Have you ever looked down at an old, ill-fitting pair of trousers and wondered what they’d look like as a jacket?

No, me neither.

But after talking to the inspirational Penelope Else about her fabulous new Frockcycle sessions, I am itching to transform one of my neglected dresses into a quirky cape.

This fantastically creative class based in Forest Hill will help you make expensive-looking, unique pieces out of shirts, dresses and jumpers you wouldn’t be seen dead in anymore. More>>

Before

So here’s the first project I’m tackling for this series: a way-too-small lime-green cotton top, which has excellent seams and binding, and some very attractive pintucking detail.

My personal interest, with upcycling, is to exploit what’s already beautiful. Why spend time on pintucking when someone has already done such a good job of it?

During

I wasn’t getting any joy from playing with it in its whole state, so I took the plunge with the scissors, up the side seams. All sorts of options now opened up! As soon as I turned it sideways I knew where it was going. It seemed to have found a new luxury home…

At this point, all I’ve done is pin the front and back to be sleeves.  One shoulder has the pintucking and buttons, and is slightly more blouson because of the darts, but I like the faint asymmetry.

I’m undecided whether just to leave it as a shrug, or attach it to the lower half of a shirt. I suspect the shirt idea will win – watch this space!

I think it went well. I’d even say it went very well. I’d definitely say moving a roomful of equipment in and out in a day is like moving house…. Who needs a gym?

I’d had my ideas about how it would go, and strong views about the point of the exercise (for me, as much about some right-brain exercise as sartorial output) – but the end results were double what I’d hoped for, in terms of the sheer creativity demonstrated.

It was a 6.30pm start for 18 women at Canvas and Cream, which I just about achieved with the help of my early-comer friends. As guests arrived, they browsed through the various books and magazines about upcycling and sewing while we added their donated clothes to the well-packed dress rails.

Once most of the 14 guests had arrived I introduced them to Paulina Palian, a local designer whose refashioned collection had impressed me and who wanted to be involved in this session. She showed each item and explained how she had achieved the rather splendid results. I could see lightbulbs starting to glow over several women’s heads. This was a good start.

Next, my artist friend Hils Tranter showed her collection of Junky Styling clothes. Junky Styling are the undisputed refashioning leaders in the UK: they produce very high-quality outfits from refashioning unwanted clothing, and Hils had an excellent collection. It’s noticeable that Hils and other Junky Styling owners share a feeling that these clothes are pieces of art, not merely clothing. Thank you, Hils, for sharing them with us!

The ladies were now waiting expectantly, and it was time for The Exercise: See It Differently. This is the creative icebreaker, designed to open up people’s thinking and put them in the right mood. Nothing sophisticated, you understand – merely an instruction to try on everything in the racks, but upside down, back to front, or on another part of the body. Try it on your own wardrobe – it’s addictive….

“See It Differently” – no sewing here!

I wasn’t sure how they would take it, though, and I was thrilled when they went at it like kids in a ball pit. Everywhere you looked there were skirts worn like capes, trousers becoming shrugs, cardigans and shirts worn upside-down and looking like bomber jackets. What was evident was that many of these outfits would need very little alteration to become the finished item. It was time, at last, to start creating.

Several of the women abandoned their original intentions and got to work picking clothes from the rack to slash apart and use in a new creation. Others focused more on embellishment, using giant bias tape or lace. One lady made a denim bag from some jeans. The construction of new designs was where Paulina Palian showed her star quality: with just a few tweaks she could turn an unpromising textile confusion into a stylish ensemble, and she was kept extremely busy as she helped one guest after another get their design where they wanted it to go.

Frockcycle In Full Flow

Karen Arthur of Reddskinbags, at the other end of the room, was doing what she does best: embellishment ideas and techniques for a wide range of projects, including a bag made out of a pair of jeans. Karen is a textiles teacher at nearby Forest Hill School and also designs bags and accessories, some using upcycled materials such as vegetable and rice sacks. Karen’s lovely daughter Maheni was taking a whole lot more photos here.

Pascale Spall of Stag & Bow and her assistant Kim had laid out a stall of delectable haberdashery and textiles, and there was a steady stream of visitors to their table.  In the quieter moments, Pascale was out bringing a couture touch to the customisations. Me, I was mostly rethreading sewing machines, checking people were doing okay and saying ‘Blimey’ a lot to myself.

A Few Of The Results

Finally, the evening drew to a close, everyone taking home what they needed to complete their outfit or with brand new ideas about what their next project would be. Some of the guests and helpers stayed on for a drink, and then it was time to pack up and get home. Yes, I think it went well.

Next session is on Weds 16th May 2012 – book early, because there are limited places! A whole-dayer is coming soon, too, with demos and specialist workshops throughout the day.

What is this Frockcycle all about?

Have a look around, outside. Thousands of high streets selling the same old, same old junk McFashion; thousands of identikit people in their Primark bargains because it’s so-o-o cheap, we can wear it once and throw it away, that’s so cool! Closer to home, on the other hand, in bedrooms across the land, are wardrobes full of forgotten clothes destined, eventually, for the bin. Perhaps once they were hot stuff, but now they’re laughably outdated – or the wrong size….or they had a nasty run-in with some bleach. They’ll never be worn again. Read more on Dulwich on View

I’ve been shopping. It’s so much easier to cut up other people’s clothes (although the police have asked me to stop) than my own, so I took off to my local charity shop, St Christopher’s Hospice. Can you believe they were having a 50% off sale? That meant I spent just £25 for 3 bags full of clothes, including a real-suede man’s jacket.

I’m listing the clothes below, with some thoughts about what I might do with them, and then over the next few months I’ll upcycle them and report my efforts. My super-booby size 14 figure means the biggest challenges are often simply around fitting, but that’s one of the best things about upcycling clothes – that you get to make it fit perfectly!

Do you have a project you’re working on, with plenty of photos and process? Let us know – we’ll be featuring the most interesting ones right here! 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Frockcycle brings upcycled fashion fun to Forest Hill

London, UK – 10^th April 2012

This month sees the launch of Frockcycle, events in which once-loved clothes can be upcycled [upcycle: to create something of greater value than the original] into new, stylish outfits. Participants bring items to re-fashion or donate, and are provided with a roomful of old clothes and scraps for experimentation, expert guidance for ideas and techniques, and sewing equipment with which to make a start. Stalls will sell haberdashery and artist-created accessories, and larger Frockcycling events will have expert demonstrations of textile techniques and mini-workshops. The first session takes place on Wednesday 25th April at upcycling art gallery and restaurant, Canvas and Cream in Forest Hill.

Frockcycle is the creation of Penelope Else in response to the fast fashion we now see on the high street. Penelope says: “It’s about reclaiming our style from McFashion naffness. High street clothes have become all about hanger-appeal and whether it folds neatly on the shop shelves. As soon as you put it on real women it looks terrible; small wonder they hire flat girls for the catwalk. They’ve completely forgotten about the individual, and I want to bring fashion back to us. Frockcycle promotes creativity, experimentation and learning by helping people convert unloved clothes into new and exciting outfits. It’s fun, frugal, and all that design mental-juggling makes you more intelligent!  And of course there is the total thrill that comes from wearing something beautiful you made yourself.”

Penelope herself is an enthusiastic sewist, with City & Guilds training in pattern-cutting/design, a fabric obsession and a background in IT project management.  She was recently seen on Mary Portas Queen of Frocks, looking increasingly frustrated with Mary as the programme developed.  “I was expecting to be part of some significant new thinking on fashion design for the older woman, but it just drifted off-track onto being another shop makeover and I was getting bored. I even lent them my Duct Tape Dummy dressform as a muse, but I think that just terrified poor Mary! But no matter – my annoyance spurred me onto the actions that led to this idea, which is the most fun and inspiration I’ve ever had. Mary, I thank you!”

Frockcycle is, in fact, the latest in a long line of crafts/arts initiatives that are making Forest Hill a cultural hub. This is aided by being on theEast Londonline, which is itself becoming known as the Arts Line for its artistic connections (including the secretive Gingerline pop up restaurant). In Forest Hill there are now Havelock Walk (home of many artists), Canvas and Cream (artspace and restaurant), Stag & Bow (craft classes and haberdashery), Little Green Screen (pop-up documentary cinema) and a new sweetshop & deliSugarMountain. Penelope says “I think this is a sign of people wanting new ideas, new thinking. The best thing that always comes out of a crisis is the intense increase in creative thinking, as people search for ways to overcome obstacles. It’s always the people who look for the diamond in the mess who survive and prosper, so I would challenge anyone who thinks of arts and crafts as being frivolous in a time of recession. Creativity is essential in a time of recession.”

More information about this event can be found on www.frockcycle.co.uk or by calling Penelope on 020 8249 9861. Tickets are £15 and must be booked in advance. The session runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm (drop-in) at Canvas and Cream,18 London Road,SE23 3HF.

Company information:

Frockcycle, based in Sydenham SE26, is a new organisation founded by Penelope Else as a response to uninspiring high street fashion and from a desire to encourage creative thinking. It will start by holding monthly sessions around southLondon, aiming for larger events at the end of 2012 where many textile craftspeople and sewing experts come together for more diverse fashion-upcycling opportunities.

Contact:

• e:    penelope@frockcycle.co.uk
• w:   www.frockcycle.co.uk
• t:     020 8249 9861
• tw: twitter.com/frockcycle
• f:     http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frockcycle/300127530054029

Related Articles:

• Duct tape dummy woman: http://penelopeelse.com/2011/10/queen-of-frocks-the-duct-tape-dummy-woman/
• Fashion and the invisible woman: http://penelopeelse.com/2011/10/fashion-and-the-visible-woman/

Related Links:

• Canvas and Cream restaurant/artspace: http://www.canvasandcream.com
• Stag and Bow: http://stagandbow.com/
• The Little Green Screen: http://www.thelittlegreenscreen.org/
• Mary Queen of Frocks:   http://www.channel4.com/programmes/mary-queen-of-frocks

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