Show Notes

• 
  A Living Garment: When Quilts Become Clothes: By Brittany Archibald.


• 
  A Thrifty Notion. This online secondhand fabric store has so many goodies.


• 
  Fabcycle. This deadstock fabric store in Vancouver always has treasures—and you can shop online!


• The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Your Sewing Space


• 
  Podcast listeners get half off an unlimited Seamwork membership when you use this link, plus you get to keep that price as long as you’re a member!


• Tell us your idea for the next icebreakers for makers!

Podcast Transcript

Sarai
I'm Sarai.

Haley
And I'm Haley.

Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio. Welcome back to Seamwork Radio, where we share practical ideas for building a creative process so you can sew with intention and joy.

Today we're talking about five tips for using thrift shop finds to create your next sewing project. It. All right, well, let's go into our icebreaker for today.

What is the best thing you ever thrifted, Haley?

Haley
This is a tough question because I've thrifted for many years now, and I've gotten some really cool stuff. It's a lot of furniture pieces that come to mind. I think my favorite garment I've ever thrifted is I thrifted a cashmere coat that has a fur collar. It's like 1960s beautiful hammered silk lining. Just like all of the amazing details, bound buttonholes has, like, a really cute little kind of bow detail at the collar. Everything about this thing is just the best. And I got it at a thrift store called Out Of The Closet in LA.

Sarai
I love that thrift store.

Haley
It's cute, but they also know what they have, and so sometimes the prices can be a little bit more expensive. And I think this was marked at $40, which, for what it is, is like nothing. But I was really broke, and I had, like, $20 of cash. And Out Of The Closet is a charity thrift store that benefits, I think, medical care for HIV and AIDS patients. And a lot of the times, the staff who works there, like are queer people. And I put on this coat. It fit me perfectly. And so I went up to the guy behind the counter and was like, don't you want to give this to me for $20? Because I look so good in this.

He was like, looked me up and down and was like, “Yeah, I do.” And so it's great. It's my favorite special occasion coat. I wear it to every holiday party, so it's probably familiar to you. Yeah, that's, I think, my favorite.

Sarai
Oh, that's a great story, too. I don't know what my favorite is because I've gotten so many great things from thrift stores. I've gotten a lot of great furniture. My grandmother volunteers at a thrift store and finds great stuff. Kenn's old dresser came from that thrift store. We've just gotten so much great stuff.

I went through a period where I did a lot of thrifting when I was younger, in my early 20s, and I used to go to the bins and stuff like that. And I remember coming across at the bins, this beautiful 1930s silk slip, like nightgown. It was, like, a couple of bucks, super cheap. And it was just, like, the most incredible thing I probably ever found at the bins. Just absolutely gorgeous. I was so thrilled with that. I wish I still had it. That's one of the best things I found.

Another thing. This wasn't at a thrift store, but it was at a garage sale. I was just walking by in our neighborhood in Berkeley, and there was, like, a silk 1930s dress for $5 hanging on a fence. And it was just gorgeous. This brown silk chiffon, this, like, cocoa brown silk chiffon with a cream lace trim all along the top.

And it had a matching belt. It was just really beautiful and actually in good condition, which is, for silk, that's kind of hard to find, especially a silk chiffon. That was pretty incredible.

Haley
And very bold of them to hang it on a fence.

Sarai
They obviously didn't know what they had there. It must have been like a grandmother's or something like that. It had been hanging in a closet somewhere. I haven't found anything that amazing in many years. I feel like that was kind of the era, maybe.

Haley
Yeah, it's definitely gotten harder, and it's, like, more picked over now. A lot of times, the big donation centers, what they end up doing is things get sorted, and then the truly valuable stuff ends up getting sold to people who can then sell it for an even higher price. And then a good portion of that is even shipped overseas.

It can be tough out there, but I still thrift frequently, at least a couple of times a month. And there are good things to be found.

Sarai
Yeah, there definitely are. I find great sweaters all the time because I think that's one thing that I love thrifting.

All right, well, that's a good icebreaker for today's episode. And if you have an icebreaker for us for a future episode and you're a member, go to seamwork.com/go/icebreakers. And that'll take you to a thread on our community where you can leave your question for us, and we'll use it as an icebreaker on a future episode.

All right, so let's talk about our topic for today, which is thrifting for sewing in particular. So there's a lot of waste sometimes in sewing, and I think a lot of people get into sewing in order to reduce waste and to really lessen their impact on our planet. And it's great to go to a fabric store and get that new, beautiful fabric. But sometimes it's nice to find an alternative and really flex your creativity in a new way and help to keep that waste down.

And if you love thrifting like I do, and I know you do, Haley, then you can combine the two things that you love. So that makes it even more fun. How often do you hit the thrift store for sewing supplies?

Haley
Well, like I said, I probably go like a couple, two to three times a month to the thrift store, and I always check whenever I'm there for various things which we will get into in our tips section. But I always do, like, a little. I have like a circuit. I always do my circuit, and that includes things that can be used for sewing. What about you?

Sarai
I don't thrift as much as I used to just because of where I live. I'm not really near as many stores generally, so I just don't go to town as much. So I probably maybe hit up a thrift store, including, like, antique stores and things like that, maybe once a month. And I always look for sewing related stuff, whether that's old patterns or buttons or trims or fabric. I always keep an eye out for that stuff.

Haley
So I mentioned my thrift store circuit. This is one of my favorite questions to ask people who like to thrift. Do you have a thrift store circuit or like a strategy when you go?

Sarai
So I usually start with clothing items, and it really depends on the thrift store, because every thrift store is laid out differently, and every thrift store has a different sort of specialty or thing that they do really well. So there's one by our office. I don't know if you've ever been there. I don't remember what it's called, but it's a very large thrift store.

Haley
Hollywood one?

Sarai
No, it's not the Hollywood one. It's a different one. It's like a true thrift store. It's very grungy and big, and they have a lot of home goods and small home goods, like brass, especially brass candlesticks and things like that. Tons and tons of it. So some thrift stores are going to do better at that. Some are going to be more on the clothing side. This particular one has some good clothing, but it's often quite dirty. You have to kind of know those things about your store.

But I usually start with clothing. My favorite areas for the clothing are going to be sweaters and blouses. I will look at everything else, but those are the two areas where I have the most luck, and I try to keep an eye out in the sweaters area for the right texture. I've been thrifting since I was a teenager, so my eye is drawn to it. But if I see cashmere or if I see something that looks like a high quality, fluffy knit, I'll gravitate towards that. And same with blouses. I'll look for silk. I'll look for those fancier fabrics or the right colors and patterns.

So that's usually what I do first, and then I'll go and look after that at bags and home goods. And for those, I'll pretty much look at everything because you never know what you're going to find in the home goods area included in that. I'll look for all the sewing stuff. If there's sewing stuff, I will definitely check it out. What about you?

Haley
Well, I have the controversial opinion of I like to start with home goods because I feel like it's a good warm up. You don't have to dig quite as much usually when you're looking at the home goods, like furniture especially, but like the small section, lots of times, depending on the thrift store, it's, like, pretty visible when you're scanning the shelves. And then that helps me to determine whether I need a cart or not.

Sarai
Smart.

Haley
I warm up, I get a cart if I need it, and then I dive into clothing. And with clothing, I never take the approach of looking through every single rack because I think you burn yourself out. Also. I think it can be like, kind of like, for me, it's toxic to just—I’ve definitely gone through phases where I just thrift their thrift without really considering what I need. And so I try to be very specific about the clothing items that I look for. Right now, it's sweaters, shirts particularly. I love looking at the men's button-ups, always at outerwear. And as summer approaches, I look more at the skirts and the dresses and shorts, but year round, not quite as much. Sweaters I shop by feel, I can just run my hand along the edge of the hangers and pick them that way.

And then from there, I always look for silk scarves because I collect them, and accessories, bags, jewelry, that kind of stuff, because at that point, I feel like I'm really in the groove and I can dig. Do my digging a little bit more. And then depending on fabric stuff or sewing stuff, kind of gets, like, mixed in with all of that.

Because lots of times, patterns will be with the home goods along with notions and things like that, and then fabrics, like curtains, all of that kind of stuff. It can be hung up a lot of the time. So just as I come across those, that's kind of a little more haphazard, I guess.

Sarai
I think you bring up a good point about not burning yourself out. I think that's another strategy that I definitely employ, because if I spend too much time in a thrift store or one of those huge vintage malls that has tons and tons of stuff in it, the more time I spend, the more my energy goes down, and I get just overwhelmed, and I don't know what I want anymore and what's a good deal and what's not a good deal. So I've found that I have to move quickly.

The same thing in a fabric store, actually, when I'm shopping for fabric, if I'm in the fabric store for, like, 2 hours, it doesn't work. I just get so exhausted by it.

Haley
And you get kind of like. It's like a form of decision fatigue. And sometimes you end up buying something where you're like, why did I buy this? Or you end up passing up something that you regret later. So I think it is important to—I guess our first pre tip tip would be have some kind of strategy in mind when you go to a thrift store, if that's not something you already do.

Sarai
Yeah. And go for the things that you are most likely to find, I think, first, that's kind of what I do, because I know by the end, I can be very exhausted by the whole thing. So I think we've already got some good tips for you guys.

Haley
Yeah.

Sarai
All right, well, let's talk about our tips today.

Haley
Okay. Well, I will kick us off with our first tip, which is to look for alternative textiles.

Of course, at thrift stores, a lot of the times, you can find fabric, just yardage, but that's, like, not the only fabric there is to be had at a thrift store. Some of the places that I always check for textiles are curtains, especially if you can find a set of curtains that can be a really great source of fabric. Tablecloths. I love tablecloths because lots of times, people embroider them, or there's, like, special trims, and you can incorporate those things in creative ways in your sewing project.

Bed linens, you can find really gorgeous things that you could make, like, a sundress out of, but also just something that's, like, real junkie and maybe not so cute can be used as a muslin as well. In addition to that, you can also use comforters or quilts or things like that to make outerwear or like things that look quilted. I think that that can be really fun. Although keep in mind that buying quilts with the purpose of making them into garments is a somewhat controversial topic. But you do you. You can read an article. We have an article about that at Seamwork, and the article is called “A Living Garment: When Quilts Become Clothes.” So definitely check that out if you're interested in hear it learning more and thinking about the controversy of quilts as clothing.

Sarai
You can also sometimes find quilt tops at thrift stores. So somebody has made the quilt top, but never actually created a quilt out of it. And those can be fun to play with, too, either to finish the quilt or to make it into clothing. If you don't want to cut up an actual finished quilt.

Haley
They make me kind of sad sometimes when I see them.

Sarai
Why didn't they finish it?

Haley
Why didn't they finish?

Sarai
Yeah, could be a variety of reasons. I have a couple of vintage quilt tops that I've been meaning to finish that are unfinished sitting in my garage, and I just haven't been able to get to it. But it's not there anymore. But I don't know if you remember this, but there used to be a crafting thrift store in Portland. Do you remember this called Knittin Kitten?

Haley
No.

Sarai
Oh, it was called Knittin Kitten, and it was a craft thrift store. It was a thrift store just for craft supplies. It had patterns and yarn and fabric, and it was just this little, tiny hole in the wall place run by this lady and her daughter. I think I missed that place. That was really fun.

Haley
I missed that place, and I've never been.

Sarai
Plus, it had a great name.

All right, so our next tip is not to forget that you can dye most of the textiles you find. So if you find something and the color isn't quite right, but you do like the fiber, go ahead and grab it. You can always dye it. You can always change up the color. And, of course, this depends a bit on what the fiber is. So different types of fibers are going to require different types of dye, and some are going to take dye better than others. But you can usually do something about the color.

So if the color doesn't seem quite right to you, don't worry about it. There is something that you can do about it. You can also do some creative things with it, like tie dye or ice dyeing. I mean, there's a million different dyeing techniques you could use to make it a little bit different. If it's not quite right for you.

Haley
That's a great tip. I've definitely dyed plenty of things that I've bought at the thrift store before.

Sarai
Yeah, and clothing, too.

Haley
So our next tip is that your thrift store doesn't have to be local. Ifyou live somewhere where there's just, like, not good thrifting to be had. There's so many amazing secondhand and deadstock online fabric stores that you can shop.

Two of our favorites are Fab Cycle in Vancouver. We love them and also A Thrifty Notion in Kansas. And it doesn't have to be a fabric or craft specific thrift store. You could also look online on Etsy and on eBay for secondhand or vintage fabric or patterns, really any number of things that are associated with sewing. I've definitely bought plenty of fabric on both Etsy and eBay before.

Sarai
Definitely. Those are great places. You can find people cleaning out their stash or people who are selling stuff from estate sales. There's all kinds of great stuff on those sites.

All right, tip number four is don't forget to look for patterns and notions as well. At thrift stores, you can often find bulk buttons and zippers and trims. Oftentimes you'll find them just in huge Ziploc bags just being sold as a bulk thing. And they're very inexpensive. And it's always nice to have those things on hand, even if you don't have a use for them right away. I mean, not if you don't like the trim, obviously. But if there are things like zippers or very classic buttons, those will always come in handy. And it's always nice to have them fully stocked in your sewing room.

And then, of course, there's vintage patterns. You can find so many vintage patterns at thrift stores. It is great. There are truly vintage ones. There's ones you can find from the 50s and even before sometimes, but even the ones from not that long ago, from the, 80s or 90s, you can find some really cool styles out there and it might kind of open up your creativity a little bit, thinking about how you can revive it and make it your own.

So I always like to look for patterns when I'm at the thrift store, too.

Haley
Yeah. And don't be too discouraged if it isn't necessarily in your exact size, because I've definitely done little DIY grading jobs on patterns before to get it up a size or two to fit me.

All right. And our final tip is to get creative with upcycling. So, just to preface this, we probably don't have to say this, but just in case, don't purchase plus size clothing or clothing that's a few sizes too big for you because that eliminates options for someone who actually needs them.

That being said, there's still so many other creative ways that you can upcycle clothing that you find at the thrift store. For instance, dresses can be chopped in half to create separates. You could do the same with jumpsuits.

Anything can be cropped or hemmed. This is actually my favorite, is like, a lot can be done by just removing trim, adding trim, updating buttons, small upgrades to things can make a huge difference.

Swapping the enormous 80s shoulder pads on a coat for something that's, like, a little bit smaller, a little bit more modern, and switching buttons on it, and you'll be surprised how it would completely change a garment.

Also, keep in mind, if a garment is imperfect, if it has a stain or a tear, that sometimes that can be a really awesome opportunity to do some creative mending, whether that be embroidery, creating like, a cool patch, something like that, to just make something that feels a little bit more handmade, a little bit more special.

Sarai
That's a great tip. I just found a coat yesterday. No, it wasn't yesterday, but it was a few days ago. I was at an antique store, and there was this beautiful camel colored coat, but it had those little, well, they weren't quite moth holes, but they were like those little flea bites in the wool. And so I didn't buy it because of that.

It might not have looked great with embroidery in those exact areas, but I think that's a good idea for future ideas when I'm looking for stuff and there's small holes like that.

All right, well, I'm going to recap our five tips right now. So our five tips were to, one, look for alternative textiles as well as fabric yardage. So things like curtains, tablecloths, bed linens, things like that. When you're thinking about sewing supplies at the thrift store.

Number two is don't forget about dyeing. You can dye most of the textiles you find, so if something's not the right color for you, you can make it the right color for you.

Number three is that your thrift shop doesn't have to be local, so be sure to look at some online deadstock fabric stores, or you can try things like Etsy or eBay to find those secondhand goods.

Number four is don't forget to look for patterns and notions as well. And it's a great time to stock up on some simple buttons, things like zippers, and trims, and also look for vintage patterns.

And tip number five is to get creative with upcycling and think about all the ways that you can change things up. Use those sewing skills that you've developed in creating garments, from fabric to reimagine the garments that you find in the thrift stores as well.

All right, what is your big takeaway from this episode, Haley?

Haley
I think that my big takeaway is that I love a creative challenge. I find that constraints are such a source of creative mojo for me, and I think that's why I love things like thrifting and incorporating thrifted things into my sewing is because it adds, like, a creative constraint that can be really fun. Like, it makes you feel like you're on Project Runway and Tim Gunn is telling you to make it work.

So I don't know. I think my takeaway is just, like, embracing creative constraints more often instead of looking at it as a limitation.

Sarai
Absolutely. I think that's so true. I think for me, my big takeaway is about the timing thing we were talking about earlier, and that, even something you really enjoy, if you spend too much time on it, if you really put too much energy into it at one go and deplete yourself, it ends up being not as fun.

And I think that's true for thrifting. It's true for fabric shopping. But I think it's true in other areas as well, including sewing. If I spend too much time really struggling with something in my sewing room or just generally exhaust myself doing it, it stops being fun, and I start making mistakes. And I think that's a good thing to take into a lot of different areas of my life.

All right, well, while you're at the thrift store, you might be looking for ways to furnish your sewing space as well. And if that's something that you're interested in, you might want to download the Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Your Sewing Space. This is a free mini guide that we created that has tons of tips and ideas for creating a better and more functional sewing area, no matter how much space you have. And you can get it for free, you can download it at seamwork.com/go/sewingspaces.

All right, so if you loved this episode, would you consider leaving us a review or a five star rating on your podcast platform of choice? We really super appreciate it. We have one today that I'd like to read from Publisher 66. And this person says, “Great podcast. I often get bogged down with fear or just lack of confidence. I need to sew more to build my confidence. Fitting is one of my fears. I made a skirt and I didn't like the way it fit and it did not look good on me. I put it aside and didn't start sewing again for three years. I don't want that to happen again. I'm currently in the beginner's class on Seamwork to refresh and build confidence. Love your podcast, Linda.” Oh, thank you, Linda. That is so sweet. What an awesome review. I love that. I love that she feels like her confidence was once destroyed, but she's not going to let that happen again.

Haley
Definitely. And I really hope that you enjoy the remainder of your Learn to Sew Class.

Sarai
Yeah, it's a fun one. Haley and I put a lot into that class, so I hope it takes you far.

All right. And again, if you have a review you'd like to leave for us, it really helps other people to find the show, so we definitely, definitely appreciate it. It makes our day every single time we read one.

And that's it for us today. I'm Sarai.

Haley
And I'm Haley.

Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio.