Hi friends, Today I'm happy to share a guest post from Dilys Tong of Sew Be It and Sew Be It Girl studios here in Toronto. Read why she likes to revamp vintage clothes, and then head to the Sew Be It website to find out more about their vintage revamp workshop (hopefully they'll offer another in the fall). You can also watch a lesson on t-shirt reconstruction, or explore a few DIY projects. (If you're not in the Toronto area but know of a similar program in your area, why not leave a link to your local resource in the comments?) [caption id="attachment_2384" align="aligncenter" width="171" caption="Shirt dress revamp photo from sewbeitgirl.com."] [/caption] Take it away, Dilys!

"There are so many reasons to revamp old/used clothing. It helps to reduce waste in our landfills by giving a well-loved garment another life. To be honest, between meetings and the everyday tasks of running two studios, I don't have much time to create a new garment from scratch. Revamping old clothes is a shortcut to creating a new wardrobe without taking too much time. Hours of sewing time are saved by making a few changes to an existing finished garment. I love vintage clothing, but either it doesn't fit me well or it's in poor condition, in need of repair. I like to salvage what's left of its beautiful details and prints. Combining two garments into one gives me more creative freedom and allows me to produce the most amazing one-of-a-kind design. Thrift stores are a great source for treasure hunting garments to revamp. It's cheap and the selections are vast! You just never know what you will find in the store that day – and that is part of the fun. It's that sense of satisfaction when I score some really fabulous find, like an old cashmere sweater or a '70s top. Revamping is all about problem solving, because every project has different challenges with no set formula. You really have to draw on your own sewing experience and ability to think outside the box. Every project is an experiment that can either work or not.  As I tell my students, you can't be afraid to make a mistake, you take those lessons with you and apply it to your future projects."

– Dilys Tong Sew Be It Studio