Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

Follow Helen! Blog: Helen’s  Closet Patterns, Instagram: @helens__closet

Follow Caroline! Shop: Blackbird Fabrics, Instagram: @blackbirdfabrics

Follow the Podcast! Instagram: @lovetosew.podcast, Facebook: /LovetoSewPod

Leave us a voicemail with your questions, comments, and feedback: 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly episode updates, special news, and even some exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else.

Leave us a review! It will help other sewists discover us.

---

Transcript: 

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, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s interview with Donny Hoang AKA Donny Q.

Hello, Donny. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Donny Q: Yeah, I’m happy to be here.

Helen: We’re so excited to chat with you. Can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Donny Q: Sure, so, uh, my name’s Donny. Uh, I’m originally from the Bay Area in California. But I’m currently a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, um, which occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk nation land. Um, however, at the time of recording, I’m currently in Gamboa, Panama, uh, do some field research with leaf cutter ants.

Caroline: Okay. This is so cool.

Helen: So glad you brought this up because we wanted to ask you about the ants immediately. Tell us about the ants.

Donny Q: Alright. Great. Um, I love the ants. So leaf cutter ants cut leaves, but importantly, they don’t actually eat the leaves. Rather, they use the leaves to cultivate a symbiotic fungus which they farm and cultivate and consume as their only or primary food source. Um, and for me, the important part from this whole system is that they’re symbiotic fungus doesn’t actually completely degrade the leaf material.

And the ants will collect the partially degraded plant material and collect into these piles that, um, we call, or I call, refuse piles or refuse dumps. And you can think of them as, like, the leaf cutter ant equivalent of compost piles. And from a research perspective, I’m broadly interested in microbial community ecology.

Um, and there’s a lot of cool things with these refuse piles that I think are understudied and have a lot of, I think, potential applications, like, well, not just, like, actual applications, but I think it’s, um, worthwhile to study for its own intellectual merit.

Caroline: What, why ants, I guess is my question? Like, what brought, what brought you and ants together? Did you always know you wanted to study ants?

Donny Q: Yeah. So, um, I knew I wanted to be a scientist when I was younger. And then as I grew up, I started, like, learning more and figuring out what I was interested in. And when I was an undergraduate, um, I was just a microbiology person, but I took, like, one introductory entomology class, and it was so amazing that I ended up minoring in entomology as well.

Although I like to call myself a microbiologist, I think I’m similar to a lot of scientists these days, where we wear a lot of different hats. So if I’m around a lot of microbiologists, I’ll call myself an entomologist. Or if I’m around entomologists, I’ll call myself a microbiologist. But I think the biggest hat I wear is my microbiology hat.

So when it came to ants, it was a pretty easy choice for me because when it came to my PhD where I was interested in studying host associated systems, so microbial communities that have some sort of relationship with a host species. Um, and since I was interested in entomology, I was pretty open to anything insect-related. And then when it came to, you know, choosing a program and choosing a lab, um, choosing the lab that studied the ants seemed like a pretty easy choice.

Helen: Very cool. And, uh, for our listeners, Donny has a[n] Instagram story showing some of the ants in action which you’ve got to go check out. It’s so cool to see these little, like, they look like coral, almost, the little ecosystems that they build. They’re beautiful.

Donny Q: Yeah. So those are, that’s actually, like, the whole, like, we call that the fungus garden and that’s, whole structure is actually the fungus and, like, the leaf material the fungus is degrading. I can’t get a great picture of it from my phone camera, but you can look it up pretty easily. These fungi produce these really specialised swellings that the ants consume, and they look just like tiny lollipops. Um, I think it’s adorable.

Helen: It is so adorable. And I mean, I have to ask, like, do your coworkers know that you’re also a sewing influencer?

Donny Q: A lot of my peers know I sew, and some of them know I’m on Instagram. But I would venture to guess that most people don’t know how big my following on Instagram is. Not that I think it’s very big at all, but I think it’s, like, a respectable amount, I think. It’s, like, an amount that you say to a random person, and they, they’ll be impressed.

Helen: Oh, totally. And then they’ll go to the account, and they’ll be even more impressed because it’s amazing.

Donny Q: Thank you.

Helen: Is this your first time travelling for work?

Donny Q: It’s my first time travelling for tropical field work which is very exciting for me. I think I had an opportunity to do it back in 2020, where I was supposed to go to Costa Rica, um, but for obvious pandemic reasons that did not work out.

Caroline: And did you, do you manage to find time to sew while you’re in Panama? Like, is that something that you’re able to do out there?

Donny Q: That is something that I planned not to do out here. So I didn’t bring down a sewing machine. I’m not really looking for any fabric or any sewing supplies to do that down here because I just didn’t think I would have the time to do it, and I was wrong. Um, but I think that’s fine. I think it’s better for me to focus on either the work I’m doing here directly or just focus on other aspects of my thesis. So, yeah, I don’t mind taking a short-ish break from sewing while I’m here.

Helen: That’s fair. And did you make stuff specifically for the trip? Like, from some of your recent posts, it seems like maybe you did make some travel field work gear?

Donny Q: Uh, yes, absolutely. So I was, the week or two right before I left, I was sewing for this trip, not everything ended up being usable because, you know, not everything I make turns out great, but I think enough of it worked out that I have a few good field work outfits to wear while I’m down here.

Caroline: That’s awesome. Yeah, you’ve been posting some really cool outfit photos, and Helen and I were coveting your mesh top in your most recent post. It’s so cool.

Donny Q: Thank you.

Caroline: Okay. Let’s switch gears for a second because we ask all of our guests about their sewing journey. So can we back it up and can you tell us how and when you learned to sew and how you got into sewing?

Donny Q: Uh, yeah, so I started sewing in, I think about 2016 when I was still living in the DC Metro area. So what inspired me to start sewing was this was around the same time I was starting to figure out or try to learn more about my own personal style.

And at the time I thought the peak of style was slim fit everything. So slim shirts, slim pants, as slim as you can get. The thing about my body is that it’s very slim. So even slim fit clothes off the rack would be too, uh, baggy on me. And so I wanted to sew as a way to, I guess, save money at the tailor and learn how to taper or hem my own pants or add in my own shirt darts because that seemed relatively easy to do.

Um, so to get started, I took, like, one class at a, uh, small sewing studio in DC, but I think they’ve closed since, and that really, I think, lowered the barrier entry for me. It just taught me how to turn on my machine, how to thread a machine. And, for me, that was the main thing that I needed.

Um, and after that it was mostly YouTube tutorials. So whenever I had, like, a thing I wanted to do, like, how do I sew a shirt dart? I would just search that onto YouTube. Find the most, or I guess the shortest video, uh, there was on it and follow along, but I think very quickly I realised that buying clothes just to fix it was silly when I could just make the clothes from scratch.

And since I was developing my own sense of style at the time, I think my tastes changed really quickly as I grew to appreciate the process of sewing or, like, designing clothes and sewing them and styling them. So, yeah, I think, that’s, that’s, sort of, my sewing journey.

Helen: That’s so cool. We love that you’re self-taught, and it’s interesting to hear you talk about being really in love with the slim silhouettes and then your style changing as you started sewing. Do you think you just wanted more beautiful fabric on your body? Because you’re all about those layers.

Donny Q: I mean, I think that’s exactly what it is. I think I just want to be a mannequin that people drape fabric over. You know, like, whenever you’re browsing fabric online, some stores will have their fabric draped over a mannequin to, like, show off what it looks like. And I think that is, like, my peak fashion inspiration.

Helen: That’s awesome.

Caroline: I love that. So you’ve been sewing for about five or six years now. Like, if you could go back and, and talk to your beginner sewing self, what advice would you give yourself?

Donny Q: I think I would tell myself to slow down and use patterns. I think, for the longest time, I was very snobby about using patterns because you know, I thought, oh, there’s so many resources online for me to learn how to draft my own pattern, why would I bother buying one? But there’s a lot of information in patterns that aren’t just in the actual pattern itself. And for me, there are a lot of construct- and probably there still are, but a lot of things, when it comes to clothing construction, that I probably do wrong or inefficiently that I just wouldn’t have learned from teaching myself. Um, so I think I would use patterns mostly as a way to try and, um, more efficiently teach myself how to sew.

And I think I would also tell myself to slow down. So one of the big motivations for me to learn how to sew my own garments was also because I couldn’t afford a lot of the cool designer garments that I was seeing online. And the first garment I ever made was, like, a knockoff Issey Miyake-inspired comma pants which looked like they were made by a beginner. I mean, looking back, on one hand, I’m super proud that it was, like, the first garment I ever made, but it didn’t have to be. And, um, yeah, I think slowing down and taking time to build a repertoire of skills before I jumped into something that, you know, isn’t something that I can wear anymore.

So, use patterns. Slow down.

Helen: I feel like we need a redo of these pants. Have you since made an updated version?

Donny Q: I haven’t because I’ve been, so I think that first pair I was so disappointed with, well, not disappointed immediately. Like, I think I wore them every day for, like, a few weeks, but then, like, as I learned more about the process of sewing pants, I was like, oh, these are actually terrible. I’m so ashamed of these. Why am I still wearing these outside? Um, and I think I do have other pants that are similar-ish enough to that initial pair. That I don’t feel the need to remake them because they would just be redundant in my wardrobe at this point.

Helen: Fair enough. It seems like you have a very large wardrobe. Am I correct in saying that?

Donny Q: Uh, yes. Um, more than I think one person needs, but I don’t think I need to wear clothes often to justify having it.

Caroline: So let’s talk a bit about your, your personal style because, um, I mean, Helen and I absolutely love it, and it’s so effortless, and it’s, kind of, like, fashion forward at the same time, but how would you self-describe your personal style?

Donny Q: I think this is hard because I, I’m still, I still feel like I’m figuring that out. Um, but I think I, sort of, go back and forth between two aesthetics. I think the one that people really engage with and like my Instagram page for is my, um, unfolded laundry aesthetic. You know, that pile of laundry you don’t want to fold, so you put it on your office chair, but when you want to use the desk, you move it to your bed, and then when you want to go to bed, you move it back to your chair. Like, that pile of laundry is, is what I want my fashion to look like.

But I also think another aspect of my style is this idea that I call absurd practicality, which to me is just a lot of pockets. And just having so many pockets where it seems absurd or silly or almost like it’s a joke. Um, so yeah, I think, in general, I bounce between those two aesthetics, but at the same time, I’m still developing it and figuring it out.

Caroline: Um, okay. I want to jump to a question about these pockets because we have one in here. Um, you made cargo pants with nine pockets. So can you tell us where all these pockets are? Like, where do you fit nine pockets?

Donny Q: Sure. Let me, let me think about it. Have to count them up. Um, so I have my four essential pockets, so the two front ones and two back pockets, I have a front patch pocket on the right thigh, which now, now it is considered essential. I have two cargo pockets. And then on the left cargo pocket, I have a patch pocket, um, which is also a[n] utensil holder. I don’t think I’ve shown off that part of the pants yet, but they’re coming. And then on the right cargo pocket, I have a hidden pocket inside it. So, yeah, I think that’s nine total.

Caroline: Wow. And what do you put in all these pockets?

Donny Q: Well, importantly, I don’t use all of them. I use, perhaps, two or three at a time at the most. So my phone, my wallet, my keys. I might move my phone around in different pockets, depending on what else I’m carrying, like a duffel bag or a backpack or any other, sort of, equipment I might need. But, you know, I thought I would be using these pockets more frequently in the fields, but I don’t, I just toss everything in my backpack. So yeah, it’s, the practicality is absurd to me.

Helen: Absurdly awesome.

Caroline: It’s always good to be prepared.

Helen: We actually just did an episode all about pockets, and we were wondering if you had any pocket drafting or sewing tips that you live by when you’re creating these pocket masterful pieces.

Donny Q: Yeah. I, I don’t know if I have drafting tips because, for me personally, I just have, like, a standard size that I know I like on pants or shirts, and I think that’s very subjective to me. I think another thing is that I design the actual shape of the pocket and the placement of the pocket as I go whenever I’m making a garment. Because, for me, that’s a lot of fun.

Like, moving the pocket around, maybe sewing it down, deciding I want to move it or, like, deciding, hey, maybe I want two pockets on the chest, and I’ll just slap an extra one on the arm because why not? So, yeah, I don’t know if I have great tips for that, but I do take, I do find a lot of joy in the process of figuring out as I go. Um, so maybe that will bring someone else joy if you try it out.

Helen: Well, that’s great. I mean, going with the flow and doing it as you sew, I think, makes a lot of sense because you’ve got to get the positioning and the proportions right. And it’s small pieces of fabric, so you don’t really have anything to lose.

Donny Q: Yeah.

Helen: Well, I love your description of your style as that unfolded laundry look. And one of the things that Caroline and I noticed that is, kind of, an iconic look for you is this jacket that has these folds that come down the front, has big lapels that, kind of, fold down. Is that something that you drafted?

Donny Q: Uh, no. So that is actually a vintage Vogue pattern. Uh, I believe it’s Vogue 1476. It was part of, um, I don’t know if it’s from the eighties or nineties, but it was designed by Issey Miyake and, uh, pro tip, because I know that the pattern is very hard to find and that when one does find it, it can be quite expensive, but the pattern comes as a coat, a shirt, and a pants.

But if you only want the coat, the coat is one size between all patterns and the size is only, is only for the shirt and the pants. So you might be able to get away by buying a cheaper version if it’s the, I dunno, quote-unquote “wrong size” for you. So yeah, just wanted to throw that out there.

Helen: Oh, that is great to know. And do you have this jacket in multiple colours of fabrics?

Donny Q: I do. I think right now I have three. I have one in a wool cotton blend. I originally had one that was just straight up wool coating, but that was way too heavy for me, even for Wisconsin, so I donated it, and hopefully, someone else in Wisconsin is using it.

I also have two linen ones. I have a brown linen one and an off-white linen one. And I don’t think I’ve ever worn the linen ones out and about, but I do wear them at home as a robe. This is going to sound silly, but I tell my real life friends about this, too, so I don’t mind sharing it on podcasts, but I will put on just the coat to twirl around in my apartment if I need to kill a few minutes, so…

Donny Q: Amazing. That sounds like a lot of fun.

Caroline: It’s such a cool coat though. And, and a lot of the outfits that you wear have a really similar dimension. And I wonder, like, how do you put an outfit together? How do you decide what to wear?

Donny Q: Yeah, I think it really depends. So originally when I started on my Instagram posts, it was for documenting outfits I would wear every day, but I think now, and like, because of the way it’s grown, it’s more, it’s, I think it still documents that clothes I wear every day, but more so I think it documents or it shows off, you know, cool outfits I come up with.

So, recently, I think a lot of my Instagram posts, the outfits are pre-planned before I even sew. They’re designed or they’re sketched down and then I’ll make them, and then I’ll assemble the outfit. But for day-to-day wear, like, if I’m just going to work, it’s an average day I usually start with one piece that I want to show off and then I’ll build around it, depending on what else I have access to.

So I think at the time of the recording, we’re in, like, fall winter for the Northern Hemisphere. So usually I’ll try to find, like, a jacket or a pair of pants that I think have a, kind of, a really cool texture. And then I’ll try to add pieces that either highlight it or complement it. And then, yeah, just, I usually just build off of one piece. Um, but I don’t necessarily start with shoes or a shirt or something like that. It, sort of, changes every, every time I dress up.

Caroline: And what about dressing for travel? Do you have any tips for staying put together on the road and dressing out of a suitcase?

Donny Q: I do not at this time because I don’t think I travel very much. I think, I’ve just recently travelled, um, but that might not be enough experience to give advice on it. I did plan every outfit that I could possibly want to wear while I’m in Panama, and that’s what I packed for. I’m sorry I don’t have, can’t give any travel tips.

Helen: That’s okay. I mean, you’re out doing field work, too, so it’s a little different than sightseeing.

Donny Q: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. We want to talk about fabrics. You mentioned texture in your garments, and we love that textured look that you have. What are some of your favourite fabrics to wear and to work with?

Donny Q: Oh yeah. So I think hands down my favourite fabric to wear is linen. Like, I just love the way it feels on my skin. I love the way it, like, billows when, like, a breeze comes through, but I do not like to sew with it, um, I find it incredibly difficult to sew, um, and I think it’s notoriously difficult to sew, so I don’t think that was an unpopular opinion. Hopefully, it’s not.

Um, I think in terms of fabrics, I do enjoy sewing. I’m always excited to find a fabric that is, I feel, like, very unique when it comes to either texture or the weave. I think recently, well, maybe not recently, a few months ago. That’s still recent. Yeah. A few months ago I sold a pair of pants that were made of a faux fur leopard print. But what I thought was really interesting was that it was, uh, made from cotton and rayon and not synthetic. And to me, that was just wild because typically when I find faux fur, it’s always synthetic. So that was one I really liked.

I also really like working with cotton corduroys. I feel like corduroy is just, cotton, in general, it’s easy to work with, and corduroy adds, um, some fun dimension and texture, and I think it’s relatively easy to find. I think another fabric I like to work with is, uh, wool boucles. I don’t know, like, the fuzziness and the, like, sort of, hairiness of it all. Like, I just love touching it, even if it’s very wire-y wool. I think the texture of a lot of boucles is just so fun to feel and to wear.

Helen: It’s true. It has these little, like, curly q’s, almost, sticking out of it. Yeah, and jacquard is another one that comes to mind, just, like, a lot of texture and different shapes and weaves that you can get.

Donny Q: Oh yes, yeah.

Caroline: Do you have, like, a colour palette that you tend to gravitate towards when you’re picking out fabrics?

Donny Q: Yes, I think it’s my safety colour palette. Um, and it’s brown and beige or any shade of brown and beige. I was talking to my friend about it once, but I was like, you know, I think the way people wear black is the way I wear brown where, like, if it’s a different shade of brown, I’ll put it on. And I’ll, I’m okay with just being full brown.

I think in terms of neutrals, I do like, you know, off whites and olives. And I do try to, I am trying to incorporate colour more. I think I’m still scared of, you know, bright colours and incorporating that into my wardrobe, but the ones I do like tend to be, you know, very saturated yellow. Um, I do like pink and I had a lot more pink in my wardrobe when it was composed more ready to wear stuff. I really need to bring it back now that I’m sewing more.

Helen: We really enjoyed this past summer when you made some full, like, head to toe gingham outfits in some really fun colours, and we just thought those were so cool. And you even made hats to match.

Donny Q: Oh yeah. Uh, I, I feel like it’s, yeah, so the hats I always make are that, um, it’s the, the Sorrento Bucket Hat by Elbe Textiles. And I think it’s just an easy way to use up fabric scraps. You know, I, whenever I purchase fabric, I typically order about an extra quarter to half yard just in case. And that usually ends up being a hat.

Caroline: I love that. And do you mostly shop for fabric online or in person?

Donny Q: Um, I mostly shop for fabric online. So in Madison, Wisconsin, our only fabric store is a Jo-Ann Fabrics, which is, I think fine for, I think, standard or, uh, basic pieces that you may need in sewing, but the sort of fabrics I really enjoy working with tend to be, I don’t know, one-off fabrics or deadstock designer, and those are easier to find online than at Jo-Ann’s.

Caroline: Awesome. And, and when you’re deciding what to make, do you choose your fabric first or do you think of a design and then look for a fabric to match it? Like, what’s your usual process for that?

Donny Q: I don’t know if I have a usual process because it does change with every individual garment or piece or outfit. So, for example, I recently shared a pair of nylon pants on Instagram. And, for me, that was, like, a completely practical thing. I thought, okay, I need field pants. They need to be a tactical fabric. So I’m going to go buy, like, tactical nylon to make these pants.

But I also recently made those nine pocket pants. So for that, I got the fabric. I usually buy, if I don’t know what I want to make, but I like the fabric, I usually buy two to three yards, and that can make just about anything I would want. And so I got the fabric. I was like, wow, this is amazing. I don’t know if I want a shirt or a jacket, so I’ll mess around with it a bit and then decide. Um, so I think it depends on what I want to make or, like, what’s available to me.

Helen: That makes a lot of sense. I can imagine that you’re one of those sewists that likes to drape the fabric on themselves and look in the mirror and twirl and see what’s going to happen.

Donny Q: Oh, yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Donny Q: Yeah, I do that exactly. I’ll do that as I’m sewing the garment.

Helen: Yeah. That’s my, one of my favourite, just, activities for just when I’m, you know, playing around in my sewing room, but I don’t want to be sewing, is just to pull out all my fabrics and drape them on and think about all the possibilities. So much fun.

Donny Q: Yeah.

Helen: Alright, we wanted to ask you a bit about pattern drafting, even though I know you said at the beginning of the show that you wish you’d used more patterns when you got started, but you also have self-drafted a lot of your stuff. And we’re curious how you learned how to draft patterns and where our listeners might be able to get started if they were interested in that, too?

Donny Q: Yeah, so I learned to draft patterns. Well, first I should back up and say, I think I’ve drafted, like, one top block, and I’ve drafted, like, one bottom block. And those have been, like, the basis for just about everything. So instead of, you know, drafting a whole new pattern every time I make something, I’m just making small adjustments or altering a base pattern.

Um, I wish this was a visual medium, but, and I could show you the patterns I have back in Madison, but they’re very ugly. Like, they’re cut up. They’re taped together. There’s notes for adjustments all over a pattern. And I, that’s because I made it once, and I’m too lazy to go back and draw a new one.

Uh, but when I started, I literally just searched into YouTube, how do I draft a shirt pattern? Or, how do I draft a pant pattern? And unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly which videos I watched cause it was, it’s been a few years, but YouTube is a great resource, at least it has been for me.

Helen: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And it’s so cool that you just dove in and got to drafting your own blocks that you can now use. Do you use them often? Like, how much of your wardrobe is self-drafted versus patterns?

Donny Q: Let’s see, I think, I don’t have, like, a quantitative number. I think I would say most is self-drafted. Uh, because again, I usually work off of the same block or same top block for a lot of things, whether it’s a shirt or a jacket, or I guess those are the only things I make with it. And then I, when it comes to pants, you know, there’s a specific fit I like in particular areas, but I will change, like, the leg shape or the hem width, and I’ll decide on that usually as I’m tracing out the pattern onto the fabric.

Helen: And what about muslins? Are you the kind of sewist that’s making trial versions of things? Or are you diving right in?

Donny Q: I think it depends on the pattern, uh, how I want it to fit and how confident I feel. So I have made muslins in the past, especially when I first started sewing, like, lined outerwear. Like, to me, like, the back then, the idea of making outerwear was so new to me that I felt like I had to make a muslin. But for, I think, what I would consider garments that are, I think are more, um, generous when it comes to what I consider a good fit, I may not bother with a muslin.

So, like, I think recently I made a pair of, uh, Bob Pants, uh, by, I think, Style Arc. And, like, it was a, it’s a drawstring pant. I made it from, like, like, uh, some lightweight linen. So I didn’t feel like I needed to have, um, a super great, I guess, quote-unquote “fit” on it. So I just cut up the pattern and cut it directly onto the fabric. So, um, yeah, I think it depends.

Caroline: And in terms of commercial patterns, do you have any that are like your favourites or go to? I know you’re already mentioned that Vogue Issey Miyaki pattern, I think V1476. But are there any others that you love that you’d want to share?

Helen: Yeah, um, before I say it, I want to tell the listeners that Helen didn’t pay me to say this, but easily my favourite commercial pattern is the Ashton Top. So I make it into, I’ve made it into a lot of tank tops, and I think I’ve only brought down two to Panama, but I wish I had brought down more. Um, but I, I just like it a lot because two years ago I was drafting my own tank top, and they were fine, and I still wear them. They just didn’t fit right along the neckline in a way I wanted to.

And then I remember, like, last summer I saw someone in my Instagram feed wearing the Ashton Top and I was like, oh, I could just make that into a tank top. And I mean, I just like it so much because it’s so easy to hack. It’s incredibly straightforward to make. And I, I like wearing it.

Helen: Aw, thank you so much. I love your Ashtons. You’ve also done some really cool hacks. Like, I love the little shoulder tie that you added to your yellow canyon one. So cute. And, like, that moment when you made the Ashton for the first time and posted it, I literally squealed because I love your style so much. I was like, Donny Q made the Ashton Top.

Donny Q: Thank you!

Helen: I was so excited so thank you for that.

Caroline: Yeah. I am, I am obsessed. I have to call out this green gingham outfit that you made last summer that I think there was an Ashton Top and a Sorrento Bucket Hat, and it was one of our ginghams from Blackbird, and we were all just obsessed with this when we saw it. Um, it’s just such a cool combo.

Donny Q: Yeah, I love that fabric so much. I think one of the great things about the internet these days is I can, sort of, imagine any type of fabric I would want. I can Google it, and it will probably exist. I got into gingham in, like, a very big way last spring. And for a while, I just couldn’t find, like, what’s, to me, it was, like, the perfect gingham which is, like, a large scale bright green gingham. And so I saw it at Blackbird. I was like, oh, I’m going to spend all my money on this.

Caroline: Awesome. Well, I’m so glad you loved that gingham as much as, as we do, and that outfit is so cool. We’ll definitely link it up in the show notes. Um, but you mentioned outerwear a couple of minutes ago. So I want to talk about that for a second because you’ve made some amazing coats and jackets and vests and capes. And I guess the first thing I want to know is what is the best and worst thing about sewing outerwear?

Donny Q: I think, for me, the best and worst part is the same thing. So the best part is finishing it because I love to wear clothes, and I think sewing is very much a tool to accomplish that. But it’s also the worst part for me because the last step of finishing, especially a lined coat, is like when you’re attaching the hem lining to the hem of the fashion fabric. And, to me, that’s always scary because when I first started sewing coats, you know, I didn’t, I don’t think my first coat was from a pattern or, like, directly from a pattern.

It was like hacked together from a couple patterns. And I was just very, perhaps too eager to, um, hack a pattern together and sew a coat. And so I ended up with this lining that was just so off, I think on one side, it was too long, and it was, like, peeking out from under the coat. And on another side it was too short, and so it was, like, tugging up on the bottom hand of the coat almost. And that experience was very traumatic for my outerwear sewing. Um, so whenever I sew a lined garment now, I’m very nervous when it comes to the last step cause I just, I’m just praying that the lining will fit the way I want it to.

Helen: Uh, I can totally relate to this cause I’ve done the same thing where it doesn’t quite sit right, and then it ends up, kind of, baggy in the back, and it’s really upsetting. And it’s a tricky business, too, getting that perfect little fold at the bottom corners in the front, but don’t let Donny scare you away listeners.

Donny Q: Yeah, sorry. I didn’t say that to scare anyone away.

Helen: Oh, I know. It is an undertaking making outerwear, but it’s also amazing to wear, and you seem to get a lot of joy out of wearing your outerwear and, uh, at least it’s cold enough in your climate to wear that kind of thing, too.

Caroline: Do you have any favourite outerwear pieces that you’ve made that we can, uh, link up or put on our Instagram when your episode comes out?

Donny Q: Uh, yeah. Um, I think two current favourites, which I guess are also the, only two I have worn this past fall slash winter, at least when I was in Wisconsin, there was a September Coat, uh, by Merchant & Mills. And it was made from this, um, gingham wool. It’s, like, brown and off-white gingham. Um, and then the other one is, like, my remake of the Issey Miyaki Vogue 1476 coat. I think between those two, I’m pretty good when it comes to winter outerwear.

Caroline: Awesome. We’ll make sure we include photos of that. Can we talk about your Instagram a little bit more? Because it feels almost like a street style account, but way cooler, cause you actually made all of your clothes. So I know you talked a little bit about, you know, originally when you started your account, it was, sort of, more for documenting. But when did you decide to, kind of, embrace that the community was in love with your style and just use it as, like, a creative outlet to put together outfits?

Donny Q: For me, it started probably back when you had Rachael @MinimalistMachinist on the podcast. And I remember one day waking up to, like, at least a hundred, probably more new followers, just from that podcast. And it was, like, so wild to me that my account had reached A) someone who was not in America, and, uh, B) a podcast that wasn’t recorded in America.

And, like, I was getting so many new follows from it and people were, I think, very wholesome and very kind to me. I think that was probably one of the events or moments that made me think that, hey, like, people really genuinely engage or appreciate my creative output.

Caroline: Yeah, I remember that moment on the podcast. And, and I remember we were all talking about how much we love your style and it is just so, so inspiring, and I’m sure a lot of our listeners are wondering, like, how you manage to capture your outfits in this way. And so tell us a little bit more about that. Like, what camera do you use to take your, take your pictures?

Donny Q: I just use my phone. I don’t know if I should share what kind of phone it is because there’s a bit of drama with it right now, because at the time of recording, it’s broken. Um, but I can’t get a replacement cause I’m in another country and dealing with it has been a little upsetting. Um, but I just use my phone, so I don’t think it’s like, I don’t, I’m not using a particularly special camera I think.

And when it comes to taking photos, you know, I just have a, one of those tripods with bendable legs. So I just attach it to the chain-link fence on the rooftop of my apartment. I also have a Bluetooth clicker, so I set up my phone. I take a few steps back to the exact same spot every time because the floorboards aren’t even, so I know exactly where to stop. And then I just click the Bluetooth clicker until I get a good photo. And I do default on a lot of, I think, standard poses. Um, so I think that helps bring some semblance of cohesiveness to my grid.

And I think it’s really funny to me because, to me, the clicker in all of my outfit photos is usually so obvious. Um, and maybe people will see it more now that I’ve mentioned it, but yeah, people will ask me who takes your photos. And I’ll be like, there’s a clicker in the picture.

Helen: It’s true. We only noticed that this morning when we were scrolling again, we’re like, oh wait, he’s holding a clicker. They really are amazing. And you say you default to a lot of standard poses, but what about the hair flip? Can we talk about this? How are you capturing this hair flip?

Donny Q: Okay. I think for each hair flip photo, there’s, like, at least 10 more where it doesn’t look good. And I think the trick is to, is to not actually flick your hair. So, what I do is I usually grab a chunk of it and I’ll, um, I guess I do flick it, but I’ll flick my wrist up and I think, and then I’ll either, like, go quickly or just leave it there if I want to look like I’m casually flicking my hair for the camera, but I usually will, like, flick it, snap a shot. Flick it, snap a shot and continue doing that until I get a good photo.

Helen: That makes sense. It’s the same for our product photos. We take a thousand and then we choose 12, so, of course, they’re good ones.

Caroline: Yeah, it works so well though. And do you have any other, maybe, like, tips for our listeners for taking great outfit photos? I know you mentioned you stand in the same spot for cohesiveness, but is there anything else you do to, kind of, ensure you’re getting the shot that you want?

Donny Q: Yeah, so I don’t have any special lighting equipment, um, because I don’t want to buy it. And so for me, I depend a lot on natural light. And when it comes to taking outfit photos, I typically try and get to the roof, like, just about, or just at sunrise when it’s still very soft. It’s not too harsh yet. And I think that, sort of, soft lighting is probably, like, the main thing that helps show off the outfits in my photos.

Um, I think another thing that helps is, you know, I try to keep the camera lens at about chest level for me. And I think that, for me, is the best representation of the proportions of an outfit. I think it’s really easy to, like, if you’re not being too attempt- attentive, you know, people may tilt a camera too far up or too far down, and that might distort the proportions of your garment or outfit.

Caroline: Mhm, that’s a really good tip. And do you do any editing or, um, colour correcting in your photos?

Donny Q: Yeah, I do. And I think if you scroll back to the bottom of my feed and scroll up, you can start to see, you might be able to see, like, points where I learn new editing tricks. So as you scroll up, you might be like, oh, this is where Donny found out that he can straighten out his photos or, or this is where Donny figured out what light balancing is.

Um, so yeah, I, I don’t have any, like, real training in how to edit a photo, but I just use the Lightroom app. I think it’s free on any app store. Um, and I usually just press auto and then I go into, um, adjust colour, and I’ll press auto. And I might adjust a little bit, uh, because sometimes, depending on, sometimes, I think the app over adjusts when it comes to lighting.

Um, for example, since my photos are typically in the morning, right before sunrise, they’re very blue. And then I think the app overcorrects and makes them a little too orange sometimes. So I might readjust. Yeah. So I think I straighten. I’ll do whatever the auto setting in Lightroom is. I’ll do whatever the auto setting it does for colour correcting. And that’s usually it.

Caroline: And this feels like an appropriate question cause you mentioned, uh, Rachael from @MinimalistMachinist mentioning you, but do you have any favourite sewing-related follows on Instagram?

Donny Q: Um, I do. One of the accounts I really like to take inspiration from, from for style is @The.Social.Fabric. Um, I think her name is Nisan, but I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing that right, but she is who I think I look like when I put on a button up shirt and pants, like, I love the way she wears these, sort of, very relaxed shirts. I love, sort of, structure she still builds into them. I love all of her pleated pants and they’re exact, kind of, pants that I want to make, but I’m too intimidated, or perhaps too lazy, to make, so there’s Nisan.

Um, I also love to follow, uh, uh, Francisco Diaz or @CiscoSews. You know, I don’t think, you know, I, I think I’m still at the very beginning of the sustainability journey when it comes to, uh, fashion and personal style. But you know, a lot of the things I learn about it come from Francisco, and I really love the way they use thrifted pieces to make, I think, really fun and, to me, joyful outfits.

I like to follow, um, @HappilyDressed. Um, I think his name is Brandon. I like him for similar reasons that I like Francisco where he uses a lot of, um, thrifted pieces. I think he makes, like, what I think are really imaginative matching sets. So if you like to follow me for my matching sets, you should definitely follow @HappilyDressed.

Helen: Aw, so awesome. I’m loving all of it.

Caroline: I was just going to say I haven’t followed, uh, Brandon from @HappilyDressed, but I’m just taking a look at his feed now. And wow. Very, very cool. Everyone should go check them out. Thank you for that. Okay. So we’re almost at the end of our episode now, but we did have a couple more questions for you. And the first one is what does the Q stand for un Donny Q.

Donny Q: Oh, that’s just the first letter of my name, my middle name. Sorry.

Caroline: Oh, perfect.

Donny Q: Yes. So I was, like, I guess, like, my last name starts with H, so I’m like, Donny H is, kind of, boring. Um, like, Q is a fun letter, so…

Helen: Q is very fashion. And before we go, is there anything that you wish we would have asked you about sewing or microbiology?

Donny Q: Yeah. So, uh, I would love to talk more about my lab, their research, and their field work because I know that a lot of people, I mean, I’ve only done this recently, but I got the sense that a lot of people like the sort of field work I’ve been doing out here.

Um, and so if you’re interested in seeing more of what my lab does, uh, normally if there wasn’t a pandemic, we’d be travelling to a lot of places around the U.S. and in Central and South America to study, not just leaf cutter ants, but many different insects. Broadly, the lab studies microsopic interactions.

Our hosts are usually insects. And so in the past, I’ve been to the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York to sample insects. Other lab members have been to Costa Rica and Brazil to study, uh, usually, cutter ants, but other insects, as well. And the lab, I think, has been to places like Alaska and Colorado, Hawaii, and Georgia.

So there’s a lot of content there if you like my science content. And if you really like my leaf cutter ants, I recommend following my lab’s Twitter account, Instagram account, uh, I’ll send them to you in an email later, but it’s just at @UWCurrieLab, and we’re also really interested in outreach. And one of the things we do for that is we have a live feed of our display colony of ants in, um, Madison, Wisconsin. So there’s just a YouTube video link that I can send you as well. Um, if you go to it, you can watch the ants do their thing 24/7.

Helen: Cool. Oh, that’s so awesome. And for our listeners, that’s Currie Lab, spelled C-U-R-R-I-E. And we’ll definitely link all of this up in the show notes as well. I am definitely gonna check out this lab, this live feed and have it going on my other monitor while I’m working.

Caroline: So Donny, where can our listeners find you online?

Donny Q: Yeah, so you can find me just on Instagram. It’s @_DonnyQ. D-O-N-N-Y-Q. Yeah, and that’s pretty much the only place I post my outfits now, so yeah.

Caroline: Amazing. Okay, perfect. We’ll make sure we are linking up to that. And everyone go check out Donny’s amazing Instagram and our feed this week because we’re going to be posting lots of cool outfit photos, and thank you so much for chatting with us today, Donny. It was a pleasure.

Donny Q: Thank you for having me.

Caroline: Awesome. Okay. Bye.

Helen: Bye.

Donny Q: Bye.

Helen: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Helen, at HelensClosetPatterns.com and Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com! We’re recording today in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Caroline: Go to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, send us an email at hello@LoveToSewPodcast.com.

Helen: If you love Love to Sew and want more Love to Sew, you can sign up for our Patreon! For $5 a month, you get a full-length bonus episode and weekly behind-the-scenes pics. For $10 a month, you get all that PLUS a mini-episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% off codes for both Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics! Patreon is the best way to support us so that we can keep making quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew, if you can, for more info.

Caroline: And thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber. And thank you so much for listening. We’ll see to you next week.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Related Episodes