My flirtation with slow fashion and quilting fabrics was extremely satisfying, inspired by endless scrolling through 100 Acts of Sewing. I think that the idea of a simpler time is evoked by sewing your own clothes with woven fabrics. For some, DIY-ing is considered the ultimate act of resistance to fast-fashion, consumer-driven conformity and clothing consumption. Though of course I did buy the fabric to make the clothes. But I got to dictate the style, and these mid-weight cotton pieces are going to be around for a long, long time, not thrown in the landfill because the fabric is too flimsy or the style too faddish to upcycle or donate.
At the end of the day, it's empowering to know you can make your own clothes. I'll never be a tailor type of girl; idiot-proof styles are best for this home sewer. All I really needed to know how to do was cut, press, and sew a straight line. If you can do these things, and you so desire, you can make your own clothes, too.