Before and After

fleece jacket with logo

I've never been one to wear the latest fashion or change my wardrobe with the season. I like clothing that is casual, comfortable and reasonably priced. I refuse to pay for over-priced clothing simply because it is "in style" or "in season." I refuse to pay high prices for inferior-made clothing.

Thrift shops are always packed with clothing, and it requires patience to find the gems among the trash. Looking through the racks, I search for brands that are familiar to me: first for quality and second for consistent sizing. I will not spend more than $5.00 for a used item.

Many people dismiss the new (with tags attached) or practically-new fleece vests, jackets and coats in the thrift shops because they have embroidered advertising patches, like the one shown above. I don't mind wearing these items, but last week, I decided to try a "makeover" on a L.L. Bean fleece jacket by using some quilting scraps to cover the logo.

I found some orphan quilt blocks and pieces of quilt blocks in my stash and got to work. I didn't use any interfacing on the fabric because the existing logo on the jacket would provide the stability the patch needed. I stitched closely around the edge of the patch and then around each small square.

Later, I might add some buttons to the simple patch.

The possibilities of creating patches to cover the business logos are endless. Those with embroidery machines could easily create their own patches to affix over the existing logo.

The jacket that I worked with costs $30.00 new: I paid $2.00 at the thrift shop.

Do you shop at thrift stores?