The 365 Day Challenge

My goal is to create something every day using something from my craft cupboard. I am a self-confessed fabric addict and just love to fossick through thrift shops and find treasures.

So here goes. Live, love, recycle and get crafting.



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Day 141- Crazy Ghanaian pants become skirt


Way back in 1999 I spent a few months living in Ghana and teaching English as a volunteer. I lived with a family during my time there and my local 'mum' made me these amazing patchwork pants with some fabric I purchased at one of the local markets. The thing about this fabric is that it totally encapsulates 'my Ghana' with it's colour and vitality. It brings back wonderful memories of the streets of colour I walked among.

My time spent in Ghana was and remains to be magical in every way. I fell in love with the people and their way of life in an instant. The day I left was a day of great sadness, and were it not for some other commitments I made before going there, I doubt I would ever have left. A part of my heart remains in Africa always.

Here are the patchwork pants below. I haven't worn these for so many years. They never fit properly, were in fact huge in spite of being measured before they were made, and an alteration a couple of years later went a bit wrong due to the side pockets. And as for wearing them now, I may be a little alternative in my fashion sense but even I would feel a little out of place wearing these around the streets of Bendigo.

It's time to get the seam ripper and the scissors out!


First, I used the seam ripper to rip the inner leg seam all the way around (a bit hard to see).


Then I chopped off the legs to the desired length and basically sewed the seams back together, chopping out a little bulk.
I'm happy with this cute little skirt, and can now wear the spirit and colour of Ghana once again.


I am hoping to make something out of the bottom of the legs tomorrow.



3 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! What a great way to bring the pants (and associated memories) back into your life and wardrobe. Well done. And what a fabulous fabric!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the skirt!!! And believe it or not, the way our so-called "fashion designers" are butchering blue jeans here in the States, your Ghanaian pants themselves would look fine out in public. But, I do love the skirt, and can't wait to see what you'll do with the pants' legs. A matching bag for the skirt?

    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thankyou both. I have been wearing the skirt already and loving it. It brightens up a winter day.

    ReplyDelete