RAFFIA BAG

LOOKING TO REFRESH YOUR WARDROBE WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE? SOPHIE TARRANT SHARES HER TIPS FOR GIVING YOUR OLD FAVOURITES A NEW LOOK

Embellish a basket bag with striking blooms using colourful lengths of raffia

Many of us are trying to keep track of our spending, and one great way to do that is by upcycling old garments instead of buying new. Not only is it better for your budget, but it’s better for the environment too, keeping old clothing out of landfill and lessening the impact of new production. Whether you’ve got a fancy embroidery machine at your disposal or just a regular domestic model, you can easily add fun new designs to all your old favourites.

Before you begin, take a good look at what you want to upcycle. If it’s an older garment or one made from delicate fabric such as silk or velvet, try to avoid mounting it directly in the hoop. This could stretch the fibres out of shape or, in the case of velvet, crush them – leaving lasting damage. Instead, first mount a layer of stabiliser into the hoop by itself, making sure it’s as tight as a drum, then use a spray adhesive to fix the fabric of your garment onto it securely – you can also add a few pins around the outer rim of the hoop for extra hold. Just make sure they don’t go too near the needle! On particularly delicate garments, soluble stabiliser is a great option – it’s easy to remove, doesn’t leave a trace and won’t tug on your fabric when you come to remove it.

If you’re adding embroidery to a stretchy garment such as a T-shirt, make sure to pick a design that will work well without puckering the fabric. Stick to airy, open motifs – large blocky shapes won’t drape well, and may cause wrinkles. It’s almost always better to use cutaway stabilisers on T-shirts, as tearaway ones can pull and damage the garment when they are removed.

Another thing to consider is the placement of your design – especially if it’s going to be near a neckline, a seam, or you want it to match on both sides of a garment. The easiest way to check your placement is by creating a template. Most computer embroidery programs will allow you to do this and will also print off guide lines to find the middle points of both the horizontal and vertical axis. Use the paper template to place your design onto the garment and mark off the axis points using a vanishing ink pen, then use these to guide you when hooping up your fabric.

Have fun, experiment and don’t forget to tag us in your finished makes on social media – I can’t wait to see what you create.