By: Kelsey Mannix

Creativity can often be practical: that was the idea behind Alternative Exchange’s “Patching & Embroidery 101” workshop, held on Nov. 14 in the Parren J. Mitchell Art-Sociology Building. 

Alternative Exchange — a new thrift clothing co-op founded and run by University of Maryland students — hosted the workshop to teach students how to embroider and mend clothes, so they can be worn longer.

“The inspiration for this event was that we wanted to make our thrift store pop-up cooperative into more of a community-oriented organization,” said sophomore Arielle Gottleib, a marketing major and Alternative Exchange worker-owner.

During the event, two Alternative Exchange volunteers — Jennifer Witt, a sophomore majoring in agricultural and resource economics, and Noam Elfassi, a sophomore majoring in family science — taught nearly 20 students the basics of embroidering. Attendees used patches of denim to practice on before embroidering their own clothing.

“Me and Noam just want to share our love [of embroidery] with everyone,” Witt said. “If that’s just two stitches … people can use that and go a long way.”

Witt and Elfassi are roommates, and both have turned a fun hobby into individual side businesses. They each sell products they embroider on Instagram.

“What I think is really cool about this is … you take something from a thrift store that’s already been worn … and then you make something really cool and original out of it,” Elfassi said. “I just think it’s so much better than spending so much money on brand stuff. It’s more sustainable when you thrift it, and it’s a cool cycle of art and sustainability.”

The fashion industry creates a significant amount of waste, so repurposing or “upcycling” clothing can actually help the environment, as doing so saves resources.

Upcycle That — a website dedicated to promoting various sustainable initiatives, from purchasing upcycled items to DIY crafts — defines upcycling as “taking something that’s considered waste and repurposing it.”

According to data collected by Quantis, an organization that helps other companies reduce their environmental impacts, clothing and footwear companies create 8% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

In 2017, the EPA estimated that clothing and footwear companies in the U.S. made 12.8 million tons of textile products, a staggering 841% increase from 1960.

Between that same time, the amount, in tons, of clothing and footwear textiles sent to landfills increased 579%.

Upcycling can help reduce those numbers.

“You’re fixing your old clothes so you can wear them more and don’t have to buy new ones or throw them out,” Krupnick said. “I think it’s important that we learn how to fix things for ourselves and … make things last longer and respect the integrity of things that we buy.”

Students who attended the workshop who had never embroidered before walked away with a new skill and appreciation for the craft.

“It’s very personable, and that makes it really exciting,” said Fikir Derese, a junior majoring in letters and sciences. “Having fun with it and being creative is really great.”

“You give new life to people’s labor who may have made your clothing,” Gottleib said. “There’s pretty much no downside.”