From Trash to Treasure: A Patch's Journey

Treasure Hunting

We’ve all heard the saying, “One [wo]man’s trash is another [wo]man’s treasure.” I am an avid treasure hunter. I believe any time we bring something back from the past and give it new attention in the present, we revive it, breathe life into it, as if to grant it a new lease on time.

There are few things I enjoy more than sifting through antique display counters or bins in search of vintage jewelry or accessories that I can dust off and bring home. One of the most tantalizing reasons for doing this is the history, or as I prefer to call it, “her-story,” that is carried in each piece. In a sense, it is the ability to travel through time. As I gently paw my way through piles of old brooches, necklaces, and rings, occasionally I pull one from the crowd and it seems to grasp at my fingers as if it has been waiting to be found. I cradle the object of affection in the palm of my hand and it begins to tell me the story of her life. This one, perhaps a mother from the 1940s wore the brooch on her winter coat when she would attend trendy potlucks. That one, I imagine an elderly woman had in her collection of necklaces from the 1920s. Her daughter asked to borrow it occasionally. These stories may or may not hold some truth, but I allow my imagination to run wild. Because whether or not I get it exactly right, her story should not be forgotten.

Adam

Recently I was visiting my parents in the Florida panhandle. My dad (also a treasure hunter) and I wandered into a local Army/Navy Surplus store. The walls were covered in vintage military posters of pin-up girls, airplane propellers, and military flags. Rows of brown and navy uniforms covered the concrete floor and large containers of used canteens and black army boots lined the walls. In the center of the store was a large table holding several bins filled with vintage military patches of various shapes and colors. I was immediately drawn to the intricate embroidered designs – eagles, chevrons, maple leaves, swords! Before I knew it an hour had gone by and I had a pile of “maybes” set aside as my dad and I kept digging. At one point another young gentleman entered the store and also began sorting through the various patches. After a while of parallel sifting, he casually asked us, “Are you looking for anything in particular?” I introduced myself and explained that I was looking for “anything pretty.” This is probably not a common response in such an establishment, so he proceeded to ask me what I planned on doing with all the patches. I told him that I make jewelry from upcycled materials and I showed him my website. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He was so impressed with the “creativity” that he voluntarily stopped looking for his own patches and began to join in my mission of finding pretty things. His name was Adam. As Adam would find gorgeous blue or red patches with arrows, parachutes, feathers, and wings he would excitedly hand them to us! “Can you use these?” he’d ask expectantly. By the time it was all over we looked up from our frenzy of hunting to survey the bounty.

Stories…

As I organized the patches into groups deciding how I might use these for an upcoming collection, my dad, a retired Army veteran, would nonchalantly point to one and tell me the meaning of the symbolism. One of them he knew very well because he had a similar one on his own military uniform that still hangs in his office closet to this day. I began to think of his story of going through Army intelligence school during the Vietnam war. I also thought of our story – a military family moving every three years and our experiences at various posts throughout the world, including Germany and England. I remembered the stories of my grandfathers, one Navy, the other Air Force and what they told me about their time spent on ships or in the Philippines. And I called to mind the stories of my grandmothers, both holding down the fort at home. My dad’s mom, a genuine Rosie the Riveter, made airplane parts during the war.

These vintage patches weren’t just pieces of colorful fabric. They were once proudly worn on the chest or sleeve of a military veteran. As with any treasure that I find, I held them in my hands and listened to the numerous stories they told. Tales of strength, valor, and honor. Each one a personal narrative of a life lived in service to others and to this country.

Co-authors

In addition to bearing witness to these stories, the second reason I enjoy treasure hunting is the privilege of being a co-creator in writing a new story. I believe when we take an object that belonged to someone else and reinvent it, our lives our forever intertwined. Without ever knowing each other our lives have found a way to cross paths. Reinventing a vintage piece is an opportunity to honor the history and narrative of the original storyteller and simultaneously pay tribute to my own personal narrative, along with the common thread that binds us both together.

Once back home I spent weeks hand-sewing lace, buttons, and charms onto the vintage military patches that I bought with my dad. I took special care gluing feathers and felt. And I meticulously attached gold chains and hooks to make the final pieces known as my Insignia Collection. Every transformed patch signifies a new chapter of this collective story.

I am proud of the final chapter. Each piece is truly one-of-a-kind because every author brings his or her own experiences to the table. Even Adam from the Army/Navy surplus store is a co-author in this collection. May these patches, rewritten as jewelry, serve as a reminder to all of us that we are all connected; all indelibly intertwined.

Next time you’re in an antique store or surplus store, take a moment to do some treasure hunting. Hold the treasures in your hands and listen carefully to their stories. Maybe even take one home with you and co-write a new adventure of your own. When you do, or whenever you wear an upcycled piece of jewelry, rest assured the story is a good one that needs to be heard and then retold.