Tunics and Wraps | Made of Rags

Do we really need to buy new clothes for Christmas?

…or is it possible to DIY?

Of course it´s fun to run to a mall or the next boutique and buy something nice mass-produced, made under exploitative conditions…..But it´s much more fun to sew it yourself and you could never be really proud of the piece you bought in a store. And don´t forget: Some other women around the world would have the same clothing…And maybe the unpleasant person next door, you really don´t like, is among them….. But your own creation is unique! (And perhaps you could make that unpleasant person a little bit jealous!)

If the answer is: “But I CAN´T sew!”, ask a creative friend or a member of your family, to sew something for you. And if it´s impossible, buy your cloth from a eco-friendly company, buy second-hand or look for some artisan-or recycling cloth. Etsy and Dawanda are good sources for such things. Or look through your wardrobe….Is there really nothing suitable you could upcicle?

I had some short vintage scraps left after my M-Project.

They didn´t match, because they have the color of old ivory and for the project I needed off-white.

I thought for a while, what to do with them….I confess, I don´t really need another evening gown….But at least I decided to sew a short, sleeveless tunic with an unusual back, I can wear for some different occasions in summer and winter.

I didn´t plan the pattern that way. The task was to use the bits as they came and not to cut- Only if it´s really necessary.

that meant some obstacles and limitations. But I found, at least the tunic created itself.

Some of the scraps where remainings from long forgotten vintage lingerie with unusual shapes and holes. The centerpiece of the back was made from some scraps, original belonging to a piece of lingerie or an evening gown from the 1930s. (This kind of fabric was used for both)

Someone long ago cut up the original gown and recycled it. I had only the remaining scraps to work with, but it was enough for my purpose.

Another lace-scrap at the front came from a 1930s slip and had a black silk-border. I thought about removing, but decided to keep it and add on some more vintage satin-ribbon in black. It makes a good accent to the shades of old ivory.

And this time I was a bit smarter and made a matching bag from the deposits.

So don´t wait any longer, if you don´t have your clothing for the feast ready now.

Take what ever material or clothing you have, be creative and design your own dream. It can´t really go wrong and you will shine at Christmas in a unique piece of art!

Curtain-Tunic

Vintage curtains are fantastic items for clothing projects. It doesn´t matter, if you use the heavy kind with rich patterns or the tender lacy ones.

For this long summer-tunic, I used pieces of vintage art déco curtains. The sewing-pattern had to be simple, because the design of the fabric speaks for themselves.

Lace Tunic

Old lace, new lace….It doesn´t matter, what you have in stock or what you personally prefer. There is no right oder wrong. Just be creative.

I wanted a tunic for a special occasion. So I looked, whatever I could find in my trunks and finally got enough to sew this off white piece.

What to do with a damaged pillowcase

This was actually a damaged pillowcase, I turned into a 2-piece wrap tunic with asymmetrical seam. I dyed it and added just some silk ribbon and lace on.

Lovely Lace

It took months to collect all the beautiful bits and pieces for this recycling project. Some of them had been used before and were slightly damaged. But isn´t the imperfection the really interesting thing? To my opinion it´s much more lively.

I made an overdress, like a poncho, so it´s not necessary to wash it often. And if it´s need to be done, handwash in lukewarm water will do.

So if you have any ribbon, lace, border or whatsoever, don´t throw them away, even if they are shabby, full of stains or have some holes. There is always a way to use them creative.

Dust and Doilys

For many years I found doilys beautiful but useless dust catchers. Until I saw, what other People could do with them. So I looked into the dark corner, where I had burried all those vintage doilys, that came to me over the years, added some pieces of a 1930s curtain and some vintage lace odds on and finally it ended up as a Kimono summer-wrap for partys.

Never too rotten to do something with it!

This was actually a beautyful Art Nouveau tablecloth. Shame, I had to cut it up. But it was heavily damaged. One corner and a side completely rotten, another corner slightly damaged and the middle area had some repairs from previous owners and thin sections.

But two corners and sides were still in good condition. So what to do with it?

I decided to make a Tunic, so I could safe both intact Corners and some of the fabric on the sides. First I had to dye it, then cut up and sew. The Edges trimmed with some lacy odds from other projects and ready is the next recycling tunic!