Sewing blog.//. Upcycling my mum's old cloth

Happy Monday, fellow needleworkers!
Today, I'm excited to share an upcycling project I completed last week using my mom's old buba (traditional top). Earlier this year my mum was arranging her closet and getting rid of her old clothes. I decided to help her out and in the process, I discovered a beautiful Aso Oke buba. Captivated by its craftsmanship, I decided to give it a new life. Not only did I get to appreciate the artistry and craftmanship, but also contributing to sustainability, I'm so proud of myself haha

For those wondering, Aso Oke is a luxurious, handwoven fabric from western Nigeria, primarily crafted by the Yoruba tribe. Known for its intricate patterns and rich texture, Aso Oke is typically used for special occasions. Due to its short length and wide breadth, it requires joining the pieces together to achieve the desired size.

Since the buba(top) does not have a lot of fabric to work with, I decided to make a mini gown. I sketched my design and used a pre-made pattern for the corset. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of my process:

The Process

Step One: Preparation

• Washed and prepped the cloth by loosening the dis assembling the buba top.
  
  
• Sketched out my design.
  

Step Two: Cutting

• Used a pre-made pattern to cut the corset pieces.
  
• Cut out the skirt pieces.
  the front
  
  the back
  

Step Three: Sewing

• Joined the corset pieces together.
• Assembled the skirt.
• Applied bias tape to the upper edge of the corset and hemmed the bottom.
• Sewed a zipper onto the skirt and added bias tape to the back piece of the skirt.
  
• Attached the skirt to the corset.
• Used loops for corset fastening instead of eyelets.

Step Four: Finishing

• Trimmed all excess threads and added beads to enhance the design.
  

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Here is the final transformation, and I think it's absolutely adorable! 😍 What do you think?

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Thanks for visiting my blog! ✨❤️

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All images are mine. Thumbnail made using Canva

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