Trending Now and Then; Upcycling

While icicles hang outside, I am up-cycling inside.

Just what exactly is this thing called up-cycling that is trending now? Actually, it is a new spin on and old practice; making something new and useful from things that are discarded or are no longer useful.


For instance, famous country singer Dolly Parton's song "Coat of Many Colors" tells the story of the coat that her mother made for her from fabrics taken from other garments.

The Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt that my sister made is another example because all the fabrics she used were either scraps or taken from old clothes.

Here is a link to Upcycle That, a blog that I just now found that gives you a good visual of creative up-clycled projects. Does it inspire your creativity?

At one time, wearing something that was "up-cycled" was often embarrassing for the wearer. Not so with Dolly, she was proud of her mother's innovative ways of keeping her large family clothed. Now days, in some circles, up-cycled clothing is all the rage. It gives the maker a showcase for her creativity. It is frugal. And, it is fun to look for old garments in thrift stores and imagine what you can make out of them.

The picture above shows a sweater and a skirt that I recently purchased with specific garments in mind. I chose them for their details.

The skirt is black with colorful embroidery.









I bought the sweater for the closures.






Can you guess what I am going to attempt to up-cycle these garments into? Check back tomorrow to see what I did with part of the sweater!

Marcheta *keeping myself in stitches