, I like hers better than any of mine! She has elevated jeans into a wearable art piece.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

Her choices of where to place light, medium, and dark elements is balanced and interesting. The use of asymmetric lines in patchworking the various pieces is eye-catching and dynamic.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith using
Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

Layering the jacket with varied Sashiko stitching gives Boro-like textured interest. Adding the traditional Japanese fabric circle to the front creates a focal point so the eye has a place to land before exploring texture, color, and angles.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions.

The jacket elements are remarkably balanced from every angle. There is so much to see it is hard to take your eyes away!

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

The thickness of the sashiko thread is a perfect weight for the heavy denim. The spacing of stitches is sufficient to easily distinguish them from a distance. Note how the stitches are not a traditional running stitch with the space between stitches and thread in roughly equal parts. Instead, the space between stitches is about ½ the size of the stitch itself.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Trudy Smith
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

Again, adding a single circle of traditional Japanese fabric to the back creates a focal point so the eye has a place to land before exploring texture, color, and angles.

Trudy took to heart the design tips included in the Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions—tips on key design elements that will transform a jacket into the realm of art-to-wear:

Paganoonoo Upcycle Sewing Instructions

"Shape: Forget symmetrical a.k.a. completely matching on each side. Symmetrical can be found in almost every commercial garment. Asymmetry makes a garment far more interesting garment.

Use angled lines vs. horizontal and vertical lines (same principle as above). Commercial garments tend to have horizontal and vertical lines. Angled lines are far more interesting.

The color palette is limited to indigo. Use multiple shades (values) of indigo denim; it’s essential to capturing “Boro” style. Consider making a color plan for shades, pre-planning ratios or proportions. Classic ratio divisions in design are 1/3 to 2/3, for example 1/3 light / 2/3 dark.

When possible incorporate multiple denim textures. I prefer 100% cotton as it becomes soft and velvety with age. Use softer pieces, stiff denim will not hang nicely, may distort the jacket shape, and will be less comfortable to wear."

Trudy mastered all of these principles and more in her version. She not only did an outstanding job of arranging light/dark and interesting angles, she add Boro stitching to highlight elements of the jacket. The combination is most decidedly art-to-wear.

What did she change from the instructions? She opted to leave off a closure.

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EXAMPLE #2 - Evan

Here is another customer’s interpretation. Evan chose to use straighter angles and smaller pieces of patchwork.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Evan

using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

He created interest with terrific distribution of light, medium, and darks, raw edges, multiple pockets, and Boro stitching—all of which add texture.

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Evan
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

(I outlined the patches in white to make them stand out.)

Detail of Jean Jacket made by Evan
using Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instructions

Evan added his own personal touch with rather brilliant closures—2 front waistband sections with the traditional jean buttons and buttonholes!

Both Trudy and Evan made the design their own.

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Ready to make your own version?
Purchase instructions here.

Common Questions...

Sizing? Pick a waffle robe that fits you the way you would like the jacket to fit. If you would like a larger one than you can find, use the bottom part of the robe to enlarge the sides and then sleeves. There are no pattern pieces, you are building on the robe base.
So there aren't pattern pieces? No—there are deconstruction and reconstruction illustrations with instructions printed on 8.5" x 11" paper.

Is it a unisex pattern? Yes it is a classic unisex design

Sourcing a waffle robe: If you can't easily find a second hand robe (thrift stores, e-bay), try asking your local spa or hotel what they do with old ones. Chances are they are going into the trash.

Why a waffle robe? It is the right shape and sturdy enough for the weight of the jeans.

Do I have to make an "art to wear" version? - No, not at all. make it as simple or elaborate as you would like. Work on it over time. Do whatever you want.

Why no pockets on the outside of the jacket? I typically place pockets on the inside so they do not disturb the lines of the design. That said—put pockets anyplace you would like.