p U t C u c ou tu r e

Edgy Upcycled Garments to Sew

Ko ko Yamas e

Inside-Out Blouse from T-Shirt

Aha! By pulling out the edge of the body from the neck opening it becomes a ruffled collar. What a treat!

Instructions, page 4

Trompe lOeil Jumper from T-Shirt

Cut open the shoulder of a big T-shirt and attach the ribbed collar to a tank top. It truly tricks your eyes into seeing layers. Instructions, page 5

Inside-Out Blouse from T-Shirt

Shown on page 2

Mate r ials
1 short-sleeve T-shirt (Mens XL) 11" (30 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide) 11" (30 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide)

I n str u cti on s 1. Make 10" (27 cm) cuts at the T-shirt

side seams, approximately 5" (14 cm) from the bottom hem, as shown in the illustration. These will become armholes inside the blouse.

2a

3
6

12

a 2a

2. On the left shoulder, align the two a

points and sew, as shown in the illustration, to create a dart. Repeat this on the right shoulder.
1

1
27 14

3. Turn the bodice bottom to the inside and

pull it through the neck opening.

4. Stitch around the neckline just below the

ribbing, as shown in the illustration, making sure to separate the T-shirt front and back while sewing. Fold down excess fabric to create a gathered collar.

8 4

5. Attach ribbon underneath collar at center

front to finish.

Trompe lOeil Jumper from T-Shirt

Shown on page 3

Mate r ials
1 tank top 1 short-sleeve T-shirt (Mens XL) 2 yards (200 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide)

I n str u cti on s 1. Make 10" (27 cm) cuts at the T-shirt

side seams, approximately 5" (14 cm) from the bottom hem, as shown in the illustration. These will become armholes inside the blouse.
2

2. On the left shoulder, align the two a

points and sew, as shown in the illustration, to create a dart. Repeat this on the right shoulder.

3. Turn the bodice bottom to the inside and

pull it through the neck opening.

4. Stitch around the neckline just below the

ribbing, as shown in the illustration, making sure to separate the T-shirt front and back while sewing. Fold down excess fabric to create a gathered collar.
11

5. Attach ribbon underneath collar at center

front to finish.

Two-Way Poncho/Skirt from Scarves

Collect all the extra, mismatched, well-loved scarves you have at home. Since the poncho/skirt is built by aligning them on one side and then cutting them to size, the dimensions of the scarves dont matter. This piece is a super-warm addition to your cool-weather wardrobe.

Instructions, page 78

clothing patterns
using simple sewing techniques
The copious fabric in mens clothing items is perfect for adding to any fashionistas fabric stash. The simple sewing techniques in CutUp Couture showcase how to turn shirts, T-shirts, and sweatshirts in a mans closet into beautiful dresses, ruffled blouses, draping tops, and gorgeous jackets for women. Cut, re-sew, and re-shape clothing into cherished garments that resemble trendy, urban boutique findings with lessons in creative upcycling and stylish, yet simple sewing. The cutting-edge projects featured are for both beginners and advanced sewists or for those simply interested in fashion design. Cut-Up Couture boldly offers a wealth of inspiration for re-fashioning basic, manufactured mens clothingmaking each project very inexpensive and still very chic. Explore the world of reclaiming mens clothing and proclaiming them into trendy womens wear with Cut-Up Couture. Koko Yamase is a popular clothing designer who runs a vintage clothing store and created two unique fashionforward clothing lines. She graduated from Tokyos Setsu Mode Seminar Art Academy and, after studying and working abroad, now lives in Japan.

34 cutting-edge

Paperback 7 x 9, 88 pages ISBN 978-1-59668-595-6 $19.95 Available January 2012