Hello,I am Michelle Paganini, owner and designer for Paganoonoo, an upcycle fashion design company.
I was recently preparing for a vacation, looking over my wardrobe (northern California), and thinking I wanted something different. I'd just finished sewing up 33 upcycled flannel shirts and we were heading to a tropical location, not a match.
For quite some time I've been considering transforming a collared shirt into a kimono style by replacing the placket and collar with a band like the kind found on kimonos. This was the perfect opportunity!
I started with a rayon Hawaiian shirt my husband no longer wanted. It was quite oversized on me, but rayon drapes so nicely I thought I could make it work.
I cut away the placket and the collar such that adding on a 2" band would result in a good fit. The band was made using scrap fabrics is the same color palette as the shirt. I pieced together various pieces to add interest.
I wanted a dress more than a tunic so I looked through my (HUGE) stash of garments ready for upcycling and found the perfect piece to add. A dark indigo gored denim skirt wide enough to match the bottom of the shirt. Added bonus - it had decent draping qualities, did not wrinkle easily, and the color was a good match.Intending to use the preexisting hem, I cut off a bottom section of the skirt. This skirt panel was added to the bottom of the shirt. So far, so good, however, I had a sack dress at this point. Having recently lost some weight, I wanted a bit more of a fit.
An elastic waist with an inside casing seemed like a good solution and it was. The only thing left to add was closures. I liked the way the band looked and did not want to add buttons or ties or frogs. The solution was large snaps and a hook and bar waist closure. I added a flower for fun!Current upcycle sewing instructions are available at www.etsy.com/shop/paganoonoo Upcycle sewing made simple!
P.S.
This design could be translated into a new Paganoonoo upcycle sewing instruction.
Would you be interested?
P.P.S. Create simple upcycle sewing projects with free video tips! I show you how to add a double color to a dress shirt, combine color and pattern with confidence, shorten sleeves to ¾ and add a decorative cuff, and more! Register for free today!
