I adore upcycling!! And, there are a few reasons why. The one that stands out, of course, is that it’s environmentally responsible to make something new from something old, rather than throwing it out. There are some other great reasons, too, though! First, it’s a great way to save your pennies! I so often hear that sewing for your children can get expensive, and it can. Salvaging fabric from used clothing is easy on the budget! Second, the aisles of thrift shops are a great place to find fabrics that are hard to come by elsewhere. You might even find yourself buying and working with fabrics that you wouldn’t have considered using otherwise. Perhaps my favorite motivation, though, for re-using old clothing is that you get to see how the fabric wears! When you purchase fabric new and unwashed, it’s hard to know what it will look like twenty washes later. With used clothing, the fabric has already been washed and dried multiple times, so you can see how it’s holding up!
This week’s challenge theme at Project Run & Play was the “Hand-me-down Makeover”. With last week’s disappointing loss, I wasn’t planning to continue sewing along, BUT on the last day of voting, Jamie came running into my studio and excitedly exclaimed, “I know you’re sewing for Charlie this week, but next week, can you make me an outfit with a bow tie?” Apparently, I’d gotten my boys really excited about having a new handmade outfit every week for four weeks. Without even thinking, I started explaining to Jamie that his Inspector Gadget outfit was losing, and I probably wouldn’t sew the remaining outfits …. and he cried. And, then I cried. And, then I promised to sew the rest of the weeks. So, here we are!
The very first time that I sewed along with PR&P, there was an upcycling challenge — using men’s button-down shirts, I think — and I made a beach outfit for Jamie. You can see that outfit here: the Upcycled Beach Boy. When I was scouring the racks of a local thrift store and ran across a navy blue button-down shirt printed all over with bright red crabs, I thought it seemed fitting to go Back to the Beach this time around!
For the camp shirt, I began with three cotton woven shirts which I chopped up and pieced back together to create a casual, fun, beach-y top. 
I modified my Everyday Camp Shirt pattern by shifting the shoulder seam towards the front, narrowing the collar and adding a collar stand. I also drafted up a western-style yoke for each shoulder. I finished the top with metal snaps, at Charlie’s request. “So I can do it myself!”
The back has a pieced, straight yoke.
Charlie was so excited about the crabs on this shirt! As soon as we got to the beach, he started telling me this story about a crab and his family who live under the sand and the water. He’s such a great story-teller!
Under the camp shirt, Charlie is wearing a tank top made from my free The Tank pattern with the addition of the pocket from my Honor Roll Raglan.
The tank started life as a red cotton interlock mock-turtleneck.
The shorts are my favorite part of this whole outfit because of the cool side zipper pockets! I upcycled the shorts from a men’s khaki twill cotton shirt. (I used every spare inch of the shirt fabric!)
I used my Sand & Sidewalk Boardshorts pattern for these. I loved the way that last week’s zipper fly turned out, so I was going to do another, but Charlie begged for “pull-on pants”, so I went with the drawstring finish instead.
I had the idea for this zipper pocket early in the process.
I originally thought I would just work it into the knee panel, but after discussing it with a friend, I decided that it really needed to be on the side. So, I wrapped the knee panel all the way around and pieced the pocket into the center of it. (I can totally do a tutorial for it, if there’s interest! Maybe in the spring when those of you who don’t live in Florida are sewing shorts again?)
It’s the perfect pocket for shell-collecting!
I used the Everyday Camp Shirt pocket for the back pockets on these pants. (I actually did the same thing last week, and really liked the look.)
This is a great Florida fall outfit! Charlie declared it just right for running …
… jumping …
… and bird chasing!
Wait! One more … this is just before he got soaking wet from head to toe!
Let Charlie know that some of us fishsticks fans voted for him cause he looked so detective-y. LOL Another rockin outfit here for him. The shirt is so awesome and the zipper pocket really is amazing. Came out clean and professional. I would love to know how to do it because it would look great with not just shorts but pants or even a ‘jumper’. Loving your patterns and ideas!!!
Aww! Thank you, Darlene! Jamie will love to hear that! I actually think he was more upset that I wasn’t going to sew him an outfit with a bowtie, though, than that the Gadget outfit wasn’t faring so well in voting! LOL!
I super LOVE this idea and am saving PILES of old clothing that no longer “works” in terms of fit so I can make something else out of it. This is awesome. Thanks very, very much! Blessings, Judy
Woohoo! Yes, come up with a plan and start cutting up those old pieces to re-use them! We’re chatting about upcycling in the Fishsticks Sewing Group on Facebook today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/434164590033166/ Come hang out with us!
Is there a set of instructions for putting in that zipper? I’m in awe of the design creativity and the responsive design for a collector of beach ephemera and possibly other stuff! My grandson would LOVE these shorts with a zipper in the pockets, but I do not have a clue how to begin. I am quite sure I already have this pattern, but it’s been years since I’ve worked much with zippers, since my own kids were Littles. Suggestions?
Blessings and gratitude,
JudyB
Let me see if I can squeeze in time to write a tutorial, and I’ll share it next week. I was going to wait, but I actually think the pocket would work for pants, too, which will make it great for people who are doing fall and winter sewing now!
Love the whole outfit, Bonnie!!! Great job piecing the shirt – who would have thought the three fabrics would work so well together, but they do. It’s Spring here in Australia – can we twist your arm to do the shorts zip tutorial? I’ve sewn your Mud Puddle Splashers at least 20 times, so naturally have bought the Sand and Sidewalk Boardshorts. Pair #1 is cut out waiting to be sewn.
Thank you, Pam! One of the interesting things that I’ve learned in my sewing is that as long as the fabrics aren’t terribly busy, when you piece two or three, maybe even four, fabrics together to make a clothing item, they sort of decide to go together, especially if you mix in a solid. It helps if it’s for a child, too! Kids can wear things that most adults wouldn’t go near. I’m working on that zippered pocket tutorial this weekend! And, I can’t wait to see your first pair of S&S Boardshorts!
That shirt is a fab upcycle.. It’s great. Almost inspiring me to make my boy some shirts:)! So delighted to have found you through Pam.
Thank you, Vicky! You should make your little guy some shirts! It’s fun, I promise!
I absolutely love the shirt you made for your son. It really works! The shorts and tank top are really nice too. And, I love the story that goes along with it. Your son cried, you cried, it made me cry! Kids are such a joy and can really bring things back into perspective for us, can’t they? Blessings!
Thank you, Brenda! All of that piecing took forever! But, it was so worth it. I do love how my kids very often remind me of what’s really important! I am so blessed!
What a perfect shirt for the beach! So very, very glad you’re going to finish along with PR&P!
Thank you, Audrey! I’m glad, too. It’s sort of nice to be able to join in the challenge without the strict deadlines. My boys are super excited about new mama-made clothes, too!