P

U
T
C U COUTUR E
Edgy
Upcycled
Garments
to Sew
KO KO YA MA S E

Inside-Out Blouse
from T-Shirt
Aha! By pulling out the edge of the
body from the neck opening it becomes
a ruffled collar. What a treat!

Instructions, page 4

Trompe lOeil
Jumper from T-Shirt
Cut open the shoulder of a big T-shirt
and attach the ribbed collar to a tank
top. It truly tricks your eyes into seeing
layers.
Instructions, page 5

Inside-Out Blouse from T-Shirt

Shown on page 2

MATE R IALS
1 short-sleeve T-shirt (Mens XL)
11" (30 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide)
11" (30 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide)

I N STR U CTI ON S

2a

1. Make 10" (27 cm) cuts at the T-shirt

side seams, approximately 5" (14 cm)
from the bottom hem, as shown in the
illustration. These will become armholes
inside the blouse.

a 2a

12

2. On the left shoulder, align the two a

points and sew, as shown in the illustration,
to create a dart. Repeat this on the right
shoulder.

27

14

3. Turn the bodice bottom to the inside and

pull it through the neck opening.
8 4

4. Stitch around the neckline just below the

ribbing, as shown in the illustration, making
sure to separate the T-shirt front and back
while sewing. Fold down excess fabric to
create a gathered collar.

5. Attach ribbon underneath collar at center

front to finish.

Trompe lOeil Jumper from T-Shirt

Shown on page 3

MATE R IALS
1 tank top
1 short-sleeve T-shirt (Mens XL)
2 yards (200 cm) velvet ribbon (1" [3.8 cm] wide)

I N STR U CTI ON S

1
2

1. Make 10" (27 cm) cuts at the T-shirt

side seams, approximately 5" (14 cm)
from the bottom hem, as shown in the
illustration. These will become armholes
inside the blouse.

2. On the left shoulder, align the two a

points and sew, as shown in the illustration,
to create a dart. Repeat this on the right
shoulder.

3. Turn the bodice bottom to the inside and

pull it through the neck opening.

4. Stitch around the neckline just below the

ribbing, as shown in the illustration, making
sure to separate the T-shirt front and back
while sewing. Fold down excess fabric to
create a gathered collar.

11

5. Attach ribbon underneath collar at center

front to finish.

Two-Way Poncho/Skirt
from Scarves
Collect all the extra, mismatched, well-loved scarves you have at home.
Since the poncho/skirt is built by aligning them on one side and then
cutting them to size, the dimensions of the scarves dont matter. This
piece is a super-warm addition to your cool-weather wardrobe.

Instructions, page 78

34 cutting-edge
clothing patterns
using simple sewing
techniques
The copious fabric in mens clothing items is
perfect for adding to any fashionistas fabric
stash. The simple sewing techniques in CutUp Couture showcase how to turn shirts,
T-shirts, and sweatshirts in a mans closet into
beautiful dresses, ruffled blouses, draping
tops, and gorgeous jackets for women. Cut,
re-sew, and re-shape clothing into cherished
garments that resemble trendy, urban boutique
findings with lessons in creative upcycling
and stylish, yet simple sewing.
The cutting-edge projects featured are for both
beginners and advanced sewists or for those
simply interested in fashion design. Cut-Up
Couture boldly offers a wealth of inspiration
for re-fashioning basic, manufactured mens
clothingmaking each project very inexpensive
and still very chic.
Explore the world of reclaiming mens clothing
and proclaiming them into trendy womens
wear with Cut-Up Couture.
Koko Yamase is a popular clothing designer who runs a
vintage clothing store and created two unique fashionforward clothing lines. She graduated from Tokyos Setsu
Mode Seminar Art Academy and, after studying and
working abroad, now lives in Japan.

Paperback
7 x 9, 88 pages
ISBN 978-1-59668-595-6
$19.95
Available January 2012