I am very pleased with this outfit.
Quite a few weeks ago I realised sweatshirt shorts sets were in. I actually bought some RTW ones for someone else in my family and then totally seperately decided its time I replaced my own favourite glitter tracksuits for new ones because they were pretty much worn out. They work for summer though so I decided why not upcycle them into shorts sets. I have two sets of these glitter tracksuits. This is just the one set I upcycled. At least so far anyway!
I made some new Lekala track pants a few weeks ago and then eventually got round to sewing two new sweatshirts - more on them when I get round to wearing them. Right now its far too hot for warm clothing so I have yet to wear either of them.
So, my original intention was to send my old tracksuits to a charity shop/ thrift shop. So to recycle them.
But, and this is a big but, my glitter tracksuiting fabric is not the usual cotton polyester mix of most sweatshirting. Its ( allegedly because I never had a lab test it) cotton, lycra and lame. I believe the lame bit because at the airport I was stopped because my entire body showed up as metal!
But I never put the cotton bit to the test before. Now of course if you use procian dyes on polyester/ cotton the effect is very pale if it does anything at all but on cotton it should come out bright. I love a bit of tie dye and also not only are sweatshirt shorts sets in but so is tie dye. Not that I actually follow fashion usually, but when you like it, you like it, so I am going to be on trend this summer!
Well how can anyone with an interest in arts and crafts and/or sewing, resist such a challenge?
I chopped the trousers into shorts then soda ashed the top and bottom in buckets and then did the tie dye and this is how they turned out.
I had to soda ash the two parts of the set in 2 buckets due to the size and to ensure they were well soaked. Sweatshirting is a bulky fabric.
I do not have a container big enough to use as a dye bath yet but I am looking out for something larger because this is certainly a great way to update old clothing. And bearing in mind the set I updated is so worn its no longer any good for winter, but its great for summer. Well a UK summer. In another country ( such as Spain, France or somewhere warmer) it would probably be good too, but you may only wear the top in an evening or in the rain but even then a good way to get extra wear from an old suit.
So this is not a warm outfit anymore but I do love the set. I love the style of hoody and the "shorts" are great.
My only dilemma is should I leave the hem of the shorts raw and let them fray?
Really I cut my shorts quite long but might leave as crops anyway. I quite like this length.
I have another grey glitter tracksuit I can still play with thats in a similar state to this one so I think perhaps I will turn the other one into shorter shorts but wear that one as grey glitter for now because I know from previous experience its very easy to go over board on tie dye and then you have nothing to wear that is not tie dyed.
That may sound fun, but life is easier when you have some boring plain stuff to mix in with your tie dye. I suppose if you live at festivals then everything tie dyed might work, but not in my life as it is right now. A small amount like this set though to mix in with my other clothes will be brilliant for this summer and maybe next autumn I will actually recycle these. I know really I should do.
I have this rule that for everything new I make I am meant to dispose of something old. Right now its not quite working!
But then, morally, we should all use our clothing as long as possible and not put the strain on our planet with early disposal when there is still wear left, so upcycling something for another season has to be the way to go if you can make it work. On this occassion, yes, I am going to make this work for me and its turned out so fun!
Just as an after thought, if you were after a free sweatshirt and shorts pattern I had a nice one land in my inbox recently and its free from here: https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/category/free-sewing-patterns/
Have a lovely week and thanks for visiting,
Bracken
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