African-Inspired Modern Recycled Robe

This modern robe, made from recycled clothing, was inspired by a good friend who went on an African safari.  She had the time of her life, and brought back some amazing photos of herds of zebra.  I went looking for vintage clothing with African prints, and I stumbled upon a black-and-white cotton skirt with a geometric design reminiscent of kuba cloth; this served as the focus fabric for the robe. Altogether, four different items of gently used clothing were cut up and pieced together: the black-and-white skirt, a black floral print skirt, a white lace sun dress, and a red-and-white dress with heart motifs.

 A strip of pleated white cotton from the sun dress was used as an insert across the bodice.  For the collar, I fussy-cut a line of hearts.  One of the heart motifs was used to decorate the inside neckline, and can be seen peeking out from behind the hanging loop in the photo below.

All of the fabrics were high-quality cotton voiles. One of the fun challenges was to cut up the clothing items in such a way as to center the large-scale design,  shown on the back of the robe, below. 

The sash was pieced together from different parts of the red-and-white dress.  The red heart motifs were placed at the ends of the sash.

I must say that this is one of my favorite recycled robes so far. It is as light as a feather, thanks to the tissue-weight vintage cottons.

Art Deco: Robe from reclaimed clothing

I have started making robes from vintage clothing.  I have titled this one "Art Deco" because of the fabulous art deco fabric, which I found at a thrift store.  This robe was created by deconstructing two vintage 100% cotton skirts: a turquoise Indian cotton skirt with gold trim, and the art deco print in blue and green.  Although it was a stretch to create a robe from only two items of clothing, I love the way it turned out.

Every inch of the reclaimed clothing was used; the sash was constructed with strips of the art deco print, along with the white cotton lining.  The gold trim, which was taken from the hem of the turquoise skirt, was used to decorate the sleeves.

The back of the robe might be my favorite part.  The stylized, art deco print resembles peacock feathers. I fell in love with the aqua blue and aqua green colors and design.

As you can see, I pieced the skirt fabric in the back to create one long panel.  This project was challenging and fun.  I'm now making another robe from recycled clothing in a totally different style... stay tuned for more photos from the studio !

p.s.  By request, we've added a tab at the top of the page which shows where to find our patterns.  For questions, email Marina at modernrobe@gmail.com

Pacific Northwest Style

I once lived in Seattle and learned a lot about Pacific Northwest style.  An influence of Japanese design can be seen in the often minimalist architecture, interiors, and clothing.  The art and design community in Seattle reflects the cloudy skies, and lush forests and rugged coastline.  The town of Mukilteo, Washington, is one of the towns that lines the Puget Sound. Our friend Lynda makes her home here, and her choice of Modern Robe fabrics reflects her Northwest lifestyle.

Lynda chose the long version of the Modern Robe, a good choice for cool and misty mornings.  This elegant salt-and-pepper print, in 100% cotton, has been described as "abundant white circles, as drawn on a chalkboard". The graphic print shows beautifully in this robe.  The surprising but delightful combination of the sash, in "Rhode Island Red", adds a dash of energy that we love.

The "Third In Line" design is by one of our favorite fabric designers: Marcia Derse.  The fabric combination worked out beautifully... and Lynda tells us that she loves her robe.

Above, Left: Circle swirls, Potpourri Collection,  Q1402-26062-991 at South Seas Imports.  Right: Rhode Island Red Basket Weave, TRO-1204/3, Third in Line by Marcia Derse for Troy Corporation

Lotta Jansdotter

Lotta Jansdotter’s fabrics are things of beauty, consisting of simple but modern designs with an air of sophistication. Her aesthetic is deeply rooted in the Scandinavian landscape. She was born 1971 on Åland, a small group of islands in the archipelago between Sweden and Finland.  Her look is sleek and urban and her products are created for a busy city life. Here is our Modern Robe in a bubbly stripe from Lotta Jansdotter's premier collection.  Wouldn't it be fun to throw on this robe in the morning ?

The robe and sash fabrics are from Lotta's debut collection for Windham Fabrics, which premiered in November 2011. The 100% cotton fabric is silky smooth and beautiful for sewing.

For the sash, shown above, we used Echo Aneta in Ironwood, a rich grey with brown undertones and scattered white pollen, which is just one of many delights within the collection. Currently available at Lotta Jansdotter's website.

Above: For the robe we selected Echo Choma in Bermuda in beautiful brown-grey and teal by Lotta Jansdotter. Below: A Lotta Jansdotter fabric bundle spotted at Backstitch (UK)

And here is Lotta Jansdotter with her collection (photo by Jennifer Causey for Windham Fabrics):

Princess Mirah Batiks

Sheila is an interior designer with a keen sense of style and color. When browsing for fabrics for her Modern Robe, she was drawn to a luscious multicolor Princess Mirah Batik with a Berry Blue base.  The finished robe is both modern and elegant.

For the belt we picked out a graphic retro print in the Sherbet Pips line by Aneela Hoey for Moda Fabrics.  The grey-cherry print complemented the square design and the orange-red highlights in the batik.  We love the belt as much as the robe!

Princess Mirah introduced quilters in America to hand made Balinese batiks. It was her genius and style that brought a sense of vibrancy to the industry.  As you can see for yourself, the matchless blend of colors, the intricate and vivid sense of rhythm in her designs brings delight to quilters and to anyone in touch with her fabrics.  The crisp batiks are a delight to sew with.

L: Princess Mirah Batik #TF-1-770, Berry-Blue, at Bali Fabrics.  R:  Sherbet Pips #18506-22 by Aneela Hoey for Moda Fabrics.  As of this writing both fabrics are still in stock at many shops and online sources.