Kicking off the second week of The Refashioners is Kate with this classic look…
The garment is inspired by Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (I too can second Kate’s recommendation of this as box set binge!)
Starting point was this trench from Kate’s local charity shop…
Which she deconstructed and reconstructed to fit her interpretation of the inspo image. (Is it me or should she be sitting on a bench reading a newspaper with spy holes cut out for the eyes? 😉 )
Seriously though, such a classic look and guaranteed to see a good amount of wear!
If you’d like to read and see more detail about this make, head over here!
This year’s series, as ever, will begin with this blogger element . For the whole of September, a fabulous line up of talented stitchers will be providing you with loads of inspiration, tutorials and tips to get you going! So mark these dates in your diary (and make sure you’re following me either here or on IG to stay updated):
- Blogger Element: Running from 3rd Sept to 28th Sept this year. A month of inspiration posts to get your creative juices flowing. Line up announced shortly
- Community Challenge: This will run right from 1st Sept to 31st October. There will be the usual phenomenal prize package for our winner(s) at the end. You can share your creations any time between those dates to be entered into the competition. To enter you’ll need to SHARE your refashions (We want to see the inspiration image, the before image(s) of your source garment(s), and the after images of course! Extra kudos given for how closely your “after” images resemble your inspiration images!) Share with us in one of the following ways:
- On Instagram: Share a pic using the hashtags #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby (if you do not use these hashtags I will not be able to find your entry and it will not count)
- On Facebook: There is a community board here where you can post your makes (You will need to request an invite to join)
Only entries shared via the above 2 methods will be entered into the competition. Closing date for entries is 31st October 2018 Midnight GMT.
Check out the AMAZING prizes on offer this year!
With thanks to our fabulous official sponsors below!
Lovely coat, and great refashion, but ouch, it hurts to hear something described as massive that looks like it’s a size 18 or XXL at most. You have readers who wear that size, and far larger. Could you please describe things differently?
Apologies for any offence caused. Post has been edited.
Thanks. I’d really love to see more diversity in size, age and ethnicity in your participants next year, so the challenge actually reflects the sewing community at large. It’s like if you were in school, and the teacher pulled 5 exemplary students up to the front of the class, and they were all thin, blonde and tall, you would perhaps think, “Darn, I’m not thin blonde and tall, so I can’t be a success.” Does that make sense? I trust that’s not your meaning, but in this day and age, I feel we have a duty to use our personal privileges to make sure we host is inclusive. Obviously that is a huge passion of mine, since I run the Sewcialists and our tagline is “A Sewing Blog for Everyone” – but maybe you’d enjoy checking out some of our “Who We Are” on identity and intersectionality in sewing to read about what it’s like to be a black/plus/queer/over 50/etc sewist in the blogosphere.
https://thesewcialists.com/category/who-we-are/
Thanks for editing the article and replying – everyone I’ve ever met through sewing is lovely, and I have loved reading your blog for years, so I know you are too. It’s a chance to be a leader though, and I’m hoping you’ll be able to incorporate that into you planning next year!
Gillian, as always, I appreciate you taking the time to express your views. Your quest for diversity is a noble goal. Let me reiterate though, The Refashioners is a challenge that is open to everyone to take part. The only people not represented are those that choose not to take part. Over the course of several series now, all of the groups you mention have been represented as well as some that you haven’t. Let me clarify, because I think you are referring to the initial blogger element of this challenge, that the bloggers that take part are not being pulled to the front of the class as exemplary students. They are merely members of the sewing community, taking on the challenge, offering up their time for no reward other than the fun of taking part, to get the ball rolling, and offer some examples of sewing techniques and approaches to refashioning. Let me also reiterate, that the main event of this challenge is the community element where we celebrate and share creativity (regardless of race, gender, size or sexual orientation or any other characteristic you care to name). I am a middle aged size 16 woman myself. And I’m afraid I simply don’t recognise the tall, skinny, blond (and young?) picture you seem to have of this years (or any year’s) blogger line up. This challenge will always reflect the sewing community at large. Or at least those that have an interest in refashioning and the will to take part. That’s the whole point of it. But it’s only by taking part that people represent themselves or any portion of the sewing community they might feel they represent. (Although personally I prefer not to divide our lovely community up into factions based on size, race, sexual orientation, age etc). If you feel you could or would like to represent a part of the sewing community that you see as under represented in this year’s line up, then (as luck would have it!) I have a slot that I am looking to fill towards the end of September. You would be most welcome to take it if you feel you would like to. I would be most happy to have you take part. (I should add that it would preclude you from entering the competition element). Let me know asap though! Aaargh! Deadlines! If you would like to discuss this any further, please feel free to email me. Deets on my contact page. I don’t really want the comments section of this blog to deviate off into a discussion or a debate about anything other than the sewing and the refashioning. That is what my blog is about. While I understand (and applaud) that this is a huge passion of yours, and why you set up your own platforms, it is not the purpose of my blog, and I would be grateful if that could be respected. Like I said, happy to have you on board if you feel you can bring something to the party that is currently lacking.(I’d need to know by tomorrow really) Happy to debate with you. Just send me an email though, eh? I don’t really want to hijack a post about someone’s hard work. (The trench is a men’s XXL btw. This is not and never was a size 0 skinny girl(s) poking fun at plus size women (re comments on IG)).
Well said, and understood.
Lovely coat, and great refashion, but ouch, it hurts to hear something described as massive that looks like it’s a size 18 or XXL at most. You have readers who wear that size, and far larger. Could you please describe things differently?
Agreed with Gillian! It’s a lovely final make but it stings to see hurtful and thoughtless llanguage thrown around so casually.
Apologies for any offence caused. Post has been edited.
The series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Not Masie as you have it) is an Amazon series, not Netflix.
Oh bums! Thanks for the heads up! You’re right of course! (Could have sworn I watched it on Netflix. Losing it!) It’s been corrected in post. Thank you!