Megan Tadlock Pops Up for First Friday
Clutch Collective is hosting a special pop-up event with West Virginia artist Megan Tadlock as part of Marietta Main Street’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, August 2.
Based in Fairmont, West Virginia, Tadlock is an artist and seamstress. Her brand, Made by Meg, breathes new life into previously loved textiles by creating unique one of a kind items such as quilt jackets, pillowcase vests, handkerchief skirts, and more. Tadlock will be set up at 152 Front Street from 5:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday with a collection of her handmade apparel.
“We are so excited to host Megan on Friday Friday,” said Sarah Arnold, owner of Clutch Collective. “I love how she gives new life to pre-loved textiles, especially textiles that were once made by hand and treasured, like quilts and embroidered fabrics.”
As a quilter, Tadlock has a strong appreciation for the time and love that goes into creating a quilt. “It has always broken my heart to see handmade quilts in thrift stores, most likely on their journey to a landfill. I think most of my generation has lost its appreciation for handmade goods,” she said. “I hope using recycled fabrics can help spark someone’s love for handmade, previously loved, or vintage items. My dream is to give a second life to discarded or damaged textiles and encourage others to see that there is beauty in loving what we already have.”
Tadlock said she had a moment a few years ago when she opened the trunk of her car, which was full of shopping bags and boxes of donations and thought to herself, “What am I doing?”
“Even though I believed I was being a good steward of our Earth, I was stuck in a cycle of replacing perfectly fine clothing and household items with the next fun new thing,” she said. “It is hard to not to be sucked into the buying culture when we live in a society that tells us we need to buy the next new item to make us happy. Of course, I am not anywhere near perfect, or the minimalist I wish I could be, but I have spent the last few years trying to reduce my consumption by finding beauty in previously used items and the items I already love.”
All of her products are created from textiles she collects secondhand. Around 90% of her textiles are from thift stores found by herself, or by friends and family. “My friends and family are some of my best hunters.”
The rest of her textiles come from antique stores, estate sales, or are gifted to her by people who want the items that have been sitting in their basement to have a second life. Her goal is to use as many upcycled materials as possible, but occasionally there are lining fabrics or sewing notions that she cannot find secondhand.
Tadlock finds joy in being able to share her creations and watch them go to a good home. “I enjoy picturing the recipient of my piece as a I create it and love to see if my daydreams are true once each pieces finds their person.”
When she thinks about pieces she has made in the past, she said the most memorable is the jacket she made for her Nonnie. “My grandmother has always loved black and white. When I began consistently looking at thrift stores, I was always on the hunt for a black and white quilt. I finally found the perfect one for her and created a jacket. She told me she took it around town to show it off. Being able to send a jacket to my Nonnie felt like a full circle moment – by giving a piece of my work to the woman who sparked by love of sewing.”
The community is invited to stop by the shop to meet Megan Tadlock on Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm and find a special piece of lovingly handmade apparel to call their own.