Second Life: Velvet Ripple Knitted Top

Dear friends, 

Documenting my mending and repairing journey has been a big part of my life. I enjoy photographing the process and tracing back the steps of the progress after the item is completed. It's rewarding to do what I truly enjoy.

When I source for vintage and used clothing, those with nice prints, in super affordable prices, are usually "broken". At times zips are not working, sometimes colour runs, other times have torn apart; stains, yellow spots and flaws are common challenges which will stop you from going near them. Perhaps it's the perfectionist in me who love to fix things: when I began repairing my first piece, I realised I can't stop.

I began to clear up my guest room to make space for these "broken" pieces. In order to transform these terribly awful smelling pieces into something refreshing, it takes a lot of time to ponder for the best way to make them smelling great with natural ingredients (which I am intending to share in my future posts).

For now, I will focus on this Velvet Knitted Top - which I didn't even notice its running thread at first. When I began to "fix" the running thread with random white crochet, I couldn't resist starting crocheting the neck and the hem to make the entire piece look coherent. Every stitch is carefully crocheted to ensure that the previous running thread is secure. 

The running thread 

Fixed!~

Now, time to crochet the hem line with the same thread

 Done! I have to admit that crocheting this part is very therapeutic to my monkey brain.

Time to crochet the neck line too, one baby step at at time, the broken portion becomes a unique identity for the top.

Front View 

Back View

Noticed the "ripple" detail in every closeup? Being a very visual person, I couldn't help to rename this top as the Velvet Knitted Ripple Top. And the underlying meaning for this top can be described with one of my favourite quotes:

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

- Mother Theresa

I hope this Ripple Top will give its new owner, renewed strength, to continue to battle and adapt in this ever-challenging world that we live in, rippling towards her dreams. 

Model is 160cm, wears a size XS

Velvet Purple Knitted Top | circa 1970s | Made in Korea | Second Life | 45% Polyester 55% Rayon/ stretchable fabric.

*Second Life: From poor condition to excellent/ Mended with love and care/ Visible mending trace

Measurements 

Bust: 82-95cm 32.2"- 37.4" | Waist 60-80cm 21.6"-25.6" | Length 56cm 22"

Estimated Modern Size: S

Care:

Hand wash only 

If you happen to like this Velvet Knitted Ripple Top, this is where you can own it :)

Stay Rippling, Stay Fluid.

Best Regards,

Waee