The Magic of Upcycling

Hi friends! It’s been a minute.

The ongoing tragedy of the world’s current political situation has me more desperate than ever to unearth everyday bright spots. My far-and-away best example in recent months has been immersing myself in the possibilities of textile upcycling.

What was once purely a creative passion—sewing and fashion design—has taken on vital importance in processing grief, expressing resistance and supporting my mental health.

I’ve always loved sewing, and have early memories of the delight of being allowed to choose a remnant at the local fabric store as a treat, as well as some disastrous projects (notably, cat clothing). Nevertheless, I persisted, learning largely by trial and error, often lost (found?) in flow state for hours on end.

I often hear things like “I don’t have the patience for sewing” or, more bluntly, “I suck at it.” To be real, I’m not the best technical sewer either, however in many ways I find this quite liberating, and an asset when it comes to upcycling.

Rather than seeking to follow a pattern, upcycling requires a more imaginitive approach. Here’s a peek inside my brain as I approach a project: What else could this be? How can I design what I’m making to minimize waste? How can I celebrate what this used to be, alongside what it now is?

On any given day, you will find me holed up in my studio (my father’s former home study), kept company by my mom and her cat, transforming old jeans and table linens into all manner of new garments and accessories.

I won’t bore you with devastating statistics about the global volume of textile waste: I credit my readers with already having at least a vague notion. Volume aside, few credible recycling programs exist, and don’t get me started on labour ethics. If you want to learn more, I recommend here, here and here.

Yes, my beloved fashion industry has a very dark side. Unfortunately, while most of us are to some extent aware of this, too few of us change our behaviour as a result, continuing to fall for new trends, cheap prices and overconsumption.

A pivotal event in the spring of 2025 turned me onto upcycling. My dad passed away very suddenly, and, bereft, I was seized by a desire to make a skirt out of his treasured collection of neckties. Sewing the skirt was a cathartic activity that expressed my grief in a way that no amount of tears or talking ever could. I wore it to his celebration of life, and have since also sported it at a Zero Waste conference!

The idea the we possess the latent creative capacity to transform one thing into another seems obvious. To “MacGyver” is a common expression, meaning to repurpose whatever is at hand to create a novel solution. And yet, my observation is that many of us have yet to acquire this vision, especially when it comes to garments.

I admit that I’m one of those fortunate people who is more than happy to improvise a meal with whatever is on hand, recipe-free. In fact, I prefer this approach when it comes to cooking, and in many ways, to life.

Which brings me to why upcycling textiles makes me so darn happy.

If it was just the satsfaction of keeping something out of the landfill or off a foreign beach, I would still be over the moon. But there’s so much more.

Upcycling is profoundly relational, story-rich, and sartorially rewarding. It’s at once a creative and an activist practice. I now call myself as a Textile Alchemist, which feels wonderful!

If we accept that everything that we create carries an imprint of our energy (which I do), then when we upcycle textiles, we are necessarily engaging with and transforming such energies. There’s magic in it.

It gets even better when I’m able to hear firsthand the stories of the items’ origins. Familial heritage, travel adventures, former selves! Who knew that used clothing and linens could be so dramatic?

Consider the emotional charge of garments like wedding attire, beloved sports team jerseys, or concert tshirts. I still keep a few items of my daughter’s clothing and blankets, and she is twenty.

When I think of this idea of imprint, I’m not just considering who may have worn or used the garments or textiles previously. I’m also thinking about who made them, and even who may have grown their original fibres. How better to honour their legacy of skill and use than to reclaim its value, rather than just throw it away?

More to come on this topic, but for now I’ll close with an invitation: come upcycle with me! My next workshop is happening in Vancouver on Sunday January 18th and will focus on denim (but feel free to bring whatever else calls you along and we’ll see how far we get.) Learn more and registere here. Oh - AND - use code 50OFF to recieve a 50% discount.

Thanks for reading! And hang in there - these are scary times.