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Transcript: 

Helen: 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.

Caroline: 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 Serena AKA Sewrena.

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

Serena: Hi, thank you so much for having me.

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

Serena: Sure. Um, I’m Serena and I run the Instagram account @SewRena_ as well as the YouTube channel by the same name, without the underscore. And basically, I sew vintage sewing patterns with vintage sewing machines. I’m from Georgia, so the south.

And I learned how to sew pretty much by myself. I taught myself how to sew, but my grandmother taught me how to use a sewing machine, like, the very basics of a sewing machine. And my mother-in-law taught me how to read my first pattern. And then with that knowledge, I, kind of, just started sewing and teaching myself everything else after that.

Caroline: Awesome. And how long, how long ago was that when you first started getting into sewing?

Serena: Six years ago.

Caroline: Awesome.

Serena: Six years ago sewing, like, clothing and things like that. I learned how to use the machine maybe a couple years before that, but I was, like, a teenager. I was, like, 18 or 19 when my grandmother showed me how to use a sewing machine. So I was very impatient, and I thought that because I knew how to, like, reverse stitch and, like, stitch straight, I should have been able to make a whole outfit after that. So I quit for a couple of years.

Helen: Do you remember what the first thing was that you made when you got back into sewing?

Serena: Yeah, I pretty sure I made, well, when I first started getting into sewing, I was still dressing like an average modern person would. So I reached for knit fabrics because that was a lot of what I was wearing at the time. And I, kind of, I think I cloned, like, a crop top or something like that. Like, I just used the crop top that I already had and, like, put it on the fold and, kind of, made a crop top for the first, the first time. It was awful.

Helen: I think crop tops are surprisingly the entry point for a lot of people.

Caroline: That’s so funny. Well, Serena now you sew incredible vintage outfits, and I, kind of, love hearing that sewing, it sounds like sewing was what introduced you to the vintage style or at least got you into dressing that way. So can we just start off by you describing your style for our listeners?

Serena: Yeah. So sewing didn’t get me into vintage. I always liked vintage, but it didn’t seem achievable without sewing because I already have very weird measurements to begin with. So it was hard to fit modern clothes and then finding rare clothes made it worse. So, um, sewing was my opportunity, but I started with modern clothes because, like, that’s what I was wearing at the time. It felt safe.

So I actually found a box of patterns at my husband’s grandmother’s house, and everyone was throwing away her things because she lived in a nursing home. So the things that no one else in the family wanted, like vintage patterns and, like, just random things that she had around her house that no one needed or wanted. And I decided to keep them. I was just like, one day, I’m going to make these, like, I don’t know when, but one day I’m going to make these patterns.

And so, like, my whole reason for putting in the effort to learning how to sew even though I started with modern clothes was to be able to, like, use those patterns again, but then finally be able to dress the way that I’ve always wanted to dress, but just felt like I couldn’t, like, it was out of my reach. Sewing was, like, my opportunity to be able to do that.

Caroline: Awesome. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. And so tell our listeners, like, how, how do you dress right now? What is your, what, how would you describe your style?

Serena: I would describe my style as, well, I’m a mom first. So I, I wear things that I feel like are vintage, but also, I want to say practical. So my style is very as flashy as I can get while still being practical because I still have to be able to put my clothes in the laundry. So, um, I wouldn’t call it thrifty, but, like, as close as you can be, while still trying to be glamorous.

So somewhere in between there cause, you know, you, when you have children, you don’t want to have your heart broken when your favourite outfit’s stained, but you also don’t want to lose who you are style-wise by not dressing the way that you want to. So it’s just, I don’t know, like, mom-vintage, mom-glamour or something like that.

Caroline: I love that! Vintage-mom-glam. What is it that drew you into vintage styles? Like, why did you want to, and why do you want to dress this way?

Serena: Kind of an evolution of myself. When I was younger, my earliest time dressing vintage, I was in elementary school, and I dressed like the seventies. I was in love with Grease and I just thought it was, I don’t know, I was just mesmerised by Grease. I wore chunky platforms and bell-bottoms and all of the things, like, a little weird child would, and, um, I guess as I matured, I fell in love with the not so colourful sparkly of, like, the seventies and the sixties, and started getting into the forties and the fifties.

Uh, I, I am drawn to the lines, and also, I like that the clothes take the focus off of the wearer’s body. Like, I really like that aspect of vintage. Like, a lot of people say that with vintage clothes, you change the outfit, whether it be your garments and stuff to fit the clothes, like, you, you change the garment to fit your body as opposed to your body to fit the garment.

And that really attracts me because I used to be teased a lot for being really skinny. And when I dress vintage, it’s always about the clothes. No one sees my body, they see the clothes and how they fit me instead. So that really drew me in.

Helen: Oh, that makes a lot of sense. So has your vintage style evolved over the years? Have you found, like you mentioned that you were into the seventies and then more into the fifties, sixties, where are you at now? Do you tend to dress from all different decades?

Serena: I do jump around, um, for decades, and it really depends. Now it’s seasonal. When I first started, I thought that I wanted to stay in the fifties. Um, but then, because I do have to dress for practicality, wearing a big puffy skirt is not always going to be the practical thing to do.

So then I started just pulling from different decades for different reasons. So, um, in the summertime, I tend to wear sixties and forties more because it’s just less fabric. So if I’m in and out in a very hot weather, it’s just easier not to have a crinoline and all that stuff underneath my dress.

Whereas in the winter or a fall, I’ll start wearing the poofier skirts and, um, the more layers. So I just jumped around decades depending on, like, how I feel and just what’s practical for my day-to-day life.

On the weekends, I’m more likely to wear a big puffy outfit because, like, my husband’s around to help with the kids. Whereas, like, during the weekdays I’m gonna wear something that has, like, a more simple line, more forties, just more I can run around the house and do things without assistance.

Helen: And you seem very committed to this style of dressing. Like, I, I need to know, do you ever just wear sweatpants?

Serena: I do. But when I do, I don’t necessarily want to. I’m trying to phase it out. So I’ve been focusing a lot on, like, vintage loungewear because when I dress vintage, I feel better. I feel happier. And so when I have to put on a sweatpant and stuff like that, it’s just, like, I’m wearing this because I have to, not necessarily because I want to.

And that’s just because I don’t have the vintage equivalent in my wardrobe yet. So I eventually hope to completely phase it all out. Like, that is my hope with it, but I gave myself until, like, June to get it all out.

Helen: Oh, wow. It’s coming up.

Serena: Yeah, it is.

Caroline: I’d love to talk about that for a second though cause, like, personally, I love the look of vintage clothes, but I’m definitely used to dressing, like, modern, stretchy, comfy. That’s definitely the vibe for me. So what do you think are, like, the comfiest vintage styles? And it sounds like you’re incorporating that maybe more into your wardrobe, looking for sweatpants alternatives. So what are you doing to, to fill that gap?

Serena: Um, I like the loungewear. Well, part of me getting rid of the sweatpants and, like, the stretchy stuff of modern clothes has a lot to do with my skin changed a lot after having kids. So I got, having the whatever material, I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but whatever material, I don’t know if it’s a spandex or the elastic, I don’t know, makes me very itchy and uncomfortable. So it was some, I would have had to find an alternative anyway.

So, um, what I do to negate that is, like, I am huge into housecoats. Like, I will throw on a housecoat in a heartbeat. I will take the trash out in the house, go out, go grab the mail in a housecoat and I’ll wear them around the house. So I try to keep a variety of those things, especially, like, the tent shaped ones where they don’t really touch you. They kind of just, like, hang off of you from, like, the late fifties, early sixties housecoat.

And then you do have like, uh, they have, like, a, kind of, like, a pencil pant, but they’re not so tight. Um, so I’ll wear pants like that. And then vintage pyjamas, not the cute, sexy ones, but, like, the regular old button down pyjamas with the matching pants. They don’t zip on the side. They have, like, a little placket and then you just button it on the side, so they’re very roomy, too. And so I try to make those things where they’re very lightweight, and they have a wide leg, like, the 1940s wide leg pants. I wear those types of pyjamas around the house all the time.

Helen: Oh, this sounds pretty good actually. I could get on board with it.

Serena: There’s alternatives to looking really cute and, like, pent up all the time. And that’s what I’m trying to swap those things out for the sweatpants and things like that.

Helen: Are there vintage styles that have elastic waists in them? Is that something that comes up much?

Serena: That started to happen. I mean, children’s clothes, they have them. And then, um, for adults, I didn’t start noticing them until maternity clothes in the early seventies, late sixties. But even then I would still prefer to have that, like, tight, stable waistband. I prefer that.

Helen: Yeah.

Serena: It’s just so comfortable once you’re already used to having the waistband of your skirt and things like that. And then I think you just, it just becomes a part of, like, what you’re used to feeling.

Helen: Yeah. That’s so true. Okay. And this is maybe TMI, but what about the undergarment situation?

Serena: That’s so hard for me. I want to wear true vintage undergarments, but it’s hard for me to find. Cause, like I mentioned before, my measurements are not quite that, of, like, a very proportionate person. I have a short torso. I have long legs. Because of breastfeeding, I have no boobs. I have a little bit of a pouch of a stomach cause I have a lot of loose skin. So it’s just, like, those things affect the fit.

And so being able to just go online and say, okay, I need a long line bra that’s, like, a 32 B, but, like, my boobs are different sizes. And, like, my stomach is too small. It’s just like, it’s really hard for me right now. So right now I wear a panty girdle. I’ll wear, um, a slip. I have a A-line petticoat, and then I have, like, a more fluffy petticoat that I’ve made.

But as far as the bra, unless it’s, like, a bullet bra that I’ve made already, I will just wear, like, a nursing bra or no bra at all. Because as a modern person, I never wore bras, and that’s really a hard habit to kick. Like, I am so used to just being free. It’s really hard to be, like, ugh, I have to put on a bra.

Caroline: I relate.

Helen: I mean, I love that. Go free under those vintage garments. It suits a lot of them.

Caroline: Oh, that’s so funny. Um, and can we talk about maternity sewing a little bit because you’ve made some amazing maternity outfits from vintage patterns. So I’d love to know how vintage maternity clothes are different from modern maternity clothes.

Serena: Okay. So I can’t compare it too much because I never wore modern maternity clothes. The first time I wore my regular clothes until I pretty much gave birth.

So the second time around, I decided to go vintage because once I was pregnant the first time, the comments about, like, my body came back, and the worst time ever because now it’s changing for the first time. So it was, like, all those insecurities of people constantly talking about my size. It really, I struggled with that.

So the second time I was like, I don’t want that anymore. Like, I don’t want that to happen again. So I decided to dress vintage, and I figured with the way that the smocks are really loose and flowy over you, it’s not fitted. And so people really couldn’t tell that I was pregnant until I was, like, about to give birth. But even then, because the clothing was so unusual, people were still just commenting my outfit, like, oh my gosh, that’s so cool. I didn’t know clothes were like this back then. It’s so much better.

But one main difference that I can tell between modern maternity and vintage maternity is vintage maternity clothes was intended to be worn from the moment you found out you were pregnant until the day you gave birth. So it was all adjustable. So it was more like a one-time thing.

Whereas modern maternity clothes is just like regular, modern clothes. Like, once you grow out of it, you have to buy another size, and you have to buy another size and another size. And, like, if you, if you are, I don’t know, eight weeks pregnant on your second kid, of course, you get this bloat that you didn’t have the first time. You might be too big to wear your normal clothes, but too small to wear maternity clothes.

There is, there’s no gap like that with vintage maternity clothes because it’s all adjustable. I could wear my vintage maternity clothes now, which is also what I wear for loungewear. I, um, I will wear my old maternity clothes, like the smocks and, like, the loose fitting pants and things like that, that’s adjustable at the waist because I can just move the buttons and make the waistband tighter.

So yeah, there’s just, it’s more adjustable, and it was intended for you not to just like, get rid of them. You could wear it postpartum until you got back down to your regular size. You could wear it now.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah. I’m looking at some photos on your Instagram right now, and there’s a really cool pair of shorts that you made that convert, you mentioned that they convert back down to your pre-pregnancy waist so you can wear them forever. And it’s such a cool construction with these, like, ties inside. So we’ll have to show some pictures of this on our Instagram the week your episode comes out cause I’ve never seen construction like this. It’s very cool.

Serena: They’re so cool. Like, I can’t even get rid of those patterns right now because though I’m never going to have another child. I just think they’re so innovative, and they’re so nice. And I wish we wouldn’t have backed away from that style because with my skin sensitivity, I was able to avoid wearing elastic. I didn’t have to have that stretchy waistband.

Caroline: That spirit of, of making clothes that are going to stay in your wardrobe for a really long time, that aren’t disposable, that are, you know, how can I convert these so that if my weight fluctuates or if I’m, you know, feeling bloated, I can just, like, adjust them a little bit and not feel like it doesn’t work for me anymore. Um, I, I really love that spirit of making that sounds like is in these vintage patterns, so it’s very cool.

Serena: Yeah. Everything was perfectly thought out.

Caroline: Yeah. Very, very cool. Do you have a favourite vintage maternity outfit that you made that we can maybe link up on our Instagram this week?

Serena: Yes. It’s the one that I made for my birthday. It’s cream. It has a satin skirt. The top is cream, and it, kind of, has, like, a rolled neckline. And then I made a matching hat to go with it.

Caroline: It is stunning. I’m looking at it right now.

Serena: Yeah, that was the first time that I felt like I was able to bring in what I would have worn prior to being pregnant in that moment because I had actually, I didn’t plan that pregnancy. So, I had planned to make a suit with that fabric, um, the top fabric. I was planning on making a, like, a little skirt suit with that, a soft suit. And so obviously, I was pregnant, and I wanted to wear something special for my birthday, but I was like, I want it to not just be, like, a regular cotton outfit. Like, I want to feel glamorous.

And so I was like, what if I take the same concept that I was going to make for the skirt suit, like, without being pregnant and then turned it into, like, the maternity version. Like, if I could make a maternity suit, this is what it would look like. And it came out exactly the way that I intended it to be. I was so happy.

Caroline: Yeah. It’s, it’s so beautiful. And the crisp white and the buttons down the back, it’s just absolutely such a fun outfit.

Serena: Thank you.

Helen: I love how you incorporate these accessories as well. You always have these beautiful brooches and earrings and shoes. Like, I imagine you must have quite the collection of vintage accessories.

Serena: I have, like, one pair of shoes. Like, if you really, like, study my projects, my, my Instagram, and be, like, damn, she’s only wearing white pumps.

Helen: Oh my gosh. It’s true.

Serena: I am not a shoe shopper. I do not like shoes. Like, the way that women are just like, we love shoes. I absolutely hate shoes. I don’t like shopping for shoes. They’re not fun. So I’m like, if I can find one or two pair that can, like, get me through, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. So I’ve worn those shoes probably to death, and they were, like, $30, but I just don’t like shoes.

But the other, the accessories, I ended up with a lot of accessories because when I first started dressing vintage, they are the most affordable things to purchase. Like, buying brooches, sometimes you can go to a flea market and get, like, 10 for $3 or something like that.

And sometimes if you don’t have a whole vintage wardrobe, just being able to throw on a brooch or some earrings will make something super modern look a little bit older. So I ended up collecting those things just out of necessity. Like, I knew I couldn’t wear vintage everyday, but maybe I could fake it until I had enough.

Helen: That’s a really good tip. Bring back the brooch. It’s underutilised.

Serena: They are, they, I mean, you can pin them onto your hats. You can do so much with them. So it’s, like, it’s worth it. Like, if you’re wearing, like, an evening gown, you can put it at the waist, at your waistline and it looks like a little, uh, jewelled decorative piece. So yeah, there’s, you can do so much with a brooch.

Caroline: And I just thought of this question, but I wonder, like, do you, do your kids also dress in vintage? Do you make them clothes and your husband, like, is there ever a moment where you’re all, like, walking down the street fully in vintage wear?

Serena: So my husband is very, very modern.

Caroline: Okay.

Serena: He wears enough loungewear for us all. He’s always in, like, basketball shorts and a t-shirt always. My kids, they do dress vintage. My daughter, she, my mother has introduced her to, like, a modern, stretchy loungewear. So she really does like that, but she’s just decided maybe within a month or two, that she likes dresses now. Before I used to have to bribe her with chocolate to put a dress on. Um, I would never make her wear a dress, but I was just like, can I at least take a picture since I made it? So I would use to have to, like, bribe her with chocolate to get that, that one picture.

Um, and my son he’s only one, so he still doesn’t care, but yes, they do wear vintage. They wear the bonnets, the lace. My son wears the bubble rompers, the bonnets, the lace, the everything, because, you know, clothes weren’t that, weren’t gendered back then. So your son could very well wear a dress and lace, and it’d be perfectly okay. So I do that now because, also, his sister has clothes that’s in really good condition. So I’m just like, if this is a baby outfit, then you’re going to wear it, too.

Helen: That’s great. I love this vision of you and your husband and him in his basketball shorts and you in your vintage suit.

Serena: Yeah. We never look like we belong together. Like, people always, like, we’ll stand in line at a grocery store and people will think that, like, he’s, like, just someone behind me, like, the next customer, but I don’t like to force, you know, like, this is my thing, this is my hobby, and this is what I love. I wouldn’t want anyone to force me to dress modern. So I don’t force him to dress vintage.

Helen: I’m just thinking of you at the grocery store and thinking that you must get a lot of eyes and comments when you’re out and about how do you feel about that when people comment on your outfits?

Serena: I was nervous before. I still will not tell someone that I made something that I’m wearing. I just want…

Helen: Oh, really?

Serena: Yeah. Um, my husband, he, he’ll do it. If he overhears a conversation about my clothes, he’ll be like, she made it! Doesn’t matter how far away he is in the store. He’ll scream, she made it.

Caroline: You’re like, thanks…

Serena: Yeah, but I won’t. It’s something, I don’t know. It’s weird. And honestly, until I started Instagram, which my friend pretty much forced me to do, I didn’t think that anyone would really care. So I would just be like, look, I’m wearing this truly just for me. And, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. Cause now a lot of the stares and things like that, they’re positive. Every once in a while someone will roll their eyes at me, but I don’t see it anymore.

Helen: That’s good to hear. I can relate to that even, for myself, when people comment on something that I’m wearing, say, I like your jacket. I’ll often just say, thanks. And then, Sam, my partner, will jump in and be like, she made it, but I’m not volunteering that on the day-to-day typically…

Serena: Yeah, me either.

Helen: …especially at the grocery store. You’re like, I just don’t really want to get into it right now. Okay. We need to talk about patterns because I imagine you have a large collection, and I, am I correct in that assumption?

Serena: Oh yes. I have so much more than I ever thought I would. And mostly because people are just like, here, take my patterns, and I can’t say no.

Helen: That’s fair. So tell us a little bit about it. How do you store them? What’s your method? And do you have, like, certain companies that make up the majority of your patterns?

Serena: The Big Four make up the majority of my patterns. I do have mail order patterns, but they usually cost more because people had to actually mail in, uh, an ad for them and get them, so they’re not everywhere like the Big Four are because you could just go to a store to get those like you can today, so I have mostly the Big Four patterns.

I store them in comic book acid-free sleeves, so that way, um, they don’t deteriorate any more than they already do, or, at least, it slows down the deterioration process, and it can help keep, like, moisture and things like that off of them. I keep them separated right now by, like, type. So the pants and dresses, things like that, they all go separately into small little bins I got from Dollar Tree, which are horrible cause they keep snapping, and I need a new way to store them, but I haven’t quite figured out how just yet, but, um…

Yeah, and I keep them on a bookshelf, and I have an app, which is a very generic app cause it’s called Patterns, and I store everything in there, so when I go to the store and I’m shopping for fabric, I have my whole catalogue at arms reach, and I can figure out what my yardage is for the pattern. I don’t have to carry anything with me.

And it also helps me find and locate my patterns because, before a couple months ago, I didn’t have a sewing room, so I had to store things all over the house. And so being able to utilise, like, an organisation system, like an app can let me know, like, okay, stored in a dining room. So go in the dining room and get it, you know, and same with my, my fabric. I did the same thing with that. Now everything’s in one place, so it’s a little bit easier, but having an app and then keeping everything in those comic book sleeves really does help a lot.

Helen: Oh, that’s so cool to hear. Which app do you use?

Serena: It’s called Patterns. It’s so generic. I think it was, like, $1.99, and literally, it’s just called Patterns.

Caroline: And it’s designed specifically for sewing patterns?

Serena: Yeah.

Caroline: Oh, cool. Okay.

Serena: It has different categories, and you can make categories within categories. It’s a lot of organisation. I use it a lot for notes. I like to keep pattern notes. So if I changed anything about a pattern or if I didn’t like something, I can type it in there. So when I make it again, I already have my notes from before.

Caroline: So since you have them all catalogued, do you know how many patterns you have in your collection?

Serena: I just received the box, like, two weeks ago, and I haven’t quite gotten all those in, but let me check this app really quickly.

Helen: I’m so excited.

Serena: I have…

Caroline: Maybe we can guess first?

Serena: Of course.

Helen: Oh yeah. Can we guess?

Serena: Yeah. Go ahead.

Helen: I’m going to guess 462.

Serena: Okay. I know that is way too much.

Caroline: I was going to guess 200.

Serena: Well, you know what? I’m at 274, but I know I have at least a hundred that needs to be catalogued, so almost.

Helen: Okay, so wasn’t that far off.

Serena: I know I have at least a hundred that needs to be catalogued.

Caroline: Do you have a number where you’re, like, if I go beyond this, it’s too much? I need to purge.

Serena: I feel like I’m already there.

Helen: 462.

Caroline: 462.

Serena: I feel like I’m already there. Like, I accept the patterns because a lot of the times people are giving them to me because they know I’m going to take care of them. And there’s always an opportunity that I’m going to find, like, patterns off of my wishlist and things like that, and I do.

Before I would just take whatever, but now I try and narrow it down to my size and, like, the styles that I dress in. So that way I’m not taking in too many, but I think that I’ve reached it because I don’t collect these just to have them. I truly do want to be able to sew them.

And I do know that, like, I’m going to reach a limit eventually. Like, I’m not going to be able to get to them all as much as I really do want to.

Helen: Yeah, that’s a really good point. And it makes me wonder, like, what is the process? Do you choose the pattern and then, like, do you go through your catalogue and pick a pattern and then make a project from that? Or do you, kind of, have a project in mind and then go hunt for a pattern that suits it?

Serena: I, that’s what I do. I think of the outfit first. And then I try and find the, the pattern that suits it. And I never intended to get this involved with the patterns. Because I taught myself, that was the only way for me to, like, understand garment construction was the patterns. And then it, kind of, just turned into, like, a hobby of its own. Like, I really wanted to learn how to draft and things like that.

And I still do, maybe, at some point in time, but I also, like, as long as I have them, they’re not being thrown out and stuff like that. And these are the originals. This is exactly how things would have been made, you know? And so I like to have them, and I feel like I have, like, a small little museum of true vintage patterns.

And so I, kind of, laid off of learning how to draft for now, like, as far as, like, pattern manipulation and, and grading and things like that. I’m totally interested. But I enjoy, like, my collection of patterns. Like, I don’t know that I would stop buying patterns, even if I did draft my own.

Helen: Yeah, that’s fair. Oh, I would love to take a peek into the collection. As a pattern designer, myself, I just love looking at vintage patterns. So if you ever want to share more of those, I’m here for it.

Serena: Oh, I’m here for it.

Caroline: I wonder, too, cause, like, there’s so much history there, like, do you ever find, like, cool notes or little things in the patterns? Like, can you tell us about that? Is there anything you can think of?

Serena: Yeah. Um, that’s another reason why I like them. Cause you, kind of, get an idea of the person who made it before you. Like, sometimes they’ll write on the pattern, like, this was for whoever. Like, it’s their birthday, this is for whoever. Or we like this dress, but we need to shorten it this much. And you get an idea, like, gosh, this person was short cause I’m not very tall, but you had to shorten this pattern even further than, than I would.

There’s just so much. I opened up a children’s pattern to make a winter coat, and it was super bulky, and when I opened it, it was a half made bonnet on the inside. Um, so yeah, you get to see old newspapers that people trace the pattern onto. Just, it’s always so funny when I see people who have made the adjustments to the pattern that I was going to have to do anyway, like, when they have to shorten the bodice about a quarter, and I’m like, oh, I was going to do that anyway.

Helen: Thank you.

Serena: Yeah. So yeah, it’s, it’s also like feeling a connection to the person who made it before you, and then also, because I’m making it on a vintage machine, too. It’s just, like, this is how this person may have been making their, their dress as well.

Caroline: It’s so cool. That connection is so cool. Um, I also wonder, like, do you trace your vintage patterns or do you just cut right into them?

Serena: I, well, vintage patterns, they’re not on one big sheet like modern patterns are. They’re already cut. So if the margins aren’t cut off of it, then, like, they’re already, like, the work’s already done.

Helen: Oh.

Serena: You don’t really have to cut into them because they’re never, they were never put on a giant sheet.

Caroline: Oh.

Helen: Because they’re one size only?

Serena: They’re a one size only pattern.

Helen: Oh.

Serena: So, the work is done.

Helen: So, it saves time, too.

Serena: Yeah. It saves time. I’m not having to, like, pick a size and trace and do all of those things, but I will trace a pattern if the tissue is really, really deteriorated or if it’s something that I know I’m going to make a lot of, and I don’t want to have to keep folding and unfolding the pattern because re-, like, keeping them in good condition is also a goal for me.

So if it’s something that, like, an A-line, a simple A-line skirt, I will trace that pattern instead of, cause I’m going to make lots of A-line skirts, so I’ll just trace it.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Yeah. You know that’s one you’re going to come back to. Do you have a favourite tracing method?

Serena: So I’m a budget seamstress, so I will tape parchment paper together and just trace over the top of it.

Caroline: Oh, amazing.

Serena: I don’t buy, I’ve never owned pattern tracing paper before. I do need some, um, because you can’t really do that with, like, a dress, but I do it as economically as possible, so I’ll just use parchment paper and trace over it with pencil.

Caroline: That’s a great tip though.

Helen: I used to do that, as well, but I find that tape doesn’t stick very well to parchment paper. Frustrating.

Serena: It doesn’t. It, it doesn’t, but, like, I’m so used to it. I don’t know any other way. Sometimes I’ll just pin it. I’ll use, like, those satin pins, like, the really thin, those small ones, and I’ll just pin it together and do it that way.

Helen: Nice. I have this vague memory of one time stapling parchment paper together to make a large sheet, so I could use that.

So aside from the fact that it only comes with one size, in some cases, are there other differences between vintage patterns and what we would think of as modern patterns?

Serena: I have heard that people say that the vin-, the fit is better. Well, actually I’m not going to say people. The fit is definitely better. I get a better fit with vintage patterns. So it makes it a lot easier for me to just, to go from pattern to garment than with a modern pattern, unless it’s, like, an independent.

I think the Big Four modern patterns are not as great as, maybe, they used to be. Um, I will still use, like, independent pattern makers’ patterns, but, um, I think fit is a little bit different, and I think my body is better suited to the vintage, like, with having the longer legs and the short torso and stuff. I just feel like it’s just less work.

It’s less work to work with something that was seemingly made for your body type. Because I’m not a very curvy person, um, and like, though I’m thin I don’t have, like, I feel like I still have the body of, like, a child, like, a young child. So, so it’s like, it’s just so much easier to work,. to work with, um, the vintage patterns because they’re also, kind of, made to go over certain undergarments. So, like, I don’t have to have the big boobs because I can just put on, um, a bullet bra and I’m good.

Helen: Right. Of course. Yeah. How do you go about fitting these vintage designs? They seem a little intimidating sometimes with all these interesting seam lines and complex construction methods. Like, how do you figure out how to fit when it’s maybe not covered in your common fitting book or guide?

Serena: I am still learning fit because right when I got comfortable with actually making the garments, I had a baby then lost the baby weight. Like, my body just kept changing so much to the point where I couldn’t, like, get a grasp on it. So I think tissue fitting is the best way to go about it. It’s also how they recommend on the patterns to do your fitting is to do a tissue fitting. So I’ll either do a tissue fitting or I’ll do a muslin and try and just pin it on my body and do it that way.

I don’t have a dress form in my size. I would love to get one, so that way I could do stuff externally, but then also I do, at first I try and grade it. Like, I already know that almost every pattern I make is going to need a small bust adjustment. And usually that brings the length of the pattern down, too. All in one. So it’s usually the bodice is always pretty much the issue for me and a small bust adjustment usually gets it every time. Once I can do the small bust adjustment, then it’s pretty good from there.

Helen: Oh, yeah. That makes sense. And did you find when you were starting sewing, you mentioned that you, kind of, learned as you were using these patterns, that the sparse instructions would ever trip you up? Like, did you struggle to understand what to do in some scenarios?

34:04 Serena: No. I hear that a lot, too. And I, I’m a visual, I guess I have to visualise what I’m going to do first before I do it. So before I move forward, I have to see it in my head that it’s possible. I don’t know if that makes sense. So I’ve never, I’ve never had an issue with the sparse.

In fact, I didn’t even know that they were not good instructions because when I started sewing with vintage patterns, I was, kind of, disappointed in how little I was able to learn with modern patterns cause I’m just like, I’ve been making quite a few of these modern patterns. Why don’t I already know how to do this?

So I think it’s, like, sewing, to some extent, it’s overly simplified with the modern patterns. And so I feel like if that’s all you ever use, then you can’t learn anything else. Like, you don’t get the opportunity to try other techniques to do the exact same thing.

So, the vintage patterns have, has really helped me because I don’t have a teacher or a textbook to say, hey, let’s move on to this lesson. Or this is how you can achieve the same thing. And with vintage patterns, sometimes you’ll come across three patterns for the same style dress but made differently every time.

So I was able to learn by the type of instructions that they provide. It helped me. And that’s just because I didn’t have a guidance. I didn’t have a teacher to tell me, well, let’s learn how to do this this way.

Helen: Yeah, it’s really fun to learn through the process of making different garments. And it totally makes sense that making different patterns from different decades and different designers, you would encounter lots of different techniques and advice and that would be a really great way to learn and try out different construction methods.

Serena: Yeah. And I wasn’t getting that from the modern Big Four patterns because everything was pretty much the same all the time.

Caroline: Mhm. I imagine some of our listeners are going to feel really inspired to start using vintage patterns after listening to this interview. Do you have any advice for them?

Serena: First of all, don’t listen to anyone when it comes to, you know, I hate when people ask me if something’s hard or not hard, because, like, what’s hard for me may not be hard for you. And, um, sometimes that can just stop you from trying, you might be putting off something that you would have just gotten in, like, 10 seconds because you naturally would have figured it out.

So I think, just try. Like, that’s my motto. When people are like, well, why did you, or how did you learn how to do this? I just tried. And when I first started sewing, I wasn’t a part of an online community. I wasn’t in a sewing group. I literally, I had no influences.

So, the Serena who was sewing for the first time, six years ago, would have easily bought a blazer pattern and made a suit, not knowing that that’s an advanced tailoring type of thing, but if you just try it, then you’ll be able to do it, you know? It may not be perfect. It may not be great. But, me, knowing that I’m capable of doing something is enough for me to, to, to tweak it and get better.

But if I’m afraid, I won’t try it because someone else said it was hard and not necessarily because it was going to be hard for me. So my advice to people is to just, to just give it a try regardless of what anyone else might say, or even me. Just, just try it because what’s hard for me may not be hard for you.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s really good advice. I think everyone’s experience of sewing is so different, and it’s so easy, especially with social media, to compare yourself to other people and want to know, well, how was it for you? You know, tell me more about your experience, but it’s so true that, you know, you, what you might find hard is not what someone else is gonna find hard. And you just got to jump in with sewing and, kind of, be willing to take on the challenge because the end result is always worth it.

Serena: It is. And, like, the ignorance, kind of, like, is powerful, you know, because you don’t know, like, you don’t know that something is this advanced level, especially if you’re teaching yourself cause you’re not reading, like, you don’t have beginners textbooks or beginner this and then intermediate that. It’s just, hey, I’m going to make this.

So many people told me that pants were hard, but one of the first things that I drafted myself was shorts. I had no, I mean, they didn’t fit perfectly because, like, I didn’t understand, like, the rise, like, the crouch rise and all that stuff. Still don’t. But, like, they fit. I could put them on, and I could wear them and, I was happy.

It wasn’t till years later that people were just like, they’re afraid to even sew from an already made pattern pants. So it’s just, like, that ignorance really is powerful to just, to just go for it.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Aw, thanks for that advice. And we were also wondering where you find your vintage patterns outside of people, giving you boxes of patterns? Um, if you’re out looking for them, do you find them in thrift stores or is there somewhere else?

Serena: Well, I don’t the people who send me the boxes, they’re the thrift store finders. I cannot find a pattern in the thrift store to save my life. It’s probably because they’ve already sent them to me, but, um, I like Backroom Finds, @BackroomFinds, um, Stephanie Canada. She’s on YouTube and on Instagram. She sells, she has a beautiful collection of vintage patterns.

Like, I’ve been able to really shop her inventory for a lot of patterns that were sitting on, like, my printer’s wish board for a long time. And she just has them. I don’t know where she finds her patterns, but she always has the really good ones there.And, um, if I can’t find it on her website, which usually I can, I will search eBay or Etsy, but more recently, I’ve been searching her, her inventory because she, she’ll get a pattern and then have it in every size.

Helen: Wow.

Serena: Yes.

Caroline: She has the connections.

Serena: It’s, like, really… Yeah, I don’t know. I know she does, like, estate sales and things like that, but she has, it’s like a one-stop shop for me. I could easily spend a lot of money on her website. I really like hers. That’s the main one I like the most.

Helen: That is a hot tip. We’ll definitely link that up in the show notes. I’m going to go take a look. And you mentioned that you do trace off some patterns that you really like, so you must have some tried and true. Do you have any vintage patterns that you’d like to share with our listeners so they could get their hands on them, too, maybe?

Serena: I realised recently that I’ve made this one dress quite a few times. It’s, like, two or three times. I didn’t realise it was my favourite, but I keep making it. So I’ve seen a pattern in myself, and let’s see… Simplicity 2093. It has a midriff. It’s, like, this really big flowy dress. I think it takes at least five yards for my size, and the skirt’s really big. It has, like, a, a notched, it’s not a Peter Pan collar. You know the straight version of a Peter Pan collar? It has one of those and a midriff. And I, I love midriffs. I feel like they really, I don’t have dimension in my body. Like, my waist and my hip ratio, they’re not too far apart. So when I feel like you have a midriff with a really big skirt, it, it gives you that definition, and that dress does that for me. I love that dress so much, and I’ve already made it, like, twice, and I’ve already been making plans to make it again.

And then I have a suit, a suit pattern that I’ve already made twice, and I have plans to make again, and it’s Simplicity 3076. It’s a pencil skirt suit, and it looks very similar to the birthday maternity outfit that I made, and I really like that pattern, too. Honestly, I love all of my patterns. I say all the time that I would make all of them more than once, and I’m sure I will. There’s very few that I don’t like.

Caroline: I’m looking at Simplicity 3076, and it looks like there’s, like, a hat on one of the drawings. Is that included in the pattern? Do they have…?

Serena: No, there’s very, you know, as much as they always show that kind of stuff, I’ve only come across about one pattern that the hat comes into.

Caroline: Okay. So you buy your hat patterns. We’re going to talk all about hats in a sec, but you buy your hat patterns separately then?

Serena: I do.

Caroline: Okay. Very cool. Yeah, these are beautiful. And I, I didn’t, I wasn’t familiar with the term midriff, but for, since this is an audio medium for our listeners, it’s, like, a tighter, sort of, portion around the stomach area that’s, like, shaped, right? So, and then the skirt comes out and puffs out from there. And then there’s, like, some really beautiful, uh, darts coming up. Or I can’t tell if it starts or gathers coming up around the bust, but it’s a really beautiful pattern. Simplicity 2023. We’ll link those up in the show notes.

Serena: That is my favourite style of dress. Like, I like it in the fifties. I like it in the forties. I like it in the thirties. I just love that, that nice accent because the midriff is, like, built into the outfit. So, like, even if you didn’t actually have a small waist, it would always appear that way.

Caroline: Yeah. Very cool.

Serena: So I like, that’s the part of vintage that I like where it’s, it’s the outfit. It’s not you.

Caroline: Are there any vintage patterns on your wishlist that you haven’t been able to find?

Serena: So far, no. So I want to find a specific wedding dress, but I haven’t found the pattern for the dress that I have in mind. I know it has a midriff on it. It’s from the 1940s. So it has a really pretty puffed sleeve. It’s in my head, and I can’t find it yet. And I’m sure when I find it, it’ll probably be a fortune because wedding dresses in general costs a lot of money in pattern form, and then make it the forties, and it’s just, it’s probably going to cost me over a hundred dollars.

Helen: Oh my goodness.

Serena: But whenever I find that pattern in my head, like, that is the wishlist pattern. I just haven’t been able to, like, put a pattern picture or number on it just yet.

Caroline: Okay. Well, let’s switch gears for a sec cause you talked about sewing your vintage patterns on your vintage sewing machines, which is so cool. You have an amazing collection of vintage sewing machines, and it sounds like they all work. So I want to know a little bit more about this. What machines do you have in your collection and do you have a favourite?

Serena: Okay, so the one that is my favourite is not the, the most sought after or popular. It’s my, it’s a Kenmore 158 series. It’s, it’s one of the 158 series, and they’re all extremely similar. There’s not very much that separates them from each other. And it’s a beige machine. You’ll see it in most of my YouTube videos or any picture that I show. And that’s just because it was the first sewing machine that belonged to me. It was my first machine, so I still use it even though, like, I have better or more sought after machines in my collection.

That one’s just the original, and I just, I have such a connection to that machine, so I use it more than I feel like, like someone who, who had to, like, if maybe you came into my room, you probably, that wouldn’t probably be your first choice cause it’s not, like, the prettiest or the shiniest. It’s just the one that, like, I have. Like, that, it’s like my first crush, so I use it the most.

Then, I have the deluxe version of that machine. It’s a super high shank. The, the one that I use now is a, is a standard shank machine. So it’s, it’s probably the same shank as a modern machine, too. Um, the feet, the accessories, they’re really easy to find for that machine.

Then, I have the deluxe version, which is a super high shank machine. So that means all of the feet are, like, extremely long. They’re, they’re really tall. And that one does a ton of decorative stitches, just like the one that I use now, but it does that and more. It can do some embroidery, um, some monograms, it can, you can do all sorts of things, and it has a lot of accessories.

Kenmore sewing machines come with a lot of accessories. Like, I call it the charm bracelet of sewing machines. They have so many, like, things that you can buy to go with, go along with the sewing machine. Um, that one, the, the deluxe machine came in a machine cabinet. I have, I have three machine desks, so all my machines, they fold into the desk, and they close up. So I have one that looks like an end table, and then I have two that look like a computer desk.

Helen: Very cool. I always really love when the machines fold down into the table. I think that’s the coolest thing.

Serena: Yeah. They’re so convertible. Like, if you need it for, like, your child to do homework, just flip it down, and there you have it. Or if you need, like, a place to put a plant or a lamp on your end table, you just close it down, and there you have an end table. So it doesn’t, I mean, it takes up space, but not as much as, like, I would assume a modern machine that didn’t do that, that has to stay out all the time.

So it’s very practical if you don’t have, like, a set sewing space, like, I didn’t have, for a long time. I was able to just, like, at one point, my sewing machine was in the foyer of my old house, and I would just flip it down when we had guests, and no one would know it was there in the foyer, like, a little entryway table.

Helen: Oh, that’s awesome.

Serena: Yeah. I have, uh, my oldest machine is a Singer from the 1910s. It has a knee bar, and it’s an electric machine. Um, and then I have the Singer Featherweight, which is the most expensive machine that I have. I have a Good Housekeeper, which is blue. It looks like a 1950s car. It’s two toned. It’s really cute.

I have a Dressmaker from my great-grandmother. I was just given it because they still had the machine, and I’m the only person in the family that sews, and I have a Singer Futura from the sixties. I have so many machines. Yeah. They, they do all work. I’m done. My collection is complete at this point.

Helen: Yeah.

Serena: Um, I would like to get a treadle for my bedroom cause it’s, like, the, the room where I’ve decorated, like, art deco, and I would like to have a treadle cause I would love to learn how to use a treadle. But as far as, if I never got one, I’d be okay because my collection is complete.

Helen: Is this a scenario where people tend to give you these machines or is it something that you’ve, kind of, hunted down over the years?

Serena: I’ve only been given two of my machines. I won’t take a machine the same way that I would take a pattern because I do actually have, like, the ideal sewing machines. Like, I really like Kenmore machines because they’re all metal. They do come with so many stitches.

I just lean towards them more because the first one that I owned was a Kenmore and then, um, that, kind of, just rolled into me loving Sears products altogether cause now I have vintage Sears hairdryer, vintage Sears furniture, like, I have so much Sears things because of this one sewing machine.

And then, um, the Singers they’re, they’re really pretty. And, but they’re the easiest to find in my opinion because they are so popular. Like, everyone knows what a Singer sewing machine is so they’re, they’re always available.

So, um, I don’t take, but I don’t take sewing machines the same way that, like, I will take a pattern cause they’re heavy. They’re time consuming. And I put my sewing machines in a rotation because a sewing machine that’s not being used is, it’s not really good for the motor for it to just sit there.

Caroline: So do you have any tips for, for choosing a vintage machine or how you know if it has potential or if it’s, like, a good quality one?

Serena: Yeah. Well, if it’s all metal, then it’s a pretty good quality. I’ve seen people restore an all metal sewing machine from, like, looking like it was rusted out at the bottom of the ocean. Um, as long as it’s all metal and there’s no plastic gears, you can always oil it up and get it unstuck and sewing again, like, almost always.

So, if, I choose to, like, if you’re going to go with Singer, cause I know it’s the most popular, I would not go past the sixties or the seventies with the singer because Singer started using plastic gears before Kenmore. Kenmore, I would do anything seventies or older and then pretty much everything, no matter what the brand is before the sixties is all metal machine, is really good machine.

So I just make sure that your, your bobbin case is in there because those are sometimes the hardest pieces to find because those are specific to the machines. But as long as your bobbin case is in there, then it’s worth, it’s worth buying and restoring.

Caroline: And are you the one restoring these machines? Do you have a person that helps you with this?

Serena: Yeah, my husband.

Caroline: Oh, wow. So, but it is like a family affair. You’re doing this on your own. You’re not bringing in, like, an expert machine person.

Serena: No, I, there is this machine shop. It’s the only shop that I will allow to work on my machines, besides my husband, and it is Atlanta Sewing Machine Company. The guy there, he is just as passionate about old machines as I am. Like, if I bring in a machine, he lights up like Christmas morning. He is so passionate, and so you know that he’s going to take great care of your piece. And he, he has so much information, knowledge. He has parts, he has accessories. It’s, like, that’s the only person I will allow to touch my sewing machine.

And he has been a Singer service person for a very, very long time. That shop is so old. So he is, he reminds me of my grandpa really, but he looks like he’s maybe, maybe he’s, like, in his seventies or eighties, but he is just the kindest and so knowledgeable. And I will take a machine to him if I feel like I might need parts or something like that.

Or if, if it’s a little bit more than because my husband, he’s not a sewing machine person. He’s an engineer, and he used to work in the mechanic industry while he was in college. So he knows how machines and stuff work.

But when it comes to, like, adjusting, like, the tension and stuff, because he doesn’t actually sew, he wouldn’t know how, like, when’s enough is enough. So if it’s something that that’s far gone, then I’ll take it to the expert where he’ll, he knows this machine. Its tension should be like this, but for the most part, my husband does it.

Another thing with these vintage machines is they don’t really lose timing. So no matter how long they’ve sat or how old they are, that’s not something that you need to adjust, which can usually be the most expensive part of getting it repaired.

Caroline: And is there anything specific that you do with every vintage machine to, kind of, like, get it ready to use? I’m assuming oiling it up, cleaning it up, but is there anything else?

Serena: No cleaning and oiling is about it. Doesn’t matter how long it sat. Cleaning, oiling, um, sometimes you’ll open up the, the area where the motor is to make sure that there’s no dust in there because some of them do spark, not to start a fire, but that’s just how the motor was built. I think it’s called a pot motor or something like that, so it’s supposed to spark. But because it sparks, you want to make sure that there’s no dirt and dust in it. So, um, just, you just take out I think it’s, like, usually one or two screws, blow it out, dust it out with Q-tips, whatever. And usually some oil and a hairdryer. If it’s really gummed up, oil and a hairdryer is all it takes to get it going again.

Helen: Wow.

Serena: Sometimes you have to replace the wire if it’s chewed up or, or something like that. But if the wire is in great condition, then just oil.

Caroline: What does the hairdryer do? It, like, warms up the oil to…?

Serena: The old oil that got it, got it stuck in the first place. Yeah, the hairdryer will get it nice and warm and make it to where the gears are turning again.

Caroline: Wow.

Serena: And usually everything gets unstuck with the hairdryer and oil.

Helen: Oh, you’re making me want to get out my vintage machines. I have a few, and I haven’t used them in a couple of years cause I got a fancy modern machine, but now I want to go back.

Serena: Yeah. I like, I like rotating them, and then, I started doing this, like, small, like, I intend for it to be a series, where I sew vintage with the, like, the same pattern year with the pattern year of sewing machine. So eventually, I’ll get into historical because I have to make a 1910s outfit with my 1910 Singer.

Helen: Of course.

Caroline: So cool.

Helen: Very cool.

Caroline: Okay. Before we move on, do you also use vintage sewing tools?

Serena: Yeah, I, my pinking shears are vintage. This just goes back to me being thrifty. I took all of my husband’s grandmother’s sewing supplies. So if it still works, I’m going to still use it. So I’ve not had a reason to buy new pinking shears.
I use seam rippers. Oh, and my sewing machines, when I get them in the desk, they come with so many notions. They come with lots of notions from the person before me and their tools. So unless I absolutely have a reason to buy something brand new tools-wise, I just use the ones that came with the machines.

Caroline: Awesome.

Helen: Oh, that’s nice. Okay. We mentioned earlier that you make amazing hats as well, and we need to learn more about this. How and when did you learn how to make hats?

Serena: That was, my daughter just turned four, for her first birthday. So four years ago, she had a vintage tea party theme, and I wanted to wear a hat. So I decided to just make the modern reproduction Vogue hat. I think it’s the only one they still have available cause they don’t really sell hat patterns anymore, but I decided to make that hat.

And this was another case of me just giving something a try because I didn’t know how to make a hat, but I needed a hat for that occasion. And it’s the worse hat that I have. It’s so ugly. Like, it’s, the concept behind it was pretty, but obviously, with you not having the knowledge, the execution was not great at all. And, um, that is, like, my, just try something motto there because I feel like as long as I can complete the project, even if it doesn’t turn out good, then I know I can always make the adjustments to make it better.

So for me, just making that first hat was enough for me to know that I was capable of making hats. So it started with that one hat and then it just, it blossomed from there. I was like, okay, well I can make a hat. So I just, I don’t like to waste fabric. So I don’t call, like, I call scraps so people know what scrap is, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s still material. I still bought it.

And so that was just my way of utilising the things that I still had leftover. And what better accessory than to have one that matches exactly with your outfit. It adds to the luxury of your outfit. Like, no one needs to know that you spent, I don’t know, $3 a yard on your outfit, and no one will guess that you spent that much if you have a matching hat.

Helen: Definitely not.

Caroline: It’s very cool.

Helen: I mean, I mean, they’re so cool.

Caroline: I’m seeing this trend of matching hats in the modern sewing world as well. And I’m so into it. Like, having that matching moment with your outfit, it just takes it to a whole other level. So, big fan.

Serena: Yeah, it gives it that, that, uh, vintage appeal. And, like, I know for a fact that, like, if I were living in the time period, my style probably wouldn’t match my income, right? Like, I have this upper middle class “I have a nanny” look of my vintage outfits, right? And I don’t have any of that now. So in order to, like, give, like, give that look that feel, that vibe, I have to use what I already have.

So that’s making a matching belt with my, um, scrap and making a matching hat. And all of a sudden it takes it from being, like, this budget outfit to this grand well-thought out boutique or I don’t know, custom made outfit.

Helen: Couture outfit.

Serena: Yeah. It takes it, it takes it from, oh, I just got this out of the value bin to a million dollars. I really like that.

Caroline: To “I have a nanny.”

Serena: It sure does. It really does.

Caroline: Um, are there any materials that you need to make hats or belts that you wouldn’t normally use to make garments?

Serena: Not really. Um, I think buckram, you don’t need that to make garments. So you do have to go out of your way to do that, but I, I, I started this thing with sewing because when I make accessories, my priority is not to go out and spend money specifically for that accessory or it defeats the purpose.

Like, I’m really just trying to use what I have. So, if I dig through the materials I have. So, I got a notebook and every time I have to make a substitution for what the pattern called for like for a specialty fabric, I will write down what I use. So if it didn’t work the first time, then I’ll say, okay, well, this didn’t work.

And the next time, if I get the hat perfect and I di-, and I use the substitution, then I’ll write down, okay, use two layers of a stiff sew-in interfacing. That is the equivalent of one layer of buckram. So I try and find alternatives, and then I make very detailed notes on what those alternatives are because my goal with my accessories is not to go back out to the store and buy more materials for it. I should be able to use what I have.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. That’s so smart. I love the idea of keeping a notebook so that you can keep track of what you’ve used and, and how you’ve gone about it. Do you do a lot of hand sewing when you’re making your hats?

Serena: Yeah, they are about 90% hand-sewn. I am not very good at hand sewing. So another motivation for the hats was to help me build that skill up. I don’t necessarily like hand sewing because I love my sewing machines. That’s why I collect them. So I do want to use the sewing machines, but it’s undeniable that you need to be able to do some hand sewing.

And the only way for me to build that, cause I won’t make an outfit by hand, was to do the hats because I don’t really have a choice, so that’s how I get my practice in. Like, it serves as getting rid of scrap, but also helps me, like, build up that knowledge and the technique of hand sewing because a lot of it, your machine can’t really reach.

Helen: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. You have, I mean, your hats seem quite complex. There’s so many different pieces involved in some of them. And we’re going to put pictures on our Instagram because you have to see these hats that Serena has made. They’re amazing. And you also made a really amazing wig last Christmas. Can we talk about this wig for a moment?

Serena: Definitely. That was my first, like, style the wig.

Caroline: Oh, oh my gosh. You looked gorgeous. It was so fun. I am obsessed with this wig. Can you describe it for our listeners?

Serena: So it was called Adam bomb. It was based off of, like, a comic book drawing. And so basically it was, like, a pixie cut hairstyle. And then it had three donut style buns on top of each other. The base bun was bigger than the other two, so it’s, like, stacked up. And then I topped it off with, like, this, like, sprinkle glitter.

I don’t even know, like, snowflake on top. And in between the layers, I had tinsel in between the, the layers of the buns to separate them. I had, like, some tinsel ribbon around it, and I’d seen that comic two years prior. And I was like, this would be an amazing, like, very kitschy, like, welcome to my home for the holidays, like, hairstyle. Like, this would be perfect.

And, um, this year I just felt like I had to, like, I just bought my, my mid-century dream home. And I was like, I need this over the top hair. So I circled back and I ordered, I ordered a really cheap wig, and then, I had, like, some random weave around the house, and I cut up some of my husband’s socks to make the donuts. And then I just, I just went with it.

I, I looked at it, because I’m not a hair person, I’m not very good at styling my own hair. I think that’s the part of my vintage style that’s a little bit lacking. That’s just cause I have no passion for hair, even when I was modern, so I had to really, like, visualise it like I would a hat. Like, I was like, this is just a hat made of hair. How would you do this if you were…? I was just like, well, sew everything together.

Helen: Well, there’s a video of you constructing it, so we will put that in the show notes. And then of course the final look… amazing. Do you often have, like, visions, like you mentioned, like, welcome to my home for the holidays. Like, do you have visions for these moments or situations where you’re going to be wearing these outfits?

Serena: All the time. Like, I feel, like, every outfit has a character, and I think that’s why I’ve gravitated so well with reels, because it’s just, like, the first time I’m able to, like, if I truly wanted to, I could bring the character out of my head so you guys can see, like, this is what this char-, like, this is a character, and so yeah, all the time.

Like, that green suit that I just made, that value suit, I want so bad to, I have a, a classic pram. I have a classic vintage pram. And I’m like, this is the outfit that goes with this pram. Even though I have a toddler, who’s not gonna lay down in this.

Caroline: You’re like, you’re gonna get in the pram.

Serena: I mean, I’m that lady who will just push it with nothing inside. Like, the two kids will be running by me.

Helen: Oh, I love it. Feel the fantasy. So amazing.

Serena: Yeah. Every outfit has, has that vibe. I think that’s really what gets me to see, see each of these projects to the end cause I’m just, like, this look needs to leave my head. This vision, this story has to get out.

Helen: Yeah, I do the same thing with my making, although on a slightly smaller scale, because it’s more, like, this is going to be my going to get ice cream and then heading to the beach outfit or, like, I’m going to wear this one to the farmer’s market. And, like, I like having that vision of the person that I will be when I’m wearing the garment, and it helps to motivate me to finish the work.

Serena: Yeah, it is. And that’s how I feel. Like, it’s so funny. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on this 1960s outfit. I actually splurged after Christmas and buying the most expensive fabric I ever have. It was $30 a yard, and it’s wool. And I had enough scrap that I was able to, like, finagle another outfit. And so now I have two outfits of the exact same fabric, and I’ve never done that before.

So, like, the whole time I was sewing, I’m like, I’m just this high fashion designer. You can’t tell me anything. This is my studio. I have, like, and then, so I started, I made a hat to match one of the outfits, and I made my very first bag, which I’m waiting for hardware to come in so I can finish it. And I’m just like, oh, this is runway ready. Like, just being able to just, I don’t know, it’s just grown-up, like, grown-up dress up.

Helen: Yeah. That’s so much fun though. I can definitely see the appeal, and I can’t wait to see the bag you’ve made. That’s exciting.

Serena: I’m really excited, too.

Helen: Well, a lot of the posts that you share online have the #VintageStyleNotVintageValues. And can you talk a bit about what that means to you?

Serena: Yeah. I think with vintage, a set of assumptions come along with the way that you dress. Like, people think that you are all of a sudden this, like, prude. You have certain ideals. Like, people just assume, especially me because, like, I do live a traditional lifestyle, but not because, like, I feel like that’s better than any other kind of lifestyle. It’s just what works for my family. And it just turns out to be traditional at the moment cause, like, anything can change, and I’m welcome to change.

But so I feel like sometimes people can get excluded from the vintage community because of those stereotypes of, like, what life was like in the past. So, like, maybe a member of, like, the LGBTQ community might be dressing vintage, and then maybe some random comment or might think, oh, well, I don’t know if it’s a lesbian woman that, oh, I want to be your husband.

Like, you know, like, just weird, like, assumptions of the past. And, like, or like, some people, like, if you’re a black woman, maybe somebody will, like, try and use, like, the mammy stereotype against you because you’re wearing an apron. Like, there, it’s just, we’re just trying to separate the outfit from whatever your idea of the past might be. Like, they’re completely different.

Helen: Yeah.

Serena: You know, some people just want to dress this way because they like it. And it has nothing to do with the past or what you might think of the past. This is just our clothes, and this is just what makes us happy. And anyone from any walk of life cause maybe if you have those assumptions and, and you are not a traditional or what’s considered traditional, maybe you might be afraid to try. Like, my lifestyle doesn’t fit this narrative. And we just want you to know that, like, your lifestyle has absolutely nothing to do with the way that you’ve decided to dress, and you’re welcome.

Helen: Ah, that’s very encouraging. I really appreciate you saying that and yeah, I really enjoy your captions and you, kind of, poking fun at some of the comments you’ve gotten over the year. It made me laugh.

Caroline: Yeah, you have a really funny reel, um, kind of, responding to assumptions, and we’ll definitely link it up in the show notes. It’s, it’s pretty. Your dancing is hilarious, so that’s great.

Um, and yeah, I mean, you’ve also for the past few years, recreated looks from Black icons during Black History Month. And we’d love for you to tell our listeners a little bit about these posts and what inspired you to make these posts.

Serena: Um, so you used Black icons. They are icons, but sometimes I don’t feel like these people are being treated like icons. When their names are brought up, we say that, but, like, where are their posters where they, they’re, people aren’t dressing up as certain people for, like, Halloween, or if they’re trying to honour them, you’re not getting…

Like, you can see lots and lots of shoots of Marilyn Monroe and her clothing being, like, reproduced and nail polish and lipstick in her, the way that she, like, does her makeup and diagrams for her hair. Like, there’s just so much, she is an icon and she deserves to be an icon.

But, like, these Black people are icons as well. And I feel like they should get the same, you know, like, not take away from Marilyn. We love Marilyn, but, like, also, these people exist, too. And I don’t feel like it’s authentic or genuine to try and, like, mirror my, my existence off of s-, like, it’s reaching a standard of beauty that I’ll never be able to reach. So I wanted to, like, delve more into Black people and, kind of, show light to, to them and their story.

And at first, it started out, like, looking up, like, Black icons for the time. And then I started reading about them. I was like, okay, well it’s not enough just to dress like this one picture.

I need to learn about them. I don’t know anything about them either. So let me pick up their biography and let me read about them and get to know them, so that way I can treat them like an icon, like they deserve to be treated because they’ve given to the culture. So that’s just how it was born.

I was just, like, you know, and then a lot of times when I used to dress vintage or wanted to dress vintage, I would get really rude comments about how I wanted to be white. And I know a lot of Black people get that comment, too. And so being able to shed light on the Black people of the past, shows that we, we existed because for whatever reason people think we didn’t until recently. So being able to show these women is, like, I don’t want to be white. I just want to dress vintage, but here are examples of not white people dressing the same way.

Helen: Yeah, they’re such amazing posts. I love the looks that you’ve recreated. Can you tell us some of the Black icons that you have represented this way?

Serena: Yeah. I started with Dorothy Dandridge. The look that I recreated for her wasn’t the one that I originally wanted to recreate, but I had found that I was pregnant, so I had to, kind of, change things up and choose a picture to recreate that didn’t show her stomach because I hadn’t told people yet. So that’s not exactly, I might have to redo her and choose a different outfit, but that’s the one that I went with to, kind of, like, camouflage my stomach.

And then I’ve done Coretta Scott King, and I was able to learn so much about her. Like, she, she’s so influential. I feel like because her husband is so amazing and he’s just this huge figure, she’s definitely overshadowed. But I can say from what I’ve read that there would have been no MLK, but for her. Like, a lot of his marches and a lot of things were funded because of her. Like, she used to put on concerts to raise the money for them to be able to travel and do these things.

So, like, without her, there, there would have been no movement, really, at least not with him being the head of it. She, she worked really hard, and she definitely, I mean, she didn’t necessarily want the credit, but I think it’s important to know that she put in so much work, if not more, because the work kept coming after he died, too. So that was less about fashion and more about learning for me.

And then this year I did Diahann Carroll because I wanted to be able to pull back into the, the fashion lane because I feel like when I was looking her up, that if I had to pinpoint who my style reflects, it would be a lot like hers. Um, and when I read her biography, she talked about being as thin as I was. So I didn’t even know that. She was, like, she had to pad her dresses when she wanted to have, like, those hips and, like, the, the silhouette of the time.

She had to pad her dresses, which I pad mine, like, I’ll pad my suits if I need it to look a certain kind of way. So I was like, wow, that’s really cool. So it’s just nice to be able to see people like you, even if it’s something as simple as, oh, I have to pad my dresses because, like, I don’t have the hourglass shape. So it was cool to just read that someone else did it, too. You know, people did it, but it was nice for her to admit that she did it.

Helen: Yeah. It’s such an amazing way to find connection through time and also to bring to the forefront some of these people to celebrate them, like you said, and draw attention to their accomplishments and their style at the same time. You do that through your posts, so they’re really great. Do you have any ideas of who you would like to recreate a look for next year? Any chance you’d share that with us?

Serena: I don’t know yet. Usually, I would know. Usually, I, I already know, but this year has been so hectic for me, um, with moving and stuff like that. So I haven’t been able to put in the energy to planning that I usually do. So I don’t know yet. I don’t know yet, but hopefully me. Hopefully, it’s really fun.

And there’s a lot, cause another thing is I would say that our icons are not very heavily documented, so it’s more than just choosing someone you like. I also want to put the work behind it, so I need to be able to find documentaries and books and things like that to really get to know them because I don’t want it to just be a look at me situation..

I truly want to learn about Black history myself. Like, it’s beyond the sewing for me personally. I always accompany some kind of reading or research behind it, even if I don’t necessarily show it because I’m not a scholar. I’m not online to, to be a teacher, but I still want to learn.

Helen: Yeah, and I think you do a really good job of sharing enough information to encourage other people to go and do their own reading and research as well. Um, but still sharing some info so that people can get intrigued and maybe discover somebody that they didn’t know about.

Serena: Yeah. I just want our icons to be treated as such, like, it’s not enough to just say this person’s iconic and, like, I can’t change the world, but at least I can change the way that I, I move and, like, how I present people. So, like, if I’m going to call you an icon that I’m going to do, what people do for iconic people, you dress up like them. You, you get to know them. You get to be able to learn those, like, random facts that no one else would know.

Helen: Yeah. Do you follow other, uh, style icons on Instagram? Do you have any favourite accounts that you’d like to share with us?

Serena: I am so bad at names. I should have wrote these down. So I try not to get too influenced by my friends because, like, I like for our styles all to be, like, our own, but that doesn’t mean I don’t, like, I do get influenced by other people. It’s just, you can’t help it. Especially if you go, all live in the sa-, like, you all partake in the same kind of interests and things like that.

So maybe not so much influenced, but, like, inspired by. So for the 60’s, I think @miss.lana.moreaux, I have @60sgyal. She’s another black vintage dresser. I don’t think she sews. And then you have @thekokolounge. She’s, she is so creative. I follow lots of pinups, even though I don’t do pinup. I think, I love to see their inspired looks and their confidence in their bodies. I absolutely adore that. Then Drew from @SewSewDrew. I adore her because she is, she is new into sewing garments in general and then vintage sewing at the same time. So I see her learning the way that I learned, and she’s just so positive and bubbly, and she’s really cool. So I love her. Um, honestly I could go on and on and on.

Like, I, I take inspiration from people who do historical costuming, and I don’t costume. Hmm, like the way I get inspiration, you don’t even have to do what I do. And I’m just intrigued.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. There’s so many amazing accounts out there, and feel free to send us more, and we’ll put them in the show notes…

Serena: Yeah, I will.

Helen: …so people can, can go and follow along with some of your favourites.

Okay. We’re almost ready to wrap up here. Um, but we have a few more questions we want to ask you. First of all, we’ve talked a little bit about sewing on a budget, and you’ve mentioned you’re a budget sewer. You recently made that 1960s skirt suit for under $30. Can you share some of your tips for sewing on a vintage budget?

Serena: Well, first of all, try and get the widest cut of fabric that you can get and try and make it wool, if you can, because that way you can, kind of, do, like, Tetris, like, there’s no grain, so you can, kind of, like, shove things, move things, turn things, and, like, you can still get what you need out of it.

But I always shop remnants first. I don’t know if this is common, but there is this fabric store called Fine Fabrics in Georgia, and it is this massive warehouse of fabrics, but it’s made mostly for apparel sewing. So their remnants are usually at least a yard or two, and the bolt size is always 60 inches wide. So always try and find, like, those big warehouse places, so that way you can shop their remnants. Cause I’ve made a suit for, like, $10 made out of wool. That, the one that I made recently was not the cheapest wool suit that I’ve made. So if you can find a store like that, it’d be really good.

I know people thrift fabric. I don’t have very good luck with that. So I, if I do go to the store, I get vintage sheets. Um, most of the time they have, like, some sort of a stain or something, but they’re so wide, you can cut around them usually. And you can get really pretty, like, vintage fabric dresses.

I always shop clearance fabrics. I don’t leave, the cheaper fabrics are just not out of the question for me. I do try to stick to natural fabrics, like cottons and wools. But if I do make something with, like, polyester, I try and make sure that that’s something that I’m wearing for, like, the winter months.

So something, like, if I’m, if I know I’m going to be warm because I live in the south. It’s really hot here. So wearing, like, a whole outfit out of polyester is just not ideal, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for it in my closet. I’ll just try and make that something that’s for the wintertime if I can. But usually I try and stick to cottons.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. When you want to be really worn, maybe a little sweaty.

Serena: Yeah. But most of the time I’m using cottons, cottons are everywhere. They go on clearance all the time. Buy fabric when they’re not in season. So, like, get all your summer prints at the beginning of fall when they’ve been completely marked down and try and just plan ahead. That’s what I do. Just don’t don’t buy the fabric that you need in the season you need it cause you’re usually going to pay more.

Helen: I like that your advice is to collect fabric cause that’s definitely my M.O.

Serena: It’s so underrated. Like, people are just, like, stash, like, stashes aren’t I don’t know. Like, I don’t know. People don’t think that stashes are good or maybe they’re just, having a stash is wasteful. I don’t know. But, like, my stash never gets too out of control because I am so strict with, like, the parameters. Like, budget is always coming first because this is a hobby. So my family’s needs and financial needs come first. And then whatever’s left is for my hobby. So yeah, it can never get too out of hand because there’s not that much cheap fabric everywhere.

Helen: I wish.

Serena: Same.

Caroline: Okay. Last question. I know you mentioned you just moved into your dream mid-century home, which is so exciting. And I noticed a vintage looking wallpaper featured in some of your Instagram videos and posts, and it has mushrooms and flowers and sewing machines. It’s amazing. And I’d love to know where you got it from.

Serena: So I had that wallpaper design made specially for me because I’m addicted to my sewing machines, and I wanted to, like, honour them in a way that… They don’t care because they’re not people, but I was just like, I need something that would be a nod to where vintage started for me, which I was in elementary school dressing like a hippie and all psychedelic-like.

So I was like, this is a nod to the Serena of yesteryear, but also the machines that made it possible. So the machines are all different. They’re, like, a line drawing of my favourite machines on that. And then I had it have that groovy mushrooms and stuff like that to honour the child that would have died if she knew I was living the way that I am now. Like, she would be so thrilled.

So yeah, like, if you see it, it doesn’t really match my aesthetic, but it very much is the creative side of me, so I designated that for my basement. And, um, I had an Illustrator @Atomic.Gigi on Instagram. I told her everything that I wanted. She made it a wallpaper or image, and then I ordered it off of Spoonflower. So I have a perfectly custom wallpaper for my sewing room and all my sew-, most of my sewing machines are from the seventies, so it just seems like they’re at home.

Caroline: It’s so cool. Yeah, it is, it is pretty amazing and very vintage-y seventies vibes. So that makes a lot of sense that you designed it to be that way. And we’ll make sure we link up some pictures in the show notes as well. Thank you so much, Serena, for chatting with us. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online before we wrap up?

Serena: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. You can find me on Instagram @SewRena_, or you can find me on YouTube, where I don’t post quite as frequently because I’m not a tech person, if you could tell by my old machines, but you can find me on YouTube @SewRena, no underscore. So just @SewRena on YouTube.

Helen: Awesome. Perfect. I mean, YouTube is, kind of, like, the vintage social media, right?

Serena: Is it though? Because I feel like everyone’s always like, your audio could be better, video can be better. And I’m like, I’m doing the best that I can.

Helen: Oh my gosh, no kidding. Those people can keep their opinions to themselves.

Caroline: Well, we’ll make sure to include links for everything we talked about today in the show notes. It was so fun chatting with you today, Serena. Thank you so much, again. It was a fabulous interview.

Serena: Thank you.

Caroline: Alright, take care. Bye.

Serena: Bye.

Helen: Bye.

That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Helen, at HelensClosetPatterns.com and Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com! And 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. 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 you want more, you can sign up for our Patreon! For just $5 a month, you get a full-length bonus episode and weekly behind-the-scenes pictures. 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 and our team so that we can keep making quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew, if you can, for more info.

Caroline: 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 for listening. We’ll see you next week.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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