Before I retired, I had bought shirts with a work logo on them. I had several shirts that were really no longer appropriate to wear because of the logo. Some of them have been transformed with my handwoven fabrics. But today, I decided to try a bit of something different with this one. It is a tan cotton button down, that I always referred to as my "gas station attendant" shirt. (Only those of you of a certain age will understand that reference.)
With some hand dyed fabric that I got from
Colorways By Vicki Welsh, I made some patchwork. Cutting the patchwork into a circle with a die cutter, I made the patchwork into an applique. I got the circle sewn on. I realized that the area was a bit thick with the original embroidery on the shirt and the pieced applique. Cutting away the backing seemed like the obvious choice. So I started cutting. After I got it neatly cut away, I saw something: OOPS! I had cut through the patchwork too. (Yes I know I should get the funny looking applique scissors with the duckbill blade.) Time for a regroup. Hmm, okay fusible applique over the oops to cover it. Then it needed a bit of something so I did a bit of thread painting on the applique pieces.
Here is how it looks.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIPpo-1DRG53F1lhv1CodmWb_qJctXOeZZWUwyDD6ePKYvZyjIHdUTotEEupXZBYPb8Ux2t9XgX0NvSYDa7lVS5rZx3EYVXa40vSWuzi1KPnEhzYY0mxvFo7-Cn2K3PHLvIDiUQ/s320/Shirt.jpg) |
I have not mastered the "selfie" photo |
Here is a close-up...just don't look too closely.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViFajpjL9jkg7HTxYPS2h_7TgOTHQZEIcJQQrDRiSAGBFaWW6Tnh0OrAUWWv0wucD_DheHKoeMYTvMDPGaAFjE2_LfBPTWdi00OXemQBsYIs7LTYt4raxTDmJ3_L7qEQAD8eu5Q/s1600/shirt-fix.jpg) |
The red shapes are done with "Crafted Applique"
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I really like having the edge of the applique inside the pocket. It also helps to cover the original embroidered section that way.
I mentioned other shirts. Here are another I have recycled this way only with handwoven fabric.
This green one had a logo, but no pocket. I really like a shirt pocket. Why not add one? And for the wild muse, how about putting it at an angle?
The funny part is that the pocket is not obvious unless I have something in it. One friend said "I didn't realize it was a pocket" when I pulled a piece of paper out of it.
My original upcycled shirt is this next one. It did not have a logo - it was just a bit boring, and I was in a playful mood - and I had some batik fabric that I just wanted tp put on it.
Do you ever embellish your clothes to upcycle them or even to just change them?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWWvph818HFCIQYID2Fr8_WaHvr_AZM91vN8Cx3EuUMOPo0N2VJTEYTRZvr_sB200i8tADF_2Ybr6JTQTqGtdM1tjD4ix8TsdFh7J7gzQ6mbWOMtx2Dc37Vf13H7k0s9lnxPn/s128/sig-gene.gif)
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