April Yang has been thrift flipping since high school. And while that might not be uncommon, over the last 12 years, she has inspired over 2 million followers on her YouTube channel, Coolirpa.
“Back then, YouTube was just a place where people uploaded for fun. And I didn't intentionally post to gain a following. I just posted because it was something I was passionate about.”
Over the last decade, April has shared hundreds of upcycling projects, from her original T-shirt alterations to complicated thrift flips, wedding dress refashions. Lately, she’s gravitating toward less waste, focusing on intentional cosplay and outfits she can wear both to conventions and every day.
“My YouTube channel and my viewers that watch really opened my eyes to sustainability, fast fashion, just being less wasteful. And then that's how it evolved.”
While April is adament she’s not an expert in zero-waste sewing, her work has grown to address issues around sustainability. Her new book aims to empower people to approach upcycling with their own goals, and most importantly, their own sense of style.
“For books, you want it to be something where people could recreate it exactly almost, but it goes against the idea of upcycling, which is that it's not supposed to be recreated.”
In an interview on the Seamwork Radio podcast, April shares her story, from how she first started altering T-shirts to how she became a worldwide inspiration for DIY sewing.
Here are April’s 10 tips for upcycling your clothes. A full transcript is at the bottom of the article.
“if you're going to the thrift store and you have a vision for what you want to create, 90% of the time, you're not going to be able to find what you want to upcycle” April cautions.
“It’s random at a thrift store. But if you go there with an open mind, no inspiration, then naturally, you'll just see things that look good to you, and then you'll be more inspired to turn that item into something new compared to starting with an idea already.”
If you thrift, you know that part of the thrill is finding an unexpected treasure. So, embrace this mindset when you’re looking for an upcycling project.
Washing any thrifted textiles or clothing is the first step after you get home from the thrift store. It’s not only to keep things clean.
“If you do choose to dye it or something, a new color, then there could be things left in the fabric that need to be rinsed away first. Just how you handle it, it will really impact your process along the way. Maybe it hasn't ever been washed and it might shrink.”
If your thrifted item can’t be washed, try to spot clean as much as possible, or seek help from a dry cleaner.
April has a few tips for cutting apart your thrifted clothing. Don’t cut it! She recommends you seam rip it instead.
“I recommend you take the time to seam rip each piece, each seam apart, so that it all lays flat. Because this will also save you fabric.”
She also recommends getting a surgical seam ripper in addition to your regular seam ripper. It’s a sharp, helpful tool to have on hand.
And here’s another tip! If you have a bunch of threads sticking to all your cut-up pieces, use a lint roller to quickly remove them.
You might already be saving all your scraps, but if you’re not, now’s the time to start.
“Immediately set it aside, because you never know if you're going to need that tiny scrap to piece something together...You only have that one garment to work with. So if you made something too small, then that little scrap might be enough to piece together to make the garment looser fitting on you.”
This doesn’t mean you need to save your scraps for all eternity.
“Have you seen those videos where you're going to throw away the scrap, but then, ‘oh, no, this might be useful one day.’ And then your scrap bin just piles up?”
April often uses scraps to fill stuffed animals, but she acknowledges that some waste in sewing is inevitable.
So while you don’t need to hang onto those scraps for years, it is a good idea to save scraps from specific thrifted textiles until you are done with that upcycled piece and happy with the way it fits.
Do you ever unroll some fabric off the bolt and drape it across your body while you’re fabric shopping? It’s a great way to see how a fabric will look on your body and if you like wearing the color.
April encourages you to do this with any thrifted textiles you have in the store. If there aren’t dressing rooms, find a mirror (that you can also thrift if you need one) to examine how the textiles look and feel.
And once you get home and seam rip your project, April suggests you keep draping before sewing any pieces together.
“Even when you're at home and you have seam-ripped all the pieces apart, then you can pick up each piece and drape it on yourself and see, what angle do you want the sleeve piece to turn at, if it was a bodice?...Let me play around with the draping over my shoulder, around my neck. How does that look?”
This tip was a turning point for April as she spent years creating upcycling content for her YouTube channel.
“A lot of the times I will go thrifting, and then I'll come home be like, I already had something that I could have used. And then I just spend more money on it...It's just more sustainable to use the fabric that you already have at home, the clothes you already have, and turn it into something else.”
When you are working on an upcycling project, the first place to start is your closet. Is there a piece of clothing you love, but it needs a minor alteration? Is there a piece of clothing you never wear, but you love the fabric? Or, once you bring home some thrifted textiles, are there other materials or notions you can add from what you already own?
April shared the story of two dresses that sat in her closet for years. She loved the fabric, but didn’t know what to make.
“I slept on the idea for a couple of years, and then I was able to eventually come up with something that I really loved.”
She mashed the two dresses into one and created a stunning dress to wear to a wedding.
“Literally two or three years passed by, and then I decided to do something from it, and it turned out so beautiful. One of my most favorite creations that I've done yet.”
So if you have pieces that have been lingering in your closet, April doesn’t want you to feel ashamed. She wants you to be patient!
“Don't give up on it yet. It might just need to sit in your closet for two more years. And then the idea will come later.”
You know the saying, measure twice, cut once. April knows it’s important not to linger there for too long. Part of upcycling is diving in and taking risks.
“Whenever I made a mistake, it just added to the design in the end, and it made it a lot more unique and special. And we upcycle for that purpose. We don't upcycle so it could look exactly like something we could buy in the store. It's supposed to look unique and match your style. And I think that's the best part of upcycling.”
The first cut never gets easier. April acknowledges that she still gets nervous cutting apart a thrifted piece. But in the end, it’s always worth it.
“So don't be afraid to make that first cut. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because there really is always a way to fix it in the end...If I make a mistake, then I can do better next time”
One of the trickiest parts of thrifting materials for sewing projects is knowing if you have enough fabric to complete a garment.
Until you get used to the yardage you’ll need for the projects you want to sew, it helps to use sewing patterns to help.
Even if you aren’t using an exact dress pattern, you can lay out the pieces on yardage to see if you have enough for what you want to do.
You can also reference yardage charts on patterns to get an idea of the typical yardage you’ll need for your size for certain projects, like pants, skirts, dresses, and costumes.
Even though April says you don’t need to be scared to make the first cut, be a little more conservative once you’re actually constructing your garment.
“The moment you cut it away, there's no going back. It is scary to make the first cut, but not so scary if you take in the precautions to make sure that you can go back and undo it....The moment you're cutting away that extra seam allowance you left for yourself or you shortened that skirt or bodice, and now it's too short, there's no going back from cutting that away.”
While you’re constructing, try on your garment frequently. Use pins or basting stitches before deciding on your final seam allowance. Only trim away seam allowance when you are sure of the final fit.
Having fun is the most important tip that April has for you if you are considering upcyling or trying your first thrift flip.
“The moment you stop having fun, then It's just not enjoyable. The process isn't enjoyable. So just enjoy the process and remember that you like to do it, you're doing it because you want to do it, and that the creation process is the best part. The journey of learning. In the end, it is going to be really rewarding.”
As a self-identified recovering-perfectionist, April often felt discouraged when her viewers critiqued her methods. So this is something she rejects for anyone who is enjoying their own personal sewing process. Even if it’s not by the books or how you’d be taught in a university, if you’re having fun, that’s all that matters.
“The reason I'm doing this is because I like the process of sewing. When I forget that, then it no longer becomes fun for me, so I have to just recenter myself and be like, ‘Okay, let's not take it too seriously. It's not going to be a big deal. If the seam doesn't match up by an eighth of an inch, that's okay.’”
You can find April on YouTube [here](https://www.youtube.com/coolirpa0, on her website here, and on Instagram here. All images are from her blog and Instagram.
Podcast Transcript
Sarai
Hey, guys. Today, we have something really special to share, which is an interview with April from the YouTube channel, Coolirpa, and she's also the author of a brand new book called DIY Thrift Flip.
We're going to talk a little bit about her book, and we're also going to talk about doing thrift flips, upcycling, and all the creativity inherent in that process. It's a It's a really fun conversation, so I hope you enjoy.
Hi, April. Welcome. Thanks for joining us today. It's so good to have you.
April
Thank you so much for having me.
Sarai
Yeah, we're excited to talk today. You have a new book called DIY Thrift Flip, and it's just so much fun. You want to talk a little bit about what inspired you to create this book?
April
Yes. My book just launched here. It's everything that I've been doing on my YouTube channel for the past 12 years. I just wanted something outside of creating videos for people to watch and something physical for people to have at home. Just something all in one book for people to reference.
Sarai
Yeah, there's something nice about having a physical book that you can turn to over and over again. It's a good reminder to have in your sewing space, too, for a place to turn for ideas that's a little bit different.
April
I have a ton of books in my sewing space, too, and I always have it on display. Whenever I need inspiration, then I can reference it. That's what I wanted this book to be, just something where people can always go back to reference.
There's sewing tips in it, alteration basics, and then the rest of the book is inspirational projects. So if you ever have a creative block, then you can refer it and get some ideas.
Sarai
Yeah, that's really cool. You're really known for upcycling. So what appeals to you about upcycling? Why did you get into it? What's the big draw for you?
April
So for me, I got into it in high school, which was over maybe 14 years ago now. It was my sophomore year of high school, and then I would start off with T-shirt reconstructions.
I really like upcycling because, one, I didn't have any money to buy my own clothes as a high school student. It was a way to save money and just repurpose what I had at home and just create a unique wardrobe that would stand out from everyone else's.
Sarai
Yeah, I felt the same way. That's why I got into sewing when I was in high school, is that the same as you. I didn't have a lot of money, and I also wanted to express myself. It's such a time of people exploring their identity and figuring out who they are. Is that what motivated you?
April
Yes. At the time, there weren't that many sewing YouTubers out there, but I did watch people that posted T-shirt reconstructions. So whenever I would get free T-shirts from school, then I would just copy those tutorials. And it was just a fun way to already make something more unique and fit my style.
Sarai
Yeah. So when did you start your own YouTube channel?
April
I started at the end of high school, and it wasn't anything. Back then, YouTube was just a place where people uploaded for fun. And I didn't intentionally post to gain a following. I just posted because it was something I was passionate about.
I also loved making home videos already, editing videos. So it just all worked together.
And once I learned how to sew and upcycle, then I decided,” Oh, I've seen a couple channels on YouTube do it,” but there wasn't many. And I wanted to just have a place where I can share my own ideas as well.
Sarai
Yeah.
April
So I started end of high school, and then once I became more consistent with it after high school, then that's when I took it more seriously.
Sarai
And how has the channel evolved since then? Because you've been doing it now for, you said 12 years. So how has it changed?
April
Yeah. It's brought me so many wonderful opportunities, really. And I learned a lot from being a YouTuber and starting from there.
With upcycle, initially, for me, it was about just finding my own style and saving money, standing out, things like that.
But my YouTube channel and my viewers that watch really opened my eyes to sustainability, fast fashion, just being less wasteful. And then that's how it evolved, in my opinion.
In the beginning, I didn't really focus too much about how I can be less wasteful and things like that. With anything, all crafts, there's going to be waste involved, and especially in sewing.
We have a ton of straps that we just cut away. Or if you're not intentional with where you are placing your pattern, you're just cutting in the middle of the fabric, then you're wasting a ton of fabric. I learned along the way to be more mindful about those things.
I think throughout the years, that changed my perspective as well with how I want to approach my videos and what DIY I want to do. I don't I don't really want to be so wasteful. I don't want to just cut something up and throw out the scraps.
I need to be strategic. How can I use all of the fabric or as much fabric as I can? I think that's where I'm at now.
Sarai
Yeah, that's really cool because it shows how interacting with a community around sewing, and in your case on YouTube, can really change your perspective on what you're doing. I think that's really cool. It's so interesting all the things that people are doing now with low-waste or zero-waste sewing. I feel like that's much bigger than it was 10 or 15 years ago.
April
Yes, definitely. I will say It has changed how I approach my upcycling because like I said before, I would just thrift for anything just for, let's say, there's a special detail at the top of a dress. Then I would only want to use that part.
I had to change how I think. I can't just make decisions like that. How can I design something that can incorporate better? Or do I even want to cut it up at all if I'm only using that top section?
I think because I changed my values and I became more educated on that as well, and I don't want to be wasteful as wasteful, then it affected did my videos.
I'm like, I want to do it. I want to give people what they're asking for. But at the same time, it just goes against what I believe now. I don't really want to just whip out a ton of things and just be wasteful. I think that's where it became conflicting towards the end. I did take a break from where I am, currently still on a break from that until I do find a good balance.
Sarai
Yeah, it's tough. How do you feel like your your audience has responded? Do you talk explicitly about Waste? And how do you feel like your audience has responded to that?
April
No, I don't talk about waste. My tutorials have always just been straight to the point, and that's how I like my videos to be. You're getting what the title says. This is what it's about. And I think until I get to a point where I am more educated, I feel like I'm always learning still. I need to get to a point where I know what I'm talking about and feel confident in speaking about it before I can preach it to people as well.
I've done a few zero waste projects, but at the same time, I don't want the focus to be on zero waste because that's just not possible for us to be zero waste. Just to be alive is to be wasteful.
But it's about being more mindful about that waste. Even when I post zero waste tutorials, I feel conflicted because I don't want people to have this perception that, “Oh, she's zero waste.” That everything I do in my life has to be zero waste. That's not it at all. It's about how can we approach sewing and anything else we do with that mentality. Just the thought in our back of our head, just don't toss it away or save or try to use the most from it.
Sarai
Yeah. It's harm reduction. I feel like that applies to a lot of different aspects of life. You're always going to have some an impact. How can you reduce the amount of harm that you do in everything you do?
I feel the same as you. I'm very interested in low-waste or zero-waste sewing, but it's not something that I also feel educated enough to really expound on. But we try to talk about what other people are doing and the interesting projects that are out there that other people are doing. But it is something that I definitely feel like I could also use more education on.
April
Me too. I'm still learning. I want to get to a point where I can passionately preach to people. But I'm still learning. For now, I can only inspire people through the fun content. Inspire people to upcycle and go thrifting, shop second-hand, just reuse things from your own wardrobe. So that's all I could do for now is just to get people on board first.
And then from there, maybe they will be inspired, like me, to continue learning more.
Sarai
Yeah. One thing I really liked about your book, I have your book here, is it just has a sense of fun and that things don't have to be perfect. Do you feel like that's part of your philosophy?
April
Yes. That's how I fell in love with sewing in the first place because back in high school, it was so much fun.
My sewing teacher... So I took a sewing class in high school, and my sewing teacher was just so free-spirited. She would just let me create whatever I wanted to. She would let me just take fabric home.
And in class, she would let me work on my own projects because I became more advanced than other people, just learning the basics of sewing. So I would go home and I just would continue learning about it. She knew that I was already more advanced, so she would just let me just whip out anything I wanted to. It was a lot of fun.
It was different because when I graduated high school and I went to pursue more sewing in college, it no longer became fun for me because the teachers and the classes were very strict because it is college. They were a lot stricter. Everything was by the books. You had to do it properly or this is how you do it. And they would care about it looking correct.
And that took away the fun for me.
April
And I realized that if it's like that for people who are trying to learn, then they might not want to continue learning. So I like to always approach things in a way where it's like, "Oh, you don't have to do it correctly. Just try it out for now.” Because I was not doing anything correct back in high school.
But I was more fearless with my designing. I was just willing to try things out, and it was fun. I learned through that process and the mistakes I made. But once I learned how to properly do things, I don't know, it just felt like it put me in a box.
Like, “Oh, I have to do it the right way.” And it no longer became fun for me. I think I feel like only now I'm back to having fun after 10 years. I'm back to where I was. We're back to where we started, where we're having fun, just being creative and exploring and not taking it too seriously.
Sarai
That's so interesting. I feel like I've definitely gone through those cycles, too. I'm sure a lot of people listening can probably relate to it also, where you start out in that beginner mindset of there's so many possibilities and everything seems like It's just so fun and it's fun to experiment.
Then you get trapped in wanting things to be a certain way and wanting things to be perfect or to get to a certain point. Then you lose your spark sometimes.
April
Yes. It’s hard because with a platform as well, you have a lot of eyes on you, a lot of voices, a lot of opinions.
So whenever I did get a comment where it was I was like, “Oh, I would have done it like this or next time, try this and do that.” And it started making me feel very self-aware about everything that I did in my tutorials when that shouldn't have been the case.
You know, this is my way of doing it, and you have your way. If it is wrong, I'll look into it, or maybe I'll learn something new because I have learned a lot from my comments. But ultimately, I wish I knew that back then because I wouldn't have become burnt out with all of the voices coming at me and feeling like I had to please everybody with the right way of doing something when there really is no right way.
Yeah, there are ways, but everyone My mentality is that if it does work and you made it for yourself, it looks good, then no one's going to know. Yeah, that's just how I feel.
Sarai
Yeah. I think I've seen people get very hung up on certain things, making something that fits perfectly and it can't have any wrinkles in it. People can get very, in my opinion, a little bit obsessed with things being perfect in that way.
Maybe they enjoy that, and that's okay for some people, but I do feel like it does provoke anxiety in others. I don't know. I think your hobby should be fun. It should be something that That brings joy to your life.
April
Yeah, I agree.
Sarai
So do you still do a lot of thrift flips? What are your favorite kinds of things to upcycle and change up?
April
Yes, I definitely do thrift flips still. I've been focused a lot on cosplays.
Just for my thrift flips, they're not crazy thrift flips anymore. I will, every once in a while, focus on those. But like I said, my My beliefs have just changed a lot because throughout the years, I would thrift flip so many gowns. I would do garments every week.
That was for 10 years. I make a new item every single week. And all of those clothes started to pile up. I'm like, “What am I going to do with all this stuff”
It's all made to fit me, and I don't even wear it so often. So, my approach now is I focus more on alterations. How can I make something look more flattering on me? I like to show those quick fixes because I feel like that's more relatable and helpful to people at home, too,
Because most people are not going to be transforming entire outfits. Eventually, they might. If you're passionate about it enough or you have something to wear it to, you'll do it.
But the day-to-day is about simple alterations. How can I hem this dress? How can I taper in the side seams? How can I make the sleeves looser, the sleeves shorter? Just things like that.
I've been having fun teaching people the basics because I feel like that is a more useful skill to focus on. And then if that inspires you to do more, then you can learn more from there. I've been throwing more simple alterations, and then I'll still do my thrift flips.
And then because I'm really into cosplay right now, then my third flips are more focused on characters from shows that I enjoy. But I won't just make it super costumy as well so that I can't wear it ever again.
I'll take those characters' outfits and show people how to thrift flip it, transform it so that it is wearable. It's something cute that you saw a character wear. And how can I recreate that from my own wardrobe or go thrift for an item and make it wearable for my own style?
Sarai
Yeah, that's really cool. What you were saying about altering your clothing and making that content for people. I think that's really interesting because it does help people to be less wasteful because I think a lot of times, especially for those of us who sew and make clothing, you end up with things that are maybe not quite perfect or there's just something that's a little bit off, and for clothing you buy, too.
Being able to alter them to make them wearable for you is another way of reducing waste, really.
April
Yes, because if you learn how to mend and change your own clothes at home, then you're not continuing to buy new clothes just to add on to. Because even thrifting becomes wasteful at times, because if we're always just thrifting, then, like I said, those clothes have to go somewhere.
So you bring it home, you're either going to donate your clothes, and at least that is circular fashion. But if you can figure out how to just change the clothes you have at home as well into something you like, then that's even better.
The most sustainable item of clothing is the one that you already own, right?
Sarai
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I agree. And there's also this question of how much you really need. You're mentioning that you just kept bigger and bigger piles of clothing from making all these thrift flips. And I really relate to that because as somebody who sews a lot, and I sew for myself and also for YouTube and for other things, I do feel like my closet is really full, and I don't really need a lot of new stuff.
I have a pretty good collection of clothing. That's always a question in my mind is how you determine when you really have enough? But I still enjoy sewing. I love sewing. It's fun for me. There's a little bit of tension there.
April
It's super conflicting as a content creator. Because if you believe that, but then your job is also to create content, then it clashes because then you got to create something new for your content every time.
I think that's why I became super conflicted, probably two years ago, because I just didn't want to make new things. And in that conflict, with being a creator. Then I took a pause. What can I do instead? What can I focus on instead?
That's where I found the joy in creating wearable cosplay, because then for the cosplay, I could wear it, rewear it over and over again whenever I go to conventions. Sometimes for the clothes I made, it was just for the content. I never even wore it out.
Now I'm I focused on, “Okay, I need to actually wear these beautiful designs that I came up with out.” Instead of making something new, I just went to a wedding and I rewore a dress that I made last year or two years ago. I wore it to a wedding two years ago, and then for a wedding this year, I'm like, Okay, instead of forcing myself or feeling pressure to make a new gown to wear for the sake of, “Oh, content.”
I can make it make this dress and have a video to put out, and then I can also wear it to the wedding and film it, and it'll be really cute. Instead, I am going to wear something that's just sitting in my closet that I only wore one time. No one even really saw me in it. It deserves some love. It deserves to be shown off. I would really like to focus on that more, just rewearing my creations instead of just filming it for the video. And then setting it aside and never looking at it again.
Sarai
Yeah. I think that's something that at least our audience likes to see, too, is how do you wear it?
It's not just about making the thing, but also how do you wear it and rewear it and style it with different things.
We did one video that was about the things that have been in my closet for at least eight years or something like that. That was really fun to put together, to go through everything in my closet and see what are the items in my closet that I've had a really long time that I wear over and over again.
It gives you a different lens on the clothing you make, I think, with that content. It was really fun to do.
Let's go into your tips. I'd love to hear some of your tips for people who are interested in upcycling and doing their own thrift flips, because I think it's an area that could bring a lot of joy to people who sew if they're not doing it already.
April
Yeah, I was thinking about these the other day, and these definitely are my biggest tips for upcycling.
The first tip for me is to start with no inspiration. Because, for example, if you're going to the thrift store and you have a vision for what you want to create, 90% of the time, you're not going to be able to find what you want to upcycle because it's random at a thrift store.
But if you go there with an open mind, no inspiration, then naturally, you'll just see things that look good to you, and then you'll be more inspired to turn that item into something new compared to starting with an idea already.
Plus, your idea always changes along the way when doing a transformation because you never know what the pieces are going to look like after you take it apart. It might or might not work for the design you had in your head because once you seam rip all of your pieces and try to make something from it, it might look better a different way, and then it's going to change anyways.
Let me see if that leads into a different tip.
My tip is to start with an idea, I guess, but don't be so attached to that design.
Be willing to let it morph into something else along the way.
Sarai
More flexible and adaptive point of view.
April
Yeah.
Sarai
That's really helpful.
April
Number two... Oh, sorry.
Sarai
I was saying that's really helpful.
April
The second tip I have is to obviously wash your second-hand clothes when you purchase it. If you can, if it's washable, if not, try to spot clean there and sanitize it or anything because it's second-hand. You never if the clothes are even washed. If you do choose to dye it or something, a new color, then there could be things left in the fabric that need to be rinsed away first. Just how you handle it, it will really impact your process along the way. Maybe it hasn't ever been washed and it might shrink. A lot of those things to consider.
Sarai
Yeah, that's a great tip.
April
Number three is to, instead of just cutting your pieces out, I highly recommend you take the time to seam rip each piece, each seam apart, so that it all lays flat. Because this will also save you fabric.
Sometimes you just need a half inch more of fabric. If you're cutting at the seams, then you're getting rid of whatever the seam allowance would have added to the amount of fabric you needed. It's all important when it comes to transforming clothes, just to be mindful of how much you really need.
If you are certain that you have more than enough fabric to work with, then I'd go ahead and save some time and just cut it out and not seam rip. But if you don't have a lot to work with, then take the time to seam rip every single seam apart so that all the pieces are laying flat.
Sarai
Do you have a preferred type of seam ripper that you use? I have a seam ripper right here next to me. I just use the regular cheapo what.
April
I've been using the surgical seam ripper. So it's like a razor blade. Let me pull it out.
Sarai
Do you like that? I had one like that a while ago, and I could not get used to it. So that's why I asked.
April
Okay, so it's on my table somewhere. Okay, here it is. So I have the surgical seam ripper. This one's really nice because it's very curved. And then I have the regular one, too.
And I realized that both of them come in handy depending on what I'm seam-ripping. If I'm seam-ripping something very sturdy or thick, like denim, then this one, the original type Seam ripper.
Sarai
The one with a little red ball on it. The red ball.
April
Yeah. Yeah, the one with the red ball slides a lot faster through the seam. It's just so fast. And then for this one, I find it... It could be for either or, but just certain fabrics, I prefer the one with the red ball on it, actually. I don't have a favorite, but I do reach for this one first, the surgical seam ripper. If it's not working out, then I will switch back to it.
Sarai
I think those tend to be so sharp, too. So that's helpful, the surgical ones.
April
Yes. It is very sharp until it isn't, and then it's a pain in the butt to use. You have to switch the blade. Yeah.
Sarai
Same with rotary cutters. They work so well until…
Cool. What’s your next tip?
April
My next tip is to always save your straps. Don't toss in a trash or don't cut into smaller pieces and get rid of it, or immediately set it aside because you never know if you're going to need that tiny scrap to piece something together because so often you'll accidentally cut too much off and you only have that one garment to work with.
So if you made something too small, then that little scrap might be enough to piece together to make the garment looser fitting on you.
Sarai
Yeah. You never know when you might need that scrap. I've become so much more religious about saving scraps than I used to.
April
Oh, my goodness. It's a love-hate relationship because... Have you seen those videos where you're going to throw away the scrap, but then, “oh, no, this might be useful one day.” And then your scrap bin just piles up? And then at the end of the year, I'm like, I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this.
So it's tough. That's why I always try to put out the zero waste or try to do a video after every however many years of doing something with my scraps.
The last thing I made was this plushy because that's the most useful way, fastest way to get rid of the scraps because you're stuffing all your scraps into a plushy or a bean bag or something like that. But it's so hard at the same time to use all of it.
I wish there was a fabric shredder that I had at home that I could just shred all of it into stuffing size. Because when you have to cut all of it yourself into tiny pieces so that it can stuff into a plushy nicely, then it's a lot of work and it hurts your hands.
Sarai
Yeah, that would be cool. That would be a really cool invention if there were some way to shred your fabric automatically.
April
Fabric shredder. Instead of having it set into a factory to do it, just like a paper shredder, but for fabric.
Sarai
Yeah, that would be really cool. I'm always looking for things to do with my straps. And I think we did a podcast on some ideas. I love using them for stuffing, though. I think that's the easiest and the best a way to get rid of things, especially small straps.
April
Yes, I agree. My fifth tip is to drape the garment on yourself first while you're thrifting. It's going to help you just visualize. It's going to help you see how the fabric flows, if it's going to create the structure you're looking for.
Even when you're at home and you have seam-ripped all the pieces apart, then you can pick up each piece and drape it on yourself and see what angle do you want the sleeve piece to turn at, if it was a bodice. Does it work for that? Or maybe if you flip the sleeve upside down, what does that look like?
Or the bottom of the skirt has a really cool design. Let me flip that upside down. Let me play around with the draping over my shoulder, around my neck. How does that look? So all of that helps a lot. And I spend hours doing that before I come up with a solid game plan. So like I said, this is a game plan just so that I can get started. But along the way, if the idea changes, it's going to change. But it's good to do that just to help you get a feel for how you even want to approach the transformation.
Sarai
Yeah. I do that even when I go to the fabric store. If I'm buying fabric, I find it really helpful to drape it on my body and see how it's going to look. Or if they don't have a mirror to just drape it on something, at least, so you can see how it flows.
But it's even more helpful on yourself because you can see how it looks on you and visualize things a little bit.
April
My sixth tip is to shop your own closet first before you even spend money on second-hand clothing. See what you have at home that you're not really wearing, and can you turn it into something that is currently trending or that would just flatter your figure better. Because a lot of the times I will go thrifting, and then I'll come home be like, I already had something that I could have used. And then I just spend more money on it.
So it's going to It's going to save you money. It's just more sustainable to use the fabric that you already have at home, the clothes you already have, and turn it into something else.
Sarai
Yeah, I love that. That's really inspiring to me. I have this dress in in my closet that I bought it at a flea market type thing, and it's a silk dress. It's this light purple silk dress, and it has little tiny white swans all over it. It's so cute. The fabric is so cute, but I never wear the dress. And it's just been hanging in my closet and looking for a purpose, like something I can repurpose it into. I know the idea will come to me someday, but for now, it's taunting me.
April
That is actually a new tip I have, based off of what you said, is that if you don't know what you want to make from it yet, but it has inspired you, don't give up on it yet. It might just need to sit in your closet for two more years. And then the idea will come later.
I had this one... I don't know if it was one item or two items. No, it was two items. It It was a dress I recently wore to the wedding this year.
So it was two dresses that I had an idea to mash up into one. They were both gray. And I just had no ideas for it for the longest time. Literally two or three years passed by, and then I decided to do something from it, and it turned out so beautiful. One of my most favorite creations that I've done yet.
And I was so quick to just donating the items back because I thrifted it. I just couldn't think of any ideas for it, but I knew I did want to do something with it. But the idea just wasn't there yet.
So I gave it some time.
I slept on the idea for a couple of years, and then I was able to eventually come up with something that I really loved.
Sarai
Well, that gives me hope.
April
Maybe. Yes. No.
Sarai
Maybe the idea will come to me. Don't give up. I don't feel as bad now. It will.
April
All right. So my seventh tip... That was my seventh tip. My seventh tip, I guess it works with it, is to not be afraid of mistakes or messing up that item because the mistakes are all apart. It's what upcycling is about. It's part of the process of upcycling, making those mistakes. Because whenever I made a mistake, it just added to the design in the end, and it made it a lot more unique and special. And we upcycle for that purpose.
We don't upcycle so it could look exactly like something we could buy in the store. It's supposed to look unique and just match your style. And I think that's the best part of upcycling. So don't be afraid to make that first cut. Don't be afraid to make a mistake because there really is always a way to fix it in the end. Even though you have to piece something together, it's going to work out or you're going to come up with an idea that's going to elevate your design even more.
Sarai
Yeah, absolutely. I love what you said about making something that's really unique. Have you seen the movie Pretty in Pink from the '80s? I love that. If If anybody listening hasn't seen it, Molly Ringwald, she cuts up a dress at the end, this 1950s dress, and makes her own prom dress out of it.
There's an upcycling moment in the movie, and the dress is very, very '80s, the dress that she makes. But the whole point is that she's unique, and she's expressing herself, and she's different from everybody else around her. And that's what makes her so special. It's an awesome movie if you haven't seen it.
April
So tip number eight that I have on my list is to use a pattern. It could be a commercial pattern or a pattern that you've drafted at home to help you visualize how much fabric, how much material you have to work with.
And this could be before or after you've seam-ripped it and taken it apart, or if you have a big skirt, you can lay out your pattern pieces all over the skirt just to get an idea of if you're even going to be able to create that design from that garment.
Because sometimes we don't have enough fabric for it, sometimes we have more than enough. So laying out your pattern pieces is very helpful to visualize that.
Sarai
Do you feel like you get a sense over time of whether you're going to have enough fabric when you're thrifting? You see a garment, what you can get out of that garment? Do you feel like that's something, a skill that you learn over time as well?
April
Yes, definitely you will over time, especially if you have a certain style. Let's say I always make crop tops, which I do make a lot of crop tops or fitted bodices, corset bodices, then you'll have an idea for sure.
But if you're making something new every time, I think it can be hard to gauge. But if you do have a certain style that you like to stick to, you'll know for sure if something is going to give you enough fabric.
If it's not enough, you'll start to see things like, the pants are a little bit too small, but I can use the bottom of the legs to piece together to make the bodice bigger, so the size that you need. You start to just be more creative with how you use all the pieces.
Sarai
Yeah, definitely. It's like anything. The more you practice, the better you'll get at it.
April
Yeah. It's funny because with upcycling, it's so different every time. Sometimes I feel like no matter how many years I've been doing it, sometimes it's still very scary to cut that fabric. There is that fear in your head still. And going through the process and finishing the garment is just a very rewarding feeling in the end. Just reassures you that everything is going to be okay.
Sarai
Yeah. That's interesting that you still have that nervousness even after all this time.
April
Mm-hmm. That's something I always want to emphasize with people, too, that even experienced sewers, they are scared to make the first cut. They make mistakes. Nothing is really perfect. We're just diving into it and figuring it out along the way. Yeah. And that's how it's always been from day one for me, just figuring it out along the way. If I make a mistake, then I can do better next time.
Sarai
Right. That's an awesome perspective.
April
Tip number nine is to not cut anything away. So you know when you're fitting, you're sewing something together and you're fitting it on yourself, to not cut any of those extra seam allowances is away yet until the very end, until you're for sure certain that this is the design you want to stick to.
Because the moment you cut it away, there's no going back. It is scary to make the first cut, But not so scary if you take in the precautions to make sure that you can go back and undo it. So that's why I do prefer to seam rip instead of cut an item. I'll seam rip an entire garment because if it doesn't work out, I could just pieced together the garment again. If it didn't look the way I wanted to, it can be sewn back together.
But the moment you're cutting away that extra seam allowance you left for yourself or you shortened that skirt or bodice, and now it's too short, there's no going back from cutting that away. You could piece it back together, but sometimes it does ruin your design. So just wait until the very end until you're certain that it's the look you like, and then you can cut it away.
Sarai
Great tip. I think that probably is something you could apply to any sewing project, really, is to make those final decisions at the end.
April
Yes. Tip number 10 is to... This is just a generic tip, but it's to have fun. Because like I said, the moment you stop having fun, then It's just not enjoyable. The process isn't enjoyable. So just enjoy the process and remember that you like to do it, you're doing it because you want to do it, and that the creation process is the best part, the journey of learning. In the end, it is going to be really rewarding. To remember to have fun, not take it too seriously, not stress out about messing up, that you can always fix it in the end or turn it into something super unique. And yeah, those are all my tips.
Sarai
In a way, that's the most important tip, though, of all, is just having that mindset of this is supposed to be fun. This isn't supposed to be stressful or hard or make you feel anxious. I think if you can keep that in mind, then you'll make better decisions and have a better time through the whole process.
April
Yeah, the reason I'm doing this is because I like the process of sewing. When I forget that, then it no longer becomes fun for me, so I have to just recenter myself and be like, “Okay, let's not take it too seriously. It's not going to be a big deal. If the seam doesn't match up by an eighth of an inch, that's okay. I'm so close to being done. It looks great on. It fits perfectly.”
Sometimes that seam at the zipper, at the waistline, it's Just a tad off and not meeting at the center back. It just makes you so mad. But I think overall, to not take those little mistakes too seriously and know that you did create something beautiful.
Sarai
Yeah. I think I just think there's this real human tendency to make everything stressful. You know what I mean? To take anything fun and make it into something that, at least maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but to take anything and make it into something that has to be perfect or it has to be a certain way or to set all these expectations on it, or even to just look at only the mistakes and only look at things that went wrong and not look at the hundred different things that went right or that were enjoyable about it.
I think that's a really important tip is just remembering to have a good time.
April
Yeah, especially for me. I used to be the biggest perfectionist. I'm a recovering perfectionist you know?
So something like that I just would never let it go. I would redo it a billion times until it looks good. And then I started realizing that other people did not do that. They care like, oh, it's done. They would be proud of what they made, but not me. I'm like, Why?
Sarai
Yeah. I'm glad to hear that you feel like you've transformed in that way. That's really awesome.
I love your book, and I want to make sure that we tell everybody about it because it's really fun. If it's something what you're interested in, getting into doing this upcycling stuff, I think it's going to be a real creativity booster for you. I just want to shout out the book because I think it's really awesome.
April
Yay. Thank you so much. It's definitely been a long time coming. I think we've been working on it, or it's been in the works for two years now, just the decision to create the book, and then probably a year working on it and everything.
The ideas, the designs, the projects I have in the book, it ranges from beginner to advance. So there's even a wedding dress transformation at the end and some advanced techniques. And then there are some no-sew projects in the beginning.
And I would say the hardest part about coming up with the idea is that I did want each thrifted item to be very accessible. So it's different from shopping and doing a transformation for yourself because you don't have to focus on that.
But I wanted each piece that I thrifted to be available at other people's thrift stores as well. I know that you could always find, let's say, a T-shirt at a thrift store, or you can always find a maxi skirt, just simple items, a wedding dress, but the wedding dress couldn't be too particular, pillowcases, men's shirts. Those are all items that people can find at their thrift stores.
For For me, how I normally approach my thrifted transformations is the opposite of that. It's normally things that other people probably won't be able to find and recreate. So the most challenging part was taking those basic garments and coming up with multiple ideas for each of them and ideas that people could copy if they wanted to.
We have a pullover hoodie in here and a plain black dress and how you can embellish it to look different from the original or to match whatever style it is or esthetic that you have.
This book is, I feel like it's different from my own personal style, but the idea is I wanted to be accessible enough for everyone to copy, and that was the hardest part.
I had this notebook when creating this book, and the notebook has all of my ideas before I even decided on the final projects for the book. There were so many ideas and variations for projects in there that didn't make it in the book.
And that was the hardest part for me to just narrow it down to 20 projects, and 20 projects that I think people could recreate at home.
Because I know for my YouTube channel, the projects that I would post on there, it would just be there for inspiration. But it's not anything that someone could go to their thrift store and find and make the same thing or something similar enough.
And that's not the point of upcycling. You're not supposed to recreate what I have, but to make the most out of whatever item you found at home and just be inspired by it. So I think... And that was just really challenging for me. Because for books, you want it to be something where people could recreate it exactly almost, but it goes against the idea of upcycling, which is that it's not supposed to be recreated in a sense.
Sarai
Yeah, it's unique. But I think these projects seem like a good jumping off point so that somebody can use it to express their own personal style or maybe even just get inspired to create something totally different, launching off that idea. I think that's really cool about it.
April
Yeah, that's what I hope for. I don't want it to be like, Oh, these are the ideas and the only ideas that you can do. I want it to be like, Okay, this is something you can do, but I would do it differently. Then you take that as an inspiration and you do whatever you need to do to make it match your style.
Sarai
Yeah. It's almost like permission to have fun.
April
Which is something I express in the book, that to approach the book is that these are the tools and ideas I'm providing you, but ultimately, you have to figure out what's your style and what's going to flatter your body. These designs is not going to look good on everyone. It most definitely is not going to look good on everyone.
But how can you tweak it to look good on yourself?
Sarai
Yeah. And I feel like this book would be particularly awesome for somebody who's a teenager who's in high school who is where you were or I was at the beginning of learning to sew, who just wants to get into that experimental phase and have fun and try things out. I feel like this could be a really good introduction to sewing for a person of that age.
April
I agree. I hope that's what it can be used for for many years to come. It's out there now. That's how I feel the book. It's out there, and I just got to let it do its thing. It's going to be there if you want it. Get it. You're not going to read it all the time. It's not a book where you're going to read all the time, but when you need the help, when you need the inspiration, then it's going to be there for you to reach for and flip through.
Sarai
Yeah, definitely a good one to add to your library. It's called DIY Thrift Flip, and we'll put a link to it in the show notes as well. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, April. It was really fun.
April
Thank you so much for having me. I had a lot of fun talking with you.
Sarai
Thanks for sharing your tips.
I hope you guys loved that interview with April. I think she has such a great spirit and such a great approach to sewing and to upcycling, and I personally found it very, very creatively inspiring.
I'm going to recap her 10 tips for upcycling that might be helpful to you guys. One, start with no inspiration. Number 2, wash your clothes if it's second-hand. Number 3, seam rip to save fabric. Number 4, be sure to save your straps. Number 5, drape the garment on yourself. Number 6, shop your own closet first to save money. Seven, don't be afraid to make the first cut and make mistakes. Eight, use patterns to lay out on the garment to figure out how much you need. Nine, don't cut anything away until you're sure of your design and fit. And 10, have fun, which I think is most important tip of all.
I hope you enjoyed this interview. I really had a lot of fun talking to April and just thinking about taking a different approach to sewing and how I can maybe incorporate both upcycling but also altering the garments that I already have to make them more wearable and to be a little bit less wasteful.
I think she had some really good points about that.
And that does it for us this week. I'm Sarai, and this is Seamwork Radio.
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