Stitched Up: February 2023
Who says Valentine’s Day is the only day you (literally) wear hearts on your sleeves? Chante doesn’t! This month she upcycled a basic button up from her local Triad Goodwill into a casual look perfect for a Valentine’s Day date – or any time you want to spread the love!
For those of you new here, 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 look for red or pink items for Valentine’s day. When I searched through the women’s section I couldn’t really find anything that fit the color scheme I was wanting. I eventually decided to check the men’s section to find something. After searching, I came across a soft light weight flannel. I knew I could do a cutout heart design with it. All I needed to do was find a red shirt or fabric. When I walked past the bedding section of the store, a pair of vibrant red pillow covers caught my eye. After I inspected it for any stains, I decided to use it and the plaid shirt for the Stitched Up project.
Tell us about your process in editing / altering items.
The first thing I did was wash the plaid shirt and 2 pillow cases. Then I tried on the shirt to determine how much I wanted to cut off. I marked a small horizontal line on the front of the shirt and placed it on my cutting board to finish marking it.
I used my clear ruler to help me create the line. Next I cut along the line with my shears and cut out a heart on a piece of construction paper. I made sure to include space around it for seam allowance. After that, I turned one of the pillow cases inside out and seamed ripped side seams. I laid the pillow case flat and used the paper heart to trace a heart on it. During this process, I decided I wanted to add a smaller heart on the front pocket of the shirt. I drew and cut out a small heart on the pillow case. Then I turned over the shirt and traced a heart on the back of it. I cut out the heart I just traced and pinned the red heart under the shirt where the cut out is. Next I pinned the small red heart where I wanted on the front pocket. Once I finished pinning, I sewed along the heart on the back of the shirt. Lastly, I hand sewed the small red heart on the front shirt pocket.
What was your inspiration for the finished piece? Any current trends, pieces of art or designers that are catching your eye?
My main inspiration for this project was Valentine’s Day. I wanted to create a style that’s perfect for a Vday brunch or date night. While on Pinterest, I noticed a few sweaters that had the heart cut out design but only on the front. This inspired me to try this design but on the back and out of a different type of top.
Any parting thoughts or quotes for readers this month?
Due to many things including fast fashion, the volume of how much Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years. Help reduce waste by Thrifting and or Upcycling!
