5 minute read
Stitch ‘em, don’t ditch ‘em by Stephanie Maltarich
DON’T DITCH ‘EM
THROUGH SEWING NIGHTS AND CLASSES, EMILY KULPA HOPES TO HELP PEOPLE REPAIR, RESTYLE AND HANG ON TO THEIR FAVORITE TOGS.
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By Stephanie Maltarich
Peter Dopchev
Emily Kulpa has loved thrifting for used clothing since she was in high school. A couple of decades later, she’s in the business of getting the used textiles back on the clothing market through her shop, Resilient Threads. Now she wants to teach people how to repair their own favorite togs.
“Sometimes when I pick a piece from a store, there’s one button missing, or the tiniest hole,” explained Emily. “And I’m thinking someone gave that away because they don’t have the know-how or the tools to fix it.”
Emily moved to Crested Butte from Summit County four years ago. For most of her adult life, she used her culinary degree to work in restaurants. But a brief encounter with a guy wearing a vintage Calvin & Hobbes t-shirt at a music festival in Gunnison changed her career trajectory.
That guy was Crested Butte local Zach Vaughter. Soon after they met, the pair brainstormed all things vintage and then opened Resilient Threads. What started as a 200-square-foot pop-up shop is now an Elk Avenue storefront that sells vintage, eclectic and funky used clothing.
Emily is passionate about getting imperfect clothes fixed and back into people’s closets, and she is creating community classes and sewing nights around repairing clothes.
Last summer, Emily’s mom, an expert seamstress, visited Crested Butte for a month. She spent much of her vacation with her sewing machine in the back of the shop, fixing clothing items Emily didn’t know how to repair. Before long, Emily noticed friends coming by, sitting on the couches for hours working on their own sewing projects. “That’s actually where this whole thing came from,” she said.
She envisioned a Community Sewing Club, a weekly gathering for people to learn
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how to create, mend or sew. Her flyer says it best: “We don’t need to throw our clothes away if they rip or don’t fit. Let’s figure out how to put some life back into them!” She invites all skill levels and encourages participants to bring “a machine, a project, a question, a good attitude, a desire to learn and collaborate.”
On a cold January evening, Emily prepares for a Community Sewing Night. She rearranges items around the store and sets up card tables for sewing machines, and then pulls out a box of fabric she gathered from local estate sales. She also sets up snacks, tea and pizza for whoever shows up.
The first person through the door is Brie Yost, a first-year ski patroller. Brie is also an expert seamstress who helped Emily create the Community Sewing Nights. The two met last fall when Brie moved to town. While Brie was unpacking, her roommate noticed her large, industrial-style sewing machine and suggested that she connect with Emily.
On their first meeting, the pair talked for hours about sewing, repairing and recycling clothes. They share a passion for secondhand clothing, mending, and creating a community around those ideas. “Having her skill set and energy level has helped me accomplish the things I’ve wanted to do,” said Emily.
Brie is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design. She studied textiles and sewing, and has experience in everything from designing patterns to repairing gear. She also learned about the history of the clothing industry and fast fashion. One class inspired her to change course; instead of designing new clothes, she decided to focus on upcycling and designing items from scraps.
After graduating, Brie worked at Boulder Mountain Repair, a small shop that fixes clothing and gear for wellknown outdoor companies like Dynafit and Montbell. Brie became an expert in replacing and fixing zippers, patching down jackets and hemming pants.
Now, as a ski patroller, she uses her expertise for creative after-work projects and to help those around her. Word of Brie’s skills spread quickly around the ski patrol locker room. “I let the cat out of the bag that I know how to fix zippers,” Brie said with a laugh.
Half a dozen people show up for the Community Sewing Night, each with a different project. Some people have their own machines; others ask Brie for help and advice. They chat, sew and eat pizza.
Throughout the evening, Brie assists others with less experience. One participant asks her help in adjusting the waistline on a pair of jeans. Brie provides a brief
history about “darts” – folding the fabric on the inside and creating a flat seam on the outside.
Brie digs through what looks like a tackle box full of threads, needles, rulers and pens. Recycled glass jars hold buttons of varying colors and sizes. She pulls out a ruler and white pencil and marks up the waistline of the jeans, then folds and pins the fabric into place. Within 15 minutes, the pants are done, and they fit like a glove. Then she moves on to fixing her roommate’s jeans, which are littered with holes.
Brie wants the sewing nights to provide both a place to gather and a space to learn. “The biggest thing we feel excited about is just bringing people together who are either experienced or curious,” she said. “People bring a wide array of different experiences, and when you put them in a room together, it’s really fun to bounce ideas off of each other.”
Brie and Emily hope to host weekly Community Sewing Nights. They eventually plan to offer classes, too, such as beginning sewing skills, tie-die and hand embroidery. In addition to building community and teaching skills, they hope the events help people keep clothing in their closets longer. With the right tools, people can repair or even re-fashion their wardrobes, Emily said, “to update the style and keep it going.” b
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