Tides in Bloom

For the blue ombre design on the inside of the skirt, the group created long panels from the clothes they collected and used a gathering technique to create the ruffled effect.

The raw edges at the top of each ruffle have been carefully covered with strips made from left over fabric, and the fabrics that fray easily have also been hemmed.

They group used an online tutorial to learn how to create the flowers from small fabric pieces, and have carefully arranged them across a preloved top, mimicking the ombre effect of the skirt, while also strategically covering a stain on the top.

For the skirt, the group deconstructed the wedding dress, harvesting the bodice to be used for other elements (including the bag).

They cut an arch from the front of the skirt and tucked the front under, securing with hand stitches to reveal the blue ombre inside.

The inner and outer layers of the skirt are held together with a waistband, made from harvested fabric from the wedding dress and the original zip has been re-inserted at the back of the skirt. The waistband also has long pieces at each end which tie into a bow at the back of the skirt.

Scraps from cutting out the flower pieces were used to create embellishments for the sandals and headband - which also uses harvested blue fabric.

The bag was made using the harvested bodice piece from the wedding dress and included the zip, taken from the jeans collected.

The flowers on the headband also include beads, harvested from the wedding dress and hand sewn. The beads were also used to create a matching necklace and two bracelets. This outfit shows amazing skills in deconstruction, harvesting, reuse, repurpose and design.