From Thrifted Finds to the Retail Rack

There is something incredibly surreal about walking into a store and seeing a whole rack of things I made hanging there.

My business has always been about seeing potential in things that already exist.

A shirt doesn't necessarily have to be finished with its story just because someone donated it. Fabric scraps don't automatically have to become garbage. Something overlooked on a thrift-store rack can become someone's favorite piece of clothing after a little imagination and work.

While looking for additional opportunities to grow my business, I came across Shop My Closet - a curated, community-powered thrift and consignment experience where individual sellers and small businesses can essentially have their own little piece of a retail store.

Instead of everyone needing their own storefront, the space is shared. Instead of shoppers seeing one person's style, they're introduced to an entire community of sellers. And instead of perfectly good clothing sitting forgotten in someone's closet, it gets another chance to find the person who will love it.

The really exciting part for me is getting to be one of those sellers.

Seeing my upcycled shirts and flannels hanging together on an actual store rack is a completely different feeling from seeing them in my workspace, photographing them for my website, or packing them up for a market.

I still love markets. I still love selling online. I still love getting to talk directly with people about how things are made.

But there's something really special about knowing someone can be wandering around Uptown, walk into Shop My Closet, discover my rack without ever having heard of Treasures Recreated before, and maybe leave with one of my pieces.

For a small handmade business, that's a pretty exciting thought.

If you happen to be shopping in Uptown, you can now add one more stop to your treasure hunt. You might just find a Treasures Recreated piece waiting for its next story.