Too Many Loves + A Passion For Upcycling

I have been told multiple times that I "do too many things" and have too many things that I love to make and create. Anyone else feel like this? They say "you need to focus on one or two products", and while "they" are well meaning, I have chosen to be focused on all the things I love and love to do. It might not be the “right” way, but it makes me happy. Hopefully, my love for all of the items I make and sell comes through to my followers and customers.

When the pandemic hit last spring and life got crazy, it also slowed way down for me. I was working for an event based company and all events were being cancelled. They could not afford to keep me and I lost my full time job. Suddenly, I found myself with the freedom of not having a career commitment while also feeling very lost. Maybe some of you can relate? With time on my hands, and feeling like I wanted to contribute, I started sewing masks for my friends and family. I had so much fabric and supplies squirreled away that I did not have to purchase anything to make many, many masks (lol)! It felt so good to use materials that I love, and my sewing skills, to make something that people needed. This small and easy project woke something up in my brain. I realized that this was my chance to sew some pieces for myself that I had been dreaming of and drawing for years. I realized that this was a unique time and opportunity to be able to completely focus on all of my “loves” and work on them full time. I made a plan and stocked up my etsy shops. This gave my days some structure and helped me to focus and feel more in control during a crazy and scary time.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, thrifting is in my blood. I have been sewing, making clothing and creating art since my childhood. I took a sewing class in home Ec when I was in middle school and was completely hooked. We got to pick our own projects. Everyone else made a pillow case and I decided to make a whole outfit for church. My teacher was so patient and wonderful! My mom got me a basic Singer machine when I was 12, and it is still my go to machine today. I taught myself to machine sew and alter clothing. I taught myself how to make clothing from patterns, how to upcycle thrift finds and eventually how to how to draft my own patterns to create wardrobe pieces for myself and my family. Upcycling, specifically with clothing, is a passion of mine. In 2017, my New Year’s resolution was to not purchase any “new” clothing. For the entire year, I only purchased and wore pieces that I made from materials I already had or that I purchased from thrift shops. I loved it! This limitation pushed me to be more creative and it felt great to not contribute to the fast fashion problem. After that year, I have purchased some new items but it made me more thoughtful about what I purchase.

At the same time that I decided to go in this new direction, a class came to my attention. The class specifically focuses on creating a fashion collection using only upcycling fashion methods. I signed up immediately! I have spent the last 6 months working on my pieces and have absolutely loved this class. I did not learn new techniques, but I have learned some new ways to approach projects and gotten so much new inspiration. I want to share the projects and fashion line that I created. There are six outfits in total and I will share each project in a different post, starting with my next one.

Over the years, I have rented studio space outside of my home, but have been fortunate to have an in-home studio as well. Currently, I work out of my in-home studio, which is always in a state of "working/mess". I like to have multiple projects going on at all times. I am so grateful to have a space where I stop in the middle of a project, close the door and come back later to continue working right where I left it.

Here are some shots of my studio, to give you idea. Organized chaos! It also doubles as our guest room and where we keep our dog kennel.

Do you work on multiple projects at the same time? Leave a comment and let me know about your creative process. I would love to hear about it!