Zipper Brooches and Self Stitched September

Inspired by a gift I received from recycled crafter Steph of OverIt! I have been making zipper flower brooches.


No need to buy new zippers though readers, they can often found in craft boxes at the back of op shops (which are often between 10c - 50c each ), recycle centres, or can be taken from worn out clothes.

Zippers are snipped off at one end, curled into 'petals' and hand stitched into flowers. Backed with a felt circle, and a safety pin.







Some will be making their way to friends as gifts, others I will keep for the time being for a project I am participating in for the month of September; Self Stitched September hosted by So, Zo..



What is Self-Stitched-Sept '11?:

Those who will sign up to Self-Stitched-Sept '11 wish to challenge themselves to wear their lovely handmade creations more than they currently tend to for the duration of September 2011. The signee decides the specifics of their own challenge....

'I, Erica of Recycled Fashion, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept '11. I endeavour to wear at least one hand-made or refashioned item of clothing each day for the duration of September 2011'

Why take part?

People choose to do so for lots of reasons. Most participants find the results of their sewing/crochetting/knitting/upcycling/refashioning all too often ends up left in their wardrobe as, for whatever reason, they choose to wear their 'safe' clothing instead. More here

My zipper brooches, for now, are my 'back up' if I cannot cloth myself in an outfit I made myself at any time in September!

Eternal Creation - $50 voucher giveaway

Following on from last week's Ethical Children's Clothing post, I have a generous giveaway to one Recycled Fashion reader, a $50 voucher for Eternal Creation; Ethical Fashion from the Himalayas.


I would encourage you to read Frances Carrington's (Eternal Creation's founder) inspiring story behind her brand here.





To enter this wonderful giveaway do one or more of the following:

1. Leave a comment below
2. Become a blog follower of Recycled Fashion
2. Follow Eternal Creation on facebook and leave a comment
3. Follow RecycledFashion on facebook and leave a comment
4. Follow RecycledFashion on twitter and retweet the giveaway

Each activity above counts for one entry into the competition. Please leave a comment here (below) when you do any one of the above, along with a way of contacting you.

National and international readers are all welcome to participate in the competition, which closes Monday 6th September 2011, the winner to be drawn at random.

Good luck!

*In addition to this generous voucher giveaway, Eternal Creation is offering all Recycled Fashion readers free shipping on orders, type in FBSHIP at checkout to receive your discount, but please 'like' Eternal Creation on facebook first.

ETERNAL CREATIONS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED, BUT KEEP READING RECYCLED FASHION FOR NEW GIVEAWAY'S ANNOUNCED SOON

Pleasure Little Treasure - Giveaway Winner

The winner of Pleasure, Little Treasure's "Pretty Petal" Fascinator/Headband (pictured below). made from hand stitched hand-cut felt petals, and recycled chandelier crystal is.....


Comment Number 10: Rino, congratulations!

Bed Sheet Starboard Skirt

A free tutorial exists on u-createcrafts.com, a guestpost by SimpleSimon&Co for The Starboard Skirt which is intended for a child.

Image c/o U-create

I've made an adult version using the same tutorial, which is really simple to follow. My skirt took less than one hour to complete.

I used a thrifted floral bird print bed sheet, purchased for $5 from Savers, and used less than 1/4 of the sheet, so I calculate the skirt to be less than $1 to make.









Camera set up to take full length photo, but my little furry friend wanted some fuss instead - how can I resist her?






Jacket: Max&Co - thrifted
Scarf: Gifted
Shoes: Ann Taylor Loft - thrifted
Tights: Gifted
Brooch: Gifted
Clutch bag: Thrifted and refashioned
Black Cat: Originally from a cat rescue center ;)

Shared with these link ups

Recycled Fashion Finds #12

Recycled Fashion Finds Friday!

Image c/o sleeping sickness

Apologies for not recapping on last weeks Recycled Fashion Finds, which can be seen here. I appreciate your submissions and love to see what you've been thrifting or making.

What did you find (thrift) or create this week? Would you like to share:

A second-hand fashion garment you found at a market, thrift store, op shop, charity shop, car boot sale, fete, garage sale, at the side of the road?!.

A fabulous recycled fashion find you scored online.

A refashion project

A hand-me-down

A garment you've made yourself

It could be a link to a clothing item you are selling on your online store

A sewing pattern, or fabric you've found which you intend to make into a fashion garment

Your clothing item need not be vintage, although we do love a good vintage find of course.

*You can share your finds and creations on the link up below.*

If you are participating in Recycled Fashion's link up, and have a blog, be sure to grab a badge and pop it either on your blog post or on your side bar. Thank you!

<a href="http://www.recycled-fashion.com/search/label/recycled%20fashion%20finds"><img src="http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii133/newmelbournemum/RecycledFashiongadget-1.jpg"/></a>

Link up arranged through InLinkz

Big Pocket Trousers #2

Following on from my last post, and in an effort to remain ethical to children's wear, I have made a second pair of big pocket kid pants (trousers) for the little man, using the same free downloadable pattern from dana-made-it.com as I used last time.

The two pieces of fabric used for these trousers cost less than a dollar from my local op shop. (I selected a bunch of craft supplies and a toy, to which the lady behind the counter says "oh, lets make it $4 shall we?" ..love my local oppy!)


Now the white fabric, is actually calico. Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton *wikipedia But I had to double up the material for the front of his trousers, as it is quite thin. The grey fabric is stretch jersey, and really comfortable.

I initially thought I'd replicate a pair of linen trousers using calico, but thought twice considering the amount of time they'd probably remain white on a 3yr old boy? So jersey fabric back, and pockets, with double thickness calico front.

In action..



Uh-oh! those knee's won't stay white for long will they?..


What I am considering next, once his trouser knee's are stained beyond cleaning, is dyeing the front calico fabric with tea!

Cheri of IAmMommaHereMeRoar made a rock-star version using the same pattern, check them out here

Shared with these link ups

Ethical Childrens Clothing

I have come to the conclusion that buying second hand clothing for little boys, is actually quite difficult. Having had a similar conversation with a mother of a little girl, it appears this is not limited to the male of the species.

My theory is this; little people like to jump in puddles, skid on their knees, roll in the grass, spill food (frequently), and wipe sticky fingers on their clothes. Therefore, children's clothing is often well worn, and stained once the garment is donated to a thrift shop. If children's clothes are donated, the likelihood is that most thrift shops would not sell such pieces, for, lets face it, many parents would not wish to buy pre-stained clothing for their children?

What is the solution, when buying brand new children's clothing is, quite frankly, far too expensive, and the manufacturing ethical conditions of such clothing may be questioned.

1. Make your own children's clothes. Not easy, given that not everyone can sew, and finding time to make clothing for children is no easy task considering; parent's + time = rarity!

2. Find ethically made children's clothing, which do not break the bank.

It has been a task to find, but I have a selection of ethical clothing pieces to show you:

Eternal Creation; Ethical Fashion from the Himalayas, (read more on Eternal Creation's background here) has a 30% sale on a selection of clothing.

Here are two of my handpicks from their children's range...

Raglan t-shirt with contrast piping and cut out yacht design.

Price: A$37.95 A$29.95


Square neck shirt with small ruffle either side of front button opening
with waist tie. 100% cotton.



Price: A$49.95 A$34.97

Readers note: I have been in contact with Eternal Creation as a result of my research and blog post, and they have kindly offered Recycled Fashion readers free shipping, and a generous giveaway. I will post details shortly on a new blog post, once our current giveaway finishes. Exciting!

The Fair Corporation currently have a superb offer of just £10 for a pair of fair trade, eco-friendly children's shoes. (Note; If you live outside of the UK, there is no international shipping from The Fair Corporation website, so you may need to find an international distributor)

ETHLETIC Organic Trainers Low Cut - Fairtrade, Black

"Fairtrade organic cotton trainers with a canvas upper and rubber sole made with eco friendly fair trade rubber."

ETHLETIC Organic Trainers Low Cut - Fairtrade, Light Blue
"Fairtrade Certified 100% cotton canvas upper and tough rubber sole made with FSC-certified rubber"

And lastly, Etsy seller, Live2lime sells beautifully screen printed tee's, using paints which are water-based, non-toxic, non-flammable. "The production process are as eco-conscious possible" Children's tees are US$20

Note - "as these are hand-screened one-of-a-kind items, they may have a 'perfect imperfection' or two...a dab of paint or an extra swipe of color character somewhere. Photos are of exact item for sale"

Lastly readers, it is absolutely worth considering buying children's clothing from your local craft market. When buying local, you benefit your community’s economy, and at the same time support local artisan's, who are often part of a small family run business, making clothes from home.

Readers, do you have any further recommendations for ethical childrenswear manufacturers?

Blog Questions

Jillian, the ever so talented Refashionista, has passed on a challenge, asking questions of blog posts that have been published on Recycled Fashion.

The rules are that I need to publish a link related to the categories I´ll mention below, and that I should pass the challenge on to at least 5 other bloggers.

The most beautiful post is a tricky one. I wouldn't class any of my blog posts as beautiful, but one of the most beautiful thrift finds can be found on Op shop finds that have a story dedicated to a gum leaf delicately hand painted into an Australian outback scene. It cost me $1.

The most popular post... there are a few blog posts which have generated a higher interest than others, but I'll pick the upholstery patch dress; a dress made with a Robert Allen upholstery sample book.

The most controversial post can be found on vintage fur yay or nay? which generated some interesting discussions for and against wearing vintage fur.

The most helpful post can be found on Zero waste skirt to top refashion with a 5 step tutorial on how to refashion a skirt, into a top.

The post that was surprisingly successful was The string bikini vs swimsuit including a blog poll; What is more flattering? The string bikini? Or the Vintage Swimsuit?

The post that did not get the attention it deserved Do we wash our clothes too much? Questioning whether the convenience of washing machines in most of our homes, and in some cases tumble dryers too, means we may wash our clothes too much.

The post I am most proud of not so much for the content of the blog post, but to reach the blogs first birthday, looking back on the achievements of the year; Happy Birthday Recycled Fashion.

Below is the list of bloggers that I’d like to pass this challenge on to.

Danie of No Guilt Fashion
Desiree of Pull Your Socks Up!
Mongs of My Thrifty Closet
Lakota of Faith Hope and Charity Shopping
Aimee of The Posh Op Shopper

I am a fan of all them, and look forward to hearing their replies.

*Thanks to Jillian for thinking of me!*

Hey, have you entered our giveaway yet? entries close this weekend!

In the Press

A lovely feature in The Age newspaper's Sunday supplement M Magazine today, for my Bayside Brighton Melbourne Op Shop Tour, review by Jayne D'Arcy.

Click on the image below to read the full review...

My next Bayside Brighton op shop tour is a weekday; Friday 14th October.

Second Hand Addiction 30% sale

A word from our sponsor, vintage clothing seller Second Hand Addiction. There is a 30% sale currently happening across the entire store!

Some handpicked vintage goodness, currently available to buy through Second Hand Addiction...

30% OFF Vintage 80s Graphic Tunic Sweater - New Wave
$14.70 USD

30% OFF Trapeze Dress Pink Yellow Green and Blue Color Block
$16.10 USD

30% OFF Vintage 70s Brown Suede Hush Puppies Ankle Boots Size 8 1/2
$21.50 USD

30% OFF Vintage 70s Crocheted Sheath Skirt Waist: 32-36"
$22.40 USD

Hurry though, 30% sale lasts till the end of August.

Check out more products on sale through Second Hand Addiction here

Pleasure Little Treasure - Giveaway

Readers, I'd like to introduce you to Pleasure, Little Treasure; handmade fashion accessories, constructed in Melbourne by hand (by one clever lady; Anne), using recycled and vintage materials.

I stumbled upon Anne's head-wear range at the Southside Market last week, and couldn't take my eyes away from her beautiful headband fascinators made from men's neckties.




Anne has taken the time to answer a few questions for Recycled Fashion readers..

Anne, your headwear pieces start from AUD$30, what is the cost of shipping, and do you ship internationally?

I’m more than happy send anywhere. The rates for regular post are:

Australia - $6.50, USA - $12.50, UK - $15.00
Express Post in Australia is $10.00

I should mention - the postage rates listed are for 1 x 'Tie Me Up' or 'Pretty Petal' fascinator/headband - any larger styles will need to be re-quoted.

I’m happy to quote postage for any other corner of the globe – people can just email or facebook message me.

When did you start making your headpieces? / Background on you - where did you study or what did you do before Pleasure, Little Treasure?

When I was fresh out of high school I did an intern-ship with a Melbourne Millinery and although life took me in the direction of Sales & Marketing for 10 years I eventually came right back like a boomerang.

I hatched the plan to start Pleasure, Little Treasure while my husband and I were on a year-long backpacking adventure around Europe. In fact, I registered my business name online from Verona - home of Romeo & Juliet! I was worried that if I left it for when we returned home that I would chicken out!

Your inspiration to start making your own head-wear range?

I've always been a maker of things, ever since I was a child, my mind has always just worked in that way. I love the simplicity of creating something with my hands.

My signature item is the 'Tie Me Up' fascinator headband. These are gorgeous structured bows that I create by recycling men's vintage ties. I've always loved the bold prints of vintage ties and this is just one of the ways I can breathe new life into forgotten things.


When is your website launching?

That’s an excellent question! I have all the content ready to go so hopefully it will be up in the next few weeks! I do most of my work through facebook as it’s such a dynamic platform – I’m always posting up photos of new styles that are fresh off my needle! My website will be more static but will have some relevant information about who I am and what I do and will also feature my made-to-order bridal headpiece service.


And finally readers, I am so happy to be able to offer you a Pleasure, Little Treasure headpiece giveaway c/o Anne.

The giveaway is for a "Pretty Petal" Fascinator/Headband (pictured below). This is a gorgeous and very popular style. The flower is hand stitched from hand-cut felt petals and the centre is a recycled chandelier crystal! They are sold for $40.

* How To Enter *

To enter this wonderful giveaway do one or more of the following:

1. Leave a comment below
2. Become a blog follower of Recycled Fashion
2. Follow Pleasure, Little Treasure on facebook and leave a comment
3. Follow RecycledFashion on facebook and leave a comment
4. Follow RecycledFashion on twitter and retweet the giveaway

Each activity above counts for one entry into the competition. Please leave a comment here (below) when you do any one of the above, along with a way of contacting you.

National and international readers are all welcome to participate in the competition, which closes Saturday 27th August 2011, the winner to be drawn at random.

Good luck!