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May 29, 2023

She Upcycled Her Late Grandpa’s Shirts Into Cute Tops to Keep Him Close to her Heart

A young woman who didn’t want to throw away her late grandfather’s shirts has now upcycled them into fashionable tops—and she’s helping others do it, too. The 21-year-old uses a scissors and sewing

A young woman who didn’t want to throw away her late grandfather’s shirts has now upcycled them into fashionable tops—and she’s helping others do it, too.

The 21-year-old uses a scissors and sewing machine to transform pieces pulled from a bag of her late grandpa’s clothing—rearranging them into cool designs to be worn by youngsters.

So far, Issy Spurway has upcycled over 100 garments, and she demonstrates the designs on her TikTok social channel.

“When my grandad died I didn’t want to throw his clothes away–but I didn’t want to wear them–so I made them into something I could wear and take a piece of him with me,” said the Loughborough University textile student.

“I actually think it helped with the grieving process as I know he would have loved it.”

She really honed her sewing skills during the pandemic while locked-down in Gloucestershire, England. She started upcycling clothes to practice, but also because it was cheap and shops were closed.

“Over the months I improved and before I knew it had quite a following,” she told SWNS news. “I think (it’s) because a lot of people love their grandparents and keep their clothes as sentimental pieces after they’ve passed.”

LOOK: Mom Alters Her Old Prom Dress for 5-yo to Wear to Daddy-Daughter Dance

“I find that upcycling is all about looking at the already existing features of a garment and working with these to suit a personal style or to make a certain outcome.”

Issy’s videos on @handmade.byIzzy show her cropping, hemming, gathering, and draping techniques.

She said TikTok UK reached out to her and she worked on a few campaigns with them, doing sewing and upcycling tutorials, before she became a college student.

CHECK OUT: She Turns Old Leather Sofas into Chic $200 Handbags to Cut Down on Waste–And They’re Flying Out the Door

Issy has now taken up employment with an upholstery company in Oxford, while finishing her degree.

SHARE The Inspiring Idea With Grandkids Everywhere On Social Media…

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