London/UK Olympics--- Ready Set GO!

I admit I would love to head "cross the pond" and take in some of the London Olympics.  Having lived in Atlanta during our turn in 1996, I know it's a fun 17 days! So as I went about looking for something with the Union Jack on it to make me feel a wee bit more involved, I found nothing more than a pair of anklet socks.  Not nearly enough inspiration! Time to get busy and make one of my own!

With a gently-used grey and red hoodie that I had found when thrifting, I began my experiment.  Could I make my own Union Jack and put it on one side of a hoodie bolero?  Using a XXL navy blue velvet top (also warehoused for thrifting but waiting to be cut for trim), I started making my own flag on the navy blue background using strips from a white baby rib tee and some of the matching red of the hood that I had removed before starting.  Before long, my flag was taking shape, but I hit more than a few glitches.  At one point, I was even tempted to trash the whole idea, but gave myself 5 more minutes to work on it.  Lo and behold, it started to have that handmade charm.




Before too much longer, it was ready for some of the same blue trim (edged with a zigzag for extra pop). I pleated it around the perimeter and then perused the sleeves For that final panache, I decided to add bubble cuffs (think merry old England) and whipped some up from the navy velvet shirt scraps.






Done at last! I may not be able to visit England this time, but I will be watching the opening ceremonies in my Union Jack bolero.  This one is just too near to my heart to sell.


If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to subscribe to my twitter feed found @braitzatl and check out my upcycled creations at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com.

A Monarch No More- Create Fab Yard Art

About 8 years ago, I happened upon a giant metal butterfly at OldeTyme Pottery.  Somehow, my mom and I got it home and I painted it as a monarch butterfly. Faithfully, it guarded my waterfall and flowers, but lately had begun to look a tad tired.  The orange, yellow and black were fading and pieces of the original metal were showing through. Atlanta summers can be really hard on outdoor art! It was time for an upcycle- for my favorite pal in the garden!

Enter some inspiration from unlikely places.  First, I came across a fun gift card at Target in an intriguing set of colors.  It was also in the shape of a butterfly, so it was easy for me to connect the dots.  Follow that up with the perfect recyclable bag at my local TJ Maxx- again in a similar color palette- and I was convinced!

With a quick rinse from the hose and a return to a solid color--- courtesy of Rustoleum 2x Cover Satin in Aqua (found at my local Home Depot), I was in business.  With some artistic help on color from Nikki, it took about 10 days to complete a new and improved addition to my garden.  One that I will enjoy for years to come!

An Entrepreneur is Born!

Ever since she was little, Nikki has shown an entrepreneurial spirit.  When she was 10, she began making really cute hairbows and posted them on my fledgling Etsy site.  While having a big time with all kinds of fabulous ribbons, she made herself a little profit while getting a taste of what you can do with energy,  artistic talent and drive. After making the bows for our school cheer squad for 2 years, and making a killing off her no longer adored American Girl dolls, Nikki continued to hone her artistic skills by drawing and excelling at school projects.


Fast forward to 13 and Nikki is at it again. From her broadcast news position at school, she brought in different coffee mugs to enhance the set.  With a revised look for the set, the cups came home and Nikki had an upcycling inspiration------playful pincushions made from the cups.  After all, why should all pincushions be red, stuffed with hard sand material and made in China?

She started by deciding on a name- Corky Red Curls- and creating the logo above.  Perfect for her and the whimsical nature of her creations.  She procured an new email address and began working on her Etsy website, so she would have a venue to sell her fun items.  One of the first cups---cows paired with a fabulous checkerboard silk topper-- is shown at left.  Wouldn't this pincushion make you smile?

She soon moved past the cups that had once adorned the broadcast studio to other objects like this strawberry bowl.  A larger pincushion could hold more and might work better for a serious seamstress.
















The next one she made- I Like Mike- is my favorite.  Made from a baby food monster bowl, it is my favorite color palette. (Not to mention that it's black and white pin part looks like Jef's hair from the Bachelorette!)

And finally, a few more.  A sly fox (called Swiper after Dora the Explorer), a wise old owl and a steaming cup of espresso joined the group.  She's had a lot of fun being original and artistic.

With some imagination, careful thrifting and a lot of rummaging in my studio for leftover material, Nikki struck gold----and created some cool pincushions.

Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Hoodie --Boo!!

In case you didn't know, Halloween is only 134 days away.  So, it seemed totally natural to me- a major Halloween lover (ck out my Pinterest board on Halloween!)--to create a Halloween Hoodie at the beach.  With the use of a ton of scrap fabric and ribbon in my studio, I was able to craft a hoodie I am super excited to present.

Made from a black Danskin cardigan hoodie base, I removed the zipper and hood and cut it to a more flattering shape.  With the remainder of a giant plush Halloween pumpkin pillow my daughter mutilated for her cell project in life science, I added a huge Jack-o-lantern grin to one side of the new shorter bolero.

Then, the fun began.  With a myriad of minky, corduroy, knit and other fabrics, I started assembling the hood. (It's a version of the ones I made last year with some Katwise twists----she's the upcycled coat guru on Etsy- thrown in.)

One more admission- I love luscious bubble cuffs.  It was only natural that I add some in a wonderful orange minky that I had in the studio. A giant shoestring and some trim around the perimeter complete my fun look.  A giant button can hold the hood closed in position if desired.



So fun. Now, it's time to consider making some great witch feet for my table. Stay tuned.

If you enjoyed this blog post, I humbly invite you to visit my website- www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com to see more upcycled creations or to follow me on Twitter @braitzatl.

Go Team USA!

Last year, I made a couple of hoodies with very long hoods-just for fun.  I had seen an artist on Etsy named Katwise who made wonderful coats with long hoods from recycled sweaters.  The two that I made both sold to boutiques almost immediately, but  I had to move on to spring sweaters and didn't make any more.

The idea kept coming up  in the back of my mind until I decided to do a few more.  The first inspiration was the upcoming Olympics in London and Team USA.  Wouldn't it be marvelous if a US athlete wore my hoodie in the closing ceremonies?

With that thought in mind, I began crafting it from a navy Danskin hoodie.  I searched the studio high and low for great leftover or recycled materials, and then began cutting a more flattering style held closed by a giant shoestring. Fun ruffled navy and white trim soon found it's way around the perimeter, and I also added luscious red polka dotted minky cuffs.

The result can be seen in the pictures.  Not only would this look smashing on a member or supporter of Team USA, but also would rock on anyone who wants to wear their team colors proudly.  I've listed it on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/100711573/ladies-usa-medium-upcycled-cotton-fairy so that my  dream of seeing it at the Olympics has a chance to come true.

If you would like to see more Echo creations, I humbly invite you to my website at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com.  You can also keep up with us on twitter- @braitzatl.

Career Collage for Girls

For years, when I meet new people, they eventually get around to asking what I do for a living.  I typically begin to list the jobs I've had--- accountant, acquisitions coordinator, analyst, asset manager, author, now artist and apparel designer/upcycler-- and conclude by telling them I haven't yet made it out of the "A's".  So, it seems a natural evolution that I've had an epiphany as I have been talking to my daughter about what careers she might choose someday.  With a variety of interests and abilities, who says she has to pick just one?  As I began brainstorming, my Serendipity series flashed in my mind and blended right into the mix.  Why couldn't I write a book, illustrated with my Paper Doll series, that offered suggestions to savvy girls about what they might consider? Over the span of a week, my kids and I started writing down all the careers/callings we could think of alphabetically and the idea started to come to life.

To take the concept "out for a spin",  I started with Gigi (on left), one of my initial Serendipity pieces, now pictured as a costume designer.  With photoshop, I removed a little of this and that and then started adding words to the piece-- in varying fonts.  I love the fun of reading them all the choices and think they must be defined- maybe in a glossary.  Perhaps some may even used in a poem for opposite pages.  The idea is still percolating in my mind.  Your thoughts are welcome.

If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl.  You can see other art pieces at www.bridgetteraitz.etsy.com, and the real fashions at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

One-of-a-Kind Reprised

Several years ago, I found a wonderful sweater base in grey and black stripes.  It was unusual, interestingly made and had some elements I could accentuate as I upcycled it.  By restyling it from a boring pullover and adding some hot lime green trim, I called it the Zoe.

It was very well-received and helped me be accepted into an American Craft Council show in GA as one of 10 up and coming Indie designers to watch.  As you can imagine, I was excited and even more thrilled when they chose it to appear in the show's program.

The Zoe sold quickly, and I have often been asked to make another.  Unfortunately, I had not found a base that was slightly off the shoulders and unique like the original Zoe was made from....until now.








This past week while thrifting, I came upon a pristine cotton blend top that had very interesting elements.  It was nearly off the shoulder, had similar stripes and very interesting sleeves.  Long black cuffs reached almost to the elbow and a vertical stripe ran down the sleeves.  To top it off?  A perfect t-shirt in a great chartreuse shade was also there.


Home I went and cleaned, re-cut and created the Zoe 2 (with help from Debra!). It's not the same, but one-of-a-kind things never are. The sleeves are very unique- you can push them up, leave them down or even turn the cuffs up.  I love the updated look --it pays homage to the Zoe, but is a tad edgier. Mission accomplished at last!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to keep up with what we are producing at Echo or the art we are musing about, I humbly invite you to follow me at braitzatl on Twitter or visit us at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

A New Take on the Old Hoodie Classic

Hoodies have been around for years.  Recently, you can even see them cropped and sleeveless.  So it was when I found two---both in pristine condition- with great design elements.  As an upcycler, I like to pay homage to the original designer by complementing and advancing the best elements of a garment.  In the first instance, I was honored to be playing around with an Ed Hardy sleeveless hoodie.  It was super soft and had a great print.  So, in order to put my spin on it, I added plaid shoe string ties to allow the wearer to close it but not zip it, so that what they chose to wear underneath would show.  I also added a complimentary button on the back so that the wearer could keep the hood up, displaying the cool print on it.




The second hoodie was short-sleeved and had a great pink camo print.  The original designer had put great  navy accents on it so I left them undisturbed.  Instead, I added oversized skater shoestrings to tie it shut---once again eliminating the need for the zipper, and another hood button.  Now both are updated and will allow the unique wearer to feel like they the one-of-a-kind creation they truly are.













If you enjoyed this post or want to see more designs, I humbly invite you to follow me at braitzatl (on Twitter) or visit www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

Bowling Anyone?

I think bowling shoes are kinda fun. If you can get past the idea that someone has worn them before, you can really enjoy their geeky coolness.  So, when I spotted a teal cardigan sweater with cool periwinkle paisleys and swirls, I started to get the deja vu feeling on bowling.  Go figure?

I liked the trim- a chartreuse and periwinkle stripe, and wanted to incorporate it somehow in my new design.  By carefully trimming it off the sweater around the perimeter, I was able to seal the edges with a zigzag stitch and then re-attach it as trim.  Kinda fun.  I was even able to use the buttonhole and buttoned edges as the front trim.

I now envision this sweater with a pretty periwinkle or chartreuse tank, some white jeans and.....some snappy bowling shoes.  Or, I guess you could just wear it out to the movies, to dinner or to the office.  Boring!

If you enjoyed this post or would like to see more creations, I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl or at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

It's a Pink Kind of Day!

In one of my favorite books, My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, there is a line that says:


"But when my days are Happy Pink

it's great to jump and just not think."

And so it was when I began my latest three upcycled sweaters- a happy day with three great sweater bases- barely used.  Ahhhhhhhhh. So much potential.  With help from the a superior seamstress named Debra, look what they became!

From a nice hot pink pullover to........Spring Dot!

From a demure pale pink cardigan to ...... Pink Frosting!

And finally, from a frumpy pullover to... Asian Blossom. 

Hopefully, they are much improved.  Just like me after my enchanted Pink Day.


If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl and on facebook as Echo Clothing Company.

Meet Phoebe-Time for Daydreaming

I'm sure I am not alone when I say I wish I had more time for daydreaming.  Sitting on the curb in the summer dreaming up adventures, lounging in the tub, or staring at the clouds and seeing fun shapes seems like a luxury out of my reach.  As I get older, it seems some of the time to just "percolate" evaporates.  But not for Phoebe, my latest creation.

She began in a relatively elaborate setting-- compared to her other buds in the Serendipity series.  I designed a wrought iron chair in front of a wallpapered wall---perhaps too ambitious a feat in paint and paper.  But when color inspiration struck and I wanted her her chair to be blue, my layering was suddenly all wrong.  Joyfully, mixed media is a medium that allows for major renovations with creativity and a dash of daring.

Phoebe has finally emerged----sitting pretty in her chair with giant bun feet.  She is quite adored by all of her bird friends as she daydreams the time away........

If you enjoyed this post, I humbly invite you to follow my feed on twitter (braitzatl) or visit my website at www.echcolothingcompany.etsy.com to see other creations.

Latest Paper Doll? Meet Casey in the Aspens

I am going to confess.  I love aspen trees- especially as they turn yellow and "twinkle" in the fall.  It's a magical combination against a western sky---and nothing along the East coast, except maybe for a flaming red maple, comes close.  So, as I continued my Serendipity series of grown-up paper dolls, I added Casey in the Aspens.

Working on this piece allowed me to literally peel the paper bark off the trees and put it back on again using various archival handmade papers from my flat file.  So fun!  And Casey watches it all, in her boots with skirt, hair and bow blowing in the breeze. (Gave me a momentary memory of Marlo Thomas in That Girl throwing her hat up in the air.) So much fun.  Can't wait to start another and really wish I could just snap my fingers and borrow that skirt tomorrow......

I humbly invite you to follow me on Twitter at braitzatl

Grown Up Paper Dolls

Is anyone out there old enough to remember playing with paper dolls?  When I was growing up, I would play with them from time to time before Barbie and all her clothes came along.  It was fun to play fashion   on paper and kind of funny that I am now doing it again- this time on canvas- years later.

When I began the fashion collages with the girls in my studio class, it was just to give them a little practice in designing and preparing a background with a focal point in mind, as well as to use some different mediums--paint, paper, oil crayon, etc.- to create their subject.  What was a practical exercise for them has become a new series for me.



This happy accident led led me to title my new series "Serendipity" which is defined as: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way such as "a fortunate stroke of serendipity".

Gigi- the latest piece- was really quite fun to create and came together rather quickly.  I fell in love with a certain paper from my flat file that had a steely gray background and some really happy Japanese cherry blossoms in reddish pinks and creams.  (This is kind of like choosing your socks then building your outfit around them.)  I wanted to paint a background that would bring out that particular color in a sea of black, red and grey papers, so I started with a medium pink and added some streaks of red, hotter pink and cream. Some wonderful cut out numbers gave the piece even more dimension. With the addition of one polka dotted hat and elegant black gloves,  Gigi is ready to take the town by storm----

For more musings, thoughts, and an occasional quip, follow me on braitzatl on Twitter. For real life creations, visit my website at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com

Serendipity Series Begins

For an artist, inspiration for various series come from different places.  Sometimes it is from an experience, maybe a memory, a color, or an idea in passing.  This time, it was the idea that all women can be strong and masterful, but still love to be special, unique, and memorable. In short, we are multi-layered and multi-faceted.  Much like mixed media- from many different things- that somehow combine into something special.

My new series is called Serendipity for the feeling of the word and optimism of the series.  I began my first- Chloe- as an exercise with my studio class.  Chloe is made of paint, newsprint, archival paper and finished off with a few sharpie swirls. Who wouldn't like more serendipity?

If you would like to follow my current musings, you can find me as braitzatl on Twitter.

Hoodies Don't Kill People, Guns Do

I'm sure that by now Geraldo Rivera regrets his off-the-cuff comments that Trayvon Martin's hoodie was just as responsible for his death as the bullet that killed him.  However, the comment lingered with me and I tried to express my thoughts in ways most artists do best---in their art.  For me, that was with- no surprise-..a black hoodie.  In both my regular upcycling and also when I had collegiate licensing for GA and Georgia Tech, I loved using hoodies.  So, I grabbed a plain black hoodie and went to work with some thoughts on the situation.

Regardless of the facts of the case, a teenager is dead who didn't deserve to die walking down a street in America with tea and skittles.  So, isn't it time we started to break decades-old stereotypes and stop the hate so that innocent kids aren't misconstrued for being anything other than what they are---- a fellow human being loved by God?  Using various pieces of other tee shirts in the studio, I have mapped out a strategy on my hoodie.  If just one person takes it to heart--- including me-- it was worth the effort.

Too Soon for a Tutu?

I have to admit---- no matter how old I get, I still love a tutu.  Whether it's on a teeny little spinning girl, or a grown up lady who is young at heart--- love, love, love them.  So, when I discovered this great floral sweater that reminded me of my childhood bedroom (all periwinkles, lilacs and soft blues), I envisioned a matching tutu-like skirt.  Only problem?  Couldn't find one.  So, enter a little ingenuity and Target!  I found a fun triple tiered skirt in the girl's department.  Snatching up a roomy XL, I headed to my local fabric store for inspiration.  Found it in the form of two shades of tulle- a lavender and a lilac. (Even the colors sound fun!)  On the right below is a pic of the beginning of my tutu vision.




For the bottom layer, I added diamonds of double layered lavender tulle every 1.5" or so along the gathering of the original layer.  By turning them diagonal, they added some fluttery interest at the bottom.  I left the original purple layer in the middle alone, as it matched the top well.  For the top layer, I added tulle by repeating the bottom layer concept, only with lilac diamonds, slightly closer together.  

The end result is an Easter outfit I can't wait to sport. Spring has come early in the ATL, so I don't think it's too early to take my new skirt out for a spin. Add a little black bolero sweater and some ballerina flats and I am ready to twirl.  Happy Spring!

Taking a jacket and tee from fun to fabulous

Most of my fashion ingenuity is focused on upcycling sweaters into new creations better than ever before.  But occasionally I come across a jacket, skirt or tee that just calls to me with possibilities.  Two such garments grabbed me this week, and I decided to share them as I hibernate from the pollen haze that has attacked the ATL.  (I put my life-and sinuses-in jeopardy just by dashing outside to snap some quick photos.)




The first was a cute tee shirt that reminded me of an English Garden.  What made it so cool was that the back, sleeves and front were all out of different, but complimentary, patterns. It was also made of a heavier weight t-shirt material that might make a better bolero.












So, with a quick cut of the trusty sewing shears, I had a better shape.  Some fun pinky-purple striped trim (from another tshirt cut up long ago) was just what it needed to take it from English frump to British funk.














The second took some courage to cut as it was quite cute before I started.  I began with a lined  t-shirt blazer that was a cute blackish-navy and cream stripe.  Great basic pieces with tons of potential.  Drawing on my reservoir of courage, I cut the lower 1/2 of it off and started rummaging around the studio for something to take it from good to great.  Enter some black and cream polka dotted material- very soft and pliable.  By doubling a row of it, I was able to pleat it around the bottom to create a new, fresh take on the original jacket.  A row of red rayon trim- stitched on the edge to give it a slight curl- made it nearly complete.  Finally, a fun polka dotted rosette (stolen from my daugher- don't tell!) completes my new look.  It's called Peppy and will be rocking my Etsy site shortly. (www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com)