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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 literally all we want to talk about.

Helen: In this episode, we’re interviewing Sandeep Sandhu, the owner of the amazing fabric store Sister Mintaka. She tells us how she chooses her beautiful fabrics, what advice she would give to small business owners in the sewing space, and all about her personal sewing. She’s not only a fabric mogul, she is a style icon!

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

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

Sandeep: Hi, thank you for having me.

Helen: can you please start us off by introducing yourself to our listeners?

Sandeep: I’m Sandeep and I’m the person behind Sister Mintaka, which is a fabric shop based in the UK.

Helen: Fantastic. And whereabouts in the UK are you located?

Sandeep: In the Midlands, in a city called Coventry, which you probably haven’t heard of.

Helen: No, but it sounds idyllic.

Sandeep: Yeah, it’s not really somewhere to write about, unfortunately.

Caroline: Oh my gosh, I haven’t heard of it, but it does, Helen’s right, it does sound idyllic. I think all UK city names sound idyllic to me though, being from Canada. Okay, we want to ask you about your sewing journey. Can you tell us a little bit about how and when you learned to sew?

Sandeep: Yeah, so I started sewing in the summer of 2017. Before that, I would procrastinate a lot at work. And I would browse WordPress blogs of sewists from, like, around the world. And I just loved everything they were doing and making, and it really inspired me to look for sewing lessons locally. And so, yeah, I signed up to a class and it just took off from there. I just enjoyed it so much. It just escalated very quickly.

Helen: Yeah, no kidding. That’s really not very long ago when you think about it, and you have this amazing fabric store now, and you’re such a member of this online sewing community, and it’s amazing to see your growth. Do you remember what your first project was that you did in that class?

Sandeep: Yeah, we made a tote bag which I still use, so I must have done a good job of it.

Caroline: That’s a classic first sewing project, a tote bag, I feel like. Okay, we want to get right into talking about your amazing fabric shop, Sister Mintaka. If any of our listeners have not heard about it, can you just introduce your shop to our listeners? Tell them a little bit about what it is, what you sell. Give us the lowdown.

Sandeep: So Sister Mintaka is a very small online fabric store. I sell fabrics, haberdashery, and sewing patterns, and I choose everything based on, like my personal style, so there’s often a bit of colour, some abstract fun shapes, and, yeah, lots of natural fibers, just things that bring me joy. So that’s kind of what I, I focus on.

Caroline: Amazing. And you’ve been open for almost six years. Is that correct?

Sandeep: Yeah, that’s right. Time’s flown by. I can’t believe it’s six years.

Caroline: I know! I was telling Helen before we got on here, it feels like you’ve been a mainstay in the sewing community for a long time. So six years is, is an amazing accomplishment, but it does feel like you’ve just been around. And we’ve loved following along on your journey. I wonder if you can give us a little bit of an overview of your fabric shop’s journey from the early days until now.

Sandeep: Okay, so when I first started Sister Mintaka, it wasn’t intentional. I’d never planned to open a fabric shop. I had no business plan. I had genuinely no intention of doing this. I bought some fabric off Rifle Paper Co. and it arrived here really early, before any fabric shop had received it in the UK. I’d been sewing for about six months at this point and my stash was already getting a bit out of control. So I decided to put these fabrics on Etsy, and if they sold, that would be great. If not, that would be also great, because then I get to keep them and use them. The fabrics actually sold, which was amazing and completely unexpected. But it just kind of gave me this idea of, perhaps I could do something with this. So I started to kind of put that idea in my head and I decided, well, why don’t I just give this a try? So I did. I invested about 3000 pounds into the business. Bought some fabric for wholesale, which, looking back at it now, the prices weren’t exactly wholesale, so I probably didn’t make any money. But again, the fabric sold, and it just kind of grew from that. Everything just happened really organically. And I’m just so lucky considering that I’ve never had a business plan or anything like that. It’s just, it’s just happened.

Helen: That is so awesome. I love hearing that you were just accidentally thrust into this role as a fabric store owner. It really cracks me up. Were you doing this out of your apartment? Like, what was the situation like in the beginning?

Sandeep: So in my previous career, me and my dad had a lettings agency, and we had two office spaces. It was, like, the main office and then, like, a meeting room. So I spoke to my landlord and I said, like, “Can I use that meeting room to put some fabrics in there?” And they were like, “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Probably thought I was the most strangest person for wanting to do that. ‘Cause the building that I’m in is traditionally, like, very much, you know, lots of professionals. I think we were, like, the first estate agents to be in our building. Everyone else is, like, solicitors or accountants. They’re, like, very professional jobs. And so then there’s this strange girl who’s asking to put fabrics in one of the rooms. It was just quite a fun conversation to have. But since then, I’ve taken over, like, three rooms in this building, which is amazing. And the estate agency is now gone.

Helen: Oh my gosh. So you’re still in the same building then, with all of those other professionals and still rocking the fabrics and wearing all the fun prints to work.

Sandeep: Yeah, for sure. It’s great. I absolutely love it. Like, you walk out and everyone’s all suited and booted and looking all fancy. And then there’s me, who’s, like, this colourful rainbow, just walking around. And yeah, I love it.

Caroline: I love this. I feel like we should do a whole episode where people write in their, like, reactions of people when they tell them, like, what they do or that they sew for themselves. Because, like. we could probably write a whole book on the different reactions.

Helen: Oh, so true.

Caroline: I could just imagine all those business people wondering what you’re doing with all your fabrics. But that is awesome. We wanted to ask you about the story behind the name Sister Mintaka. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Sandeep: Yeah! So when I was 14 or thereabouts, a teenager of some sort, I would walk home from school in the winter, or I’d be walking home from my grandma’s house, and it would be so dark. And it used to get me down. And I just, I’d feel sad because I’d been stuck indoors at school all day, so I’d miss the sunshine. And yeah, it just, it made me feel really, really sad. And then one evening, I was walking home and I saw these three stars in the sky and they were all, like, lined up in a line. And I thought, “Wow, that’s really cool.” And the next evening I saw them again. And then the next day I saw them again and it just blew my mind. Like, I’d never paid attention to the stars in that way. And it just, suddenly, those three stars became something to look forward to in the darkness. And so when I was walking home, I could just know that even though it’s dark outside, I’ve still got a piece of joy to look forward to. And so those three stars have always kind of meant a lot to me. And even now when it’s winter and, or like, there’s a clear sky at night, I will pause and I will just look for them. And they just give me, like, a nice, grounded, warm feeling and they just bring me joy. So when I was opening my fabric shop, I was thinking of names, and the names were really bad. Some of them, one of the options was like, Sewing Supplier, which is great for SEO, but it’s just so dull. So then I looked at those three stars to see what they’re called according to Wikipedia. I can’t verify this. It’s just Wikipedia. The three of them are known as either, like. the Three Kings or the Three Sisters. And then the very top one is called Mintaka, so I thought, Sister Mintaka. And yeah, that’s where the name comes from.

Helen: Oh, I love it. It is so creative and fun and memorable. It rolls off the tongue and I love that it isn’t necessarily that SEO-friendly or sewing-themed name that we see so much in our community, which are really fun, but it’s very unique and I just think it suits you and I love hearing the backstory.

Sandeep: Ah, thank you!

Caroline: Yeah, so heartwarming. So, selfishly, I want you to take us behind the scenes a little bit, because I love hearing about other fabric shop owners. And I’d love to just know what a workday in the life looks like for you these days.

Sandeep: I’m gonna do this in the most honest way possible, and it’s probably terrible to confess, but my first part of the day I waste my time. I literally just spend ages on my phone, scrolling away and procrastinating. I don’t know if anyone else does that or dares to confess it. But yeah, that’s genuinely what I will do until I’ve had enough and I’m like, “Right, I need to do some work now.” And then it depends on the weather, really. If the weather’s great, I’ll take some photos of fabrics and things or, like, film some content. And then if the weather’s not so great, I might just list some products. It varies all the time. I could be sourcing, I could be accounting. Just because this business is only me, I have to do everything at some point. So it’s just whatever I kind of fancy doing on the day, really.

Caroline: Sounds really varied and dynamic. And I also was wondering if you’re also doing, like, all of the cutting and shipping, and I know you just said you’re a one woman show. Is that for all aspects of the business?

Sandeep: Yeah, so I have to do completely everything. I had hoped to hire at one point but that fell through. But that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, If I’m honest, just because the economy in Britain has been so up and down, there’s been times in the business where it’s, like, grown and then times where it’s got really quiet. So the time when I was looking to hire, it was really busy. And then as soon as that fell through, the business went really quiet. So it genuinely was like a, a real blessing in disguise, because if I had hired this person, I wouldn’t have really been able to afford them and I wouldn’t have had enough work for them either. So yeah, I mean, maybe one day there’ll be more people, but I just have to kind of see how this business grows and just take it slowly one step at a time.

Helen: Everybody needs to go order something from you right now!

Sandeep: Oh, thanks.

Caroline: No, but it’s, I think it’s commendable to kind of go with what is right for you and what’s right for your business. And I think it’s easy to look at other businesses and say, you know, like, “Oh, I need to hire, I need to grow, I need to build this into something, you know, really big.” But really, like, if you’re happy being the one person show that you are, then that’s amazing. And that, that should be enough, you know, it is enough. Cause you’re still doing amazing things with your business. So okay, we also sometimes get letters from listeners who would like to start a small business in the sewing world. I wonder if you have any advice that you would share with them.

Sandeep: Yeah, there’s two parts to this question. And I’ll start with the boring part first, which is: find yourself a good accountant, someone who knows everything that you need to do in terms of taxes and stuff, because it is a minefield. And then, yeah, the basics of, like, getting like your website domain and, like, your socials and make sure you’ve got all that kind of stuff. But then when you’re actually deciding to go into business, again, you’ve got to think about, are you looking for investors or whether you’re going to self fund it. And then if you are going for investors, you’ll need a business plan. There’s lots of, like, dull stuff, but that’s, like, quite important. But the fun stuff is the good stuff. You want to make sure it’s something you’re really passionate about and something you’re willing to take a risk on. For me, personally, when I decided to invest in my business and put down that initial bit of money, I asked myself, “What’s the amount that I’m willing to lose?” ‘Cause it’s not necessarily guaranteed that it will work. And I mean, still today, like, I don’t know if this business is going to make me a lot of money one day, or if it’s just going to keep me by, or one day if I have to close, so there’s still that risk that I could lose money from it. So you have to see what you’re comfortable with taking that risk. But once you’ve kind of made those serious decisions, then just go for it and really enjoy it and make sure you’re focusing on joy and what makes you happy. I think that’s the most important thing in life, in whatever you do. Happiness should be your biggest goal. Like, for me, being rich is not really what I kind of focus on or anything like that. That’s not a goal in life for me. Being happy is my biggest thing. And this job does that. It really does. And I’m so lucky to be a part of this community and doing this job. So if sewing makes you happy and it makes your heart race and just fills you with joy and you can make that, and you’re happy to, like, put all your kind of focus and everything you want to do into a business, just give it a go. Find your space within this community, find your voice, and share your passion. Don’t try and be like anyone else. Just be you, because that’s what people want. People want to see your perspective and your style and your taste, and they want to hear your choices and opinions. And when your passion radiates, that’s what people care about. So just find what’s important to you and give it a go.

Helen: Yeah, I think that’s such amazing advice, because often when people are thinking about starting a new business, one of the big questions is, “How will I stand out from the crowd? How will I make myself different from everything else that’s available out there?” And you, and your perspective, as you said, is really that, like, secret ingredient. That’s the thing that’s going to set you apart. And that’s the, like, special uniqueness that you can bring to the table. So focusing on that and then combining that with chasing the happiness factor and what you actually want to do and what you’re passionate about is just the recipe for success, I think.

Sandeep: Yeah, for sure.

Helen: Well, I think that your joy and happiness and passion comes across in particular with the fabrics that you stock, because you have so many amazing prints and bold colours and fun designs that are really playful. What do you look for when you are stocking fabric?

Sandeep: I guess, initially, like, the first criteria is, like, the quality of the fabric and the composition. So I gravitate towards natural fibers. And I mean, occasionally. there’ll be some synthetic stuff, but it’s mainly just for occasion wear that you’re not going to wash regularly. So you’re not, kind of, shedding loads of microfibers and stuff and, and whatever, microplastics. So natural fibers is one. And then how a fabric feels and how it sews as well is really important. I want it to be soft. I want it to be silky. And I really want it to be not too challenging to sew. I don’t want sewing to feel like a frustrating experience. So I kind of try and find a balance between those three things. But then in terms of colour and design, I like to go for bold, vibrant colours. And abstract shapes and just really fun prints. Generally things that just bring me joy. They’re kind of a little bit modern, a little bit quirky. Something that just sparks a little bit of joy is, is always great.

Caroline: Do you have a personal favourite, like, woven fabric or favourite knit fabric at the moment?

Sandeep: Yes, I do. There’s this really amazing fabric that I found at the start of this year. It’s called Paradise Jacquard and it’s made in France. So this is my woven choice. And it’s so beautiful. There’s, like, birds, mountains, trees, and stars and moons and sunshine, like, there’s literally all of the most beautiful things from planet earth on this fabric and it’s just amazing. I love it so much. And then in terms of knits, there’s a really beautifully soft Tencel Modal Rib Knit, which, I will confess, I’m a little bit too scared to sew, because I’m not very confident with knit fabrics. But that’s one I really want to sew up soon because it just feels so soft and it’s really lightweight and it’s going to feel amazing when you’re wearing it, especially in the summer because it’s just, like, the right weight for it.

Caroline: It sounds soft and luscious. I love a Tencel modal blend. It sounds amazing. Is that Paradise Jacquard that you mentioned, is that the fabric that you used to make a jacket or a coat?

Sandeep: I’ve draped it in a video on a reel but my, yeah, my plan is to make it into a jacket. I was debating between the Daughter Judy Thompson Coat and the Puff and Pencil Luna Vest with Kite Sleeves, and I think I’m gonna go for the second option. So yeah, by the time this episode comes out, hopefully that jacket will exist and I’ll be wearing it all the time.

Caroline: Ooh, awesome.

Helen: I’m looking at this fabric now and I’m gonna buy it after we finish talking. I love it. It is so…

Caroline: Sold.

Helen: I’m so sold. I love black and white too. Like, I’m obsessed. Okay. We wanted to hear a little bit about your personal fabric stash, because of course, as a fabric store owner, you obviously get to see all the beautiful things. So are you able to resist bringing a little bit of each of them home with you, or is your personal stash overflowing?

Sandeep: So, my personal stash is out of control. It’s so bad. I have a IKEA wardrobe, just literally full of fabric. And then there are boxes full of fabric and more boxes. And there are cupboards full of, like, it’s just literally out of control. So it’s fair to say I have a bit of a, I have a bit of a, yeah, a passion for fabric. But thankfully, I’ve kind of like, given myself this rule where I have to buy fabrics from my own fabric shop. So it allows me to, kind of, take my purchasing a bit slower. If everything was free, I mean, half of the shop would be at home. But yeah, it means that, unfortunately, I have missed out on, like, some fabrics because I also used to have this rule that if a fabric hadn’t sold out in 24 hours, then I could, would be allowed to buy it. And like, in earlier years, things would go, like, quite quickly. So I would miss out on a lot of stuff. Which is also quite a good thing. Because yeah, otherwise I’d have way too much and I couldn’t possibly sew everything that I’ve got, but it doesn’t stop me getting some bits here and there.

Helen: That’s very admirable restraint that you actually purchase from your own shop. Caroline, how do you feel about that?

Caroline: I wish I could say the same for myself, honestly. It would probably help me to bring home less fabrics, although I’ve gotten better in recent years, because my stash is also out of control, or it was. Oh my gosh, that’s, those are great strategies, though. I commend you.

[Helen: Do you have a good method for keeping your huge stash organized at home?

Sandeep: Slightly. I, like, I try to separate things based on, like, their composition. So I’ve got all my silks together and all, like, the viscose. But then like categories like cotton, like. I have so many cotton fabrics, so they get split down into weight. And then also my cotton lawns are now in, like, colour order, because there’s so many of them as well. So yeah, it depends on just how intense a category is before it gets kind of split down further and further. Yeah, there’s just stuff everywhere.

Helen: I can relate.

Caroline: Yeah, and we love following along on your personal Instagram as well, and we do want to talk about your personal sewing in a little bit, but I was wondering, like, from the perspective of a fabric business owner, do you think owning a fabric store has increased your personal sewing output or possibly decreased it?

Sandeep: It’s really varied depending on, like, how busy I am. In terms of, like, my sewing journey, because I started sewing in 2017, and then six months later, I had a fabric shop. Having a fabric shop is kind of all I’ve ever known. So for me, just my productivity levels really depend on how quiet the business is. If the business is quiet, I can sew more. But if it’s busy, then I just get a bit less time. So there’s pros and cons to both things really. But yeah, it’s, it’s nice. ‘Cause then at least I have the excuse to say like, “Oh, I’m just creating content or increasing my wardrobe, coincidentally.”

Helen: Content. You can always have that as an excuse. I love it. We wanted to mention too that you have some absolutely gorgeous items in the haberdashery section of your shop. You’ve got such fun notions over there. Can you name a few of your favourite notions for our listeners?

Sandeep: So I’m going to give you, like, my top few. but I think everybody needs to get themselves a hot hemmer, because that’s something I cannot live without. It’s such a handy tool and it just helps you to, kind of, measure your hems and, like, points where you’re going to press, and I mean, I’m not describing this very well, but basically it’s a little kind of swatch of, not quite fabric, but it has markings on there in, like, half a centimeter, centimeter, you get it in imperial and metric, but it allows you to press your hem and measure the, like, allowance at the same time without burning your fingers. So it’s really handy, ‘cause I’m quite clumsy. So anything that kind of helps me not burn myself is great.

Which leads me nicely onto a loop pressing bar, which sounds really strange, but basically it’s this long rectangle. It comes in several different widths. And if you’re making, like, straps or ties for a garment, you would sew your strap, and then while the strap is still inside out, you would insert the most appropriate width loop pressing bar, and then you can press your seam allowance open. And it helps you to kind of do that without, again, putting your fingers really close to the fabric and burning your fingers. You would then turn your ties or straps the right way out and then reinsert the loop pressing bar. And it just allows you to kind of set that seam, that stitch line, in, like, the correct position and press it. So you get really beautiful crisp edges. And I cannot, like, recreate that without using that tool. Like, whenever I try and turn a strap without having used that tool, they just don’t come out so nice. So yeah, it’s just a really brilliant, odd tool that you just wouldn’t think exists, but it’s great.

Oh gosh, there’s so many. Like, I really love the Prym loop turners, which are essentially, like, a straw and like a rod and they help you turn your straps and ties as well. I think anything that, kind of, can make your sewing experience a little bit easier, I’m like, there for.

Helen: Well, our listeners will have to go to your shop to look at all of these things. And of course, we’ll link them all up in the show notes. But I’m very intrigued by this pressing bar that you’re talking about, because it is so challenging to get those little straps nicely pressed without that seam all wobbling all over the place.

Caroline: Yeah, and I absolutely burn my fingers constantly when I’m trying to do stuff like that. So the idea of protecting my little fingies is very appealing to me. Sandeep, can you tell us a little bit about, like, what has surprised you the most about owning a fabric shop over the years?

Sandeep: Oh gosh, what surprised me most is the ability to meet so many people. I have struggled a lot with loneliness over the years. And just having a fabric shop and being a part of this community, I kind of push myself to go on courses, go to events and just meet people. And having that kind of hobby and that talking point that’s already existing, you know, is there between, like, you and someone else, it allows you to form friendships really easily. And I’ve made the best friends ever since having this shop. And that’s, I think, the most thing that, like, the thing I’m most grateful for is, that sense of loneliness is, is disappearing because I’ve just met so many people that are just really incredible and have changed my life. Sorry. I’m getting emotional, which I didn’t expect to. But yeah, I think that’s the most luckiest thing about being a part of this world, is just the people in it.

Caroline: Yeah, the sewing community is so incredibly supportive and rich and wonderful and owning a business can be isolating. It can feel lonely. And it’s so nice to have a community that you can fall back on and interact with that is so wonderful and, and supportive. So, we know you have a lot of fans out there. We know there’s a lot of our listeners that are probably big fans of your shop. So yeah, keep doing what you’re doing.

Sandeep: Thank you, Oh gosh, I’ve actually got tears in my eyes.

Helen: It truly is the most surprising thing!

Caroline: Yeah. Well, in a, in a similar vein, and I don’t want to make you more emotional, but I wonder if you could share some highlights with us from owning a fabric shop.

Sandeep: I mean, this has to be, like, on the list for sure. Just talking to you two. Because I listen to you, like, every week that there’s an episode out, and I’m very honoured to be here. So thank you for having me. Having a pattern named after me, that was like, mind-blowing. My business has been featured in books as well, which, yeah, again, blows my mind, and it’s just stuff you couldn’t ever really dream of. It just goes back to the people, really. Yeah, meeting so many people and, yeah, being a part of this community is, is the most important thing to me in the whole world. Gosh, I feel like a politician who’s trying to sell fabric, but this, so, yeah, it’s just that everyone here in this community, including you two, you just, you’ve made such a big difference in everyone’s lives, and being a part of that is, I’m so grateful for it. It’s honestly the best thing that could happen to me. It’s brought me so much joy in life. And gosh, I’m about to cry again!

Helen: You’re gonna make me cry.

Sandeep: Oh dear. Um, Yeah, I’m just, I’m very grateful.

Helen: Oh, that’s so sweet.

Caroline: That’s so kind of you. Yeah, I just want to say, like, you, you bring so much joy to our lives and to the sewing community, because the way that you share your sewing journey and your business, and it’s just infectious. We just enjoy following along so much. And we’re so happy that you’re a part of the community. So the love is mutual.

Sandeep: Thank you.

Helen: Yeah. And you mentioned the pattern that is named after you. And that, of course, is the Sandeep Dress by By Hand London. If anyone wants to go check it out, it’s absolutely gorgeous. And you look so stunning in the photos. That must’ve been so much fun.

Sandeep: It was, it was just, yeah, amazing. But, a confession, I actually haven’t made that pattern yet.

Helen: Oh no, don’t say that. No, I’m just kidding.

Sandeep: I know.

Caroline: Did you get to keep any of the samples from the photo shoot? Like, do you own one?

Sandeep: Yeah. I have the cream dress, which, I guess, is why I haven’t made it, because, like, I already own the perfect version of it. So I don’t feel like I need to make another one. But I probably should one day.

Helen: You’ll get to it. You’ll get to it. Well, in a similar kind of vein, or maybe in contrast to, what has been, maybe, the biggest challenge that you’ve faced while running this fabric store?

Sandeep: I think it’s being human and having to rely on my body to function at all times in order to, like, run the business. So during the last like six years, I’ve had to take time out for shoulder surgery. And I was like, the business was just, like, doing nothing for three months because I was recovering from major surgery. And then similarly, last September I went to the gym and I broke my collarbone. So again, I had to take time out of work, and that’s the biggest challenge for me because, being the only person in this business, I’m reliant on being, like, strong, fit and healthy. And if I’m not able to do those things, then it kind of puts everything on hold. And yeah, it becomes a challenge, because if you can’t run your business, you can’t have any income and all that sort of stuff. So yeah. The hardest part is literally just being human and getting injured sometimes.

Helen: Yeah, that’s so fair. I’m so sorry you had to go through both of those experiences. I imagine the second time around, breaking your collarbone, that must have been absolutely devastating, having already gone through a round of surgery. I’m very sorry to hear that.

Sandeep: Thank you. Yeah, it was a nightmare.

Helen: And we noticed that your dad took over your Instagram for a little while, I think it was last autumn. Was that related to you having to take some time off?

Sandeep: That’s right. Yeah. So as soon as I had my fall, I was like, my dad just kind of took the reins and just started packing orders for me. And then I was like, “Can we just maybe produce a bit of content while you’re here?” And yeah, and he just did such a great job of it. He’s like a full-on celebrity now. It’s great.

Helen: Honestly, he was such a joy to watch. He is, first of all, adorable. Just, like, he looked so cute and like, he was nailing it, packing the orders and cutting the fabric and showing off all of the things that you have for sale. And it was so fun to see. So kudos to your dad. Do you think he’ll ever return for an encore?

Sandeep: Yes, we had this conversation, and he just loves it because he got so much encouragement and support from the community. And like, every time there was, like, a like or a comment or the views just went up, he was just like, “Oh my God, like, this is amazing.” So having that support behind him, it just, it gave him so much confidence. So yeah, I think he’ll be back.

Caroline: We’re gonna take a quick break and we’ll be back in a minute to chat more with Sandeep.

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Caroline: And we’re back! Let’s change directions a bit and talk more about your personal sewing. We always love seeing you pop up on our Instagram feed and you have amazing style. So could you describe your personal style, maybe using a short phrase, for our listeners?

Sandeep: Yeah. It took me a while to figure out this short phrase, but I think I’ve, I can summarize it. I’m gonna describe it as: Fourth-in-Line Quirky Princess. And by that I mean, to explain that a little bit, imagine like, you’re a royal but you’re so far down the list that you’ll never be queen, so it doesn’t really matter. You’re allowed to be a little bit odd, bold, fabulous, and just do what you want and don’t really care about, like, what’s fashionable or what’s stylish. Yeah, you just do as you please.

Helen: This is so perfect, especially, like, I love the touches of whimsy that we see in a lot of your makes. I know you love a dress, you love a little gathered moment, a puffy sleeve, that kind of stuff. So it has that princessy element to it. So I really love this description.

Sandeep: Thank you.

Helen: So what’s on your sewing table right now?

Sandeep: This is actually a little bit of a different direction for me. I’m going for the Saturday Skirt Set top with the Chalk and Notch Evelyn skirt. And I’ve never really, like, bared my, like, waist. So I don’t know how comfortable or confident I’ll be wearing it, but I thought I’d give it a go. Yeah, I just, I love the way it looks on so many people. So I’m really intrigued. It could be like, the dream outfit, or it could just be something that I pass on to my sisters. So yeah, we’ll see how it goes.

Caroline: I love the Saturday Skirt Set pattern combo, especially the top, and the Evelyn pattern is so cute. It has like some, kind of, buttons down the side, similar sort of midi length, right? It’s very, very cute. What fabric are you using for it?

Sandeep: Um, I’m using my Tropical Nights Viscose. It’s quite like a, it’s got, like, a grid sort of style with a black background, and then, like, palm trees and tropical plants. Yeah, hopefully it will look quite cute. It might be like a bit of a an evening wear, like, out to dinner sort of vibe. So that’s, yeah, one of the things I’m making. I’m making something else as well. A tulle dress which, yeah, is a challenge. It’s making me pull my hair out ever so slightly, but yeah, it’s currently sitting in the naughty corner at the moment.

Helen: We did want to ask you about this tulle dress because it is, I mean, I’m sorry to hear it’s in the naughty corner, because it is absolutely stunning. You’ve done this amazing layering of the fabric to create some patterns with tucks across the bodice and it’s more or less opaque in different areas. So can you tell us a bit about how you decided to make this? Are you draping it? What kind of tulle is that? Give us the details.

Sandeep: So it’s a, like a mint deadstock tulle. It’s quite, like, soft, but it’s not too drapey. So it does have a little bit of, like, structure and it’s not too tricky to sew. The idea of the bodice came really easy to me. I could just see, like, the shape of the bodice is like a panel across, like, the bust line. And I was just playing around with some pleating ideas and settled on an idea for just, like, very regular pleats. And then the skirt part is where I’ve just kind of gone a bit, I mean, I don’t know. I’ve tried a few ideas. So initially it was like, let’s do a gathered skirt and then maybe let’s add some, like, pleats in there to kind of mirror the thing that’s happening on the bodice. The problem is, I’m draping all these ideas, but I don’t know actually how to, to stitch them or create them in a way that looks good. Like, I’m just really struggling. And then I have so many ideas and they’re all competing with each other and I’m just getting so lost in what to do. So actually, maybe I need your help, Helen. How do you manage, like, all these ideas when you’re creating a pattern or designing? Because my head is just, like, so overwhelmed.

Helen: That’s very fair. I think, like, for me, I have to remember not to get so focused on one particular garment and just give myself permission to explore ideas. And maybe it doesn’t work out. And like you said, maybe you give it away to a family member or you’re just making trial versions out of some scrap fabric that you have on hand so that the stakes are really low, you know. Like maybe your investment in this dress is, like, too strong and you need to like step back and try out some of these ideas in a different fabric or just let this be a practice run. You know what I mean?

Sandeep: Yeah, that, that’s a good idea. Maybe I can just be like, “Let’s just try a few ideas out, sew it up and then once it’s done, it’s done.” And then I either love it or I donate it.

Helen: Exactly. You can always make another one. No one’s stopping you.

Sandeep: That’s true.

Caroline: Were you making this for any particular occasion or event? Or is it just everyday tulle opulence?

Sandeep: I’m just a very impulsive sewist. So I think I’m just a very impulsive person. So yeah, just the idea came to me and I was like, right, forget everything else. I’m just gonna go for it.

Caroline: I also understand this isn’t your first tulle dress. Do you have any tips for working with tulle for our listeners?

Sandeep: Yeah, just to add to that, my other tulle dress is also in the naughty corner for different reasons. Yeah, that other dress, I made the Daria Rose Cafe Bustier Dress and I put in a cheap zip. And that was my biggest mistake, because the zip broke. And then I had to unpick myself out of that dress, which was a nightmare. So I damaged, like, some of the fabric, ‘cause I’d used silk and tulle and, like, unpicking that while it’s on your body and you’re in an awkward position, just trying to escape. I wasn’t very careless. I was just like, just get me out of it. So that needs a bit of a repair job or something. But yeah, no, tulle is actually like, it’s really easy to sew. It’s just a fine fabric. You’re just going to take your time with it. I’m lucky I’ve got a machine with a built-in walking foot, so maybe that’s what makes it so easy for me. I would just say, just practice on loads of scraps and see what kind of settings work best for you on your machine. But generally it doesn’t really need any kind of special treatment. Like when you’re pressing it, just make sure you’re using, like, low temperatures, ‘cause it might melt. Use pressing cloths. I mean, some might not even be able to handle heat, and that’s okay, too. But I would say, always just try out different seam finishes and see what you like.

The mint dress that I’m working on has different seam finishes in different areas. So on my shoulders, I’ve just pressed the seams open, but on the bodice where there’s, like, a feature panel, I French seamed that, just because it adds a little bit more opacity and it just adds a bit more depth and design detail. So you can choose how you’re wanting to highlight different areas and, and kind of, sew with that in mind. The only actual tip that I have with sheer fabrics and tulle is that if you’re sewing a dart or a box pleat or any sort of thing like that and you don’t want to do a backstitch on the fabric, what you can do is, you would sew your dart, knot the end. And then with your thread tails, you weave that in and out of your stitch line. So you kind of take each thread at a time and just go back and forth through like a little S shape back through the seam line and, and then it kind of just tucks everything away. And you would weave it for about two centimeters or so, and then just trim off the end so that way you don’t have to deal with, like, the dangling thread or like a big knot on the end of your dart where you’ve gone and done a backstitch.

Helen: Oh, that’s a really, really great tip. Much appreciated. And I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but we are recording this a bit early, so perhaps by the time this episode comes out, we’ll get to see this dress. I don’t know. Maybe.

Sandeep: Yeah, Maybe.

Helen: Maybe.

Caroline: We’ll see if it makes it out of the naughty corner.

Helen: Well, I mean, one of the things that we love about you and your sewing is that you always seem very keen to learn new things and explore new techniques and new styles. What motivates you to push yourself in this way, like, getting out of your comfort zone?

Sandeep: I would say a lot of it depends on, like, where I am in life, and what I’m doing, and like, my confidence levels. If I’m falling in love, you’ll probably know about it because of the way my garments look; they might be a little bit sexier. I just, I really think it just depends on where I am and who I’m feeling at that time. I kind of just see where my, like, heart falls and lands and just, I let myself just try things out because what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll end up with a garment that is beautiful. You’ve learned something, but if you don’t wear it, it’s okay. It’s not going to go in the bin. It can go to the charity shop or you can pass it on to people you know. It’s just, give it a try. I just don’t feel the fear of not wearing something. I just think, just try it out and see how you feel.

Helen: Yeah, no, it’s this age-old wisdom of just go for it, right?

Sandeep: Yeah.

Helen: Just dive in. And you did mention earlier your sisters and giving them, potentially, this project that you’re working on, and do they often benefit from your sewing? Do they have a lot of your makes?

Sandeep: One of my sisters does, because she’s closest to me in size. So she gets, like, most of my clothes, which is great, because then my mum can’t complain that I have too many clothes, which she often does. Yeah, so it’s nice, and it’s really great to see the clothes being worn and enjoyed again. But then occasionally I’ll be like, “That Myosotis Dress, do you reckon I could have that back?”

Caroline: Take it back. I love that. I do wonder, because you, you’re talking about being sort of fearless and, and just going for it. And you’ve been sewing for over six years now. It sounds like, do you have kind of, like, a Holy Grail project or a dream project that you would like to make someday that you’ve sort of been ruminating on, maybe?

Sandeep: Something that I’d really like to try, that I’m not quite brave enough, is, like, a bias-cut dress. Because my biggest fear is hemming it. I genuinely don’t understand how people can get a level hem. Because it’s like, if you, if it’s a bias-cut, like, slip dress or something, you have no reference points to, like, measure from, so how are people working that out? Like it just blows my mind and I just don’t understand it. But people seem to do it. So yeah, maybe once I kind of figure that out. Or I should just do it. Do it and try it and see what happens. But yeah.

Helen: I think you can achieve this goal. There’s so many great bias-cut dresses out there and patterns out there in the sewing community now. So I do think you should just give it a go. It’s probably going to be easier than you expected. And the other thing is just that, no one’s looking that closely at the hem. Like, it’s okay if it’s wonky. Don’t worry about it.

Sandeep: That’s true.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s so true. And it’s, like, the last step, too. So just get to that point and then you’ll figure out the hem. You will.

Sandeep: Or it will just stay in the naughty corner for, like, a century.

Caroline: Or yeah, it’ll stay.

Helen: How many things are in this naughty corner? Is there any room over there?

Caroline: We need evidence of this naughty corner.

Sandeep: There’s a few garments, but we won’t talk about them.

Caroline: Oh yeah, okay. We won’t mention them. We did also want to touch on your bra-making a little bit, because you’ve made some beautiful bras and it seems like you really work on getting a great fit on your bras. So we were wondering if you have any top things that you’ve learned about bra fitting from these projects.

Sandeep: So I’m gonna take a moment here to plug @whatbellamade. And she is the best bra fitting person on this entire planet. I hope I’ve got her Instagram handle correct. But yes, Bella is just the world’s best, biggest genius. She taught me how to fit my bra and she spent so long at Bra Camp helping me achieve a really good fit. So if you ever get the opportunity to work with her, please do, because she has so much knowledge about it. So I did a bra fitting class with her and we started by going through her library of underwires to see which one fit my breast shape. And mine was a really unusual shape. Rather than, like, a traditional curve, mine has, like, a slightly flat bottom to it. Yeah, which is, like, something I never expected, but it was just mind-blowing. And then we like worked on fitting the part that goes around your rib cage. And then we worked out which kind of cup size fits. And I ended up with, like, a really unusual and unexpected combination of sizes. So I used, like, a much larger band around my rib cage, but I kind of ended up shortening it and, like, making it smaller, but then my cups were quite big as well. I don’t know. I think you just have to be able to mix and match sizes and not be so scared of, kind of, combining bits.

I don’t think that’s a brilliant answer because I think Bella would give you so much great advice, but I mean, she taught us how to move straps in, and there’s just, it’s, so many small little tweaks can make such a big difference. Bra-making is such a brilliant experience, but just having someone that has that extra bit of knowledge on how to fit them, it, it really helps.

This is a sort of project where, like, a toile makes a really big difference. And a tip that I think I’ve picked up from your podcast at some point in history was: wash-away thread. It’s really great stuff. You can literally, like, sew your bra using all the components and then, like, you can take it apart by literally washing away the thread. So you would use it as a top thread and you would use a regular bobbin. In bra-making, it’s almost impossible to unpick your seams, because you’re sewing zigzags or you’re sewing into channeling, which is, like, really thick and fluffy. So being able to take your components apart with literally just a bit of water, it saves so much time and effort and money because buying all these like materials, it can be quite expensive. And if you’re making small adjustments, just being able to kind of go back to the starting point a bit easier, it’s just so much more helpful. So yeah, so thank you for that tip at some point.

Helen: Oh, I mean, thank you for bringing it up again. That’s really brilliant when you’re in those beginning stages of just learning how to sew a bra and how to put it together. You want to take a trial run at it and then do a final version once you’ve worked out some of the kinks. And I just noticed too, on the What Bella Made website, that they offer some online bra fitting consultations. So if you’re a bra maker, that could be a really great resource if you want to get some fitting advice from her.

Sandeep: Yeah, I highly recommend doing that.

Caroline: Sandeep, it was such a pleasure talking with you today. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online?

Sandeep: Yeah, so you can find me on Instagram and TikTok: @sistermintaka. And if you want to find my personal one, it’s @sandeepbeep. That one is a mix of, like, sewing, life, dating, all that sort of drama. But yeah, the fabric shop is Sister Mintaka.

Caroline: I do love following along on your dating adventures as well, just an aside.

Sandeep: Yeah, I mean, I could have my own Netflix show.

Helen: Oh my gosh. I would watch that.

Caroline: It is incredible, yes. Oh, well, thank you so much. And of course we’ll link all of that up in the show notes. And there’ll be tons of pictures on Instagram and stuff this week. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know you more. And you are such an inspiration. Thank you so much, again, for coming on.

Sandeep: Thank you for having me.

Helen: We’ll talk to you soon. Bye-bye.

Sandeep: 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, and 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 Pod Cabin is our editor. And thank you for listening. We will talk to you next week.

Caroline: Buh-bye!

Helen: Bye!

Sandeep: So I’m Sandeep and I’m a sewist. Which makes sense because…oh, let’s start that again.

Helen, Caroline, and Sandeep: [laughter]

Sandeep: Of course I’m a sewist. I’m on Love to Sew.

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