Sew Upcycled Kid’s Clothes

Upcycling fanatic, sewist, and toddler mom Faith Hale loves the transformation of secondhand materials into cute and tiny clothes for kids. Dressing your kids in clothes you’ve made is especially rewarding but dressing them in recycled clothes potentially destined for a landfill is even more so. Using well-fitting clothes as a template, Faith encourages you to forego making a pattern and demonstrates how to boldly approach your materials with courage and curiosity. In this class, begin by making leggings out of a long-sleeved shirt or sweater, using the existing hems as a shortcut to skip the hemming portion altogether. Next, make the coziest beanie out of a square of knit fabric taken from a shirt or sweater. Finally, make a vest out of a placemat, pillow sham, or other piece of quilted material, binding with bias tape. Once you get the hang of her techniques, a world of upcycling exploration awaits. Learn how to:

• Use existing clothes as a pattern
• Sew toddler pants
• Add a mock drawstring
• Sew with knits
• Make bias tape
• Attach bias tape to edging