I’ve been raiding the thrift store for 100% cotton sheets with patterns or textures that appeal to me. After a trip through the washing machine and dryer, they’re ready to be turned into other things. It’s easier to imagine what they’ll wear like with the softness of well-washed cotton instead of the stiffness of fabric on the bolt. There’s so much fabric that it’s easy to take risks on sewing experiments without feeling like I need to worry too much about maximizing yardage or avoiding mistakes. At the moment, I’d rather buy fabric than finished clothes, if I think I can sew what I want. Every piece is an opportunity to learn something.

Value Village is a bit higher-priced than the other thrift stores, but it has the advantage of being the largest one within walking distance. The price differences aren’t large enough to justify going on the subway. My limiting factor for sewing certainly isn’t a lack of fabric in my stash!

It took me a while to realize that I could get lots of material from the thrift store instead of from the fabric store. When I started getting back into sewing last year, I sewed the same pattern in different solid-coloured fabrics, and then moved on to some of the patterns that I liked: gingham, floral, and even a Marvel Comics print. (Mwahaha!) The more I browsed through the selection at fabric stores, though, the more I felt that I didn’t need to find a specific print or colour in order to make something I would like. If I happened across something I liked at the thrift store, I could add it to my stash. If not, it was a good walk anyway, and there’s still more to sew beyond that.

I suppose it’s a little like how we plan our groceries around the weekly flyers. If diced tomatoes are on sale, then it’s a good time to stock up. If not, we can cook from storage. If we’re out, there are plenty of other things we can cook.

I’m now reasonably confident that I can turn fabric into something simple that I can comfortably wear, and that I might prefer wearing more that something I could buy either used or new. I’m also happy with the kind of fabric that I can easily get, with the occasional splurge or special order here and there. I could spend more – there’s room in my budget, considering it’s part utility, part entertainment, and part education – but I don’t need to, and I like not needing more.