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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 and BF Patterns.

Helen: And I’m Helen the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew, and it’s essentially all we want to talk about.

Helen: Today we’re interviewing Claire Birnie from Sew Outdoorsy. We chat with her about technical fabrics, weatherproofing your me-mades, gear sewing techniques, and designing plus size patterns for activewear.

Caroline: If you love to sew, this is your show.

Helen: Hello, Claire. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Claire: No worries. Thank you for having me on.

Helen: We’re so excited to chat with you about everything you’ve got going on. But to kick us off, can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Claire: I’m Claire Bernie, a 38 year old woman from England, as you’ve probably guessed by my voice. My pronouns are she/her. And yeah, I created Sew Outdoorsy in 2020. And I’ve been invited on this lovely podcast, so I’m really excited.

Caroline: Amazing. We always ask our guests how and when they learn to sew. We love kicking off our interviews that way. So can you start us off with that? We’d love to hear about your sewing journey.

Claire: I learned to sew, as a lot of people in the UK did in, like, the eighties/nineties, in school. We had, like, a home economic slash sewing classes, that we would be part of the curriculum. And so I learned to do bags and ties and, and the usual things that, that kids do. But I never took it to GCSE level or, or any further study, so I, kind of, didn’t do anything until I was in my mid-twenties, when I needed something to procrastinate over my degree.

I, so I didn’t really do any sewing until probably 28, 29. And I was just needing something to relax, with my degree. So I found a local sewing school and decided to just pick it up again, as something to relax me and to keep my mind nice and calm. So there was a little local sewing school, and I went right from beginners all the way through to intermediate zips. I took every class they offered, I devoured the lot, and I just really fell in love with it.

And then they did things called your project day. So I would just bring what I wanted to make, and they would teach me the skills to do it, which I found a lot more suited my brain ‘cause it’s not that I don’t think beginner, intermediate, and advanced is, is not good. Just for me, I go, I wanna make this, and I’ll figure out how to do it. That’s how I sew. I don’t really go, oh, it’s intermediate. I’ll do that. I just go all in.

Helen: I love that. I’m totally the same way. It’s amazing that you picked it up again, and with such enthusiasm, too. Did it have anything to do with your degree? Like, were they related in any way or was it a totally different thing for you?

Claire: Absolutely different. So I was working in finance at the time, doing business continuity for a, an insurance company. And I decided after several rounds of redundancy, I wanted to do something different with my life. So I went and did an environment degree, as you do. I went and did that as a mature student, and I graduated in 2015.

And I just used it as a, as a way to procrastinate, but also as a way to, sort of, keep my mind and hands busy without having to pick up something that I wasn’t comfortable with. And sewing just comes fairly naturally to me, it seems, and it was creative, and I got to have something at the end, so that was great. So yeah, completely different. I did an environment degree instead.

Caroline: That’s so cool. And I wanna know, like take us from, you were learning to sew or getting back into sewing. You were taking all of these classes. When did Sew Outdoorsy come about? Can you tell us about that?

Claire: Yeah. So I’d had these thoughts and, and friends and partners and things and my, and my now husband had, sort of, said, oh, why don’t you make it a business? And as I’m sure a million people in the sewing community have had said to them, oh, why didn’t you make it a business? And it’s just not as simple as that.

But it had been ticking in my mind after a while. But in 2020 I was made redundant just before the pandemic started, so that was super fun. And I thought, you know what? Let’s go for it. If I’ve got this opportunity to have some downtime working from home. And I just, I, I had the concept then. I set up the business then. And I, I didn’t tell anyone about it. I didn’t put on the internet. And I just thought, let’s do this in the quiet, and then, we’ll launch when I’m ready.

So it was, kind of, like, a little side project that no one knew about in case I just didn’t do it. It was completely born of a need for myself. I’m a very fat person. I, I have a 62 inch hip, and I’m at the top end of most indie patterns. And obviously I, I enjoy sewing for myself and sewing clothes. And I, I have a great range of designers now I can choose from, but there was nothing with, for my hobby. And so I just thought, well, there’s a niche here.

Caroline: Mhm.

Claire: So I just thought, well, if no one else is gonna do it, be the change you wanna see. And that’s what happened, really. And it was all quite spur of the moment. That seems to be my life really.

Helen: Oh, I love it. It’s so cool. So tell our listeners a little bit more about your company, Sew Outdoorsy, and this hobby that you keep referencing. What is it that Sew Outdoorsy offers?

Claire: Yes. So, Sew Outdoorsy is a set of pattern designs for plus size bodies for outdoor activities. So, things like cargo pants or dry bags or our waterproof trousers, for example. Our aim is to design for outdoor pursuits. We started with hiking ‘cause that’s what I do as a, as a hobby, but we’re looking to service any and all activities. It could be walking your dog or just clothing for, you know, outdoor pursuits or leisure time, camping, just things that you are comfortable in, you can move in, and makes it a less of a barrier for you getting outside and enjoying the environment that you’re in.

Caroline: Yeah. I know I was so excited when you launched because there are such limited options for plus size folks, especially in ready to wear, I mean, in sewing patterns, too, but in ready to wear, it’s just so hard to find clothes in larger sizes when you’re looking at activewear or outdoorsy kind of activities. So you really are filling a hole in the market, which is so, so exciting. and I wanted to know, when did you actually launch? That was last year, right?

Claire: Yeah, the first pattern came out in 2022, April 2022. This year was our first full year. So, yeah, April, 2022. And I, I remember I was so excited on holiday when I saw you tweeting, putting your podcast out, and you mentioned me, and I was so excited. I, I was in a tent in Scotland, and I was listening to the podcast going, oh, my God. They’ve mentioned me. I had a bit of a fangirl moment. I apologise.

Helen: No, it’s well earned. It was very exciting to see you launch, and I just wanna know how’s it going?

Claire: It’s going great. I mean, we launched four patterns in one year and, and I am the sole business owner, and I do everything from the tea making to the accountants to I, I do everything in terms of the business running, so I’m sure you both understand what that’s like. But I, I don’t have any social media people. I am the only person who does anything in this business.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Claire: It’s a, it’s a real challenge and, I’m really proud of the, the four patterns we did launch in that first year. I actually quit my full-time job and spent eight months full-time doing the business. Unfortunately, I’ve been, had to go back to a part-time job because of the global cost of living crisis.

Helen: Mm. Yeah.

But, I know it’s a new business and there’s very few people who know about me. So my aim is to have it as a full-time job eventually, but I’m completely content, just running the business and putting out patterns that one, I enjoy and hopefully others do. But you’ll both know as business owners that it comes with the peaks and the troughs, so…

Helen: Oh, definitely. And I mean, you are still at the very beginning of the journey, so I’m just so excited for you. I promise you won’t have to do everything forever. You might still have to make the tea and do the accounting, but you know, other things you might be able to outsource.

Claire: Yeah. I’ve got a list of things that would be immediately gotten rid of.

Helen: Yeah. That’s good.

Claire: As soon as I can. They’re gonna be shirked off to someone who is a professional.

Helen: Okay. You mentioned the patterns you have so far, so I want our listeners to know what they are and what’s available in your shop.

Claire: Sure. So, the first pattern we launched was the Borrowdale Trouser. So that is a waterproof over trouser or pants, as American and Canadian listeners will understand. It’s weird saying pants ‘cause to me that’s knickers. But I have to, I have to make sure that everyone understands what it is. So they’re an overtrouser that you are supposed to wear over your regular hiking trousers or leggings, and they have, like, a side zip up to the thigh or the knee to make it easy to get them on and off.

And it’s fairly common to see those in a ready to wear shop. And that was, born of, because I couldn’t find a pair to fit me, so I thought, let’s make our first pattern something I want.

Helen: Brilliant.

Claire: So that launched in April. And then soon after was the Downpour Dry Bags, which are, like, a roll top, set of dry bags as 10 sizes, and six of those sizes you can use from the offcuts of the Borrowdale Trouser because I thought, well, who wants to have leftover scraps of fabric that they might not use? So I thought that would be an easy and quick pattern to release afterwards, so that was good.

The third one was the Malham Trousers. That’s a classic hiking trouser that you can make out of lightweight, heavyweight – I made a soft shell pair, during the winter, which is like a fleece lined windproof trouser, great for the winter and, like, skiing. A lot of people ski with those trousers. And that’s, like, a, got pockets and, and all kinds of things. I’m really proud of that one ‘cause I did a little hack to make a diagonal to make it look like a shop pair I saw.

Helen: Oh yeah, I saw that hack. Really cool.

Claire: And then the last one I released was the Gaiters, the Grisedale Gaiters. And they are a, sort of, a, from the knee down to the ankle, they go over your boots to keep snow, twigs, rain, and, and any other stuff getting into your boots when you’re hiking. And they’re particularly useful when you’re walking through heather in the moors where I live or for snow. They’re great for keeping snow out for your boots and things. And they’re all named after, like, English mountains or regions. So if anyone’s curious about why, it’s just ‘cause I thought I would use the hill walking places I’ve been.

Caroline: That’s wonderful. And the gaiters seem like a great introductory project for someone who maybe isn’t familiar with sewing this kind of project.

Claire: Definitely. That or the Downpour Dry Bags. Or the dry bag, the small ones are quite fiddly sometimes on a home sewing machine, but it’s totally doable. But the Grisedale Gaiters are a really functional thing that I think a lot of outdoorsy people might, enjoy making. And I think I can make a pair and half a day, which is pretty good.

Caroline: That’s awesome. Yeah. Love a quick sew.

Claire: Yes.

Caroline: So how is designing and drafting activewear and outdoor gear different from designing everyday clothes?

Claire: The difference for me, personally, is ease. So if you’re, I’ve got quite a large belly and quite large thighs, so when I’m walking up or down or just moving my body, where my fat distribution moves, I need a bit more ease. So I tend to design with a little bit more of how the body’s going to morph when it moves.

So I tend to be a bit more generous in the tummy and in the bum because, obviously, if you’ve lifted your leg right up to get on a rock, you’re gonna need a bit more room. And also, comfy waistbands. So I tend to think, what would I actually enjoy? I wouldn’t want to wear a belt ‘cause that would dig in. So just having a think about how do I feel when I’m hiking.

And then I’m part of a lot of hiking communities, especially plus size hiking communities, and they’re always just, sort of, having a little niggle about what they do and don’t like about ready to wear gear. So I just make some notes and say, right, what do other people say about the gear that they’re buying and what really frustrates them? ‘Cause I can use that to feed my designs.

Helen: Totally. That’s amazing. And are there other special considerations that you make or things that you consider when you’re designing specifically for plus size hikers?

Claire: The, the considerations I’ve had for feedback from some of the groups is particular, kind of, health conditions. So lipedema has come up quite a lot because ready to wear is really difficult to buy for people with lipedema.

And maybe getting some sewing hacks for particular physical attributes that people might have that aren’t considered in ready to wear. So it’s more just specific requests. I’ve had one recently about, making it easier to go to the bathroom outside, about putting a zip in, and I’m like, I hadn’t considered that. I’ll do some tests, and I’ll get back to you

Helen: Right. It’s a great idea, but then you think about a, a zipper in your crotch area and how that might not work.

Claire: For, for me personally, it wouldn’t be something that I would ever put in my own trousers, but this particular person said, could it be done? I’m like, anything could be

done. Apparently, there’s a ready to wear that has this feature. I’ve never heard of it. I think it’s an American brand. It’s one of those little hacks that people give you these ideas and just think, well, I’d not thought of that.

And it’s amazing to get the feedback from people who see your patterns and, and they give you an idea right out of left field. And I’m, I’m sure you’ve had, the both, the same of people suggest things, and you’re like, I really hadn’t even thought of that, but thank you. I’m gonna have a think.

Caroline: No, that’s the beauty of being a smaller company and having that direct connection to your customers is you can get some great ideas, and even if you don’t incorporate them into a future pattern, you could maybe do a hack on the blog or something like that and really be able to fill those needs of, of your customers directly.

Claire: Yeah, I do feel that customers do feel like they can connect with you and they can reach out. And I really like the relationship that people are just willing to put themselves out there and ask the question. That’s really nice.

Caroline: Yeah. So can you give our listeners a preview of any future pattern releases that you might be working on?

Claire: Well, by the time this comes out, I am hoping that the next one will be out. So we’ve done loads on the bottom half and some accessories. So we’re now moving to the top. So we’ll be releasing our first top, as part of, like, a layering system, which a lot of hikers are outdoorsy people might be familiar with. So it’s a series of different clothing layers to be able to better regulate your temperature and make sure that whatever the weather throws at you, you are prepared. So we’ll be starting a series of layering options for people.

Helen: Ooh, exciting. So are you starting from, like, the very bottom layer and working your way out or…?

Claire: Pretty much.

Helen: Cool. Oh, that’s interesting. I love that. So I’m assuming it’s gonna be a knit then.

Claire: Yes. I, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t make a woven close to the, no…

Helen: No, fair.

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: No.

Helen: I’m just trying to get all the deets, Claire, come on.

Claire: Well, that’s the thing. I’ve now got this wonderful deadline to work to, so…

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Claire has now guaranteed us that it will be out. No, I’m just kidding. I am the queen of announcing things on this podcast and not following through, so you’re good. It’s okay.

Claire: I, I have, I have noticed.

Helen: Yeah. It’s true. It’s really easy to get excited about projects and really difficult to complete them, okay?

Claire: Absolutely. I have a real start a lot of things and then finish one of them. I, I do have a few things I still haven’t finished after several years. It’s terrible.

Helen: Oh, it’s all part of the process. do you have a dream pattern that you’d love to make eventually for Sew Outdoorsy?

Claire: Oh, I, well, yeah, I do. I’ve recently gotten into Canadian canoeing and water sports and outdoor swimming and stuff, so there’s a real resurgence of it in the UK at the moment. While swimming, me and my husband have always wanted to do paddle sports, so we got some Canadian canoe lessons over the summer. And I bought myself, like, a custom Aquatherm wetsuit, kind of, top and bottom set. And I would love to make one better than what I bought.

Helen: Yeah, that would be so amazing.

Claire: Wouldn’t it be great to make your own wild swimming suit. Like, swimsuits are great, but the properties of Aquatherm and neoprene just keep you warmer for longer. I would love to make one of those, and, and I, totally have got it on the list.

Caroline: That is so exciting. Helen, I remember when you and Sam bought your wetsuits for paddle boarding and wouldn’t it have been cool to make them?

Helen: Quite a process finding ones that fit properly, so it would be amazing to be able to make my own.

Claire: Yeah, there are better options nowadays for, like, plus size ones. You can hire things, as well, which is really great for sustainability and just if you’re only trying it for the summer. But wetsuits, I found the body depths just couldn’t do it, just didn’t work for me at all. So I found a company that does top and bottom sets, and that worked better for my body length, which was great.

Helen: Oh, yeah. That makes total sense.

Caroline: That’s awesome. Well, we look forward to seeing that. Hope someday.

Claire: You are gonna hold me to that, aren’t you?

Helen: Yes, yes, definitely. Maybe a swimsuit, too. I see lots of possibilities for you.

Claire: True, yes. Swimsuits, but, like, maybe, like, rash guards maybe, who knows…

Helen: Exactly. Yeah. Sporty, kind of, styles. I mean, yeah, there’s so many things out there that you could do.

Claire: With actual support.

Helen: Yes, that would be great. All right, well, we’re gonna take a quick break, and we’ll be right back.

Caroline: Love to Sew is made possible by listeners like you. We are so grateful for the support of our amazing patrons and subscribers. If you love Love to Sew and you want to help support the pod, we have a new option for you.

Helen: You can now become a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers get access to our monthly bonus episodes, and it’s so convenient. If you already use Apple Podcasts, the episodes are right there in your feed.

Caroline: So what are the bonus episodes? Well, we do a chatty catch-up on what’s been happening in our lives, share about the realities of running a small business, discuss new indie pattern releases, and talk about what we’re sewing right now.

Many of our subscribers say these fun bonus episodes are their favourite. And if you subscribe, you get access to the full back catalogue. That’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. We also do a mini episode that deep dives into a specific topic. We get to discuss so many fun sewing techniques and answer specific subscriber questions about sewing.

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Helen: Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew or visit our show’s page in the Apple podcast app to become a paid subscriber. Thank you to all our listeners, patrons, and subscribers. You’re the best.

And we’re back. Okay. Claire, one of the things we’re so excited to chat with you about today is working with technical fabrics because I know a lot of our listeners have probably never worked with some of the fabrics that you use for your patterns. So can you tell us about the main types or categories of technical fabrics?

Claire: Yes. So there’s quite a lot more in the market nowadays. So, for example, I’ll start with waterproofs ‘cause most people, when they think of technical fabrics, they’ll go straight to waterproofs. Because other things like fleeces or base layers, you can actually get away with using cottons and bamboos and, and things that you might be familiar with.

So, waterproof fabrics, they come in a vast amount of different types. So you’ve got two-layer which is, like a nylon or a rip stop nylon that’s then coated with either PVC on the back or it’s got a laminate on the back. Then, there’s two and a half-layer waterproofs, which have, like, a breathable layer in the middle.

Then, there’s three-layer, which you would normally know as, like, GORE-TEX or, like, the high end waterproof jacket, like, shell layers. And they have this breathability coated on the top and the bottom, and it can get pretty expensive and fancy, but I would say, like, a Pac a Mac. Oh, we have that brand in the UK. That would be your two-layer. It’s just a shell that you’ll get really sweaty in.

But then, the, the three-layer ones are gonna be your more breathable technical fabrics where you’re gonna be more comfortable. But generally, they have, like, a, a waterproof membrane on the top, the outer. And then, they sometimes have an, a lining or a mid-layer before the waterproofing. And the three-layer’s got that waterproof membrane and a backing, so you don’t have that sweatiness.

If you’re next in a shop and you’re looking at waterproofs, just have a look at the different price ranges, and you’ll see pretty quickly the differences.

Helen: Right. ‘Cause the three-layer is always gonna be the most expensive.

Claire: Usually, the most expensive. Absolutely. But they are the ones which will keep you drier and more breathable for longer. And you can buy the, all three of those types of fabrics from a number of different stores now across the planet. So I’ve, got, like, blog about what are waterproof fabrics and that, kind of, two-, two and a half-, and three-layer.I did like a little infographic, quite proud of that. It took me hours.

And then I’ve got a list of suppliers on my blog, as well. So fabrics and notions and different stores, but it’s only as limited as my knowledge. So if anybody has any suggestions or would like to include their business, absolutely just send me an email, and I’ll add it to my supply list ‘cause I think the more people know where they can get this stuff from, the better for everybody.

Helen: For sure. Do you have a go-to where you go to shop for your fabrics primarily?

Claire: For me in the UK, I, I am fairly environmentally conscious, so I do try and order things as locally as I can. Even though there are some fantastic shops in, uh, Discovery Fabrics, for example, in Canada, I would absolutely love to buy from them all the time. But the shipping and the environmental cost to me is, is just too much.

So I use Pennine Outdoor in the UK, which is based in the North, Pro Fabrics or North Point Fabrics, they’re also called down South, and there’s another one called UK Fabrics Online. And they all stock various different sailing fabrics, outdoor fabrics, and they have quite an extensive range in the UK.

Helen: Ooh. Cool. Yeah, we’ll definitely link up the list of shops that you recommend, and people can add to that list, like you said, so that’s exciting. Discovery Fabrics is only 40 minutes from my house, Claire.

Claire: Oh, you are… Oh, my God, that’s so rude. That is so rude.

Helen: So rude. I know.

Caroline: You’re bragging now, Helen.

Helen: I’m bragging. It’s so close. It’s amazing.

Claire: and they also have an extensive range of, like, YouTube videos and, and they’re really keen on getting people the right fabrics and, and they have a really good, sort of, social media presence to help people pick. And a lot of fabric companies, like the ones I’ve mentioned already, you just contact them and say, I’m trying to make this, and they’ll absolutely help you try and get the right fabric ‘cause they don’t want you to buy the wrong fabric. But also they’re really experienced ,and I’m sure you’ve seen their videos or Discovery Fabrics particularly, they know how to sell ’em.

Helen: Yeah. They are super friendly. They have a huge variety of stuff, so it’s great.

Caroline: I also am left wondering, because I know from experience having a fabric store, that folks struggle shopping for fabrics online when you can’t touch and feel the fabrics or see them in person. When you’re shopping for gear fabrics or athletic wear fabrics online, like, what do you look for? Are there keywords that you look for? How do you know if a fabric is good quality just from looking at photos or product listings?

Claire: Yeah, so there’s usually a, a grammage weight, or they have the actual, like, hydrostatic head rating sometimes on them. So the thicker the fabric and, and how it’s constructed. If they don’t have the information, you could ask for it. But the hydrostatic head, which basically is the waterproofness, you see on tents a lot. Most people will have seen it on a tent before they’ve seen it on clothes. So that’s basically how the company has basically taken a piece of fabric and then placed water in a tube on it. And the higher the rating, the better the waterproofness.

So, for example, if you’re just going out into a, you know, you might get a little bit of a shower. You are only going out for a few hours. Something of 1000 or 1,500 I believe is good for a short shower. But something of three to 10,000 is better for the Scottish weather that you’re gonna have everything, so… Having a Google around what the hydrostatic head is and how it affects fabric, that would help you then determine what’s best for your application, because you might just need one that’s just suitable for dog walking. But for me, I would need something that’s gonna stand up to a full day in the Scottish Hills.

Helen: Mhm. Yeah. You don’t wanna be soaking wet by the end of the day.

Claire: Nope, been there.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that’s good to know. We were gonna ask you about this hydrostatic head rating.

Claire: Yeah, but also for other technical fabrics that aren’t waterproof, so you’ve got soft shell, for example, and that is a very tightly woven upper layer. Sometimes, it’s sprayed with something called DWR. I have totally forgotten what the actual DWR stands for. But essentially it’s a waterproofing spray, so it is both windproof and waterproof or water repellent.

And then it’s got a slight fleece on the inside, which comes in different thicknesses. So you can get ones which are really warm for the real cold winters, or ones that are just fairly lightly fleece lined for more summer or spring. But that tightly woven fabric is great for keeping the wind out, and that’s, you don’t necessarily have to have it to be warm, it could just be windproof to keep the wind for you.

Helen: Right.

Claire: That’s another type of technical fabric. And microtex needles are the best for that because they go through them really well.

Helen: Right. ‘Cause it’s so tightly woven, I imagine

Claire: Really tightly woven. Yeah.

Helen: And with the soft shell And waterproof fabrics, does the needle leave holes, like, or does the fabric repair after?

Claire: It does leave holes. I think I have a picture on one of my Instagrams or blogs of me using the different needles on a piece of waterproof fabric, really thin, waterproof outer shell layer, and the universal needles left the biggest ones, obviously. And the microtex, you could hardly see them, but they were still there. So, yeah. Obviously, be very careful if you are sewing with waterproof fabrics that it’s gonna be like leather. You will, those holes will be there, and you will see them, but microtex is the best one

Caroline: Do you have experience or tips with sealing those seams on a garment that you’d want to be completely waterproof?

Claire: Yeah, I’ve got a YouTube and a blog about it. So essentially each fabric will, depending on the lamination or the type of waterproof fabric it is, it will have a different tape to go with it. And the person selling you that fabric should be able to tell you which tape, because one of them is, like, a clear with a glue, and that’s for rip stop or just single laminates. And then there’s one that’s for the three-layer, like, GORE-TEX ones that is a slightly different tape. If someone buys from the shops I’ve bought for, they send you a little leaflet to say, this is the one you need, and this is how you apply it.

So essentially you take your fabric and your seam tape, and you get your iron on the lowest possible setting, and test it on a scrap first. And then using a pressing cloth, you just press it on for, you know, five to nine seconds, do your testing obviously, and you just repeatedly go over it, let it cool, go to the next bit. And I’ve found that using smaller strips and overlaying them is better than one long strip because the one long strip can move or you can overheat it and that kind of thing.But the tapes are really great. And they’re probably as close to the, the shop bought stuff as you’re gonna get at home.

But there’s also a glue, which I found recently, and essentially it’s a waterproof glue. Use it with a window open ‘cause it stinks. It’s probably not good for you either. And you essentially apply it to your seam with a, a glue stick. And you have to leave it for, like, 12 hours to cure, but it does have more flexibility than tape, and it’s less likely when you were to wash it and reproof it to come up at the sides. So I’m doing, sort of, tests for the, the things that I make for myself. I’m, sort of, testing them and seeing how they do. But it is a personal preference and the glue will take you longer, obviously, but it might be better for like, crotch seams because it’s got more flexibility than potentially the side seams.

Helen: Right. So does the tape sometimes sort of come unstuck or can, kind of, lift up on the edges?

Claire: It can do if it’s, if it’s not been applied or when you reproof it. So obviously, all waterproof fabrics, you can, you need to wash them sometimes and reproof them and going through the washing machine can lift them, but they can lift them in ready to wear, too.

Helen: Right. Yeah. Fair.

Claire: depending on what you’ve made, you can always deconstruct it and reapply. So, there’s options.

Helen: And is sealing the seams necessary for making a waterproof garment? This may seem like a silly question, but what happens if you don’t seal the seams? Does the water get in the stitch lines.

Claire: I mean, if, if you don’t seal the seams, you are likely to get some seepage, but I’m not, I don’t think it’s gonna be like a tidal wave or anything. It would just seep through. And if it’s just a coat for, for you going to the shops or, or just light wear, you could probably get away with it. It’s all personal preference.

I would probably seal it for the hiking that I do, but if I was just having a jacket that’s a commuting jacket, then you could use, maybe, a wax cotton instead and use a, a completely different type of fabric. The ventile or waxed cottons and those types of fabrics that might have a different look but also have a different waterproofing, and you probably wouldn’t seal those.

Helen: Right. Okay.

Caroline: I also wonder with waterproof fabrics, you mentioned the different layers and how some of them have a breathable layer, kind of, built in. But do you recommend using something that’s sort of all in one like that with the breathable layer or using a waterproof fabric as a shell and then maybe a breathable layer for a lining?

Claire: Yeah, so I lined my waterproof trousers for this reason ‘cause the fabric I made my waterproof trousers out of was really lightweight, so really packable for my pack. The underside was not sticky, but it had a definite coating, and I didn’t want it to stick to my trousers cause that would be really annoying. So I got a lining from the same company. It was Pennine Outdoor, and it was a really lightweight lining.

So then, like, if I was sweating, it wouldn’t get onto the waterproofs. But it also made it so it was slick on my legs because obviously you wouldn’t want the fabric bunching. Well, I wouldn’t. So I, I tend to line things and, and say if I was to make a waterproof jacket, I would probably put lining in key places just to stop it from catching on any of your other fabrics, just like any other jacket I would guess.

Caroline: And I’m assuming those are specialty linings. We’re not talking lining with, like, a cotton voile. It’s, like, a special, kind of, athletic wear lining.

Claire: It was an athletic wear lining. I haven’t tried with the, sort of, satins and that kind of thing just because you, I haven’t seen it in ready to wear. And also it’s really super lightweight stuff, like, it’s paper thin.

Caroline: Right.

Claire: I don’t see why you couldn’t though. Like, people should experiment and see what’s best for them. Cotton would be quite nice. It would be breathable, but then the outer wouldn’t be so…

Helen: And you have to think about what you’re gonna be doing in the garment, too, if it’s gonna be high impact. A lot of moving around when you’re hiking could destroy a lining pretty quickly, I imagine.

Claire: Yeah. And cotton, in comparison to a lot of these fabrics is fairly heavy.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Hm.

Claire: So thinking about how you’re, you are packing. So, for example, if I was going out in the winter, I would have several layers with me and how bulky they would be and how heavy they would be ‘cause you only have a bag of say, 30 to 40 litres and if you’ve got waterproof trousers, coat, base layer, jacket, spare food, all this kind of stuff, you, you fill it up pretty quickly.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Yeah, I bet.

Caroline: What is the fibre content on fabrics like these technical fabrics? Is it mostly nylon or…?

Claire: Nylons and polyester, yeah. And there are some companies that do ventile, I think, which is more cotton-based. I haven’t looked into that particularly because it’s used in a different type of outdoor wear, I think by, like, Paramo and other brands. There’s also waxed cottons in things, and you can get recycled wax cottons. So there are other things that I could look into, but for trousers it’s definitely ripstop nylons or nylon derivatives. Ripstop, particularly, ‘cause it’s, if you get it snagged, it doesn’t fall apart on your legs.

Caroline: Ah, okay. Very cool.

Helen: And you’ve mentioned that you worked with a fabric that was a bit sticky, and I was wondering about this ‘cause I’ve noticed this about waterproof fabrics. Some of them are a bit sticky, and how do you avoid getting it stuck to your machine or it’s sticking together when you’re sewing it? Do you have any tips about that?

Claire: Yeah, so I invested in a Teflon foot. That was super good. You can also put, like, baking paper underneath. Obviously, you’d have to rip it away, and there are downsides to that, but that would make it easy to glide. I haven’t found it super sticky on my machine so far. But also the easy feed foots that you get for quilting move the fabric through and stop it bunching a lot better. So if you’re comfortable or have a quilting foot that moves at the same time as your dog feeds, I think they’re called.

Helen: Yeah. Feed dogs. Yeah.

Claire: That’s what I meant. Dog feeds. Oh, my God. Feeds dogs. It does depend on the fabric and how laminated it is. And obviously, if you’re sewing right sides together, you may have the sticky side on both, so it might counteract. Sometimes I just sew it with my regular foot, and it seems to be okay if you go slowly, like sewing super fast tends to bunch it. But if you just go nice and evenly and nice and slowly it seems to be okay for me.

Helen: Yeah, testing is always the answer on this podcast. Do a test. You know what? Do a test.

Claire: Always do a test and stitch length and things because obviously you are using different needles, potentially different threads. I wouldn’t recommend using cotton threads. Like, it’s nice, but I would use a polyester also or a specific, depending on what you’re sewing and where it is on the garment, like, a tougher thread, but not particularly thick ones ‘cause obviously you’ll be using a microtex, really small needle.

Helen: Right.

Claire: So just, just test everything all the time.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: That makes total sense. And speaking of testing, you mentioned testing out the iron with that seam tape, but do you have any other advice for pressing these polyester synthetic fabrics?

Claire: Yeah, like, the lowest test possible that you can get away with in the smallest area. So I use my ham a lot. I’ve got, like, a normal tailor’s ham, and I’ve got long sleeve ham. And I try and just raise the fabric up, so the least amount is being pressed ‘cause obviously this curvature does help. I have looked at these little tiny craft irons, the ones that you do for quilting or applique, but I dunno what the temperatures are, and I haven’t tried them, so don’t come sue me. But those, uh, have as the smaller area, the better.

But obviously these fabrics are polyester. They’ve been made in very hot environments. What you risk is basically melting the fabric, and I have done it. I have made it too hot and even with a pressing cloth, it has absolutely melted the tape or it’s melted the fabric, so lots of testing. And I have an organza pressing cloth, for example, and I’ve just bias bound it. And I just buy a, a new organza square every now and again. And even that melts with my iron sometimes, and I don’t know how.

Helen: You got a powerful iron.

Claire: I do. Yeah. Well, you, you don’t know what the temperatures are on them. It just says one, two, and three.

Helen: I know. Yeah, it’s true. We need better irons.

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: Yes.

Caroline: Are there any special considerations for cutting out pattern pieces from technical fabrics? How does that cutting process go?

Claire: I would say similar to, like, knits depending on how you sew. So I always try and do it in one layer ‘cause then it doesn’t slide around ‘cause the outside of these fabrics a lot is very slick, very slippy, particularly with waterproof stuff. So I would cut in a single layer where you can.

Or I did a recent video about how to do marking on technical fabric. So I’ve taken to using pattern weights and then, using one of my markers and drawing it out on the reverse of the fabric and then, cutting it out from there with scissors because then you don’t have to risk raising it and moving the pattern piece. Just basically: accuracy is key.

But also on the fold, you don’t wanna fold the technical fabric because then you’ll have a crease line and that could potentially damage the lamination. So if you are buying it, ask them to roll it if they can. Because obviously depending on how much they fold it and what the postage is, it could make real big creases, and then, you would have to iron those creases out, which is, yeah. Just on the waterproof, some things like fleeces and, and other, like, polyester-based layer fabrics or soft shells don’t really crease very well in my experience.

So pressing those seams doesn’t seem to work. They’re too thick and spongy. So I, if I want a nice crisp line, I actually topstitch the seam allowance down ‘cause then, then it’s ironed it for me. Does that make sense? So on soft shells, I tend to trim the seam allowance, fold it over and topstitch it down.

Caroline: Mhm.

Claire: ‘Cause it doesn’t press.

Helen: Yeah. And it sounds like from what you’ve mentioned so far, a lot of the tools required to sew technical fabrics our listeners probably already have. Is there anything that you have in your sewing studio that maybe they don’t have?

Claire: Honestly, I just have a regular home sewing studio, and I don’t believe I’ve bought anything special about, maybe an awl to make little holes for, like, notches. So rather than cutting into the fabric, which might rip, I have one of those awls that you press down. It makes a very small hole in the seam allowance, so then it doesn’t move or rip.

Quilting clips over pins, No shame on people who use pins. I just use them in the seam allowance, obviously. And really sharp ones, on the waterproof particularly, but then if you’re using any knit fabrics, any ball points, but I’ve yet to go, oh, I haven’t got that, and I need to buy it for the business.

Helen: Right.

Claire: But then again, I’ve got a craft room downstairs, so…

Helen: You’ve got all the gear already.

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: Yeah. I have a lot of the gear and no idea.

Caroline: Do you have any recommendations for when you’re sewing, like, a muslin or a test version of a garment that you’re then gonna sew in a more technical fabric? Do you use cotton muslin when you’re, sort of, assessing the fit?

Claire: I haven’t done, I’ve actually gone to, like, a, a remnants place or a really, like, Pound Fabrics or, or some other kind of discount store and bought rip stop nylon because it’s usually really cost effective, works the same. These are particularly for the waterproof things ‘cause obviously most of the stuff I’ve done is waterproofs.

Just buy a cheap, similar weight kind of fabric that’s woven or for the Malhams, if it’s slightly stretched, I don’t think it particularly matters, but just the, the cheapest, similar weight like you would with any other pattern. And that’s how I’ve done it, and it’s worked just fine. I found the muslins, ones that I can get, are a little too heavy for it. But you can get a cotton poplin if you were just making, I don’t see why you couldn’t make the Borrowdales out of a cotton poplin, ‘cause it’s gonna move the same, it’s gonna be the same. Whatever you’ve got in the stash really.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Do what you need to do.

Claire: Yeah. And for knits, I would just go for the lightest weight possible because that’s what people tend to pick for their technical garments.

Helen: Right. And then when you go to sew the final garment in a knit, are you a Merino fan?

Claire: I would love to be because it’s so buttery. It feels so great on the skin, and that’s, that’s what I tend to buy if I’m buying ready to wear. And I’m looking into, sort of, the, where you would buy that in the UK and otherwise, and, and obviously, the sustainability and ethics. I’ve been, someone highlighted to me about some of the questionable ethics of merino, so I am looking into whether that’s something I want to promote, or if I can find a great brand that does happy, happy merino.

Caroline: Mm.

Helen: Yeah. Other than merino, is there another fabric you would recommend for, like, those base layers we were talking about?

Claire: In the UK, we used to have, like, football tops that were made out of, like, a really thin nylon that looked like it was a mesh, but it’s actually, like, a false mesh. So it’s really lightweight and very breathable. I’ll send you something for the show notes maybe of, of what I like, a picture of what I’m looking at. But something that’s really lightweight, usually a nylon but it’s really, really, like, thin and floaty. So those types of fabrics would be good.

Helen: Yeah. I imagine, ideally, it needs to be breathable and something like cotton, even though it’s comfortable, holds moisture. So if you sweat a lot, then it just gets wet, and it never dries, and then you’re uncomfortable, so…

Claire: That’s a really good point. So another searchable thing I’ve just thought of, as you’ve said that, is the word wicking. So if you are going to a ready-to-wear shop, a lot of base layers and mid-layers even, part of this layering system when you are, you are active, is to have things that wick the sweat away from the body.

And obviously cotton, as you’ve just said, holds onto that moisture and you can get, say for example, if you twisted an ankle and you were in cotton stuff, you would get cold really quickly, and you would be at risk of actually being fairly ill. So the advice is not to wear a hundred percent cotton, particularly heavy cottons, unless you are sure you’re gonna be able to get back to the car, kind of, thing. So yeah, wicking is a really good search term for these types of fabrics, and a lot of websites are now including those technical terms on their nylon products. So yeah, wicking.

Helen: Wicking. I love that word.

Caroline: Great word.

Helen: So for our listeners out there who are ready to get started with gear sewing, what project would you recommend they start with?

Claire: I think the gaiters, like you said earlier. They don’t use a lot of fabric. I think it’s less than a metre. So you could go to a remnants sale or a sample and just say, oh, I’d like to buy half a metre or a metre to make a couple of pairs. The zips are really readily available and even the notions that you need are quite accessible. You just need some eyelets and some buckles and some stay tape or ribbon.

So I haven’t had to source particularly any specialist notions for those, which I, was really important to me when I was designing that one of accessibility of notions to the home sewist. And I thought that was a, that would be a really good one of learning how to cut fabrics ‘cause you could make them out of lightweight fabric, but you could also make them really heavy duty if you say worked in the outdoors.

And you were say, I dunno, a forest, a forester, or any other kind of heavy duty outdoors every single day, but needed them, you could make them out of a really heavy duty fabric and have it be a real workhorse. Whereas mine are a lot more lightweight because I’m just going out to the moors. And there’s a lot of techniques that you would absolutely have been able to use if you’ve sewn anything for yourself. And seam sealing, obviously.

Helen: Yeah, yeah. They do look like a really great first project, very manageable, and also you don’t have to worry so much about fit, which is nice. You can just get right to the sewing.

Claire: Yeah. Accessories projects are a lovely one that you can not have to worry about. Oh, do I have to fit that to my body?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah. And we’ll definitely link up your list of online stores in our show notes, as we already mentioned. But you also have some great articles and tutorials on your blog about technical fabrics, about gear sewing, so we’ll link all of that up in the show notes. But I’m wondering if you could recommend any other resources for our listeners out there who are interested in learning more about this kind of technical type of sewing.

Claire: Absolutely. So, when I first started learning about how to sew my own gear, I went straight to the internet, as usually people do. And there’s a make your own gear section on Reddit, but there’s also MYOG as a hashtag on Instagram. There’s YouTube videos. I saw the seam sealing of somebody else, and then I tested it and learned my own methods. But I, I searched for other people’s.

Specky Seamstress, I believe was the first person who showed me many years ago how to do seam sealing on her coat, for example. So that’s, she’s on Instagram. There’s a lot of resources out there. MYOG, make your own gear, tailored mostly towards say, backpacks and accessories, but there are more people making activewear.

I also found in the library some seriously eighties technical books on how to make your own outdoor gear, and that has taught me a lot about, sort of, technique and notions and, not where to buy stuff ‘cause it’s all old and in the eighties, but, like, the interesting resources. I think a couple of the books were from old libraries, and I bought them online if you really want to get into it.

Helen: I bet those are really fun to look at, too. Like, the colours.

Claire: They are so retro.

Helen: Eighties activewear is everything.

Claire: The shell suits of the eighties are just perfection.

Helen: Yeah. Amazing.

Claire: But yeah. And also the blogs of fabric shops like Discovery Fabrics, they’ve got a great series of resources. I think a lot more fabric companies are realising that it’s not just selling the fabrics now. It’s actually educating people about the fabrics that they sell and how to use them and tips and tricks and things. So if in doubt ask the person you want to buy from, and I’m, pretty sure that they would help you.

Helen: Yeah. They would be the people with all the expertise.

Caroline: Awesome. So before we wrap this up, we wanted to hear a little bit about your personal sewing. And I just wonder, do you still sew regular clothing or do you mostly sew gear now?

Claire: No, I need to have more time for my personal sewing. It does take a back step as I’m sure you both know, that when you’ve been sewing for business, you just, you just don’t wanna look at your craft room sometimes.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Claire: And I’ve also developed an injury in my shoulder, which is exacerbated by sewing, which is unfortunate, so that takes me out for sometimes several days if I do too much. It’s called tennis elbow, and I think it’s gone to tendonitis now, which is unfortunate. So essentially, the repetitive movements of cutting and pinning just caused me some pain. So I have to moderate myself, which is sad. But no, I’ve, I’ve got all kinds of plans. I just need to get ‘round to them.

Helen: What’s your favourite kind of non-gear sewing project to do?

Claire: I’m really into trying, like, trouser patterns ‘cause I’ve done tops and I’ve done dresses and I’ve done, like, winter coats and all those kind of things that don’t fit the lower half ‘cause I just find boobs and tummies easier. Trousers are a new thing, but that, obviously, with my business I was like, well I’ve done trousers now, so I’d like to make some trousers for work and for play and those kind of things. So, that’s one of the key things for this autumn, is to make some different pairs of trousers to see what my style is because I’m not sure in terms of sewing patterns what I like yet.

Helen: Oh, okay. Well, that’ll be fun.

Caroline: Exciting.

Claire: Well I recently got the June Shorts, the tulip or the petal, fell in love, fell in love with it, and I was like, I need those in my life.

Helen: Ooh. Yeah. They’re so comfortable. I mean, talk about movement.

Claire: Exactly. So I’m thinking you’ve got the camping elements, so you can just be relaxing in the tent. You’ve got some shorts on, but you’re nice and uncovered so you can relax. Or, like, pajama shorts, I’ve just, I’ve got about three or four things earmarked for just that one.

Helen: Ooh! Oh, that’s exciting. I love hearing that.

Claire: Yeah. They just look super cute and really, really comfy and obviously in my size range, so that’s a bonus.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. I was gonna ask if you had other pattern companies that you wanted to recommend to other plus size sewists out there.

Claire: I mean, you’ve had a lot of them on your podcast or you’ve mentioned with other guests, but my go-to’s are Helen’s Closet, [unintelligible]. Because being a 62-inch hip it’s, it’s difficult for me to make sure I’m in the size range. So, Helen’s Closet, Cashmerette, obviously is a, a go-to because I, they’re great work wear patterns and with the, the club you get one every single month, which is really, it’s really good value, and they have a thing for everything. I’ve made quite a few of those. Muna and Broad, although I recently listened to the episode again, and I think I’ve pronounced it wrong.

Helen: I always think I’ve pronounced it wrong. Muna. Muna.

Claire: Muna. So Muna and Broad just because they are the trouser company, to me. That’s where you get trousers. So the Birchgrove is currently on the table.

Helen: Nice.

Claire: I’d like to make those. I don’t really sew the Big 4 anymore. I can’t fit in their ranges, and they don’t interest me because they’re just, they don’t include me. So I don’t look, if that makes sense. I only buy patterns that actually have my size range and because I’m quite a big person, I’m fairly limited. But there’s so much more choice than when I first started sewing. When I first learnt to sew back in my twenties, I had to use the, the Big 4, and I had to grade up six or seven sizes even then, and it did put me off.

Helen: Yeah. No kidding. And I don’t know if we mentioned this at the start of the show, but your patterns go up to a 73-inch hip, is that correct?

Claire: They do. Yeah. I don’t know how many people are, are, ‘cause I’m obviously in the middle of my size range. I haven’t had a great deal of feedback from anyone that they, because I, I, I do what Muna and Broad do and say, well if you’re bigger than my size range, I’d be happy to grade up for you ‘cause I think that’s an excellent thing that they started in the community. So I just thought, well, that’s something that I can offer because I cou-, I run the company, and I’ve yet to have anyone take me up on that.

Helen: Mm. You might now.

Claire: I might now. Absolutely. But yeah, 73, I just thought, well that’s, that’s 10 inches bigger than me. That’s a good place to start.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. And your patterns start at a 47-inch hip, so you’re going for…

Claire: They do.

Helen: …a larger range. Yeah.

Claire: Yeah. I’ve, I’ve had a few in cries about lowering my size range, but because of the niche element of my business, I think I would like to focus on people like myself who are really excluded from the community.

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. And you know, you can, can always expand in the future, but for right now, focusing on that niche is a great idea. Is there, like, a gear project that you feel like you would be intimidated to try to make? Or one that seems like, you know, it wouldn’t be worth it to, to make yourself?

Claire: My personality is saying no because I’m one of these people that we’re just like, I, I’ll just go for it.

Helen: I mean, you already said you wanted to make a wetsuit, so I’m

Claire: I mean, I would think that’s quite a challenge for the majority of people. I would say I probably wouldn’t try backpacks or any of those kind of things because they are, it’s a bit too much faff for me, I think.

Helen: Yeah. Very fiddly. Lots of pieces. Yeah.

Claire: Yeah. And there’s plus size hiking backpacks out now, so I can just go and buy one.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I wanna talk about hiking for a minute because you have some really beautiful pictures of your hikes on the Sew Outdoorsy website. And I just wanna ask if you could tell us maybe about one of your favourite hikes.

Claire: Oh, that’s difficult because I’ve been on quite a few. I’ve been hiking for probably 15 years now, maybe 16 years now. I didn’t hike before. I didn’t go, really do any hiking. I grew up in The Fens in Cambridgeshire, in the south of England, so hills weren’t really a part of my existence until I moved to the north. I now live in Bradford, in West Yorkshire.

And I met my now husband, and he did hiking all the time from where he’s from, and we just started going on holidays, and his holidays were hiking, and I had no holiday destinations in mind, so I was like, yeah, sure, we’ll go. And then ever since we’ve just been going on regular hiking holidays, so we’ve been to a lot of places, and we usually only go there once, if that makes sense. You go to a mountain, and you don’t really return unless you’ve had a terrible day. There’s a lot of mountains I’ve seen the inside of a cloud on.

Caroline: Oh, wow.

Helen: Yeah, that’s the risk you have to take.

Claire: Like, especially in England. So, I’d say one of, one of the, probably the, the most proud and, and most favorable ones was some of the long distance hiking we did. So going from one side of the country to the other in one go. So we did a thing called the Great Glen Way for our honeymoon. Most people were like, why are you doing that? I was like, well, we like hiking and why not? So we walked from Inverness Fort William, which is across Scotland, and it’s 72 miles in seven days.

Helen: Wow.

Claire: And it was one of the coolest things because you got to wake up in a different place than you started the night before. And you just, and we hiked with our backpacks, so we actually took all of our stuff, but we slept in B&Bs, so it was a little bit of luxury. And everyone cooked our meals, so we didn’t have to do that.

But I was very, it was one of the biggest challenges I think I’ve ever done. And I didn’t, prepare for it. I didn’t do any training. I just went, oh, sure, it’d be fine. That’s just who I am. Oh, yeah. I’ll be fine. So it was in a heatwave, and it was really, really tough. But at the end of every day, it was like, well, look what we just did.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: And I think it’s one of my fondest memories. And it wasn’t particularly high. The view you saw from each of the tops wasn’t any more spectacular than anything else. But it was that challenge of, we’re going to a new town today. Isn’t that cool?

Helen: You just keep moving forward, like, you’re travelling such a long distance. That’s so cool.

Claire: It was amazing. And then the following year we did 92 miles in nine days, The Speyside Way, so…

Caroline: Wow.

Helen: Wow. Good for you. That’s amazing.

Claire: It was super fun.

Helen: Do you have a dream destination for an outdoorsy trip? And feel free to say Vancouver Island ‘cause it’s beautiful, so you could come here. Visit me.

Claire: We talk about, like, obviously as couples do, we talk about dream trips and the Canadian Rockies has always been one that we would love to go and see, apart from the bears. Like, we don’t have many things that are going to cause you serious harm in the UK. We only have one poisonous snake and we don’t have any bears. So that would be the only thing that I would be frightened of. I think.

Helen: Yeah. I, it is a little bit intimidating when you see a bear, but generally, you know, they’re just doing their own thing.

Claire: I mean they, that’s the thing. They’re super cute, and I love bears. But I think if I saw one up close I’d be like, okay, I’m staying in. I’m good. But yeah, the Canadian Rockies has always drawn us or some of the long distance trails like the Appalachian Trail, I believe you pronounce it. So it’s just some of those real wildernesses that you don’t really get in the UK, in America and Canada.

Helen: Yeah, that would be amazing.

Claire: The, the, the landscape’s so big where you are.

Helen: It is. Oh, gosh. Canada’s unfathomably large. So much to see. I barely scratched the surface. And even just around where I live, there’s endless hiking to be had, so I don’t have to go too far. I feel very lucky.

Claire: Do you guys hike much?

Helen: We’ve gotten into it in the last couple years. I did quite a bit as a teenager with my family. But with my partner, we’ve only just started going on backpacking trips the last couple years. So we’re building up our gear collection, feeling inspired to maybe make some of my own gear. That would be really fun. And we’re building up our tolerance for backpacking, I guess I’ll put it that way.

Claire: I think that’s probably sensible. I never did that.

Helen: Yeah.

Claire: I just went all in.

Helen: We’re both a bit like homebodies, too. So sleeping not in our own bed is challenging. But I do love the feeling of waking up in the morning in the tent and getting all that fresh air and that feeling of accomplishment or the views that you get. It can be such a rewarding experience. So I’m definitely excited to do more.

Claire: Awesome.

Caroline: I’m more of a day hike kind of person.

Helen: Day hiking is great, too.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: You don’t have to carry that big heavy bag.

Claire: I mostly day hike to be honest. And we don’t have a lot of wild camping in the UK. It’s not actually legal in England.

Caroline: Oh.

Helen: Oh, okay. We have so many provincial parks here, so it’s mostly just camping in, in the parks, and they’re well set up for that.

Claire: Oh, nice.

Helen: Yeah. With bear caches and things like that. Speaking of bears…

Claire: Is that where you go to find the bears?

Helen: Yeah, no, that’s where you put your food so the bears don’t eat it.

Claire: In my head I just went to geocaching, which is, I dunno if you’ve ever heard of it, just like bear caching or like the weirdest version of geocaching.

Helen: Well, we were wondering if you had any advice for listeners who would like to try more hiking or outdoorsy activities.

Claire: Ooh. Well that’s a really good question. Obviously, I’ve been doing it a long time. I haven’t been a beginner for a while, but um, map, compass.

Helen: Yeah.

Claire: It’s amazing how many people go outside without one. There usually is a local group. In the UK, we have the Ramblers or any local group who like to go hiking, and there’s a lot of organisations that will teach you how to be safe outside. So just think about like your local neighbourhood or a local group that you affiliate with.

I affiliate with, like, Unlikely Hikers, for example. Jenny Brusso runs Unlikely Hikers, and it’s definitely US/Canada-based, and they do fat and plus size hiking advocacy. And it’s very much they organise trails. And obviously because I’m not in the US, I don’t follow it particularly closely, but it’s very much an advocacy group of getting everybody outdoors.

And in the UK there is an Everybody Outdoors group, and they advocate for larger sizes in ready to wear accessible trails for everybody. And just representation of anyone who wants to go outside and making sure that everyone can enjoy it, whether it’s a one-mile hike or a 20-mile hike. It doesn’t matter how far you’re going, just enjoy yourself.

So I would, I would hit up some local groups and just see if you can find some people that you gel with ‘cause I think that’s really important – going out with people outside that you are, you’re not, feeling it, probably won’t enjoy it as much. Or like you just said with your partner or your family or a friend, just go to a local park and just sit on a bench and have a, have a chat and start there. You don’t have to compete with anybody else.

Helen: Yeah. The outdoors are everywhere.

Claire: Exactly. Exactly.

Caroline: Claire, can you tell our listeners where they can find you online?

Claire: Sure I am @SewOutdoorsy on all the usual socials. That’s S-E-W outdoorsy ‘cause who doesn’t love to use the pun. And www.SewOutdoorsy.co.uk. .com will work ‘cause I have a redirect now. But because obviously, I’m a UK company, I chose co.uk and hello@SewOutdoorsy.co.uk is my email. If you wanted to get in touch on any questions about my patterns or any suggestions for fabric retailers or notion suppliers, I’d really appreciate any more. I don’t have many Australian/New Zealand fabric shops that I’m aware of that do this stuff, and I’ve had a few people ask, and I just don’t know.

Caroline: Oh. Okay.

Helen: Yeah. I’m sure you’ll be getting some emails. I hope people do reach out with some resources…

Claire: That would be great.

Helen: …and we’ll link up everything in our show notes, of course. And we encourage our listeners to go and check out your patterns and follow you on Instagram, show you support. It’s very exciting to have a new pattern designer with this really cool niche. So I’m just really thrilled for you and looking forward to seeing where it takes you.

Claire: Thank you so much. This has been really fun.

Helen: Oh, it’s been so fun. Thanks so much, Claire. Take care.

Claire: Thank you. Bye.

Helen: Bye.

Caroline: Bye.

Caroline: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns, and Helen at Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Helen: You can support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalogue of bonus episodes. That’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.

Caroline: You can head 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, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at hello@LoveToSewPodcast.com

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore of the PodCabin is our editor. And Margaret Wakele is our transcriber. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Caroline: Buh-bye.

Helen: Bye.

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