Long live the thrift flip
Hello lovely people, I have a bit of a different newsletter today, a bit more rambley!
I’ve been feeling a bit *meh* creatively lately and I was trying to pinpoint why. I found I’d jump on Instagram or Pinterest for inspo and just find the same thing, over and over again.
Every post seemed to be a trending garment, or a pattern that dupes that trending garment, or how to hack a pattern that dupes that trending garment (you get the gist), and it left me feeling stressed. Stressed that I wasn’t sewing the trends, but also not knowing if I even really like the trends and left feeling stumped as to how I find my own creativity and style in this never-ending algorithm of sameness.
I’d return to Instagram & Pinterest again and again hoping I guess to find something different, which only resulted in hours of screen time, feeling more stressed and less inspired.
So, how do I find my creativity, when the things that used to inspire me do the opposite.
Well, I don’t have the exact answer, but I do have some things that have made me feel really excited about sewing again and ways I am planning to exercise my creativity.
I was reflecting back on when I first started sewing, I was still a student at the time so my budget for sewing was small. Therefore, thrifting textiles and self-drafting garments was how I mostly sewed. I remember spending hours sifting through op-shops, being inspired by textiles and imagining what garments I could make from them and then having so much fun self-drafting.
When I discovered indie sewing patterns it completely opened my sewing world! It allowed me to expand my sewing skills, learn different construction techniques, learn different design elements and it introduced me to the amazing Instagram sewing community.
I now almost exclusively sew with new patterns I buy and with fabric I buy new or deadstock – and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but as I try to develop and refine my personal style, I’m finding it’s stumping my creativity. I think I miss the messiness of fumbling my way through projects. In a world where I can find the perfect pattern and the perfect fabric, to find my way back to my creativity I need to step back from that and create with constraints and limitations. Because for me, this way of creating with less ‘freedom’ makes me more creative and makes me more excited about the process and not just the finished product.
So, this brings me to the thrift flip!!! The beloved thrift flip – for those not familiar it’s essentially just taking something second-hand (thrifted or already in your possession) and turning it into something new! 5-10 years ago, the thrift flip was everywhere and now I definitely don’t see it as much (on Instagram and Pinterest). Maybe it’s because of the explosion of indie sewing patterns and online fabric stores, or maybe it’s just my algorithm, but there is something incredibly fun and creative about a thrift flip!
And it doesn’t just have to be clothes, it can be bed sheets, curtains, blankets, tablecloths or any second-hand textile. By working with a second-hand item, it introduces restrictions or opportunities! Maybe there’s limited amount of fabric to work with, or a button placket you want to incorporate, or a lace trim you know just needs become the hem. These elements force us to think, problem solve and be creative. It also makes for a more unique finished product.
Since starting to sew again after my holiday, I’ve made two thrift-flip garments, and they were both so fun to sew! The first one was a top I made using a thrifted sheet and an indie sewing pattern, the second I made using a thrifted men’s shirt and an inspo video I saw on Instagram. So yes, I am still using ready to go sewing patterns and inspiration from Instagram, but I’m working the thrift flip in, to flex those creative muscles and create something that feels more unique and quite honestly feels more me. I’m going to challenge myself to continue to create with thrifted textiles and not purchase new patterns just because I’ve seen them all over Instagram, but think and plan what garments align with my personal style and try to self-draft my own patterns or hack patterns I already own.
Of course, there will still be new patterns I buy, for example I’m planning to sew some hiking pants, and found an amazing pattern by Indigo Indigo that look super functional and comfortable. But I’m hoping my little self-challenge will allow me to get back to feeling inspired, enjoying the process and creating clothes that feel like me.
Xx Olivia