When you’re a mama of five kids, you’ve got to be somewhat creative…groceries, playdates, bedtime, and sometimes clothes. Hand-me-downs, yard sales, and thrift stores are huge budget-savers! That’s where this mama learned to be resourceful and make big style statements with a little sewing and a lot of love.
Now that her babies are grown, Cynthia Chavez spends her time gathering bits of fabric and lace to put together the perfectly imperfect creation she sells in her Etsy shop. One year my mom sent me a set of her hand-made aprons for me and Chloe, and they are my favorite thing to look at in my kitchen! I feel like I’m decorating myself when I put it on to cook!
That’s just it – Cynthia found a way to make ordinary scraps beautiful again. Her heart behind hear creations is really to breathe new life into things that others would have considered throw-away. She finds a new purpose for old material, and with a little mixy matchy, they become something altogether wonderful.
What I found the most inspiring about Cynthia’s process is that she sees these pieces as unique and beautiful in their own right.
“When I look at it, I can see what it becomes… it’s kinda like how we are and how God sees us…like beauty from ashes… He sees a beauty in us that already is.”
Her ability to see the finished product before she even starts is characteristic of that creative personality I see so alive in the most innovative of people. Some are born with it, some develop out of necessity. But when those juices begin to flow, there is no stopping it! She soon moved on to handbags, even the cutest diaper bags I’d ever seen! We started seeing belt straps and brooches, and this vintage American rag theme like this cute over-the-shoulder messenger bag.
Some of my favorite pieces are the denim pants and jackets that she bleached here, stitched there, and sometimes cut off completely to add a whole new dimension. These denim jeans turned lace bellbottom pants are strikingly hip and fearlessly feminine.
Around the World
Since opening her Etsy shop in 2011, RubyBlleu has made its way across the globe from the West Coast to the East Coast, Canada, London, France and all the way down to south Toowoomba, Australia! Check out her shop here.
Cynthia has certainly made practical use of recycled material. Get to know her a little better by clicking the audio box below to listen to our full conversation!
Please share in the comments below some how you have found creative ways to turn trash into treasure 😊
Listen to my conversation with Cynthia Chavez of RubyBlleu:
Check out more of her pieces, including home decor, footwear, and children’s items on her on Instagram @rubyblleu or visit her Etsy shop here.
