Camas High School sophomore Natalia Baldez has loved fashion for years, always looking for new ways to express herself and expand on her style. Last year, a newly discovered interest in sewing allowed Baldez to take her propensity for fashion to another level. Baldez mentioned several reasons that explain how she got into sewing.

“I needed something to do over the summer,” Baldez said.

For Baldez, the ability to create something “completely unique” and tailored to her personal style was the biggest advantage in learning to sew last year.

“Sometimes clothing lines don’t have what I want or imagine so I have to make it myself.” 

Eventually, what had started as a small way to fill the time soon turned into a full-fledged hobby. Her first few projects, despite being challenging, quickly taught her a lot about sewing. Every mistake she made only allowed Baldez to make more complex projects as she improved. 

“It was especially difficult figuring out the parts to sew if you aren’t following an outline and the patterns,” Baldez said. 

In learning to sew, Baldez also developed her own, personal creative process, stating that sometimes an idea will just hit her and she has to rush to find a place where she can write it down or sketch it.

One of Baldez’s specialties is using clothing that has already been made or bought, and then altering the clothing to either improve small details or change it all together, otherwise known as upcycling.

“I have some jeans that were straight but I didn’t want them that way so I just combined two pairs of jeans to make them wide-leg,” Baldez said.

Proponents of upcycling often mention its environmental friendliness. Additionally, upgrading and combining clothes is often a much more affordable option than buying an item new from a store.

When asked about a future in fashion design, Baldez quickly shook her head dismissively.

“Definitely no. It is a hobby and I’d like to keep it like that,” Baldez said.

As Baldez continues to grow in her sewing skills with every new project, she is building a wardrobe full of clothes she not only likes, but that also express her distinctive personality and creativity.