Re-use and re-style old clothes that have lost their luster
There are some wardrobe items that look like they came straight out of Dullsville. Those plain, dreary tops or skirts might have hope left, though. One amateur seamstress has started taking her old clothes, or sometimes plain T-shirts from bargain stores, and making them into sassy separates.
With a little imagination and basic sewing skills, wardrobe staples get livened up with buttons, handmade flowers or even metallic paint.
Elaine Ehrlich began embellishing her own clothes a few years ago for fun. It was a personal hobby, and then she started doing it for friends and family. Now it’s a small business run out of her home.
“We all collect things that wind up in the back of the closet,” she said.
Ehrlich said she loves the idea of taking something bland and making it unique. The concept is also perfect for repairing a favorite shirt that has a stain or a sweater with a hole in it.
If there is a hole in the shoulder, she suggests sewing buttons in a fun pattern around the hole and one to cover it up. Or for a stain, she would use liquid metallic paint to make a new design over the damaged area. Ehrlich said it doesn’t take much to make something sparkle, whether it’s classical, edgy or trendy. She said anyone can do it and enjoy renewing their wardrobe without spending much money.
“You can use almost any kind of materials. It’s just a matter of having good taste and not going over the top,” she said.
Some of her work includes a shirt with a collage of colorful fabrics on it and a woolen dress on the bodice of which she freehand embroidered a funky pattern. She also makes purses from old tins and jewelry from nautical rope. The key to making something fresh is to use your imagination, she said.
She said anyone can get started on their own project by buying a few notions, such as ribbon, buttons, fabric bows, and placing them on clothes or accessories by sewing them with a machine. No-sew fabric glue also works in many projects. To contact Ehrlich, call 610-825-2137.
With a little imagination and basic sewing skills, wardrobe staples get livened up with buttons, handmade flowers or even metallic paint.
Elaine Ehrlich began embellishing her own clothes a few years ago for fun. It was a personal hobby, and then she started doing it for friends and family. Now it’s a small business run out of her home.
“We all collect things that wind up in the back of the closet,” she said.
Ehrlich said she loves the idea of taking something bland and making it unique. The concept is also perfect for repairing a favorite shirt that has a stain or a sweater with a hole in it.
If there is a hole in the shoulder, she suggests sewing buttons in a fun pattern around the hole and one to cover it up. Or for a stain, she would use liquid metallic paint to make a new design over the damaged area. Ehrlich said it doesn’t take much to make something sparkle, whether it’s classical, edgy or trendy. She said anyone can do it and enjoy renewing their wardrobe without spending much money.
“You can use almost any kind of materials. It’s just a matter of having good taste and not going over the top,” she said.
Some of her work includes a shirt with a collage of colorful fabrics on it and a woolen dress on the bodice of which she freehand embroidered a funky pattern. She also makes purses from old tins and jewelry from nautical rope. The key to making something fresh is to use your imagination, she said.
She said anyone can get started on their own project by buying a few notions, such as ribbon, buttons, fabric bows, and placing them on clothes or accessories by sewing them with a machine. No-sew fabric glue also works in many projects. To contact Ehrlich, call 610-825-2137.
