Imagine you are camping and I crawl out of the river wearing this...
A collection of pieces made entirely from post-consumer thrifted clothes, channeling a woodsy survivor feeling, with a focus on functionality.
Sweater Soup I and II
Sweater Soup I is a sweater vest made using patternmaking techniques. My process began with a torso pattern transformed into 8 pieces using curved lines. I cut the pieces from fully constructed sweaters, serged the edges, then sewed them together.
Sweater Soup II is made from the offcuts of Sweater Soup I. To minimize waste, I omitted a pattern all together and used the remaining shapes from the previously used sweaters. I sewed unusable strings and scraps to the sweater instead of cutting them off, creating interesting lines and textures, and allowing the sweater to have a reversible aspect.
PatchPants
The patch pants were made using two pair of partially deconstructed pants. I based the general shape on a pant pattern, but reused many elements of the pants that supported my design, like the waistband, front pockets, and fly. These pieces are particularly difficult to repurpose once they are fully cut from the garment. The rest of the fabric was pieced together. The finishes include blanket stitches made with reclaimed yarn from a post-consumer sweater.
Pocket Harness
The pocket harness is made of double layer scrap denim from a previous upcycling project I completed, and cloth belts. I created a cargo pocket pattern and finished the seams with a blanket stitch using the reclaimed yarn.
Patchwork Waders
The waders are made from a single front and back pattern and deconstructed pants. They were taken apart at the inseam and layered over the pattern, determining the length and width of each patch one by one. The straps were made from D-ring belts. Tears and worn spots from the original textile were covered using darning visible mending techniques, utilizing the reclaimed yarn.
