for the love of thrifting

Sure there are moral, financial, conscious consumer reasons I do what I do, just like with everything I spend my money on, but I’m really not interested in greenwashing (don’t get me started). I use second hand material mainly because I love to thrift!

I honestly find thrifting fabric to be much more enjoyable than sourcing material online or at fabric stores near me. There is truly no comparison. I’m sewing because it’s fun for me and I love the process, so I want to love as much of the process as I can, including sourcing fabric.

I’m notoriously indecisive so shopping at fabric warehouses is a doozy, and online fabric shopping is my personal nightmare because I can’t touch anything! I will almost always leave empty handed in both scenarios because there are simply way too many options.

But spending some caffeinated hours with my headphones on going through a few mysterious racks at 2, 3, 4, or 5 thrift stores in a row? Now that is the quest for me.

Here is my number one tip for a successful thrift. I am always setting intentions. Yes, I’m manifesting! for the thrift store! When I first get in my car, I tap the wheel with my hands and say out-loud exactly what I’m looking for. “FABRIC FOR SEWING”, sometimes I’m real specific sometimes I’m a little more open minded. I turn the key and then I make my way. Sometimes I leave a thrift store empty handed. But sometimes?!? Magic.

Some gems from this weeks thrift haul

This month I found multiples of the same brand of tablecloth in three different colors at 2 different thrift stores on the same day? Wild. And 8 months apart I find the same 100% waffle cotton curtain so I can finally make more limited edition waffle cotton napkins! Brilliant. And 2 YEARS apart I find the same quilted shimmery curtain that I made some of my favorite pants TO DATE out of, so I get to make another pair for someone else! Like….that rules!!

Last week I made final tweaks to a few patterns and this week I thrifted material for those patterns, not knowing what I would find. What a chaotic thrill! this process opens up my narrowed view of what I want to make, i learn mini lessons in patience, shifting and problem solving. It expands the possibilities of what I can and want to make, pushes me to think of new ideas or reimagine what I thought something was going to look like. It’s improvisational and fluid and I really like that about this process because I tend to be pretty rigid with my ideas. And that is why I love to thrift my material, it’s all just play.

hope you’re well, xoxo leah