Category: Jackets

I was busy with a little christmas-project the whole weekend, but I also wanted to write a quick article for my blog:

Heavy old Curtains from the 1950s or 60s are perfect for bags, dresses, jackets or coats. You can also turn them into medieval- or renaissance-robes. And you can buy them for a cheap price on flea-markets, in second-hand-stores or social departements.

This jacket I sewed from a short, shiny-red curtain. The neckline ist trimmed with satin-ribbon and from all remaining scraps I made a front-bag and some origami-embellishment. Almost zero-waste!

I had a flawed, art déco  childrens-duvet cover  and 8 identical kitchen-towels from the same period. A good reason to make a short coat. The towels had hangers on both small sides, wich was convenient. I ran in some vintage cord and lifted the lower sides of the towels for a more shabby effect. The beautiful monogram on the duvet cover embellishes now  the back of the coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After prince charming married the rag-princess, his life didn´t turn out “happy ever after”. It became quite the opposite, because a princess, who is always in the middle of recycling projects, can drive a  modern prince half insane…….

“Dear princess,”, prince charming says. “When will dinner be served?”

“I don´t know. Ask the servants!” she answers.

His feet scratch bashful on the floor. “We don´t have any. I´m a modern prince!”

“Oh… Well, in THAT case make yourself some sandwiches. I´m busy!”

He gives her a beseeching look. “Busy with something much more important than serving your beloved husband a good dinner?”

“Much more important. I´m in the middle of a new,  exiting recycling-project!”

“There is no project!” growls prince charming. “All I can see is a huge, ugly pile of rags on our dining table instead of food!”

“I hope you don´t mean my precious textile fragments?” the princess asks confused.

“No. I mean those RAGS on the table….We really need a much bigger garbage can!”

“Nonsens, garbage can!” the princess yells. “What we need is another armoire for my  treasure-collection…..That corner over there would be great…..”

“That corner is mine! It´s reserved for my throne! Now look, why don´t you just go to that sewing-cave I arranged down in the dungeons for you?”

“The dungeons are dark. And much to small. I can not even turn around in there!” The princess whines.

Prinz charming goes downstairs to the dungeons, opens the door to his wifes 60 yards sewing-cave,  avoids a collapsing stack of vintage fabrics at the last moment and closes the door hasty again.

He runs up the dungeon-stairs quite angry.

“Why can´t you go to the next fancy boutique and buy yourself some nice, overpriced clothing with a colored label on it, like all the other princesses do?”

“Because I´m a RAG-princess, remember? I even made my  own wedding gown !”

“Yes…..THAT I remember!” moans the prince.

He rolls his eyes, turns his back on her and disappears, wherever moderns princes vanish to, if they are really frustrated.

And what does our rag-princess do? Sits down in front of her sewing machine and creates THIS jacket!

A vintage table runner I turned into a camisole for summer or special occasions. First I dyed everything, cut it up on the sides to get short sleeves and on the back to get more space there. Then I added some old lace on as a collar and ribbon for a closure.

The material for this jacket was found in a rag-fabric-box in a second hand store.  It had a label with the producers name on it and a handwritten note “for our daughters room”. So it seems, the fabric was ment for decoration and the reminder ended up in a recycling bank and made its long intricate way to the second hand store, where I finally found it. Lucky me, the fabric is an expensive designer piece with beautyful golden chinese dragons on it. It wasn´t enough for the whole jacket, so I used a stiff cotton satin in a most similar colour for the sleeves. A big button for a  closure on the front and ready is the next elegant evening jacket.