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Emily Zahniser

Sewist and Upcycling Expert

Emily Zahniser is a Sewist based in the Pacific Northwest. She designs and sews garments from vintage and antique textiles. Passionate about sustainability, Emily gives new life to discarded and forgotten fabrics, including upcycling home textiles like bedding and table linens, or deadstock bulk fabrics. Emily is a semi-self-taught sewist and combines her passion for vintage fashion and slow fashion style through her brand, Saint Clairs Scissors. She carefully sources, cleans, and mends vintage fabrics, crafting one-of-a-kind pieces that blend nostalgia with a modern, timeless twist.

Education

  • Graduate, Columbia University’s Manhattan School of Music
  • BA, Music, University of Washington

Professional Achievements

  • Emily has had multiple careers prior to creating Saint Clairs Scissors, working as an opera singer, an opera director, a marketing and communications expert, and a writer.
  • She works as a freelance writer, specializing in sustainable building and design practices in residential architecture, sustainable everyday practices for the busy homemaker, and topics in sustainable and circular fashion.
  • She has been featured in multiple publications, including Oregon Home Magazine, Atomic Ranch Magazine, Portrait of Seattle, and the___thread.
  • Saint Clairs Scissors garments are one of a kind, crafted of antique and vintage textiles.

Favorite Piece of Advice

Creativity and art are vital to expressing the human condition, and fashion and personal style are no exception – the key to keeping this creative expression valid is through the lens of minimal material impact.

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Q&A Comments (9)

How do I clean white jeans?
If they're heavily soiled or discolored, prep your jeans by inspecting them for stains, dirt, or damage. If there are any small tears or fraying, consider mending those first so the washing process doesn’t worsen them. Next, get your hands on products like Retro Clean—it’s a powdered cleaner designed for restoring vintage fabrics. It’s gentle but super effective at pulling out tough stains and discoloration, especially on cotton or denim. To use it, dissolve the recommended amount of Retro Clean in hot water. Submerge your jeans completely and let them soak for about a day. After soaking, rinse them thoroughly, then hang your jeans outside to dry in the sun and be sure to check again for lingering spots and repeat the soak when needed.
Can I tie-dye jeans?
Yes, you can tie-dye jeans, and it’s a great way to make them stand out! Start by washing them to remove any dirt or treatments, especially if they’re vintage or second-hand—something like Retro Clean can help freshen them up. Use fiber-reactive dyes for cotton jeans or special dyes for blends, and plan your pattern by folding and securing the fabric with rubber bands. You can either work with a damp jeans for softer color transitions or keep them dry if you want bolder lines. You can then apply the dye thoroughly since denim is thick and can resist color. Let your dye set for a day and rinse with cold water until it runs clear, then wash separately to set the colors. Also, if your jeans are delicate or are vintage, test your dye on a small spot first to avoid damaging your fabric.
Does bleaching change the texture of my denim jacket?
Yes, bleaching can change their texture if they've been soaked for longer periods of time. Bleaching can give an incredible cool faded or distressed look, but it makes the fabric weaker, especially if your bleach mixture is too strong or if it's been left soaking for too long. If the jacket feels stiff after bleaching, don’t worry—you can soften it. Wash it with a fabric softener or let it soak in a solution of water and white vinegar, then tumble dry on low with dryer balls to restore flexibility. Keep in mind that vintage or delicate denim might not handle bleaching well, as the fibers are already aged.
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Co-authored Articles (19)

Dumpster Diving Guide: Where to Look & How to Score Great Items

Learn how to find valuables and food, stay safe, and follow the lawAs the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Though it may strike some people as an odd practice, dumpster diving, or scavenging fo...

How to

Dye Clothes with Food Coloring

Using food coloring is an easy and inexpensive way to dye or tie-dye your clothes at home. It's also a fun activity that's great to do on your own, or with family and friends by your side! Head outside on a nice day, or ...

How to Get Rid of Old Undergarments Ethically & Sustainably

It’s finally happened: that pair of underwear you’ve had for years is now hanging on by a single thread. It’s time to get rid of them, but simply chucking those old undies and sending them to a landfill can’t be ...

How to

Lighten Jeans

Lightening your jeans is an easy project that can give you a new look without having to buy new jeans. Light jeans are great for casual wear. You can lighten your dark jeans with bleach, in the wash, or by spot-lighteni...

How to

Tie Dye with Bleach

Tie dyeing is a fun way to give new life to clothes, but darker colors don’t always take dye very well. If you’re looking for a way to update your dark clothes, try tie dyeing with ! You'll get a cool white design th...

How to Dye Faux Fur (Coloring, Rinsing, & Drying)

Breathe new life into your faux fur with these easy stepsTo change the color of a faux fur item, you simply need to submerge it in a dye bath. Make sure you choose dye formulated for synthetic fibers for best results. Ta...

How to

Bleach Jeans White

With just a container of bleach, a spacious container, and a little patience, you can revive any drab old pair of blue jeans by fading them to a crisp white color that works as a versatile base for any outfit. Just fill ...

How to

Acid Wash a T‐Shirt

Acid washed t-shirts are the perfect solution for an otherwise boring old t-shirt. You can create an edgy tie-dye like effect with and old shirt and some bleach. Creating an acid wash t-shirt is easy. You can use a spray...

How to

Wash Jeans

Jeans are a very popular item of clothing and a vital part of many people's wardrobes. They are comfortable and versatile, and can be dressed up with a shirt and jacket or worn casually with a t-shirt. Most jeans are ma...

How to

Stretch a Denim Jacket

Denim jackets are a timeless fashion statement, and can last for years when maintained properly. If your jean jacket feels too tight, you don’t have to grin and bear it; instead, use a few simple strategies to loosen a...

How to

Dye Synthetic Fabric Black

Dyeing synthetic fabrics like nylon, acrylic, acetate, and polyester can be a pain since they don’t pick up the dye as well as natural fibers. This can be frustrating, especially if you have perfectly good fabric in th...

Is Depop Safe to Use? Important Info for Buyers & Sellers

Learn how Depop protects users & what you can do to shop safely Depop is a legitimate app and website for buying and selling secondhand clothes and accessories. While Depop is considered safe to buy from, scammers can lu...

How to

Dye White Jeans Cream

White jeans are a great staple to have in your wardrobe, but their stark whiteness can be a little harsh on the eyes. If you’d like to tone down your white jeans and make them more off-white or cream-colored, you can u...

How to

Dye Tulle

Tulle is a type of thin netting most commonly found in gowns, veils, tutus, and similarly delicate clothing items. The material isn’t always available in a wide variety of colors, but dyeing your tulle can help you cha...

How to

Dye a Satin Dress

If you have a satin dress that you’ve already worn to a special event, you might be thinking of dyeing it so you can wear it again. Since satin refers to the way that the fabric is woven, rather than the actual materia...

How to Bleach a Jean Jacket

Learn to lighten your denim clothes at home with household materials Denim jackets are not only an easy, lightweight addition to any wardrobe, but are highly alterable too. Rather than throwing away your old dark denim, ...

How to

Keep Jeans Smelling Fresh

Preserving the integrity of your favorite pair of jeans is super important, so you may be looking for ways to keep them smelling fresh or to remove stinky odors. Depending on what kind of odor you’re dealing with or ho...

How to

Dye a Shirt Black

You can upcycle and breathe new life into a shirt by dyeing it black, and it’s super easy to do it! Choose a black fabric dye that works for your shirt’s material and mix it together in a bucket of hot water. Soak th...

How to

Dye a Nylon Jacket

Nylon is a dyeable synthetic material, so dyeing a nylon jacket is a fairly straightforward procedure. Once you gather your materials, all you need to do is prepare the dye bath and soak the jacket in it until the materi...