I was privileged to be part of the first Thrift Store Runway to benefit Bib & Tucker Sew-Op here in Birmingham, hosted by Trim Tab Brewery.

As a seamstress, I was paired with a team and model to create an outfit out of disparate pieces of clothing. My team members, young ladies from a troop of Girl Scouts, chose these items from a large selection of donated clothing. The remaining clothing was available for purchase by spectators.

Following their plan, I altered a satin cocktail dress with side panels from a burgundy night gown, fitting it to my wonderfully statuesque model. Strips cut from a mustard tshirt made the cross-front bands, while a men’s pocket square was gathered for angel sleeves. The final touch was a bracelet made from the cuff of a men’s dress shirt.

All this was accomplished in about 1.5 hours.

It was a hot, sweaty, and challenging evening. But it was also fun, inspiring, and fulfilling. I had the opportunity to meet the volunteers on my team, to learn about their individual projects to benefit our community, and their troop leader. I got to meet some of the amazing ladies of Bib & Tucker Sew-Op.

It was truly #DayMade in every sense.