It was Mardi Gunning’s grandmother who first taught her how to sew. Needles and thread spread over the floor of her farmhouse, the two would sit together as she carefully guided Mardi in looping colorful strings of thread and fabric together.
Now a sophomore, Mardi’s sewing has developed into crocheting, embroidery and knitting — crafts she refers to as “old people hobbies” — which she now uses to fashion customized outfits and accessories.
“Mostly what I do now is alter clothes that I find or add decorations to make something more interesting or fit better,” Mardi said. “I use embroidery and cross-stitch to customize clothing, both of which my grandma taught me.”
Mardi’s favorite item of clothing is a blue sweater she thrifted and upcycled into her style.
“It was just a plain navy blue sweater and I honestly didn’t like it that much at first,” she said. “I realized that I would probably wear it if I put something cool on it, so I found a pattern on Pinterest and crocheted a frog skeleton onto it using a cross stitch. Typically when I find something while thrifting, it’s because I like the cut of it and I think it needs a little extra something that would make me wear it more.”
Sophomore Lyla Ruiz de Luzuriaga, a good friend of Mardi’s since eighth grade, appreciates Mardi’s creative mind and artistic talent as well as her ability to see an idea through to completion.
“Mardi is part of the reason I started getting into crocheting. I would always see the little key chains or bags she would make and I would think, ‘Dang, I want to make that, too!’” Lyla said. “She’s my role model when it comes to art.”
While Mardi doesn’t envision her current hobbies turning into a future full-time job, she values the grounding and relaxing nature of activities like crocheting and embroidery.
“I lose track of time very easily when I crochet because you can’t really look up,” she said. “If I’m doing something like drawing, I’ll typically watch YouTube videos, so something else is happening, but you can’t do that with things like sewing or crochet because you have to be super-focused on what you’re doing.”
She also notes the sustainable aspect of thrifting and customizing clothes.
“I like to create as much as possible from materials that I already have or that I pick out at thrift stores,” she said. “A lot of stuff is out there already, and I prefer to try and make things myself rather than buying them new — plus it usually costs less.”
When it comes to hobbies like knitting and crocheting, Mardi feels misconceptions are common. Many people overlook the sense of satisfaction that comes with creating new accessories using these techniques.
“A lot of what you see is old people making coasters or blankets, but these things are really a lot more versatile and rewarding than people realize,” she said. “It’s doing something with your own hands. Something that I made used to just be a ball of yarn that anyone could have found, but now I have a bag.”
