#AlterItAugust 2020

Hello, August. Where on earth did you come from? I’m not going to get into how this year has been and how time is simultaneously crawling and flying somehow. You know, I know.

#AlterItAugust is here, and just like everything else, it will be a little different this year. As always, it will be whatever we make it. Keep it low key? Perfect. Make it ExTRa? Great. Confused? Me too.

Alter it August began as a personal challenge three years ago to examine my closet and find what I wasn’t wearing and try to make some changes so that I had a fully-loved wardrobe. This included altering clothes so they fit better, some refashioning, and even fixing the little things (like tackling that pesky mending pile).

What Alter it August means in 2020

With everything happening this year, I considered letting this challenge take a beat and maybe returning to it in 2021. The more I thought about it, I realize that this might be the most appropriate year for a challenge rooted in sustainability. Maybe your sewing is affected by Covid-19 and what you wear is affected by staying at home more often. Perhaps your trips to the fabric store are non-essential and few and far-between and you want to use what you have. This year it’s also about community, like fully and completely about community.

My community in Minneapolis, Minnesota is trying to heal, rise up, and make change after the murder of George Floyd. I’ve stepped in to my community with more intention. I’ve been sewing less. For me, Alter it August might be focused less on changing my garments with sustainability in mind, but rather changing my involvement with community (with sustainability in mind). One of my personal initiatives in July has been to host public web calls with candidates running for local office in conversations on racial equity issues. I’m really proud to not only be amplifying the Black voices of those who are running among predominantly white candidates, but also creating a space where we can hold our elected officials accountable for the things they promise in these conversations. My sewing space and handmade clothes made a small appearance on these Zoom calls too, as you can see in my screenshots below.

As this project comes to an end with our Primary election happening mid-August, I will be happy to bring more balance to my sewing space. I’m also eager to shift my focus back into the sewing community. While I have a few Alter it August projects in my queue, I really want to highlight some of the great inspiration in the sewing community around this challenge. This year the challenge will be about you. No prizes, no drawings. Let’s take it easy, shall we? Share what you’re changing in your wardrobe; share what you’re changing in your life around activism, or adapting to this Covid-era. Use what you have. Keep it sustainable, and embrace your community.

If you want to read about some of the Alter it August projects in the past, start with this post from last year (2019). You can also browse some of the previous Alter it August blog posts and DIY tutorials here.

I look forward to seeing what you do! Use and follow the hashtag #alteritaugust on IG, feel free to tag me @sewnorth.

xo

Mia