By Araceli Uribe
Junior Sunny Walder has been flourishing in her patchwork abilities, having first picked up needles, thread, and fabric when “[her] grandmother taught [her to sew] in kindergarten.” Last year, Sunny began her patchwork journey because she “wanted to fix her clothes up,” and although no particular person inspired her, the craving for distinctive clothing and her desire for unique pieces she couldn’t find anywhere else motivated her to start. Sunny realized she could make designs catered to her own style since she already knew how to sew, and she finds that her patchwork gives a “second life to things,” giving clothing an inimitable personality. To make her patchwork pieces, Sunny usually thrifts items as a base and begins from there, allowing her to revive clothing from middle school that she would no longer wear and transform them into some of her favorite staples; her hard work is evident when she wears her creations, including shirts and jeans she has stitched herself. Mrs. Kirtz, the Fashion Design teacher, has even allowed Sunny to work on fabrics during class, and Sunny creates unique designs not only for herself but for others as well. When she first began patchwork, she made a pair of jeans for a friend at school, and she has also created pieces for girls in Utah, shipping the items to them. She enjoys the spontaneity of the process, and although she has not done patchwork for many people yet, she plans on getting her business running again, explaining that she is “working on organizing stuff right now.” She hopes to see her business take off in the near future because of her passion for creating clothing, and we’re excited to see Sunny’s work continue to grow as she designs more pieces.