DUVET DRESS UP!
Sewing sustainably is always an area I encourage my students to consider in class.
Often my best sewing ideas or ‘eureka sewing moments’ come to me when I’m sleeping, but this time its my students that have transformed their duvets into fabulous new designs!
Duvets, old sheets, curtains can be used to make toiles and this year I have seen a lot more fabulous duvets being completely transformed and used as the final fabric. And why not?! There are some fabulous patterns out there to be found. From thrift stores to factory shop seconds. Duvet dressing is something to wake up to and embrace.
The Great British Sewing Bee also encourages duvet and tablecloth re-dressing and the popularity of this show encourages the conversation.
Often the thread count can be high and there is a LOT of fabric for the price. A king or queen size will give you a lot more fabric to play with.
Often duvets have buttons and buttonholes that can be repurposed as shirt fronts. Piping and bias can be reused for design detailing. Repurposing a textile item not originally designed to be worn can feed your creative juices and encourage exploring new ideas.
So lets dive in and find out what two of my Intermediate students have been dreaming up on how to repurposing their duvets!
NIKETA’S STRIPY PJ’S
Niketa signed up for her first course with me in March and after she had completed a stretchy leotard for her daughter, her next sewing project was a pair of PJ’s for her young son. Niketa brought in a stripy duvet cover and 2 pillow cases. It had 2 different stripes, buttons and piping an everything found a repurpose.
Niketa chose SIMPLICITY 1504 to use for the PJ’s and I encouraged her to plan out the stripes to add extra design detailing. This is such a versatile pattern as it can be used for all the family. I loved hearing that her son was so excited about his new pj’s! The piping was unpicked from the pillow cases and used to outline the patch pockets on the top. What a great idea! I love how the stripes were placed to add interest to both the front and the back of the make.
And so to bed…zzzzz
KAREN’S DUVET DRESS
Karen has been coming to my courses for a few years and this term she transformed her childhood duvet into a fashionable dress using the VOGUE V1735 dress pattern.
Karen carefully planned the fabric layout for cutting to ensure that the pattern had maximum impact. She shared a story about her cat scratching a part of the duvet and having this scratch visible will mean she will always be remembered. This style took a lot of fabric so using a duvet for the toile was smart thinking.
Karen also plans to make this dress in a Liberty lawn cotton which will showcase the full skirt and long length. I hope she will pack both dresses when she heads to Madrid in October fabric shopping! (See my previous post on fabric shopping in Spain). This dress is perfect for those balmy Spanish evenings. My suggested colourway in Liberty lawn fabric is this one.
Colour and Cloth teach all levels of Sewing Courses and Workshops so no matter what level you are at, there is no better time to start than now. The New dates for our courses are announced on June 30th 2024
Visit Our Online Sewing Shop to purchase the patterns featured
Christine Boyle
Creative Director
