Soooo, now we’ve all had a chance to digest the awesome month of inspiration we have in store in August. Let’s get down to talking about what this challenge is really about & how to get involved.

It’s about refashioning . It’s about getting you to try refashioning if you’ve never tried it before. And if you’re a seasoned refashioner already, it’s about giving you a platform to share what you do so you can inspire others to give it a try too. Why? Because refashioning is bloody brilliant on so many levels. What you learn about garment construction. The way it makes you think outside the box, let go of the outcome and allow things to evolve. It’s cost effective. It’s often quick. (But not always, lol!). It’s environmentally sound. Oh yeah, and you get to turn something that you don’t wear, into something that you do wear. It’s that simple. That’s all The Refashioners is about.  Waving very energetically at everyone out there and going “oi, you lot out there! Yes, you! Look over here and come and try this. It’s brilliant and I think you’ll really enjoy it!” That’s it. That’s the aim.

So what’s the deal with those really awesome bloggers that are generously lending their time, creativity and support to “the cause”? Let me explain why they’re here. They are the aperitif at this party. There to whet your appetite with ideas and inspiration. YOU lot,  however, are the main event. You’re the people I’m trying to get to with this by waving all these well known bloggers in your face and saying, through them,  “just LOOK at what is possible with Refashioning!! Give this a try! ” I absolutely cannot wait to share their makes with you, and my intention, and my hope is, that they will inspire you to look at Refashioning in a new light, and give it a try.

And if all the inspiration that’s coming over the next few weeks is not QUITE enough to get you trying this, then there’s the little matter of the HUGE prize package I’ve been working on over the past few months. Oh yes, it’s MASSIVE.  But I am going to tantalise you with that for juuuust a little bit longer. (Hint: It’s much bigger than last years!)  I’ll be announcing full details of that in a separate post. Yep, there’s that much of it 😉 For now let’s talk about the challenge itself…

So. What exactly IS this year’s Refashioners challenge. Well, it’s about these things….jeans!

Now, if my experience of jeans is anywhere near typical, then MOST of us have pairs of jeans in our drawers and wardrobes/closets that we simply just don’t wear. Am I right?? The search for the holy grail of jeans, ( well fitting, comfortable and stylish) is inevitably littered with candidates that failed to make the grade. They may have fitted well in the fitting room, but failed to stand up to the realities of everyday wear. (Muffin top, bad stretch recovery, shrinkage and builders bum…I’m looking at you!) Our shape, size or tastes may have changed. (Right now I’m looking at my 7 year old, my crisp stash and the bootcuts in my bottom drawer). In any case, you get the picture.

The question is, what to do with them? Well, that is your challenge. To turn those jeans that you don’t wear, into something that you do wear (or use). Simple as that….so  here’s the skinny (excuse the pun)….

The Brief:

• The theme is Jeans only: (Not denim jackets, skirts, shirts etc) Because the specific challenge with this is the scarcity of fabric and all the hardware and heavy seaming you’ll need to work around. The majority of your finished project must have come from the source garment (ie your jeans). Other than that anything goes. Use additional fabric and haberdashery to your hearts content, as long as you turn them from something you don’t wear, into something you do wear…or use,  ok?! 🙂
• The challenge is open to everyone: Anyone, of any age, from any part of the world is invited to take on this challenge. You do not need to have a blog. But if you want to be in with a chance of winning the prize, you will need either an Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest account in order to share your make(s). Otherwise, feel free to just play along 🙂
• The Prize: There will be 2 prizes this year. One overall winner and one “special recognition” prize. The standard was just so high last year it became clear one prize was not enough. The prizes will be predominantly physical items of a sewing related nature and will be posted to the winner(s) directly once they have been selected. The bloggers in the official blogger line up are not entered into the prize element of the challenge.
• When is it?: The challenge launches on 1st August and runs until 30th Sept. Any garments shared using the official Instagram hashtags, or on the official facebook and pinterest groups will be entered into the competition and be in with a chance of winning . Details of those hashtags/groups will be included in next week’s post regarding the prize package
• The Winner(s): The winner(s) will be selected by myself, the blogger line up and sponsors of the prize package. We will be looking at factors like ingenuity, creativity practicality, and overall finish. It doesn’t have to be complex to be clever ok?! So don’t be put off if you’re relatively new. Last year’s winner had only been sewing a few months!

So, what happens between now and August? Well, next week I’ll let you in on the deets of that amazing prize package and share all the different ways you can enter to win it. I’ll be sharing some inspiration posts between now and then too. So keep an eye out for those. Then you’ll have a whole month of inspiration/ideas from our bloggers in August. From there, you’ll have until the end of September to submit you makes in order to win that prize I was talking about 😉

In the meantime, get rummaging in those drawers/wardrobes/closets. Dig out all those old jeans that you (or your other half/brother/sister/mum/dad) no longer wear (or grab some off the bargain rail at the local charity shop/thrift store) and start plotting people. This is gonna be BIG! I cannot wait!!