• Named Clothing
• Breaking the Pattern: A Modern Way to Sew by Saara & Laura Huhta from Named Clothing

• Paper Cut Patterns
• MyBodyModel
• Episode 45: MyBodyModel with Erica Schmitz

• Olya Shirt/Shirtdress by Paper Theory

• Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen

• Elliot Sweater by Helen’s Closet

• Yanta Overalls by Helen’s Closet

• Persephone Pants by Anna Allen Clothing

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Transcript:

This transcript has been made from the Love to Sew Favourite re-release version of this episode, which was released on August 24, 2021. You can listen to this version on the player below:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations. Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off season. So we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

Helen: This summer, we’re excited to revisit some of our favorite episodes from years past. We hope you will love these reruns as much as we do. Remember, you can still access the show notes by going to lovetosewpodcast.com and searching for the episode. If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.

Caroline: For $5 U.S. per month, you’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode. Our Patreon episodes really feel like a catch-up with friends. This is where we share what we’ve been up to in our personal lives, our businesses, what we’re sewing, and things we’re loving like recipes, podcasts, TV shows, board games, and more. Throughout the month, we also share behind the scenes photos.

I recently gave our patrons a sneak peek of some of our upcoming exclusive Blackbird releases, and Helen you’ve given sneak peaks of patterns too, right? 

Helen: Yes, it is top secret stuff just for our Patreon supporters. And if you join at $10 U.S. per month, you will get 15% off discount codes for Blackbird Fabrics, Helen’s Closet, and our Love to Sew swag shop. And this code can be reused again and again, so it’s a great deal, especially if you shop with us frequently. Plus, you’ll get a bonus mini-sode where we answer a patron question or cover a specific sewing topic. So you can learn more and sign up to support us at patreon.com/lovetosew. 

Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in September 2021 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favorite.

Hello and welcome. I’m Caroline. 

Helen: And I’m Helen. 

Caroline: And we love to sew. This is the podcast for makers where we talk about sewing a handmade wardrobe and bring you interviews with inspiring creatives and small business owners in our community. 

Helen: Today, we have a special episode for you all. We know that this time of year often brings up the desire to refresh our closets and take a look at our personal style. So we figured, why not do it together? You can join us as we assess our current styles, clean out our closets, and plan our dream wardrobes. 

Caroline: #LTSdreamwardrobe Oh, I scared Pepper, Sorry, Pepper!

Helen: Hi, Caroline. 

Caroline: Hi, Helen. 

Helen: How are you? 

Caroline: I’m good. How are you? 

Helen: I’m great. I’m really excited about this episode. 

Caroline: Me too. I can’t wait to help our listeners walk them through the process of creating their dream wardrobe. Just like we did. 

Helen: Yeah, it was so much fun and we can’t wait to share, but of course, as always, we have some feedback and some listener questions to get to first.

Our feedback is from Elaine, “Earlier this year, I decided on a complete whim to buy a super cheap sewing machine. My plan was to make two quilts, one for each of my kids. It was around this time I found your podcast. Initially, I found sewing daunting, all this talk of adjustments, hems, and plackets, and I thought, what am I doing? Then, Helen said, ‘A pattern is just a series of steps.’ And my favorite, ‘There will always be more fabric.’”

Caroline: It’s true. 

Helen: “Fast forward a few months, and I made a dress. I felt the fear, but I went for it. I made some mistakes, but I made it: a dress. I never thought I could do that. And I bought a new sewing machine and an overlocker.”

Whoa. Quick upgrade. 

“This is serious. I’m getting better slowly, but I’m learning so much. And your podcast is on for my morning commute. It’s exactly what epitomizes what the sewing community is all about: friendship, support, and being able to embrace who you are and your own creative spirit. So thank you.”

Caroline: You’re welcome, Elaine. We love hearing from you and we love hearing about one of our listeners listening to the show and being inspired and getting into sewing. And, um, you have such an awesome sewing journey ahead of you. So we wish you all the best. 

Helen: I’m very excited for you. 

Caroline: Yeah. Keep us updated please. 

Helen: Alright, we have a couple of questions. 

Caroline: Yeah. So the first question is from Eva, “I grade between sizes a lot because my hips are broader. The grading between sizes mean that I lose the notch placements, especially between the hip and bust. Is there a way to determine where to put them after grading?” 

Helen: This is a great question. I also have to grade in between sizes for my hip. I believe you do as well. 

Caroline: Heck yeah, I do. 

Helen: Um, and it can be annoying when those notches get lost, but fear not. I just move mine out on the same horizontal plane that they would have been. I just slide them right out, and I use them there. And you can also check after you’re done cutting out your pattern pieces, if the notches are going to match up. So you can lay your front side seam next to your back side seam and see if those notches are in the right place, and you can adjust from there, um, which can be super helpful. 

And just taking a look at what that notch is supposed to do helps as well. If it’s just a notch,  like, uh, in a front crotch to line up the crotch curve, you can really put that notch anywhere because you’re cutting two of those pattern pieces, right? So, of course, your notches are going to match because you’re cutting them both at once, and they’re going together. So trying to figure out what the notch is for and where it’s supposed to line up to, and then you can, like, check and see if it’s going to work out or decide if you care at all. 

Caroline: I was going to say… controversial opinion: don’t put the notch. 

Helen: It depends. Things like, um, sleeve notches, I think are really important. Uh, anything that’s, like, to do with a collar you want to notch…

Caroline: Easing…

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Um, waistband notches I find really helpful. Side seam notches for, like, pants and dresses and stuff, I often am like, well, I’ll figure it out. 

Caroline: Yeah. Alright, so we have a voicemail from Alyssa that we’re gonna play. 

Alyssa: Hey, Helen and Caroline, my name’s Alyssa, and I’m 16 years old. I live on the East Coast, United States. Not only would I like to congratulate y’all on your hundredth episode but also ask a question. I love to sew my own clothes. And, of course, I always listen to guys when I sew, but I, and just the thought of having something that no one else has at my school is pretty great. Um, but I also like to stay at least, like, semi with the trends for teenagers. 

I know a lot of beautiful sewing patterns that I love, but a lot of them are for adults or just a little too out of fashion for my age, I guess I could say. So my question is, do you know of any good patterns that are up with the trends or at least I can hack to be? Um, so congratulations on your hundredth episode again and hope to see a hundred more. Thanks, guys. Bye!

Caroline: Alyssa, thank you so much for your voicemail. It was really, really great to hear from one of our younger listeners. 

Helen: It was, it makes me so happy to know that there are young people out there who love to sew their own clothes and are going to keep this hobby going. So please keep sewing. 

Um, and in answer to your question, I think, at all stages of life, sometimes it can be really hard to see yourself represented in the pattern envelope, on the cover, or even in the samples that are made for whatever reason. Sometimes they’re real frumpy. Sometimes they don’t look very cool. Sometimes the fabric choices are just so not what you would choose, and that makes it really hard to see potential sometimes. So that’s normal. 

I think it’s a muscle that you develop the more that you sew, um, and we also think that going through this process that we’re going to outline in today’s episode could be really helpful for you. So we hope that you join in and try to figure out your style, and then you can find some patterns that will work for it. Um, some pattern companies we thought of that have a bit more of a trendy edge are Named Clothing, or Named Patterns, and PaperCut Patterns. 

Caroline: I really love the new Named Clothing book called Breaking the Pattern. And it’s a lot of bang for your buck because you get the book and then you get a whole bunch of patterns that come with it. So, it’s a really great way to get a bunch of patterns at once for a lower cost, and there are some really, really cool pieces in that book. So go check that out.

Helen: And you can also make an effort to follow some more sewists that are your age on Instagram, whatever your age is. And that can, kind of, help you see style options for people who are in your age range. Not that we believe in any specific style for any age range, but it can be really inspiring to follow people that are around your age, and then you get ideas as well for things that you can make. 

Caroline: Yes. Absolutely. Good luck. I hope you find your style and you find your patterns. 

Helen: Well, she will, if she does our worksheet.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Well, let’s not delay any longer. Let’s get to the show. 

Helen: Yeah. So why do we think it’s important to take a look at our style and our wardrobes? 

Caroline: Well, the first thing would be that your style tells a story about you. It’s the first thing people see is, you know, what you’re wearing people… Unless you’re a nudist, you wear clothes every day. So…

Helen: How many nudists do you think listen to the show? 

Caroline: I don’t know, but if you’re a nudist and you listen to the show, I want to know. 

Helen: Yeah. We want to hear from you.

Caroline: Although do nudists sew? 

Helen: Maybe, well, yeah, they could sew curtains. 

Caroline: Love to sew…

Helen: Tablebloths. 

Caroline: Your own quilts. 

Helen: Tote bags. They have to, I mean, if they don’t have any pockets, so probably really into bags.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay, cool. Um, got a little off topic there, but the bottom line is that your style really does tell a story about you. 

Helen: Yeah. It’s such a great opportunity for personal expression. You can show people who you are through your clothes. And that’s part of the reason why I think a lot of people enjoy sewing. If you’re really into sewing your own clothes, you probably are into expressing yourself through your wardrobe. So taking a moment to assess where you’re at with your style and where you want to be with your style is always a good thing I think, if you’re in the right mood for it.

Caroline: I think it’s, uh, really empowering to know that you are dressing and representing yourself in exactly the way that you want to be, I guess. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: And sometimes clothes can feel limiting almost cause you’re like I have this wardrobe, but nothing to wear, you know, that feeling. So really taking that time to do the work and think about the kind of clothes that you want to wear, it’s just going to make your life better. It’s just going to make the day-to-day easier. 

Helen: Yeah. It definitely makes things more convenient in the morning when you’re getting dressed. Um, you have less of those looking at your closet and thinking you have nothing to wear moments. 

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: You can just pick and choose separately or, you know, a full garment and you’re good to go because everything in your wardrobe is perfect for you.

Caroline: Yeah, and that’s another thing that we’re going to talk about today is just creating that cohesive look where pieces are going to work together and really putting some thought into that. So, and that’s another way that it’ll be easier to get dressed in the morning if all your stuff goes together. 

Helen: Yeah. So we really want this episode to inspire you to plan your fall sewing projects. This time of year, I always get the itch to think about my style because I’m like, ooh, I’m going back to school, and I want a whole new look. It’s just a really fun time of year to look at style and think about things that you want to make for the next season. 

Caroline: So what you’re saying is that I have to let go of my summer sewing plans.

Helen: I told you to do that like a month ago. 

Caroline: I have two more jumpsuits I want to make this weekend. I’m just going to squeeze them in. 

Helen: Can you make them in a fall-appropriate linen? 

Caroline: Um, I am. One of them will definitely be linen which I think I could wear into fall with, like, some layers. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: The other one is a floral. Let’s not talk about it. 

Helen: Alright. So this whole process is going to involve looking at your current style, going through your current wardrobe, and then pinpointing where you’re at and where you want to be. So you can, kind of, map out your journey and what sewing projects and garments are going to get you to where you want to be. And we’re going to help you make a plan so you can execute it and not feel that project paralysis we’ve talked about where you have… 

Caroline: The dreaded project paralysis. 

Helen: …so many ideas and you don’t know where to start. This is going to help you get some clarity and some focus. 

Caroline: It’s going to help you create your dream wardrobe and feel a hundred percent in love with your looks. And we even have a worksheet that you are going to be able to download, which is so exciting. We’ve been working really, really hard on this. So you are going to be able to go to our website and click on a link to download our Create Your Dream Wardrobe worksheet and go through the whole process like we are going to do today. On the air. 

Helen: Yes. 

Caroline: With you. 

Helen: I mean, we have already done it. We’re gonna talking about it today. 

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Yeah, we’re really excited. So all you have to do is go enter your email, and then you’ll get the worksheet in your inbox. And we want you to share your progress with us, so use the #LTSdreamwardrobe so we can see your process as you go through it and see what you’re planning to make this fall.

Caroline: Yeah. And don’t just share, like, the finished projects we want to hear about your process, too. 

Helen: We want to see the giant pile of clothes when you’re cleaning out your closet. 

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Show us your drawings and your swatches and all the planning progress. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: So exciting. 

Helen: Okay. One note before we get started, I feel like we all have those me made items in our wardrobe that we don’t wear for whatever reason. They were, like, a bit of a sewing fail or they don’t fit anymore or they’re just not our style, but it can be really, really hard to let go of the me mades. 

So we just wanted to acknowledge that. We don’t have a perfect solution for it other then if you’re going to continue your sewing journey and you want to make the 50 things on your sewing list, you’re going to have to learn how to let things go. And you’re going to have to give some of those clothes away. Hopefully, you can find a good home for them, um, but you don’t need to keep them just because you made them. It’s not an obligation.

Caroline: And, kind of, in contrast, if you’ve been sewing for a really long time, maybe you feel like you’re in a bit of a sewing rut and maybe it’s time to refresh, take stock, you know, take the time to figure out your thoughts on your personal style. And, um, hopefully this exercise will give you some space to switch things up and get inspired with some new potential looks.

Helen: Mhm. So do you have any thoughts on your personal style right now, Caroline? 

Caroline: Uh, I do. I think that my personal style is pretty consistent. I feel like I know my style pretty well, and it’s been, you know, kind of, in the same, I don’t know… 

Helen: Ballpark?

Caroline: …ballpark/vibe for a few years now. So I really do feel like I, kind of, locked down my style over the last few years. One thing I’ll say is that my love for linen has definitely grown exponentially over the last year, um, which is awesome. I’ve sewn a lot, a lot of linen garments, but the bottom line with my style is that I really like to be comfortable. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I do not like wearing things that are not comfortable, but also at the same time, feel put together and chic an,d like, I can go into the office and have a meeting with somebody important and, like, not feel frumpy, you know? So it’s a delicate balance there.

The other thing that this exercise made me realize was that I do have quite a small wardrobe compared to, I’ll say, compared to some people. And I, and I do try to clear out pretty often. So I didn’t really have that many things to get rid of when we went through this. But because I have such a small wardrobe, I tend to wear the things that I love again and again and not have a ton of variety. 

So one goal of mine moving forward is just to, kind of, beef up my wardrobe so that I have a bit more variety and that, you know, I have just, like, more items to pick from and rotate between so that my clothes don’t wear out so quickly. Plus I have just so much fabric, so many beautiful pieces of fabric, just waiting to be made into gorgeous garments that I know are going to fit into my wardrobe really well. So I just need to, like, continue on my journey of, like, beefing up my wardrobe. 

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: I feel like with you, you almost just want to take the things that you love wearing and just duplicate them…

Caroline: Oh yeah.

Helen: …in colors and prints because you do have a very signature look. 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: Um, how do you feel about the change of the season? Cause we’ve been through summer now, and summer is a really comfortable time, I think. And then winter, you have to wear a few more layers. 

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So what do you think? 

Caroline: I, I feel like a lot of my wardrobe is seasonless, like, I can wear it from spring/summer into fall/winter with just adding an extra layer here or there. I try to do that with my clothes, like, not make things too seasonal, but I’m excited. I love fall. I love fall/winter. I love sweaters. I love, like, light jackets. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Um, I love, you know, pairing things with boots. I love jeans. I mean, we talked about that last week. I love making jeans, so I’m very excited to make some jeans this fall. But, you know, I feel really good. How about you? How, what are your thoughts on your current style? 

Helen: I think my style has been through the ringer for the past, like, three years because of transitioning from my day job to working at home and doing this full-time. And then another big transition when I decided to get an office space and an employee which happened in the last year. So when I was working at home, I was just, like, honestly, like, a complete slob, and I was not wearing the beautiful clothes I was making which was really sad. And then when I got a space, I finally had the opportunity to wear the clothes. And then when I got Chloe, my assistant, an even more of an opportunity to wear the clothes cause it’s nice when someone else is going to see you. 

Caroline: Yeah. No for sure. 

Helen: Yeah. So that’s been a really nice shift. So in the last, I would say, six or seven months. I feel like my style is coming back a bit more, and I’m just really excited to get dressed in the morning, and I’m having fun picking things out of my closet. I do get really overwhelmed when I get dressed because I have how so many clothes. I really do. I have a lot, a lot, a lot of clothes. Um, and I have to, like, put things away for seasonal because otherwise I have, I don’t have enough space in my closet. 

Um, so right now I’ve got all my summer stuff out which is fun. So my closet is just like this, all these bright colors and prints and tons of dresses and jumpsuits and culottes and stuff. And then my winter style is very different. It’s all jeans and t-shirts and leggings and sweaters. So I feel like I have almost, like, a split personality with my style, and I would like to bring them together a bit more.

So that’s, kind of, my goal moving forward. I want some of those summary pieces to work for winter and winter pieces for summer and have a bit more of a crossover, maybe less of a seasonal wardrobe and pair things down a bit. 

Caroline: I have to pair things up and you’re pairing things down. 

Helen: It’s true. Well, you did give me a pair of culottes the other day.

Caroline: It’s true.

Helen: That was awesome, and I also need to focus because my to-sew list is always way too long. I’m sure many people can relate to that. I would love to just pick, you know, one to three things and get those done instead of having 10 to 20 things on my list. 

Caroline: One to three things a week? 

Helen: One to three things for, like, the next month or two. 

Caroline: Yeah, that’s realistic. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: Exactly. 

Caroline: That would be realistic for me.

Helen: Definitely. 

Caroline: I feel like you sew a little bit more than me, but… 

Helen: Yes. 

Caroline: Also, you have samples and stuff. 

Helen: Yeah. I’m often sewing samples and hacks and stuff, too, which I don’t count. 

Caroline: I thought of something, kind of, fun that we should do. 

Helen: What’s that? 

Caroline: So we’re going to do this later, actually quite soon for ourselves, but why don’t we think of three words for how we would describe each other’s style. 

Helen: Oh, okay. Right now. Yeah. Okay. I would describe your style as frumpy, weird, and, um…

Caroline: I know, I know what I would say for you. 

Helen: Oh, okay. You go first. 

Caroline: Earthy. Art teacher. Bold. 

Helen: Ooh, I like that. I forgot about the art teacher thing. I should have put that in my worksheet. You were so good. I would say. Minimalist. I can’t say earthy cause you said earthy.

Caroline: You can say earthy. I feel like my style is, kind of, earthy.

Helen: Can I just say Blackbird? Um, and I feel like your style is very cool. Like, you look really cool all the time, you know? 

Caroline: Thank you.

Helen: Like, not only that you look awesome and cool but that you look comfortable and cool, you know? Like…

Caroline: Oh, like breezy? 

Helen: Yeah, breezy. Breezy is good. 

Caroline: Yeah. I don’t get hot in my clothes.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. 

Caroline: So, I’m cool. 

Helen: Cool in two ways. 

Caroline: I like that. I like that. Cool. Well, so what is it? Cool. Blackbird. Minimalist.

Helen: Minimalist. Is that accurate? 

Caroline: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think so. It’ll be fun to compare what we called our own style. 

Helen: It’s true. Okay. 

Caroline: Okay. But before we get to that, we want to talk to you about the Create Your Dream Wardrobe worksheet that you’re going to be able to download on our website by signing up to our newsletter. It’s split into three sections. And the first section is all about Defining Your Style. So you’re identifying what you’re working with, where you currently are with your style and your wardrobe, and also ,how you, kind of, want it to evolve. 

Helen: Mhm. You’re gathering inspiration. You’re trying to identify things you want to change. Um, you’re looking at your lifestyle, all sorts of stuff. 

Caroline: It’s the funnest part. In my opinion. I love the, like, kind of, assessing and also, there’s, like, a Pinterest component. 

Helen: Yeah, anytime I get to pin things, I’m happy. Yeah. Um, okay. Part two is the Wardrobe Assessment. So this is where you’re going to review the items you already have in your closet. So taking all of your clothes out of your closet, trying them all on, and asking yourself some key questions, um, in order to figure out if they’re going to work for you in the style that you’ve identified that you want to have moving forward. 

Caroline: Mhm. And then part three is all about Planning and Creating. So this is where you’re going to get the opportunity to explore patterns and fabrics and styling to try to figure out how you are going to complete your new style. And you’ll also identify those holes that are missing after you’ve reassessed your wardrobe and, maybe, let go of a few items. You’re probably gonna have holes in your wardrobe and be able to see those and plan out your new looks accordingly. And then, of course, start sewing. 

Helen: Yeah. Obviously, the goal is always to get to the sewing.

Caroline: This episode is sponsored by Spoonflower. The first company of its kind, Spoonflower was launched in 2008 in Durham, North Carolina, with the dream of empowering individuals to create, print, and sell their own artwork on fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap. 

Helen: Are you looking for project inspiration? Check out Spoonflower’s online magazine at spoonflower.com/magazine. Designing your own fabric to create a dream wardrobe is easier than you might think. Spoonflower has also rounded up eight seamless repeat tutorials to get you started which you can find on their blog and in our show notes. 

Caroline: We love that Spoonflower is committed to its sustainable practices with a focus on reducing the use of energy and water, minimizing fabric waste, and using ethically sourced materials. 

Helen: And you heard right at the beginning of the show Spoonflower is giving away a Brother Serger to one of our lucky listeners. So don’t forget to enter to win by visiting try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew. The deadline to enter is September 10, 2019. But if you’re listening after that, don’t worry, you’ll still receive a 15% discount by using that URL. Again, that’s try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew to win a serger. 

Caroline: Go and enter.

Helen: Okay. So Part One: Defining Our Style. There’s a few questions we have to kick things off. So do you feel like you have a signature style or do you like to mix things up? 

Caroline: I think I have a signature style. 

Helen: Mm, I like to mix things up. 

Caroline: I would say that’s true. Are you more focused on comfort or style? 

Helen: Uh, comfort obviously.

Caroline: Yeah. Comfort. 

Helen: Comfort, comfort, comfort. 

Caroline: But I also like style. Can I say both? 

Helen: You have a very comfortable style. 

Caroline: Thank you. 

Helen: Okay. And then we have the three descriptive words to describe your current style. So some examples would be, like, romantic or casual or simple or preppy or sporty, you know? 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: Keep it simple. Um, for me, I wrote volumes, bold prints, and modern linen which are not really descriptive words, but whatever. 

Caroline: I like the modern linen. It’s, like, so specific, not antique linen, modern linen. 

Helen: I just wanted modern and linen in there. 

Caroline: You could have just added an extra word. 

Helen: No. Three. 

Caroline: Alright. So I put down relaxed, simple, and natural.

Helen: Ooh, natural lady. That’s creepy.

Caroline: I was thinking more, like, natural tones, but also natural, like, I don’t wear makeup, so… 

Helen: Yeah, that’s true. 

Caroline: Yeah. Does your wardrobe reflect the needs of your current lifestyle? 

Helen: Yeah. Think about, like, the three activities that you do the most. You know, are you a parent? Do you go to an office? Do you go to the gym regularly or do other fitness things? 

Caroline: This is a really great place to have, like, a reality check where you can be like, okay, this is my current situation. Like, this is where my current situation is at. And like, but this is actually my life. And like, do those things line up?

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: And we also give you a place where you can reflect on what you actually like about your current style and then what you don’t like about your current style. I think we all have a few elements about the things that we wear or the way that we style ourselves that maybe we think we could improve. So this is a really cool place for reflection. We give you space to write all of that out. So it’s a really fun part of the process. 

Helen: Yeah, definitely. And then you have all this information that you can refer back to when you are doing the next step which is pinning a bunch of inspiration images, um, or gathering them on Instagram or however you want to do it. Just gathering inspiration and then comparing those inspiration images you’re finding with the initial steps that we put out there like, oh, is this image that I’m really attracted to, does it look comfortable? Is it going to work for my lifestyle, all those kinds of things you want to consider before you add it to your precious Pinterest board. 

Caroline: Yeah. And if you’re, like, a Pinterest junkie like myself, I had all of these crazy Pinterest boards with all kinds of style inspiration, and I just created a brand new one, like, a fresh style board. And then I went through all of my saved posts on Instagram, and I went through all of my style boards on Pinterest, and I, kind of, just, like, put it all together and picked, you know, just a few images that I felt really defined the style that I’m aspiring to create. 

Helen: Yeah, exactly. You can go crazy, and then you can narrow it down because in the end you do want to have a pretty defined idea of what your style is going to be. So once you’ve narrowed down your Pinterest board, we have some questions in the worksheet that you can ask yourself, like, is there a specific, sort of, vibe that’s resonating when you’re looking at your board? And can you describe that in three words, the same way that you described your current style and see, you know, how much contrast there is there?

Caroline: Yeah. And also looking at the colors, like, for me, I had a very, very clear palette on my Pinterest board, and it was, like, white, rust, denim. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: Basically. So I had this clear idea of like, okay, this is where I want my style to go this fall which was really fun. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: You’ll also get to pinpoint trends that maybe you see in the fabrics used, or maybe the prints on those fabrics, the texture. So really try to have a look at the types of things you pin and why did you pin them? Is it because you liked a specific element? Did you like the whole look? Kind of, go through it, and these questions are helping you with that. 

Helen: You were saying that you were surprised that you had so many, like, small scale florals pinned.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Actually, I think I pinned like three or four garments that were quite romantic and flowy, like button up tops or, sort of, like boho style blouses with a small scale floral print, specifically on a dark background. So I was like, okay. And that really does sort of fit with my current style. I feel like I could pair that with a lot of the jeans and the pants that I have. So I really do want to try to make some blouses like that this fall. 

Helen: Yeah. It’s cool to see what comes up as you start pinning and think like, oh, I clearly am attracted to this, but I don’t actually have this in my wardrobe. 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: And you can also look for trends in silhouette because that’s going to really help you when you’re looking at patterns later, is defining what silhouettes you are attracted to and also what silhouettes you like to wear, and then any, like, style details. So are you pinning a lot of button front dresses? Uh, does everything have a high waist? Are things, kind of, oversized or are they more tailored? Um, looking at those details as well. 

Caroline: Yeah. And then after you’re looking at your vision board, you want to describe your dream style. 

Helen: Yes. 

Caroline: So we have a space where you can talk about where you want your dream style to be. And then there’s also a really fun sliding scale where you can, kind of, mark, or rate, how close your current style is to your dream style.

Helen: Yeah. So you can see how far you have to go. 

Caroline: Yeah. And you’re allowed to put, like, 10 out of 10 on there. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: I’ll just put it out there. 

Helen: Maybe you nailed it.

Caroline: Maybe you nailed it. You just need to keep doing what you’re doing. 

Helen: Alright, so that’s pretty much the vision boarding time and figuring out where you want to go. We kept it pretty simple. Um, you can just think about, you know, the next six months, if you want. You don’t have to think about your next forever, just where you’re at right now. 

Caroline: Yeah, exactly. And then we’re going to move on to Part Two, which is the Wardrobe Assessment. The scary part. 

Helen: I’m Imagining someone severe holding a clipboard.

Caroline: Wardrobe assessment. This was a really great place where we were able to look at our current wardrobe and just, kind of, figure out what we were ready to let go of and what didn’t work with our dream style and the style that we’re aspiring to create. 

Helen: Yeah. Often when I do these kind of exercises, I find that I put things on that I never wear. And then when I look in the mirror and I’m like, oh, I never wear this. Why don’t I ever wear this? And then it doesn’t fit at all with the style that I’ve defined that I want to have. So sometimes it can become clear, even though you’re, like, objectively, this top is really nice. If you never, it, it might just be time to let it go.

Caroline: Yeah. It’s also just a really fun time to, kind of, play dress up and pull out some of those pieces that maybe you haven’t worn in a while and maybe you’ll fall back in love with them or realize that they fit a little better than they used to or maybe even a little bit worse, and you’re ready to really let go of them. So this is a really great process, and it’s going to help you to figure out which me mades or, you know, store-bought clothes you’re ready to part with. 

Helen: So we want you to take things out of your wardrobe and create a clean space where you can put things back in, uh, one at a time, things that you truly, truly love. And we have three questions we want you to ask for each garment. So first is: does this fit with your vision for your new style? And second is: can you alter the garment to fit into your vision for your dream wardrobe? And the third is: is this an exception to the rule, kind of, garment? 

Everyone’s going to have these in their wardrobe. It might be loungewear, workout clothes, sentimental things, special occasion wear, those kinds of things. Probably won’t fit into your vision board unless, you know, you’re super into lounging. Um, and of course, you can keep those things. Everyone needs those things in their wardrobe. 

Caroline: Yeah. I think, like, if there’s an item that you’re looking at and it doesn’t necessarily fit with your dream wardrobe vision, but you still are absolutely in love with it, like, don’t get rid of it, you know? That’s an exception to the rule, even if it’s not loungewear. 

Helen: It’s true.

Caroline: I think there will always be exceptions, but I think this is more a place where you can pinpoint the items that you’re sure you don’t like anymore, you don’t want to wear anymore, don’t fit you, and give yourself permission to let go of them. 

Helen: Yeah, definitely. And on fit, we do encourage you to let go of things that don’t fit you, even if you think they might fit you at a later date because we found personally having those things in our wardrobes just, sort of, taunting us can be really heartbreaking sometimes. So at the very least, take those items and put them in storage and you can revisit it later. 

Caroline: Yeah. 

Helen: But clear them out for now because you only want things hanging in your closet that you can actually wear. 

Caroline: Yeah. I try to remind myself that, like, even though it’s hard to get rid of something that doesn’t fit me anymore, let’s say, in a few years, it fits me again. My style might be different then. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So you’re holding onto this, kind of, reminder that there are garments that don’t fit you anymore. I just think it’s, like, not healthy. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Let it go. 

Helen: Let it go. 

Caroline: So then when you have your piles of items that you’ve decided to keep, we think it’s really important that you keep that stuff organized and visible for future wear, so you’re going to have a clean slate and you can put everything back into your closet or your dresser or however you organize your clothes and just try to have some order in there.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. You can even treat yourself and upgrade some of your closet elements, like get some nice wooden or velvet hangers so things stay on. Get the right hangers for garments. You know, like your spaghetti strap Ogden camis are constantly slipping off the hangers cause you don’t have the ones with, like, the little notches in them.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Just go get some of those.

Caroline: Yes. 

Helen: Yeah. It’s not that hard, and you can also get some bins or maybe you want to upgrade your entire storage system and go nuts at IKEA. I mean, wherever you’re at, I think it would be fun to treat yourself a little bit and just, uh, freshen it up. 

Caroline: Okay, so once you’ve gone through your wardrobe and organized everything, you’re ready to move on to Part Three… 

Helen: My favorite part.

Caroline: …Plan and Create.

Helen: Yes, hopefully during the process of clearing out your closet, you identified some holes, some priorities, maybe you got rid of that classic denim shirt that you love because it didn’t fit you. So you need another one, obviously, that does fit you, riight? 

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: So you can identify some of those holes and also identifying the gap between your initial assessment of your wardrobe and your dream wardrobe and what articles of clothing are going to fill that gap. 

Caroline: And then you’re going to get to make a list of those missing items and organize that list by make versus purchase. Because remember, we’ve talked about this before, you do not have to sew everything. So this isn’t a moment where you’re making a big, long list of things you want to make. You can split it up and decide, okay, this is something I’m going to buy, you know, invest in, or, you know, however you want to buy it. You can do that. And then maybe a list of things that you get to make. 

Helen: Yeah, for sure. And don’t worry if your make list is really long. We talked about this at the beginning. Sometimes that can be overwhelming, but we’re going to keep narrowing it down, and you’re going to identify the next three things you’re going to make after this. So go nuts a little bit here. 

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Feel free. 

Caroline: Yeah, and then once you have that list of things that you want to make, now is a good time to do a pattern search to try to plan and figure out what patterns you’re going to use to fill those holes in your wardrobe. And also come up with a realistic timeline because it’s easy to have a mile long list of items, but if you don’t, kind of, put a schedule on that then, who knows when you’re going to get that done? So coming up with a realistic timeline for when you’re going to make those items, I think is really important. And we give you some space to do that in the worksheet. 

Helen: Mhm. And we also give you space to prioritize. So we do want you to narrow in on three things you want to make real bad. And then we have a really fun project worksheet that you can fill out. So you can draw a little sketch of your garment. Put the details in there. Include a fabric swatch if you want. Um, and then there’s some space to write a little bit about why you chose that, how it fits into your style, um, and ideas for hacking. All sorts of stuff.

Caroline: Yes. This worksheet is one of my favorite parts of the whole booklet because you can reprint it again and again. You can use it in your sewing journal, maybe, if you have one, and just print a sheet and, kind of, tuck it in there. You can organize it however you want. But it’s a really great place to just, kind of, come back to every time you want to plan a new make, lots of place to put all the information on that sheet.

Helen: Definitely, and we don’t want you to be intimidated about drawing a croquis or drawing a garment. I mean, I am a pattern designer, and I will tell you that most of the time when I’m sketching out an idea I have for a pattern, it looks really, really weird. Like, I can’t get the shoulders to be straight and the sleeves are different sizes and, like, I try my best, you know, I get my idea down on paper and that’s what counts. 

Caroline: Yeah. And if you’re really intimidated by it, I think you can use the line drawing from the pattern. You can even print out, like, a black and white copy of, like, the pattern cover or the photo shoot or something and then trace over it. You can maybe invest in some credits with MyBodyModel and get your own croquis built for you. There’s so many ways that you can do that yourself and don’t worry about it being perfect. It’s just all about getting your idea down on paper. 

Helen: Yeah, totally. You can even glue the picture of the pattern on there.

Caroline: Oh yeah. Absolutely. 

Helen: Okay. So I’m curious to hear what your Plan and Create process was like. 

Carolien: Ooh, well, I’m really excited about my next three makes because they’re, kind of, well, one of them is a little bit different and unexpected, but one of the things that I was pinning a lot was button up shirts for fall. You know, it’s something that I don’t wear that often, but I think I aspire to wear more button up shirts. 

Um, they’re comfy and they, you know, are a little bit more chic and put together then, maybe, just a t-shirt. I have a lot of t-shirts. I realized that when I cleaned out my closet. Do not need to make any more t-shirts for the moment. So I’m going to make the Olya Shirt by Paper Theory. It’s this really cool shirt where the yoke goes right out into the sleeves. It’s, kind of, a relaxed fit, and I want to make it out of linen. I haven’t decided if I want to do, like, a crisp white linen or if I want to do a colored linen but just a plain linen button up shirt.

I’m super excited about that cause I think it’s going to fit seamlessly into my wardrobe and just be exactly what I’m looking for right now. 

The other make that I put on my list, because I’m desperate to make jeans after recording and talking about denim so much last week, is the Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen. I actually have not made the Dawn Jeans yet. Everyone in my office has made the Dawn Jeans, practically, and they’re so, so great. I feel like it’s the jeans pattern to end all jeans pattern. Like, you only really need the Dawn Jeans.

Helen: Sorry to any patterns for jeans. 

Caroline: No, but it’s just Megan Nielsen did such a wonderful job with that pattern because it has all the different views, and it’s just that perfect, like, high waist I personally love. It’s my end all be all jeans pattern. Let’s say that. So I’m going to do a pair of a wide leg Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans in this vintage washed denim that we actually just dropped in the shop last week. Um, hopefully, there’s still some left when this episode comes out, but it’s a really great denim that we’ve carried before. It’s just a really nice, kind of, like, heavy weight with a little bit of a vintage vibe. I really love it. 

And then my last make on my list is the Elliott Sweater from Helen’s Closet. I’ve tried on a ton of your Elliot sweaters, but I’ve yet to make one. 

Helen: You’ll love it. It reminds me a lot of a sweater that you wear all the time.

Caroline: Yes, I know I’m going to love it. I mean, there’s no doubt. I just have to make it. And I also pinned a lot of, like, kind of, turtleneck-like comfy sweater things, so I’m going to do a little hack. I’m actually going to lengthen the sleeves and maybe make them a little bit looser. Like, I, kind of, want the sleeves to be a little bit, like, so I can, sort of, roll them up maybe or something like that. I think that’s maybe going to be more of the vibe I’m looking for this fall. So I’m going to try out the Elliot Sweater in this, like, rusty rib knit that I have in my stash. 

And I mean, it was really hard to narrow down three makes. I also really want to make a Wiksten Haori. I also, you know, really want to make all kinds of things, but I had to narrow it down to three, and it was really fun.

Helen: So have you put any wheels in motion to get started on these? 

Caroline: Um, no. But I only just finished this this week. 

Helen: That’s true. That’s true. 

Caroline: I’m still gunnin’ for my last two jumpsuits this weekend… 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …and then I’ll do this. 

Helen: I know I also have, this was a bit weird for me because I have two formalwear, well you also have Frocktails to think about, but a frocktails dress and a dress to wear to my friend’s wedding, that are top priority at the moment. So I didn’t include those on my list because I don’t feel like they count in this situation. 

But, um, my three makes, I also want to make wide leg Dawn Jeans, uh, in bull denim. I have a bunch of, uh, green bull denim. I really want to make a pair. And then some army green canvas Yanta Overalls. 

Caroline: Ooh. Is that the hemp organic cotton canvas? 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: Oh, it’s the perfect weight. Amazing.

Helen: Yeah. I’m so excited. I have a fresh pair of black Yanta Overalls because I wanted to, like, gear up for fall and make some more Yants, so I made a black pair, and I made a, like, linen slub pair with a tie front. 

Caroline: So cute. 

Helen: And now I’m going to make another army green pair. They’re just so comfortable. 

Caroline: It’s the fall of Yantas. Oh, wait, I need to stop saying that. It’s the autumn of Yantas.

Helen: Autumn also means, like, the fall. 

Caroline: It does? I didn’t know that.

Helen:  It’s the year of Yanta. 

Caroline: Okay. Double wise. 

Helen: And then another pair of Persephone Pants, even though I’m trying the Dawn. I know the Persephone has worked for me, so I can bang out another pair and know that I’m going to be super happy. And I want to use the popcorn denim that you guys had in stock a while back. 

Caroline: Freaking love that stuff. 

Helen: It’s so cute. And I’m also going to stock up again on denim tomorrow cause we’re recording this right before the denim launch, so I’ll have lots to work with. But basically I identified, when I did this process, that I need more pants moving into fall and winter because I know my style is going to shift. I’m not gonna be able to wear my shorts and dresses as much anymore. So I want to be ready and have pants already made because as it stands, I only have one pair of jeans that fit.

Caroline: You can do it. It’s going to be so fun. You’re going to have more jeans, and you’re going to start on your journey to creating your dream wardrobe. 

Helen: Yeah. 

Caroline: And so am I.

Helen: A journey I’ve been on for a long time. A never ending story. 

Caroline: So that’s, kind of, the whole process. Overall, it was really fun to do, and we hope you guys have fun as well. And it is always good to do a style check-in every once in a while. 

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So we hope that this, kind of, gives you that little push to go ahead and do that just in time for fall. 

Helen: Mhm, and let us know what you think of the worksheet because it’s something that we can keep evolving and keep growing based on feedback. So please let us know and give it a try. Hope you create a wardrobe you absolutely 100% love or at least get going in that direction. 

And you can download that worksheet at lovetosewpodcast.com. We’re going to have links in the show notes for this episode. We’ll probably have a link on the homepage somewhere. We’ll have a link in our profile on Instagram. You know the drill, and use the #LTSdreamwardrobe when you share your progress cause we can’t wait to see what looks you come up with and your future garments. 

Caroline: Go have fun. 

That’s it for this Love to Sew favorite, we’ll be back in September with our new season. And in the meantime, you can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com and our Love to Sew swag shop at lovetosewshop.com. 

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com. Just search for the episode title.

Caroline: And of course, if you want to join our Patreon fam, now is a great time to start. For just $5 U.S. per month, you’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode. And $10 U.S. per month will get you a 15% off discount code for Blackbird Fabrics, Helen’s Closet, and our Love to Sew swag shop, plus a bonus mini-sode. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info. 

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening. We’ll talk to you soon. Bye.

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