Five Tips for Creating Fabric Art with Meaning

At the most basic sense, sewing is a utilitarian skillset. Sewing clothes, home decor and quilts satisfies basic needs. When you sew a dress or handbag, or sew a quilt to keep warm, it automatically feels special because you made it yourself! Making meaningful art starts on a personal level. Making something that means something to YOU is where it all begins.

I started out sewing handbags and bellbottoms, and at the time the pieces I was creating didn’t feel very meaningful. When I sewed my first quilt, I realized that fabric art can take on so many layers of meaning! I mean, sure, you can make things just because you enjoy making them. There is no shame in that; none at all! But when you infuse meaning into a work, it becomes elevated somehow from the other stuff you have created. Suddenly it becomes an heirloom piece. It becomes part of your legacy.

Truly, meaningful art and fabric art can share part of your story. It can also share your opinions and be a way to share about your values. Infusing your works with meaning can ultimately make a difference! You can use your art to spark a conversation, to get your point across…it can become your mouthpiece to say what you want to say.

Here are five tips to infuse your fabric arts with meaning!

1. Colors tell a story! Colors mean different things in different cultures, and colors have a lot of personal significance. The colors you choose for a work can help get the overall mood across and set the tone for the message behind the work.

2. Prints and patterns speak volumes. Fabric arts are kind of like collage in visual art, because there are so many different fabrics to choose from. This might sound obvious because seamstresses are used to choosing fabrics for various projects, but the prints you use can either add meaning or make the meaning more challenging to decipher. Let the prints and patterns be part of the storytelling in your fabric art.

3. Surface design as a design element can add a lot to your toolkit. You don’t have to know every extensive way to add your own mark making to fabric, you just need a way to write and a way to paint. A lot of seamstresses simply print designs onto fabric with their home printer! That alone can add so much meaning if you print a photo or other imagery that means something to you. Printmaking and block printing are two additional ways to get an image on fabric. Let your method be thoughtful to the message you are trying to convey.

4. Embroidery and stitching can add layers of meaning. I have not ever been a hand stitcher, however if you love stitching by hand, taking the extra time to stitch on your pieces adds so much. Hand stitching is an act of defiance in modern culture, where everything can be purchased with the click of a button. Machines do most of the heavy lifting nowadays, and when you stitch by hand it adds an imperfect, human element to a piece.

5. Shapes and applique also tell a story! The shapes and applique elements you add to a piece can completely infuse your piece with meaning. Applique is the fastest way to add an element of surprise or to tell the story you are trying to convey visually. If you are trying to express meaning visually without words in fabric art; applique is a simple way to do that!

I hope this sparks some ideas! As a seamstress, I’ve tried a lot of different ways to get my point across in my sewing. And I bet you have some tried and true methods that you absolutely love too! Be open to trying new things and think outside the box the next time you create a fabric piece! When you create fabric art with meaning you will treasure that piece for years to come!

Books Now Featured at Beaverdale Books!

My husband and I went to Beaverdale Books today, and dropped off copies of my books! IT IS OFFICIAL! If you live in Des Moines or if you are visiting the area, stop by Beaverdale Books and ask for books by Kathryn Sturges!

When I self published “The Faeries of Octo Bay” a year ago, I had no idea how ground breaking becoming an author would be for my creative life! Writing and illustrating books have become two of my favorite things, and I hope to do both of them for years to come.

When my friend Isaac Beltran of Curiosity Comics proposed that I do a faerie book, I jumped at the chance! That book took me about a year and a half to create. Each illustration was hand drawn on 11x14 inch paper, then carefully painted and inked. It was a true labor of love!

Swing by Beaverdale Books, or find my books on Amazon! I’m just getting started creating books! There are more on the horizon!

Tips for Decluttering the Sewing Room

Don’t seamstresses just have a way of collecting? It’s funny, because I have spent a lot of time thinking about only buying things I need to get by. The truth is, as a creative, I’ve adapted some mindless habits of collecting materials and just plain “junk” that I don’t really need.

Every single time I start getting into the flow with sewing, a new wave of junk manifests in the sewing room. I’ve slowly started decluttering! I gave away some clothes to upcyclers, and still have three trash bags of clothes that I’m not wearing! I’ve set them aside to upcycle and alter. The thing is I have nowhere to put them! I was going to donate the clothes, but the struggle is real! When you can think of ten ways to alter or upcycle each piece, it feels wasteful to get rid of them.

Here are some tips for decluttering in the sewing room!

1. Everything was purchased for a reason, but pretty quickly you can find yourself swamped with supplies you never got around to using. What is with Amazon selling sewing supplies in bulk?! Gone are the days when you can just buy one zipper or button. Every time you need one buckle, you wind up with ten! Do you feel me?! If you bought multiples of an item, but still haven’t used a single one, keep a few and then get rid of the rest. You can sell the extra or donate them. When in doubt just throw it out!

2. Accuquilt GO! sounded fun, but I literally only used the thing ONE TIME! Get rid of any flashy equipment that didn’t live up to the hype.

3. I have a bad habit of hoarding scraps! When I sew I cram the excess material and scrap fabric into my polka dot bins, and they sit there for eternity. Go through your hoards of scrap material and only save what you will actually use. Also, if you have scraps in bins from quilting days gone by, it might help to go through that material and pitch anything under a certain size. Let’s say you love working with 4 inch squares. Cut the scrap materials into four inch squares, and pitch anything smaller.

4. Stacks of old magazines and paper products…anyone?! I save all my old magazines…to a point. Eventually it comes time to thin the herd. I got into bookmaking and bought a bunch of old magazines and a vintage catalog. The thing is, it isn’t doing me any good just sitting on a shelf never to be used. Put things where you will use them, and if you don’t plan on using the magazines within the next year, give them the heave ho. For quilt mags and project magazines, scan the pages with projects you want to remember and then recycle the magazines. If you are an artist, keep a collection for collage and put it where you can easily get to it. Then get rid of the rest.

5. My sewing room also doubles as a closet, and all my handbags and random stuff goes in there! You can only fit so much into a space before it is no fun to be in there! Make space for life, and store or donate the things you don’t plan on using again. If you need money, throw a garage sale. Or share the wealth and gift things to family and friends.

Summer is here, and I have a bunch of new projects coming to life! But first, I need to get a handle on my stuff. The best time to declutter is at the start of something new. It opens up room for fresh inspiration to come in!

Stop Making Space for New

I donated two big bags of clothes to ThredUP, and now I find myself torn. What happens when you stop making space for new things? I guess that is one way hoarders get into the problems they find themselves in. Because they stop getting rid of things but keep buying and collecting.

I have two closets, lucky me! I live in an old house that was built in 1916 (or so) and the closets aren’t as fancy or stylish as modern ones are. They are just regular closets which jet out from the house. On the back of my home you can see an area that sticks out, and that is where the closets are. Nearly all the homes on my block have them.

Both closets are pretty jammed with stuff. In my bedroom closet, I store bags of blankets, hats and lingerie bags in the bottom of the closet. And then there are the clothes. Lots of them! In the sewing room closet, clothes are crammed in. And the bottom is filled with nearly all the art I have made in the last ten years, along with sewing supplies and other miscellaneous stuff.

So I ponder this…what happens when you stop making space for new? Can you live with the things you have right now, or alter them and mend them to make them last for years to come?

Joseph Goldstein teaches something the Buddha taught. Stop craving sense pleasure, stop craving to be somebody special, stop chasing desire. Then you will know the joy of the present moment as it really is. I’ve been thinking about those things a lot lately!

Coming up in January I am beginning a personal challenge! I tried it a couple of times before, and failed. But this time I feel prepared to go the distance! And it starts with not chasing desire. It starts with stopping craving new things. And really tuning in to the abundance I already have!

Buying a Responsibility

I’ve been trying (and trying) to catch up on laundry. I feel frazzled and like I will never “catch up” on my household responsibilities. Truthfully, most of the time I prioritize creative projects over household projects, nearly all the time truth be told. But lately my allergies have been pretty bad, so I’m doing what I can to get all clothes and linens mostly washed and put away. I have also been trying to go through my wardrobe. I’m trying to get down to a manageable amount of clothes and store the rest, or alter them.

Today, when I was putting away a load of laundry, it really hit home. When you buy clothes, you buy a responsibility! It is so easy to put something in your shopping cart and press purchase. But once you get the clothes home, the work begins. Keeping things clean, making sure things are put away, tending to tears and stains, hemming or ironing if you are into that…it all amounts to a whole lot of work! Which can be really time consuming when you have too many of a good thing.

My fashion break is off to a good start! I’ve gone nearly a month since I bought clothes. The last time I did was right around Black Friday. It does help that I have abundance, almost too much of a good thing. Because the punishment of trying to get everything washed and put away is reminding me why less is sometimes more, and why I don’t need one other new thing!

What Happens When You Stop Buying Fast Fashion?

I’m over four months in to not buying fast fashion! I caved and bought some pants, and then I bought a hoodie. I also ordered a few tops and some jeans! OY VEY! Breaking up with fast fashion is not easy. Especially when you love updating your look often and enjoy browsing all the latest styles!

Fast fashion is a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, one of the best ways is to stop shopping so much and to focus more on using what you have. Fast fashion is terrible for the environment! Just on the production side alone, endless chemicals and waste are spewed into the environment. People are paid mere pennies to sew the garments that people buy. If something only costs $10 to buy, you can bet that the person who made the item was barely paid at all for their efforts.

Sweatshops still exist, and the USA is the biggest contributor to keeping them going. We want to buy things on the cheap. I’m not pointing fingers here, because the dollar doesn’t go very far these days. I shop sales too! I look for discounts on goods all the time. Reality is though, I have a wardrobe full of clothes that I’m not all that excited to wear. Stores have mastered the art of making you feel like you aren’t good enough unless you buy a new dress or jacket. But the truth is…we don’t need all the endless clothes to be fulfilled!

What happens when you stop buying fast fashion…or clothes in general?

1. You save your heard earned money! Suddenly I have cut my budget in half, which means my husband and I can pay down debt faster and have more money to get by on.

2. You have less tedious laundry chores to do. I mean, I have heaps of clothes. And when I was buying more I would stew over the fact that every time I bought more things it would just add to my weekly laundry pile.

3. You start focusing more on actually doing all the things you had put on the back burner. You start to focus on becoming who you want to be, instead of just shelling out money to shop all the time. A big wake up call here…you were not just born to buy things. I know that sounds stark, but the entire economy is focused on everyone paying money for things they don’t really need.

4. You begin to have more free time! If you are a big time shop-surfer, and believe me I used to be; when you stop wasting so much time browsing online shops you have more time to pursue your passions, live a life you love and go after your dreams.

5. You begin to focus on what matters most to you! That is the greatest gift of all. Once you disengage from being a cog in the consumerist machine, you start to have a lot more say over how you are going to spend your life! What I’ve come to realize…which should have been a no brainer in the first place…is that the people in my life and my creativity matter most to me. Shopping is just a way to meet a need, it shouldn’t be a hobby to fill your time!

6. You let your values lead the way, and make more conscious decisions about how you spend your time and money. I have a friend who prints t shirts! It is his art, and I choose to support his t shirt business. I also choose that I don’t want to shop from stores that don’t care about people or the planet. When you take a break from buying things that you were addicted to buying, it leads the way to living more closely to your values. And that feels so incredible!

It’s funny when you realize how duped you have been by consumerism! You can completely lose touch with who you are and what matters most to you! Now, that being said, my own personal convictions tell me that it is ok to shop second hand because that keeps clothes out of the landfill and extends the life cycle of garments. I will also continue to support upcyclers. I love me some upcycled clothes! And I love sewing and altering clothes too. When you shop second hand and support upcyclers, you are making a difference for individuals instead of the corporate machine. And what’s not to love about that!

My Last Receipt

My Last Receipt From Fast Fashion! It was from Avenue on November 24th, 2023.

Marion Tunic - navy

SKU: 93466393449571

Pocket Print Tunic - gray

SKU: 93466397049661

Charlene Side Tie Top - red

SKU: 9359219358817

So there it was, I bought three more tunics I didn’t need! And it hit me like lightening. It was time to stop buying clothes and just sew what I need instead! I’ve been feeling so guilty about my consumeristic, hedonistic ways for far too long. And really, I probably have enough clothes to last me for many long years to come!

I am feeling giddy with anticipation!

There are a few rules to my fashion break. The start date was November 24 and I’m hoping to go as long as I possibly can into the distant future.

Rule One: No more buying anything brand new. That includes clothes, handbags, and fashion accessories.

Rule Two: Shopping upcycled and thrifting will be ok, on rare occasion.

Rule Three: Undergarments are still ok to buy.

Rule Four: I will be transparent on my blog if I mess up and buy new clothes.

Rule Five: I will only allow myself to shop for new clothes five times in 2024, and that is if I absolutely need something.

Rule Six: Shoes and handbags are obviously great, and I will still buy those new. But I am putting a limit on how many I have, and only buying them if I absolutely need to.

Alright, my friends….I’m stoked! If you want to try your own kind of similar challenge, let me know on Instagram! We can take our power back from consumerism, and help slow fashion become a way of life.

Update! It is now March 24th, and I’ve bought new clothes four times! Pants, a hoodie, a handful of tops and two pairs of jeans. I’ve also purchased some upcycled clothes from Epolstyle on Etsy! I am so addicted to shopping for clothes! I’m only allowing myself one more splurge on fast fashion this year. I’m trying to go until Black Friday, 2024, and it is only March! I’m getting my sewing machine primed up and fabrics organized to get sewing!

Ten Ways to Soothe Yourself Instead of Shopping

About a week ago I got an injury while I was lifting weights. I’m trying to get workouts in with the Big Fit Girl workout app, but I’m starting pretty out of shape. Today I worked out again and the injury came back full force. It is this annoying pain in the back of my ribcage, and it really hurts! So I sat at my desk tonight and went on Facebook for a second, got out my journal, and basically felt frantic to try and soothe myself. Then it occurred to me that I have been wanting a new purse. As a (former) collector of handbags, I started looking at Nordstrom Rack and then Etsy for a new bag. I stopped myself from buying anything. Then I figured out other ways to soothe myself instead.

Ten Ways to Soothe Yourself Instead of Shopping

1. Have a snack or prep some meals. This one is good because prepping meals, baking or finding a healthy way to nourish yourself is a great place to start!

2. Write in your journal or do some art journaling. I got out my journal and wrote about how I was feeling.

3. Shop your own closet. Chances are you already have something similar to what you were thinking about buying.

4. Read a book to get some inspiration.

5. Make something with your hands. This one is a perfect go to for me, because I can sew a bag in less time than it actually takes to order one and wait for it to arrive on my doorstep.

6. Take a walk or work out.

7. Meditate. Light a candle and take some deep breaths. You could also say a prayer and connect with the Divine.

8. Do something kind for someone else. My husband wanted some cinnamon rolls tonight, so I baked some for him.

9. Listen to music or Youtube some music videos. This one is my go to, and you can have so much fun discovering new music.

10. Take a nap. If you are stressed or feeling like impulse shopping, chances are you really need to unwind instead. Get some rest and hold off on spending until you are more relaxed and can make a better decision.

Well, I did not shop tonight so it was a win for the environment and for my pocketbook! I got to save some money and do things that truly filled my well. Nurture yourself when you feel the urge to shop, or find ways to be of service to others. Shopping is not true self-care, it is merely a distraction. Take care of yourself instead of impulse shopping and your life will feel amazing!

Sew a Princess Peach Dress for Cosplay and Renaissance Faire

If there is one thing I look forward to the most in Summertime, it is the local Renaissance Faire! I’ve been noticing also how Cosplay is giving people the chance to dress up to honor the characters who represent characteristics they love. It is so easy to whip up a Princess dress. Just add a princess crown and staff, and some boots and you will be ready to rock the Ren Faires and Cosplay conventions!

I started with a pink top that I had gotten from Torrid a few years ago. You don’t have to go with pink though, however pinks or neutral tones give more of a Princess feel. I was thinking more “Princess Peach” from Mario when I did this dress. However you might have a different inspiration for your own make. I also used white unicorn fabric for the sleeves! I sourced the fabric in a secondhand fabric bundle from Etsy last year.

Here’s how I made this dress!

Materials: crop top that you want to upcycle, two to three yards of fabric depending on your waist/hip measurement, and a contrasting knit for the sleeves

Step One: You don’t have to go by exact measurements here, but make sure the fabric is 1 1/2 to 2 times longer than the bottom hem of the crop top. To make the skirt, fold the fabric in half wrong sides together, and stitch the long ends together with a straight stitch. (The fabric I used was sheer, however you don’t have to double up the fabric if you don’t want to.). Next, gather the fabric along the raw edge to create kind of a giant ruffle. Adjust the gathers to fit the crop top, then sew the vertical seam of the fabric to form the skirt. Attach onto the crop top with a straight stitch.

Step Two: Remove the sleeves off the crop top. Estimate how long you want the sleeves to be, and measure the opening of the sleeve area on the top, then cut out two pieces of fabric rectangles that match those measurements. My sleeves were cut at an angle, to give a more Princess feel. Fold one of the rectangles in half, with the open seam at the bottom. Then lay the sleeve opening on the top at the top edge of the rectangle, and trace the opening onto the fabric rectangle. Cut out the shape of the top of the sleeve, then sew the long edge of the sleeves together with right sides touching. Attach the sleeves to the top and hem the sleeves.

Step Three: Embellish the dress however you like! Add lacing detail down the front or trims. You could add a button placket to the middle of the front, or an applique design. My top already had a heart cut out, so I left it as it was.

Top Five Reasons to Upcycle Clothes

If you have sauntered through my website, you probably caught on that I love sewing upcycled clothes. I started out upcycling back in the early 2000’s. Then I went through a phase as a quilter. I always had kind of a scrappy love of using what I had on hand instead of always rushing out to buy fabric for each project. That practice of using what I had made my quilts explode with color and print as I constantly busted out my scrap stash for each quilt instead of using precuts or yardage.

In 2021 I came back to upcycling. My website was an online journal where I documented my healing journey and shared about my art and sewing. In 2021 I started over, so to speak. I got back to what brought me to sew in the first place, which was upcycling clothes. Sewing clothes is my passion! I love altering my wardrobe and constantly get ideas for fresh upcycles.

Something drew you to my website, and chances are you love upcycling clothes too, or at least you are interested in giving it a try! Here are five reasons to upcycle clothes!

1. Upcycling your wardrobe reduces your carbon footprint, especially when you stop buying so much fast fashion and embrace slow fashion as a way of life.

2. Upcycling your clothes can help you create a completely unique wardrobe. You can’t put a price tag on being able to express yourself with the clothes you wear. When I wear my upcycles out and about the city I feel like I’m confident and can take on the world. It feels so good to wear my art on my sleeve!

3. Upcycling your wardrobe is an art form! Fashion designers are also embracing upcycling as a way to express their vision, and you can see upcycled clothes everywhere from the runway to fashion magazines.

4. Personally, altering my wardrobe has increased my self-confidence by leaps and bounds. Clothes have a way of drawing your people to you! If you want to meet like minded people, wearing your me makes and expressing who you are with your wardrobe makes a first impression that is unforgettable.

5. Skills building and trying new techniques also gives you so much self-confidence, makes you more intelligent and the skills you learn build on each other. Even if you are just starting out though, your makes will be completely original and one of a kind! That is the nature of creativity when you “keep your eyes on your own paper” and just do you!

Why do you upcycle? What got you interested in giving it a shot? There are so many projects here on my website, and found across the web. Get to that sewing room and create! Then rock your makes proudly out in the world.

Weaving with Upcycled Fabrics

Ok, so this post comes from the wayback machine! I like to envision the little bit of Scooby Doo effort that went into my makes back in the early 2000’s! I didn’t know a thing about sewing at the time, and had not yet been influenced by books and online tutorials. So I just came up with ideas by experimentation.

These two weavings came from my experiments. I was working with pre worn corduroy pants, and also got a bolt of white corduroy fabric. I used procion dyes to dye the white corduroy in batches. Eventually I decided to do a couple of weavings to hang up.

The concept here is that you just need fabric strips and a glue stick along with a sewing machine. As you are weaving, dab a little glue onto the backs of the woven strips to keep them in place. Let the glue dry overnight. Then sew along the edges of the rows with a wide zig zag stitch. On the orange weaving, I worked by creating sixteen patch of woven squares, and then sewed them together to create the larger piece.

I can see weaving being really cool for the back of a jacket, as a tunic or the top of a dress, or even as patches to mend clothes! Work small, work big, the process is pretty much the same!

I hope this little bit of inspiration gets you thinking creatively!

A Word from 1 Peter 3: 3-4

Over the years I have thought a lot about expectations regarding appearance. Both men and women face those expectations if they want to be accepted in society. I mean, most people have responsibilities to tend to. Work, running errands, date nights, and more!

As a seamstress I have focused much of my path on clothes. It gets me thinking a lot about the way I show up in the world. The truth is I’m really low maintenance these days. Something about turning 40, then 45, and now 46 has me shrugging off the pressure to look marvelous all the time. Yoga pants, hoodies and t shirts have replaced the way I used to get dressed to the nine’s for my day to day life.

Part of the aging process is fighting off the effects of time! There is make up and every lotion and potion imaginable. There is pressure to get plastic surgery and hold on to youth for top dollar. There is so much pressure to conform to beauty standards or face ridicule. You might even be written off completely if you don’t look just right! But looking just right changes depending on who is looking at you. One person likes a woman to look this way, another that. Pressures among groups of friends also run so high.

The great thing is you can dress how you want! If you want to wear make up and do your hair every day…that’s great! If you want to throw on a hat, (like I do), and not put that much effort in…that’s your choice. There isn’t a right or wrong way to show up in the world. Just showing up is enough! And it isn’t your job to dress to impress other people. That’s also a choice you get to make. It can be a form of resistance to wear sweatpants sometimes instead of getting all dolled up.

What are you wearing these days? The most important thing is to please yourself! Regardless of whether you dress to the nine’s or wear the same clothes day after day…treating others like you want to be treated, and lifting others up is what truly matters! Some of the worst looking people have hearts of gold! And some of the best looking people are the most heartless and cruel. Wear your he(art) on your sleeve and just do you!

Sew an Art Dress and Make a Statement!

Wearing your art on your sleeve is so much fun! Nowadays, people have opinions on all manner of things. They always have however I find that today people feel more free to share those opinions even if they go against the grain. In the past, it wasn’t polite to talk money or politics and today anything goes! You can’t go a few minutes without someone voicing their political views. Every conversation is a kind of battle field, where your views can make or break your relationships.

I bought some secondhand fabric off Etsy last year, and in the bundle of random pieces I got an army fabric. I was wondering what good use could come of it! I support the army wholeheartedly, and I know it is a path for a lot of people. And at the same time I love peace. I love dreaming of a world where wars don’t need to be fought.

This dress came about from that idea! I had thrifted a crop top that said “Good Viber Paris”, so that needed covered up to make my statement. Truthfully I bought the top to upcycle, and then last week the stars aligned and I got to sewing!

Detail from the “Coexist Upcycled Dress” by Kathryn Sturges

My new Brother sewing machine has a basic lettering font! And I can’t wait to embroider more art clothes and projects in the future with it!

Sew a Patchwork Dress

Last night I sewed for three hours, and it felt like the best three hours of my entire life! I was struggling since January with a new sewing machine that didn’t work. However last weekend my husband brought me to JoAnn’s and we picked up a Brother! The machine is so easy to use. I set it up and got to sewing right away with it.

This dress took about four to five half hour sewing sessions. I've still had a stack of cotton squares on my sewing table, so I just grabbed some and whipped them into a dress. Super simple and the end result is gorgeous! I added lace to the bottom hem. I’m looking forward to wearing this dress when I go to the park or on my next day trip.

Here are a few tips for sewing a basic patchwork dress.

1. Try cutting off the top you are upcycling a few inches under the armpit area. That raises the start of the skirting to the top of the bust area, which gives the dress a super cute vintage feel. Hello 1960’s!

2. I used six squares horizontally, and then estimated how long I wanted the dress to be. When I was sewing, I stretched the top as I sewed so that the top of the skirting would have a slight gathered effect, and wound up needing to add more squares to complete the row. If this happens for you, just stop three to four inches before the end of the seam, add in more squares and then finish sewing.

3. Sew the vertical seam on the skirting last. This way you can add more squares if needed. When you get to the end of the seam, leave about an inch opening. Next, sew the vertical seam down the side of the patchwork squares. Trim the edge of that seam and finish the edge with a zig zag stitch. Then go back and finish attaching the skirting to the upcycled top.

Spring is right around the corner! Whip up a patchwork dress to wear on the Equinox!

Upcycling as a Form of Rebellion

Society will tell you what looks good and what looks bad! People will try to tell you to lose weight or do whatever it takes to reach that “good looking” status. Lately I’ve been sweating it, because after I went to the hospital I had to go on oxygen for a month. And I put on some weight!

What I love the most about upcycled clothes is that they are a big middle finger. They are a middle finger to pop culture, fashion magazines, and anyone who has ever shunned me for how I look. They are also a big “f-you” to anyone who tries to tell me how I “should” dress myself. I don’t see people in the media that look like me very often. And when I do, they are type cast to be either a loser or so desperate that they cannot create a life. Upcycling clothes and rocking my makes gives me the courage to play bigger in my life! And nobody can take that power away from me…not pop culture or naysayers hating on me for how I look..

Part of the reason I upcycle is pure rebellion. I live in Iowa, where people do not express themselves very often with the clothes they wear. If you aren’t wearing a solid or striped shirt with khaki’s or jeans….you don’t fit in. Especially in cornbread white culture, it is not ok to stick out in any way. The status quo is to blend in and not be too colorful!

Back of upcycled dress by Kat Sturges

Upcycling is also a form of rebellion because it is an alternative to the waste economy. Why throw something away when you can make it even more fabulous? Why buy into the rhetoric that you always have to buy something new just to fit in?

Why do you upcycle? What is it about wearing your own makes that keeps you coming back for more? Upcycling has a hold on me, big time! There is something so exciting when you wear something you took the time to make for yourself. It is an act of taking some of your power back from the fashion industry. Because you can create a look that is true to you, not some cookie cutter rendition of what a million other people are wearing at any given time.

Let's Talk Pockets...

I bought this flannel of Etsy a few years back. And I swear, the pocket makes the flannel just SING! Recently I got some cotton squares off of Amazon because I wanted to experiment and see what I could do with them. And lo and behold, I started adding big pockets to EVERYTHING! LOL! I keep the quilt squares on my sewing table now, and anytime I come across something that could just use some pockets, I add some.

KItten Cardigan by Kathryn Sturges

The front of these pockets is made of fabric from a vintage sheet, and the pockets are lined with cotton squares.

My husband would probably divorce me if I added these pockets onto everything that I want to add them to. Seriously though, I wear a lot of pants that don’t have pockets. So having giant pockets on things, or extra pockets, is just the way to go. I dress more for comfort today, and I love artsy craftsy clothes. So these pockets will be a mainstay for my upcycles going forward.

I’ve even been adding big pockets to some art portfolios that I’m covering! Precut quilt squares are so versatile, and I bet if you had a stack by your sewing machine you could come up with all kinds of uses for them too!

Art Video: Body Positive Lovers

I’ve been experimenting with making some more art videos for Instagram! I did this video yesterday and have decided to only share it here on the blog. This painting is for all the women who think they can’t be loved because of how they look. I have to tell you, I have always crushed on guys with big noses! LOL! I’m not sure why that is. If there is something you don’t like about the way you look, can you take a moment to just appreciate that your face and body are pure miracles! Nobody on Earth looks exactly like you do. We are each like snowflakes, no two of us are exactly alike.

I have an identical twin sister. When we were younger we looked similar, but she wore glasses. Today we barely even look like we are related. I gained weight and she is thin. She wears glasses still and has long hair, and my hair is bob length. Sometimes I wish I looked more like her. But just for today, I’m appreciating what a miracle it is just to be me!

So without further ado, here is the art video I made! Love on yourself this month! Accentuate the qualities you love and rock it!

Clothes for the Seasons of Life

Seasons change, and people change too! Different seasons of life require different kinds of clothes.

If you have abundance of clothing, it can feel really challenging to figure out what you want to wear season by season. Now that I’m in my mid forties, I’m trending toward black and darker colors more often. But I still love florals, prints and scrappy things too! Depending on the stage of life you are in, clothes can make that stage feel great or not so much.

Here are a few questions to consider when you are putting together your seasonal wardrobe.

1. What season of life are you in? Do you work outside the home, or are you more of a home body?

2. Do you love dressing for comfort, or is utmost fashion your thing regardless of how comfortable it is? If you prefer comfort, is there a way you can be comfortable while also wearing fashion that makes you feel sassy or sexy?

3. Do you want to stand out or do you more want to fade into the fabric of life like a wallflower? What pieces make you feel most confident depending on the situations you find yourself in?

4. If you could travel back in time to any era…whether you were alive during that time or not, what would it be? Is there a way you can incorporate more of that era into your current wardrobe?

5. Do you let your age define your style? Oftentimes people feel like they have to dress a certain way in order to “look right” for their age group. Would it be possible to shake off that stodgy attitude, and wear what lights you up most?

What stage of life are you in? And does your wardrobe reflect that? As a seamstress, you can always alter the things in your closet to fit whatever stage you are in! That is one of the major benefits of sewing for yourself. I’m going to rethink some of my clothes, and transform my closet into something that represents who I am today!

Thrifty Holidays for When You are Broke

This post is probably not something you will see very often. But I wanted to write this, because a lot of people in the USA are struggling financially. It is totally cool to have a thrifty Christmas! Giving pre-loved items to others, or giving items you bought but never used is a great way to share what you have. It is also eco-friendly and an Earth conscious way to show people you care without dropping tons of money on stuff they might not even need. I have gifted items I bought for myself that didn’t work out. Some of them still had tags, and some didn’t!

One thing that is huge in my family is “regifting”. That is when you receive a gift, don’t like it, so you give it to someone else. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But be sure that the giver doesn’t find out! I have given my Mom many gifts, only to later see one of my sisters using the gift! And that kind of hurt a little bit. So be thoughtful with “regifting” and give and receive graciously.

Some items that are great for giving when you are broke are things like pre-loved books, art and craft supplies you bought but never got around to using for the makers in your life, candles from your collection if you have too many, handbags and fashion items you bought but then never wore, pre-loved jewelry, items like semi-precious stones from your collection, ornaments or other small decorative items.

Another idea is to just buy some jars, and fill them up with the necessary ingredients for a cookie recipe. Include the recipe with the jar. Or make some homemade granola and gift that! Christmas cookies with a card are pretty much always a welcome gift too, unless someone is on a diet.

Yet another idea is to get some small tins, and fill them with a vial of essential oil along with some small items that remind you of the recipients. You can prime the tin with gesso and paint it, or collage paper onto it.

In the past, I was especially thrifty with gifting. I’m not sure it was always appreciated, but I was working with a meager amount of money. Do small touches with the gifts, like include a bookmark with a pre-loved book, or add other little touches to the gift to make it more thoughtful.

Christmas is about sharing and caring, and when you give with love, it often doesn’t even matter what the gift is. Sometimes it is the thought that counts more than anything else!