In the creative world, we now have “altered couture” instead of recycled or remade clothing.  I like the term though. 
It implies high fashion and enables people to take pride in using their creativity to make use of worn and worn out items in their closet…or ones they find at rummage sales and second hand shops.

In addition to altering used clothing, these new designers (whether it’s someone who does this for a living or you simply stretching the clothing budget) use embellishments and embroidery in creative ways.
Some of the pieces of altered couture I’ve seen are:

An apron made by cutting away jeans except for the front with …read more

The autumn quarterly issue of Altered Couture is on the horizon, and I thought that looking at Nancy Judd’s amazing recycled wonders a couple weeks ago might be just the inspirational push you need to get you going this time.  You’ve got two months before the deadline, but don’t procrastinate…you know how time can sneak up on you!

A hand-me-down sweater … a raggedy old skirt from the thrift store … a plain T-shirt … Using just a few tools coupled with your creativity, all of these items can be transformed into fantastic works of wearable art!  The publisher of Belle …read more

Altered Couture
A hand-me-down sweater … a raggedy old skirt from the thrift store … a plain T-shirt … Using just a few tools coupled with your creativity, all of these items can be transformed into fantastic works of wearable art! The publisher of Belle Armoire and Somerset Studio invites you to submit your own altered and embellished clothing and accessories to be considered for the second volume of this exciting publication. Chapters will include Skirts & Dresses, Pants & Overalls, Jackets & Vests, Shirts & Tops, Children’s Wear, Sassy Shoes, and Accessories.

Deadline for artwork to be received: June 15, 2009. …read more

Make Art Monday!
I shared this pair of painted sandals before, but I thought I should show you a second pair and maybe suggest that it might be a nice project for a quick pair of summer wearable art.
I don’t like buying new shoes. In fact, I tend to wear the same pair of sandals all year, even in the snow. When they get worn out, I do buy a new pair (the exact same style…aren’t I exciting?), but I can’t stand to just throw out the old pair.
So I usually paint them.

The Owl and the Pussycat

After a friend saw …read more

Altered Couture
A hand-me-down sweater … a raggedy old skirt from the thrift store … a plain T-shirt … Using just a few tools coupled with your creativity, all of these items can be transformed into fantastic works of wearable art! The publisher of Belle Armoire and Somerset Studio invites you to submit your own altered and embellished clothing and accessories to be considered for the second volume of this exciting publication. Chapters will include Skirts & Dresses, Pants & Overalls, Jackets & Vests, Shirts & Tops, Children’s Wear, Sassy Shoes, and Accessories.
Deadline for artwork to be received: March 15, 2008. …read more

This has become a regular quarterly publication now, according to Stampington & Company
Altered Couture (Newsstand Date: February 2008)
A hand-me-down sweater … a raggedy old skirt from the thrift store … a plain T-shirt … Using just a few tools coupled with your creativity, all of these items can be transformed into fantastic works of wearable art! The publisher of Belle Armoire and Somerset Studio invites you to submit your own altered and embellished clothing and accessories to be considered for the second volume of this exciting publication. Chapters will include Skirts & Dresses, Pants & Overalls, Jackets & Vests, Shirts …read more

…which are exactly like my winter shoes, except they’re painted!
I’m not much for buying new shoes. In fact, I tend to wear the same pair of sandals all year, even in the snow. When they get worn out, I do buy a new pair (the exact same style…aren’t I exciting?), but I can’t stand to just throw out the old pair.
So I usually paint them.

“The Owl & the Pussycat” Shoes

If you ended up getting excited about Altered Couture, which I wrote about last Thursday, you’ll certainly want to make sure that you’ve got an accurate set of measurements for yourself! All the work that goes into making these one-of-a-kind pieces…it would be absolutely criminal if it ended up not fitting properly. Threads Magazine has an online feature which will teach you how to take those measurements accurately.

This special publication by Stampington is now available. You can get information and place an order here.