The Refashioners 2017 – And the winner is….

So here we are! At the end of another series and about to announce the winner of The Refashioners 2017. Yet again it’s been jaw droppingly brilliant. So many great refashions. So much creativity and skill on display. So many suits given a new lease of life and hopefully….many more people discovering the rewards that come from reusing garments and seeing them as a source of fabric and potential.

The task of  establishing  a winner from the sea of awesome creativity that was the community challenge this year was, as you can imagine, a tough one! How on earth to choose from all those great makes ….?! (You can check out all the community entries on  instagram and facebook.)

I sought feedback from everyone involved in this years series. And in the end it was apparent that aside from an overall winner we just had to recognise a couple of other entries as well. But first….drum roll…

The winner of The Refashioners 2017  is…..

In the end we were so impressed with several elements of Toya’s make. The style and wearability. The versatility of each of the pieces to be worn separately or  in combination with eachother. The number of garments squeezed out of one suit is seriously impressive in itself and the overall quality of fit and finish…

There’s something here for  everyone to take inspiration from.  No matter what your sewing level at least one of these will be achievable.  More advanced sewers might tackle the jacket….but equally a pencil skirt is achievable at any skill level. There’s a  combination of complexity and simplicity between these three pieces that is truly inspiring no matter your sewing level. And in the end that is what The Refashioners is about. Inspiring as many people as possible to give refashioning a try.

Toya didn’t stop there though….she’s also responsible for this adorable mini collection all made from a single dyed linen suit that was covered in stains and had seen better days. Another stunning  and inspiring transformation…

 

So there’s our winner!! Thoroughly deserving I hope you agree!!

But there are 2 other entries that deserve recognition. Both very popular. Both clever and skilled and inspiring in different ways.

Firstly Liesl. Huge amount of work and detail has gone into this and a very close call for winning overall….

 

Secondly, Kate’s dress is such a clever and creative use of panelling and piecing and the shoulder details painstakingly assembled from tiny strips of fabric and piping are such an creative and subtly showstopping feature…

Both Liesl and Kate will receive a £50 voucher to spend at Minerva Crafts and £25 to spend with Fiskars.  Awesome job ladies!

Blown away once again by the creativity on display in our amazing sewing community.  I think I’ve really put people through the wringer with this year’s theme! if it’s any consolation….next year….might be slightly different…..and arguably much easier…probably  😉

For now, thank you to all the bloggers that kick started this series, to all the official and prize sponsors for the series, and most importantly, YOU! Another year. Another awesome series of The Refashioners. Nailed.