Upcycled down hats and slippers
Fall 2023 personal project
What to do with a down jacket that is beyond repair? Or maybe your dog chewed up your puffer. Fortunately, there is often alot of material which can be re-used, if given the chance at a second life.
The first step in this process was deconstructing the jackets, and "harvesting" any usable zippers, cordlocks and large panels which can be used in projects.
I came into the possession of 3 different jackets which had reached the end of their life, my grey Burton puffer which I have had for about 8 years, which I had outgrown and repaired many times. A teal Eddie Bauer puffer which I found at Goodwill, and a purple Montane puffer which a friend gave me after her dog had his way with it.
I decided to take a stab at upcycling these jackets first into some 4 panel puffy hats and then to some down slippers. The sole of the slippers were repurposed form other thrift store slippers.
Pattern pieces are firt transfered onto the large usable panels, then sewn. By sewing another line offset slightly from the original seam, the piece can be cut out, reducing the amount of down feathers whihc escape from the remaining baffels.
All extra down feathers were collected and saved for future project insulation.
Puffer hats
Brim was either cut from old particle board or an old hat
Cord and cord locks were repurposed from the jackets.
Cotton headband was sewn for comfort.
Down slippers
Cord locks were taken from jackets.
Soles were "harvested" from old thrift store slippers, which also helped inform pattern pieces.
Liner was upcycled from an old grid fleece which was beyond repair.
Rubberized midsole fabric was also thrifted.