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Watch the video: “Upcycling Clothes with Hanna Hoyne” by Unknown
If your wardrobe feels tired, this is your permission slip to play. Sculptor and maker Hanna Hoyne lays out a joyful, low-fuss path to visible mending and “fashion surgery”—reshaping, patching, and recombining what you already own to keep textiles out of landfill. You won’t need fancy patterns or couture skills; you’ll need curiosity and a pair of scissors.
What you’ll learn
- Why visible mending is a design choice, not a compromise
- How to combine garments and household textiles into new pieces
- A quick neckline reshaping you can finish in minutes
- Felt patch techniques for moth-eaten wool
- Smart sourcing: leverage existing seams vs. starting with a blank canvas
Meet Hanna Hoyne: Sculptor and Upcycling Advocate Hanna introduces herself as a sculptor who has sewn artworks for decades and once ran a small upcycling label for kids, focused on rescuing garments from landfill. That cross-disciplinary mindset—part studio, part sewing bench—shapes everything you’ll see: think creative problem-solving with everyday textiles.
From Sculpture to Sustainable Style Her approach is playful and pragmatic: visible mending, simple flat methods, and a strong belief that you can intervene in your clothes the way an artist edits a sculpture. It’s less about rules, more about responsiveness to what a garment wants to become.
The ‘Kinderhoons’ Philosophy Hanna previously upcycled kids’ clothing under a label aimed squarely at garment rescue. That ethos carries forward here: keep what exists in circulation, add thought and love, and build a richer relationship with the things you reach for every day.
What is ‘Fashion Surgery’? The phrase sums up her philosophy: intervene, change, recombine, heal. And importantly, have fun with it. Visible mending is not a bandage to hide; it’s a conversation you’re starting on the surface of your clothes.
Beyond Repair: Creative Garment Transformations Hanna shows an exuberant spread of examples to prove the point: combine a blanket with a T-shirt, cut and stitch top and bottom; reimagine summer pants as a tee by turning the waistband into the neck; split a cherished dressing gown into two shirts; make a matching mother-and-child set from a single blanket with ribbing; transform a fitted bedsheet into a painted shirt; splice denim with ribbing into new silhouettes. The message: style has no ceiling.
From Blankets and T-Shirts to Dresses A mannequin in a blanket-and-tee dress sets the tone: these are everyday materials, transformed via simple seams and bold color. You’re not hiding the origins; you’re celebrating them.
Repurposing Household Linens Hanna highlights bedding and blankets as abundant, beautiful “blank canvas” textiles. If the fabric has good hand and a print or color you love, it’s fair game for shirts, jackets, and dresses. The trick is to rethink purpose, not material.
No Limits: Mixing and Matching Materials Trims can pop, bold colors can clash deliciously, and even paints or shiny foils can join the party. The throughline: no rules. Try it, pin it, stitch it, and refine it on the body.
Pro tip When you’re unsure, lay pieces on a flat surface and audition combinations. Take a quick phone snapshot of each option so you can compare and choose with fresh eyes later. embroidery hoop magnets
Smart Sourcing: From Your Wardrobe to Op-Shops Hanna’s two-pronged strategy is liberating: either harness what’s already built into garments—existing seams, hems, and curves—or start fresh with a big expanse of recycled fabric. Both paths minimize fuss and invite creativity.
Two Approaches: Working with Existing Structure vs. Blank Canvas Existing garments contain a lot of “free” construction—the hems you don’t need to sew, the curves that already fit the body. But sometimes you want a blank canvas: that’s where op-shops (she mentions Vinnie’s) and recycled bedding or blankets shine. Choose the route that suits your idea and the material at hand.
Quick check Ask yourself: Can I reuse the garment’s hem as my bottom edge? Can a side seam become a center feature? Reusing structure is a time-saver and often results in a cleaner finish. magnetic embroidery hoop
Maximizing Fabric Potential Sheets and blankets offer uninterrupted expanses—perfect for cutting new shapes. And color is your ally: the “best” fabric is often simply the one that makes you smile when you touch it.
From the comments One viewer summed it up simply: “Life changer.” We hear it. The right first project can unlock years of confident making.
Exploring ‘Wool Rests’ and Two-in-One Garments Small scraps—what Hanna calls “wool rests”—can be stitched into cozy mini jumpers or larger patchwork pieces, the kind of slow TV-friendly work you can do while relaxing. She also demonstrates a two-in-one approach: combining a big wool cardigan and a small tee, and even using old T-shirts (especially kids’ tees) as ribbing to finish edges or add elastic recovery.
Watch out Don’t toss small remnants too quickly. Group them by color or fiber and you’ll start seeing new garment possibilities—patchwork panels, cuffs, or playful appliqués. snap hoop monster
Practical Demo: Reshaping a Turtleneck Neckline Hanna walks through a fast alteration for a much-loved but damaged turtleneck. The ribbing at the neck base has holes—so she rethinks the neckline entirely. The wearer wants warmth at the neck and the option to wear a scarf, but no cold shoulders; that goal guides the cut and the finish.
Identifying the Problem: Damaged Ribbing First, identify where the damage lives. In this case, holes appear where the ribbing attaches at the collarbone area. Rather than patch the existing neck, she removes that ribbing and preps a new edge.
Measuring and Cutting for a Fresh Start Measure two fingers in from the sleeve seam over the shoulder—a clear, body-referenced guide that keeps the line balanced. Reserve one finger as allowance for what you’ll attach later. Cut a straight line across to eliminate the damage and set a new neckline shape.
Quick check A straight, confident cut is easier to refine than a hesitant, jagged one. Mark lightly if needed, take a breath, and commit. dime snap hoop
Basting and Finishing the New Neckline Cut a length of ribbing with a bit of extra for folding, then give it a slight curve to echo the neckline. Pin it along the cut edge and baste with long stitches to test the shape on the body. Hanna then tucks the ribbing inward, presses it, and recommends leaving it “a little fluffy” to hide imperfections—hand-stitching invisibly on the inside if desired. A quick try-on confirms comfort and look.
Pro tip Ironing is a design step. Press the neckline after tucking to set the edge and make any small adjustments before final stitching.
Visible Mending: Embracing Imperfections with Felt Hanna’s mending demo leans into what wool and felt do best together: they “merge.” Thin, fine wool sweaters are notorious moth magnets; felt patches not only cover holes but also integrate securely with the knit. The result? An intentional motif that adds personality rather than hiding a past life.
Why Felt on Wool? The Merging Magic Felt and wool fibers lock together through handling and wear, so a felt circle on a wool jumper sits naturally—less stiff than many woven patches and visually rich.
A Simple Hack for Cutting Perfect Circles No round template? Fold a square into a triangle and trim a curve. It doesn’t have to be mathematically perfect—“nearly a circle” is charming. Place the circle, stitch around in a color that either harmonizes or pops, and let the shape become a feature.
Transforming Moth Holes into Fashion Statements A cluster of circles in different sizes can punctuate a sweater like confetti. The point is to try it on, step back, and “fiddle” until the composition sings—then stitch. The process is forgiving, and adjustments are quick.
Watch out Choose felt that’s compatible with your knit. If the sweater is delicate, handle gently and avoid stretching the area as you stitch. magnetic embroidery frames
Get Inspired: Start Your Own Upcycling Journey Hanna closes with encouragement: try on your changes, move patches if the balance feels off, and let speed build confidence—she notes that the neckline alteration took roughly 15–20 minutes. Once you start seeing potential, op-shops and your own closet become treasure troves.
The Joy of ‘Fiddling’ and Personalizing A few pins and a mirror session are often the difference between “fine” and “favorite.” Don’t rush past that playful step—it’s where your voice emerges.
Quick Wins: 15–20 Minute Transformations Short sessions compound. A neckline today, a patch tomorrow, a shirt-from-a-sheet this weekend. Momentum matters more than perfection.
Rethink, Recombine, and Reignite Love for Your Clothes From a blanket-and-tee dress to ribbed denim hybrids, the possibilities are wide open. The throughline is intention: choose, cut, and stitch in ways that honor both the material and the wearer.
From the comments One viewer called the approach a “life changer.” Simple techniques, applied boldly, tend to have that effect.
A note on machine embroidery add-ons The video focuses on hand-friendly upcycling and visible mending; it does not cover machine embroidery tools or frames. If you plan to add separately embroidered patches or motifs using your own setup, that’s outside the scope shown here. You may wish to research terms relevant to your equipment; again, these are not part of Hanna’s demo in the video. magnetic hoops for embroidery machines