After finishing a long day of classes and homework, these students turn not to their phones, but to the sewing machine. Surrounded by thread spools and fabrics, they craft garments with a passion no factory could ever match. For them, sewing will always be a creative outlet, where they can make something true to themselves.
Noah Anderson, a sophomore at Community, has been sewing since early 2024, when he altered the fitting of a piece of clothing. Since that moment, Anderson has viewed clothes as a form of art and self-expression. It has become therapeutic for him over time, a sort of puzzle for himself, of creating a vision and making the idea come to life.
Anderson’s clothes are always personalized to him, where he believes that if you have the ability to create any specific piece you want, you can wear exactly what fits your personality. Anderson’s inspiration for his pieces comes from anything found around him, from architecture to an emotion.
“I think when I make my own clothes, I can really delve into one concept and exaggerate or make statement cases that you might not see in a store or just walking down the street,” Anderson said.
Bea Britt, a freshman at Community, has always enjoyed art-related skills, which ultimately led to her exploring the art form. Growing up, Britt watched her mom fix her family’s clothes, which she now thinks of fondly, as it inspired her to try sewing herself and take classes.
Britt enjoys the imperfection of her clothes compared to the flawlessness of factory-made items, finding that it makes her art more unique. During the process of creating each garment, thoughts run through her mind of things to add, change and take away.
“It’s fun, I like the process of it and I like the end result,” Britt said.
Aria Rosenfeld, a freshman at Community, has been sewing since she was five years old, when she first learned the skill from a kit that was given to her by her mom. From this day forward, Rosenfeld has known that sewing is what she wants to do with her life.
Today, she has branched out into making her own clothes and using a sewing machine. After years of experience, Rosenfeld believes that creating clothes is an art form in itself. “It’s being able to be a lot more creative and actually make my ideas come to being,” Rosenfeld said.
Part of Rosenfeld’s design process is carefully sketching each of her pieces before beginning the sewing process, which is part of what makes her work even more unique. Doing this has given her art personality and has overall made Rosenfeld a more creative and thoughtful person.
Azalea Vaderelzen is a freshman at Community and has always had a passion for sewing. Practicing the skill since she was nine years old, Vaderelzen now has a greater understanding of overconsumption and its effects. Because of this, she now recognizes why people upcycle clothing, driving her to do the same.
“I think there’s a level of uniqueness in the clothes being one-of-a-kind pieces, and because they’re made from things that someone gave away and didn’t want anymore, it’s a form of renewal,” Vanderelzen said.
Coming from her interest in art history and historical paintings, she draws inspiration from many artworks, taking note of the different styles and working this into a more modern take. She even does the opposite of this, taking newer clothes and using their fabrics to create an older look. Vanderelzen believes that all art is the inner workings of the artist, referencing thoughts and feelings they experience.
Ruby LaTarte, a sophomore at Community, also sees sewing as a form of self-expression. She uses lots of colors in her pieces, which she feels correlate to her bright personality. For LaTarte, sewing has always been a part of her life. She first started hand sewing at just three, and her grandmother taught her how to use a machine at the age of four. Because sewing has always been a part of her world, she’s always used sewing as a medium to create art.
LaTarte attributes some of her passion and skill to her dyslexia, which makes her think in lots of colors and shapes. Thinking through color and shape helps her find inspiration to improve her pieces as well as create new ones.
“The fact that I’m dyslexic, and just how that works, the two things work really well together,” LaTarte said. “I think in images and shapes and I can spin those around in my brain and see the final project before I finish it.”
Community’s sewers are all passionate about the craft, each with their own style and motivation to create. They all find sewing as an art of expression and of conveying individuality. Whether they’ve come to it recently or have been practicing it for years, they’ve found meaning in their work.
