Upcycling my grandmas silk dress

Why dress in plastic, when you can wear silk instead?

If you had no restrictions whatsoever, if everything was possible, how would you dress?

Did you ever think about that?

I feel like as many other things in life we often forget, what we really desire. That’s why I like to ask myself this question from time to time. Not just regarding clothes. But here I’ll talk about my latest upcycling project, so let’s stick to the subject.

It started, when I was asked how I would dress up, if I had right now all the money to spend on clothes I could imagine.
For my response I didn’t have to wait long.
Cashmere, Silk, quality clothes made from “real” people working in fair conditions and with good wages. Good quality fabric, that is produced, without poisoning the rivers and soil around them. Supporting and wearing fibers that come originally from Europe, such as linen and hemp.
Then I kept on dreaming a bit about my perfect setup, getting lost in imaginations over a minimalist wardrobe where every garment is simply a piece of art.

Now I am aware, that for a lot of people their way of dressing might resume to be a utility. And it doesn’t make them dream to think of all the possible ways of dressing up. But even then, don’t you rather wear an organic-cotton t-shirt, than plastic-fibers? Wouldn’t you rather wear a cashmere jumper, where the sewers got a decent wage for their work, than supporting child labor in Asia?

Well, I do, and its fine if you don’t.

Nevertheless, after those questions first crossed my thoughts, I came to another conclusion. Why do I have to wait to dress like I want to until I can afford a Swiss made 800 dollars jumper?
I don’t. If I make a jumper right now, it is Swiss made anyway. Haha!
If I don’t buy clothes in big fast-fashion stores, I don’t support the labor and the destruction I don’t agree with.

Now that’s one reason why I sew. To create my own perfect wardrobe, without compromises.

That is also why I started this new project.

Because I want to dress in silk from head to toes.

If you read some of my previous articles, you might now, that I already, made quite a few silk blouses. But never accepted the challenge to make silk trousers. Which is what I am missing to dress in silk from top to bottom.

I do have one legit excuse. Which is, that I usually find silk shirts, but to turn shirts into trousers, was a mission I wasn’t up for.

Luckily, I went to visit my grandma the other week. And lucky me, my grandma had and still has quite a sophisticated taste for clothing. So, she gave me, well aware that I will probably take it all apart and cut it into pieces, a silk two piece, she still had from back in the days.

The two piece consists of a long black skirt and a long-sleeved blouse with some funny puffy arms and a lace to bow around the neck.

First, I thought it would be kind of fun to wear the outfit as it is. But seems like my grandma didn’t have the same sizes than me at all, so I screwed the easy way, and started to think about the design I wanted to give to this fabric.

Silk trousers. Hadn’t I dreamt about that for while?

I got out some possible trousers to copy the pattern from.

This flowery piece, I bought in a secondhand shop in France, loving the cut, but not liking the fabric and the pattern. I was planning to copy the pattern of them since then.

And I started, as usual with cutting off some parts.

Unpicking all the ruffles on the skirt.

Can you imagine, I even ironed the fabric?! Yes, that’s how much I want those trousers to turn out good.

Then I changed some plans, I wouldn’t copy the cut of the flower-trousers, but the one of my red dungarees.

Remember?

I think they are one of my favorite creations I made this summer.

Copying the pattern.

Cutting out. Always the edgiest moment during the whole sewing process.

Sewing together with a loose stitch.

And trying on and adjusting little seems, some unpicking, some pleat-sewing.

And that’s where I am at, on the way to fulfill my dream of dressing my whole self in silk.
I have to say just the feeling I got wearing the trousers (very unfinished) trying them on to see if the cut is right, is awesome. Only a cashmere onesie could be more flattering.

What about you, how are you dressed in the world of your dreams?

Thank you to stop by and share my thoughts and stories with me! Have a wonderful week and see you around soon!!

(all photos are mine, taken by me)