Goodwill Alterations with Chanté Gibbs
Chanté is a local thrift blogger and sustainable designer. She is our inspiration and guide to exploring what can be done with some creative alterations and updates of thrifted finds. Each month she starts with a concept, shops our stores, and reworks her thrift finds into high-fashion pieces. She takes us on a thrift journey from start to finish, and it’s a great ride every month!
Explain your process for selecting the item from our store. What drew you to it?
Before heading to Goodwill, I knew I wanted to do a blazer with a cutout design for this DIY project. I started in the women’s jacket section to search for a blazer that fit me just right and had enough fabric for me to cut. Eventually I found this vibrant green blazer that kind of reminded me of the one I saw at Target. The color definitely grabbed my attention and I knew I could upcycle it how I wanted it.
Tell us about your design process.
- After washing the blazer, I placed it on my dress form to determine where and how much to cut out, which I marked with my chalk.
- On my cutting board, I used my rulers to help me perfect the lines I had just made. This made it easier for me to create the cut out with my shears.
- Then I turned the blazer around, with the back now facing upwards. I first used my chalk to finish the line, then finished cutting with the shears.
- Once the blazer was placed inside out on my dress form, I noticed the lower part of the blazer was too big and decided to get rid of the excess by creating a new seam. (Pro Tip: Use pins to mark, then sew a new seam.)
- To create the cutout, I turned over the raw edge of the fabric and pinned around the area I just cut out along the sides and back of the blazer before sewing along the pins on my machine.
- Since I wanted my blazer to be different from the ones I see at Target, I added a few oversized safety pins in the cut out area and was pleased with how it came out.
What was your inspiration for the finished piece?
While I was shopping at Target, I came across a cute orange blazer with a cutout in the back and a matching pair of pants. I searched and searched but couldn’t find a blazer in my size. Because of that (and the price point), I realized I could create my own personalized version of this blazer by thrifting a piece to upcycle. Plus I felt like the blazer I had in mind would be great for the upcoming fall season!