Love to Sew

Episode 0: Introducing the Love to Sew Podcast

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 00:43:36 +0000

Helen Wilkinson and Caroline Somos host Love to Sew, a fun weekly podcast about making clothes, sewing community, and small business. They talk (and laugh) about their passion for sewing a handmade wardrobe and their daily lives as creative entrepreneurs. Listen to interviews with indie business owners and inspiring sewists who totally understand your obsession with sewing. Join us every Tuesday for new episodes of Love to Sew!

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Episode 1: Get to Know Helen and Caroline

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:00:53 +0000

Hi! It’s our first episode! Episode 1 is all about you getting to know us. We’re talking about how and when we learned to sew, why we love it so much, what we do every day, and how we met. Helen makes a big announcement about her business. Caroline tells the story behind the name of her online shop. We wrap up with a rapid-fire random question session – complete with lots of laughs and some embarrassing confessions.

Wednesday Weekly on Helen’s Closet
Rochelle New’s blog: Lucky Lucille, and the skirt that inspired Helen!

Caroline’s Hallowe’en Costumes:

Caroline’s Cat, Fraidy:

Kohlrabi:

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 2: Curvy Sewing With Jenny Rushmore

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:10:24 +0000

On Episode 2 of Love to Sew, we’re interviewing Jenny Rushmore of Cashmerette Patterns. We ask Jenny about her sewing journey, her business, and the Curvy Sewing Collective. She also tells us the story of #cakewithcashmerette, and how sewing has helped her to love and accept her body, and inspire others to do the same.

- The Curvy Sewing Collective, a plus size sewing community
- An excellent book on fitting: Fit for Real People
- Inspiring Japanese pattern making book: Pattern Magic
- Jenny mentions this funny article from Reductress
- The instagram hashtag #cakewithcashmerette

Swooshing around in what other than a @colettepatterns @alysonclair Moneta maxi with @moderndomestic jersey. Do I *really* have to take it off to wash it? #psbloggers #isew #curvyfashion. Also: to the random jerk who fat shamed me this morning in a comment and suggest I eat less cake: as you can see from this pic my life is just a sad mess, so I’m glad you’ve helped steer my dietary choices, cheers! #effyourbeautystandards #CakeWithCashmerette

A post shared by Cashmerette Patterns | Jenny (@cashmerette) on Jul 27, 2015 at 6:37am PDT

The Guardian article
Cashmerette Patterns
Cashmerette Blog
Jenny’s upcoming workshops in Australia and New Zealand
Follow Jenny on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Cashmerette Patterns Community Group on Facebook
Curvy Sewing Collective Community Group on Facebook

The lovely ladies that Jenny mentions in this episode:

Jenny’s employee/right hand lady: Carrie @shedabbles
Mary Danielson Perry is the co-founder of the Curvy Sewing Collective. Her blog is Idle Fancy.
Lauren Taylor of Lladybird wowed Jenny with her handmade t-shirts.
CSC Editors: Tanya Maile of Mrs. Hughes, Meg McCarthy Cookin’ & Crafting, Michelle Rose of Happily Caffeinated, Paige of Very Paige
Gillian is a former CSC editor and she blogs at Crafting a Rainbow

Follow Jenny! Website: Cashmerette Patterns Instagram: @cashmerette

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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Episode 3: How Big is Your Fabric Stash?

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:15:25 +0000

In this episode of Love to Sew we discuss our fabric stashes. Learn how we organize our fabrics, what we like to stash, how our partners feel about it, and what to do with unwanted items. Together we confess how much fabric we are each hoarding and come to realize that it’s OK to collect fabric as part of a sewing practice. Do you have a growing fabric stash? Listen to this episode for great tips (and maybe a little bit of moral support) when it comes to organizing and managing a fabric collection.

How do you organize your fabric stash? We want to hear about it! Please leave us a voicemail so we can share your methods with our listeners. You can call us at 1-844 SEW-WHAT, that’s 1-844-739-9428. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Helen’s Fabric Stash:

Helen uses Trello to organize her fabric stash. You can read more about how to set up Trello for fabric on the Attack of the Seam Ripper blog.

Caroline’s Fabric Stash:

Cora is another app that will help you catalog your fabrics.
Blackbird Fabrics denim
Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans
Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans
Alina Sewing and Design Co. Hampton Jacket
True Bias Ogden Cami
Sam’s Miniature Wargaming
Rifle Paper Co. Les Fleurs Fabric
Our Social Fabric
H&M Garment Recycling Initiative
What Katie Sews de-stashing via Instagram
Helen’s Floral Acton Dress

Caroline’s beloved plaid fabric:

Thanks for listening to today’s episode of Love to Sew!

How do you organize your fabric stash? We want to hear about it! Please leave us a voicemail so we can share your methods with our listeners. You can call us at 1-844 SEW-WHAT, that’s 1-844-739-9428. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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Episode 4: Modern Sewing With Katie Marcus

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 14:16:18 +0000

Today on Love to Sew, Katie Marcus from What Katie Sews shares how she learned to sew, her favorite makes and patterns, and her passion for sustainability through sewing. Katie has a modern approach to sewing, focusing on wearable makes that reflect her strong sense of style. We loved getting to know Katie and we hope you do too!

Here are some of the things we talked about in this episode:

Katie’s cat:

Unhelpful, but cute ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A post shared by @whatkatiesews on Aug 20, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

Ray-Stitch in London
Janome: In Japanese, the word Janome (pronounced Ja-NO-me) means “eye of the snake.” The company earned the name in the 1920s when founder Yosaku Ose, a pioneer in Japanese sewing manufacturing, began to use a round metal bobbin system instead of the traditional long shuttle. The Japanese thought the new round bobbin looked like a snake’s eye, and from the innovative design, a name was born.
Katie’s Sewing Room:

Katie’s Yona Coat:

Katie’s V1501 Version 1 & Version 2:

Jasika Nicole’s v1501
Katie’s Named Helmi Shirtdress

Katie’s blog post about judging if patterns will fit
Katie’s TNT (tried ‘n true) patterns:

Katie’s Favourite Pattern Companies:
- Vogue
- Named
- Papercut
What Katie Does Blog
Katies ‘Better Pictures Project’ tips
Sewcialist Tribute Month
Who Inspires Katie:

Hellgate Fabrics (sustainable fabric shop)

Follow Katie! Blog: What Katie Sews, Instagram: @whatkatiesews

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 5: How to Sewcialize

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 08:00:22 +0000

Sewcializing = sewing + socializing! Today we’re chatting all about the different ways sewists connect online. We cover everything from Instagram etiquette to our favourite Facebook groups. We also confess how many times a day we check Instagram, and how many people we follow! A great episode if you’re new to the sewing community or just looking for a new way to interact with fellow makers.

Helen’s instagram picture from Hornby Island

Beth’s from Sew DIY’s curated Instagram feed.

Sewing hashtags that we use! #sewing #handmadewardrobe #isewmyownclothes #imakemyownclothes #diy #sewinglife #ilovesewing #indiepatterns #indiesewing #memadewardrobe #memadeveryday #isew #diysewing #diyfashion #handmadefashion
Heather Lou of Closet Case Patterns is our social media guru.
Facebook groups: Bra Making Forum, Dressmaking Blogging Network, Curvy Sewing Collective Community
Online communities: Kollabora, Textilia, Pattern Review, The Fold Line, Indie Sew
Monthly events: Me-Made-May, Sew Photo Hop, bpSewvember, Braugust, Sew Together for Summer
The Sew Weekly Instagram
The Sewcialists Blog
The Refashioners

Sewcialize with Helen! Blog: Helen’s Closet, Instagram: @helens__closet

Sewcialize with Caroline! Shop: Blackbird Fabrics, Instagram: @blackbirdfabrics

Sewcialize with the Podcast! Instagram: @lovetosew.podcast, Twitter: @lovetosewpod, Facebook: /LovetoSewPod

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 6: A New Chapter with Christine Haynes

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:01:25 +0000

Christine Haynes tells us all about her epic move NYC, her new job as manager of Purl Soho, and her plans for her pattern line, Christine Haynes patterns. We loved chatting about this new chapter of her life and hearing all about how she got here. Christine reminds us that it is OK to stop and evaluate where we are at in order to keep moving forward.

It’s time to let the cat out of the bag and announce a big secret! I am thrilled to share that I am the new Store Manager at the incredible @purlsoho! I cannot express how truly honored I am to be joining such an iconic shop, filled with gorgeous merchandise, and a lovely team of people who have welcomed me with open arms and hearts. I’m loving every minute of it and hope you come by to say hi! #purlsoho #purlsohobusyhands #christinehaynes Photo by @squidneyknits

A post shared by Christine Haynes Patterns (@christinehaynes) on Aug 16, 2017 at 4:06pm PDT

Camp Workroom Social
Emery Dress
Lottie Dress
Fancy Tiger Crafts
List of retailers of Christine Haynes’ paper patterns
Kelli Ward from True Bias
Instagram of Christine’s sewing space in LA:

#sewphotohop day 6: sewing space // this was my sewing studio in Los Angeles, which is close to the size of my entire apartment in Brooklyn. So yeah, things are going to be a bit different next go around! The only things in this photo that are still with me are my sewing machines, the Orla Kiely lamp, and my grandma’s sewing caddy. The rest now lives in other people’s homes.

A post shared by Christine Haynes Patterns (@christinehaynes) on Sep 6, 2017 at 4:52am PDT

Follow Christine! Shop: Christine Haynes, Blog: City Stitching, Instagram: @christinehaynes

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 7: Are You a Sewing Perfectionist?

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 07:01:00 +0000

Do you enjoy taking the time to make every detail the best it can be or do you make yourself crazy trying to get everything ‘perfect’? In this week’s episode, we unpack the topic of perfectionism as a community by sharing your thoughts and discussing how striving for perfection affects our sewing practice.

Our first episode
Happier podcast
Ask us your questions for our special Q&A episode! Call us at 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428) or email us at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Blackwood Cardigan Sale

Voicemails:

Heather from the Pug & Needle – @heatherandthepugs
H&M fabric donation
Maggie’s no-show sewing night:

When you don’t give enough notice for sewing night, you might end up sewing alone. But thankfully the @lovetosew.podcast kept me company (and I left them a voicemail to show my appreciation) and I finally made some progress on the #morrisblazer I cut out MONTHS ago.

A post shared by Maggie (@wwcutie) on Sep 7, 2017 at 5:23pm PDT

Caroline’s muslin fabric is a 3.5oz Quilters Muslin (online source not found)

Instagram Comments:

See our call for comments on Instagram here.

Developing a perfectionism streak:

iamavd I find as I am getting pickier about mistakes as my sewing skills improve. Early on, I forgave/lived with mistakes and chalked them up as learning, but as I buy nicer fabric and take the time to make muslins, I’m spending more time to get it right.
toastedthread I love perfectly finished garments!! When I was first learning, it was discouraging but also motivating. As my skills have gotten better, it’s very rewarding to be proud of the finished project! It also forces me to slow down and put more thought into each garment- quality over quantity! #slowsewing
kateeprice I used to focus on making quick projects for a sense of accomplishment. Now I want to make things as well as I can. It’s never going to be perfect but I no longer steer away from more complex patterns and I spend time testing stitches on a scrap of fabric and looking at tutorials and help online to make it the best I can. Still never perfect!
sewrendipity I find that I am more of a perfectionist as I get better at sewing and will rip out a lot until it’s up to my standards. On the outside! Don’t look at my insides.

Showing your mistakes to non-sewists

famoustaralee I’m my own worst critic! I’m a perfectionist by nature but it just makes me batty when it comes to sewing my garments. I know, I know, I should chill out because seriously…who’s going to lift up your skirt to see your seam work?! I hope no one. Eek
jlothian If I were a perfectionsist I’d never wear any of my makes. I often point out my mistakes to non sewest, I’m trying to stop doing that as they are just trying to compliment my work. We are the only ones that notice so I don’t let it bother me.
thesewingbinns If it’s perfect you’re not learning anything. I always learn something in my mistakes. Not to mention I’ve never once had someone inspect my me makes

Going above and beyond with your finishing techniques

rimmazolo I love taking my time and making a good quality garment! I sew not because I have nothing to wear but simply because it brings me lots of pleasure, so why rush. I tell myself that if I want a garment with crooked stitching and poor quality, I can buy ready-to-wear for that, but if I want quality, I better make it myself!
Caroline’s Dress for her sister’s wedding:

Helen’s Suki Kimono made out of the same fabric:

Sewing for others

tarynlines If I’m sewing for me or my kids it’s not a huge problem. I was part of a sewing swap for a while and I had so much anxiety over which fabric the random person would like, thread, size…and I had to make it all perfect. I had to stop doing the swap cause I couldn’t handle the stress for just a silly thing!
ladysewalot It’s something I struggle with at the moment, because I’m currently learning to be a professional costume maker. Does perfection become mandatory when money is being put on the table?
some of Caroline’s Sewaholic Patterns samples

Does perfectionism ever stop you from sharing your makes?

oonajunni I haven’t instagrammed my past four makes because of perfectionism.

Does perfectionism take the joy out of sewing?

alphabet_thread …… I think that hinders creativity, for me sewing is my escape from reality so if I was constantly chasing perfection at the expense of joy, I probably wouldn’t sew anything at all!
crabandbee I’m a bit of a perfectionist but I find it comforting. My standard for perfect is as good as my best previous effort or better, so at least it’s attainable. Sewing is an area of my life where I get all the time I want to make it right!
handmadebyyaelI’m constantly fighting perfectionism as it just gives me anxiety. I wouldn’t have a handmade wardrobe now if I aimed for perfect. Of course I want to do my best and improve my skills but I try to be satisfied with good enough. For me perfectionism is the killer of joy and creativity.
adaspragg Sewing is the one area of my life where I’m not paralysed by ‘perfection’…I’m much more resilient in the sewing room
@terrapinna Perfectionism can rob me of the joy of making, because all I can see are the flaws in my work. I forget that there is a learning curve for sewing, just like for everything else. I view failure as something to be avoided rather than a learning experience.
@gilliancrafts AHAHAHAHAHA – am I a perfectionist? I grew up with a very perfectionist older sister, so I instead channeled myself into reckless abandon and spontaneity! I HATE aiming for perfection in sewing because for me, it takes all the enjoyment out of it!

Helen’s Coats
Caroline’s Burda Coat pattern
Tessuti coat patterns
Heather Lou’s jeans e-course and jeans e-book
Our Jeans!

Spent the weekend #sewcializing and sewing jeans with friends! We had a great time @tasiapona @confidentbeginner @meesh.made #sewingfriendsarethebestfriends #handmadefashion #sewing #memadeeveryday #morganjeans #gingerjeans

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Sep 10, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

Fear of starting a project because of perfectionism

maze.handmade Oh yes I am a perfectionist! I love that about myself and hate it.m at the same time. It makes me work hard and learn even harder with every task, but it is so hard to start a project because of it. Trying to decide on just the right combination of pattern, fabric, notions and then worrying about whether a certain style would look good on me, trying to think over and over about every detail – silhouette, length, print scale or better solid just to be safe…. can and often does feel agonizing. And once I make all the decisions, it is usually a pleasure to sew.
@terrapinna I put off some of the larger projects on my list (jeans, coat, button down shirt) because I don’t thing I will be able to make them well enough that I will want to wear them. On the flip side, I have found that that more I sew, the more I am able to think differently about my abilities and accept the less than perfect results. Just thinking about this and reading what I have written makes me want to tackle some of those things that I have been avoiding!

Are there things in sewing that are ‘worth fixing’ and things that are not?

Can we think of example of garments we have made with mistakes that made the garment not our first choice to wear?
tri2sew Totally depends on the goal. Will rip out a zipper 7 times if it doesn’t line up with the waistband to the umpteenth fraction of a millimeter on a dress I plan on wearing to an important function, but will totally go with the flow on something more casual.

Thoughts on perfectionism for beginner sewists

blueprintsforsewing I’m a reformed perfectionist! It’s made me a much happier sewist. I have a rule with my students called the ‘three foot rule’ which means if you can’t see your mistake from 3ft away, you don’t have to fix it.
rosegardenln Since I’ve only been sewing a short time; I focus on one skill at a time and try to work through it. I give myself grace in all my projects but also try to improve each time.
worthydesignstudio I absolutely love the feeling of something turning out just perfect, but if it goes a bit wrong, I just go in for the motto that me and my college buddies used to say when we feiced up… “it’s a design feature”!
jessandhen My craft personality tends towards “eh, good enough” so my zigzagged finishes work for me. If they start to fall apart too quickly then I’ll learn more about higher level finishing. I kind of find the minor flaws of my makes endearing–i call it the hand of the maker and it reminds me all the time that I made that!

“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be our best. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth; it’s a shield. When perfectionism is driving, shame is always riding shotgun, and fear is the annoying backseat driver.” Brené Brown

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

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

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

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

Leave us a voicemail with your questions for our special Q&A episode! 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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Episode 8: Achieving Big Goals with Kelli Ward

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 04:00:39 +0000

Kelli Ward of True Bias chats with us about her rebrand, her move to paper patterns, and reveals an exciting collaboration that she’s been working on! Over the past few years, she has balanced motherhood, school, and her growing business. Kelli’s approach of leaning slowly into her goals proves that big things can happen one day at a time.

FIT Certificate Program
MC Hammer Pants:

via GIPHY

Check out Kelli’s new product photos! It was her first time behind the camera for her online shop.
Kelli’s new pattern: The Lander Pant & Short

Caroline’s tester version of the Lander Pant
Kelli’s new paper patterns, available for pre-order: Lander Pant & Short, Hudson Pant, Roscoe Blouse & Dress, Lodo Dress
Aspen Vincent – @littlegreenorchids
Oliver + S Sewing Patterns
Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Patterns
Fancy Tiger Crafts
Straight Stitch Designs
Anima Pant by Papercut Patterns
We’re so inspired by Elisalex‘s embroidery!

Embroidery class at @newcrafthouse tomorrow! Who’s coming? It’s going to be another glorious day and I can’t think of many places I’d rather be than stitching up a storm in Hannah and Rosie’s breezy east London studio

A post shared by Elisalex • By Hand London (@elisalex) on May 26, 2017 at 1:32am PDT

Denver sewists: Allie Olson – Indiesew, Adriana – Hey June Handmade, Erin – Sewbon
Kelli’s first fabric collaboration in 2016 with My Fabric Designs

Miramar Fabrics, the first rayon collection from Workroom Social
Trello
Cora app
Kelli is inspired by: Oonaballoona, Ada Spragg, Sallie Oh

Follow Kelli! Shop: True Bias Patterns, Blog: True Bias, Instagram: @truebias

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 9: The Refashioners with Portia Lawrie

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 03:00:16 +0000

Portia Lawrie joins us to chat about the Refashioners 2017 and all that goes into organizing this fantastic community challenge. Learn how you can participate and get tips on refashioning and shopping for unloved garments. Portia encourages us to get creative, overcome sewing fear, and just go for it!

Portia’s Refashioners 2017 project

Heather Lou’s refashion this year

The blogs Portia discovered first:
Makery (Portia’s Blog)
Refashioning classes/workshops at New Craft House
Simply Sewing magazine
Sew Now magazine
Sewing World magazine
Potia’s Shedquarters Set-up
- Shedquarters
- Malm drawers (IKEA)
- Billy bookcases (IKEA)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Wendy Ward’s Beginners guide to sewing skirts
Portia’s blog post about teaching ladies to sew using Wendy Ward’s book
The Great British Sewing Bee
The Refashioners 2017 prize package
How to enter the Refashioners 2017 – #therefashioners2017 #suitsyou
Previous refashions
#sewphotohop
Portia’s Refashioners Pinterest boards: Get Shirty, Jeanius, Suits You
Oxfam discount code: Refashioners2017

Follow Portia! Blog: Makery, Instagram: @portialawrie

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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Episode 10: A Very Special Q&A Episode

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 03:00:10 +0000

In our first Very Special Episode, we’re answering your questions. We chat about fabric, fitting solo, favourite tools, TNT patterns, sewing machines, and much more. We also reflect on podcasting for ten episodes, and how we make it work with our full-time jobs!

New sweater knits at Blackbird Fabrics
Helen’s Flannel Underlined Hampton Jean Jacket

Caroline’s denim Lander Pants:

The #landerpant and #roscoeblouse are a match made in heaven. These are my new landers in non stretch cone denim from @threadbarefabrics – I did a regular front fly for this version and I’m totally in love! @truebias #threadbarefabrics #landerpants #sewing #handmadefashion #imakemyownclothes #indiesewingpattern

A post shared by Caroline Somos (@carolinesomos) on Sep 28, 2017 at 12:24pm PDT

Caroline’s Saltspring camisole hack on the Sewaholic blog
Helen’s knit Southport Dress
The Colette Guide to Sewing Knits
Helen’s polyester crepe By Hand London Flora Dress
Polyester Crepes at Blackbird Fabrics
Caroline’s class on Skillshare: The Beginner’s Guide to Fashion Fabrics (here’s a link for 2 free months of premium membership)
Fabric Weight and Conversions via the Fashion Incubator
Relaxed fit trouser patterns, perfect for the Tencel Twill: Named Alexandria Trousers, Megan Nielsen Flint Pants
Fitting Solo Craftsy class
Pattern ideas for a meter of fabric: Grainline Willow Tank, True Bias Ogden Cami, Blueprints for Sewing Saltbox
Favourite tools:
Bernina 530
Juki MO654DE
Helen’s three patterns: Helen’s Closet Blackwood Cardigan, True Bias Lander Pant & Short, True Bias Southport Dress
Caroline’s three patterns: Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans, True Bias Roscoe Blouse & Dress, Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee
Caroline’s rapid-fire faves: Megan Nielsen Virginia Leggings, True Bias Hudson Pant, Deer & Doe Plantain T-Shirt, Grainline Studio Penny Raglan Tee
Helen’s rapid-fire faves: Grainline Alder Shirtdress, Grainline Archer Shirt, Cloth Habit Watson Bikini, Grainline Lark Tee, True Bias Ogden Cami
Plus size patterns for a fitting class:
- Deer & Doe Belladone Dress
- Cashmerette Upton Dress
“How Do You Find the Time To Sew So Much?” via Lladybird

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 11: The Sewcialists with Gillian Whitcombe

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 04:00:50 +0000

Gillian Whitcombe chats with us about The Sewcialists, and her blog Crafting a Rainbow. We discuss her experience running an online community and the compelling Sewcialists blog series, Who We Are. Gillian also has some great advice about taking better blog photos and defining personal style.

The Sewcialists blog, Instagram: @sewcialists
Crafting a Rainbow, Instagram: @gilliancrafts
Curvy Sewing Collective
Gillian’s posts on the Cali Fabrics blog
Me-Made-May
Colette Sorbetto
Did You Make That blog
The Sew Weekly (this blog is not active but they have a new instagram account!)
Sewcialist.org (plus check out the firehose blog aggregator)
Tribute Month: Marcie from Oonabaloona

Tribute Month: Meg from Cookin’ and Craftin’

Tribute Month: More Marcie!
The Sewcialists Tribute Month
November is TNT Month on the Sewcialists!
Gillian’s TNTs: Hey June Santa Fe Top, Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans, Cashmerette Concord T-shirt, Cake Espresso Leggings, Closet Case Patterns Ebony Top, Helen’s Closet Blackwood Cardigan
The Sewcialists Who We Are series
Gillian’s Who I Am post
Chalk and Notch Farrah Blouse & Dress
Helen’s Wednesday Weekly
Better Pictures Project
The Sewcialists blog, Instagram: @sewcialists

Follow Gillian! Blog: Crafting a Rainbow, Instagram: @gilliancrafts

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 12: You Don’t Have to Sew Everything

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 04:00:10 +0000

This week we are tackling feelings of guilt around NOT sewing all the things and how we can give ourselves grace in our sewing practice. You don’t have to make everything by hand and we can be extra hard on ourselves sometimes for shopping or not making time to sew. We chat about how life is busy and sewing is meant to be a relaxing, creative practice, let’s try to keep it that way!

TNT Sewcialists month
Amanda from Bimble + Pimble hosts #BPSewvember next month
Stretch Velvet from Blackbird Fabrics
Velvet inspiration:
DIY thread catcher

seam·stress

ˈsēmstris/

noun: seamstress; plural noun: seamstresses

a woman who sews, especially one who earns her living by sewing.

Sewist: a relatively new term, combining the words “sew” and “artist”, to describe someone who creates sewn works of art, which can include clothing or other items made with sewn elements.

Happier Podcast – The Four Tendencies (we are both obligers)

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

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

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

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Episode 13: BPSewvember with Amanda Adams

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 04:00:46 +0000

Amanda Adams chats with us about her photo a day challenge, #bpsewvember, and shares her passion for bringing the sewing community together. Amanda has a playful approach to sewing and we are in love with her outlook on this creative practice.

Amanda is the blogger behind Bimble and Pimble
Bimble and Pimble is named after Amanda’s two dogs Button T. Wuzzle Esq (Bimble) and Popsicle O’Snuffle (Pimble).

If you haven’t heard of #bpSewvember before it is a month long photo a day challenge running throughout November. Sewing is often seen as a solitary pastime so this is a great way to make connections with other awesome sewing peeps from all round the world! You can participate as much or as little as you like – feel free to post 1 or 5 or all the photos – whatever is going to be most enjoyable for you! #bpSewvember is all about having fun, meeting new peeps and having a sticky beak into sewing rooms across the world.

This year’s prompts:

Just over a week until #bpSewvember A massive thank you to everyone who suggested themes – this is such a fun list! As always, there is no pressure to complete all the prompts – add photos for the ones that work best for you! Looking forward to meeting everyone on November 1st! Edit: more info on #bpSewvember on le blog. Link in profile

A post shared by amanda adams (@bimbleandpimble) on Oct 24, 2017 at 7:03pm PDT

Follow Amanda! Blog: Bimble & Pimble Instagram: @bimbleandpimble

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 14: Inside Camp Workroom Social 2017

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 05:00:07 +0000

We go to Camp Workroom Social and chat with our fellow campers about what this sewing weekend means to them. We both found camp to be such a magical, accepting, and heart-opening experience and we really wanted to share that feeling with the sewing community. Get an inside look at this amazing weekend and hopefully we will see you at camp next year!

Jennifer Wiese, Camp Director

“Camp is my most favorite thing EVER!”

Jennifer is a designer who believes that every woman can live a joyful, creative, and confident life. At her Brooklyn-based studio, Workroom Social, she helps women find their joy, creativity, and confidence by empowering them to create clothes they want to wear. She teaches sewists methods that make clothing construction easy and produce beautiful results that look store-bought, not homemade. Jennifer is a summer camp counselor for life and the recipient of the “Spirit of Wewa” award at YMCA Camp Wewa in Apopka, FL, her childhood sleepaway camp. It’s a dream of hers to create Camp Workroom Social, an excuse for adults to sew, make friends, and act like a kid again if only for the weekend.

Our canoeing group:

Helen doing Archery:

Raptor Center:

“We all break needles, and we all sew things on backwards, and we all forget things, and we all mess up…and that’s life.
We all do it. You are not alone.”

-Jennifer Wiese

Follow Workroom Social! Website: Camp Workroom Social Instagram: @workroomsocial

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 15: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 05:00:46 +0000

We take on a ten-day capsule wardrobe challenge and tell you how it went, what we learned, and what we would do differently next time. Lee Vosburgh’s 10 x 10 Challenge helped us to reflect on our current lifestyle and wardrobe needs. We walk away feeling motivated to approach our sewing plans thoughtfully and realistically.

#BPSewvember
Country and city sewing hashtags:

Caroline and I met after connecting on instagram and realizing we live in the same city! Meeting up in real life with fellow sewists can be so much fun. If you want to find fellow sewists in your city, state, province, or country, try using these location hashtags! Tell us your hashtags in the comments! We hope you join us . . #canadasews #bcsews #vancouversews #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24am PST

One Week One Pattern:

The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees
The 10 x 10 Challenge was created by Lee Vosburgh from the fashion blog, Style Bee
Marie Kondo
Wardrobe Architect by Colette Patterns
Helen’s Capsule Wardrobe

Caroline’s Capsule Wardrobe consists of these ten items:
- Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee hack (Kelli did a tutorial on her blog for this!) in bamboo & cotton french terry
- Deer & Doe Plantain Tee in linen & poly knit
- Plaid button-down (ready-to-wear)
- Grey sweater (ready-to-wear)
- True Bias Lander Pants in non-stretch cone mills denim
- Jeans (ready-to-wear)
- Grainline Tamarack Jacket in cotton denim shirting / plaid shirting combo
- Sewaholic Robson Coat in cotton twill
- Floral sneakers
- Suede oxfords

Patterns we mention in this episode:
- Helen’s Closet Winslow Culottes and Blackwood Cardigan
- True Bias Lander Pants and Hudson Pants
- Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee
Helen’s Wednesday Weekly with inspiration for wearing dresses over pants
Randomly Happy Maker Capsule Wardrobe series

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 16: Work/Life Balance with Jen Beeman

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 05:00:15 +0000

Jen Beeman, the founder of Grainline Studio, is on the podcast! We get her take on owning and growing an indie pattern company, and how she has found work/life balance as an entrepreneur.

Grainline Studio
Camp Workroom Social
Raptor Center at Camp:

Reunited with the raptors this year and it felt SO GOOD! This is Gilboa the barred owl #campworkroomsocial #raptors #barredowl

A post shared by Jen Beeman (@jen_beeman) on Oct 17, 2017 at 10:32am PDT

Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival
Tasha’s Nancy Drew Sweater:

Happy Rhinebeck from me and my Nancy Drew masterpiece!! I guess you could say I’m pretty thrilled with how this turned out. #nancydrewsweater #nancydrew #rhinebeck #rhinebeck2017 #knittersofinstagram #knitting #intarsia #rhinebecksweater #rhinebecksweater2017

A post shared by Tasha (@bygumbygolly) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:49pm PDT

The Tiny Pocket Tank pattern has been retired, and replaced by the Willow Tank!
Scout Tee
Grainline Studio Sew-Along Directory
Archer Shirt
Cascade Duffle Coat
Tamarack Jacket
Jen is teaching at Bernina USA! Click here for more information and to sign up.

Follow Jen! Website: Grainline Studio, Instagram: @grainlinestudio & @jen_beeman

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 17: How Big is Your Pattern Stash?

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 05:00:33 +0000

We dive deep into patterns this week with tips for organizing, storing, and collecting sewing patterns. We cover hot-button topics like indie vs. big 4, paper vs. PDF, and tracing vs. cutting! This is a great episode for beginner sewists navigating the world of patterns!

Fair Fit Method

On @lovetosew.podcast, Helen shares a tip from my hand sewing class but it sounds like she got it backwards. →Did you know thread has a direction?→ When #handsewing, you’ll have the best results if you thread the end that comes off the spool into the needle. The fibers are wound this direction and working with the twist will often give you less knots and tangles. An easy way to remember is that you thread this same end when using your sewing machine. Pretty cool huh? . Listen to the fabulous full episode “Inside Camp Workroom Social” on lovetosewpodcast.com! . #campworkroomsocial #sewing #sewingpodcast #handsewingclass #handsewing #couturesewing #sewingcamp #sewingretreat #sewingskills #handsewn #handstitching #slowfashion #ncsews #slowsewing #sewingtip #coutureforbeginners #customsewing #learntosew #sewinglessons #memade #sewingclass #isew #sewingforme #sewingnerd #sewcurious #sewcialists @helens__closet

A post shared by Brooks Ann Camper (@brooksanncamper) on Nov 9, 2017 at 6:27am PST

#sewist10x10
In The Folds jumpsuit pattern
Willow tank by Grainline Studio
Jessica Dress by Sew Sew Def
Sew DIY’s version of the Jessica dress.
Helen’s Seamwork Kenedy
Sew DIY’s Catarina Dress
Holiday Dresses
- Seamwork Kennedy or Catarina (try it in a velvet)
- Papercut Patterns Sway or Saiph Tunic (perfect for rayon challis)
- By Hand London Anna (rayon crepe or a soft cotton lawn)
- Deer and Doe Zephyr (stable knits like ponte and skuba)

Featured above: Helen’s Kenedy Dress, Beth’s Catarina Dress, Caroline’s Saiph Tunic.

We have made 40% of the patterns we own

We have 30% paper patterns and 70% PDF patterns

We have about 87% Indie patterns and 13% Big 4

Caroline’s pattern stash:

Helen’s pattern stash:

Star from Stars threads
Pattern Hooks for your closet
Industry rabbit hole punch
Digital organization tools
- Dropbox
- Google drive
- Trello
- Sortly
- Airtable
- Pinterest
- Evernote
- Tap Forms
- Sewing Patterns App
Burda Style Magazine
Gerties book for better sewing
Boundless Style
Paper Cutter
Tape Dispenser
Named Patterns

Deer and Doe

Papercut Patterns

Tissue Fitting w/Melissa Watson

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 18: Fearless Making with Jasika Nicole

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 05:00:57 +0000

Jasika Nicole joins us to chat about shoemaking, red carpet DIY, handmade beauty products and more. She’s a fearless maker who will try anything! Her approach to making is inspiring and her creative spirit is infectious.

The Sewcialists
The Try Curious Blog
Colette Patterns
Miss Celie’s Pants
Jasika Nicole’s Actor Website
Closet Case Patterns What’s Doing segment (now delivered through her newsletter – sign up here!)
Helen’s Wednesday Weekly roundup
Jasika’s handmade Shoe Lasts:

Jasika’s Handmade Sandals:

Jasika’s Handmade Clogs

Note: the Etsy retailers Jasika Mentions in this episode are no longer selling blog bottoms. You can search for clog bottoms on Etsy to find sources for these!
Handmade by Carolyn’s Clogs

Jasika’s Yellow Lace Dress:

Jasika’s Floor length coat

#sewphotohop day 7 Favorite Skill: Mine is patience. I used to think it wasn’t a skill, more of a personality quality that you either had or you didn’t, but I was wrong- patience can be developed, honed, and mastered to suit all sorts of needs. A few years ago I knitted the bodice of this lace dress almost to completion THREE TIMES before I got it right, but I refused to give up on it, not because I am a masochist or a perfectionist, but because there was no need to rush and I had nothing to prove. Slowing down and finding solace in the rhythm of repetition is one of my favorite things about making, and has been one of the sweetest ways in which my patience has been developed. (Details of this make are on my raverly page: HYMagic)

A post shared by Jasika Nicole (@jasikaistrycurious) on Sep 7, 2017 at 12:18pm PDT

Follow Jasika! Website: Try Curious Blog, Instagram: @jasikaistrycurious, Twitter: @TheJasikaNicole

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 19: Cherishing the Process with Emily Hundt

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 05:00:50 +0000

Emily Hundt is the designer behind In the Folds, an independent sewing pattern company based in Sydney, Australia. Emily believes in slow sewing and cherishing the making process. She is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to take her PDF patterns to print. We chat about planning and launching a crowdfunding campaign, her recent rebrand, and her unique design philosophy.

In the Folds
The Good Wardrobe
Tilly and the Buttons’ interview with Zoe from The Good Wardrobe
In the Folds instagram
Emily’s first pattern, the Rushcutter Dress:

The Collins Top
In the Folds Paper Patterns (and rebrand!)

On January 1st 2017 I told myself (and my partner… a bit external accountability is always good when it comes to these big goals) that this was the year that I’d get my patterns into print. Now it’s December, and although I’m almost there, my patterns are still not available in print. What took me so long? Well, I’m so glad you asked! I realised that if I was going to have hard copy versions of my patterns – which seem much more permanent than my digital products – I was really going to have to refine and nail my branding. These are products that I hope to live on makers shelves for years and years. Although I loved my original logo, it was created before I had a single customer, before I really knew what I was doing and what my offering to the world was. After some time, and actually having customers who I could think about and design for, my branding no longer felt right. It didn’t feel like it reflected where In the Folds was and who my customers are. So I took the plunge into re-branding, which I must say was the hardest part of this process so far (I might even say it was harder than filming the Kickstarter video…. and that was HARD!) It made me question everything; W who I am, what my brand is about, what my goals are, who my customer is and then find a way to convey that in a visual form. Thank goodness I had an awesome designer (thank you @katekey_ ) to work with, who really understood my vision, but was happy to guide me and suggest ways to make it reflect all the things I wanted it to. That’s how the beautiful cover art for my printed patterns came together. I couldn’t decide between a photo and an illustration and Kate came up with this idea, and I knew it was the one. I love that you can see how the garment will look on an actual human, but the details that can sometimes get lost in a photograph are all reinforced by the illustration. It’s looking like I’m well on my way to getting #inthefoldspatternsinprint ($8 245 pledged so far) and I can’t wait to share them with you all in the new year Again, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me so far! 25 days to go! @lauramarii

A post shared by In the Folds (@inthefolds) on Dec 4, 2017 at 9:36pm PST

Follow Emily! Website: In the Folds, Instagram: @inthefolds

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 20: A Very Special Episode with Sam and Shea

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 05:00:56 +0000

Our partners Shea and Sam join us for our 20th episode! We are so excited to introduce you to the guys that support us through our everyday lives as sewists and entrepreneurs. We test their sewing knowledge, laugh about the hardships of living with a sewist, and get their take on our journey as small business owners.

Textilia or The Fold Line are two great platforms for cataloguing your pattern stash
Listener suggestion: use bed risers to add height to a table for cutting
Rice paper tape is a great iron-able solution for taping PDF patterns
UK source for copy shop printing: www.printyourpattern.com
Men’s Hudson Pants by True Bias
Shea’s favourite (and only) Hudson Pants:

Shea wants footie sweatpants like these:

A post shared by Feejays (@feejays) on Aug 4, 2017 at 1:44pm PDT

Negroni Shirt by Colette Patterns
Sam’s Negroni Shirt:

Comox Trunks by Thread Theory
Fairfield Button-up Shirt by Thread Theory
What is the weirdest thing you have been asked to make?

We loved this comment from @lookwhatmarymade about the pants her partner asked her to make! Have you ever received a request that doesn’t make much sense? We want to hear about it! . Leave a comment or call us TOLL FREE at 1-844-739-9428 . #lovetosewpodcast #sewingpodcast #welovetosew #sewing #sewcialist #sewingplans #sewinglyf

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Dec 10, 2017 at 4:04pm PST

Clint Eastwood in The Man with No Name:

Episodes that we reference: Jasika Nicole, Jen Beeman, Get To Know Helen and Caroline
Pattern designers references after the outro: Closet Case Patterns, Grainline Studio, Colette, Deer & Doe, True Bias, Named

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 21: Confidence in Business with Jess Povenmire

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 04:00:24 +0000

Jess Povenmire is on the show this week to talk about her fabric and yarn shop, La Mercerie. Jess shares her experiences building confidence in business, sticking to a schedule, and planning her creative projects.

Mochi Things:

Jess is offering our listeners 20% off their next order using the code lovetosew – shoplamercerie.com.
Coupon expires January 31st, 2018.

Follow Jess! Website: La Mercerie, Instagram: @shoplamercerie

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 22: New Year’s Re-SEW-lutions

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 05:00:38 +0000

Free 2018 sewing calendar – photo courtesy of Sew DIY

We are talking about sewing resolutions this week on the podcast! What are some of our goals for the new year and how can we help each other stay accountable? Learn about sewing challenges to keep you motivated and get inspired to make your own re-SEW-lution.

We want to hear your thoughts! Help us shape the future of the podcast by taking the Love to Sew Podcast Survey! We really appreciate you taking the time to share.

Happy New Year!

The Fabric Shopping Project from Sewrendipity

#SewMyStyle:

The Suki Kimono is the pattern for June #sewmystyle
Lisa Comfort of Sew Over It
Urban Sewciety in Westfield
Location-based sewing hashtags:

Caroline and I met after connecting on instagram and realizing we live in the same city! Meeting up in real life with fellow sewists can be so much fun. If you want to find fellow sewists in your city, state, province, or country, try using these location hashtags! Tell us your hashtags in the comments! We hope you join us . . #canadasews #bcsews #vancouversews #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24am PST

Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Quiz

Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours:

Amanda’s episode (we talk about sewing bins)
Helen’s Trello Board for organizing projects:

Plantain Tee Pattern
Mandy Boat Tee Pattern
Jess’ episode (she talks about planning sewing projects)
Capsule Wardrobe episode (we talk about wardrobe planning)
Sewing Challenges:
Beth’s FREE Sewing Calendar:

Sketching out projects:
Things we want to make in 2018:
- Kelly Anorak w/lining expansion
- Ginger Jeans
- Tamarack Jacket
- Grainline Studio’s upcoming coat (Instagram teaser here)
- Harriet Bra
Baaad Annas Yarn Shop in Vancouver
Dream Podcast Sponsors:

We want to hear your thoughts! Help us shape the future of the podcast by taking the Love to Sew Podcast Survey! We really appreciate you taking the time to share.

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 23: Face Your Sewing Fears with Heather Lou

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 05:00:58 +0000

Heather Lou, the designer behind Closet Case Patterns, is on the show! We chat about her sewing journey, her pattern line, and her recent move to a new office space. Heather offers our listeners an inspiring pep talk about letting go of fear as a means to improve our sewing practice and our lives.

Heather’s blog post about quitting her day job: On Taking a Leap
Nettie Dress and Bodysuit Pattern
Ginger Jeans Sewing Pattern

Ginger Jeans instagram tag (over 8,000 posts!)
Sew Your Dream Jeans online workshop
Heather’s pups (and yellow door!)

The pups visited our freshly painted studio today… we move in two weeks from now and I CANNOT WAIT. So happy I listened to Alexis and painted our door yellow. It will lift our spirits in the depths of winter. #closetcaseatudio

A post shared by Closet Case Patterns (@closetcase.patterns) on Nov 18, 2017 at 8:26am PST

Heather wrote a blog post about her recent trip to France
Heather and Alexis (via this post about their Kelly Anoraks!):

Heather’s new light-filled office space:

Emily Henderson: website, instagram
Everlane
Sign up for Heather’s newsletter, including the Maker Journal here
Just Make It Already:

Heather’s New Year’s Sewing Resolutions via The Fold Line (we’re in there too!)
Cora App
Evernote
Trello
Don Cherry:

Follow Heather! Shop and Blog: Closet Case Patterns, Instagram: @closetcase.patterns, Facebook: Closet Case Patterns, Twitter: @closetcasepatt

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 24: Sewing Makes You Love Yourself

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 05:00:29 +0000

In this episode, we’re setting aside our goals and resolutions, and carving out space to talk about self-love! Inspired by the #SMYLY2018 challenge, we each tell our stories of how sewing has changed the way we view our bodies. We also offer tips for how you can be more body positive and kind to yourself this year.

Episode 22: New Years Re-SEW-lutions
TRUE – 30 Day Yoga Journey from Yoga with Adriene
Ginger Skinny Jeans by Closet Case Patterns
Modern Sewciety Episode 149 – an interview with us!
Blackbird Fabrics ships to the US and it’s tax and duty-free!
A Facebook discussion about Frixion pens (maybe they don’t work on fabric?):

Me-Made-May
#OhJoyLoveYourself

I spent SO much of my teen years and early 20’s wishing I looked or acted like someone else. And, this was before the days of social media. I didn’t have access to watching the lives of strangers in a way that so easily could make me compare myself to others even more so than I already did. It took me so long…really until my 30’s…to truly feel confident in my own skin, as I am. Some of that comes with age, but I also think a lot of it comes with seeing examples of other women who are not perfect, who are not models, who are unique in their own way just being who they are and being OK with it. So, here is what I am asking you to do today…I would like you to leave a comment here telling me at least ONE THING that you like about yourself. How often do we get a chance to do that? We’re often thinking about what to fix, what to resolve, what to make better in the New Year. But I would love you to just reflect on something you are already doing that kicks butt. AND, you get bonus points If you post a photo of your beautiful self on your own feed telling me and others what you like about yourself there, too. Hashtag the photo #OhJoyLoveYourself and tag a friend to get them to join in, too!

A post shared by Joy Cho / Oh Joy! (@ohjoy) on Jan 3, 2018 at 7:04am PST

SMYLY challenge #SMYLY2018

Lisa Kisch‘s SMYLY story:

Hattie Van der Krohn‘ SMYLY story:

Athina Kakou‘s SMYLY story:

Rochelle New
5 ways to be more body positive in the new year via Cashmerette
Cashmerette Activewear Collection
@knitsandsews says “your face is good!”

We want to hear your thoughts! Help us shape the future of the podcast by taking the Love to Sew Podcast Survey! We really appreciate you taking the time to share.

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 25: Sewing As Therapy with Caz Adams

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:00:13 +0000

This week we hear from Caz Adams, the sewing instructor behind UsefulBox in Sydney, Australia. Caz shares a moving story with us and we discuss sewing as therapy and a means to connect with others and with ourselves. She also shares tips for beginner sewists and potential sewing teachers out there!

UsefulBox

Caz’s son, Spike:

Spike’s wedding outfit:

Emily Hundt from In the Folds
Charlie from Noble & Daughter
Heather Lou from Closet Case Patterns
Lisa Comfort from Sew Over It
Caz’s sewing goals:
The Crown on Netflix
UsefulBox Workshops

Sydney Frocktails is happening on Februrary 17th, 2018! You can get tickets here.

Frocktails Instagram – #sydneyfrocktails
2017 Frocktails Recap
Lead with the bag:

Follow Caz! Website: UsefulBox, Instagram: @usefulbox, Facebook: UsefulBox – Sewing Lessons and Events.

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 26: Workroom Social with Jennifer Wiese

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:00:20 +0000

This week we are chatting with Jennifer Wiese, owner of Workroom Social in Brooklyn, New York. Jennifer joins us to chat about running sewing classes and retreats, creating a custom line of fashion fabrics, and finding your personal style. We also touch on the struggles of running a small business and how we are all going at our own pace.

Workroom Social
Camp Workroom Social
FIT – Fashion Institute of Technology
Kelli Ward – True Bias Emerson Crop Pants
Wardrobe Architect
Curated Closet
America Ferrera:

Photo via: Hollywood Reporter

Janome Sewing Machines
Miramar Fabric Line – 100% Rayon

Whitney Crutchfield – We Gather
Kelli Ward – True Bias
Miramar splatter print repeat:

Miramar weave print:

Miramar lemon print:

Drape 1001 blouse pattern:

Follow Jennifer! Websites: Workroom Social, Camp Workroom Social. Instagram: @workroomsocial

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 27: Fabrics 101

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 05:00:28 +0000

Today’s episode is all about fabric! We’re covering all the basics such as construction, content, weight, drape, and stretch. We also offer tips for successful fabric shopping online and in person.

Helen’s new pattern: the Avery Leggings!

The Avery Leggings are 20% off (no code required) until February 13th, 2018
There is a great article about man-made fibres on Britannica
Tencel
Lycra
Fashion Weight and Conversions article on Fabric Incubator
Fabric Incubator’s downloadable gsm/oz conversion chart
Demystifying Fabric Weight article on Indiesew / Allie Olson
How to Calculate Stretch Percentage via Megan Nielsen (she also offers a free printable guide!)
Penny Raglan by Grainline Studio

Caroline’s Skillshare class: The Beginner’s Guide to Fashion Fabrics: Wovens

Use this link to try Skillshare Premium free for 2 months: http://skl.sh/2loxXNC
Fabrics A to Z by Dana Willard
Claire Schaffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide

Indie online fabric shops:

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 28: Sewing Activewear with Johanna Lu

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:00:06 +0000

Johanna Lu is on the podcast to talk about her new book, Sewing Activewear! She shares tips and resources for sewists interested in sewing their own workout gear. We also chat about Johanna’s blog and Youtube channel, and her passion for sharing her sewing knowledge with the community.

The Last Stitch
Swedish pattern company: Gavanna Patterns
Johanna’s Youtube channel: Last Stitch TV

Trello
How to become a sewing vlogger
With Wendy youtube channel
80s skiwear

James Bond skiwear in the sixties:

Source: Matt Spaiser and The Suits of James Bond

Tools and supplies we discussed:
- Tailor’s awl (plus, Four ways to use a tailor’s awl for sewing on the Last Stitch)
- Thin water-soluble stabilizer or tear away
- Wooly nylon thread
- Clear elastic
Fabric tips:
- Moisture-wicking fabric brand names: Supplex, Meryl, Dry Fit, Cool Max
- Look for 50% stretch or more
- Lyocell/Tencel
Johanna’s new book: Sewing Activewear (Ebook/Paperback)

Resources page: http://sewingactivewear.com
Gumroad
How to write, design (and self-publish!) a book while working full time
Beginner sewing mistakes youtube video

Follow Johanna! Blog: The Last Stitch, Youtube: The Last Stitch TV, Instagram: @laststitch, Facebook group: Sewing Activewear

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 29: Craft Real Magic with Rochelle New

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 05:00:08 +0000

Rochelle New is on the show to chat all about her sewing journey, pivoting in life and business, and her dog, Lucille! Rochelle is an amazing maker who designs all the prints and textiles for the items for sale in her online shop, Home Row Fiber Co. She loves sewing and knitting and creates truly unique items for crafters.

Rochell’s Instagram post about pivoting in Business

Don’t underestimate how much time it takes to find your “thing”. There’s room for you. There’s room for you to grow and pivot and learn and start over and pivot and start over again and refine your skills, learn new ones, figure it out (and never quite figure it out) etc. Give yourself time. Invent your own definition of success. Never give up on that “thing” that you want above everything else. Never stop. Work at it constantly until it becomes tangible… and then keep never stopping.

Rochelle’s Yarn Bowls:

Craft Real Magic hands:

Seamless side seams:

Rochelle’s surface design:

Rochelle’s Make Nine:

Rochelle is offering a 15% discount on your next order using the code lovetosew – homerowfiberco.com

Follow Rochelle! Websites: Lucky Lucille, Home Row Fiber Co, Instagram: @homerowfiberco
Follow Helen! Blog: Helen’s Closet, Instagram: @helens__closet

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 30: Our Very Special Favourites

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 05:00:57 +0000

We are sharing our favourite things with you! Hear about our favourite sewing tools, patterns, sewists in the community, and more. You’ll learn a little bit more about us in this very special episode and maybe discover something new!

Baad Annas Wool & Yarn Shop
Avery Leggings
#makeyourstash sewing challenge from @timetosew and @pilar_bear – March-May, 2018:

Threads Magazine guide to the fabric burn test:

Favourite Sewing Tools

Favourite Bloggers/Instagrammers

Favourite episodes

Favourite Apps

Favourite Podcasts

Caroline’s Favourite Food Blogs
- Smitten Kitchen – Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Alexandra’s Kitchen – Green Meatless Balls
- Nom-nom Paleo – Cracklin’ Chicken
- Once upon a Chef – Granola, Caesar Salad

Photo from smittenkitchen.com

Favourite Natural Makeup

Favourite Netflix Shows

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 31: Find Your Calling with Mimi G

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Mimi G inspires us with stories from her journey to becoming a sewing celebrity. We chat about her pattern line with Simplicity, the Sew It Academy, her workshops, and more. Mimi G is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the world and encouraging the next generation to sew.

Mimi G Style website
Regal Skirt:

Mimi G for Simplicity patterns:

Mimi G’s office tour:

Interview with Jennifer Aniston:

Follow Mimi G! Mimi G Style, Sew It Academy, Instagram: @mimigstyle, YouTube: Mimi G Style

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 32: Beginner Sewing

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 04:00:31 +0000

This episode is all about getting started with sewing! We recommend patterns, classes, and books for newbies, and explain lots of sewing techniques and fabric jargon. Find out what tools you need to get going and how to keep moving forward with your new sewing hobby!

Kelly Anorak by Closet Case Patterns
Blaire Shirt by Style Arc
SMYLY Episode – Sewing Makes You Love Yourself
Good beginner projects
- Tea Towel
- Pillow Cover
- Tote Bag
Sewing techniques we covered:
- Seam allowance
- Notches
- Staystitching
- Basting (hand & machine)
- Pinning
- Clipping curves/corners
- Armscye
- Easing
- Pattern ease
- Understitching
- Pressing
Fabric terms/jargon we covered:
- Selvage/selvedge
- Grainline
- Cross grain
- Bias
- Right/wrong side
- Interfacing
- Muslin

Good beginner Patterns for women:
- Scout Tee by Grainline Studio
- Willow Tank by Grainline Studio
- Hollyburn Skirt by Sewaholic
- Rae Skirt by Sewaholic
- Wiksten Tank by Wiksten
- Miette Skirt by Tilly and the Buttons
- Bettine Dress by Tilly and the Buttons
- Springfield Top by Cashmerette

Good beginner patterns for men:
- The Tee by Merchant and Mills
- Arrowsmith Shirt by Thread Theory
Online sewing classes:

Sewing books

Colette’s list of 50 sewing books
Sewing tools you need to get started:
- Measuring tape
- Shears (We recommend Gingher or Kai)
- Marking tool (We love Clover chalco liners)
- Pins (We love glass head or clover)
- Needles (machine and hand sewing)
- Iron (Caroline loves this one)
- Ironing board
- Wonder tape

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 33: Creativity and Connection with Erin Dollar

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 04:00:59 +0000

Erin Dollar is on the podcast to talk about Cotton & Flax, her collection of handmade textile home goods. We chat about her unique aesthetic, her creative process, and her line of fabrics with Robert Kaufman. Erin prioritizes sustainability in her creative business and this year she is striving to connect with the creative community in a deeper way.

Cotton & Flax

Cotton & Flax pillows

Tea Towels, Napkins, Coasters, Notebooks

Arroyo fabric collection with Robert Kaufman:

Robert Kaufman Essex
LA Textile
War on Waste documentary
Intro to Screen Printing with Erin Dollar (on Creative Live)
#arroyofabric instagram hashtag:

A post shared by Katie Emma (@katharineemma) on Mar 17, 2018 at 12:23pm PDT

A post shared by Rachel (@raincloudrachel) on Mar 14, 2018 at 11:21am PDT

A post shared by Modern Textiles (@moderntextiles) on Mar 7, 2018 at 12:03pm PST

A post shared by Erin Dollar – Cotton & Flax (@cottonandflax) on Feb 7, 2018 at 1:22pm PST

Follow Erin! Website: Cotton & Flax, Instagram: @cottonandflax

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 34: Intentional Making with Aidan Owen

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 04:00:02 +0000

Aidan Owen joins us to chat about connecting with our deeper selves through the act of making. Aidan is an amazing knitter and an enthusiastic beginner sewist with lots of great insight to share. We talk about sustainability, slow making, and just how awe-inspiring it is to create.

Holy Cross Monastery
Aidan is @knittingmonk on Instagram
Aidan’s Youtube Podcast, A Maker’s Pilgrimage
Purl Soho Traveling Cable Hand Warmers:

Thread Theory Fairfield Button-up

Aidan’s retreat: A Maker’s Pilgrimage

Follow Aidan! Youtube, Instagram: @knittingmonk

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 35: Sustainability and Sewing

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 04:00:40 +0000

This week we are exploring the topic of sustainability as it relates to our sewing practice. We open up about where we are at in our sustainability journey, and how we plan to be kinder to the earth. We also offer tips on what you can do as a sewist to lessen your environmental and social impact on the planet.

Caroline has Cone Mills Denim and jeans hardware kits at Blackbird Fabrics!

Avery leggings tag on instagram! (pattern here)

Support Love to Sew on Patreon!

Visit our Patreon page if you’d like to support us on an ongoing basis. (Thank you!)
On the first Friday of every month, we will release an exclusive bonus episode to supporters at the $5 level or more.
Our first 100 supporters will get a Love to Sew pin!

Helen’s Ravelry, Caroline’s Ravelry
Indie Pattern Designers list on Diary of a Chainstitcher
Helen’s Wednesday Weekly
Fabcycle
Helen’s refashion projects:

Our Social Fabric
Send us your feedback about sustainability!
- Leave us a voicemail (3-minute time limit!) 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)
- E-mail us at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com
- Record a voice memo and e-mail it to us! (Article: Record Voice Memos on your iPhone)
The Beginner’s Guide to Sourcing Fabric Responsibly on Megan Nielsen’s blog

Organic certifications:
- OEKO-TEX®
- GOTS
Rana Plaza building collapse
The True Cost documentary
H&M textile recycling
Heather makes cool handmade dolls!

There a hair cut and some ribbons – sorted! Now I just need to make her some clothes. #dollmaker #waldorfinspireddoll #beardancecrafts

A post shared by Heather (@heatherandthepugs) on Mar 5, 2018 at 3:38pm PST

Watson Bra by Cloth Habit
Christine Haynes’ tip on replacing bra straps!

Bramaking pro tip: I prefer to use an O-ring at both ends of my straps because I think it looks nicer than sewing the strap directly to either end, but it also allows you to change the strap if it wears out! This is my everyday bra, and the fit is perfect, but the strap had stretched out due to wear. So all I had to do was cut it, remove it, and replace that section with a new strap. No seam ripper needed. Easy peasey! #bramaking #marlboroughbra

A post shared by Christine Haynes Patterns (@christinehaynes) on Feb 15, 2018 at 5:28am PST

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Episode 36: Tissue Fitting with Melissa Watson

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 04:00:19 +0000

Melissa Watson is on the show to tell us about the Palmer/Pletsch tissue fitting method. She walks us through common fitting issues and the right order to make fit adjustments. Melissa also shares her experience growing up in the sewing world, designing patterns for McCalls, and some exciting news about the new Palmer/Pletsch fitting book!

McCall Pattern Company
Pati Palmer’s company, Palmer/Pletsch
Melissa and Pati:

Palmer/Pletsch Sewing Schools
Fit For Real People
NEW BOOK! The Palmer/Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting Sew Great Clothes for Every Body. Fit Any Fashion Pattern

Melissa Watson For Palmer/Pletsch Pattern line with McCalls
Learn to Fit with Melissa Watson video series:

Parsons Fashion Design School
Palmer/Pletsch patterns for learning the tissue fitting method:

Tissue fitting for knits: Knits for Real People
Swedish Tracing Paper
Palmer/Pletsch Tissue Paper
Jackets For Real People
Melissa uses Adobe Illustrator to draw digitally
Melissa’s Patterns with McCalls:
- Community fav: The Cropped Flare Pant (7445)
- Melissa’s Fav: The Moto Jacket (7694)
- Most popular: The Flare Knit Top and Dress (7407)

Melissa’s Craftsy Classes

Melissa Teaches the Palmer/Pletsch method at Workroom Social in Brooklyn, NY.
- Check out the dress fitting intensive in May with Pati, too!

Follow Melissa! Instagram: @melissawatsondesign, Youtube, Craftsy, Palmer/Pletsch, McCalls

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

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

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

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Episode 37: Up Your Sewing Game

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 04:00:27 +0000

In this episode, we give you tips and ideas to level up your sewing! We want to help you to learn new skills, improve the quality of your work, and sew something you didn’t think possible. We hope you’ll come away with the encouragement you need to take your sewing practice up a notch.

The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

While She Naps podcast
Jeans hardware kits at Blackbird
Visit our Patreon page if you’d like to support us on an ongoing basis. On the first Friday of every month, we will release an exclusive bonus episode to supporters at the $5 level or more.
Fashion Revolution Week kicks off on April 23
Restyling Exchange – more info here
Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire B. Shaeffer
Shirtmaking by David Page Coffin
Fit for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto
The Palmer Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto
How to Choose Sewing Machine Needles via Craftsy (no longer available – here is a good alternative: How to Choose a Sewing Machine Needle via Melly Sews)

A Delicate Matter via Seamwork
Ultra Fine pins:

3 Quick Steps to Homemade Fabric Starch via Craftsy
Straight stitch needle plate
Sew a Hand-rolled Hem (via Threads):

Jean Fitting Guide via Closet Core Patterns
Serger review on Closet Core Patterns
Juki MO654DE
Understanding Thread Tension via Threads Magazine
Vintage buttonholer
Needle board:

Seam stick:

Caroline’s Zeena Dress (with hand pick zipper!)

Under Construction via Seamwork Magazine
Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear by Winifred Aldrich
Suzy Furrer’s patternmaking classes on Craftsy
Blackwood Cardigan
Carolyn Pajamas

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

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Transcript:

This transcript is based on the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released January 11, 2022. You can listen to this version of the episode via the player below:

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Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off-season, so we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

Helen: This winter we’re so excited to revisit some of our favourite episodes from years past. We hope you will love these reruns as much as we do. Remember, you can still access the show notes by going to LoveToSewPodcast.com and searching for the episode.

If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.

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

Helen: Yes, it is top secret stuff just for our Patreon supporters. And if you join at the $10 USD per month, you get a 15% discount code for both Blackbird Fabrics and Helen’s Closet. The code can be reused again and again, so it’s a great deal, especially if you shop with us frequently. Plus, you’ll get a bonus mini-sode where we answer a patron question or cover a specific sewing topic. You can learn more about all the things we have to offer and sign up to support us at patreon.com/LoveToSew.

Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in March 2022 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favourite.

Helen: Hello, and welcome. I’m Helen.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline.

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

Caroline: Today we are upping our sewing game. We have loads of helpful info from couture techniques to tricks you didn’t know you needed. We’re going to help you learn new skills, improve the quality of your work, and do things you didn’t think possible. Are you ready to level up?

Helen: I was born ready.

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline. So we have a big episode today.

Caroline: We do. We have a lot to talk about. We’re upping our sewing game.

Helen: Yeah. This is a bit of a follow-up to our beginner sewing episode. We wanted to do an episode for people who are just getting started with sewing, and then we also wanted to do an episode for people who are wanting to level up a bit. You’ve got the basics down. You want to learn some skills to take it to the next level, improve the quality of your work. Um, we have lots of great information for you today, so we’re excited about that.

But, first a big, huge, thank you and a little podcast hug to everyone who supported us on Patreon.

Caroline: Yes, it was so wonderful to launch the Patreon campaign and get amazing support from everyone. It was so much fun to see those dollars roll in because that means that we can keep making this podcast and keep, you know, bringing good content to you guys and working hard, and we’re just really, really happy with how all of that went. So thank you guys so much.

Helen: Yeah. It was really heartwarming to know that people wanted to support us in that way. And, uh, if you’re interested in this Patreon support, or maybe you didn’t hear the episode where we introduced it, basically, you can go to patreon.com/LoveToSew, and you can pledge a monthly donation to us to help support us in making the show.

And if you pledge at the $5 or more a month mark, you get access to a bonus episode every month. So on the first Friday of every month, there’s a bonus episode that goes out just to Patreon subscribers. Um, the first one went out already, and if you sign up to support us, you will get access to all the previous episodes as well, so…

Caroline: So you won’t miss out on any of the episodes.

Helen: No. It’s pretty exciting.

Caroline: Yeah, it really is, and we really loved recording that first bonus episode because it was a little bit more personal. It’s, kind of, a behind the scenes look at our businesses and the podcast and all that planning process and a little bit more of our personal lives as well. So I think, um, people have been enjoying that episode, and we’re excited to keep doing that every month.

Helen: Yeah, definitely.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: We get to hang out more so that’s good. Okay. We have some listener feedback, a couple of voicemails for you.

Unnamed Caller: Hi, Helen. Hi, Caroline. Thank you so much for your podcast. Love, love, love it. My question is, oh and by the way, I’m from Simi Valley, California. My question is what is so special about cone denim? You guys talk about it all the time, and I’m not a denim aficionado. So what I want to know is: what’s so special about it, and what’s it like? What’s it feel like? What’s its weight? Is it stretchy? Is it not stretchy? All the good details and why is it so great for jeans. That’s it. Thanks again, ladies. You’re wonderful. Bye.

Caroline: Thank you so much. We didn’t get your name, but Simi Valley Sewist, we appreciate your voicemail, and you are so right. We haven’t really talked about why cone denim is so amazing. So I want to give you guys a little bit of a background of cone denim and Cone Mills.

Cone Mills is really well known for its high quality made in the USA denim. They were founded in 1891, so this company has been around for a really long time. Their White Oak Plant was in North Carolina, and it operated for over 110 years. They were the last selvedge denim mill in North America, and sadly they closed on December 31st of 2017, so at the end of last year.

Selvedge denim is woven, sort of, in an old style shuttle loom. It has a continuous weft. The width is narrower. It’s usually about 30 inches wide. And today, selvedge denim is known for its character, and it’s typically more expensive. It’s known for being really high quality. And it’s really hard to find. So Cone Denim was the last place in the U.S. that was making this selvedge denim.

Now I will say, I think, in the sewing community, Cone Mills isn’t really known for their selvedge denim, it’s known for their S jean denim which is another type of denim that they make. S jean denim is really high quality denim. It’s a patented technology. They blend cotton with a little bit of polyester and spandex which creates a really long lasting denim that holds its shape without stretching or bagging out.

They also make really great non-stretch denims, not selvedge denims, but just, like, a classic non-stretch cotton or cotton blend denim. So Cone Mills is, like I said, really well known for their high quality denim. They did close their U.S. mill which was really sad, but they still have mills in Mexico and China that are still making the same goods.

It’s just really sad that this amazing denim mill that was based in the U.S. had to close cause there really are not that many mills, fabric mills in the U.S. anymore and very, very few that are still making denim at all.

Helen: Yeah. It was a sad day. I’m glad to hear that they’re still available from other places, but it’s definitely eye-opening to think about a company that was successful and that operated for so long having to close its doors. And we’ve been talking about sustainability and I think that definitely relates.

Caroline: Yeah. So to answer the question about how it feels, does it stretch? Why is it so great? I mean, it’s so great because it’s a really nice quality. It feels really soft and nice against the skin, and it ages really beautifully. Denim is really fun to sew. It’s nice to know that you’re working with denim that was made in the U.S., so I think that’s why it gained so much popularity in the sewing community.

It’s also a kind of denim that’s really difficult to find. Cone Mills isn’t really available in your big box store, so some indie fabric shops started carrying it. And I think it just, kind of, became a hard to find thing.

Helen: Yeah, sought after in the community.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, totally. So I will say that there is still some made in the USA cone denim out there. I have a couple of sources that I’m working with to try to get some of those goods, um, at Blackbird. I know that there are some companies that bought a whole bunch of stock from cone denim when they closed, so I’m putting some feelers out. I’m trying to get more of their denim before it’s, you know, completely obsolete and impossible to find. But yeah, it’s definitely, there’s limited amounts available, and after that, we’re just going to have to look for goods elsewhere.

Helen: The nice thing with getting a really high quality denim, like a Cone Mills denim, is that these jeans could last you, you know, five to 10 years, if you take care of them well. And I remember when you were initially looking at the samples and deciding on what colours you wanted to get, they showed you how they would wear over time and after washing x amount of times, or, you know, wearing with whatever they do, like sandpaper and stuff like that. And just how they look after that, and they still look really great. They have that beautiful worn in denim look to them.

Caroline: Yeah, you can wear this kind of denim for almost a lifetime and just mend the areas that sort of get threadbare, and that’s another great thing that you can do as a sewist, is mend your clothes. So, really, these denims are meant to last a really long time which I think is really great, and they’re worth this, sort of, higher price point. So that’s cone denim.

Helen: Next, we have a voicemail from a lovely sewist from Belgium.

Belgian Sewist: Hi, Caroline and Helen. I’m [NAME]. I’m calling from cold but sunny Belgium. I’m in the middle of cutting my Sasha Pants, so shout out to Heather Lou. And I was thinking of my sewing evolvement. I just had to leave you guys a voicemail for all beginner sewists out there. I’m definitely a perfectionist, and I have been since I started sewing. I’m a perfectionist in all I do. I’m also a realist.

A little over 10 years ago, I remembered sewing a pillowcase seam and redoing the seam over and over again because it was not good enough, and I had a feeling I could do better than that, and it would make me happier with the result and happier with myself.

Today, I saw my youngest daughter in a skirt I made two years ago for my oldest. And I remember being really proud of my nice wool skirt, but today I saw so many mistakes in that same skirt.

What I’m trying to say is that there’s such a thing as perfect to your capabilities. It’s ok to want to make it better and even make it three times if, you know, that will make you happy. I think you will learn from that experience. Be proud of what you make with the skills that you have.

Okay. I’m going back to my cutting table since, in two hours, it will be our dining room table. Bye.

Helen: Oh, I love that voicemail so much.

Caroline: Me, too.

Helen: Thank you for calling in. And I really like your message of perfection to your capabilities. I think it’s applicable today, in particular, because we’re talking about levelling up your sewing game and taking the opportunity to, maybe, look at some things you’ve made in the past, try to evaluate where you’re at and where you could improve, and take steps to improve. And just accepting that there is room to grow and that there’s always, uh, ways that you can improve in your sewing.

Caroline: It’s not so much about comparing yourself to others but really looking within yourself and deciding what is perfectionism to you.

Alright, we also got some feedback about left-handed sewing. A few episodes ago, we were asking, do left-handed sewing machines exist? And we got some answers.

So, Tanita wrote in and said, “After your question about left-handed sewing machines, I thought I would answer that and give some hints for those left-handed people learning to sew.

Firstly, no, there aren’t left-handed sewing machines. However, I don’t think that using a normal sewing machine has impacted me too much. However, it really is important, as a left-handed person, to invest in a pair of left-handed dressmaker scissors and normal paper scissors. They make the world of difference as the blades are switched around, and this means you can actually see the line you are trying to cut and makes it much easier to cut things.”

Helen: Great advice. Uh, we also got another tip about left-handed sewing machines from Amanda.

“In relation to the left-handed sewing machines, these are not available. But it is believed that sewing machines favour left-handed sewers anyway, as the original inventors of the modern sewing machine were both left handed.”

Caroline: This is fascinating.

Helen: Yeah, we read a few articles after this, and it does seem that there is a little contention around this, but in general, the people who did invent the sewing machine were left-handed. Industrial sewing machines definitely do favour left-handed sewers. Everything, you know, the bobbin loads from the left, everything is done with the left hand.

Whereas, modern sewing machines, I think while the foot and everything is on the left side, they are designed more often now to favour right-handed sewers because the bobbin loads from the front, and often, even the presser foot lever is on the right hand instead of the left.

So things are, kind of, moving, but in general, you would think that when they were designing it, they would have put the foot on the right hand side. And I never thought about that before.

We also got a tip about pinning. We were talking about whether we pin parallel or perpendicular and yes, I can say that sentence now. We got a tip from Robin about pinning.

“I have sewn for 40 years or so and have pinned perpendicular and parallel. Honestly, it just depends on my mood. However, there is the instance that I will always pin parallel. This is when you are putting two pieces of fabric together that have opposite curves, convex to concave. It occurs on princess seams a lot and, to a similar degree, on the armscye when putting the sleeve and body together.

The issue is that the edge of the two pieces of fabric that are to join are not the same length, but if the pattern is designed well, then the seam line lengths will be the same. If you pin parallel right along the seam line, taking only a small bite out of the fabric at each pin, you can, potentially, have more success lining up the pieces.

Maybe this is more advanced than beginner tips, but it’s one of those reasons I would pin parallel over perpendicular.”

Caroline: Thank you, Robin. And that’s perfect because we’re talking about levelling up and upping your sewing game. So I don’t think this is too advanced. I think this is a great tip, and I love the way that you explain it. It’s very clear. So thank you.

Helen: Yes, I’m going to implement this next time I put two opposite curves together, for sure.

Caroline: Yeah, it makes a lot of sense, right? Okay. We’re ready to jump in. Helen, you did such a great job with these notes. You went into so much detail, and I’m so excited to share some of these awesome tips with our listeners.

Helen: I am, too!

Caroline: So let’s get into it.

Helen: I did some research in preparation for this episode, and it was really fun. I learned some things along the way. Um, so I also got to level up my sewing game, so that was great.

Caroline: Alright, so let’s talk about new skills.

Helen: New skills. So great ways to learn new skills is to read a sewing book or to take a class either online or in-person. We have mentioned a few books on the podcast in the past. Um, so to reiterate some of our favourites. The Claire Shaeffer Couture Sewing Techniques book is a really great one. I went through this book in preparation for this episode and picked out some things to share with you guys, but there’s loads more information in there. It’s an excellent resource.

Caroline: There’s also Shirt Making by David Page Coffin. So if you are interested in getting into making your own button down shirts, there are so many amazing tips in this book. So definitely check it out, if you are into that.

Helen: Technically, they’re button up shirts.

Caroline: Why?

Helen: The difference is that button down shirts have those little buttons on the collars that actually button the collar down.

Caroline: Oh!

Helen: And then anything that doesn’t have that is a button up shirt.

Caroline: Did not know that.

Helen: Up your sewing game.

Caroline: Learn something new every day.

There’s also the book Fit for Real People. Last week, we interviewed Melissa Watson, who is the daughter of Patty Palmer, one of the authors of Fit for Real People. This is a encyclopedia of knowledge for sewists. I think every sewist should have this book. I know that’s a bold claim, but I see it on your shelf. I have it on my shelf. I think there’s so much invaluable information in there. So that is a book that I think is definitely worth the investment.

Helen: Mhm, and the new version of that book is available now for pre-order. It’s called The Palmer Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting.

Caroline: Taking a class is another way that you can up your sewing game level up because teachers have so much knowledge that they share during classes. You can pick up these little tidbits from your teacher when you’re sitting in a class, uh, or when you’re taking a class online that you wouldn’t find in a book or in a blog tutorial. Yeah. So that’s a really great way to learn new things that, maybe, you didn’t even know existed.

Helen: Yeah, and we’ve talked in the past about knowing yourself and what kind of learning style really works for you. So if you are the type of person who learns by doing, then taking a class is an excellent way for you to learn new skills. If you prefer to do a tonne of research, then, you know, taking an online class or reading a bunch of tutorials is the right way for you.
So just explore your options, and I’m sure you’ll pick up loads of information along the way.

Okay, so the first thing that I thought would be fun to talk about is a little detail in sewing that maybe you’ve overlooked, and that is the humble sewing machine needle.

Caroline: Yes, machine needles are more complex than you might think. They actually have 10 different parts to them. What are the parts?

Helen: There’s the tip, the point, the eye, the groove, the scarf, didn’t see that one coming, the blade, the shoulder, the shank, the size, and the, butt.

Caroline: Definitely didn’t see that one coming. The butt.

Helen: Yes, they have a butt.

Caroline: That is hilarious.

Helen: So, if you think about your sewing machine needle, or maybe you can get one out if you’re at home and just look at it while we’re talking about this. So the blade of the needle is what determines the needle size. So, for example, a 75 size needle has a blade that is 0.75 millimetres in diameter.

Caroline: Okay, so we’re talking the part that sticks out from your machine. So there’s the top part that you’re sticking up into your machine and screwing in, and the bottom section that sticks out, that is the blade.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So the main part. Okay. And the width of it is the blade size.

Helen: Is the blade size. Exactly.

Caroline: The point and tip of the needle refer to the size, shape, and length, all of which vary based on the type of needle.

Helen: Yes. There are different needles for different applications. You’ve probably seen, you know, jersey needles, denim needles, leather needles, universal needles. They all have different tapering on the points or different, uh, point sizes so that they can adapt to the different fabrics that you’re going to be using them for. So the points vary as well as the blades.

The groove is what runs the length of the shaft and holds the needle thread, and you might not know that the diameter of the thread you’re using should take up no more than 40% of the groove in the needle. So if you’re using a thicker thread, like a top stitching thread, you probably want to use a wider needle so that it can accommodate that thread in the groove.

The next one is my favourite: the scarf. The scarf of the needle is the little indentation on the backside, and that allows the bobbin hook to grab the thread under the sewing machine throat plate and create a proper stitch. So, again, if you have an opportunity to look at a needle now or later, you’ll notice there’s, like, a little indentation on the back and that’s how the bobbin is able to grab the thread.

Caroline: This is fascinating. Okay. I love this part. There are two needle sizing systems. This was mind blowing for me. American and European. So American needle sizes range from eight to 19, and European sizes range from 60 to 120. So the larger the number, the larger the blade of the needle. And often, you’ll see both sizing numbers on the needle package, such as 60/8 and 70/10.

I’ve looked at these numbers before, and I know you have, too, and been like, yeah, I mean the higher the number, the larger the needle. The thicker the needle, it’s better for, you know, heavier weight fabrics, but I’ve never really thought about what those numbers mean and what that slash means.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So this makes a lot of sense.

Helen: Me neither. I always thought that maybe one of them was, like, the blade size and one of them was the point size, but they’re just the same information in two different sizing systems.

Caroline: Lower numbers are for more delicate fabrics, and higher numbers are for heavier fabrics. Um, and you definitely want to get specialty needles for leather, denim, sewing with knits, that kind of thing.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. And lastly, we want to remind you that you want to be changing your needle with every project. It might seem a little bit excessive, but sewing machine needles only have a lifespan of about six to eight hours of sewing time and that can be even less if the fabric is particularly thick or hard to sew.

Generally, when you think it’s a good time to switch out your needle, it is.

Caroline: That’s a good rule of thumb.

Helen: So I pulled all of this information from an article I found on craftsy.com. So we’ll link that in the show notes if you want to review this information. There’s a little diagram of the needle showing you all the different, even the butt, so check it out.

Caroline: Another way that you can improve your skills is working with tricky fabrics, things like chiffon, organza, lightweight silk cotton voile, or, you know, those sheer fabrics that seem really delicate and difficult to work with and slippery and scary. You can tackle them.

Helen: You can do it. I have to admit, I don’t have a tonne of experience in this arena myself. It’s an area that I have avoided for all of the reasons that we’re going to talk about today, and there are lots of different things you can do to help handle these more delicate fabrics.

Caroline: So we grabbed some top tips from a Seamwork article called “A Delicate Matter” which we will link in the show notes.

Helen: Yeah, and Seamwork is a really great resource for sewing information. They put out a monthly magazine. It’s free to read. If you subscribe, you get the patterns. But to read the articles is completely free. They get people from all over the sewing community to write articles for their magazine, and there’s some really great stuff in there.

So often, when I want to know information about a topic, I’ll Google the thing that I want to know, and then, I’ll just put Seamwork and see if there’s someone has written a Seamwork article about it.

Caroline: Okay. So our first tip is get ultra fine pins. Similarly to sewing machine needles, you want to get a pin that’s going to match your fabric. So finer fabrics, finer pin. I sell ultra-fine pins in my shop. They are, kind of, funny because you can almost bend them with your fingers. They’re very light. They’re very, very skinny, very fine, very sharp at the end. You don’t want to use them for denim or even medium weight fabrics. You want to put them aside and save them for your beautiful, light, delicate fabrics.

Helen: Yes, and as you can imagine, if you’re cutting out a really fine fabric, like a chiffon, it’s going to shift around a lot. So one thing that you can do before you cut it out is to use a spray starch. And that is something that you just spray on the fabric, and it stiffens it up. It adds some starch to the fabric, so that it’s a little bit easier to handle. It’s not something you have to do, but it is something you can experiment with. And you definitely want to do a test on a little scrap of fabric before you spray your whole fabric, just in case it doesn’t react well to the spray starch.

Caroline: And you can get spray starch in those aerosol containers. There’s also Best Press which comes in just a little spray bottle or you can make it yourself at home.

Helen: Yeah, I saw some information online about making it yourself. I have a sewing friend who has made it herself and said that it worked wonders. And I think it’s just a combination of water and cornstarch, so, uh, we’ll put a little link to a recipe online in the show notes if you want to check out making spray starch yourself.

And as you’re cutting out your fabric, it’s helpful with the shifty, lightweight fabrics to cut on a more grippy surface. If you have a really slippy table, you can lay down a large piece of paper, put down your cutting mat, anything to help grab the fabric so that once you finally got it on grain and all laid out and everything, it’s not all of a sudden just going to shift with, you know, one little brush of your hand.

Also, cutting with a rotary cutter is going to save you with these fabrics because with scissors, you do have to lift them up a little bit. Things start to move around. A sharp rotary cutter, there’s a lot less risk of movement, and you’re already going to be cutting on a grippy cutting mat.

Caroline: Yeah, sharp is key here because if your rotary cutter blade is dull, then you’re going to end up getting little skipped threads, and then when you go to pull your piece away, there will be threads that, kind of, stick down. So make sure that your blade, you change your blade before you work with these delicate fabrics. Another thing is cutting on a single layer.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: So that’s a really good way to have more control over the grain of your pieces to make sure that they’re not askew. The cutting process is so important when you’re working with these tricky fabrics. If you spend more time laying things out properly and taking your time with cutting, you will thank yourself later.

Helen: Yeah, and to cut flat all you need to do is just lay the pattern piece, if it’s a cut on fold pattern piece, lay it down, trace around it, and then flip it over to trace the other side. Or if you want to, you know, live on the edge a little bit, you can cut half of it, and then flip it over and cut the other side. But since we’re working with tricky fabrics, I would recommend tracing first.

Caroline: Yeah, and if you want to spend a lot of time on this, then you can also just trace a new pattern piece that is not on fold, so it’s the full piece.

Helen: Next, once you’ve cut out all of your shifty little pieces, you’re going to want to prevent them from fraying. Oftentimes, these really delicate, lightweight fabrics will fray like crazy. And you’re going to be pulling your hair out, just watching them fray without even touching them.

Caroline: Pull your hair out. Pulling the threads out.

Helen: So what you can do is quickly cut the edges using pinking shears, that will help with the fraying, or staystitching. Staystitching is, uh, sewing a line of stitches just inside the seam allowance to help stabilise the edge of the fabric, um, stop it from warping as you’re handling it. I would recommend staystitching by hand, in this case, because running it through a machine is going to cause it to fray faster and cause it to warp even faster. More handling happening, so sewing it by hand, just delicately, inside the seam allowance to staystitch it is a good plan.

Caroline: Alright, so we talked about machine needles, earlier, for delicate fabrics. You want to get an ultra sharp machine needle. Those are also known as microtex needles.

Helen: Yeah, so we talked about all the different parts. Basically, the point of these needles is so small, and it’s going to be able to cut through your fabric and not leave giant gaping holes.

Caroline: Yeah, you also might want to try a different foot, so see what your options are for your machine. Teflon foots work really well for easy sliding. Um, also, a walking foot, that’s a little bit more of an investment, but if you’re sewing a lot with knits, it’s also really helpful for that. So, if, depending on the types of fabric that you work with, it might be a good investment for you.

Helen: Yes, and as you are putting your fabric through your machine under your foot, you want to consider shortening your stitch length because the more the feed dogs have to grab that fabric and pull it through. The further they have to pull it with every stitch, the more out of shape your fabric is going to get, the more issues you’re going to have, so shorten your stitch length for finer fabrics. This also helps with the fact that they do tend to fray a lot.

You also might want to consider getting a straight stitch needle plate. I have, kind of, a funny story about this. I have a friend who was telling me that she got a straight stitch needle plate and that had made a big difference. And I was like, I should get one of those. I wonder where I get one, and I was looking it up and everything, and then I realised that the plate on my machine just turns around and becomes a straight stitch needle plate, and I didn’t realise that. And when I did, it was, like, revolutionary cause now I can just switch back and forth.

A straight stitch needle plate is a plate that just has a round hole in it, just big enough for a needle to go through. If you look at your plate, it likely has a wider hole so that you can do things like a zigzag stitch or other kinds of stitches where the needle’s moving around. A straight stitch plate, you can’t do any of that stuff. You can only sew straight, and so there’s more surface area of metal where the fabric is going through, and that helps to stabilise it as it goes through.

Caroline: And there’s less chance of your fabric, sort of, getting sucked in and eaten up, right?

Helen: Exactly. Yes, it really does make a difference.

Caroline: And if you don’t have access to a straight stitch needle plate or your machine doesn’t have this fancy turnaround plate that, you know, does double duty, um, there are some tricks that you can use so that your fabric slides through a little bit easier in those tricky moments, like when you’re starting or ending a seam, um, and that is: paper. You can use a little scrap of paper when you’re just starting to sew a seam so that that fabric doesn’t get eaten up and, sort of, sucked into your machine.

Helen: Yeah, and you can use tissue paper for an entire line of stitching if you want, and then delicately rip the tissue paper out after you’re finished.

Caroline: Yes. Now, one thing to keep in mind when you’re using paper in your machine is it is going to dull your needle quicker, so if you’re working with an ultra fine needle, like a microtex needle, and you’re sewing a lot of seams with tissue paper to help stabilise the fabric, then you might want to change your needle more often.

Helen: Yeah, that’s a good tip. Along with the straight stitch needle plate, you can get a straight stitch sewing machine foot, and it’s a similar thing where it just has a round hole for the needle to go through, so those two things go well together.

And a little bit of a warning about both of these tools, because now I have them and I have done this many times, not switching them back before you turn it to zigzag and breaking your needle immediately, and your machine makes that horrible, horrible sound, and you feel terrible, and you pet it and you say, you’re sorry, but you know that it’s irreversible. Oh, you guys…

Caroline: Take a deep breath.

Helen: I’m, like, tearing up.

Caroline: Okay, moving on.

Helen: Okay, moving on. To finish your beautifully, delicately sewn garment, you may want to consider doing a tiny rolled hem by hand.

Caroline: I love these hems.

Helen: They’re so cute, and it’s actually really fun to do. Uh, I did this with Brooks Ann at Camp last year, we did tiny rolled hems, and you do a series of blind catch stitches, and then you pull them and the hem just rolls in on itself, and it’s like magic.

Caroline: Sewing magic.

Helen: Sewing magic. Lastly, you want to invest in specialty interfacing and notions if you can find them, things like delicate zippers, lightweight buttons. Don’t put a big, heavy glass button on a really lightweight top. It’s just not going to hang very well. If you can find these nice notions for delicate fabrics, it’s worth the investment.

Caroline: Nice, lightweight interfacing makes a really big difference.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: So, the next thing we have on our list is tackle a difficult fitting issue. So if you listened to last week’s episode, we talked about fitting with Melissa Watson. That was a really great foundation to understand a little bit more about fitting, but there is so much knowledge out there.

Helen: Yeah, so what are some of the fitting adjustments that you’ve made?

Caroline: Full bust adjustment is probably the biggest one. With jeans, I’ve been making a lot of pants and jeans lately, so I have done a full tummy adjustment. I’ve also done a full calf adjustment. I’m just very full.

Helen: You’re full. You’re full of life and full of love. The full calf adjustment is cool because you might not know you need it, but once you’ve done it, it makes a big difference in the fit of your pants because you’re not getting those bunching lines right above your calf in the back of your knee, right?

Caroline: Yeah, and with ready to wear jeans, I always have the issue of the calves being really tight, and it’s so uncomfortable. So I love with sewing that I have control over that, and I can make the calves fit me.

Helen: Yeah, I’m with you. I have big calves, too. Like, I can’t find a pair of high boots to save my life.

Caroline: Oh, me neither.

Helen: Just don’t zip up. Even the ones that have the little extensions on them.

Caroline: I feel ya.

Helen: Okay. I have also done full bust adjustments, and my other favourite one is the broad back adjustment. We talked about this with Melissa. She recommended starting your fitting journey on your back. I mean, not on your back, but from the back.

Caroline: With your back.

Helen: Back first.

Caroline: Back first.

Helen: Back first. And the broad back adjustment has made a big difference to all of my tops, especially the ones with sleeves because now I can put my arms forward. I can put them up. I mean, it’s revolutionary being able to move your arms.

Caroline: Melissa also mentioned some common adjustments, for example, a forward shoulder, square shoulder, or narrow shoulder adjustment and also, a sway back adjustment. Those are also some common, um, adjustments that you might make.

Helen: Yeah, so all you need to do to learn how to do these adjustments is to Google them. Um, cross-reference a few different articles. People have different methods. You’re probably not going to find necessarily a definitive way to do them. Um, everyone has a little bit of a different take on it, although there are very similar processes involved. So I think once you read a few articles, you’ll get a sense for how it’s done.

Caroline: Yeah, one of the great things about the Fit for Real People book is that it’s got a lot of diagrams. So let’s say you’re looking at yourself in the mirror in a muslin or a garment that you made and you’re noticing some lines or pulling or something, and you’re like, I don’t even know what to call this adjustment. Like, how do I Google it if I don’t know what it’s called?

In that book, you can go and see these different diagrams, and they focus on different areas of the body, and you’ll figure out the name of the adjustment that you want to make, and they have, uh, information about how to adjust your pattern, or you can do some further Googling from there. So I don’t know of that many resources online that have that, sort of, all encompassing diagram of what are the different fitting adjustments.

Helen: Yeah, no, it’s true. I’ve used that book so much in my pattern testing processes. When my testers come back to me with their muslin and be like, I don’t know what’s happening here. And then I look at my book and try to find the wrinkles that match their wrinkles so that I could advise them better, especially since we’re doing it through the internet. So it’s hard when you can’t see things in person, but I have used that book a lot.

Caroline: Yeah, Heather Lou from Closet Case Patterns has a great pants fitting guide on her website as well. So if you’re specifically doing pants, she has some diagrams on there, so you can sort of pinpoint what the issue is. And I have used those diagrams to make adjustments on my pants and jeans, and my experience has been really great with them. So, highly recommend.

Helen: Yes, and the next thing that you want to do is to make a copy of your pattern, to trace a new version. Don’t worry. Don’t stress about ruining your tissue pattern or your indie pattern. You don’t have to cut it up. You can make a copy, and then, very low stakes are involved in your fitting process.

Caroline: And it will make a big difference if you have all the supplies that you need on hand. So, just gather your scissors, your tape, pencil, some nice large pieces of paper or a nice roll of paper that you can use for tracing. Having all of that stuff on hand in your sewing space makes the idea of tracing and fitting a pattern a little bit less intimidating.

Helen: Yeah, I mean, it’s not going to be a 20 minute process. I think in levelling up your sewing game and attempting some new things, it is going to take time. And so the best way that you can mentally prepare yourself for that is just to know that it’s going to take a few hours to do it and accept that that’s what you’re doing this evening or that’s what you’re doing over the next week in little 20 minute increments is that you’re going to be working on this thing, and, and that that is the goal. The goal is not necessarily the final garment at this point.

Caroline: One thing I wanted to mention about tools. I think it’s really important to have a great clear ruler with a grid on it when you’re making pattern adjustments because it makes it really easy to add the seam allowance back in if you need to. You know, you’re doing some measurements there, so it’s good to have that ruler on hand, and something clear that you can see through helps a lot so you can see the lines of your pattern.

And if you want to invest in an extra ruler, a curved ruler is also really helpful. That’s something that I have had in my stash since my fashion school days, it’s, sort of, got a long curve, and the curve changes, so you can use different parts of the ruler for different parts of your garment. And it’s really hard to freehand draw a curve sometimes. Having that ruler to, sort of, help you along makes a big difference when you’re making pattern adjustments.

Helen: Yeah, I love my French curve. And once you’ve got all your supplies and you know what adjustment you’re doing, just go for it. Making adjustments is actually more fun than you think. It’s pretty thrilling when you try on your first muslin and it fits way better than the first time that you made the garment. I think once you get that little high, the fitting high, um, you’re probably going to get pretty into it. So don’t be intimidated by the process.

Caroline: So if you’re a beginner, you might not have a serger or an overlock machine. So you’re going to be doing a lot of zigzag finishing or leaving your edges raw, and that is totally fine. I don’t think you need to buy all the tools and all the machines and all the things at the beginning when you’re learning to sew. But if you are wanting to up your sewing game, there are other seam finishes that you can try and experiment with that will help you have a better quality garment in the end.

Helen: So the first one that we want to talk about is the French seam. You’ve probably seen reference to this in sew alongs or online, um, on blogs and things like that. A French seam is very similar to a regular seam, except that you are sewing the seam twice. The first time that you sew it, you’re going to sew it with the wrong sides together which is going to feel a little funny at first, so that your raw edges are gonna appear to be on the outside of the garment. After you sew the seam with wrong sides together, you’re going to trim the seam down and then fold it the other way and then sew it with right sides together. So you’re ending up with your seam on the inside of the garment, but it’s nicely tucked away and enclosed.

Caroline: Yes, and you want to keep in mind that if you’re sewing a French seam, you want to take into account your seam allowance. You’re not going to sew your first pass with a five-eighths of an inch seam allowance, and then, you know, turn it around and sew again. You want to calculate, um, how much seam allowance to take on the first pass and the second pass, and there are tutorials online for how to do that.

I love a French seam for those delicate, lighterweight, sheer fabrics because it’s a really nice, almost tone-on-tone finish. You’re not getting distracted by overlock threads that you can see through the garment. It just looks like a nice little line, and it’s secure because you’re sewing twice or you’re enclosing that raw edge which makes it harder for the fabric to fray and to, kind of, like, you know, fall apart as you wash it and wear it and that kind of thing. So it’s a really nice, secure, delicate finish.

Helen: Yeah, before I got my serger, I did French seams on everything, and I got quite used to it. And it actually adds a little bit of time to your sewing, but once you get accustomed to doing it, it doesn’t take that much extra time. And you can use French seams on areas that you might not expect, like you can use them to add a sleeve. That’s a little bit trickier, but you can do it. You can use them when you’re doing an in seam pocket. Again, it might seem impossible, but you can do it. There are tutorials online. So if you’re looking for a different finish from just your standard zig zag to stop the edges from fraying, a French seam is your next step.

Caroline: Bias bound seams are another finish that is really beautiful. Works really well, nice and secure if you don’t have a serger. You can do it with the seam allowance together or pressed open. Um, but you’re basically enclosing the raw edge of your fabric with a bias binding.

Helen: Yeah, this is such a beautiful finish. I love it for those medium to heavy weight fabrics. An A-Line skirt with the seams pressed open and a nice bias binding down every seam when you lift up the hem of your skirt, it just looks so beautiful.

Caroline: I love a bias bound seam in, like, a unlined jacket. I made a Robson Trench Coat a few years back, and I had, uh, it was a dark brown jacket, and the seams are finished with, uh, animal print binding, and I just love it. Every time I open up my coat, it makes me really happy.

Helen: Oh, I love it, too. It’s a really fun way to mix prints and mix colors and have a lot of fun with your sewing and use those fabric scraps. Lastly, we want to talk about the flat felled seam which you will likely encounter if you want to make a button up shirt or a button down shirt, and with this seam, you sew your seam regularly. You trim one side of the seam allowance down to half the size or less, and then you fold the larger seam allowance over the other seam allowance and sew it down.

Caroline: Yep. You’re folding it over and, sort of, tucking it around. So you’re enclosing the raw edge again, and then you’re getting a really nice flat finish seam. So you are going to have some visible top stitching on the outside. It’s a really nice finish for jeans, as well, pants, those, sort of, harder wearing garments because it is really nice and secure. Yeah, I love flat felling seams. It’s really satisfying.

Helen: It is super satisfying, and you’re right; it’s very secure because when you pull those two pieces of fabric now, there’s two different points of stitching that is going to hold them together, and there’s no chance of your seam fraying with a flat felled seam.

Caroline: Oh, yeah, and, of course, if you want to invest in a serger, that is a really fun machine to have in your sewing room. What is the serger that you use, Helen? Because I love your serger.

Helen: I love my serger, too. I bought it on a recommendation from Heather Lou. Who else? She has a whole article about this. We’ll link it in the show notes. It’s the Juki MO-654DE serger. Uh, Juki makes excellent machines and sergers, and it serges like a dream.

Next up, we want to talk about buttonholes. Buttonholes are involved in a lot of intermediate to advanced projects, and if you’ve ever tried to make one on your machine and had it look terrible and do not at all what you wanted it to do and not have the answers to why your machine is not cooperating, you are not alone. Buttonholes are frustrating sometimes.

Caroline: They are definitely challenging. They can create a lot of headaches. Even when you think you have it down and you’ve done a lot of tests, sometimes your buttonhole does not work, so you can definitely explore some other options or try some different ways of getting your buttonholes to look good if you’re, you know, machine settings don’t make beautiful buttonholes.

Helen: The pressure is so high because often you’re doing it on a finished garment, so I understand the stress here. I have a few tips for buttonholes. One thing that will help you to get a beautiful buttonhole is to use a satin stitch. Modern sewing machines, or many modern sewing machines, will have a stitch for the satin stitch, so you can just set your machine to this setting and then do a satin stitch.

And essentially what it is is the bobbin tension increases, and it pulls the top thread down a little bit, so there’s a little bit of the top thread showing on the underside. So if you’re sewing your buttonhole right side up, the top side of the garment’s going to have beautiful stitches. You’re not going to see any of the bobbin thread poking up along the edges. And then on the backside, it’s going to be like pulling it a little bit tight, and it just makes a beautiful finish for a buttonhole.

Caroline: Yeah, and if you’re using a satin stitch, then you’re going to be making your buttonholes manually, right? You can’t use that setting on your machine.

Helen: Yeah, if you’re using the buttonhole setting on your machine, depending on your machine, it might automatically set it to do some kind of satin stitch, but you can also make your buttonholes manually. You don’t have to use the setting on the machine that goes forward and back. You can just set it to satin stitch and do a zigzag and then a bar tack and then a zigzag and then a bar tack.

Caroline: And if you’re doing that, do some tests on scrap fabric before you go in on your final garment. Take your time and use a lot of marking with, you know, your chalk pencil or whatever you’re using for marking so that you have a good guideline for yourself.

Helen: Absolutely. In older machines, what you can do to get a satin stitch is to manually adjust your bobbin tension. Now, I was talking with you about this yesterday, and you said that this is a little bit of a controversial tip in the community, but I’m going to stand by it because this has totally changed my life with my sewing machine. I sew on a sixties Sears Kenmore sewing machine, so it’s definitely an older machine.

And what I do is I just take out my bobbin. On the bobbin casing you’ll find that there’s a tiny screw, and that little tiny screw holds down the bobbin and spring and that bobbin and spring holds down your thread and actually applies the tension to the bobbin thread. By adjusting this little screw, you can adjust your bobbin tension.

So if I want to do a satin stitch, I just tighten the screw. You don’t want to screw it too much. You can just turn it a quarter turn at a time and see what kind of difference it makes. It will make a big difference right off the bat, and that will help you to pull the bottom threads back, and then you can just adjust it back when you want your tension.

And whenever I have tension issues with my machine, I play with the top tension first, and I play a little bit with the bobbin tension as well, just to get the perfect amount of tension, and I’ve always found that it works perfectly.

Caroline: I do think this is a controversial topic. I want to go on record because I, I hesitate to recommend playing around with bobbin tension just because, in my experience, I’ve had, like, the sewing machine dealers that I’ve dealt with, tell me, like, never touch the bobbin. And, you know, I’ve heard it from people before. So I would love the community feedback on this.

Helen: Me, too.

Caroline: I think we could, you know, have a little bit of a discussion about this. Personally, I mean, I also touch my bobbin tension, and I adjust the screw, and I always feel a little bit bad when I’m doing it, but it works. So I want to know from you guys, do you touch your bobbin tension? Is it a big no-no for you? What is your experience been like? Let us know. We’ll have a little bit of a discussion. Maybe we’ll update you guys on a future episode.

Helen: Yeah, and we also have an article from Threads magazine, uh, talking a bit about this tension and with diagrams of the bobbin, so if you want a little bit more information or if my convoluted explanation, wasn’t clear, you can go and check out the article in the show notes to learn a bit more.

Caroline: Some bobbin cases have a little piece sticking out with a hole in it that you can actually thread your thread through, and that helps with the tension as well.

Helen: Oh.

Caroline: Yeah, so that’s one of the things that you can experiment with if you’re too afraid to touch the screw.

Helen: Every machine is different, so it’s true that we don’t want to be encouraging people to do things that might damage their machines. But I like to live on the edge.

Caroline: There we go.

Helen: Lastly, I have one final recommendation because my machine doesn’t have a buttonhole feature. Um, a lot of modern machines now will make buttonholes for you, but my machine doesn’t have that. So rather than doing it manually, I have a vintage button holer, and I’ve shared a bit about this on my Instagram before. It attaches to low shank sewing machines. Mine is a singer brand vintage button holer.

Attaches to a low shank sewing machine which means that the, uh, foot of your sewing machine, instead of being long is short. It attaches there, and then disengage your feed dogs, and the button holer does all the work. It makes flawless buttonholes every time. So if you do have a low shank sewing machine, and you think that this button holer might actually work for your machine, I would recommend investing in one. They’re not that expensive. You can buy them on eBay.

Caroline: Okay. Pressing.

Helen: We can’t press enough. Oh, sorry. We can’t stress enough the importance of good pressing.

Caroline: Good one. Uh, but it’s true. We can’t stress the importance of pressing enough. You have already got the basics if you’re sewing right now. So you want to press up and down and not dragging the iron side to side. You want to use the right heat for your fabric, but what else can you do in terms of pressing to up your sewing game?

Helen: So there are three elements involved with pressing there’s heat and moisture and pressure. So when you’re working with your iron, you always want to be aware, like you said, that the heat is at the right temperature for your fabric. And if you’re going to use moisture, you want to make sure that the fabric you’re using is not going to stain with that moisture. So it’s good to always do a test before you start pressing your projects. And another thing you can do is to use a press cloth.

Caroline: So a press cloth is a piece of fabric that you’re using to protect your project. So you can get press cloths at your local sewing shop, or you can get them online. A lot of the time they’re made out of silk organza because silk can take very, very high heat and organza is sheer, so you can have this press cloth that you use for any project and you can see through it so you can see what you’re working with.

You can also just use a scrap of muslin fabric or a cotton fabric that you have in your stash as a press cloth, and just use pinking shears or a serger to finish the edge so that it doesn’t fray. This is a really great protective layer between your hot iron and your fabric in your finished garment.

Some fabrics, they won’t necessarily stand from water or from steam, but they’ll just stain from heat or they’ll discolour or the finishing on the fabric will change. Maybe they’ll get a little bit shiny or a little bit matte or suede-y. I’ve seen everything, you know, it’s amazing what heat will do to fabric.

So you always want to do tests on scraps of fabric, like we said, it’s so, so important to do some tests, especially if you’re using a new kind of fabric that you’ve never worked with before and learn what settings you want to use on your iron for that particular fabric. And the safest thing to do is just use a press cloth so that you’re sure that you are protecting your garment.

Helen: Yeah, I love a sheer press cloth because you can see through it so you can still see what you’re doing, but the benefit of a cotton press cloth is that if you want to use more moisture in your pressing, you can actually dampen that cloth and then press on that cloth.

Caroline: And you also want to press on the wrong side of your garment. Again, it just, kind of, protects the right side of your fabric so that if you do have a little oops moment and use too much heat, or, you know, the fabric discolours a little bit or changes a little bit with the heat, you know that you’re not doing it on the right side.

Helen: Yes, and after you finish pressing seams, it’s a really good idea to apply some more pressure. So take your iron off and then apply pressure to that seam using your fingers or a tool like a tailors clapper. This is going to help to set the seam and get a really clean press.

Caroline: Yeah. That makes a big difference.

Helen: It does. Okay. There’s also a few ironing tools. You might already have something like a tailor’s ham or a sleeve roll, um, or even a sleeve board. These are all pretty common, uh, home sewist tools to have, but I found a couple more that I had never heard of. So a needle board is a tool that you can use to help protect fabrics, like velvet, or to protect appliqués that you’ve made or even for pressing your hems and pressing your darts because you don’t want the seams to show after you’ve pressed it.

So a needle board is basically like a miniature bed of nails. So if you can imagine you have this small board that you put on top of your ironing board, and then it has all of these little needles pointing up, and then you put your velvet or your appliqué down on top with, you know, the nap of the velvet facing down, and then you press on the wrong side of your project, and that just helps to not flatten whatever it is that you’re trying to protect.

Caroline: Yeah, because if you’re with velvet or if you’re ironing something that has a beautiful appliquét on it, you don’t want to crush it cause that is really going to affect the look of the garment from the right side. So this needle board is giving those, um, fabrics or appliqué’s room to, kind of, breathe underneath, and you’re ironing from the wrong side, so you’re safer that way.

Helen: Yeah, it’s a cool tool. I wanna get one.

Caroline: Sounds a little dangerous to me, but…

Helen: Tiny bed of nails.

Caroline: …I’ll trust you on that.

Helen: Okay. The next tool that I discovered is called a seam stick. Have you ever pressed a seam open or to the side and then turn your garment right side out and saw that there was, like, a line from where you pressed it?

Caroline: Yes, I have.

Helen: It’s annoying, right?

Caroline: It is.

Helen: So a seam stick is a little piece of wood that tapers up to a point on the top, and you lay your seam along the point, and then you press. So you’re just pressing that, that part where the seam just opens, and you’re not actually pressing the edges, the seam allowance of the seam onto your fabric, which is what creates those lines on the right side.

Caroline: That makes a lot of sense. We’ll see if we can get some links and pictures, maybe, to put it in the show notes, so you can visualise what we’re talking about.

Helen: Absolutely.

Caroline: And you can also use your iron to shrink fabric. If you’re working with an area that you need to fit into a slightly smaller space in your garment, then using steam or heat is going to help to shrink that up. For example, a sleeve cap. You apply dampness using a sponge, or maybe a wet press cloth, steam, and press with the iron, and it’s magic.

Helen: Yeah, fabric can really change with heat and moisture. You can even, in some cases, in Claire Schaefer’s book, she was talking about working with wools and wools are particularly susceptible to these kinds of techniques. So you can even go to the point where you’re eliminating a dart by shrinking the fabric in a certain area, and professional tailors do use these techniques.

Caroline: That is really cool. Now I will say shrinking a fabric with steam is not going to work with synthetic fibres. You’re going to want to look at this for natural fibres.

Helen: Great point.

Caroline: Alright, hand sewing. Helen, you are, like, a hand sewing spokesperson.

Helen: Spreading the word and getting faxed wrong all the time. No, I did have so much fun at camp learning hand sewing, and I just feel like it made a big difference in my sewing practice. I took that course because I didn’t know much about hand sewing because I was always putting it off or not bothering and just doing the machine finish instead of the hand sewing finish cause it’s so much faster, but I’ve learned that hand sewing is really fun, and it makes such a beautiful effect on your garments. It really does take them to the next level.

So I want to talk about some applications for hand sewing and some types of stitches that you guys can look into if you’re interested in applying some hand sewing. So the first one is a hand sewn hem. You can use a blind slip stitch or a catch stitch to sew a hand sewn hem.

Caroline: So when I’m sewing, for example, a skirt, like, an a line skirt and I want to press up the hem, sometimes you have that extra bunching of fabric that’s really hard to deal with. And if I’m a beginner or if I’m just, you know, trying to up my sewing game, there’s definitely ways to improve on that and make it a little bit easier to hem those a line skirts or tops.

Helen: Yeah, I have experienced this. If you put that through a machine, even after pressing it, and you think you’ve, kind of, got that extra bit of fabric distributed well. If you run it through a machine, you might notice that afterwards you have these diagonal lines that go along, and it doesn’t look very good. It’s, kind of, wrinkly on the inside. And even the outside gets a little sh-, shifted out of place, and it’s not the best, right?

But we’re working with more fabric when we turn something curved to the inside. We have more fabric on the inside, so we need to distribute that fabric, and hand sewing allows you to have so much more control with these things. So you can press up your hem and then pin it, distributing all of that excess evenly as you go. So you’re gonna have little wrinkles between each of your pins. Then, you’re going to base stitch your hem on. I know there’s a lot of steps. It will be worth it. And then once you’ve baste stitched it in place, you can do a blind slip stitch or a catch ditch to help hold it in place.

And your wrinkles will be evenly distributed, and that’s okay. You are going to have excess fabric, or you can try to ease it in with steam. We talked about steam shrinking. You want to make sure that you’re evenly distributing things so that you get that nice, beautiful finish.

Caroline: Yeah, that control is key because, like you said, even if you have put lots of pins or even basted it, sometimes when you put that hem through the machine, the machine has a mind of its own, and things just move, and you can’t control it, and it can be really overwhelming, and in the end, you’re going to end up unpicking that seam. So if you do it the hand sewing route from the beginning, then you’re, maybe, even saving a little bit of time cause you’re avoiding that unpicking.

Another thing that you can do with hems is hand sew a basting stitch along the edge and then gather it a little bit to help yourself, um, kind of, distribute that excess fabric. And then you can put it through a machine or hand sew with a catch ditch or a blind stitch, like you mentioned. So those different hand sewing techniques really help with hems.

Helen: The other place that I’ve been using hand sewing is to do my cuffs and collars on my button up shirts, on my Roscoe Dress, my True Bias Roscoe Dress, I did the bias finish on the cuff and on the collar by hand, and it made a huge difference. You’ve probably encountered the term stitch in the ditch in patterns before, and that is trying to stitch in the ditch on the outside, the ditch of the seam, and then catch some fabric on the inside at the same time. It’s nearly impossible to do this and get it perfect. I’ve never done it and gotten it perfect. There’s always some wobbliness on the inside, and sure, people don’t really see that, but if you do it by hand, it’s a lot less stressful. It takes just slightly longer, and it looks so much better. So I think next time you see a stitch in the ditch, consider hand sewing.

Caroline: With stitch in the ditch, what works for me is a hand basting it in place before I actually put it through the machine.

Helen: Yeah, this comes back to that control factor, right? Hand basting is such a great tool to have in your arsenal when you’re doing things like stitch in the ditch, when you’re doing things like zippers, even putting in sleeves, actually, is a great place to do hand basting. You get it in there, and then you sew the final line of stitching.

And with zippers, not only can you hand baste them initially, you can sew the entire thing in by hand. You can hand pick your zipper. So if you look up handpicking zippers, you can get some more information about how to do this. It’s a beautiful finish. You just have a little bit of picking which is tiny little points, uh, where you can see the thread, and you can get decorative with that if you want. It’s just a nice extra detail.

Caroline: It’s a beautiful finish. One of my favourite dresses, it’s a dress that I made for my sister’s wedding. I can put a picture of it in the show notes. I handpicked the zipper on that dress, and I also put a waist stay in, and those two details made the fit so much better. And it was just a really nice way to work with the delicate fabric that I was using. So those little details can really take things to another level, and you won’t really understand what that means until you try it, but we really encourage you to try some of these new techniques out.

Helen: The next thing you can do with hand sewing is underlining. I have an article that I’m going to link in the show notes that is by the lovely Brooks Ann Camper. It’s about underlining garments. So underlining is different from lining. Lining is a separate piece of, or a separate garment on the inside of your garment. Underlining is where you reinforce the fabric that you’re using by attaching another piece of fabric to it.

And a really great way to attach two pieces of fabric together is by hand using a running stitch. It doesn’t take that long. It gives you a lot more accuracy. If you try and sew two pieces of fabric together on your machine, you’re going to get a little bit of shifting, maybe a little bit of bubbling after your finish. Hand sewing, again, just offers you that extra level of control.

Caroline: Yeah. and if you’re having trouble visualising the difference between underlining and lining, I like to think of it as lining, you’re working with a shell and a lining. They’re two separate pieces, like you said, almost, like, two separate garments. When you’re underlining, you’re attaching each individual pattern piece to a lining, and you’re treating it as one piece. So when you attach them together, you’re just pretending that that’s one piece.

Helen: Yeah, and it’s really helpful if you want to work with a fabric that’s more sheer, you can underline. If you want to give a fabric some more structure, if it’s, like, very, very lightweight, but you want to make a more structured dress out of it, underlining is a great way to do that.

The next place where you can practice hand sewing is understitching. You’ve probably done some understitching before, whether it’s doing a bias binding or understitching on a facing, and you can use a pick stitch to understitch instead of your machine. And again, more control, more accuracy, and a more beautiful finish.

Caroline: Another thing you can do is a rolled hem, so we talked about that a little bit earlier, for the more delicate fabrics doing a nice little rolled hem is really fun. It’s a really beautiful finish.

Helen: And lastly, decorative top stitching. Of course, once you get into hand sewing, or maybe you’re into embroidery, you can use those skills to apply your own designs to the outside of your fabric using thread or using embroidery floss and make it your own.

Caroline: One thing I love about this whole hand sewing thing is that you can do it when you’re hanging out with your family, sitting in front of the TV. I think sewing can be a little bit isolating in the sense that we have to be sitting at our sewing machines and, you know, kind of, puttering along. And it’s not as much of a interactive thing where you can hang out with other people while you’re doing it. Um, but hand sewing is, kind of, giving you the opportunity to be in a more social setting while you’re sewing.

Helen: Yeah, and the opportunity to slow down. If you’re looking to slow down a bit with your sewing, then hand sewing a garment, a whole garment is not that out of reach. You just use a back stitch instead of a machine stitch, and then you’re good to go.

Along the hand sewing vein, we have some couture sewing techniques. These were again pulled from the book by Claire Shaeffer, Couture Sewing Techniques. Um, it’s a great book. It has lots of great information in it. One thing you can do is adding a horsehair braid or a Petersham ribbon to your hems.

So both horse hair and Petersham, uh, give more structure to hems. So after you’ve sewn them in, they have this beautiful movement to them. They, kind of, stick out a bit. You can get more shape out of your hems. They’re used a lot in dressmaking, and they’re really fun to put in.

Caroline: Yeah, the horsehair braid is going to give you more structure if you’re looking at those two options, and a Petersham ribbon is going to be a little bit more of a soft stiffness, if that makes sense.

Helen: Yeah, absolutely.

Caroline: You can also use grosgrain ribbon to make a waist stay in your garment. So a waist stay is basically a ribbon that’s going to go around your waist. If you’ve ever had a zipper closure on a dress or a top, where around the waist, where there’s that tension, it, sort of, opens up a little bit, and it doesn’t lay nice and flat. So a waist stay is going to be a little bit smaller than your actual waist measurement in the dress. So it’s pulling that dress in, and you can hand sew that into the waistline. and it’s just going to make it so that the zipper doesn’t gape or look weird at the back.

Helen: Yeah or potentially break even. If you have a really fitted dress, that’s a lot of pressure, especially if you’re sitting down then standing up or bending over. You’re applying a lot of pressure to that one point in the back, so a waist stay can really save you here.

Caroline: And then another couture sewing technique would be sewing with lace.

Helen: Yeah, try making a more formal gown, perhaps, maybe you have visions of making a wedding dress. You can experiment working with lace. Lace is something that you are going to want to probably apply some hand sewing techniques to to join two pieces of lace together seamlessly. Um, that can be a fun little puzzle or adding boning to a project. This is a really fun way to really level up your sewing.

Caroline: Yeah, and add structure, right? Boning is going to give, let’s say you bone a bodice, it’s going to give a lot of structure to the garment, so it can almost stand up on its own. So if you’re a little bit bustier, that can be a really nice way to give the top of your garment some more, um, heft so that you feel more supported. Alright, so another skill that you can practice is altering your patterns.

Helen: Yeah, this is not as hard as it might sound. If you don’t like the sleeve of the dress pattern or shirt pattern, you can just change it. Try modifying pattern pieces, using basic pattern alterations. One book that I’ve used for this is the Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear book. This is the book that’s recommended with the Pattern Workshop Course by Lauren Dahl.

And the book goes through how to draft patterns, and then it also has lots of diagrams for how to take those blocks that you draft and make basic alterations to make different shapes. So turning a regular sleeve into, like, a flutter sleeve or a butterfly sleeve, or, you know, turning a shift dress into an a line dress. These alterations are not that difficult. So if you have, you know, a set of patterns from a designer that you really like, you can probably take all of those patterns and make hundreds of more options for yourself.

Caroline: And you can also add your own details, right? You can add pockets. You can, you know, add a zipper guard or really anything that you can imagine, you can add it to your garment. This is a good time to maybe look at some ready to wear garments that you really love, and maybe copy some details from there to get your ideas flowing.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: The possibilities are endless.

Helen: Mash two patterns together. I’ve done this a few times. It’s really fun. You can take the top half of one dress with the skirt of another. That’s an easy one. Uh, you can take sleeves. It’s a little tricky around the armscye. You might want to take the top half of a sleeve and add maybe a cuff that you really like from a different pattern. You can switch out collars. You know, do a hidden placket instead of an open placket. There’s lots of different ways that you can mash up patterns. You probably have more options than you think in your collection that you already own, and you can take elements and mix them together.

Caroline: The last skill that we wanted to touch on is pattern drafting. So if you have maybe dipped your toes into pattern alteration and you’re ready to try actually drafting a pattern, there are some classes out there. There’s a Craftsy class with Suzy Furrer that we’ve heard some great things about, so that might be a good place to start.

Helen: Yeah, I’ve actually taken that class, and it’s really fun. She walks you through taking all of your body measurements, figuring out how to draft your block for your body, and then she has a series of classes after that that will help you to make your own pants, your own skirts, your own tops, different necklines, different sleeves. She has a whole series on it, so if you’re interested in making something that’s perfectly fitted to you, then I would recommend that series.

Caroline: So we mentioned this a little bit at the top of the show, but one way that you can up your sewing game is to try to improve the quality of your work. Slow down. Maybe look at some of the past mistakes that you’ve made or things in your handmade garments that have bothered you. Make mental notes of where you can improve next time and really try to apply those notes to your future projects.

Helen: Yeah. Maybe you have a notebook dedicated to sewing notes about projects where you can write down immediately after you finish a project what you did right, what you did wrong, some notes for next time, and then before you sit down for your next project, you can just review.

Caroline: And just slow down and enjoy the process. I know as sewists, it can feel, like, so overwhelming. You just want to make all the things. We’ve talked about this so much on the show, but slowing down is so valuable. Enjoying the process; it’s really worth it to just, kind of, take your time with things. And finally, we wrote down: invest in higher quality materials. So if you want to improve the quality of your work, starting from picking out quality materials is a really good way to go.

Helen: So we have some ideas for challenging projects in case you’re wondering, what can I do for my next project if I want to challenge myself?

Caroline: Yes, so tailoring is a great way to challenge yourself. Make a coat. Make a blazer. So some tailoring techniques that you might want to explore are pad stitching, adding horse hair canvas to your garment to give it a little bit more stability and structure, bound buttonholes. We didn’t talk about this earlier when we were talking about buttonholes, but this is a great technique to try out with a coat or a blazer. A backstay is another technique that you can use in tailoring, and tailoring is also an opportunity for you to practice lining a garment and get a little bit better at that technique.

Helen: Next, you might want to make your first button up shirt. I know there’s a lot of sewists out there that want to make a button up shirt, but they’re a little bit scared. It’s really not that hard. The hardest part is the collar, and you will get through it. You can always do a test, and this skill is really going to be something that’s going to take you places because it’s really going to inspire you as to what’s possible in your dressmaking. I can remember when I finished my first button up shirt, and I was like, wow. I made a button up shirt.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s really satisfying. Also, a lot of the time button ups are with cotton, so cotton is really fun to work with. It really cooperates. So working with a nice stable fabric and, you know, focusing on those techniques and those details in shirt making is really satisfying.

Helen: Yeah, and I want to remind you again that you don’t have to wrangle these delicate, intricate pieces through your sewing machine. Try hand sewing, even as a beginner. It will help you to have more control over these areas.

Caroline: Mhm. The next idea we have is jeans making.

Helen: Of course.

Caroline: I love making jeans. Again, it’s so satisfying. You’re working with these fabrics that have a nice structure. They sew really beautifully. Don’t be intimidated by jeans making. You can do it. Listen to our episode with Heather Lou, if you’re feeling intimidated, if you want a little pep talk, but that’s a great way to, kind of, dip your toes into some more, more advanced techniques.

Helen: Yes, for sure. And another one is swimsuit making. We’ve both made a couple of swimsuits, and I wear my handmade swimsuit every time I go swimming. And it’s my favourite thing, it fits so much better than any ready to wear swim suit I’ve ever tried on because they’re terrible because they just do not accommodate my shape. And, I like, you know, a bit more butt coverage than is popular in swimsuits right now. So it’s nice to be able to have control over these things. And sewing swimwear is not that hard either.

Caroline: Yeah, and in a similar vein, bra making, underwear making, lingerie making, those are all really fun garments to make. And you can use scraps of fabric; they don’t take up a lot of fabric. So it’s really great to challenge yourself with bra making if you are interested in making your own undergarments.

Helen: Another thing you can try is a special occasion dress. Again, this is an opportunity for you to try lining a dress. It’s an opportunity for you to try working with a beautiful fabric, maybe a bit more delicate fabric, and an opportunity to slow down a bit with your sewing and really make something that you will cherish.

Caroline: Knits are another great way to challenge yourself with a new project. Sewists begin, often, with working with quilting cotton or easier to work with fabrics. Knits can be intimidating, but they are really fun to sew. I’m going to plug Helen’s Blackwood Cardigan here cause it’s a really popular pattern, and it’s a really fun to sew, and it’s a great intro to knits. So, um, definitely try sewing with knits.

The nice thing about knits, too, is that we wear knits a lot. I personally love wearing knits more than anything. So when you dip your toes into sewing knits, it can be, kind of, addictive because you realise like, oh, I can make my own comfy t-shirts and leggings. And then that’s all you want to make, like me.

Helen: Yeah. I have a lot of comfy t-shirts. Um, next step, a couple of specific skills you can try is maybe applying some detail, like piping. The Carolyn Pajamas for Closet Case Patterns, they have a piping detail to them, and I think that’s really fun. And welt pockets. If you want to try a more complicated pocket, you can do a welt single or a double welt pocket.

Caroline: Ooh, I love welt pockets.

Helen: Me, too. They’re so pretty.

Caroline: They’re scary cause you have to slice into your fabric to make them, but they’re very satisfying.

Helen: It’s an adrenaline rush though.

Caroline: Until it doesn’t work. But you can do it.

Helen: You can do it.

Caroline: So, one of the questions we got a lot, uh, in our survey was how do I gear up for an intimidating project? And we thought this would be a great way to wrap up the show today. Let’s give our listeners some tips for how to get themselves ready and motivated to tackle something that feels unsurmountable.

Helen: The first thing I think people should do is to gather resources. So once you have the pattern, you’ve looked at the instructions, you know, the techniques involved, go and research those techniques, the ones that really scare you. For a button up shirt, for example, if you’re afraid of that little collar section, that looks, kind of, intimidating. Just research different ways to apply collars. There’s different methods. You’re going to see lots of different people doing it. It’s going to make it seem less scary once you see a whole bunch of people doing it.

Caroline: If you’re working with indie patterns, a lot of pattern designers have sew alongs, so they might not advertise that in the actual pattern booklet, but if you go on their blog or if you do some Googling, you might find a sew along for the specific pattern that you’re making, or you might find a sew along for a similar pattern, and that’ll help you have that visual guide through those more difficult steps.

Helen: And study the instructions. I take my pattern instructions to bed with me, and I like to read them as little bedtime reading. I’m a sewing dork, you guys.

Caroline: It’s adorable.

Helen: But I like to study the instructions before I make the pattern, so I’m well aware of all the steps involved, and also, it’s just fun because when you can’t actually be sewing, you can at least be reading about sewing.

Caroline: Nice.

Helen: I feel like you’re laughing at me.

Caroline: So the next step that we have is practice. You want to practice if you’re feeling afraid or intimidated by a certain step or a technique, practice, practice practice. When I was in college studying fashion design, before we would make a garment, we would always practice with muslin or scrap fabric many, many times before we actually executed the final garment. So don’t be afraid to grab some scrap fabric. We always have those scraps after we cut out a project, you know, those little squares. You can work with those extra scraps to do some tests so that you feel more ready and prepared to tackle the big thing that you’re worried about.

Helen: Yeah, lower the stakes, right? It doesn’t all have to be such high pressure. If you’re doing a test on some scrap fabric, there’s no pressure. And you can be all willy nilly with it.

Caroline: Trying out a technique gives you that muscle memory. It makes it feel a little bit easier when you’re going to do the real thing because you’ve done it already and it’s not so bad, you know?

Helen: Along the same vein, if you’re worried about fit or if you just want to try out all the techniques involved in the pattern, making a test version is an excellent way to, again, lower the stakes involved, right? You have your beautiful fabric. Set that aside. Grab some not so beautiful fabric, an old sheet or something if you have it, and use that to make a test version of your garment.

Caroline: Yeah, I love that you wrote this down.

Helen: The last thing.

Caroline: Ignore the warnings.

Helen: Ignorance is bliss. I mean, Aiden Owen was talking about this. You know, he was tackling things that perhaps would have been considered intimidating or considered advanced because he didn’t know that they were intimidating or that they were advanced. And sometimes ignorance is bliss in this situation. You don’t need to listen to every person that says sewing with knits is hard. Sewing with knits is not hard. It’s actually pretty easy.

Caroline: At the end of the day, sewing in general is pretty low stakes, I think. You know, we’re doing this as a hobby. We’re doing it for fun. It’s not life or death. It’s sewing, it’s our hobby, and we love it. So just approach it with a little bit of playfulness, and don’t be afraid to fail. That is how you learn. And we are here for you. You can do it.

Helen: You can do it.
Caroline: That’s it for this Love to Sew Favourite. We’ll be back in March with our new season. You can find me Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com.

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

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

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you soon.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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Episode 38: Me-Made-May with Zoe Edwards

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 04:00:42 +0000

Zoe Edwards, the creator of Me-Made-May, is on the podcast! We talk about sewing for kids, sustainability, and a decade of blogging. We also cover everything you need to know about the Me-Made-May challenge!

Zoe’s blog: So, Zo… What do you know?
Traid
Zoe’s sewing patterns
- Free patterns – undies, camisole
- Dolores Batwing
- Anya Shoulder Bag
- Maternity Camisole
- Dolores Maternity Dress

Maternity patterns:
Sewing for kids:
- Brindille & Twig patterns
- Oliver and S patterns
Blog post: My Favourite Free Children’s Sewing Patterns

Blog post: Independent Children’s Sewing Pattern Companies, Part 1, Investigates: Independent Children’s Sewing Pattern Companies, Part 2
MakeShift project by Natalie Purschwitz
Me-Made-May:
- Read more about the challenge here
- Comment on this post with your pledge (optional!)
- Use the hashtag #MMMay18
- Browse last year’s hashtag! #MMMay17

Follow Zoe! Blog: So, Zo… What do you know?, Instagram: @sozoblog

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 39: Cultivating a Stylish Wardrobe with Erica Bunker

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 01 May 2018 04:00:47 +0000

Erica Bunker joins us to talk about cultivating a stylish wardrobe. We cover exploring your personal style, looking past the pattern envelope, and how to take awesome photos of your makes. Erica is always pushing the boundaries of sewing with her bold fashion choices and couture finishes.

Erica’s Blog – www.ericabunker.com
Erica’s activewear

Erica’s yellow top

Erica’s Couture ‘Chanel’ Jacket

Fit For Real People book
Fast Fit by Sandra Betzina
Shop Style – Shopstyle.com
Net-A-Porter – net-a-porter.com
Tracy Reese Patterns for Vogue
Erica’s favourite pattern right now – Vogue 9181 pants

Vogue 9312 (with the cute cut-out)

Erica’s McCalls paperbag shorts

“Happiness is a choice. It really and truly is. You can be sad, or you can get up and decide to live the best life you can live.”

Follow Erica! Blog: Erica Bunker, DIY Style, Instagram: @ericabunker,

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 40: Our Very Special Mothers

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 08 May 2018 04:00:14 +0000

Our mothers join us on the show for this very special episode! We chat about what we were like as kids, the history of sewing in our families, and what our moms think of the sewing community today. These women helped shape who we are and we are so excited to introduce them to you!

Support us on Patreon!
Fiskers arthritis friendly shears
Spool of Thread Vancouver
Me Made May – Zoe Edwards’ Episode
Silvana and her mother at the sewing machine:

Caroline as Jasmine and Anthony as a Power Ranger for Hallowe’en:

Caroline working on her grad project:

Silvana helps Caroline with her business, like the cone mills denim pre-order:

Caroline’s Skill Share class
Wendy working on her pottery:

A handmade outfit that Wendy made:

A quilt that Wendy made:

McCalls kids Hallowe’en pattern:

Helen and her dad on Hallowe’en:

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 41: Inspiring Others to Sew with Tilly Walnes

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 15 May 2018 04:00:30 +0000

Tilly Walnes from Tilly and the Buttons joins us to chat about her sewing patterns, personal style, and how she balances running a business with being a new mum. We also get all the details about her latest book, Stretch!

Tilly on The Great British Sewing Bee

Source: www.thepatchworkquill.com

Sewing tutorials on Tilly’s blog
Closet Case Patterns Carolyn Pajamas
New Tilly and the Buttons Book Release!! Stretch – comfortable, wearable clothes in knit fabrics. Featuring the Rosie Dress on the cover!

Tilly’s first book: Love at first Stitch

Tilly and the Buttons online sewing workshops
Tilly’s girl-crush: Rosabella Angelica

Knit fabrics in Tilly’s shop
Freya Top Pattern
Abby Glassenberg’s While She Naps Blog and Podcast

Follow Tilly! Shop: Tilly and the Buttons, Blog: Tilly and the Buttons, Instagram: TillyButtons, Twitter: TillyButtons, Pinterest: TillyButtons, Facebook: /TillyAndTheButtons, Bloglovin, RSS

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 42: Sustainability and Sewing Part 2

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 22 May 2018 04:00:53 +0000

We hear from the sewing community about ways we can be more sustainable in our sewing practice. We discuss favourite scrap-busters, eco-friendly options for fabric and yarns, and organizations and initiatives making a difference in our community.

We’re going to Quebec! Come chat about clothes at the Love to Sew Montreal Meet-up!

Location: La Fontaine Park, Montreal (Exact location in the park will be announced in the Facebook Event Group and on Instagram on the day)
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2018
Time: 12:00–17:00 EDT

We are hoping for good weather so that we can set up near the water, have a picnic, and hang out for the afternoon.
Come when you please, bring your own snacks and beverages, and wear your handmades (if you want) so we can feel them up!

Email hello@lovetosewpodcast.com if you have any questions!

More Organic Cotton Fabrics at Blackbird Fabrics!

Suggestions from the community to use those Fabric Scraps!

Make hair ties and scrunchies for yourself or kids using scraps of knit fabrics
Use scraps as wrapping paper. This is especially popular when giving gifts to other sewists!
Create rags or washable napkins
Make a Scrap Quilt! Carolyn Friedlander has the adorable Shirts Quilt Pattern that will let you use a ton of different fabric scraps

Make pet quilts for charity (and to keep our furry friends comfy.) Check out TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team to find out more information and join the team!
Make bias tape for your next project
Use it for inseam pockets or pocket lining to add an extra secret print or splash or colour!
Donate your cotton scraps to local quilting clubs
Make P.J.s for kids!
Shauni from The Magnificent Thread has a new sustainable sewing challenge, #sewingleftovers
Great Patterns for Scrap-busters:
- #geodesicsweatshirt by Blueprints for Sewing
- #gemmasweater by Named Clothing
- #kabukitee by Paper Theory
- #mnkarri dress by Megan Nielsen
Check out Helen’s Indie, Darling roundup about colour blocking to use up those scraps!

Check out Clothing Care Co. for excellent advice on how to extend the life of your beloved makes!
Make mending chic with Japanese Boro!

Source: www.heddels.com

Use Michelle’s amazing Stash Shrinker tool to make sure your purchases stay true to your consumption needs. Best of all, it doesn’t need you to inventory your stash or start a complete fabric buying ban!!
Learn your textile standards:
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX
PureWash yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts
Topsy Farms in Ontario is producing a beautiful natural wool
Learn more about the environmental impact of Rayon and Bamboo textile production in this article by The Good Trade and the sustainable alternatives such as Tencel by Lenzing
Help prevent polyester micro-fibres from entering the water system by using a Cora Ball in your laundry

Get involved with the global Boomerang Bags community!
Our Social Fabric is a textile recycling initiative in Vancouver that we LOVE!
Blackbird Fabrics uses FabCycle to recycle fabric scraps
New Yorkers can recycle their fabric scraps with FABSCRAP
Coming soon! Frade – The Fibre Trade

Resources

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline
Still No Brakes on Fast Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline
Made in Sri Lanka looks to uncover the human cost behind mass-production.

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 43: You Can Hack It

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 29 May 2018 04:00:04 +0000

This week we break down our favourite simple and advanced hacks that will let you get the most mileage out of your patterns! Everything you need to know, from must-have hacking tools to how to mix your favourite patterns. You can hack it!

Tag your old & new hacks with #youcanhackit!

The York Pinafore is a playful addition to your handmade wardrobe. It is easy to layer over tank tops for summer or turtlenecks and leggings for colder weather. The York Pinafore is a modern take on a classic pinafore dress with a cocoon shape and two views.

We’re going to Quebec! Come chat about clothes at the Love to Sew Montreal Meet-up!

Location: La Fontaine Park, Montreal (Exact location in the park will be announced in the Facebook Event Group and on Instagram on the day)
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2018
Time: 12:00–17:00 EDT

Email hello@lovetosewpodcast.com if you have any questions!

New Cashmerette Ipswich Swimsuit

Swimsuit fabrics in the Blackbird shop!

Looking for pattern hacking inspiration? In Episode 39: Cultivating a Stylish Wardrobe with Erica Bunker, we discussed going to online retailers to look for trendy details to add to existing patterns in your collection. Some of our favourites:

It Has Pockets pin – discovered via Like Sew Amazing, these pins are made by Pink Coat Club!

How to Make Single Welt Pockets from Workroom Social
Patch Pockets! Coco Top + Dress from Tilly and The Buttons
How to move bust darts tutorial from Megan Nielsen
The Southport Dress by True Bias easily becomes a Southport tank!
Katie’s Alder Shirtdress Hack with a V-neck

Ogden Cami with a gathered bottom

Caroline has a life-long love affair with the Mandy Boat Tee by Tessuti. Some hacks that she has done with it: extra length and an added side slit, or slash and spread for a more relaxed fit.
How to Sew a Split Hem Blackwood Cardigan

Add a cuff to the Nikko Top from True Bias
Knit version of the Southport Dress by True Bias

Woven Version of the Hudson Pant by True Bias

Off the Shoulder hack of the Roscoe Blouse and Dress by True Bias

Add a Thumbhole! How to Sew Cuffs with Thumbholes: A Blackwood Cardigan Hack

Add seams to do colour blocking or add other fabrics! Helen hacked a version of the Seamwork Kenedy.

Mixing and matching patterns in Boundless Style by Kristiann Boos

Southport / Hudson Jumpsuit Tutorial by True Bias
Caroline’s “South Runway” pattern mashup! Easy Short Sleeved Kimono Dress by Pattern Runway and Southport Dress by True Bias

Helen’s “Lanari/Inark” pattern mashup! Inari Tee by Named and Lark Tee by Grainline Studio

Seamwork Magazine’s Block Paper Scissors
Winslow Culottes Hack Series on Helen’s Closet
Tag your old & new hacks with #youcanhackit!

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 44: Inclusivity and Representation with Erin Weisbart

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 04:00:58 +0000

Erin Weisbart joins us to talk about inclusivity, representation, self-love, and self-expression! We learn more about the work Erin is doing with Tuesday Stitches to make the sewing community more inclusive. We also hear about her new project, Maternity Sewing, launching soon!

Erin’s site – Tuesday Stitches
Check out the sewalongs on Tuesday Stitches for information on how to fit the patterns for a variety of people’s bodies!
The Tropo camisole with variant necklines!!

The Ultraviolet tee

Laminaria Swimsuit

Cute and inclusive illustrated pattern covers!

Maternity Sewing coming soon!! Erin has teamed up with Lisa from Paprika Patterns to create a source for maternity-specific and maternity-friendly patterns with 5% of profits going to Every Mother Counts!

We’re going to Quebec! Come chat about clothes at the Love to Sew Montreal Meet-up!

Location: La Fontaine Park, Montreal (Exact location in the park will be announced in the Facebook Event Group and on Instagram on the day)
Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2018
Time: 12:00–17:00 EDT

Email hello@lovetosewpodcast.com if you have any questions!

Follow Erin! Blog: Tuesday Stiches, Instagram: @tuesdaystitches

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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

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Episode 45: MyBodyModel with Erica Schmitz

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 04:00:53 +0000

Erica Schmitz joins us on the show to talk about MyBodyModel, a web app that generates custom, body-positive croquis based on your own measurements. Erica takes us on her journey, from her first ideas and focus-testing to running her successful Kickstarter campaign. Today is launch day and we can’t wait to share this app with you!

Check out the MyBodyModel site and find it on social media here:

Instagram: @mybodymodel
Tag your sketches with #mybodymodel
Facebook: /mybodymodel
Twitter: @mybodymodel
Youtube: MyBodyModel

Follow Erica’s personal makes @stitchinschmitz
MyBodyModel Kickstarter Project

Example of fashion croquis proportions

Source: https://dctdesigns.com/tag/9-head-figure/

Maine Technology Seed Grant Program
Maine Startups Insider Article on Erica and MyBodyModel

Source: http://mainestartupsinsider.com/mybodymodel-wins-top-gun-2018/

Tag your sketches with #mybodymodel

Follow Erica! MyBodyModel, Instagram:@stitchinschmitz

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 46: Building an Empire with Lisa Comfort

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 04:00:25 +0000

Lisa Comfort tells the story of Sew Over It, her online and in-person sewing shop. Lisa sells patterns, fabrics, classes, and more! She started small and has grown her business into one of the biggest indie sewing companies in the world.

Follow Sew Over It
- Website
- Instagram: @sewoveritlondon
- Pinterest: /wearesewoverit
- Youtube: Sew Over It
- Twitter: @sewoverit
- Facebook: @sewoveritlondon
Follow Lisa Comfort
- Website
- Instagram: @lisacomfort
- Pinterest: /LisaComfortUK
- YouTube: Lisa Comfort
- Facebook: @lisacomfortUK
London College of Fashion
Bruce Oldfield’s Couture House

Sew Over It Shops
- Clapham
- Islington

Lisa Comfort Magazine

Mollie Makes Magazine
Sew Over It Patterns
The Betty Dress (Helen’s Favourite) and the iconic wall!

Sew Over it Fabrics

Sew Over it Sewing Cafe

Lisa Comfort Books

Source: https://fabrickated.com/2016/09/19/anything-for-the-weekend-lisa-comforts-capsule-wardrobe/

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 47: Sewing Swimwear

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 04:00:04 +0000

Are you thinking about sewing a swimsuit this summer? We’ve got you covered! Get tips on choosing fabrics and patterns and techniques for a professional finish. We also chat about our experiences wearing swimwear and how we can be more body positive at the beach!

#youcanhackit is blowing up!
Gorgeous new mid-weight linens in the Blackbird Fabric Shop

Ikat fabrics in the the Blackbird Fabric Shop

Swimsuit photoshoot

Closet Case Patterns Sophie Swimsuit

Seamwork Reno & Seamwork Dakota

Reno Sewalong

Friday pattern co. The Vernazza Two Piece (#vernazzatwopiece)

Cashmerette Ipswitch Swimsuit

Papercut Soma Swimsuit

A great bikini pattern for small busted ladies: Basic bikini WELL’S BAY by Halfmoon Atelier
Helen’s Closet – Indie, Darling: Best Swimwear Patterns

Blackbird Fabrics – Swimsuit Sewing: Inspiration and Pattern Ideas

Blackbird Swimsuit Fabrics and Elastic

Check out #sewingswimwear for inspiration!
Great places to find inclusive swimwear inspiration:

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 48: Vintage Sewing with Tanya Hughes

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 04:00:04 +0000

Tanya Hughes shares her thoughts on sewing vintage patterns and fabrics. She tells us about some of her more involved projects and what it is really like to wear fashions from past decades. Tanya goes above and beyond with her sewing and has so many great tips to share.

Follow Tanya!
- Blog: Mrs. Hughes
- Instagram: @tanyamaile
- Etsy: Mrs. Hughes

Cashmerette Ames Jeans

Cashmerette Harrison Shirt

Beaded 1920’s Egyptian Revival Gown

Curvy Sewing Collective
- Instagram: @curvysewingcollective
- Beginner Full Bust Adjustment Tutorial
Tanya’s tutorials
Mrs. Hughes Vintage Pattern Etsy Shop
Sewing Clearly: How my eye disease renewed my love for sewing, by Tanya Hughes
Needleboard for pressing velvet

Source: Basic Sewing Tips by Bright Apple Blossom

‘Crushed’ Red Velvet Baltimore Dress

Late Victorian Underpinnings

Victorian Corset

Dress Like Your Grandma challenge #dresslikeyourgrandma

Jeanne Lanvin Robe de Style

Source: Met Museum

Follow Tanya! Blog: Mrs. Hughes, Instagram: @tanyamaile, Etsy: Mrs. Hughes

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 49: Making Time to Sew with Lauren Taylor

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 04:00:23 +0000

Lauren Taylor is here to talk about running her sewing blog, Lladybird, for almost a decade! Lauren is a sewing instructor, freelance tailor, and inspiring member of the sewing community. She gives us tips for increasing sewing productivity and finding time for creative hobbies.

Follow Lauren!
- Blog: Lladybird
- Instagram: @lladybird
Elizabeth Suzann
Green Bee Patterns
Lauren’s jeans-making class syllabus at Camp Workroom Social
Lauren’s Class schedule
Sewing Jeans Time Lapse

- Robert Kaufman Super Stretch Denim
- Craft South

Anna Maria Horner
Imogene + Willie
Lladybird Blog Post: “How Do You Find The Time To Sew So Much?”
StyleArc Ariana Woven Dress
We spoke with Melissa Watson about the Tissue Fitting method in Episode 36
Lauren’s Vogue Pattern Reviews
Touring The McCall Pattern Company

The Outfit Along – Follow #OAL2018
- FAQ and Knitting half on Untangling Knots
- Sewing half on Lladybird

Lauren’s 2017 OAL makes – Anaheim Sweater & Kim Dress

OAL 2018 Ravelry Group
OAL2018 Offical knitting pattern – Waters by Andi Satterlund

OAL 2018 Official sewing pattern – Lander Pant & Short by True Bias

Andrew W.K.’s tweet

Follow Lauren! Blog: Lladybird, Instagram: @lladybird

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 50: A Very Special Road Trip

Helen Wilkinson & Caroline Somos — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 04:00:22 +0000

We are celebrating episode 50 this week with a special recap of our time spent travelling together to Pattern Review Weekend, Prince Edward County, and Montreal. We recorded some mini interviews along the way, including a sewing pep talk from Heather Lou and an intro to bra-making with Emerald Erin!

All Helen’s Closet patterns are 15% off this week to celebrate Helen’s 3-year blogiversary!
York Pinafore Hacks

Episode 47: Sewing Swimwear
#sewingswimwear
Cut to size cutting mat
Fiskars cutting mat
Use bed risers to raise up your dining room table for cutting!
Social Justice Sewing Academy

Watch our instagram story about our trip!

Pattern Review Weekend:

Gillian Whitcomb:
Pattern Review
PR Weekend
Stratford, ON
Stratford Festival
Thelma & Louise movie
We met up with Heather Gibson from the Pug and Needle
We met up with Anya Tsinko from Anna Zoe Sewing
Gillian’s Better Pictures Project
Helen’s pensive pose:

Gillian’s recap of her PR Weekend presentation
Jalie Patterns
Bra-makers Supply
Clothes Making Mavens and their sustainability episode

Pattern Swap:

Needlework Hamilton
We met up with Sarah (@sparkles.sarah) in Hamilton

Fabricland Hamilton
Highlights from PR Weekend 2018 on their blog

Prince Edward County:

Sandbanks Provincial Park

Picton, Ontario
Belleville, Ontario (where we arrived by train)
Emerald Erin – Blog, Vlog, Shop
Our visit to Erin’s studio:

Erin’s Jordy Bralette
Erin’s Tuesday Boyshort
Gibby:

A post shared by Emerald Erin (@emeralderinsews) on Apr 1, 2018 at 2:53pm PDT

County Canteen

Montreal:

Some shots of our time with Heather:

Episode 23: Face Your Sewing Fears with Heather Lou
Elizabeth Suzann on Soundcloud
Heather’s new studio tour
Fiona Dress (new!)
Nettie Dress
Fiona’s blog Diary of a Chain Stitcher
Body Posi Panda
Love to Sew Meet-up:

I had so much fun at the @lovetosew.podcast meet-up in Montreal! It’s so fabulous to meet people I’ve chatted with for years and meet new-to-me sewists, too! #sewingisfun #lovetosewmeetup #lovetosewpodcast #sewcialists #sewcializing #ilovesewing #handmadewardrobe #vermontsews #montrealsews

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Parc Lafontaine

Thank you to everyone that came to our meet-up!

Montreal Spoolettes
Join the Vancouver Garment Sewists facebook group!
Bota Bota:

Image source

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Episode 51: Tessuti Fabrics with Colette Guanta

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 04:00:14 +0000

Colette Guanta joins us to talk about her fabric shop and pattern company, Tessuti! We hear the inspiring story of how Tessuti Fabrics began, and how it has evolved over the past quarter century.

Follow Tessuti:
- Website
- Shop
- Tessuti Blog
- Instagram: @tessutifabrics
Special Discount Code: LOVETOSEW
- 15%-off storewide
- Valid July 25th – August 1st
Mandy Boat Tee

Lisa and Colette, c.1973

Free Patterns
Physical Stores
Tessuti Sewing Classes
Hand-drawn pattern style

Brooklyn Coat

Follow Tessuti!: Website: Tessuti Fabrics, Shop: Tessuti Fabrics Online Shop, Instagram: @tessutifabrics

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 52: Financials of Sewing

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 04:00:08 +0000

What is the real cost of making our own clothes? We tackle the tricky topic of money in this episode about sewing financials. How do sewists budget? How much fabric do we buy? How do we feel about our spending habits? Hear what the community told us!

1-Year Love to Sew Anniversary Q&A! We want sewing questions! We want business questions! We want personal questions! We want silly questions! Submit your questions here: https://lovetosewpodcast.com/ask/

The York Pinafore Apron Expansion Pack is here!

Join the Vancouver Garment Sewists Facebook Group!
Caroline’s resized Mandy Boat Tee from Tessuti Fabrics

#throwbackthursday to that time I nailed the boomerang in my fave #mandyboattee I made this in the same stripey bamboo & cotton jersey we have in stock, and this is a free pattern from @tessutifabrics Happy Thursday everyone! #blackbirdfabrics #memadewardrobe #indiesewing #fabricshop #fabriclove #tbt

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Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
Put cork under your sewing machines to reduce noise!
Maternity Sewing from Erin Weisbart is live!

Dressing with Love Project
- Instagram: @dressingwithlove
- Email: dressingwithlove@hotmail.com

Financials of sewing community survey results

Mint for managing budgets
Mini anvil

How to Organize your Patterns (and Fabrics!) Using Trello

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 53: Bra Making with Emerald Erin

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 04:00:09 +0000

Erin Meiklejohn teaches us all about bra making supplies, fitting lingerie, and what is involved in sewing your own bras. We get to hear the story behind her business, Emerald Erin, and her plans for future patterns!

Follow Erin!
- Instagram: @emeralderinsews
- YouTube: Emerald Erin Sews
- Blog: Emerald Erin
- Shop: Emerald Erin
Bra-A-Week Challenge
Episode 47: Sewing Swimwear
Jordy Bralette & Tuesday Boyshorts Photoshoot

Lily of the Valley Lingerie Photoshoot

Flat lay bra photography

The Emerald Studio

Moving to the new studio

“Carribean” Prince Edward County

Erin and her Mom

Bra Tulle

Industrial Thread, Mara 120, Gütermann

Tuesday Boyshort

#BRAugust2018 // An Instagram Photo Challenge //

Follow Erin! Instagram:@emeralderinsews, YouTube: Emerald Erin Sews, Blog: Emerald Erin, Shop: Emerald Erin

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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

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Episode 54: Embracing Community with Sarai Mitnick

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 04:00:35 +0000

Sarai Mitnick gives us a peek behind the scenes of Colette Patterns and Seamwork Magazine. We discuss building an inspiring workplace, bringing sewists together online, and handling challenges in business. Sarai also chats with us about body positivity and self-image as it relates to our sewing practice.

Follow Sarai!
- Colette
  - Colette Shop
  - Instagram: @colettepatterns
- Seamwork
  - Instagram: @seamworkmag
- Personal sewing
  - @saraisews
Check out Sarai’s Me-Made-May posts:

The Colette Team
Check them out on Instagram!

Test fitting

The Colette Studio in a renovated bakery

Seamwork Radio podcast
Seamwork membership
Seamwork is looking for writers to contribute to the magazine
Seamwork Patterns
Design Your Wardrobe
#designyourwadrobe
Free Planner

Seamwork – Let’s Talk

Growing a Business – Paul Hawken

Follow Sarai! Colette, Shop: Colette Shop, Instagram: @colettepatterns, Seamwork, Instagram: @seamworkmag, Personal sewing: @saraisews

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 55: 1 Year Anniversary Q&A

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 04:00:24 +0000

We celebrate one year of podcasting with an extra long question and answer episode dedicated to you, our listeners! Questions about business, our personal lives, our sewing habits, and more in this special anniversary episode!

Caroline’s new puppy, Pepper!

NWTSPCA – North West Territories SPCA
Share the podcast on Facebook or Instagram!

We reminisced about these awesome episodes:
Caroline used to work at Télio Fabrics
Blackbird Fabrics
Instagram challenges:
- Me-Made-May
- BRAgust
Our Collaboration Tools
- Google Calendar
- Evernote
- Slack
Good Patterns to pair with the York Pinafore:
- Nettie Body Suit from Closet Case Pattens
- Nikko Top from True Bias
- Granville Shirt by Sewaholic
- Kila Tank from Allie OlsonGranville Shirt

Caroline and I met after connecting on instagram and realizing we live in the same city! Meeting up in real life with fellow sewists can be so much fun. If you want to find fellow sewists in your city, state, province, or country, try using these location hashtags! Tell us your hashtags in the comments! We hope you join us . . #canadasews #bcsews #vancouversews #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew

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OLFA Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Mini-Anvil available at Blackbird Fabrics

Vancouver Garment Sewists Facebook Group
Subscribe to the Blackbird Fabrics Newsletter
Japanese Sashiko Stitching

Audio Jungle
The Celebration of Light in Vancouver
Black & Decker Irons
- Caroline’s Fav
- Helen’s Fav
Small Business BC

Follow Sam! Instagram: @TorchAndBlade

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 56: Hand Sewing with Brooks Ann Camper

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 04:00:24 +0000

Brooks Ann Camper shares her incredible sewing journey that has taken her from Broadway costume creation to making custom bridal gowns. She teaches us how you can up your game by incorporating hand sewing into your next projects! Brooks Ann’s positive attitude about enjoying the act of sewing and taking care in the details is truly infectious.

Follow Brooks Ann!
- Website: Brooks Ann Camper Bridal Couture
- Blog: Sewing Room Blog
- eCourses: Skirt Skills
- Instagram: @brooksanncamper
- Facebook: /brooksanncouture
- Twitter: @brooksanncamper
- Sign up for the newsletter
Skirt Skills
- Mailing list
Yale School of Drama – Technical Internship Certificate
The University of North Carolina Costume Production MFA program
A peek inside Brooks Ann’s costuming portfolio

A post shared by Brooks Ann Camper (@brooksanncamper) on Nov 8, 2016 at 11:02am PST

Sesame Street – Big Bird & Snuffleupagus

Source: TV Guide

Lynne Mackey Studio – @lynnemackeystudio

Katie’s Dress – Brooks Ann’s first wedding dress

Leah’s Dress – The making of a dress, a blog & a business

A post shared by Brooks Ann Camper (@brooksanncamper) on Aug 8, 2017 at 9:16am PDT

Draping and Drafting on a custom padded dress form

Follow Brooks Ann!
Website: Brooks Ann Camper Bridal Couture, Blog: Sewing Room Blog, eCourses: Skirt Skills, Instagram: @brooksanncamper, Facebook: /brooksanncouture, Twitter: @brooksanncamper, Newsletter

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 57: Indie Sewing with Allie Olson

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 04:00:06 +0000

Allie Olson shares the story behind Indiesew, her online marketplace for indie patterns and garment fabrics. We discuss the current state of the indie pattern market and the value of sharing your sewing projects online. We also talk about her personal style journey and how her perspective on body image has recently shifted.

Dressed podcast
Follow Indiesew!
- Website: Indiesew
- Instagram: @indie_sew
- Facebook: @indiesew
- Pinterest: indiesew
Follow Allie!
- Instagram: @allie.s.olson
Ravelry
Wearologie

- How We Wear It
- Fabric Files – Linen

Indiesew fabric batches – coming back soon!
Allie Olson Patterns
Lander Pants by True Bias
Persephone Pants by Anna Allen
Free People Jeans
What is Overstock Fabric?
Episode 35: Sustainability and Sewing
Blackbird Fabrics Denim
Norway Meet-up!
- Leslie – Thread Bear Garments
- Fleurine – Sew Mariefleur

Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Patterns

Lane Raglan by Hey June Handmade

Halifax Hoodie by Hey June Handmade

Outfits of the Day

Follow Indiesew! Website: Indiesew, Instagram: @indie_sew, Facebook: @indiesew, Pinterest: indiesew

Follow Allie! Instagram: @allie.s.olson

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 58: Planning Projects

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 04:00:16 +0000

We dive into planning sewing projects and cover topics such as why you should plan, tools you can use to plan, and how to stick to the plan once you have it! Following through on sewing can be the hardest part of the process, and we want to help set you up for success.

- Episode 9: The Refashioners with Portia Lawrie
- The Makery

- - Episode 27: Fabrics 101
  - The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees

- - Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe
  - Colette Wardrobe Architect

- - Sew DIY sewing calendar

- - Helen’s Closet: How to Organize Your Patterns Using Trello

- - Helen’s Closet: Winter Sewing Plans & Organizing my Stash

- - Caroline’s planning board

- - Episode 52: Financials of Sewing
  - Avery Leggings

- - Episode 17: How Big is Your Pattern Stash?
  - Episode 3: How Big is Your Fabric Stash?

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 59: Block Printing with Jen Hewett

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 04:00:24 +0000

Jen Hewett shares her passion for block printing and tells us how we can print our own fabrics! She walks us through how she got started with block printing, why she loves turning her printed fabrics into garments, and what makes a good block. We also discuss listening to your body while you work, wearing prints, and why not to turn your hobby into a business.

The transcript for this episode can be found on this page at the end of the show notes.

Follow Jen!
- Website: Jen Hewett
- Instagram: @jenhewett
Print, Pattern, Sew: Block-Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects

52 Weeks of Printmaking challenge

Handcraft Studio School – Unfortunately, no longer open
A Verb for Keeping Warm

The Modern Natural Dyer by Kristine Vejar

View this post on Instagram

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Cotton & Steel fabric collection

Follow Jen! Website: Jen Hewett, Instagram: @jenhewett

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Transcript:

Note: This transcript has been made from the Love to Sew Favourite re-release version of this episode, published on June 1, 2021. You can listen to this version of the episode here:

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/lts_episode-059-rerun-edit-01.mp3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello and welcome. I’m Caroline.

Helen: And I’m Helen.

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

Helen: Today, we are chatting with Jen Hewett an accomplished printmaker and the author behind the book Print, Pattern, Sew. Jen teaches us all about block printing, from the design of the block to the act of printing it on fabric. She also shares her thoughts on making mistakes, listening to your body and turning your creative hobby into a business. Print, Pattern, Sew. Print, pattern, sew. Print, pattern, sew. Print, pattern, sew.

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

Jen: Thanks so much for having me.

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

Jen: Um, my name is Jen Hewett, and I am a textile artist, surface designer, teacher, and printmaker, and I’m based in beautiful San Francisco, California.

Caroline: Oh, that sounds so lovely. We have been totally captivated by your recent book, and we’re so excited to share your knowledge and passion on the show today. But the first thing we always ask our listeners is about their sewing journey. So can you tell us a little bit about how and when you learn to sew?

Jen: Yes. So I think I first learned how to sew when I was maybe 10 years old and going to a summer camp, uh, through girls club.

And I spent a lot of time sewing on a sewing machine. I made a couple of bags, and then I didn’t do anything with sewing for another couple of years until I was in high school. And one of the girls in my class, um, went to this fancy cotillion every month where she would have to, sew her, she would have to wear essentially a formal gown. And so she would go through Seventeen Magazine and teen magazine prom issues, and she would make herself all these beautiful, um, fluffy dresses for, for each month. And I told my parents about this and they misunderstood. I really wanted to go to cotillion because I wanted to wear fancy dresses, but they heard that I wanted to learn how to sew.

So they bought me a sewing machine which I think I used once and then didn’t pick up again until I was in my late twenties or early thirties. And at some point in my early thirties, I just decided, I think I wanted a pair of curtains. So I whipped out the sewing machine and sewed a couple of straight lines and, uh, had a set of curtains and started taking classes to learn how to sew bags.

And that’s really where I was for many, many years until I think it must have been indie pattern designers came out. And they would have sewalongs on their blogs. And I figured out that I could learn how to sew or pretty much teach myself how to sew clothes just by buying those patterns and sewing alongside the sewalongs.

So that didn’t really happen until probably 2012 or 2013. And, you know, once you start sewing your own clothes, it’s pretty hard to stop. Um, so I’ve just been moving forward since then and

Caroline: I love that. We completely agree with you there because we were obsessed with sewing over here, but your new book is called Print, Pattern, Sew, so it’s not just about sewing. It’s also about block printing and creating patterns with block printing. And we’re so excited to chat with you about that, but I would love to know a little bit more about your creative journey and how you got into printmaking.

Jen: Oh, do you want the short story or the long story?

Caroline: Oh, I don’t know.

Jen: Well, I have a degree in English literature, um, from Berkeley here in the Bay Area. And as you can imagine, it’s not the most marketable of degrees. So I kind of futzed around and worked in education for a little bit after college and then decided at some point that I wanted to be a graphic designer. And then decided that wasn’t for me and opened up a stationery business.

And this would have been like 99, 2000, uh, the first dot-com, which we is what we called it back in the day, the first dot-com boom happened then. And all my friends were going to work for these tech startups. And here I was like, I’m going to open a stationery business. I’m going to do the most un-techy thing possible.

So I did that for a few years and had a good run of it but made all the mistakes you make when you’re 26, um, and running your own business and have all this freedom and kind of ran that business into the ground. After that, I had to get a regular job again. So I had a fantastic corporate job working for an online learning and user experience company and was doing HR and operations and a little bit of finance. And as a little break from that, I decided I was going to take sewing classes first and then, um, a screen printing class. And in 2008, I took my very first screen printing class and was hooked and thought, okay, this is what I want to do for a living.

I need to figure out how I can get to the point where this is what I do, where I’m a printmaker. And the economy intervened and helped me along that path. Because at the end of 2008, I was laid off. Um, in fact, because I was doing HR for the U.S. Office, I had to lay everybody off on the team, including myself.

And I did that the week before Christmas. I had unemployment and some savings and all of a sudden, I had all this time to go to the studio. And so I spent tons of time, when I wasn’t looking for a job. And this was 2008 to 2010. And if you remember what the economy was doing in those days, um, there just weren’t a lot of jobs.

So I had a lot of time. And what I found was that the more I printed, the better I got. Surprise, surprise, but this was also when Etsy was, kind of, in its heyday and social media, or not even social media, but blogging had really taken off, and people were reading blogs, not just, not just the few, but it had become a thing.

And so I would post my work on my blog. I’d put things on Etsy, and my work started to sell. And it was a pretty amazing feeling that no one wanted to hire me. Yet I was able to sell my work to strangers all over the world. It was really cool, but I had started out by printing on paper because paper’s inexpensive.

It’s easier to print on than fabric, but people didn’t know what to do with prints. So I had the idea of maybe just printing on some fabric, and at that point, all I could, sew were bags and really, really simple bags. So I printed on fabric and I sewed them into bags, and I sold through my first couple of bags in, in days, um, and kept doing that and found that people were much more willing to spend, at the time, $28 on a bag than they were willing to spend like $15-20 on a print. I think things have maybe changed a bit, but I felt like I was onto something. And I always loved fabric, even though I really hadn’t been able to sew. I love having things that are tactile, and it just seemed absolutely the right fit for me. So, once I shifted my focus to that and decided I wanted to be a printmaker and a textile artist, it was really easy to, kind of, figure out a path forward and to start to create projects, to challenge myself, and to build on my skills.

Um, yeah, and so that’s how I became a printmaker initially. And then I think it was probably 2014, I, so backing up a little bit, I couldn’t support myself as a printmaker, um, at that point, and I was lucky enough that I had enough experience with HR that some places, or some people I’d worked with in the past at different jobs, asked me if I would do HR consulting for their businesses for, like, you know, four hours a week here and there.

And around 2010, I launched that and was able to pick up enough work that I was doing anywhere from 20 to 32 hours a week of HR consulting which more than supported me and then also gave me the flexibility to go to the studio and print, to go to, to fairs when I needed to. It was, it was a really nice balance.

And then, as my printmaking stuff started to take off, I could ramp down my consulting hours. I was working this kind of intense, um, HR gig, where I had a client that was starting a business from scratch. And so I hired their first 20 to 25 employees and onboarded them. And it was super intense. And I felt like if I didn’t set goals for myself for printing on a regular basis, I just wouldn’t print.

So I created a project called 52 Weeks of Printmaking. And every week, the goal was for me to print something different, and I would try out different print media, so not just screen printing. I would also try block printing, etching, monoprints, like a whole bunch of different things, but because my work schedule was so intense and because I tended to procrastinate that year, I ended up not really finishing any prints or starting any prints until the day before I said I was going to share them on social media. And I figured out the fastest thing for me to do was to just do really simple block prints. So I got good at that. I got good at doing really simple shapes and playing around with color and location and trying out different types of fabric. And I would share those, and people started asking me for more information. And because you know, at heart, I’m a business woman and a consultant, I thought, well, I’m not giving this to you for free. I’ll teach you. And so I started teaching, so I taught the class, I still teach the class in person.

Um, and I also set up an online class, and I’ve been doing that now since 2014 or 2015. So when I say that I’m a teacher it’s really, I teach my own curriculum and I, I only teach the one thing really.

Caroline: And where about, do you teach? Is it at a studio in, you’re in San Francisco, right? So, is it at your own studio or is it at a shop or?

Jen: Um, it’s a school called Handcraft Studio School, and it’s just over the Bay from San Francisco. It’s a really fantastic space, and it’s got just the right setup for, for me. It has big tables and lots of space, but there are also sewing classes that happen there, calligraphy, jewelry, all kinds of different things.

Mainly, one day, anywhere from two to six hour to eight hour classes. So it runs the gamut of, of what you think of as craft with the exception of, there’s not a ton of woodworking just because there aren’t the tools for larger woodworking, but for the most part, like textile arts, some metal arts.

Caroline: And you were talking about your 52 Weeks of Printmaking challenge, and I absolutely love the idea of challenging yourself to do something like this. I think it’s so great. And I commend you for doing it while you’re really busy at work. I’m sure it must’ve been a real challenge to do that. I would love to know a little bit more about how you went about doing the prints.

And you mentioned you were more into screen printing at the time, but then you ended up doing block printing. So what was it about block printing that kind of drew you in and made you want to focus on that?

Jen: Well, screen printing requires a lot of setup time, and so you have to do your drawing, and then you have to create the film, you have to burn your screens. And then once you screen print, once you’ve put in all that effort, you might as well just do, like, 50 to a hundred of whatever it is you’re printing. Whereas with block printing, you just need a block and a carving tool and a little bit of time, and you’re ready to go. And so that was really what drew me into block printing in the very beginning. It was also just a really good way for me to work out ideas. So I, now I have much better computer skills, in terms of, um, digital design, but, in those days, I didn’t. And so I still find it a lot easier to work with my hands and to do drawings and to manipulate images by hand, to even to do some repeat patterns by hand.

So block printing really allowed me to do that where I could kind of conceptualize what I wanted to do, then do it by hand and then work backwards if I decided I wanted to make it into a digital repeat. Then I could scan everything and clean it up and lay it out on my computer. But there’s just something really tactile and hands-on about block printing that appealed to me and still does appeal to me.

Helen: I really enjoy it as well. I had the opportunity to try block printing last fall in a little workshop. And I found the carving of the soft blocks so incredibly satisfying.

Jen: It is. When I teach that class, all of a sudden when everybody’s carving, like, it gets super quiet, and everybody’s just chill and calm, and they don’t want to stop.

And it’s, it’s kind of the best feeling, even, not just to do it myself, but to teach the class and see everybody kind of relax into what they’re doing.

Helen: Yeah, for sure. And we would love to know more about how you transferred the block printing onto garments because I think it’s, kind of, a little bit easier to block print onto a smaller piece of fabric and make a bag or a pillow or something like that. But translating that to a garment seems a little bit trickier. So how did you make that transition?

Jen: Um, so I’m a little bit of an overachiever and after my 2014, uh, project, 52 Weeks of Printmaking, I decided in 2015, or actually at the end of 2014, that my next year’s project would be to block print yardage and then, sew it to clothing because I wanted to do something more complex. And I think people just naturally expected me to continue the 52 Weeks of Printmaking project into the next year. And I was like, I was done. I wanted to do something a little bit more complex, and it turned out to be a lot more complex because I’d never printed yardage before. And just the amount of work that goes into that and the thinking through that you have to do ahead of time to set up your prints so that you can actually do them in repeat. It took me a bit of time to figure out how to do that. But also I, I had just gotten decent at sewing and was able to sew clothes that I wanted to wear that didn’t look like home-ec projects, but I couldn’t find the fabric I liked.

So, and part of that is also San Francisco doesn’t have a ton of resources for affordable, um, or at least at the time, it didn’t have a ton of resources for affordable garment weight fabric. So I would buy plain linen and just print on that and sew that into, sew that to clothing. So I thought it would be a good project for me, but it ended up being really interesting because when you’re doing fabric or printing fabric that will be turned into a garment, you really have to think about scale and placement in a way that you don’t have to think about it when it’s just going to be flat.

You know, if you’re printing three yards of something you’re going to want to use the biggest block possible because it’s a lot of work to print with a tiny, tiny blocks, but also like I, I wear a lot of skirts and things tend to get images, tend to get lost in pleats or in folds, so I would work big. Um, and that wasn’t something I’d considered before. And even if you look at the prints in my book, for the most part, those are fairly large prints.

Helen: It’s so true what you’re saying. And I find that placement is really difficult, too when you’re thinking about whether or not you’re gonna end up with, like, a flower right on your boob or, like, a pear shape on your butt. Thinking about all that ahead of time. It’s really tricky.

Caroline: So I, I’m curious to know how long the process takes. Like, if you are doing this project and every month you’re doing a new garment where you are blocked printing the yardage, and then you’re sewing it into a garment. How much time did you have to dedicate each month to this creative project?

Jen: Hm, well, the drawings usually only take a couple of hours, and then the carving, because I’m fast and I’m using a really soft medium, would only take a couple of hours. So I could spend one day just doing drawing and carving. And then printing the yardage, depending on, I mean, depending on the complexity of the print, I would say that I can reasonably print a yard an hour, and if I needed three yards, three hours. For me, still, honestly, um, the part that takes the longest amount of time is piecing together the patterns, the clothing patterns, cutting the fabric, and sewing. Like that, I know I’m going to spend at least a day working on that. Design and carving, printing yardage because that’s something I do so often, I, it seems to fly by pretty quickly for me.

So I would say anywhere from two to two and a half days to do that from start to finish, but because I gave myself a month and I was only doing one a month, I could stagger it throughout the month. And I didn’t always, sometimes I’d wait until the last minute, but for the most part, you know, I’d give myself, like, a Thursday and a Friday and I knew that I’d be finished by the following Monday.

Caroline: I love that you work on these creative challenges and that you’re an overachiever and you take on these things. So what is it about creative challenges like this that you love so much? Why is it that you like committing to this kind of thing?

Jen: Because I’ll actually do it if I tell people I’m going to. I mean, I think I I’m internally motivated in many ways, but I think the external expectation goes a long way towards actually getting stuff done.

Helen: Yeah. You need that outer accountability sometimes. And the, social media is a great place to get it I find cause…

Jen: exactly.

Helen: …even though I don’t know, the people I’m interacting with personally necessarily, I still feel an obligation, and it’s a really good motivator.

Caroline: Oh yeah.

Jen: Because a lot of us get to the point where our social media life blends in with our professional lives. I certainly have gotten a lot of opportunities because of social media, particularly my book, for example, but because, because those two blend together, it’s good to show up as a person who actually gets their stuff done, who does what she says she’s going to do. So I think that’s, that’s an additional layer, too. I want to be that person.

Helen: Well , you certainly are that person, and we absolutely loved your book, as we said earlier. So can you give our listeners a little introduction to your book and tell them a little bit about it?

Jen: Yes, so Print, Pattern, Sew is based on my 2015 project, um, of the same name, and in the book, not so much the project, but in the book, I show you how to create designs, carve blocks, and print yardage.

And then in the back, I also have suggested projects as well as really, really simple sewing patterns to make garments or accessories with your block printed yardage. There are also templates in the book. So if you don’t think you can draw, you can just trace my templates and create blocks using my designs.

Yeah. So it’s kind of soup to nuts. Everything, everything that I do in terms of block printing is in that book.

Caroline: So tell us a little bit more about how the idea for this book came about and how you managed to bring it to fruition. Because you know, it’s not everyone that can actually have, you know, a dream about writing a book and then make it happen. So how did that happen for you?

Jen: Oh gosh. In, it was towards the end of the year that I did that project, so towards the end of 2015, I thought, oh, this should totally be a book. And it actually had to do with the fact that my friend, Christine, who owns A Verb for Keeping Warm, which is a dye shop and a fabric shop here in the Bay Area, um, she had written and published a book called The Modern Natural Dyer. And it is a really, really complex craft book, so it’s not just about dying fabric or dying yarn. It’s actually also about creating your own dye, um, from natural products and then dyeing your fabric or your yarn and then it has projects that you can do with your dyed items.

And up until that point, most of the craft books that I had seen had been really simple and straightforward and only taught you one process, and that was it. And when Christine’s book came out, I saw that and I thought, oh, there is a market for this book for, for, for way more complex craft books and craft projects that I don’t have to pitch just a simple block printing book.

So I put together, early the next year, a proposal based on my project, and it took me a few days to shoot that and write it and edit it. And then I started sending it out to editors or publishers that I had connections with, so I got a lot of interest from publishers about the book. And then, right when I was going to get offers on the book, another editor just randomly emailed me and said, Hey, I have, I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing a book based on your Print, Pattern, Sew project, and I was like, actually, actually I have, uh, I have a proposal ready to go, and I’m probably going to start getting offers next week, so if you’re interested, you know, I need some information from you by next week.

And that was Jen Urban Brown from Roost, and she is the editor I ended up going with. It was, it all worked out because the other publishers wanted me to alter the book to simplify it. And I kind of held my ground, and I said, no, I want to do the book I want to do. And I know just from reactions on social media to my projects and based on the number of classes I teach in person and online, that people really want this book.

So, this is the book I want to write. And Jen was the only person who was completely in line with my vision for the book and, kind of, gave me free reign to do the book I wanted to do. It was kind of crazy, like, really do all people work this well with their editors? Apparently not, but, um, we just work really well together.

So, that’s where the book came from and it’s actually, the response has been phenomenal. So, we just went into second reprint last week, or yeah, the first reprint last week. So we sold through, um, pretty much our first print run, like a year ahead of schedule. And so we had to order more books.

Caroline: Wow. Congratulations. That is amazing.

Jen: I know. It’s so exciting.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. What an achievement. I would love to know. Why was it so important to you to have sewing as part of the book? Why not just write a book about block printing?

Jen: Yeah, that’s a good question. I think it’s because, if you have fabric, what are you going to do with it?

I mean, you’ve, you’ve got like all of a sudden you’ve got three yards of printed fabric. People don’t necessarily know what to do with it. I wanted to show an end use and to present a case about why this is actually, you know, this is meaningful and worthwhile to do. I, like many other sewers, have a stash of fabric that I, I have not yet touched, but I didn’t want people to block print their own fabric and then just throw it into their stash because we all know that happens. I mean, we all do it, but I wanted to show people really good applications for, you know, a quarter yard of printed fabric all the way up to three yards of printed fabric.

Helen: I love that your book takes people from the very beginning to the finished product. And I think part of the reason why people are interested in that in a book form is because there’s so many tutorials online for various things, but there’s not necessarily places that are bringing it all together and giving you that process and seeing you through the whole way. So I absolutely love your vision for the book, and I think it was executed beautifully.

Jen: Oh, thank you.

Caroline: Yeah, you cover so much in your book, and we really want our listeners to go check it out if they’re able, but we’d love to entice them a little bit, if we can cover a couple of the tips and maybe a couple of the techniques in the book, if you’re willing. One of the first things we wanted to ask you is what are some of the tools that you need for block printing?

Jen: So block printing requires really few tools. You need a carving tool and a soft block. I don’t use linoleum blocks. Not that I don’t like them, but they are too hard. And you would end up spending days carving instead of hours, so I prefer to use soft blocks. A water-based ink, and I use screen printing ink instead of block printing ink for this, because block printing ink for textiles is going to be oil-based.

Um, so I use water-based screen printing ink for textiles. You need some something to put your ink on, and you need a roller, and you need some cotton batting to protect your table and to help with the print quality and, uh, you need fabric and that’s pretty much it. And a pair of hands, or even just one hand, should be good.

Helen: Just one hand.

Jen: Just one hand. Yeah, and a quilting ruler, if you want to do repeat patterns. And a lot of people already have a grid or quilting ruler, if you, if you sew, so it’s helpful to have that.

Caroline: Oh, perfect. And where can one buy these supplies? Are these readily available online?

Jen: They are at least in the U.S. And Canada. Um, so most major art supply stores carry this, except for the fabric, they’ll, uh, and the batting. Here, I like to use Dick Blick, and this is in no way sponsored by Blick. Although if Blick wants to sell my books around the country, I would gladly, uh, allow them to do that. Um, but Blick is a really good chain here. I don’t know if there’s anything comparable in Canada, but I have had online students from Canada who’ve had an easy time finding supplies. Any local art supply store should have almost everything as well because these are fairly standard tools. And then, you know, the regular places that shall not be named, like the very large online retailers. I know they have them. I don’t necessarily order from them.

Caroline: That’s good to know.

Helen: Fair enough. And you mentioned that oil versus the water-based ink. So can we talk about that for a little bit and just the distinction between the two. Why can’t you use oil on fabric?

Jen: You actually can use oil on fabric. The block printing inks for fabric are formulated specifically for fabric. Because they’re oil-based, they tend to have a bit of an oil smell. They smell like linseed oil, and depending on your nose sensitivity, it might make you a little loopy. But also when you’re working with a soft block, they work best with water-based inks. And so, because I have not yet found a good block printing ink, that is water-based that will work for fabric, I just use screen printing ink. Because I was a screen printer, I had a ton of that ink lying around anyway. And I like how translucent it is. I like that it’s easy to mix, um, and easy to store. Whereas the oil-based block printing inks are a little bit harder to mix. They’re way more expensive. And they’re a pain in the butt to store.

Helen: Thank you. And the other thing I wanted you to clarify is the soft block versus the hard block. For anyone who’s never done block printing, I feel like that might be a little confusing. What’s the difference between them?

Jen: So the soft block is usually going to be vinyl, rubber, or some kind of synthetic block, and it is just easier to carve. So if you think about rubber stamps and I’m not a huge rubber stamp fan, but rubber stamps, it’s kind of equivalent material that’s used to make rubber stamps only it’s much thicker. Linoleum is much harder to carve. I actually have friends who grew up in Ireland who said that it was so cold in Ireland, that when they carved their linoleum blocks, they had to put them on the radiator to warm them up so that they could carve them otherwise, they would have hurt themselves trying to get the tool into the block. But also when you’re block printing with them on fabric, you have to use the oil-based ink. It’s all, like, these little technical nerdy, geeky things that I love, but sometimes they were, everybody else finds them boring. So I just tell them, you know, just do it the way I tell you to do, and it’ll all work out.

Helen: Well, that’s fair. I love how every craft has those super nerdy little details that you learned and tidbits you pick up along the way. I think it makes it so much fun.

Caroline: So one of the questions I think our listeners are going to have in their head right now is: can I block print in a small space? Like what if I’m a renter? I have a small apartment. Is this something that I can just do at home, in my own space?

Jen: Oh, absolutely. So when I first started block printing, or even screen printing, the only room I had available to print in was the back porch of my apartment. And it was, it is still my screen printing studio, but it’s a 54 square foot room which is about the same size as a king size mattress, if not smaller.

So absolutely. You just need a table with some space on it and, particularly, if you’re a person who’s used to living in small spaces, you know how to make the most out of that space. I sometimes would only print half the width of the fabric at a time and then let it dry and move things over. I mean, you have to get a little bit creative, but you really don’t need a lot of room.

And if you don’t, if you don’t have a ton of room, then maybe don’t try to print like eight yards at a time. Maybe just stick with two,

Caroline: Be reasonable, people.

Jen: Wait, no, it’s funny cause I teach, I teach online and I teach in person, and there’s always that one person who’s, like, super ambitious without really knowing much about the, about what’s required in terms of skill. Because let’s face it, like, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I do it for a living, and I make it look easy. Because for me, at a certain point, it is easy. But that means that social media sometimes sets up the expectation that this stuff is going to be easy. And there will be someone who will come into the class, and she’s like, I’m hoping I can print my curtains in this class.

Alright, well how big is your window, cause it? Oh, you know, it’s just a typical San Francisco window which is 108 inches, um, from top to bottom. So, like, yeah, it’s not going to happen, not your first time out, maybe not even within your first month. You’ll get to it, but, you know, start with small expectations of what you can get done and then build from there.

And once you know what it is that you’re doing, it’s kind of like sewing, right? You just do the next more difficult thing. Like I didn’t sew invisible zippers for ages cause I was intimidated by them, but I got to the point where, in order to move forward, I had to sew an invisible zipper. So I learned how to sew an invisible zipper.

And it’s kinda like with block printing, too. You might not be able to do it from the very beginning, but if you could just keep working and pushing yourself through it, you’ll figure out how to make it work, and not just in terms of skill, but also in terms of the scale and the amount of space that you need and how you’re going to work within a tiny space.

Caroline: That makes a lot of sense. I wanted to talk a little bit more about the subjects that work well for block prints. I noticed that, in your book, you do a lot of these like really beautiful graphic florals. I didn’t see a ton of geometrics in there. So is there a particular type of print that you think works better for block prints? Or do you think it’s, kind of, just whatever is your style or whatever you feel like doing?

Jen: Yeah, it’s really whatever your style is. Um, the reason there aren’t geo, geometrics in that book was just that I decided I wanted to focus on botanicals. But when I teach the class and I have, a lot of times, people who are, like, very scared and they say they don’t know how to draw.

First of all, you know, you took the class, so you think, you probably, do have some idea that you can draw. Your just don’t think you can draw as well as, say me or, another artist. Um, but often in those classes, the best prints are by the people who say they can’t draw. And they just work on simple shapes with a little bit of detail. And then they play around with placement and color. And they end up being super compelling and interesting, much more so than the more complex blocks. So it really, it really just depends on what your point of view and your taste is.

Helen: Yeah, I could see that being a hurdle for a lot of people, that drawing aspect of it, but the, some of the most beautiful prints are those simpler prints. And you mentioned that people were drawn to that when you did your printmaking challenge, that when you had, you know, you were rushed for time and you had to do it really fast, you were doing simpler things and that people were engaging with those even more. So it just goes to show that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Jen: I think we always make things harder than they need to be.

Helen: And what about the designing of the block itself and the playing with the positive versus the negative space? Can you talk about that?

Jen: You know, it’s funny, I think because I just do it so much. I don’t think that hard about it. One of the things that I always instruct people to do in my classes, and also in the book, is to do a drawing that looks exactly the way they want their print to look.

And if they set up their drawing, they can see where the imbalances are. So if, if it’s just too much heaviness, maybe they need to put in some negative space, but I don’t know that it’s even something that I think about that hard anymore.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s one of the things that, kind of, surprised me when I was reading through your book because I have zero experience with block printing, and I, sort of, imagined just going directly onto the block and just carving a design.

I didn’t realize that you would sketch it out first and then transfer that onto the block and then carve out, you know, what you had already sketched. So that makes a lot of sense, and it makes it feel a little bit more approachable that you have that freedom to kind of sketch out ideas. And then once you have it perfect, then you go onto the carving.

Jen: Right? Well, and I tell people in my class, they need to work out their issues on paper first because once they get to the block and they make a mistake, it’s just, well, there will be tears. So put it on the piece of paper, and erase, erase, erase, and make all the mistakes there. And then, and then we can go to your block. And actually what I teach the class, um, in order to do the transfer from your sketch paper to your block, you need to use tracing paper.

And when I teach the classes, I don’t give them the tracing paper until I’ve verified that their drawings are going to be able to translate okay to the block. And I always say, if you have to explain your drawing to me, it’s not going to work. You got to draw it, and you have to draw it exactly the way you want it to appear.

Um, and I think that actually is hard for some people because they’re overthinking it. And they’re like, I say, if it’s going to print, it needs to be shaded in. But the positive and negative space, I think some people are just wired a little bit differently, and it’s a much harder concept to grasp. So paper’s great. Make all those, make all your mistakes on paper.

Helen: And we wanted to ask you about making mistakes on the block, too because it seems like a bit of an unforgiving medium when you’re carving into something you can’t just put that back.

Jen: Right. Just got to let it go. Like you make a mistake, it’s an improv, and you learn to work around it or love it.

Um, also, so I’ve been doing this long enough that I know I can look at a block and I can say, okay, that’s going to print just fine. But when you’re new to it, you often can’t see that everything’s going to be okay until we put ink on the block, and we do a test print. Things always look way jankier on the block until you’ve inked it.

And once you’ve inked it, everybody’s like, oh yeah, that looks fun. It looks great. And they’re always happy with their work. Don’t, don’t stress over it too much. And if you make a big mistake, just, kind of, move around it, and go onto the next thing.

Caroline: Those imperfections they’re, they’re like character. They add character.

Jen: Well, it’s handmade, right? Nobody’s expecting this to be perfect. There is, nobody going to die because you made a mistake on your block. Like really, yeah, it’s fine.

Caroline: Not life or death. We say that…

Jen: No.

Caroline: …a lot. It’s not life or death. It’s just sewing.

Jen: Yeah, exactly. It’s just printing, like really.

Caroline: So can we talk a little bit about fabric? What kinds of fabric work best for block printing? Or can we just block print on any fabric? Can you give us a little bit of info about that?

Jen: It depends on the type of ink you’re using. Usually, it will say on the bottle of ink ,or the jar of ink, but for the most part, cotton, linen, polyester, and rayon work a lot of times, too, but I tend to use cotton, linen, cotton-linen blends, or cotton-silk blends.

Um, it does not work well on silk, just 100% silk. It doesn’t adhere very well. And also, or the ink doesn’t adhere very well. Also if the fabric is too lightweight, as a lot of silks tend to be, the ink can impact the drape. And so you’ll have a lot of warping, and things won’t hang correctly, but I tend to like to work with natural fibers, with the exception of silk, and they print up beautifully.

Caroline: Yeah, and in terms of weight and weave, are we looking for something that’s, sort of, like, a midweight or light to midweight and probably a tighter weave? I’m assuming we don’t want too much of a loose weave. We want it to be opaque, right?

Jen: Right. Yep. A light to medium weight, uh, fabric and definitely a tight weave. What is it, canvas and twill that have, kind of, a weird diagonal pattern on them? Those tend not to work too well because the pattern of your fabric, or the pattern of the weave, will impact your print. So I say, try not to use those. Although when I teach online, somebody invariably wants to use the canvas, and I’m like, do it, you know, you’ll just get a different look.

Yeah, and then I don’t like printing on already printed, commercially printed pieces of fabric. Those use different inks and, you know, tends to be too busy, but I’ve had people try it and it looks, it looks fine. It’s just not, it’s not my thing. I prefer to have something that’s a hundred percent printed by me.

Caroline: And is there anything that you recommend doing to the fabric prior to printing? Is it like something that you would want to prewash or pretreat in some way to allow the dye to adhere?

Jen: Yeah, definitely prewash it. That’s, that’s really big. Uh, you want to get rid of any sizing because the sizing can keep the ink from settling onto the fibers. Also, iron, iron, iron, iron.

Oh my gosh. So much of sewing, I swear, is just ironing. Iron, because wrinkles will impact your print quality. You know, don’t print on top of the wrinkle because then you’ll have, kind of, a messed up print, but really just washing it however you would normally wash that type of fiber and ironing it really well and that’s pretty much all you need to do.

Caroline: Those are great tips. I’m curious to know what is your absolute favorite type of fabric to print on?

Jen: There is this beautiful oatmeal color linen from Lithuania that I get from my wholesale supplier in L.A., and it’s just, I don’t know, there’s something about linen that takes both screen printing and block printing really well.

It has just enough texture for the print to be layered and visually interesting without being distracting. And also I live in California, so I have fairly mild weather year round, and linen is just really nice to use and wear year round.

Helen: Yeah, I think linen really adds to that handmade vibe too. It’s a little bit wrinkly sometimes, but it just embraces the block print so well.

Jen: You can’t be too precious with linen because it does wrinkle. So you’re not actually, like, you know, nobody’s going to complain that you show up in rumply linen clothes or maybe they will, but you know, like, it’s, it’s the nature of the fabric, and you just, kind of, have to work with it. You can’t force it to be something it doesn’t want to be. So it’s just lovely to work with that way.

Helen: So once you have your block and you’ve sketched it out and you’ve got it all carved and you’re ready to go, how do you go about deciding how to place the different patterns onto your fabric?

Jen: That’s a process that I call “thinking with your hands” which is, I just get out a piece of muslin, piece of scrap fabric that’s maybe a yard long, and I just print until I find a placement and a color scheme I really like. And then I’ll note measurements and maybe create a grid or a little chart for myself that says, you know, this much across vertically, this much across, or across horizontally, this much up and down, this is where this color goes, this is where I rotate it. So I’m really trying to find something that looks good visually first. And then I will work back, backwards and formalize it into really strict measurements that I try to adhere to. So I have nice even repeat patterns that are on the grain of the fabric, but to me, the most fun part is, is playing around. It’s just getting out that fabric and all the ink and just futsing around until I find something I like.

Caroline: Yeah, I wonder if printing, you know, lengths of fabric is more of a meditative process for you, especially now that you’ve been doing it for so long, or do you still find it, you know, once you get into the actual work of printing, once you’ve decided on your placement, is it a little bit tedious? Like how do you feel about that aspect of the process?

Jen: Super Zen. It’s lovely. I, I put out a podcast, and I listen, while, while I’m printing. And I started teaching an in-person repeat pattern class because the classes I’ve been teaching for the last four years have been just carving and printing small pieces of fabric.

We don’t get into repeat patterns in that class because we don’t have enough time, but now I teach the repeat pattern in yardage class. And it’s the same thing for all of them. They just, like, get in the zone. People in that class are just, like, silent and grooving and working through it. And it’s really fun to watch.

Caroline: Oh, yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to take that class. It sounds really zen.

Jen: It is, it’s just, like, the most mellow chill day.

Helen: And speaking of getting, kind of lost, in your work, you have this great tip in your book that I want you to share with our listeners about paying attention to your body while you’re working. Can you talk about that?

Jen: Oh my gosh. So, the first thing is that I think a lot of us, when we get hungry, we tend to ignore our hunger when we’re working, and we try to just like push through the hunger. But what I’ve found is that when I do that, especially when I’m printing, that’s when I start to make mistakes.

So when I teach, I enforce a no-printing lunch break. If people want to come back and start printing after 20 minutes, that’s fine, but they need to take a break and eat because, you know, I don’t want anybody to be cranky pants. Also, I think as an artist, we have a tendency to work through our pain and think, okay, once, no, this hurts right now, but once I stop and I give myself a little rest, I’ll feel better, but I’m going to go through, I’m going to work through this, and then I’ll deal with the pain later.

And that’s no way to work. If your body is a tool, then you want to take the best possible care of your tool so that you can continue to do the work you want to do. Last year, my back went out. It actually went out while I was teaching a class in Portland. I have a slipped disc, and the disc just slipped, and I had to teach the rest of the class sitting in a chair, rolling around the room in this chair. That was a big wake-up call for me because I had spent, since 2008, all this time screen printing and not really thinking about my posture, not really thinking about the ergonomics of printing.

And I’m fairly young. I’m 43 now. And for my back to have gone out at this age, it was, it was, kind of, shocking. So I am really careful now that, how I lift things, um, how long I work, what shoes I wear when I work, how high my table is, how I bend over to print. I really, really pay attention to what my body is telling me. And if something does not feel good, I stop, and I figure out how I can reconfigure my work so that it does feel okay.

Caroline: This is really important advice. I think Helen and I just sat up a little straighter as you were talking. Okay. Posture. And I think this tip can translate to sewing so well because I find myself, when I’m having, like, a really long sewing session, my shoulders start to hurt, my neck starts to hurt, you know? And then I’m like asking my partner to give me a little neck rub, and it’s, like, I think I need to pay more attention to how my body is, you know, giving me signals during this creative hobby. So I think that’s such a good tip.

Jen: I have a friend who, um, is a massage therapist, and she actually has a specific type of massage session for makers.

Caroline: Oh, right. So cool. Okay. I think we’re ready to get into a little bit of the sewing aspect of your book. We wanted to ask you about how you decided on the designs for the garments.

Jen: Well, I knew that I didn’t want any garments that were too fussy, so, and don’t get me wrong, I love things like pleats and princess seams, but I didn’t want anything that was going to break up the overall print. Because, first of all, if you’ve spent some time and you’ve printed three yards of fabric, I don’t know that you’re going to want to sew something super complex, that’s going to require like a week, of sewing time. So I wanted, uh, patterns or designs that really showcased the prints. I had an idea of, kind of, the simplest things that I wear, and wear over and over again. And so there were, you know, like, a couple of blouses and a couple of dresses and then a really simple jacket and a really simple skirt, just really nice, simple garments that, that would show off the designs.

And I put together a little mood board, and I had some ideas and sketch them out, and then I showed them to pattern designers and they, they went to work and they designed around them and made the samples. And I was like, oh yeah, no, this is, this is perfect. This is what I want. I have no pattern drafting skills.

So there was no way I was going to do these on my own, but also it’s fascinating to work with professional pattern designers because you just show them some sketches, give them like a quick brief, and then bam. They’ve got something to you. It’s kind of crazy. Who knew?

Helen: I think you did a great job choosing. It’s almost like your garments in this book could be a little capsule wardrobe. You know, it’s all you need to get dressed. And there’s some simpler ones in there too cause you have some bags and an apron. So for people who don’t want to sew clothes there’s options as well.

Jen: Yes, definitely, like, the scarves. I mean, you could also buy a pre-sewn scarf and just print on it and bam, you have a gift, which is what I tell people in my classes.

Like, if you really can’t sew, just go and buy a pack of 10 bandanas from Dharma Trading. And there you go, you’ve got your Christmas gifts or a party favor or something.

Caroline: Do you have a favorite pattern from the book?

Jen: I think it’s that, it’s the short sleeve dress because I’ve now made it, I think I’ve made three or four of them in different fabrics, not just my block printed fabric, but also I have a small fabric collection with Cotton and Steel. And so I’ve been making dresses using that fabric, too. I love that. I love that dress. And it works well for San Francisco which is always just a little bit cold, so I can wear it with tights and a sweater in the winter or our summer, our summers are very cold. Our summers are often colder than our winters, but it’s fairly versatile. And when I went on book tour, I just sewed a bunch of those and took them with me. And it was like, yep, there’s Jen in another one of her brightly printed, short sleeve dresses.

Caroline: I love that. It’s like, you’ve, sort of, developed a personal style around this creative hobby and the block printing thing that you’ve been doing over the years. I’m curious, is most of your wardrobe handmade at this point?

Jen: I’m getting there. I think it’s still 50/50. I haven’t sewn jeans yet. I might, I might actually, I have a pattern. I have the Ginger Jeans pattern. I have some denim. I just don’t have the time. So I’m hoping, maybe in January, I can pick that up and just sew a pair because I wear jeans most often. But almost all of my dresses are handmade. Almost all my skirts are, are me made. And I finally conquered my fear of sewing knits this year, so.. I know. Okay. So I wish I had known earlier that you could actually sew a t-shirt in, like, an hour. Crazy, right? So I found one pattern that worked well for me. And I, like , sewed six merino wool knit t-shirts one Saturday. And I was like, oh great. There’s my winter wardrobe all done.

Caroline: Oh yeah, I personally love sewing knits. It’s one of my favorite things cause it is so quick, and you can feel so accomplished at the end of the day. Cause you’re like, I made 10 things today. You know, you feel like a rock star, but that’s so great that you conquered knits. We’re planning an episode all about knits.

Jen: And I also want to start sewing lingerie, like, because why not, right? You don’t need that much fabric. So that’s my goal next year, jeans and underwear.

Caroline: Awesome. You can do it.

Jen: I know. I just have to do it.

Helen: I’m really curious to hear, like, as an artist, working with inks and getting messy in your studio, do you ever feel like you can’t wear your handmade clothes or are you, kind of, precious about them at all?

Jen: So I don’t wear a lot of my handmade clothes while I am printing. I tend to wear, like, an ratty old pair of jeans that I’ve had for years and a t-shirt and maybe a beat up sweater, and that’s what I wear when I print. But the rest of my time, like today, I don’t have to print so I’m wearing a skirt I made, um, and a nice t-shirt and yeah, I’m not too worried about that getting dirty, but yeah, if I’m printing, forget it.

I’m, I’m going to be a hot mess. Um, if I have to go outside, I might throw on one of the jackets I’ve made and maybe a scarf. But, for the most part, printing is just dirty work, and I have to wear the dirty clothes.

Helen: I think that fits with the artistic vibe though. We all love to picture the artist in the studio with the ripped jeans and the ratty t-shirt.

Jen: A scarf in our hair. Yeah. It’s actually, kind of, true.

Caroline: So when you’re printing yardage, do you decide what the final garment is going to be before you print the fabric? Or does the fabric generally inspire the garment?

Jen: I do the garment first, and that’s partly because I think about a hole I have in my wardrobe. So maybe I need this type of dress, for this kind of occasion. So I’ll think about the garment, and then I’ll start to think about the print. Often, too, I see something that I like in a magazine, um, or online and I think, oh, I could make that. I could make it with some adjustments, and I could make that with my own fabric. But I know that if, and it’s the same with shopping for fabric, if I don’t have an end use in mind for fabric, it’s just going to sit in my stash.

So I’m trying to be way better about actually having an idea of what I’m going to do before I go and spend time on three yards of fabric. Because I cleaned out my closet a couple of months ago, and I went through my fabric stash and I, there were yards of fabric that I didn’t know I’d purchased. I was like, oh, this is pretty. When did I get this? Like, why is it sitting here? This is, this is money that I spent. Yeah. So I must sew with that.

Caroline: We can relate to that.

Jen: And I have 110 yards of my own fabric for my fabric line, for my fabric collection. So I’ve got to work my way, I have to make a serious dent in that first, before I buy any more.

Helen: And when you buy fabrics, do you find that you’re drawn to the printed fabrics or do you tend to buy solids to, kind of, mix and match with your print?

Jen: If I’m buying knit fabric, I’ll buy solids, for the most part, or stripes. I have a lot of stripes. I don’t know what it is. I love stripes, like, that’s my favorite color. My friend was house sitting for me, when I went on a quick trip recently, and she took a photo cause I left one of my dresser drawers open, and it was like 20 stripe tops.

And she took a photo of it and texted it to me and said, this, this cracks me up. I’m like, I know it’s a problem. So if I buy a knit, it’s either plain or it’s striped, um, and then wovens, now wovens are mostly printed now, and I’m, I’m attracted to fairly loud prints, still. I mean, you know, I don’t buy, at least when I go to stores, I don’t buy much unprinted fabric because I have wholesale suppliers I can get that from. And they’re usually willing to sell me, like, you know, 10 yards of something and 10 yards of a plain fabric. I can make that go pretty far. I can print on it. I can sew it into a blouse and a dress, but my favorite fabric store ever was The Fabric Store. It’s called The Fabric Store, and they had a branch in LA for a few years.

And they lost their lease, and they closed, and I was so sad. And I went there on the last day to say bye to all the ladies and to, you know, spend a couple hundred dollars on more fabric that I don’t need. They had such a lovely selection of, of knits and wovens. I love that place. I’m so sad they’re gone.

Caroline: Yeah, we’re familiar. And we love them, too. Their merino knits are amazing. Oh, my gosh.

Helen: Luckily, there’s still the New Zealand location, and they ship internationally. So I still purchase stuff from them, and they have the same, well, maybe not the exact same selection, but they definitely have the merino knits and the linens, and they’re beautiful.

Jen: I love that place.

Caroline: So do you have a favorite handmade garment?

Jen: Right now, I think it’s actually the skirt I’m wearing today. And I think the pattern is the Wedgewood Skirt. It’s a midi length, uh, pleated skirt with a visible zipper in the back. And the skirt I’m wearing today is one of my Cotton and Steel prints that is, it’s pink and it has, or it has a pink ground and then blue and white mountains on it. And it’s just, yeah, uh, summer’s finally come to San Francisco, so I get to wear skirts again. But, right now, this is my favorite.

Helen: Sounds really lovely. The other thing that I was really curious to ask you, because I am very attracted to prints as well, and I tend to purchase a lot of prints when I do my fabric shopping. And I’ve had many conversations with other sewists about how challenging it can be, sometimes when you are drawn to prints to put together outfits and get dressed. How do you handle that? Do you have any advice?

Jen: So, my first word of advice is that stripes go with everything. If I want to mix prints,I’ll almost always wear, like, a stripe top and a printed bottom.

And then I tend to, like, the skirt I’m wearing today, I actually have a bag that’s a different print but, kind of, the same color scheme that, it’s a big tote bag, and I’ve been carrying that around and because the color schemes are the same, they don’t look like they clash all that much. And then always throw a solid in there somewhere, like, even if it’s just a solid pair of tights or a solid t-shirt. Got to balance the eye, but I don’t know, sometimes I just want to wear all the prints like I’m a crazy, three year old. Like, it makes me happy, and I work at home, so if I want to do that, I can, you know? And if I feel weird about going out looking like that, then I’ll just put on a denim jacket.

Helen: Well, that’s a great tip to throw on a denim jacket. I mean, your outfits in your book are really beautiful, and you definitely play with prints, and you’re wearing them all together, and it looks great so…

Jen: Well, that’s the nice thing, too, about creating your own fabric is that if you want to wear all the prints together, you just need to work on, you can work on your color schemes yourself or change the scale of your block, or, you know, use the same block and print it in two different colors on two different pieces of fabric, and mix those together, and you’ll look fine. And at the end of the day, you just have to carry it with enough confidence and just not give a damn about what other people think. And then you look great, right?

Caroline: So true. Yeah. We want to know about caring for hand printed items. Do you need to do anything special when you’re caring for a block printed garment?

Jen: Not really. After you heat set it, which is just ironing, again, sewing is so much ironing. Um, after you’ve heat set it with an iron, it’s, the color might fade as any fabric would fade, but that’s about all you need to do. And I, I’m pretty hard on my clothes. I’m the first person to say that because I work for myself sometimes I wear the same thing three or four days in a row.

Um, and you know, I will wear, wear things to work. So I haven’t really seen my clothes lose their ink, or if nothing else, they might show wear just from use, but I think that’s fairly normal. I try not to be too precious about the things that I make. It’s kind of honoring the fact that I have the ability to make more. So, as much as I love an, a garment that, maybe when it goes, it’s time for it to go. And I just trust that I can sew another skirt or print more of that same fabric. It’s okay.

Helen: Yeah, that’s a good outlook to have. My mom does pottery, and she’s very not precious about it. She really wants people to use her pottery that she creates because that’s its intended purpose, and it deserves to be used for that, you know?

Jen: Yeah, I have my grandmother’s silver that, it’s so dinged up because I think she used it a lot. And then I use it all the time, too. And I it’s like my daily, you know, I eat my yogurt with a silver spoon, like, why not?

Caroline: So we want to know what are some of the biggest myths about block printing or biggest hurdles that people might face when they’re getting into this craft?

Jen: Ooh, the biggest myths. Well, I think the biggest myth in any kind of creative endeavor is that you need the approval of someone who’s more skilled than you in order to get started.

And granted, I say that as someone who teaches a class on it, but I think you can just get started. I think that with any creative endeavor, the starting is the big thing, right? That if you spend a lot of time overthinking it and worrying, you’re not going to get to it. So just do it. Like, there’s so much beauty in momentum.

I think the other misconception is that you have to be able to draw. And I think that’s also true for a lot of creative endeavors. Like, people are, they don’t want to identify as an artist because they aren’t good at drawing. And the truth is that creativity is so much more than just drawing. Making is so much more than just drawing.

And if you have an idea of what you like, and what you like does not necessarily involve a very detailed technical sketch, you can work with what you like. Your work doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It doesn’t have to look like mine, certainly. Your work can look like what your abilities are. And, one of the rules in my class is: if you can draw it, you can most likely carve it and print it.

So when people think that they’re working on something that’s too easy or too ambitious, I’ll tell ’em, you know what, that’s, that’s clearly what you’re attracted to, and that’s where your abilities lie at this moment, and that’s totally fine.

Caroline: You mentioned earlier about being a business woman and being really business driven. And we’re wondering if you have any advice for folks out there who have a passion for a craft that they want to get more serious about and potentially turn into a business.

Jen: Oh my gosh. So I’m a big proponent of having hobbies that you don’t monetize or that you don’t necessarily rely on to make your living. I blocked printed, or I was a printmaker, for years, and that was my vocation. I knew it, but that was not how I made my living. I had a day job because, simply because I knew I could not live off of printmaking alone, for a number of years. I think it’s really important to analyze whether or not this is something you want to make money from because when you have to make money from your craft, it changes your relationship with it.

I knew, once I started screen printing, that this is what I wanted to do. And so I changed a lot of things in my life so that I could do it. One of those things was consulting, doing human resources consulting, for a number of years, because I didn’t want to put the pressure on my work to sustain me. That was really, really important.

And I think it’s one of the reasons my work tends to look really different from what the trends are. It’s because I didn’t have to chase trends because I always had another source of income, until fairly recently. I also think that you have to be good at the business part of it. If you want to make a living on a craft, you have to be really good at the business part of it because it’s the easiest part to learn, to be honest, but it’s the hardest part to love. And if you don’t like doing that, you’re just, aren’t going to, or if you don’t understand the importance of it, you’re just not going to make it. And then the final thing is, your craft is most likely not going to support you because it takes a lot of work and a lot of hours go into making something by hand. And so, often, you’re going to have a very, very small market for handmade, and you’re going to have to find another source of income. And what has supported me, what helped me transition out of human resources consulting was teaching. I have never wanted to sell hand printed fabric on its own because the amount of time that goes into that would require me to charge $200+ dollars a yard, or a meter. Um, it’s just not feasible for most people, but I can teach you how to print your own fabric. And I would much rather do that because it’s not a ton of physical labor on my part. And it also allows me to keep printing and keep innovating without having to do production printing.

So teaching was really key for me, um, and now it’s licensing. And actually the printing, you know, the printing part is the smallest part of my revenue now, but that’s also fine because I have other things supporting it. And my print making, in turn, contributes so much to all these other streams of revenue that I have going on.

But yeah, I caution most people. I mean, I have a friend, and we joke that we should have a podcast called “Why You Can’t Do That” or “Why You Shouldn’t Do It.”. And it’s pretty much us giving advice to other aspiring artists, telling them like, yeah, so don’t quit your job. Yeah, so don’t go down this path because I think reality, like, if you’ve got a hobby and you love it that maybe, maybe the reward of that hobby is the joy and the love, rather than anything financial. And maybe in order to keep the joy and the love, it needs to be divorced from a revenue stream.

Caroline: Yeah, that’s a really great point. And the business aspect of it. It’s definitely not for everyone, not for the faint of heart. It can be so challenging and draining and financially draining, too. So I completely agree with you that it’s not something to enter into lightly.

Jen: It’s also, I think, something people don’t really want to hear because I mean, I get it. I had, I’ve had many jobs that I’ve been frustrated by, and I’ve daydreamed about what else I could do.

And I, you know, at one point I wanted to own a, an ice cream shop, which was a bad idea because I, I don’t love customer service, and I don’t love retail, like, in, in the way that it needs to be loved in order to, to do something well. And I had daydreams, and in reality, what I needed to do was develop a hobby that I loved, that I had outside of work.

Maybe it was also a sign that, maybe I needed to switch jobs. Like, there were all these other things that were going on, that this dream of quitting it all to focus on this hobby, and I, I have a lot of other hobbies, but that dream was really just my mind’s way of telling me, Hey, something’s going on here, and you’re unhappy with something. And you’re looking at what you think is the easiest fix. It’s most likely the hardest fix.

Helen: Yeah, that’s so true. I have that tendency as well. And I also sometimes find myself thinking about starting a new creative passion and then immediately jumping because I am a business person and I do have a business to the idea of monetizing that thing before I even try it which is insane, but that’s where my brain goes. And I’ve talked to other people that happens to them too, and they don’t even, you know, just try the act of block printing before they start thinking about selling the prints.

Jen: Oh, gosh, and I get lots of email inquiries from people asking me, like, telling me, like, I really have this idea. I want to do a textile business, but I don’t really have a background in it. I don’t know where to start. And I was like, well, maybe you just start by starting, and don’t think about it as a business.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, no, that’s so true. And that sort of leads into another question that I wanted to ask you cause you were talking about daydreaming, and I’ve been listening to some other podcast interviews recently that you had done over the years. And it seems like over the course of your career, you’ve worked on so many interesting projects. You did those creative challenges. You wrote a book. You have this line of fabric with Cotton and Steel which we didn’t even have the chance to chat about today. You have so much going on and so many interesting things going on, and it seems like you, kind of, have a knack for setting your sights on a goal and achieving it.

Like, in one of these podcasts you were saying, well, I hope to have, you know, have my fabrics licensed one day or my designs licensed one day, and now you do. So, do you have any tips for people out there who have these, kind of, bigger dreams but are not really sure where to start?

Jen: Well, I always have these goals that I put out there, and then I don’t actually do. I don’t sit down and do a plan and figure out how to get there. This is a story of my life, right? Like there are certain things I can plan and say, okay, I can, I’ll get to this point. But I think when you’re an entrepreneur and when you’re a creative person, a lot of times the big goals that you have, there’s no clear path to them.

So you just have to put out, this is my California woo-woo-ness, but you got to put it out there that this is what I want. And then you just need to keep doing the work, um, and trust that at some point it’s going to happen. But the really key important thing is to keep doing the work. Because the more you do the work, the closer you are going to get to those goals, whether you know it or not. For example, and I’ll just bring it back to the Cotton and Steel line. That wasn’t anything I sought. I just knew that I wanted to have a licensed fabric collection at some point. I’d followed them for a while, and I had always wanted to work with them, but I never actually got it together to send a portfolio or even to do an inquiry. And it turns out they don’t take the original five.

They, they don’t take inquiries. You know, they, they look for artists they want to work with. And last year, as I was wrapping up my final book edits, I got an email from Melody Miller, who was the founder of Cotton and Steel who said, would you, do you know who we are? This is who we are. Would you be interested in working on a small fabric collection for us?

And I was like, Yeah. I’ve only been working towards this for five years but not actually following a very specific path to get there. But this is exactly what I wanted, and it, kind of, just showed up. But at the same time, it didn’t really because I’ve been putting my work out there on a really consistent basis for a very long time.

Caroline: Oh, that’s great. I’m glad that you did that line with Cotton and Steel. It is so beautiful. And I encourage our listeners to go check it out cause we didn’t get a chance to talk about it today. Same thing with your book. It is such a great book. I hope that our listeners will go and check it out. There is so much great information in there.

Helen: Jen, thank you so much for coming on the show to chat with us. Where can our listeners find you online?

Jen: My website, the site is just jenhewett.com, and it’s H-E-W-E-T-T. I’m not the actress, but people misspelL my last name all the time. And I’m also on Instagram, same @jenhewett. I’m on Instagram a lot more than probably Twitter or Facebook. So you can always find me, you can always find me on the Instagrams.

Helen: Very adorable dog, I might add.

Yes, and he didn’t

Jen: participate in today’s interview. He’s usuall, um, kind of, vocal at this hour. So I guess his birthday party celebration last night wore him out.

Helen: Happy birthday, Gus.

Caroline: Oh, well, thank you so much again. We had so much fun chatting with you.

Jen: Thank you so much for having me.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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

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

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

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

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Episode 60: Sewing Struggles

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 04:00:24 +0000

Sewing isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes there are tears, anger, and disappointment. On this episode, we share your sewing struggles, based on stories from our listeners. We talk about how hard it is to fit our bodies, how lonely sewing can be, and how comparing ourselves to others can make us lose our sew-jo.

Camp Workroom Social
Hinterland Sew Off by The Sara Project & The Doing Things Blog
- Pattern by Sew Liberated
- Post by Oct 24 using #hinterlandsewoff
- More details @thesaraproject_ & @thedoingthingsblog
Episode 55: 1 Year Anniversary Q&A
Sewer’s Dream fusible interfacing
Sewing Struggles community responses

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You know we like to get emotional on the show sometimes, and we love sharing your stories, too! Has sewing ever made you feel not-so-great about yourself or your abilities? It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, we know. Help us dive into this topic by sharing your sewing struggle! Email us at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com, leave us a voicemail at 1-844-739-9428, or comment on this post! We might read or share your story on the show . . #lovetosewpodcast #sewingpodcast #welovetosew #sewing #sewcialist #sewingstruggles

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Aug 20, 2018 at 4:42pm PDT

Emery Dress by Christine Haynes

The Dress Shirt from Merchant & Mills

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

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

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

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

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Episode 61: Slow Fashion with Karen Templer

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 04:00:00 +0000

Photo credit: Zachary Gray

Karen Templer joins us to talk about Slow Fashion October. Can our sewing have an impact on the overall fashion industry? How can we be more intentional with our making practices? Karen shares how she learned to slow down while still enjoying fashion and style.

Follow Karen!
- Blog: Fringe Association
- Shop: Fringe Supply Co.
- Instagram:
Ravelry
A Verb for Keeping Warm

Kristine Vejar

The great closet clean out

Summer of Basics – Fisherman sweater

Lakeside Pajamas by Grainline Studio

Wardrobe Planning

Fringe Association Bags

Follow Karen! Blog: Fringe Association, Shop: Fringe Supply Co., Instagram: @fringesupply, @karentempler, @SlowFashionOctober

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 62: Sewing with Knits

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 04:00:52 +0000

Welcome to the wonderful world of sewing with knit fabrics! We cover what kinds of fabric you can use, the tools you need, and tips for getting a professional finish while sewing. You will be making your own tees, leggings, and sweaters in no time!

Love to Sew Podcast listeners can get 15% off your next Spoonflower fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap order. Go to try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew and enter your email address to receive your coupon code.

Check out The Spoonflower Quick-Sew Project Book – Available Now!

Introducing the Elliot Sweater and Tee! (20% off during the launch week, Oct 8 – 16)

Subscribe to the Blackbird Fabrics Workshops & Events Newsletter!

Tools for Knits

Serger / Overlocker (we love this Juki!)

Source: Closet Case Patterns

Source: Schmetz Needles

Source: Colette Blog

Types of Knits

Jersey / Single knit

Fleece
French Terry

Source: Indiesew

Lycra / Spandex

Interlock Twist Yarn (ITY) knits
Ponte de Roma / Scuba / Double / Interlock knits

Sweater knits (Blackbird Fabrics sweater knits available Oct 12!)
Rib knits

Novelty knits (quilted knits, velvet, lace)
Stretch Percentage

Sewing knits without a serger – An article by Seamwork Magazine
How to do a Full Bust Adjustment on a pattern without any darts (quick method and classic method)
Adjusting the bobbin tension:

Source: Seamwork Magazine

Beginner Knit Projects

T-shirts!

Plantain Tee by Dear and Doe

Turtlenecks!

Nikko Top and Dress by True Bias

Hepburn Turtleneck by Itch to Stitch

Tank Tops!

Kila Tank by Allie Olson
Rumi Tank by Christine Haynes

Simple leggings!

Virginia Leggings by Megan Nielsen Patterns

Easy dresses!

Lou Box Dress by Sew DIY

Advanced / Intermediate Knit Projects

Undies!

Watson Bra & Bikini by Cloth Habit

Ruffles!

Waterfall Raglan Top & Dress by Chalk & Notch

Wrap dresses!

Indie, Darling: Best Wrap Dress Patterns

Fold-over elastics!

Tropo Camisole by Tuesday Stitches

Colour blocked or ruched knits!

Givre Dress by Dear and Doe

Sweater knits!

Bodysuits!

Nettie Bodysuit + Dress by Closet Case Patterns

Rowan Bodysuit and Tee by Megan Nielsen Patterns

Advanced leggings!

Avery Leggings by Helen’s Closet

Sports Bras!

Pneuma Tank by Papercut
Dunbar Top by Sewaholic Patterns

Hoodies!

Halifax Hoodie by Hey June Handmade

Cool seams!

Brume Skirt by Dear and Doe
Jackie by Victory Patterns

Bras!

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 63: Feedback Fest

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 04:00:23 +0000

We get a lot of amazing feedback from our listeners, so this episode is a big feedback fest! We cover seasonal fabric storage, washable silk, zero-waste-fashion, ‘selfish’ sewing, and so much more. Hear from fellow listeners as we answer questions and share their sewing thoughts.

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Moneta Dress by Colette

Merino Wool Jersey

Source: New Zealand Merino and Fabrics

Episode 15: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge
Blackwood Cardigan by Helen’s Closet

Women’s Kimono Jacket by Wiksten

Archer Button-Up Shirt by Grainline Studio

Ogden Cami by True Bias

Ninni Culottes by Named

Magnetic pincushion

Magnetic Telescoping Pick Up Tool

Hanging project organizer

Lisa Kievits and Erin Weisbart of maternitysewing.com in Seamwork’s October issue.
Zero-Waste Karma Trench by MILAN AV-JC

Fulford Jeans by Thread Theory

Quadra Jeans by Thread Theory

The Forman Jacket by Merchant and Mills

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Episode 64: Sewing as Art with Carolyn Norman

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 04:00:06 +0000

Carolyn Norman joins us to talk about sewing as a form of artistic expression. She shares stories from almost 50 years of sewing and inspires us to look at our sewing hobby as more than just making clothes. We talk about finding inspiration in your everyday life, being buried with your favourite fabrics, and her column in Sewn Magazine.

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Use coupon code LoveToSew15 during checkout to receive 15% off your order.

Offer valid until November 8, 2018.

Follow Carolyn!
- Blog: Diary of a Sewing Fanatic
- Instagram: @diaryofasewingfanatic
- Pinterest: Diary of a Sewing Fanatic
- Column: Ask Carolyn in Sewn Magazine
Stitcher’s Guild a.k.a. Artisans Square forum
Cashmerette Patterns
The Katie by Mimi G

Myosotis Dress by Deer and Doe

Kalle Shirt & Shirtdress by Closet Case Patterns

Perth Dress & Blouse by Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co. – @handmadebycarolyn

Tamarack Jacket by Grainline Studio

April is Shirt Month with Butterick 5678 and Vogue 7700

Winslow Culottes Hack series

Carolyn’s “Sewing Cave”

Carolyn’s Fabric Collection

#sewincolor

#pocwhosews by @candiceayala

Sewn Magazine

- Send your sewing questions to askcarolyn@sewnmag.com!

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Episode 65: Sew Confident with Marcy Harriell

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 04:00:58 +0000

Marcy Harriell (aka Oonaballoona) talks with us about finding confidence through sewing, embracing her amazing personal style, and blending her passions for acting and sewing in her new series on Bluprint. We discuss shopping the garment district in NYC, whether Marcy ever wears ‘basics’, and her recently-acquired title of ‘the patron saint of Frosting’.

Follow Marcy!
- Blog: Ooonaballoona by Marcy Harriell
- Instagram: @marcyharriell

Bluprint – Suit Up! DIY DC Super Heroes Costumes with Marcy Harriell

Rob Harriell

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Rob & Al Green giving you Friday-Weekend-L-o-v-e-LOVE #boogie

A post shared by Marcy Harriell | oonaballoona (@marcyharriell) on Oct 19, 2018 at 2:30pm PDT

Ogden Cami by True Bias (modified by Marcy)

#sewfrosting

Marcy’s Legwarmers

Fabric Stories at Vlisco

Follow Marcy! Blog: Ooonaballoona by Marcy Harriell, Instagram: @marcyharriell

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Episode 66: Sewing Meet-ups

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 05:00:22 +0000

We love meeting fellow sewists in real life! It is so much fun, and we want to encourage you to try it too. We talk about how to meet online friends in person, how to organize a sewing meet-up, basic meet-up etiquette, and lessons learned from our past sewing get-togethers.

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Gretchen Rubin Four Tendencies Quiz
99% Invisible Podcast – Articles of Interest

Elissa’s Pin-cushion bracelets

Clover Wonder Clips

Wonder Tape

Merchant & Mills – The Forman

Caroline & Helen’s first meetup!

Location hashtags

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Caroline and I met after connecting on instagram and realizing we live in the same city! Meeting up in real life with fellow sewists can be so much fun. If you want to find fellow sewists in your city, state, province, or country, try using these location hashtags! Tell us your hashtags in the comments! We hope you join us . . #canadasews #bcsews #vancouversews #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew

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How to follow hashtags on Instagram
Vancouver Garment Sewists Facebook group
LTS New York meet-up at FABSCRAP

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Episode 26: Workroom Social with Jennifer Wiese
Episode 65: Sew Confident with Marcy Harriell
Love to Sew Montreal meetup

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

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Episode 67: Clothing Care with Harriet Johnson

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 05:00:29 +0000

Harriet Johnson has a wealth of knowledge to share about caring for our clothes! She believes in extending the life of our garments and the love we put into making them. We talk about how to properly wash and store your clothes, basic mending, and stain removal.

Merritt Makes is offering a special discount for Love to Sew listeners: 20%-off any purchase between Tuesday, Nov 12 and Monday, Dec 17! Use the discount code LOVETOSEW at checkout!

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- Instagram: @thelittledressmaker, @clothingcareco, #menditmonth
- Youtube: The Little Dressmaker
- Blog: The Little Dressmaker
- Clothing Care Co.
Use the discount code LOVETOSEW for 10%-off everything in the Clothing Care Co. shop!
Inside Number 23
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Episode 60: Sewing Struggles
Shweela!

Clothing Care Co.

How to Remove Red Wine Stains

#menditmonth

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I’m running mend it month this year! Go over to @clothingcareco to read the blog post explaining the idea, and the prompts for each week of November . . . _________________________________ #menditmonth #mending #visiblemending #sustainablefashion

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Zhuzh/Zhoosh/Tzhuj

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Episode 68: Know Yourself Better with Gretchen Rubin

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 05:00:23 +0000

Credit: James Merrel (2018)

Gretchen Rubin joins us to talk about her Four Tendencies framework and how it relates to our creative hobbies. We talk about knowing yourself better, finding accountability, facing your fears, and how colour can influence our everyday lives. Gretchen is a happiness expert and she gives us loads of tips on how to be happy and productive in our sewing practice.

The transcript for this episode can be found on this page at the end of the show notes.

Follow Gretchen!
- Happier Podcast
- Website: Gretchen Rubin
- Blog: Gretchen Rubin
- Facebook: @GretchenRubin
- Instagram: @gretchenrubin
- Twitter:@gretchenrubin
The Four Tendencies Quiz
Gretchen’s Books:
The Four Tendencies resources
Tendency Overlap

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I love seeing the #FourTendencies framework out in the world. Knowing this, many thoughtful readers and listeners send me examples of Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels that they spot in books, movies, and TV shows. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One reader wrote me this analysis of the hit TV show Seinfeld. I realize that I don’t know Seinfeld very well—not the way that I know The Office, Parks and Recreation, or Brooklyn 99, for instance. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So I can’t form my own judgment—what do you think? Is this accurate? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Elaine – the Questioner – she always wants to know why and whether to do something. Example: Is the guy sponge-worthy? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kramer – obviously the Rebel – won’t do something if there are expectations of him doing something. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ George – Obliger – really cares about external expectations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Jerry – Upholder – will do what he sets out to do whether he set that goal or a club that booked him/his friends set that goal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now I have an excuse to binge-watch nine seasons of Seinfeld. Don’t know your Tendency? Visit quiz.gretchenrubin.com or click the link in my profile.

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Quiz: Are you a Finisher or an Opener?

Want to Start Listening to the “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” Podcast? Consider These Episodes.

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Transcript:

This transcript was created from the Love to Sew re-release version of this episode, released on July 27, 2021. You can listen to this version on the player below:

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/rr04_lts_episode-068-rerun.mp3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Hello, and welcome. I’m Helen.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline.

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

Caroline: Today, we are chatting with Gretchen Rubin, co-host of the podcast, Happier, New York Times bestselling author, and the creator of the Four Tendencies framework.

Gretchen has made it her life’s work to explore happiness, habits, and human nature. We talk about how knowing yourself better can make us happier in our daily lives and creative pursuits.

Helen: You all took the quiz, right? You gotta take the quiz.

Caroline: Take the quiz. Where can they take the quiz?

Helen: quiz.gretchenrubin.com

Caroline: Go do it! Press pause. Take the quiz. And come back.

Hello, Gretchen, thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Gretchen: I’m so happy to be talking to you.

Caroline: We’re really happy, too. We talk about you and your podcast, Happier, on the show all the time. And we both really look up to you and your sister, Liz. So it is a true honor to have you here on the show.

Gretchen: Aw, well, thanks. I’m so, I’m so happy to be joining the conversation.

Caroline: Awesome. So for those out there that may not know you, can you introduce yourself to our listeners?

Gretchen: My name is Gretchen Rubin, and I’m a writer who lives in New York City. I’m originally from Kansas City, Missouri. I’m best known for my book, The Happiness Project, and, sort of, the books that I’ve written since then that are all about, kind of, happiness habits and human nature which are The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, uh, Better Than Before, which is all about habit change, and The Four Tendencies, which is about a personality profile I developed.

I’ve a book coming out in the spring called Outer Order, Inner Calm. It’s just, like, a fun little book. It’s, like, a pump up book if you’re trying to get pumped up to clear clutter cause I’m very interested in why is it that when we get stuck, control over the stuff of our lives, we feel more in control of our lives, generally, which, kind of, to an irrational degree it seems to me.

I also have a podcast, as you mentioned, called Happier with Gretchen Rubin, which I do with my sister, um, Elizabeth Craft, who is a showrunner in, uh, Hollywood. Um, so she, we talked about how to be happier from our different perspectives, and I have a website, and I’m all over social media and, um, all that. So that’s, that’s who I am.

Helen: You do so much for people out there, encouraging them to know themselves better and to be happier. And I think it’s just amazing all of the different subjects you’ve delved into, and you’ve affected me in my personal life as well. So thank you for that.

Gretchen: Oh, well, that’s so nice to hear.

Helen: So our podcast is sewing-themed, and we thought we would want to ask you if you have a history of sewing or a personal connection with sewing in any way?

Gretchen: I don’t myself. So I’m, like, one of these super, like, uncoor-, like, uncoordinated. Like, I can’t, like, I tried, like, crazy to needlepoint and stuff like that, but one of my closest friends is super, like, she can sew things she’s, like, um, she can sew things overnight.

She can just, like, whip something up. She makes these insane Halloween costumes. Um, so I’m very envious, and I have a closeup view of, like, what a real sewing person looks like. And I’m, I, I’m, I very much envy it, but I feel like I get to, like, take some pleasure in it just from watching her.

Helen: Oh, that’s awesome. Yeah. So maybe you’ll have some insight, through your relationship with her, about some of the topics that we’re going to talk about today.

Gretchen: Yeah.

Caroline: So we wanted to chat with you about your Four Tendencies framework, specifically the relationship between our Tendency and our creative practice. Um, but to start us off, do you mind giving us a little introduction of the Four Tendencies?

Gretchen: Yes. So the Four Tendencies is a personality framework that I came up with. It came out of my study of habits and how people successfully changed habits, but it’s actually much bigger than habits. It’s a more pervasive aspect. Um, and it’s whether you are an upholder, a questioner, an obliger, or a rebel.

And I will give a brief description, and for most people, the brief description is all they need. There is a quiz. If you go to quiz.gretchenrubin.com, there’s a free quiz. I think 1.7 million people have taken it now, but you, but a lot of people don’t need to take the quiz. They can just tell from what I’m going to say.

So it has to do with how you respond to expectations. And we all face two kinds of expectations, outer expectations, things like a work deadline, a request from a friend. And then there are inner expectations, my own desire to keep a new year’s resolution, my own desire to spend an hour quilting. And depending on how we respond to outer and inner expectations, that’s what determines our Tendency.

So upholder, the first tendency, they readily meet outer and inner expectations. So they meet the work deadline. They keep the new year’s resolution without much fuss. They want to know what other people expect from them, but their expectations for themselves are just as important.

Then there are questioners. Questioners question all expectations. They’ll do things if they think they make sense. So they’re making everything an inner expectation. If it meets their inner standard, they’ll do it no problem. If it fails their inner standard, they will push back, and they tend to resist anything arbitrary, inefficient, irrational. They always want to know why.

Uh, then there are obligers. Obligers readily meet outer expectations, but they struggle to meet inner expectations. And I got my insight into this, for the first time, when a friend said to me, I don’t understand it. When I was in the high school, I was on the track team, and I never missed track practice. So why can’t I go running now? And I thought, well, why not? And it’s like, okay, well, when she had a team and a coach expecting her to show up, she had no problem going, but when she’s just trying to go on her own, make time for herself, she struggled.

And then finally there are rebels. Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike. They want to do what they want to do in their own way, in their own time. They can do anything they want to do. But if you ask or tell them to do something, they’re very likely to resist. And typically they, they won’t tell themselves what to do. Like they wouldn’t take a 10:00 AM Saturday sewing class because they don’t know what they’re going to want to do at 10:00 AM on Saturday. And the mere fact that someone’s expecting them to show up would just annoy them. So those are the Four Tendencies.

Helen: I mean, they’re so interesting and I especially love, not only knowing your own tendency but, knowing the tendencies of those around you can really change the way that you approach your life and appreciate other people’s personalities a bit more and just understand where they’re coming from.

Gretchen: I a hundred percent agree. So I’m an upholder. So they, they’re, they’re not equally distributed. So obliger is the biggest Tendency for both men and women. You either are an obliger, or you have many obligers in your life. Next after that is questioner. Rebel is the smallest tendency. It’s a very conspicuous Tendency, but it’s very small.

And in my Tendency, upholder Tendency is just a little bit bigger. So those are, kind of, the polar extreme tendencies. And once I understood why I, like, how upholders approach things and how that was different than most everybody else, it was just like, I just got along with people so much better. I had a lot less frustration and, like, a lot less bafflement because I’d be like, what’s the big deal. And now I’m like, oh, I see this is a questioner or, oh, I see this is an obliger. So I think you’re right. It really can help you manage yourself and understand yourself, but then it can also, kind of, explain other people in a way that’s really useful.

Helen: Yeah, and we’ve prompted our listeners, uh, in an episode previous to go and take the quiz so we…

Gretchen: Great!

Helen: …hope they’re all prepped.

Gretchen: Yes! Good! Know your Tendency!

Helen: Yes, um, but we would love to hear, sort of, your experience interacting with artists and creatives, specifically through the lens of their Tendencies.

Gretchen: Well, it’s interesting because a lot of people, with the rebel Tendency, a lot of people are like, oh, all great artists are rebels. And then some people are like, ooh, all narcissists are rebels. And I’m like, no, it doesn’t work like that because your Tendency only tells one narrow part of your personality. Um, like, it doesn’t tell you how creative you are or how analytical you are or how curious you are or how extroverted you are, anything like that. It just tells you how you respond to expectations.

But that said, your Tendency comes out a lot in something like creative production. So let’s say if you’re a rebel and you want to do creative things, you want to, you don’t want to, like, try to lock yourself into a schedule or commit in advance. What you want to do is, you’re, like, you know what? I’m a creative person. And I want to show the world what’s in my mind. Like, I can’t wait to, like, use these new materials and show people, like, how I can come up with these beautiful combinations. It’s all about my identity. It’s what I want. I want to show my identity. I want to show what I can do. I want to do the thing that I love, which is to create.

Where someone like an upholder, like me might say something like, I need to make time for this in my life every day. I’m going to settle, set aside ninety minutes, you know, between nine and noon every single day to work on this project. And for an upholder, that would be very satisfying because it’s, like, I know I’m going to make time for it. It’s on the calendar. I feel the satisfaction of executing.

And you know, sometimes people think upholders sound very rigid, um, and they can be rigid, but, like, I feel, I feel, like, I’m a creative person, and I feel, like, you know what, my ri-, my rigidity, um, helps that. Like, my motto is: discipline is my freedom. And so I feel, like, by being so consistent, that’s what allows me to be creative, but that doesn’t work for everyone.

Now obligers, now they suffer sometimes if they’re trying to do creative things, if it’s seen as inner. If they think of it like, I have my day job, and then I have my fun hobby that I do, or I have my beautiful project that I’m doing for myself. Well, that can always, that could really get slighted.

And a lot of times obligers get very frustrated because they’re like, why is it that I’m always meeting everybody else’s expectations, but then I have all these big plans for what I want to do, and that never happens. So what is the answer? What do you do if you’re an obliger like that? And you have, like, this project that you love, and yet, somehow it never gets attention.

The solution is to create outer accountability for that. So it’s, like, if you want to read more, join a book group. If you, you know, and, and, and you just, whether you take a class where you have to, like, prepare and, and, and, and show your work at every class. Um, if you form a group where everybody’s like, we’re, we’re all committing to work, and if you don’t do, if you blow it off, you’re gonna encourage other people not to take it seriously. So you have to do it for them.

I have this app, the Better app, where people can go on and, sort of, form groups to create accountability if they want, or they can just ask questions and stuff. You could, uh, think of your duty to be a role model for someone else. I want to show somebody else. You could be a teacher. I need to teach people. I’m going to have students. I’m going to have clients. I’m going to have customers. So I have to deliver for them. Uh, you can think of your duty to your future self. Well, Gretchen Right Now doesn’t feel, feels like this is at the bottom of the list, but Future Gretchen, at the end of 2018, is going to be so disappointed if she hasn’t made progress.

You can think of, um, you know, it’s just this idea of having outer accountability for whatever it is that you’re doing. Some obligers can even, like, have outer accountability to things like their own schedule or, like, the project itself. Um, some, obligers vary tremendously in what they feel accountable to.So if you’re an obliger, you’re dealing with an obliger, you, sort of, have to experiment to find out what works.

And then for questioners, it’s, like, for them, it’s all inner, it’s all the wise. Like, do I want to do this? Oh, I do want to do this, and it’s most efficient for me to do this on Saturday mornings. Or it’s most efficient for me to do this a little bit each day or whatever. And for, and they love to customize, they like to come up with their own plans, but once they’ve figured that out, they’re pretty good at just sticking to it.

So that’s some of the ways that I’ve seen it, the Tendencies influence how people make time to pursue creative things, which of course is hugely important. If you want to be creative, you have to have time to cultivate it.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. We completely agree with that. And Helen and I are actually both obligers…

Gretchen: Okay.

Caroline: …and we do a lot of things to, sort of, help us to dedicate time to our creative practices. So we take classes together, and we have days where we meet up and sew with friends, so that, sort of, forces us to do it on a regular basis when things get busy and stuff.

And I was just thinking, while you were talking about obligers and that outer accountability, like, we started this podcast together and in a way, like, we’re releasing weekly episodes and it, sort of, forced us to stay on top of things that are happening in the sewing world and, kind of, just keep dedicated to this practice, sort of, on a weekly basis through the podcast. So I think it’s, it really does help to know your Tendency, um, and know yourself better so that you can really, sort of, build your life around that and make sure that you’re giving yourself an opportunity to pursue the things that you want to pursue in that way.

Gretchen: That’s absolutely true. And what you see with people, like obligers, that often, they will intuitively understand that they do better when they have accountability, and they will, kind of, get to it without consciously realizing that that’s why certain things work, but something like having a podcast, having a blog, um, making dates with friends, joining, joining groups, like, those are great cause they create that accountability.

But the problem is, I think, for a lot of obligers, I, it’s weird because on the one hand, I think, like, in culture, we’re very aware of how helpful accountability can be. And there’s many, many, many ways to get accountability because people get it. But on the other hand, obligers, I mean, I mean, upholders, questioners, and rebels will often say to obligers things like, you need to make time for yourself. You need to get clear on what you want. If this is important for you, you’ll do it. Um, if you didn’t want to do that, why did you say you would do that?

And it’s, like, okay, that’s bad for obligers cause that’s not how they, they need outer accountability. So telling them, like, you need to learn how to put yourself first, that doesn’t work for an obliger unless there’s some kind of scaffolding of outer accountability. So I think sometimes we get in each other’s way because we give each other the advice that would work for us. We don’t recognize how somebody else might need to take a different approach. Whereas you’re, kind of, left to your own devices, maybe you figure it out for yourself. Like, you know what, I’m not going to do this. If I don’t figure out a way to hold myself accountable for it.

Caroline: I actually had a question that you might find controversial…

Gretchen: Ooh!

Caroline: …but, Helen is an obliger, but I feel like she has a little bit of an upholder streak. And, um, I know that generally you, sort of, feel like we are the one Tendency. But do you think that in creative practices you might have, like, a little bit of a streak of a different Tendency?

Gretchen: Well, you’re ask-, I mean, that’s a great question. So each of the Tendencies, like, if you think of the Tendencies, like, in the Four Tendencies book, there’s a big picture at the front that I think is helpful.

If you think of the Tendencies as, like, four circles in a diamond that are overlapping, like, a four circle Venn diagram of overlapping, you realize each of the Tendencies overlaps with, with two other Tendencies.

So, like, if you’re an obliger, you overlap with upholder because obligers and upholders both readily meet outer expectations. So there’s a deep affinity between obligers and upholders.

And then obligers also overlap with rebels because they both resist inner expectations. And so there’s a deep affinity between obligers and rebels. And so you can be an obliger who tips to rebel, or you can be an obliger who tips to upholder and that’s going to affect, uh, how your, how your Tendency comes out. So you’re still an obliger, but like you say, there’s, kind of, this flavor of upholder.

And that’s very, that’s what my sister is. If anybody listening listens to the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast, my sister’s an obliger who tips to upholder. And obligers who tip to upholders, they are better at being able to draw boundaries. They’re better able to, uh, they don’t suffer as much obliger rebellion, typically, they don’t which is a phenomenon we can talk about. Uh, they, they are more in, kind of, in the zone of upholder. So that makes perfect sense to me that somebody would feel like, oh, I feel like I’ve got, like, an upholder side to me yet. Yeah, you probably just tip that way.

Helen: Yeah, it’s interesting hearing, uh, you list some of the ways that obligers can hold themselves accountable. I think, for me, with my upholder streak, I am able to hold myself accountable to my calendar…

Gretchen: Yes!

Helen: …or to my blog…

Gretchen: Yes!

Helen: …because those are things that I’ve, I’ve said that I’m going to do and that’s, you know, just a touch of accountability and that’s all like…

Gretchen: Yes!

Helen: …you know, I don’t need somebody, like, tapping me on the shoulder being like, are you gonna do that thing?

Gretchen: Well, and that’s, that’s a really good point, which is that there’s this huge variety among obligers about wha,t kind of, uh, accountability they’re sensitive to and how much they need. So some obligers, like you, do feel accountable to a calendar, or they might feel accountable to an auto reminder from an app, you know. Whereas other obligers are, like, they have to get in trouble from an actual person, or it doesn’t matter.

Some obligers are very sensitive to things like spending money. Like, if they take money to take a class, they’re, and the class is like, okay, you have to finish a project every week. They’re going to be like, I’m not going to waste the money. Like, I have to do it. But then other obligers are, kind of, like, well, I paid my money. Like, now it’s just, the, the, the, the teacher gets the same money whether I show up or not. They feel, kind of, free to blow it off.

And so, again, it’s like, what, so you sound like someone who’s very, very sensitive to, like, even the lightest touch of accountability. And so that gives you that, kind of, upholder look. Whereas some obligers, especially obligers who tip to rebel, like, it’s hard to make them feel, you know, you, it needs to be a pretty big, um, accountability measure.

Caroline: Yeah, I think I definitely lean towards rebel, so it’s interesting because Helen and I think, feel that in our working relationship where she’s a little bit more of an upholder, and I’m a little bit more of a rebel, so we do, sort of, differ in that way. But I would love to hear you elaborate a little bit more on obliger rebellion.

Gretchen: Yeah. So, I mean, you can tell me if you’ve experienced this, either of you. Um, so obliger rebellion is a very common pattern among obligers where an obliger will meet, meet, meet, meet expectations, and then, or an expectation, and then suddenly it’s like they snap, and they’re like, I’ve had it. This I will not do.

And sometimes it’s small and, kind of, funny. Like, I’m not going to answer your emails for a week. And sometimes it’s really big. Like, I’m going to get a divorce. I’m going to quit this job and go work for a competitor. I’m going to end a 20 year friendship because you’re dead to me. It’s over. I’ve had it.

And what I didn’t understand for a long time is that obliger rebellion is really protective. It’s meant to safe-, safeguard the obliger from being exploited or taken advantage of or feeling unheard or neglected or where expectations are just too burdensome. So it’s supposed to kind of, like, eject you from a situation that you can’t stand anymore.

So it’s supposed to protect you, but it can be very destructive, and it’s, kind of, out of control, and obligers will say, like, I feel like I’m acting out of character. I feel like a volcano exploding. I feel like a lid blowing off a pot. Like, it’s a very, kind of, uncontrolled out of nowhere feeling. And it’s often, can have reputational risks because it does come out of nowhere, and it can seem disproportionate to other people because they don’t understand why this deep anger and resentment has been building.

Like, they’re thinking like, well, if you didn’t want to serve on a committee, why did you volunteer? Like, why did you say you would? If you didn’t want to do it, why did you say you do it? And they don’t understand, like, the resentment that’s building.

It can just feel like something that is just out of the person’s, uh, ability to, kind of, moderate it or, or direct it or, like, it’s not, like you’re, you’re starting to push back. It’s, like, you’re just overturning the table. Um, and, uh, and it is when they, when obligers feel, kind of, exploited or neglected or, or unheard. Um, and so obliger rebellion is meant to end that. Um, have you ever experienced obliger rebellion?

Caroline: I think not on such a dramatic level…

Gretchen: Maybe smaller?

Caroline: …but I’ve definitely experienced, you know, where at a certain point, I’m like, I’ve had enough. I’m just not going to answer this email that, sort of, on a smaller, on a smaller scale, for sure. Yeah. I definitely think I have a rebel streak in me.

Helen: Sometimes Caroline will work seven days a week, and then all of a sudden be like, I’m taking the day off! As opposed to just taking a regular weekend.

Gretchen: Right. Well, It’s interesting because, on the one hand, it’s good because it’s, like, it is, like, saving you from, like, deep burnout. But, on the other hand, like, if you’re dealing with someone who’s an upholder like me, I’m like, why didn’t you plan this in advance? Like, why are you springing this on me now? If you wanted to take a day off, like, why is it, like, it just, it’s, it’s, it can be hard to deal with and can, it can have, like, negative consequences.

So the thing to do is to try not to get to the place of deep burnout and resentment, where somebody feels like, okay, I’ve had it. And I’m, like, I’m just taking a personal day, like, come what may. Or I’m quitting this job because you, you people. I’m sick of you people. It’s, like, either an obliger, cause a lot of times obligers are super relieved to find out this is, like, a common pattern. They thought it was, like, their own private problem. And they didn’t understand this is, like, very common, very widespread. There’s a good reason for it. And there’s, there’s things that you can do to, um, to circumvent it.

And what you want to do, or if you’re dealing with an obliger, is you want to make sure they don’t get to that place of deep burnout and resentment. Um, now two obligers working together, you might really, kind of, safeguard for each other cause you’d be very attuned to the pressure about outer expectations.

But I think other Tendencies, and sometimes obligers themselves, they do have a tendency to exploit and take advantage of obligers. They absolutely do. That’s not, obligers don’t think they do, and they do. Um, and they need to remind themselves, like, watch out for this. Look out for situations where one person’s working too hard or one person hasn’t had a break or one person is shouldering a disproportionate burden and others aren’t helping or participating.

My favorite example of this, and it just drives me crazy, I’m obsessed with office signage, especially kitchen signage. Like, anytime I go to an office, I look at the office sign, and what’s clear to me is that nobody puts their dishes in the dishwasher except the obligers. The obligers are furious about this. And they, they will tend to post more and more and more aggressive and snarky signs, which everybody else, for very good reasons in their, from their own perspectives, ignores this.

And my answer is it should be somebody’s job in an office to load the dishwasher. That should be a job. You should have it in your job description. You should get paid for it. And that should just be part of your workday because the idea that people are just going to volunteer and do it, it doesn’t happen fairly. And it just causes a lot of resentment. That’s my two cents about obligers and, uh, office dishes, the mugs, you know, the mugs, the mugs, the mugs, like, let’s get over it.

Helen: It’s, like, a perfect snapshot of all the Tendencies.

Gretchen: Oh yeah. Well, so here’s the thing. Like, to an upholder, an upholder thinks I have my job, and my job does not include loading the dishwasher. Maybe I’ll do my mug, but I’m not going to do your mug because I take care of me. You take care of you. I’ll follow the rules, but I’m not going to go beyond the rules because I got my own work to do. I got my own things, too.

Questioners are like, it’s not efficient for me to be spending my time. I should use my time to do sales. That’s best for everyone. That’s how I make my contribution. Like, I’m not going to load the dishwasher. Maybe they also would load their thing, but I don’t, you know, they’d be like, it’s not an efficient use of my time.

Rebels’ like, I’m going to do what I want to do. Maybe they have a value and their identity is that they’re super considerate, so they do it. Maybe their identity is like, yeah, I don’t, like, that’s just not something that I think is worth my time. Like, life’s too short to sit around loading other people’s mugs into a dishwasher, so I’m not going to do it.

But the obliger feels the pressure to do it. They see the dirty dishes, or they see the sign, and they’re like, well, if other people aren’t going to do it, I have to do it. So, as an upholder, I don’t think that. I think I got my work to do. That isn’t my job.But to obligers, that looks really cold. And they’re like, who are these barbarians that I work with who cannot do the decent thing and put their own mug in the dishwasher? And they feel, like, incredibly put upon and, like, they’re surrounded by people who are extremely inconsiderate.

So, you see how from everybody’s perspective, it makes perfect sense. What they think and why they act doesn’t seem inappropriate or inconsiderate, it just seems like good sense. But it falls on the obliger. They’re the ones who suffer for that cause everybody else is like, okay, maybe I’ll do my own mug. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I will. But I feel, I don’t feel like I need to load the dishwasher for everyone. Not no, of course, somebody could email me. I have an exception cause I’m a questioner. But you know, for this reason I did. Yes. But I’m just saying, yes, in the main, this is, this is the general, the general observation that I have made about, and I have, like, surprisingly studied this more than is really logical. I’m obsessed with it. I spent a lot of time talking to people about their frustrations around coffee mugs.

Helen: I mean, it’s so interesting on your podcast because you and Liz get to talk to people all the time, or hear from your listeners all the time, about their various deviations from the four Tendencies. And you always, kind of, bring them back and be like, no, you know, because of this, you, you actually are more in this camp, and it always makes sense in the end, but of course, There are lots of different personalities out there, and people aren’t going to be one specific label all the time.

So we wanted to ask you about the collection of materials for projects because it made us think of your “overbuying/underbuying” theory. Can you tell our listeners about that?

Gretchen: Yes, well, and I bet it’s related to finishers and openers, too. So, uh, underbuyers and overbuyers, this is, like, how you approach buying. So overbuyers are people who, they will, their tendency is to buy. They love to prepare, uh, they’ll think of everything they could possibly need. They’ll often get things in multiple colors, multiple sizes. They’ll buy gifts for people without knowing who the recipient is like, oh, this would make a great gift.

They tend to, things like, um, lay in a lot of supplies or like, a friend of mine, who is, she is the original under-, overbuyer. Um, because she, I studied her, her husband is an underbuyer. And I, and I, just thinking about the two of them and their approaches to the world, I’m like, this is a whole category of human nature.

Like, she, her baby was born, and she was such an overbuyer that she bought, like, all this baby’s winter clothing, but then the baby would, by the time winter actually came, the baby was too big. And so she had this whole set of clothing that was never used which she gave to a friend, but still it’s, like, she spent all this time and energy buying all this stuff that she never even really needed cause she’s an overbuyer.

Underbuyers don’t like to buy. Um, and it’s, kind of, related to frugality, but it’s almost just, like, about not wanting to buy. Like, I will do almost anything to avoid making a purchase. And if I do purchase, I often purchase less than would be sensible. It’s like, go ahead and buy three tubes of toothpaste.

Like, you know, you’re going to use the toothpaste, but I’m like, oh, I just want to get one right now. And they will often only buy things at the very last minute which is super inconvenient. Cause it’s, like, if you’re trying to buy, like, ski pants for your kid in New York City and you wait until December. Okay, they don’t have ski pants, you know, just lying around because it’s, like, the seasons have changed or, or, like, they often don’t like to use, um, highly specific products.

And when I was writing the book Better Than Before, when I talk about the overbuyer/underbuyer, one of my examples was Kleenex, and my editor was like, that’s insane. Like, who doesn’t use Kleenex? And I’m like, well really, you can just blow your nose on toilet paper, so I don’t know why you need a whole separate product for that. And she’s like, okay, you’re crazy. I’m like, I’m an under buyer. Cause I’m like, you don’t need a raincoat, just wear a coat or, you know, you’ve got an umbrella. Uh, you don’t need a s-, you know, this kind of thing. Um, specialized creams, you know, like leg cream, hand cream, body cream, face cream. I’m like, creams cream. Just use cream. Um, so that’s under-, so that’s underbuyers.

But then another thing that comes up with supplies is finishers and openers. So, and I also talk about this in Better Than Before, so finish-, finishers love to finish. They like to finish projects. And so sometimes they’re too, they don’t like to take risks or start things if they don’t know that they can finish them because they’re very concerned about finishing. And sometimes they, kind of, rush toward the end because they’re so excited about getting something done.

Openers love to open. So these are the people that have 15 half finished projects. Like, they love starting, but they have trouble finishing. Um, and so it’s like, you have seven half finished needle pointed pillows, but you don’t have one pillow that’s actually on the chair. Openers can, kind of, lose interest before they actually finish, which in creativity can be fun, but it can also be frustrating because then you never have the, like, the actual finished product that it’s, sort of, like, ready to launch as they say.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s so funny. I mean, we were laughing when you were talking about Kleenex because I’m blowing my nose on toilet paper.

Gretchen: There you go! There you go!

Caroline: Helen doesn’t have Kleenex in her house.

Helen: There’s always a very limited supply of Kleenex here.

Gretchen: Who needs it?

Caroline: You’re talking about overbuying/underbuying and, uh, finishers and openers. Do you think that those particular, you know, leanings are indicative of a particular Tendency? Do you think certain Tendencies are overbuyers or underbuyers? That sort of thing?

Gretchen: You know, that is a really fascinating question. Since I’m an upholder and an underbuyer, I feel like those are associated because it has to do with control. Um, but I could see that, I think that’s not true. I could see that an upholder could just as easily be an overbuyer cause that’s another form of, like, execution and getting things done and the satisfaction of crossing things off the list.

So I think maybe these are just, um, or like, are upholders more likely to be finishers because they like the execution? That could be, I don’t know. You know, I would love to have, like, gigantic data sets where I could see if these things correlate. But as you said earlier, like, people, there’s so many components to a person’s personality. The Tendency is just one narrow slice, how you respond to expectations, but things like creativity and extroversion and curiosity and, you know, all these things combine, your, what your ideals are all combine in different ways. So I’m not, I’m not sure that they correlate, they might, but I don’t know that they do.

Helen: I think it’s really cool to think about openers and finishers, in particular with sewing projects, cause I know that a lot of our listeners probably have a big pile of…

Gretchen: Yes!

Helen: …as we call them our works in progress.

Gretchen: Yeah.

Helen: That’s okay. You know, maybe we should be a little more accepting of that fact and just be okay with that, or be okay with the fact that you don’t like to buy fabric until you’re perfectly ready or be okay with the fact that you have a wall of fabric in your apartment and just accept those things about ourselves.

Gretchen: Well, one of the things, I wrote a book called Happier at Home, which is, you know, spoiler alert, all about how to be happier at home. And one of the things I talked about was abandoning a project because sometimes, especially I think for openers, it’s like, it becomes burdensome to see all these open projects because you feel guilty, and yet, you don’t, you’ve, kind of, lost interest or maybe it’s harder than you thought, or it’s not as much fun as you thought or it’s not turning out the way you envisioned.

And so, but just seeing it, kind of, gives you that feeling like, oh, should I finish it? Like, it gets, you know? And so sometimes the best way to advance is to just say like, you know what, I’m not going to use it. Like, I bought all that yarn, that color, but it’s actually, I’m going to give it away to somebody else because I’ve decided I don’t really want to do that project after all. Or I’ve got this thing half finished.

Uh, you know, sometimes the, the best way to get something accomplished is just to decide, I’m not going to finish it. And then you get it off your shelves and off your conscience because I think half finished, well, first of all, they take up space, and then also they, kind of, take up mental room because there’s always that question of like, when am I going to get around to it?

And sometimes you do want to get around to it. But sometimes, if you’re honest with yourself, you’re like, okay, now I don’t foresee in the next 40 years, that’s going to be one of my top 10 projects. So it’s just never going to get done, you know?

Helen: Yeah, and I feel like sometimes those unused materials or those works in progress can also be a reflection of that expectation that you set for yourself that you haven’t met…

Gretchen: Yes!

Helen: …and that adds to the guilt, right?

Gretchen: Yeah, but I think another thing with creativity, and this is, I think this is always a tension, which is having a lot of material to us-, at your disposal can create, can generate creativity and you can see juxtapositions and it’s exciting, but there’s also the fun of the f-, the, the, the hunt and the getting, and that sometimes that can become overwhelming, and then you end up with so much stuff.

I mean, I have this, even with, like, note-taking. Um, you have so much stuff that you feel overwhelmed by it, and then it’s almost, like, dampens your creativity because you feel, sort of, like, swamped or strangled by everything, and yet it’s so fun to gather it. I think you, kind of, have to be disciplined with yourself to say, do I have so much material that, at this point, I’m not going to let myself get any more new material until I absorb the material that I already have, or at least make decisions about it.

Cause I think it’s, it’s easy to get swept away with the fun of the purchase, or the fun of, like, like, I know a lot of people, and writers use, um, note-taking, uh, you know, like on the computer or whatever, so that they can easily, uh, copy lots of texts. I always force myself to re-type things because I know that if I didn’t have to, if I didn’t have the discipline and the time and the energy that it takes to re-type, I would just, I would just save everything, and then I would be, I would just be overwhelmed with material, and it would be horrible. But since I have to re-type it, I have to be extremely, extremely disciplined about what I take in. And so it’s, sort of, like, you’re only going to let yourself buy, buy fabric once a month or, you know, like, try to ration it for yourself. Cause sometimes it’s so fun to get the stuff, but then you have to use the stuff.

Helen: Oh, Gretchen you are hitting on a…

Gretchen: Oh!

Helen: …very hotly discussed topic in our community. Lots of people love to buy the fabric, but don’t necessarily follow through, so, no it’s interesting to hear about it through the lens of the Tendencies.

Gretchen: Well, there’s interesting things about how to manage the love of buying that people have told me which is fascinating. Like, one thing somebody does is, and apparently this is very widespread, this is something that, uh, e-commerce people talk about as, like, a thing, they think it’s, like, a failed transaction.

But it turns out that for a lot of people this is what they want, is you go through and you pick things out online and put it in your basket, and then you just abandon your basket. So you have the fun of, like, these, this is what I would pick. This is what I would choose to, sort of, the curation, but then you just end up not buying it.

Or if you’re in a real store, um, don’t like, don’t take a basket or a, or a, um, or a cart. Force yourself to hold things. Cause you will hold much less than you could put in a cart, um, and or, make a point that I’m going to walk around the store and I’m going to look, but I’m not going to take anything from the shelf. I’m going to have to go back for it. And a lot of times, if you have to go back or something, it’s sort of that impulsivity and the, kind of, the deliciousness of just seeing it right in front of you. By the time you’ve, like, walked around, you’re like, you know what, I really don’t have a vision for how I would use that, so why didn’t I think about that.

Um, so sometimes just breaking down that, that instant gratification of, like, it’s just so beautiful, you just want it. Um, if you can delay that a lot of times, um, then you, you sort of think better of it. Cause you, and always remind yourself, you can go back. I always say you can store it in the store. You don’t have to store it in your house. Most things you could buy it next month, if you decide next month that you want it. You can store it in the store instead of storing in your house cause there is just something fun about buying it, just picking it out and taking it home, like…

Helen: Yeah.

Gretchen: …it’s interesting to me why that is so satisfying.

Helen: Well, we have this saying here on the show where we say there’s always more fabric.

Gretchen: Yes! It’s really true, though, you know? Um, and it’s all, there’s so much beautiful things that, yeah, no. Or I think with, like, Pinterest and Instagram, too. Sometimes people feel like it’s a way to, kind of, own something or to, a way to possess it and present it without owning it. You know, I’ve heard of people doing that. Like, I don’t need to buy it because I can, I can just, sort of, capture it and remind myself of it so that if I want to go back, I have a record. Cause sometimes people are like, ooh, I might never see this again. Or I might forget. It’s like, okay, well, I have a record of it.

Helen: So can we talk about fear for a little bit? So I think our listeners, uh, really struggle with fear and taking on new challenges with sewing, like fear of the unknown or fear of failing or fear of ruining that beautiful fabric that they’ve had in their stash forever.

Gretchen: Yeah.

Helen: So we’d love to go through the Tendencies and just talk a bit about how they face and overcome fear.

Gretchen: Yeah. You know, I’m not sure it’s tied to the Tendencies so much. I think it’s more of, like, a different aspect of your personality that then would interact with your Tendency. Um, but we can talk about how each one might deal with that. And maybe the, maybe the first one to talk about is obliger. Cause that’s both of your Tendencies, and it’s the biggest Tendency in the world.

But one of the things I think is really helpful, and I always remind myself of this, is to enjoy the fun of failure and to really remind yourself that if you aren’t failing, you’re not trying hard enough. You’re not pushing yourself. And it’s no fun to do creative things if you’re just, it’s like using a coloring book for the rest of your life is fun to a certain degree, but, at a certain point, you’re like, well, maybe I’d like to do something different. And so to say, like failing is part of this, part of the fun is part of trying.

I was just listening to a podcast where they were talking about a failure resume, that you should make a resume of all your failures. And you could do that with your sewing projects, too. You could be like, oh, this is the thing where I made this mistake. And a lot of times, too, I think it’s helpful to remember that’s how you learn. Making a mistake is often the best way to learn. I misspelled parallel in a sixth grade term paper, and I assure you, I am, I never have misspelled parallel, uh, to this day. Um, I bet I would sometimes get it wrong had I not gotten it so spectacularly wrong in sixth grade.

Helen: I love that that’s the one thing that you remember.

Gretchen: Yeah, I mean, isn’t it funny? Or my father spelled Europe, capitally, little e-U-R-O-P-E when he was young and he’s, like, he never forgot it, you know? So sometimes it, it is, it is disappointing, and you do feel like you’re wasting things or you’re, you’ve kind of, sullied something, or you’ve let yourself down, but you have to say, well, this is part of learning. This is part of, like, doing better. Um, it’s inevitable. No, one’s perfect. Pat-, you know, if you’re doing something new and challenging, and that’s a really important part of happiness is this atmosphere of growth.

Like, we’re happier when we’re growing, when we’re learning new things or teaching new things or making the world better. And so it’s very satisfying to learn how to do something new, but often that comes with frustration and anger and feeling like a loser and being mad at yourself for making, screwing up. Um, so I think that’s just part of the process though.

Caroline: Yeah, you’re totally right. And I think this, sort of, ties in a little bit with the comparison trap because social media is such a huge part of our community. I think a lot of the time we’re comparing ourselves to other people. And one of the things that we love so much about the four Tendencies and knowing yourself better, that whole theme, is that it’s all about recognizing that our personalities are different and accepting ourselves for who we are, right?

But yeah, I think a lot of the time our listeners fall into the comparison trap on social media and feel, kind of, less productive or less skilled than their peers. So I’m curious if you have any tips for, sort of, avoiding comparing yourselves to others.

Gretchen: Well, one thing to remember is that the people who are truly not good at it are not anywhere near it cause they don’t even, they don’t even try. Like, they’re not even trying to sew or do a holiday decoration or whatever. Like, they’re not even in the game at all. So you’re already, just by the fact that you’re doing it, you’re, like, already at the tippy top.

Um, but it’s interesting. Social comparison is something that’s, it’s like, it’s, it’s, kind of, a aspect of personality that some people have more of than others. And I think if you know that you are subject to social comparison, you might want to be very careful in how much you do expose yourself to social media because it is a social comparison machine, but it’s not inherent in the technology, it’s in you. So technology is a great servant, but a bad master.

And so if you feel like it’s doing, it’s not useful for you, or it’s not helpful for you, you, you want to take control of it. Maybe don’t check it as often or, you know, limit your exposure to it, if you feel like it’s bringing you down. And I mean, there’s the classic line I think that comes from AA, which is, you know, don’t compare your insides to other people’s outsides.

And when you see this beautiful finished product, you don’t know, that could be the person’s 10th try. That could be, this, that person could have bought it and passed it off as their own. You know, you don’t, you don’t know. Um, the lighting is great. Like, they know about lighting. You don’t know about lighting yet. And so their thing looks amazing and it’s like, oh, it’s cause they have a better camera on their phone or whatever.

And, uh, yeah. And I think just to remember, it’s all about what do you want, what are you trying to achieve? Um, but it is hard when you, when you see all this stuff and, and, and also when you’re learning and trying, it’s very discouraging even the comparison to what’s in your brain. You know, you have this vision in your head and it’s like, your hands just can’t create it, and that’s very frustrating. So it’s not even, like, other people, it’s, like, your own idea because you have to be pretty good to be able to execute something, you know, in accordance with your own vision of what you want to create. And so I think sometimes that’s the comparison too, is, is to yourself.

But what I think, when people think about perfectionism, one thing to remember about perfectionism, it’s not about standards, it’s about anxiety. So the answer for perfectionism is not to lower your standards cause it doesn’t really matter what your standards are. Like, I’m a not-anxious person who’s very high standard, but I’m not a perfectionist because I don’t have very much anxiety. Um, but then if you’re very, but if you feel that, try to make yourself feel less anxious and more calm and remind yourself things like to enjoy the fun of failure and, um, you know, of learning and I love, uh, I love what I did, you know, and to try to take the anxiety out of it.

Helen: I love what you said earlier about being already at the tippy top…

Gretchen: Yes, you are!

Helen: …if you are doing something. I mean, that’s amazing. It’s a great way to think about it. Most people are not involved in what you’re doing. They’re not even at anywhere near your level even if you’ve sewn one seam…

Gretchen: They couldn’t, they couldn’t sew one button, you know what I mean? And it’s like, you’re like a magician to them if you come in there and you do something. My sister-in-law would sew her daughter’s clothes. And I was like, this is amazing. How is that possible? She’s like, it’s really not that hard. And I was like, well, really? Cause you know, so yeah, you are a way in advance of most people.

Helen: Mhm, it makes me think, too, about how, uh, sewers have this habit of pointing out all of the mistakes on their garments when they’re showing them off like, oh, I made this shirt, but you know, this seam is wonky, and this didn’t turn out quite the right way, and this button is weird. And I feel like we need to stop doing that because it’s just so amazing that you completed it to begin with. And non sewing people are like, what are you talking about?

Gretchen: But also I think that’s part of the beauty of it because in an era, in, in a time of mass production where everything is exactly alike, it’s the things that are slightly imperfect that make you appreciate it so much more.

Like, I remember once I was at a ballet, which I never go to the ballet, but, like, a friend took me, so I was at the ballet. It was this beautiful performance in New York City. And like, there was a moment where the ballerina, kind of, slipped, and you could feel that the audience saw it, but what was interesting to me was that that made the rest of the performance look so much more beautiful because it reminded you that she’s not just an automaton executing this, like, in CG, this is an actual person actually performing at this level. And so it was like, I was like the imperfection made it more perfect.

And so I think sometimes it’s, like, the imperfection of a, something that has been sewn is what makes you realize, like, somebody actually sat down and did this. And that seems so much more interesting. And so, and I think what, I always am trying to find, like, the actual citation for this, but what I heard was that the Amish would always include a deliberate mistake because they believed that man should not aspire to the perfection of God.

And now I don’t know if that’s actually true. I keep trying to find a citation for it, but I think it’s a beautiful idea, which is that, make a deliberate mistake, and then you don’t have to worry about it being perfect. Um, because this is like, okay, I wanted it to have a mistake. That’s what I meant all along.

Helen: I’ve also heard, and I don’t know where this comes from, but that the undoing of a mistake, like, the going back and fixing of a mistake is like an unraveling of your soul…

Gretchen: Ah.

Helen: …which is really intense, but that’s why you have to leave them because otherwise…

Gretchen: Ohh!

Helen: …you’re going back, and, like, basically, you know, airbrushing your life, right? You gotta let it be.

Gretchen: And also, I think if you want to keep moving forward, you can’t, like, fuss too much. Like, I remember when I started blogging, I started blogging in 2006. And I had never been a journalist of any kind, and I had never really been a writer. Um, and one of the things I had to really discipline myself to do was not to go back and edit previous entries because I realized after I’d been doing it for, like, six months, I could spend my whole life editing and perfecting entries from months ago.

And that I had to just see this as something where the point of it was just to constantly be moving forward and to constantly be creating something new. And that if I, if I was like, oh, I wish I’d said this or I could have cited this study or I think I, kind of, misuse this vocabulary word, or like, somebody, people would point out typos, like, two years later. I’m like, life is too short for me to go back and fix a typo from two years ago because you know, you just have to say, you know, if you want to keep doing new things, you can’t tinker, tinker, tinker, tinker.

Helen: Yeah, totally. And speaking of moving forward, we wanted to ask you about analysis paralysis. We know that questioners, kind of, struggle with this.

Gretchen: Yes. Um, so analysis is when, um, because questioners love information and they love reasons and justifications. Um, they like to know why, and they, they can sometimes fall into a trap of just wanting more and more and more reasons and justifications. And in some contexts, this can be good, if it doesn’t get out of control. But sometimes it can mean that questioners can’t reach a decision in a, in a timely way, or they act as a bottleneck that may frustrate, kind of, a system.

And, um, this is because you know, a lot of times we, we can’t wait for perfect information, or there’s so much information you couldn’t possibly absorb it all and make it like, like what kind of camera should I buy? That could take you the rest of your life cause by the time you’d investigated every option, there’d be a whole new bunch of options and a whole bunch of new considerations.

So with analysis paralysis, or if you’re dealing with someone with analysis paralysis, you want to appeal to efficiency in some way, as like, it’s not efficient for you to keep doing this. For instance, you could have deadline. Like, we need to have an answer by Friday, give us your best answer by Friday. Or like, limits. We’re going to interview five people for this job, but not 10 people for this job. Or a trusted authority. Okay, I want to buy this piece of equipment. I’m going to go to the store where I know the people. They really know their equipment. I can be very guided by their judgment. I don’t need to go to a hundred stores. I don’t need to get to 100 websites because I’m going to talk to these people. These people really know. If they tell me, oh yeah, you should buy this one that I can be, I can be, I can trust their, I can trust their judgment.

And it’s funny about analysis paralysis. Many questioners have said to me, they more likely to have it with little things than big things. So it’s more like your calendar planner system than it is what is your career. Or it’s going to be like, where do you go on your summer vacation? Not who should you marry? Um, so it can be these little things that just become, you know, real roadblocks, um, if you let them spiral out of control.

Helen: Yeah. It’s good advice to go to, like, trusted sources or to have your go-to places. Like, I’m thinking in relation to sewing, you know, having those pattern companies that you really trust or, or knowing those other people in the community who you, you like their style, and you can see what fabrics they used for a certain project, and that gives you the information you need to sort of move forward and get sewing,

Gretchen: I’m a huge fan of, like, find somebody who, you know does the research and makes good decisions, and then just free ride off of all of their efforts. I do this constantly. I have, like, 10 people in my life, I’m like, yeah, yeah, if it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. Oh, your, uh, kid went to that summer camp? My kid’s going to that summer camp, like, you know? Yeah. Because some people just, they become, kind of, the experts on things, and then we can, we can take advantage of that.

Helen: I love that.

Caroline: So Gretchen, we’re thinking we want to switch gears a little bit and talk about color because we know you are working on a book all about colors. Is that right?

Gretchen: Yes, a little book called My Color Pilgrimage, all about color.

Caroline: Yes, that is awesome. Yeah, so as lovers of fashion and fabric, our listeners are pretty obsessed with color. Um, so we wanted to know first off, what is it about color that you find so interesting?

Gretchen: You know, the thing about color, well, first of all, I’m very, I think probably unlike a lot of your listeners, I’m not visual. And so I find it hard, I’m so texty that it’s I try, I’m always trying ways to engage more deeply in the physical world. And so looking at color is a way to get me to get out of my dreamy, absent-minded space and really look and see the beauty of the world. So just, like, really focusing in on something even like a brick wall or leaves in Central Park or the sky, the sun, you know, the color of the sky, so that got me into color.

And then I also love that color is, like, this mysterious thing. It’s, like, where is it? Like, if you close your eyes, does all color go out of the world? If you turn your back on something, does it lose its color? Um, uh, like, people, like, it’s just this, kind of, mysterious thing. We think there were, there were seven colors in the rainbow. Then there were, now there’s six, you know, you could divide it any way you want.

The way we have pink and red in English. Um, other other countries have that for, like, blue, and they have different words for light blue and dark blue. And I’m like, how is that possible? How could you have a different word for it? But pink and red makes perfect sense for me. How can you have a, you could have a dark white that’s darker than a light yellow, but yellow is darker than white. How is that possible?

There’s all these sort of weird paradoxes, like, interesting things about animals and history. People have died for color. Uh, they’ve been killed by color. So this book is, like, basically the subtitle is things that I have found interesting about. And that, it’s like, there’s nothing beyond, it’s just like, that is a crazy fact about color. So I’ve been having so much fun working on that.

Helen: Oh, I can only imagine.

Gretchen: One of the interesting, one of the interesting things about color is that it doesn’t have any meaning, at least to my mind, other than what we give it culturally. So the idea that some colors are warm and some colors are cold, that has, that’s very recent how our associations, there’s nothing about those colors.

And in fact, blue is a hotter color than, than yellow or red. If you think about it, blue flame. And blue and, uh, pink for male and female that recently reversed. It used to be that blue was a girl’s color and pink and red were boys’ colors. They were more marshal, and cause w-, w-, it was, like, light red for boys cause it was, like, red was a masculine color. So, so all of these ideas that they have these, like, permanent meanings, they have the meanings that we associate with them, but they don’t have any inherent meaning, sort of, fascinating.

Caroline: That is really fascinating. And I’ve heard you talk on your podcast about the idea of having a signature color.

Gretchen: Yes! Love that!

Caroline: Um, and we’ve also, sort of, seen in the community, people talking about power colors, wearing a specific color and how that can, sort of, influence your interactions with other people or just the way that you sort of take on the day. So I’d love to get your take on that.

Gretchen: Yeah. So yeah. Signature colors, the idea that you just pick a color that somehow is your color. Like, you say, it can be like your pump-up color, like, your lucky color, or it could be, like, your default color.

Like, a friend of mine has fuchsia, and it’s just, like, anytime she has to pick something, she picks fuchsia. So if it’s her workout outfit, if it’s her cell phone case, if it’s her bag, you know, she just always picks fuchsia, and it kind of, for her, it’s more, like, about decision fatigue and everything, kind of, being identifiable as hers.

Um, some people, they don’t even have a color, but it’s a pattern. Like, it might be stripes or polka dots or like, or a fabric like, uh, or like a, a texture like denim or velvet, um, or leather. It’s just this idea that you pick out the thing that somehow speaks to you the most strongly. And then you surround yourself with that as a way to, kind of, project your identity into the world, or make decisions that you feel like somehow reflect you.

And what’s funny is how many people say they didn’t know that they had a signature color, and then they looked around and they’re like, oh my gosh, I totally have a signature color cause I realized everything is celadon green that I can possibly have in celadon green. Somebody picked, like, sent me a picture of her dishwasher. And she’s like, I had no idea that this was my signature color, but there it is. Um, and so, uh, and it’s just fun.

Here’s another way to use color. This, I, I came up with this as part of my color pilgrimage is, I think a lot of people want, like, gratitude prompts, you know, like, writing in a gratitude journal. I can’t stand a gratitude journal, so that’s never worked for me.

But, um, you could pick a color in the world or, like, a color of a car and say every time I see a red car, I’m going to think of my sweetheart. Or, every time I see school bus yellow, no matter where it is in the world, I’m going to think of how much I love my children. Or, every time I see this one blue that reminds me of my mother.

And that just, kind of, like, gives you that happy feeling as you go through your day using color as a cue, just the way you might have gratitude before a meal, you can use color as a cue. And I think that seems like it would be really fun. You’re always on the hunt for a color, you know?

Caroline: Yeah. I really love that idea because it, sort of, forces you to stop and notice things around you.

Gretchen: Yes! Yes, that’s it. That’s i. It’s right there. That is it. It’s, it’s how do you not, I mean, when people say they want to stay in the moment they want to be more present, I think that’s exactly what they’re talking about. It’s easy to talk about it. It’s harder to do it. I feel like you need a lot of, sort of, tips to how to make that happen.

Helen: So, Gretchen, to finish up our conversation, we wanted to touch on a theme from one of your episodes of Happier. And it’s this concept of remembering that this is supposed to be fun. I loved this episode. Do you remember this conversation with Liz?

Gretchen: Oh, sure. Yes. Well, and Elizabeth, the tagline, she and her writing partner who they, like, they’ve been writing partners forever in Hollywood. They have a sign that Sarah made for Elizabeth that says, “It’s a fun job, and I enjoy it.” Because they are constantly reminding themselves this is supposed to be fun. Um, yes. Yeah. So what struck you about that?

Helen: Just that I think as, uh, sewists we get really bogged down in all of the decisions that we make and all of the little finicky things that we have to do, and sometimes we get really frustrated. And we’re just not having a good time, even though this is our, you know, this is our personal hobby, this is the thing that we get to do just for ourselves. And the time we get to take to be creative and it has all of those positive things to it, but yet sometimes we can be totally negative.

Gretchen: Yes. Yeah, no, it’s good to remind yourself. This is supposed to be fun. And if something’s just consistently not fun it’s and it’s supposed to be fun. Cause there’s things that we do that are not supposed to be fun or they’re supposed to be fun, but we don’t really find them fun, but we’re going to do them anyway, like go on a tr-, you know, like, I don’t know, play touch football with your family.

You’re like, it’s supposed to be fun. I don’t personally find it fun, but I’m going to do it. Cause it’s like a fun afternoon with my family, you know, fun in quotation marks. But if it’s something that you’re just doing for yourself purely for fun, it’s like at a certain point you can be like, actually, this is when you abandon a project, you say, oh, this is not fun.

Helen: Yeah. That’s such a great tip. But I think of that every time I’m reading a book and I’m not enjoying it, I think of Gretchen, you, saying like, it’s fine. You don’t have to finish the book.

Gretchen: That was such a huge revelation to me. I was, like, such a full on grownup before I realized that my identity is, like, being a real reader, made me think I had to finish every book, and I read so much more now that I don’t finish every book. Cause I just stop reading something if I don’t like it. It’s, like, freedom.

Helen: Yeah. And stop sewing that project, if you don’t like it.

Gretchen: Yup.

Helen: It can apply there as well.

Gretchen: Yes.

Helen: And maybe we all need a little sticker on our sewing machines…

Gretchen: Yes.

Helen: …that says, yeah, this is fun. I’m enjoying it.

Gretchen: Yes. Yes. Yes. This is a fun project and I enjoy it, but then there’s always the fun at the end, too. Sometimes it’s not fun along the way, but you know that the feeling of satisfaction that you’re going to get at the end. So it’s not always fun at every minute along the way. But if you can’t even think, like, I’m not even going to be happy with this when it’s finished or I don’t, I can’t even, I can’t even, I don’t even care. Uh, then there’s no fun.

Caroline: So Gretchen, can you tell our listeners where they can find you online and learn more about all the amazing things that you do?

Gretchen: Oh yeah. I love to connect with readers and listeners and viewers. So I love when people get in touch with their own, like, observations and questions. I have a podcast with, that we were talking about called Happier with Gretchen Rubin. So that’s a weekly podcast where we talk about how to be happier, happier, healthier, more productive, more creative.

Um, I have a website, gretchenrubin.com, and that’s where you can get, like, I have a lot of blogs, you know, more than a decade of blog posts there about, kinda, my adventures in happiness. And there’s also a ton of resources there. So, um, and you can see links to all my books, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, Better Than Before, which is all about habit change, and then The Four Tendencies, which is all about the, the personality profile we were talking about. So you can see links to them, and you can get those books anywhere, you know. You don’t have to go to my website for that.

On my website, there’s, like, discussion guides, if you’re talking about it in a book group. Or there’s, like, a habit, there’s a checklist for habit change. And there’s, like, nutshell guides for the Four Tendencies. There’s like a bunch of stuff, if you want to go a little bit deeper.

And then I’m on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, all under the name of Gretchen Rubin. And again, I love it. I love to hear from people. So, um, you know, read, listen, watch, I’ve got YouTube videos. You know, it’s all over the place.

Helen: Well, wonderful. Well, expect some sewing related questions.

Gretchen: Excellent! I cannot wait. I love it. I love that. I love hearing from people doing creative projects. It’s, like, it’s endlessly fascinating to hear how people approach it.

Helen: Well, Gretchen, thank you so much for coming on the show. It was a true pleasure to chat with you and we know our listeners are going to love this episode.

Gretchen: Oh, well, thank you. I had so much fun talking to you.

Helen: Take care.

Caroline: Okay. Bye.

Helen: Bye.

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

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

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

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

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Episode 69: Jeans Making with Alina Kroeker

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 05:00:19 +0000

Alina Kroeker joins us to talk about making jeans. Her goal is to provide one-of-a-kind jeans to her customers and encourage people to opt for quality denim products that will last. We chat about making jeans, sewing for others, and how to recover from buttonhole disasters!

Follow Alina!
- Shop: Dogwood Denim
- Instagram: @dogwooddenim
Seamly2D
Dogwood denim custom patterns
Fitting and Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach to the Art of Style Selection by Elizabeth Liechty & Judith Rasband
Searching for machines in Toronto

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Had an amazing time shopping for machines at General Industrial Sewing in Toronto. Not to mention they had everything I needed, they also customized and trained me to use them. #jeans #denim #madeincanada #micromanufacturing

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5-thread overlocker

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You guys!!! @abqfi named a machine after me! I was stunned and then I cried a little. I’m so humbled to be part of this amazing team of volunteers!

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Flat felling machine

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Today dogwood got another machine to make much nicer felling seams. To everyone in SF who showed up to my trunk show, you made this happen. Thank you

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Measuring a customer for a pair of jeans.

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Make It! Show
Sanforized jeans

Dogwood signature welt pocket

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Fade Friday!

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#buttonholelove

A post shared by Dogwood Denim Apparel (@dogwooddenim) on Oct 9, 2017 at 12:22pm PDT

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 70: Sew Frosting

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 05:00:29 +0000

Sometimes you want to make something just for fun! We chat about sewing ‘frosting’ in this episode and discuss some of our favourite projects for fancy fabrics, where we find inspiration, and what we want to make for this holiday season.

Love to Sew Podcast listeners can get 15% off your next fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap order! Go to try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew and enter your email address to receive your coupon code.

#thehandmadehustle by @katiekortman

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#thehandmadehustle @katiekortmanart #nikkotop x2 #persephonepants #morganjeans

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By The Book Podcast

American Sewing Guild – Chapter Locations

Source: Rich’s Online

Ottawa Garment Guild

#sewfrosting challenge from Closet Case Patterns and True Bias

Check out Kelli’s Instagram story on frosting
@tasiapona
Heather‘s Amy Jumpsuit in velvet!

Kelli‘s Suki Kimono in silk crepe de chine!

Classic Helen’s Closet frosting – Sultry Sheath Dress from Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing

Caroline’s classic frosting – Saiph Dress by Papercut Patterns

Alma Blouse by Sewaholic

Blackbird Fabrics Velvet Pinterest Board

The Hot Pink Faux Fur Vintage Coat by Kat Makes

Salida Skirt by True Bias

Magnolia Dress by Deer & Doe

Sierra Jumpsuit by Papercut Patterns

Looking for frosting frocks? Check out:
Trina kimono wrap dress by Victory Patterns

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Honestly WTF

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 71: Sewing Coats

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 05:00:20 +0000

Brrrrrr! It’s cold in here! We discuss everything you need to know about sewing a coat, from beginner tips to advanced tailoring techniques. Learn the difference between wool coating fabrics and how to mentally prepare for a big project like a coat.

Pepper in her sweater!

Episode 20: A Very Special Episode with Sam and Shea
Send us questions for the boys at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com
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Yates Coat by Grainline Studio

Clare Coat by Closet Case Patterns (Helen’s Millionaire Coat)

Cascade Duffle Coat by Grainline Studio

Ellsworth Coat by Christine Haynes

Kelly Anorak Jacket by Closet Case Patterns

Women’s Haori by Wiksten

Coat-of-mail(le) a.k.a chainmail(le)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

How to do a Broad Back Adjustment

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I’m feeling less bad about my red Rumana Coat that got eaten by moths now that I’ve made this new Rumana Coat in herringbone wool from @fabricgodmother so good that I just might wear it to bed. Mods: I extended the front, front facing and collar pieces to make the coat double breasted and added loops at the side seams and a belt. #bhlRumana #byhandlondon #pfaff #imademyclothes #handmadecoat #wintercoat #slowfashion #slowliving #sewcialists #sewersofinstagram

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Opium Coat by Deer & Doe

Sapporo Coat by Papercut Patterns

Hemisfèric Coat by Pauline Alice

Moderne Coat by Blueprints For Sewing

Bamboo Coat by Waffle Patterns

Yona Wrap Coat by Named Clothing

Silvia Coatigan by Schnittchen Patterns

Brooklyn and Olso Coats by Tessuti Fabrics

Jill Coatigan, Camden Cape by Seamwork

Albion Coat by Colette

Goldstream Pea Coat by Thread Theory

Chilton Trench Coat by Cashmerette

Melton Wool Coating

Boucle Wool Coating

Boiled Wool & Viscose Blend

Virgin Wool Coating

Herringbone Tweed

Source: Miller’s Oath

Cupro lining

Rayon Bemberg Lining

Tailor’s Ham

Tailor’s Clapper

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 72: Cultivating Community with Natalie Chanin

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 05:00:28 +0000

Natalie Chanin shares her journey from up-cycling old t-shirts in New York City to returning home to Florence Alabama where she started her clothing line, Alabama Chanin. We talk about building a community of makers and prioritizing transparency in the supply chain. She also tells us about teaching the creative process through The School of Making and the importance of sharing skills with others.

Follow Alabama Chanin!
- Site: Alabama Chanin
- Journal: Alabama Chanin Journal
- Instagram: @alabamachanin
- Facebook: @VisitAlabamaChanin
Follow The School of Making!
- Site: The School of Making
- Instagram: @theschoolofmaking
- Facebook: @theschoolofmaking, @tsomstitchalong
Alabama Chanin Collection

Bldg. 14

Alabama Chanin Supply Chain

Alabama Stitch Book

The School of Making – Workshops

On Being with Krista Tippett

The Factory

Natalie Chanin Bluprint Courses
“Langes fädchen, faules mädchen” = “Long thread, lazy Girl”

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 73: The Boys are Back

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 05:00:38 +0000

Shea and Sam join us on this special Holiday episode! We chat about what went down in 2018, what exactly Sam does for the podcast, and whether we got around to making them anything this year. We also find out what sewing tool they want to be and quiz them on fashion and patterns!

Goldstream Peacoat by Thread Theory

Sam & the Ham

The 5 Love Languages

Amaretto Sour

Caroline and Shea’s new doggo: Pepper!

Mandy Boat Tee by Tessuti Fabrics

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 74: Start Now with Elise Cripe

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 05:00:26 +0000

Elise Cripe joins us to talk about setting and achieving goals! We discuss taking small steps, tracking your progress, and starting today. Elise also shares her sewing journey and what led her to create Get To Work Book, the ultimate planner for your life and your creative projects.

Fancy Tiger Crafts has a special offer for Love to Sew listeners! Use the code “sewlove” at checkout to receive 15% off your online order from now through the end of January 2019

Follow Elise!
- Website: Elise Joy
- Instagram: @elisejoy
- Store: Get to Work Book
- Blog: enJOY it
- Podcast: Elise Gets Crafty
Women’s Tova Top + Dress by Wiksten

Women’s Tank Top + Dress by Wiksten

Shirt No. 1 by 100 Acts of Sewing

My Year of No Shopping by Anne Patchett
#mmmay18 with @elisejoy

Lander Pant & Short by True Bias

Daily Goal Tracker – Free with subscription to Elise Joy Newsletter

Building a Business: How to Dream, Plan, Make, Sell and Share Your Online Shop by Elise Blaha Cripe and Maggie Whitley

2019 Get To Work Book

Encouraging Creative Kids eCourse

#The100DayProject

Elise Gets Crafty – MAKER CHAT 5: JEN BEEMAN / EP 133

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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Episode 75: Sewing with Kids with River Takada-Capel

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 05:00:29 +0000

River Takada-Capel chats with us about starting and growing a sustainable fibre arts business and her work as a kids sewing instructor. We talk about how children aren’t afraid to get started with creative projects and share loads of advice about teaching kids to sew!

Love to Sew Podcast listeners can get 15% off your next fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap order! Go to try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew and enter your email address to receive your coupon code.

Spoonflower has just launched their Small Business Grant to support handmade business owners worldwide and at all stages of development. Find more information at https://www.spoonflower.com/en/small-business-grant.

Follow River!
- Instagram: @rivtak
- Website: RIVTAK
- Blog: RIVTAK Blog
RIVTAK Mobiles

RIVTAK Jewelry

RIVTAK Wearables

- Eco.Eco (Economical.Ecological) ethos
- RIVTAK Events & Workshops Calendar

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@durhamfashion sporting a @rivtak headband from @liberationthreads! 100% organic cotton, digitally printed at @spoonflower and sewn up right here in #durham

A post shared by River Takada-Capel (@rivtak) on Jun 1, 2017 at 6:28am PDT

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A post shared by River Takada-Capel (@rivtak) on Nov 19, 2018 at 6:58am PST

Carborro ArtsCentre Youth ArtsCamps & Workshops

RIVTAK Blog: Our Wedding- September 30th, 2018

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 76: Sewing Menswear

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 05:00:06 +0000

Want to sew menswear for yourself or a loved one? We talk about some differences between classic womenswear and menswear, where to get started, and how to approach sewing for a loved one. Plus pattern ideas and tips for success with sewing menswear!

Love to Sew listeners receive a free downloadable Closet Organizer Pattern when they sign up for the Sew Sew Live newsletter!

Check out the Love to Sew on Patreon for bonus episodes!

We want your Sewing Around the World stories!
#sew3unsewn from The Rural Sewist

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A post shared by Samantha (@theruralsewist) on Dec 16, 2018 at 10:33am PST

#sewtwistsandties from Cookin’ & Craftin’

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A post shared by Meg (@cookinandcraftin) on Dec 28, 2018 at 5:53am PST

#dresslikeacrayon from What Katie Sews

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A post shared by Katie (@whatkatiesews) on Jan 1, 2019 at 11:51am PST

#sewfancypants from A Maker Heart, HavingSewMuchFun, Merritts Makes, & Katie Kortman

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A post shared by Jennifer Lee / A Maker Heart (@makerheart) on Dec 30, 2018 at 4:02pm PST

#sewjapaneseinjanuary by Blogless Anna & @craftyjane_makes

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A post shared by Anna (@bloglessanna) on Dec 27, 2018 at 11:38am PST

Lahja Dressing Gown from Named

Belvedere Waistcoat from Thread Theory

Lightspeed Leggings from Fehr Trade

Jutland Pants from Thread Theory

Waxed Canvas at Blackbird Fabrics

@norrisdantaford

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Putting a dapper feel to my #DIY Trench Coat norrisdantaford.com ——————————— #dopemensew #dapper #mccallspatterns

A post shared by Norris Dánta Ford (@norrisdantaford) on Nov 26, 2018 at 4:37pm PST

@knittingmonk

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Some of my favorite makes from 2018. Here’s to a craftful 2019! . . . #threadtheory #sewcialists #sewistsofinstagram #sewqueer #mensewtoo #btinthewild #knittersofinstagram #knitstagram #makethriftmend #anewmaterialism #migrationcardigan #fairfieldbuttonup #winterhoneyshawl #brooklyntweed #peakspullover

A post shared by Aidan Owen (@knittingmonk) on Dec 30, 2018 at 8:26am PST

@mainelymenswear

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This is a jacket that I made for my oldest nephew’s engagement party. I debated a LONG time about wearing it, knowing that I’d be the most unusually dressed man in attendance (which I was!). There was no disappearing into the woodwork wearing this. Even though I was way outside my comfort zone, I did have fun wearing it. And truth be told, I’ve never worn it since. The pattern is Folkwear — Belgian Military Chef’s Jacket. The fabric is an iridescent velvet that I found in the remnant section of @britexfabrics. There wasn’t enough to make the whole jacket, so the lapels / facings are of a metallic brocade from @ebtfabrics. It’s all pretty outrageous, but writing about it today makes me want to wear it again! #mainelydad, #menwhosew , #sewover50 , #so50occasion, #britexfabrics , #elliotbermantextiles , #folkwearpatterns , #crazyuncle

A post shared by Duane MacLeod (@mainelymenswear) on Oct 30, 2018 at 5:33am PDT

@peterlappin

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My color blocked flannel chambray shirt is finished! I created this as part of the @stylemakerfabrics Fall Blog tour (more pics today on my blog, Male Pattern Boldness). I had fun putting this together and finally feel ready for October! #stylemakerfabrics #fallstyletour18 #cottonflannel #cottonchambray #menwhosew #shirtmaker #shirtmaking

A post shared by Peter Lappin (@peterlappin) on Sep 30, 2018 at 7:03am PDT

@sewandrew

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I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! Here’s my #2018bestnine – thank you for the ’s ’s & ’s Here’s to an exciting 2019! #bestnine #sewandrew #mensew #sewist #sewcialists #isew #mendosew #makedoandmen #sewistsofinstagram #happynewyear

A post shared by Andrew (@sewandrew) on Dec 28, 2018 at 2:42am PST

@maxandwolf

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Instagram blog post Do you know how to tie a bow-tie? I do but I sewed one up first. Read about it in my blogpost in my profile or maxandwolf.wordpress.com #Quilting and #sewing #bowtie #handmadewardrobe #sewqueer

A post shared by Adam Lazar (@maxandwolf) on Sep 5, 2018 at 7:23am PDT

@carlfriskworkshop

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I’ve been interested in figuring out how to make things for as long as I can remember. In the past few years I’ve expanded into fibers – including sewing and knitting. This is a modified version of #threadtheory ‘s #fairfieldbuttonup. I used a 1960’s US Army tent and buttons from a 1950’s Canadian Army dress uniform. I added pleated pockets for an extra detail. . #handwork #handsewn #handmade #clothingdesign #customclothing #imakemyclothes

A post shared by Carl Frisk Workshop (@carlfriskworkshop) on Mar 18, 2018 at 10:54am PDT

@zerowastedaniel

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I think it says “high-fashion workout couture meets woke minded #zerowaste space enthusiast on the go” – don’t you?

A post shared by zero waste daniel (@zerowastedaniel) on Jan 10, 2019 at 6:13am PST

@smasherrobot

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Mix & match chefs coat for @misschiffdesigns I love how this one turned out . . . . . #smasherrobot #customshirt #bespoke #tailoredshirt #spoonflower #spoonflowered #misschiffdesigns #tailor #denver #shirtmaking #chefscoat #chefslife #cookinglife #shirtmaker #tailor #tailoring #coloradomade #oneofakind

A post shared by SmasherRobot (@smasherrobot) on Jan 13, 2019 at 10:07pm PST

@nappiclothing

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Hoodie $65 / Jeans $150 / Boots $350 / Hair 2 years / DM to order / available in men and women sizes. #handmade #denim #fallfashion #leatherboots #fashion #hoodie

A post shared by Nappi (@nappiclothing) on Oct 25, 2018 at 10:20am PDT

@corneliusquiring

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I finished the jeans — I shouldn’t be surprised at this point anymore, but it took much more effort than I thought to finish these jeans. Wanna see the Herculean effort? Click the link in my bio. — #jeans #denim #sewingproject #instasewing #sewcialist #lovesewing #sewersofinstagram #memadewardrobe #lovetosew #diywardrobe #diyfashion #diystyle #makermovement #makersmovement #maker #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #sewinglife #lovetosew #confidence

A post shared by Cornelius Quiring (@corneliusquiring) on Nov 19, 2018 at 5:30am PST

@maledevonsewing

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Blue, black mix and match jeans. See this is why I love sewing…. Experiments are fun #menwhosew #sewcialists #tailor #sewingblogger #jeans #harlequin

A post shared by Jamie Kemp (@maledevonsewing) on Dec 8, 2018 at 1:56pm PST

@wouter.vdub

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New blog post: The Faces shirt! Link in the bio. . . . #sewingblogger #menwhosew #mensewtoo #mensew #handmadewardrobe #artshirt #shirt #shirtmaker #faces #patternmatching

A post shared by Wouter Vdub (@wouter.vdub) on Jan 10, 2019 at 10:42am PST

@sewciologist

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“Take them to the dungeon.” ‘Them’ being gender-normative clothing standards. #therefashioners2018 #inspiredby #queer #lgbt #drag #sewing #upcycling #refashioning #instagay #fashion

A post shared by Ben (@sewciologist) on Nov 3, 2018 at 3:14am PDT

@carlosvoguepatterns

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Showing off the fabulous back of bestseller #v9351 halter neck jumpsuit. Great option for New Year’s Eve parties! / Aquí les muestro la parte trasera de el jumpsuit #v9351. Perfecto para fiestas de fin de año! #voguepatterns #sewingpattern #sewing #sewingproject #isew #diyfashion #makersmovement #seamstress #sewinginspiration #holidaysewing #jumpsuit #dressmaker #patrondecostura #costura #yocoso #modista

A post shared by Fashion Designer (@carlosvoguepatterns) on Dec 23, 2018 at 7:58am PST

@juliancreates

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Top nine of 2018 on to 2019

A post shared by Julian C. (@juliancreates) on Dec 22, 2018 at 10:37am PST

@glittergrandpa

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The full viewwwww…. Self sewn jeans! #nofearnewjeans

A post shared by Glitter Grandpa (@glittergrandpa) on Feb 12, 2018 at 4:50pm PST

@misterdomestic

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The vlog of me cleaning my sewing room has officially become a series on my YouTube. Part One entitled “Free Felicia” is officially up. So head over there and set the notification so we can watch it together. . . . #Misterdomestic #sewingroom #cleaningmotivation #crackiswhack

A post shared by Mathew Boudreaux (@misterdomestic) on Dec 25, 2018 at 12:54pm PST

@_donnyq

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#memade coat (modified burda 11/2015 116) and pants with a Harley of Scotland knit #slowfashion #malefashion

A post shared by donny (@_donnyq) on Jan 18, 2019 at 7:25am PST

@sharp_stitches

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Hey everyone! I’ve started a separate Instagram just for my sewing makes and (maybe) blogging! Here’s a picture of me in one of the shirts I made from a pattern I drafted by taking apart a ready-to-wear shirt I liked. #menwhosew #sewist #sewcialist

A post shared by Emmett Sharp (@sharp_stitches) on Jan 8, 2019 at 5:57am PST

Ron Collins
Common Pattern Adjustments for Men from Seamwork
Follow these hashtags and engage with male sewists on Instagram to encourage growth in this community!
#menwhosew

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 77: The Fold Line with Kate Underdown

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 05:00:56 +0000

Kate Underdown joins us to talk about The Fold Line’s new website and pattern shop! We discuss how things have evolved over the years, working as a team, and growing an online community. Kate also shares her favourite thing about the sewing world and why she loves what she does.

Follow The Fold Line!
- Website: The Fold Line
- Instagram: @thefoldline
- Blog: The Fold Line Blog
- Shop: Pattern Shop & Database
Sew Over it
Episode 48: Building an Empire with Lisa Comfort
Ravelry
Mollie Makes Handmade Awards

The Fold Line Vlog

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The Sewing Weekender

The Fold Line Sewing Challengers & Hashtags round-up
The Yates Coat by Grainline Studio
The polka dots!

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A post shared by T H E F O L D L I N E (@thefoldline) on Sep 15, 2018 at 12:37am PDT

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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

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Episode 78: Interfacing 101

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:00:03 +0000

Learn all about interfacing! We discuss the various types of interfacing, their applications, and how to properly use them in our sewing projects. We also highlight some favourite interfacings from you, our listeners!

MyBodyModel has a special promotion for Love to Sew listeners! Receive 15% off an entire purchase from now through the end of February with promo code “LOVETOSEW“.

Curvy Sewing Survey Results

Careers at Blackbird Fabrics

Bull Denim at Blackbird Fabrics

Episode 69: Jeans Making with Alina Kroeker
Day for Failure
Standard Interfacings:
- Woven Interfacing
- Non-Woven or Bonded Interfacing
- Knit or Tricot Interfacing
- Fusible Interfacing
- Sew-in Interfacing
- Weft Interfacing
Specialty Interfacings:
- “Cool Fuse” Interfacing
- Flex Weave Fusible Interfacing
- Sheer Magic Fusible Interfacing
- Textured Weft Fusible Interfacing
- Vlieseline Vilene Interfacing
- Bag Interfacing – Stiff, thick, plush, with or without fusible
- Hair Canvas
Non-Interfacing Specific Stabilizers:
- Cotton muslin
- Broadcloth
- Silk or polyester organza
- Cotton Organdy or quilting cotton with a spray adhesive
- A scrap fabric from your project!
Online Interfacing Retailers

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 79: Sewcializing 2.0

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 05:00:19 +0000

We revisit the topic of sewcializing in this episode. Where can you find fellow makers online? What is good sewcial etiquette? How do you make an Instagram story? How can you start a sewing challenge? We cover all that and much more!

Sign up for the Sew Sew Live newsletter to find out about the stream schedule, projects, and receive a free downloadable pattern!

Blackbird Fabric Workshops

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This is what wearing these culottes feels like. Also trying to dance down a flight of stairs in heels…. not easy. . . If you’ve been participating in #sewfancypants and want to be entered into the biggest grand prize package… you’ll want to put those big girl pants on and DANCE! (If not you’ll still be eligible for the other two prizes). Tag your dance #sewfancypantsdance by Feb.3and we’ll be selecting a winner on the 4th! GOOD LUCK! And check the hashtag to see all the fun dancing that’s already going on! . . Also, check my stories for a fun #SEWHAPPYCOLOR sponsorship opportunity! Shirt: hacked #panamateedress (added mock turtleneck) in fabric from @theconfidentstitch Pants: #winslowculottes by @helens__closet in bamboo silk from @raystitch . . #thehandmadehustle #sewfancypants #brightsewing @pinkcoatclub @theunfinishedseamstress #sewcialists #brightcolor #winslowculottes #panamateedress #mydesignline

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D2 of #owop18 – @deer_and_doe_patterns #plantaintee in @elvelyckan.design jersey. I lengthened the sleeves to somewhere in between short and 3/4. Originally I did it with another tee because I didn’t have enough fabric but wanted the sleeves as long as possible. And I ended up really liking this length. Featuring #memade acorn jewelry. Thank you @sewisfaction for organizing this challenge and @pinkcoatclub and @helens__closet for sponsoring today. . . #memade #memadeeveryday #ilovetosew #memadewardrobe #memadefashion #indipatterns #imakemyclothes #imakemyownclothes #handmadewardrobe #modernsewing #memadejewelry #handmadejewelry #melbournesews

A post shared by Irina (@irina_makes) on Nov 26, 2018 at 11:37am PST

@jengotch – Trash Dancing
Layout – App Store, Google Play
Boomerang – App Store, Google Play
Hyperlapse
Petitefont maker challenge database
Make Nine
Episode 29: Craft Real Magic with Rochelle New
Sew My Style

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the cat’s outta the bag! I’m so excited to let you all know that I’ll be taking over coordinating #sewmystyle2019 from the wonderful @jessicalorraine01. there are so many links in my bio today: a feedback survey, an application for becoming a #sewmystyle2019 leader, and all the details on what’s coming next year! head over there for all the info!

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Episode 80: Maternity Sewing

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 05:00:37 +0000

We catch up with six amazing sewists who are on journeys of motherhood. We find out how being pregnant has impacted their sewing, favourite maternity-friendly patterns, and making time to sew post-partum. We also discuss major body changes and how that can both motivate and de-motivate us in our sewing.

(0:11:22) Gabby & Megan – Stitcher’s Brew Podcast

Follow Gabby & Megan!
- Podcast: Stitcher’s Brew Podcast
- Instagram: @stitchersbrewpodcast, @gabberdashery, @pigeonwishes
maternitysewing.com
The Maternity Sewing Podcast

No. 4 London from How to Do Fashion

Maternity Agnes Top & Dress from Tilly and The Buttons

Camden from Nina Lee

Cassiopée from IAM Patterns

Stella Joggers from Tilly and The Buttons

(0:25:17) Fleurine – Sew Mariefluer

Follow Fleurine!
- Blog: Sew Mariefleur
- Instagram: @mariefleurine
“How Sewing Saves Me”
Erin Maternity Skirt from Megan Nielson

Drop Dress & Top from Made It Patterns

The Matcha Top from Sew Liberated

Zadie Dress from Tilly and the Buttons

Jackie from Victory Patterns

Harem Romper from Brindille & Twig

Waterfall Raglan Top & Dress from Chalk & Notch

(43:25) – Mary – Idle Fancy

Follow Mary!
- Blog: Idle Fancy
- Instagram: @idlefancy
Butterick 6226

Concord T-Shirt from Cashmerette

Turner Dress from Cashmerette

Ebony T-Shirt & Dress from Closet Case Patterns

Myrtle from Colette

(1:03:29) – Elaine – LaPetiteMaisonCouture

Follow Elaine!
- Blog: LaPetiteMaisonCouture
- Instagram: @laPetiteMaisonCouture
Ninni Elastic Waist Culottes from Named Clothing

Simone Dress from Louis Antoinette

Pancake Blouse from Waffle Patterns

Frances from Fibre Mood

Jersey Dress 03/2012 #120 from Burda Style

(1:21:14) – Anya – Anna-Zoe

Follow Anya!
- Blog: Anna-Zoe
- Instagram: @anna.zoe.sewing
Lark Tee from Grainline Studio

Opium Coat from Deer and Doe

Givre Dress from Deer and Doe

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Episode 81: Bag Making with Anna Graham

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 05:00:10 +0000

Anna Graham joins us to share her tips on sewing bags, how she got into pattern making, and designing her very own fabric line. We also talk about how she bought her studio space sight unseen and balancing work and family life.

Follow Anna!
- Blog: Noodlehead
- Instagram: @noodlehead531
Made by Rae
MADE Everyday
Renovating the Noodlehead studio
Range Backpack

241 Tote

Making Backpack

Open Wide Zippered Pouch

Cargo Duffle

Janome 1600p

Amy Butler International Interfacing Chart

Forage by Anna Graham on Robert Kaufman

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Episode 82: Meet Makers of Color with Mac Housley

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:00:39 +0000

Mac Housley joins us to discuss her part in starting the @meetmakersofcolor Instagram account. She shares why following a diverse spectrum of people online creates more cross-cultural dialogue and how Meet Makers of Color is helping us do that. We also discuss creative positive space for important conversations and ‘trying on’ new ideas.

Follow Mac!
- Instagram: @macsmakespace, @meetmakersofcolor, @sewalteredstyle
- Blog: Sew Altered Style, Harper+Lu
Sew Altered Style co-founder, Katie – @katiesewspace

Style Bee 10 x 10 Challenge

#meetmakersofcolor

@meetmakersofcolor co-founder MJ – @sewflo

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@meetmakersofcolor admin Sam – @whatsammade

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@meetmakersofcolour Resources
More hashtags to follow from @cocowawacrafts – Break the Algorithm!
Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney

Suggested Norms for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

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UPDATE ______ We created this account as a way to uplift the BIPOC in our creative communities and facilitate cross cultural conversations. We want this space to be healthy and constructive, while simultaneously acknowledging that growth can often come from discomfort. . With that in mind, this is our UPDATED set of guidelines WE ALL CREATED TOGETHER for engagement on this feed and across the #meetmakersofcolor Insta-verse. Obviously, you are welcome to define what works in your own spaces. We see this as a working/draft set of guidelines. We all own this – and intermittently posting and agreeing to these guidelines ensures we keep our conversations productive and that we activate learning and progress. _______ Tell us “agree” (if you agree) in the comments below! _______ #diversknitty #blackknittersofinstagram #desiknitters #pocwhosews #representationmatters

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MMOC Black History Month 2019 Form

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Episode 83: Sewing Machines 101

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 05:00:47 +0000

Sewing Machines come in all shapes and sizes! We talk about the history of the sewing machine, what to look for when you shop for one, and how to approach machine maintenance. We also discuss our favourite stitches, feet, and fun features!

Get FREE shipping on a 3D scan Beatrice dress form through March 31, 2019. Love to Sew listeners will also enjoy a free 30-minute private consultation to make the scanning process even easier! Visit www.beatriceforms.com/lovetosew for this special offer!

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“Tomato and Strawberry” Pincushion

Sewing Machines Wikipedia

Helen’s Sears Kenmore 1966

Vintage Buttonhole Attachments on Male Pattern Boldness

Regretsy Sewing Machine Diagram

@hannahmcorey – Bungee Chair

Helen’s chair – LÅNGFJÄLL

Pattern Review Forums

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Let’s celebrate our sewing machines! Have you shared a photo with the hashtag #showmeyourmachine yet? ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #sewingmachine #showmeyourmachine #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew #sewingpodcast #handmadewardrobe #memadeeveryday #memade #sewing #handmadefashion #handmade #sew #sewcialists #isew #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #indiesewing

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Episode 84: Sewing Around the World

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:00:22 +0000

We asked for your sewing stories from around the world! In this episode, we make connections and highlight differences in our sewing. We share your stories, tips and experiences.

The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

#makeyourstash by @timetotsew and @pilar_bear (account no longer exists)

#sewbibs by @teridodds1, @jessamyb @cookinandcraftin, and @heidi_handmadefrenzy

York Pinafore from Helen’s Closet new pattern sizes launching March 19

#sewhappycolor by @katiekortmanart

#handmadehustle

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#thehandmadehustle @katiekortmanart #nikkotop x2 #persephonepants #morganjeans

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When putting together #SewBibs, we were thinking about how there are so many sewing challenges going on right now, which can feel overwhelming. But if you think about it, there are easy ways to participate in multiple sewing challenges with one garment- the challenges are not mutually exclusive! Sew overalls in a bright color, a wax print or a metallic fabric (or all three?!) and you’ve ticked boxes for #SewHappyColor, #SewWaxLyrical or #SewingMetallicMarch… use a stash fabric or a pinafore pattern you’ve been meaning to make for a while and you’ve got #MakeYourStash and #SewThatPatternNow! Document your #SewBibs progress for #MIYMarch19 and submit your shortie overalls for Break the Rules Rompers! #sewingchallenge #sewingisfun #garmentsewing #sewyourown #sewsewsew #isew #sewcialists #sewist

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“Unbusted” by Nicki Taylor

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Caroline and I met after connecting on instagram and realizing we live in the same city! Meeting up in real life with fellow sewists can be so much fun. If you want to find fellow sewists in your city, state, province, or country, try using these location hashtags! Tell us your hashtags in the comments! We hope you join us . . #canadasews #bcsews #vancouversews #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew

A post shared by Love to Sew (@lovetosew.podcast) on Nov 8, 2017 at 9:24am PST

Metric vs. Imperial

Burda Style Magazine
Easy way to trace Burda magazine patterns and add seam allowances (Video no longer available: A good alternative is “Adding Seam Allowances to a Sewing Pattern” by National Sewing Circle)

Straight Grain

Lara Sanner Patterns
German Sewing Resources
“Wartość Szycia” – “Worth of Sewing” Project from @sewing.bloggers.poland
- Follow hashtags – #wartośćszycia & #worthofsewing
- Blog Articles
  - Wanderstitch – “Looking Back on 2018” & “#WorthOfSewing and Mental Wellbeing”
  - Goblin Fruit – “#worthofsewing”
  - Charczerka – “Worth of Sewing” (no longer available)

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A post shared by Wartość Szycia (@sewing.bloggers.poland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 11:03am PST

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Transcript:

This transcript was made from the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released on February 8, 2022. You can listen to this version on the player below:

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Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off-season, so we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.

Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in March 2022 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favourite.

Caroline: Hello, and welcome. I’m Caroline.

Helen: And I’m Helen.

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

Helen: We asked our listeners to tell us their sewing stories from around the world. What is the sewing scene like where they live, where to shop for fabrics and notions, and what kinds of differences have people noticed when working with patterns from other countries. All that and much, much more in this global sewing bonanza.

Caroline: Bonanza.

Helen: Bonanza. It’s an under utilised word. Yeah. How are you?

Caroline: Good. How are you?

Helen: I’m good, thanks. Busy, busy, busy, as always.

Caroline: We put out a call on Instagram and on the show for people to send us their stories, their feedback about sewing around the world, and you guys definitely delivered. We got so many replies. We got a ton of emails and, I think, 200 comments.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: 250 comments on Instagram. Just people telling us about your struggles, your favourite shops, the history of sewing in your country, uh, pattern, suggestions, pattern companies. We just got so much great feedback, and we had a lot of fun reading through everything, and we’re really excited to share what we found with you.

Helen: And we also want to just let you know that because we got so many responses. We’re not going to read everything in this one episode. If we don’t read your comment, we did read it when we received it.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: And we really appreciate it, and we might be saving it for a future episode. And we want to acknowledge that every person can only speak from their own experience, and, you know, the thoughts shared today from people may not represent your feelings, if you’re also living in that country or that city or that area of the world. So we want to rec-, just acknowledge that. You know, we just acknowledge that not everyone feels the same way about things.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Not everyone has the same experience.

Caroline: Absolutely.

Helen: Okay. So let’s kick things off with some thoughts from Beck @isewthereforeiam.

Caroline: Alright.

Helen: “I want to take a moment to share my own experience as an ‘international sewist.’ I’m Australian, but I’ve lived in the Netherlands for almost 10 years. I only learned to sew after I moved to the Netherlands, and, to top it all off, my husband is French. In other words, I feel pretty ‘international’ in all aspects of my identity, and sewing is no exception.

Obviously, where you come from can have distinct impacts on tangible aspects of your sewing process: how you learned to sew, the types of fabric you have access to, your preferred sources of patterns, your expectations for sewing instructions, etc.

I feel, however, that the most profound ways in which being ‘international’ impact my sewing life are actually intangible. I feel like my sewing life is a giant patchwork quilt, all the individual pieces of which are drawn from all corners of the globe. And I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way!

Even though I’m a long way from Australia and out of sync with the seasons there, I still find myself drawn to Australian sewists, fabric companies, and pattern companies. There’s something about the style and laid back underlying attitude which still speaks to me at an almost primordial level. My primary sewing influence is the British sewing world – British blogs and indie patterns are where I learned to sew and still remain hugely influential to me. Due to my husband’s influence and the fact that I speak French, the French sewing world also majorly colours what I like to sew and my sewing style choices. My husband jokes that when he met me I wore loud colours and prints ALL THE TIME and that, over time, I’ve developed a style and colour palette which copies his!!!! Don’t tell him, but I think he’s right…!. Living in a somewhat dreary northern country, I have also became increasingly drawn to the interesting lines and classic simplicity of Scandinavian style (hello, Named!).

Then, even if my main influences are European, my sewing life definitely isn’t limited. If I could only choose one country in the world to get all my fabrics and patterns for the rest of my life it would probably be Japan – seriously, a trip to Japan a few years ago completely transformed my sewing style.

And, of course, North America is a huuuge part of my sewing life. I mean, let’s just look at Canada alone! Between you guys and Closet Case Patterns, Canada definitely punches above its weight in terms of influencing the sewing world, and there is something about the practical-yet-stylish vibe that resonates with my Australian self. I also feel like the North American sewing world is one of the most diverse which offers a really important perspective to my sewing experience.

Ummm, so what’s the point of all this? Just to say that the best thing about being a sewist these days is that we can all be ‘international sewists of the world,’ as there are so many inspiring sewing influences from all corners of the world available at our fingertips!

Just thought I’d share my two cents worth on this fascinating topic. Hope you guys do end up finding a way to do an episode on this because I’d love to listen!! And keep up the brilliant work!!”

Caroline: Thank you. Thank you. Back.

Helen: I love this perspective.

Caroline: I really, really love this. I love the idea of thinking of your sewing life as a giant patchwork.

Helen: Mhm, yeah, all the different influences. And I think we can all relate to our styles changing when we discover different pattern companies from different parts of the world, different fabrics, and I think, just as a whole, as a community, our style, kind of, changes together a little bit which is always really interesting to see.

Caroline: Mhm, just look at sewing bibs right now.

Helen: Yeah, maybe five years ago, how many of us would have wanted to wear, like, a bib-based garment?

Caroline: Yeah, overalls or pinafores or anything like that?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, I love it. Okay, so we definitely found there to be some themes when we were going through all of this feedback. Um, so we grouped it in themes, and we’re going to go through them now. Um, and yeah, it’s a lot of reading, so get ready, guys.

Helen: We have to get ready. They have the easy job. You guys get to listen.

Caroline: So our first topic is language and this feedback is from Christina, “Whenever I finish sewing a garment, like most sewists, I’m so excited to put it on, strut a little and wear it out into the world for the first time! In Spanish, the word for ‘premiering an outfit or ‘showing it off for the first time’ is ‘estrenar.’ I don’t think that word exists in the English language, but my mom and I use it all the time whenever she asks whether I wore my latest make to work or on date night: ‘Mija, ya estrnaste tu blusa nueva?’ she asks (Have you worn your new blouse for the first time?). Considering you have an audience of sewists from around the world, I wanted to put this question out there: Is there a word like ‘estrenar’ in other languages?”

Helen: There should be.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I can’t really think of one in English, but I want one.

Caroline: Debut? To debut. Yeah, but it’s not like…

Helen: Isn’t that a French word?

Caroline: …clothing related, you know, like, I like that this is, is really, like, premiering an outfit or wearing something for the first time.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah. I think that’s a great word. And I would love to know if there are any words like that in other languages.

Helen: Yeah. Let us know. Alright, the next common thread, if you will, that we noticed is the weather. So this comes from @wlovefromguyana, “I live in Georgetown, Guyana. It is a city in South America whose history (and accents) more closely aligns with the Caribbean. Since it is hot ALL year my sewing consists of playsuits and sundresses (think vacation and resort wear) instead of winter coats, etc.”

And another comment from @indigorain_bow, “I live in Singapore, so I find the summer patterns and Instagram posts far more interesting than those for colder weather.”

I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this. If you don’t get cold weather where you live, posting about coats and, I dunno, anything warm, really, it’s probably going to be a bit of a snooze fest for you.

Caroline: Yeah, sometimes we get emails at Blackbird from people who live in warmer countries asking like, I really want to make this coat pattern, but what fabric do you have that would work for this coat pattern, but that’s not too hot. And I usually recommend, like, a mid or heavyweight linen because I think linen lends itself well to coat patterns, but it’s really breathable and it’s, kind of, gives it a different look when you’re in a warmer climate, so…

Helen: Yeah, for sure.

Caroline: It is true though. It must be, kind of, boring for people…

Helen: Boring or maybe they wish they could make those things, but they have no opportunity to wear them.

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, not boring, but boring to watch everybody else make coats or sit through those pattern releases.

Helen: Yeah, yeah, be totally out of sync with the seasonal pattern releases. Stops you from buying more patterns, I guess.

Caroline: Alright, the next theme will be machines, and we have one comment from @thats_sew_shannon, “I live in Japan, and the one thing I can’t get over is that the sewing machines here have a start/stop button instead of a foot pedal. So glad I brought my American machine!”

I actually think the start stop button is really cool.

Helen: Yeah, it sounds pretty neat.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So you wouldn’t have to use your foot at all. You would just have your, I guess maybe your right hand on the start and stop.

Caroline: Yeah. Is it a button or is it, like, a lever?

Helen: Switch?

Caroline: A lever or switch? Tell me more Japan,

Helen: Japan, let us know. Is this true for only Japan? Is it other countries?

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, I wonder, but it is interesting. That’s one thing that we’ve never really discussed or thought about is, are there differences in sewing machines in other countries?

Helen: Mhm, you know, I’m sure, I’m sure there are.

Caroline: Okay. Fabric.

Helen: We got a lot of comments about fabric, unsurprisingly. Yes, and one thing that we thought of is that Sewrendipity has a fabric shopping roundup on her blog, and it’s very cool. There’s a map, and you can see all of the places where people have contributed blog posts or other kind of content about shopping in that place. So if you’re planning a trip somewhere, you can go and see if it’s listed in this archive that she has, and just read the different blog posts from different people about shopping in different countries which is pretty amazing. And you can also contribute to it which is awesome.

Caroline: Yes. Yeah. It’s a really great, uh, it’s a really great list. We’ll link it in the show notes for anyone who’s maybe travelling soon and wants to know if there’s any fabric stores listed.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: Okay, so, feedback about fabric from @sallycarrick on Instagram, “Hi I am from New Zealand! Sewing here is great. We produce beautiful merino fabrics which are fabulous in the winter. Sewing is having a resurgence here which I love! I live near a small city where there are three good fabric shops (as well as other smaller quilting type shops usually in sewing machine supply shops) and others around the country have an online presence!”

Helen: It’s amazing how much feedback we got from people saying that sewing is really having a resurgence where they live. I think we’re all experiencing that. And, and it’s amazing that there’re new fabric stores opening and all of these new resources and this community forming, uh, I just it’s awesome.

Caroline: Yeah, I think so too.

Helen: And she mentioned the Merino which we love working with as well. And that’s a specific type of sheep from a specific type of wool?

Caroline: Yes. Merino wool is a specific type of wool.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: Um, from a specific type of sheep, that was correct.

Helen: Ok, good. I just needed to say it with a bit more confidence.

Caroline: I think so. I mean, now I want to look it up so that I don’t look like a total idiot. Yeah, it’s the Merino sheep.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: Renowned for exceptional properties. Janet says, “I’m an American who currently lives in Seoul, South Korea. I only recently began sewing about a year ago and have been teaching myself to sew. I am not really tuned in to the sewing community in Seoul, expat or local, but in the last few months I have discovered Dongdaemun fabric market which is an enormous wholesale and commercial fabric/craft market, consisting of three buildings with 6 floors. There is a huge range of fabrics and price points, and because of the language barrier, it’s hard to determine the exact content, stretch, etc. of the fabric, but I love going there to get inspired and to purchase inexpensive fabric to make muslins. I’ve gotten turned around several times when visiting, but I love wandering around and finding new things each time I visit. Gwangjang Market is a smaller market that has a great selection of fabrics (and amazing food vendors).

I highly recommend a visit to this market for anyone who visits Seoul and loves to sew or knit (or just loves crafts in general). It’s very exciting and inspiring to see the variety of fabrics and products available, and it just feels very alive, in a way that shopping at a store like JoAnn’s (or somewhere similar) doesn’t (at least to me). Don’t get me wrong, I also love shopping at JoAnn’s, but there’s something really exciting about exploring each floor and not really knowing what you are going to discover around the next corner. On the flip side, it can also be confusing due to language and cultural differences and just the sheer scale of the market. Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience”

I actually loved getting this email because I’ve been to Dongdaemun market. My sister used to teach ESL in Korea. She lived there for two years, and I had the opportunity to visit her with my mum. Um, I was, like, 20 at the time. So this is 10 years ago, but I remember that market, and I remember how bustling it was and how overwhelming it was, but how much fun it was to go and see so many different fabrics, and there were a lot of floors, like she said, six floors, and it was exactly how she, as she described, you just don’t know what you’re going to run into next, because it’s, sort of, all over the place. And we found some really cool fabrics there, and I remember just feeling super, super inspired by the selection. So it took me back to, uh, that time when I got to go to Korea.

Helen: It sounds like a dream market.

Caroline: It was really cool. I was thinking when I was reading this over today, I was like, how can I get back to Seoul and do some fabric shopping?

Helen: I mean, I think you already have a business that’s set up for you to do that.

Caroline: I know. Maybe we’ll start sourcing some fabrics directly.

Helen: Yeah, exactly.

Caroline: Yeah, from South Korea. Um, but yeah. Thank you so much for emailing in Janet.

Helen: Our next comment is from Chinenye, “I live in Lagos, Nigeria. Here, bespoke tailoring is mostly the norm and up to 90% of ready-to-wear clothing is imported from other countries, although these days, ready-to-wear designers who actually produce their clothing in our country are slowly coming up here and there, which is a good thing, right?

We have our own ethnic styles sewn up in African wax print, laces, starched cottons, brocades, which are not produced in other countries, so people usually contract their dressmaking out to tailors/ fashion designers.
Among my circle of friends I was just about the only one who made my own clothes, making me like a rainbow unicorn because I can actually get on a sewing machine and make something good enough to wear. Perhaps because the tailors and fashion designers do go through some kind of formal or semi-formal training to actually begin to sew for people.
Fabrics are sourced from open air local markets (such as Lagos Island Market and Yaba Market), and there are hardly any online fabrics stores. That means we get to look at the fabric, feel it, run our fingers through it before we purchase. I do browse foreign fabric shops online, but the devalued currency and non-existent postal system makes it impossible. Plus, I think that buying by feeling only has only served to make me nervous when I can’t touch fabric before buying.
Fabric prices are usually very low compared to what I find obtains in the UK, US, and Germany, etc. When I watch fabric hauls on YouTube and browse the online fabric stores, I’m amazed that the usual crepes, chiffons, knits, printed cottons, and velvets cost as much as $15 a metre. These fabrics cost in the region of $1-$4 on any given day. However, there’s a downside: 1. We hardly find specialty fabrics like bra fabric or gym clothes fabric.
2. We hardly know the fabric types and compositions. Case in point, I buy all kinds of jersey knits, but to this day I have no idea which is a ponte-de-roma, and also I know jersey and rayon and spandex, but what fabric (pray tell!) is a jersey-rayon-spandex??!! What does it look like? I may have actually bought it from the open market, but I don’t know that I bought it because I don’t know what it is! I’ve been known during vacations to walk into JoAnn’s or Hobby Lobby and spend hours there just feeling the fabrics and learning the names and types to help me in my purchase when I get back home.
One of my big hopes in 2019 is to have a larger local sewing community, so we can sew-cialise through sewing weekends, sew together for charity, and do other fun things.
Thank you for letting me share.”
Caroline: I really liked reading through this message, and it made me think about how useful it would be to have some kind of a fabric sample book that people could buy online that has swatches of, like, every fabric you could possibly imagine.

I mean, it sounds like a huge project, but maybe it exists. I feel like Mood might’ve had something like this once upon a time. Email us if you know, listeners.

Helen: You can make your own too. If, if like Chinenye, you go and travel and you, and you go to stores where things are more labelled, then you can grab small swatches. Maybe they’ll cut you swatches and you can make your own book so you have a reference when you’re back at home.

Caroline: Mhm, mhm, but I think it’s really kind of fun that she gets to pick out fabrics just by feel and not be swayed by, like, content and price points and that kind of thing and just go by feel.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s, like, a whole different way to fabric shop.

This next comment is from @themodernsewer, “I don’t live in Israel but Tel Aviv has incredible and overwhelming amount of gorgeous fabric stores and all the notions you could ever imagine! The notion stores will blow your mind, and I’ve never even found some of them online.”

Helen: And then we’ve got a related comment from @ofermesew who says, “I do live in Israel. We do have a lot of fabric shops (but many are closing), and the prices are low, but good quality and modern prints are hard to find. Most sewists never heard about indie patterns, and they use mostly Burda magazines. Lastly, thanks to Instagram, I found the best local sewing friends, and we finally have our own little community #israelihighsewciety.”

With S-E-W.

“And we all use mostly indie patterns and therefore ‘learn to sew in English,’ so translating the terms, notions, and fabric type to Hebrew and trying to find them in a store can be challenging sometimes.”

Caroline: This is interesting. I like the idea of, kind of, banding together with friends locally, especially if you’re wanting to use indie patterns and, kind of, helping each other translate and figure it out as you go along, I feel like it would be really helpful to have sewing people around you when you’re working with patterns in a foreign language.

Helen: Mhm, and making your own hashtags so you can all share with each other. You can also use the hashtag system that we came up with, where you do #CitySews and #CountrySews. So in this case, it would be #TelAvivSews, #IsraelSews, and you can find other local sewing people that way as well. But this makes me want to go to Tel Aviv for the notions stores.

Caroline: Yeah, and if you’re in Israel, go check out the Israeli high sewciety…

Helen: I love that.

Caroline: …hashtag, and see if you can discover some sewists in that area.

So @swahili.summer says, “I lived and sewed in Pakistan for 3 years. Amazing garment industry, the cotton growing industry is the backbone of the country, and the street tailors work magic. I did my SK Craftsy classes in the middle of summer when it was too hot to leave the aircon!”

Helen: Genius.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. So one other thing that we learned through this world sewing series is that the shipping struggle is real.

Helen: Yes. So many of you shared with us that shipping is a huge roadblock when it comes to you and your sewing practice and wanting to participate in the sewing community and get the same fabrics and patterns that everyone else is using.

And we feel for you. I know. It sucks. And waiting a really long time for things sucks, and paying the exorbitant fees sucks, and it all sucks.

Caroline: Yeah, shipping is a challenge for businesses, too. That’s something that we struggle with at Blackbird a lot is trying to figure out the best way to ship things, the quickest way to ship things, and we’re always improving and trying to figure out ways to do it better. And I think that’s one of those areas where we can share as a community, our resources, and if there’s anybody out there that wants any advice about shipping or anything like that, they can always email me. I think it’s a great area where we can all, kind of, pool our resources.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Because, at the end of the day, we just want to get the product as far as it can go and reach as many people, so, yeah, it’s definitely a struggle and hopefully, um, you know, we can all come up with new and better solutions as our industry grows.

Helen: Yeah, and finding friends in your area that then you can share shipping with…

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: …if you’re going to order from a specific place, you can ask your local friends if they’re interested in going in with you and then, you know, maybe the custom fees will be a little bit lower.

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. So @rebecca_james_design commented, “I’m in New Zealand. The sewing scene here is really good, and I have pretty easy access to good quality fabric. The online stores are trustworthy, have a pretty good range, and I haven’t had any surprises when ordering. There’s not much that’s immediately local to me, but Wellington is only a two hour drive away so it’s not so bad. The biggest things are the cost and the imperial system. Everything is so expensive!! International shipping kills me. The imperial system is fine, and I’ve got good at inches, but it’s such a pain when companies have no metric charts. However I hate hate hate 1/2 inch seam allowances as there is no seam guide on my machine, so a lot of guesstimating takes place. Overall though it’s a great place to sew!”

So I have a tip: put a piece of tape on your sewing machine.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, use some, like, washi tape or masking tape and just tape over that plate and mark your own sewing gauge, and that will solve a lot of problems, Rebecca.

Helen: You can do it per project, too.

Caroline: Yeah, based on the seam allowance for that project so that you’re not getting mixed up. That’s a really good point because it’s removable.

Helen: Yeah. You can change it for each one. And I do think that it’s interesting when I first got into pattern design and I was running tests with my pattern testers and I hadn’t really considered the seam allowance differences, like on my machine, it is Imperial, even though in Canada, we, kind of, go both ways.

We’re about to talk about metric versus Imperial as well which is another large topic. But that was pointed out to me, and so choosing a seam allowance that is going to be easy for both 3/8 of an inch is, like, 1.03 centimetres or something like that or maybe it’s 0.97. It’s very close to a centimetre. So you can do 3/8, which is a centimetre, and that, kind of, works really well for both camps. So I think if you’re doing knits pattern, 3/8 is really nice. Um, just keeping that in mind, when you’re designing seam allowances for your pattern, maybe you want something that’s going to go both ways.

Caroline: Something to keep in mind. So should we talk about metric versus Imperial? Should we just crawl into a hole and hide from this topic? Because it’s such a hot topic.

Helen: Hot button topic. Um, I mean, yeah, we got a lot of comments about this. I do think that a lot of indie pattern designers are including both these days, and it’s wonderful. And, and definitely if you’re an indie pattern designer listening, consider it because it’s so much easier for people who are working in specific measurements.

@nicolecnoops says,”I am Dutch living in the Netherlands and the big difference with US and UK is the metric system, and sizes. I join several sewing communities on Facebook and that helps me understand how you all work. I love to learn from each other, and I write on my blog about it.”

Caroline: @thewitch_andthe_wardrobe says, “It’s not only the difference between US and UK but rather US and… every country that doesn’t have the imperial system. A pattern without a metric table for me is personally a no-go.”

So let’s talk about this a little bit. What is metric versus Imperial?

Helen: Well, a metric measuring system is metres and grams and adds prefixes kilo- and milli- and centi- to count orders of magnitude. So, for example, distance is kilometres and fabric is measured in metres. It’s a nice system because everything’s divisible by tens and hundreds, so it’s really easy when you’re measuring things and cutting things out, I find, to use the metric system.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. It is. It’s easy to know that 50 centimetres is half a metre.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Caroline: So in the old Imperial system, things are measured in feet, inches, and pounds, and distance is measured in miles, and fabric is cut in yards. So a yard is just under a metre. It’s 91.4 centimetres.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Confusing.

Helen: Yes, it is. It is a little confusing for sure. Especially when it comes to buying fabric.

Caroline: Yeah, but one thing that you can just think about is a yard is just a little bit less than a metre. So, a yard is 36 inches. One metre is 39 inches. So if you’re shopping in Canada or basically anywhere that isn’t the US, if you’re based in the US, then just think about a metre as just being a little bit more than a yard.

Helen: Exactly. Okay. How many countries use metric versus Imperial?

Caroline: Well, did you know, there are only three countries in the world that officially use the Imperial system?

Helen: Only three?

Caroline: Only three. Obviously, the biggest one being the United States. Also, Liberia and Myanmar.

Helen: So there’s only three countries officially using the Imperial system, but a lot of countries use the Imperial system casually.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Canada included. We, kind of, go both ways. People talk about stuff in inches and feet all the time. It’s very commonplace. And I think in my sewing, I, kind of, have adopted both as well. Sometimes I use inches. Sometimes I use centimetres. It’s, you know, all over the place.

Caroline: Feet. I don’t use feet.

Helen: You don’t use feet?

Caroline: Feet confuse the heck out of me, but there’s three feet in a yard, so you can figure it out. I don’t know. It’s still confusing.

Helen: Feet is probably the least used, as well, for me.

Caroline: But we do, we go both ways here in Canada, which…

Helen: Yeah, and I think other places do as well, um, because the Imperial system used to be a lot more commonly used. It’s also called the British Imperial system because it came from the British Empire, um, that did roll many parts of the world from 16th to the 19th century.

So after the US gained independence from Britain, the new American government decided to keep the Imperial system, even though, at that time, the metric system was, kind of, gaining popularity in other places.

And the movement to the metric system is called metrification, and it began in France in 1790.

Caroline: Yes, um, and we do have some tips for pattern designers out there that want to appeal to both camps and include everybody, um, and that is to make an Excel spreadsheet that can do the conversions for you.

Helen: Yes. You only have to set this up once. You can put your size chart information in there. Every time you make a new pattern, you can put your pattern measurements in there, your pattern requirements, um, your finished garment measurements, and it will just convert it into Imperial for you or into metric for you, depending on which way you’re going.

Caroline: Mhm, and try to provide both charts, if you can, in your pattern instructions, um, finished garment measurements, fabric requirements, instructions. Go all the way. I especially like it in the instructions when it’s reiterated throughout. So any time you mention half inch also give the metric conversion. Don’t ask me what it is right now cause I don’t remember.

Helen: Yeah, so when you’re saying, sew this side seam using a 3/8 of an inch seam allowance, in brackets, put one centimetre, for people who are reading through, because having to, like, go to Google every time to make that conversion is just annoying.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: You don’t want people to be annoyed when they’re using your pattern.

Caroline: No, you really don’t.

Helen: You want them to be like, oh, how nice the conversion is here.

Caroline: Yeah, what a nice touch. Thank you, Love to Sew. Oh, okay. So there’s our little, uh, metric versus Imperial rant, but it is interesting.

Helen: It is very interesting. Um, I wonder if the US will ever switch, probably not at this point.

Caroline: No, I don’t think so. I’m not counting on it. Put all their eggs in that basket.

Alright, let’s talk a little bit about patterns because we got a lot of cool messages about the pattern companies from different countries. One thing that we learned is that so many people are using Burda magazine which is interesting to me because you and I almost never use Burda.

Helen: Yeah, I love flipping through it though. It’s so fun. They have so many pattern designs every month. So it’s really inspiring to look through. and I think they’re doing a great job.

Caroline: But the thing that freaks me out the most about Burda magazine is the, like, roadmap at the end where you have to find your pattern in all, like all the patterns are layered on top of each other.

Helen: It’s very intense.

Caroline: It’s just a big jumble of lines.

Helen: Yeah, you gotta be on Team Trace for that one.

Caroline: Yeah, I feel like as you use it more, I’m sure you’ll get used to it. But for me also, if you buy online, that’s not like that, obviously. So if you buy through the Burda website, then you’ll just get the pattern that you’re buying. You won’t get like a whole roadmap where you have to decipher which one is yours.

Helen: I guess so.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. I know that for a fact because I have bought Burda patterns online.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: But then the other thing about Burda is that you have to add your seam allowance.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: So you gotta be on Team Trace no matter what.

Helen: Yeah. I think in a lot of other, um, in a lot of countries, people also commented that adding a seam allowance is pretty common. So if you’re already used to having to do that, then it’s maybe less of a big deal for you.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Um, but we also got comments from people saying how much they like the indie sewing patterns from the US and Canada and the UK where the seam allowance is included. So it’s, kind of, a nice shift, and they’re getting used to it.

Caroline: Alright, so we want to play a voicemail from somebody in Belgium.

Caller: Hi, Helen. I’m Caroline. I’m [NAME], uh, calling from Belgium. I was just listening to your episode about sewing men’s wear, and you did a shout out that you were collecting data from, um, sewists all over the world. It’s very busy here, so I hope I’m not too late to tell you about the sewing scene in Belgium because we have a very big active live sewing scene.

There are a lot of indie pattern designers here in Belgium. We have two sewing magazines. La Maison Victor who’s now available in English and taking over the world and Fibre Mood who just started up and who’s also available in English.

Actually, I wanted to call in because you talked about so many great pattern designers for men’s wear, and we have one in Belgium that’s really, really good. She has her patterns all translated in, I think, German and English, I think, also French, and, of course, in Dutch. It’s called Zonen09. It’s very hard to pronounce in, in an English way, but it’s a very lovely, uh, girl who developed sewing patterns, especially for men, uh, and children. And for boys, amazing patterns, and it’s really worth checking out. She writes very thorough descriptions, and you can follow along easily. She makes so many comments, if you’re, for example, broad back, do this adjustment, or if your calves are too thick, take, do this adjustment. It’s lovely to follow.

The other pattern designer who’s really worth mentioning is Straight Grain. That’s easier to pronounce in English since it’s English. And she develops mostly children’s patterns, uh, very lovely little girls patterns. That’s also really worth checking out and available in English. So yeah, I wanted to say hi and tell you about how it is in Belgium. Goodbye. Thanks.

Helen: Thank you so much. Hello. We’d love hearing from you in Belgium, and thanks for those pattern company recommendations. We will link those in the show notes for anyone who’s interested in checking those out.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Our next comment is from @sewadventures. She says, “I only use pdf patterns so THANK YOU…”

All caps.

“…to all the amazing designers who make it possible that I have access to their designs although living so far from them!”

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: This is sweet.

Caroline: It really is.

Helen: I do love that it’s, it’s pretty easy to get access, um, to digital patterns. I know that for some people, PayPal isn’t an option in some countries, so it’s difficult for some people to purchase if you only have PayPal as your purchasing option. So that’s something to consider as well if you sell through various channels then you give people more options for purchasing.

Caroline: Is that true even for PayPal, if you pay with a credit card through PayPal, like, if you don’t have a PayPal account?

Helen: Yeah. I think it’s just, at least, I’ve heard from a few customers that it’s not an option for them in their country.

Caroline: Oh, wow.

Helen: Yeah. Okay.

Caroline: Alright, our next comment is from @sewing_in_spain, “People don´t use patterns here. Either they are taught to cut their own patterns, they use a modista to cut out, or they use magazines, like Burda or the Spanish version Patrones. So our idea of making a pattern and muslins is alien.

Lara Sanner from Madrid is a pattern designer and is making patterns more accessible to Spanish sewers. She also runs an online class and pattern group.

The other main difference is the attitude to sewing. When people find out I can sew, they ask but why you? They think people only sew if they don’t have money for shop clothes. Usually, when they see what I can make, they change their mind, but it is definitely a bit looked down upon….mind you, they are always surprised I can cook or know about gardening, too.”

Um, we actually got this feedback from a few different people about how sewing is a little bit looked down upon in their country or in their culture. And I hope as a sewing community, we can work to change that because really most of us aren’t sewing because we have to, or because, you know, it’s not necessarily a money saver for us, but I think that, uh, you know, it’s nice to spread the word and share that you sew, so that people can understand that it’s becoming more and more mainstream.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. And that it’s just a really exciting skill to have in your wheelhouse.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely.

Helen: Our next comment is from a listener in Germany, “I have the feeling that knit patterns are much more common here than in Canada and the US. Also, patterns usually come without seam allowance which is a real pain! A lot of indie pattern makers don’t include copyshop versions for their pattern to PDF downloads, though that is changing fast. There are a growing number of meet-ups, and we have a huge community on social media.”

And this listener also recommends several pattern companies and fabric companies that we can follow. So we’re going to link those in the show notes, have a little Germany section. Sam, you can hook us up with that, right?

Caroline: Yes, please.

Helen: Anyway, she’s saying that sewing is really en vogue these days in Germany which I love hearing. In vogue.

Caroline: In vogue.

Helen: En vogue.

Caroline: In vogue.

Helen: In vogue. En vogue. I like hearing that indie pattern designers are starting to include those copy shop versions as well. I do think that’s, kind of, expected these days.

Caroline: Yeah. Who wants to tape together PDF patterns?

Helen: Aright, our final theme is about meeting fellow sewists and making sewing community where you live. So our first comment is from a listener in Mexico, “I live and sew in Mexico! In Guadalajara to be exact. I first started sewing 5 years ago, self taught from YouTube videos and Facebook groups, both in English. To complement what I was able to learn on my own, my mother and godmother both taught me what they know! I feel sewing is something that used to happen so much more than it does now, it used to be a life skill that mothers would pass on to their daughters so that whenever a girl wanted something pretty to wear, she could make it herself. Like a wedding dress, for example! Yes, my mother and HER godmother made her wedding dress together! And I know that memory is something my mom holds dear to this day!

Nowadays, with Mexico having evolved so much, cheap clothes can now be purchased anywhere, from your local supermarket or Walmart, to the ‘tianguis’ that sets up nearest your home once a week. Sewing clothing (which is what I do!) has become a dying art.

Fabric shops are still full of material to make curtains, tablecloths, blankets, but not so much for clothing. It has taken me a while, but I have been able to find a few shops that carry fabric ideal for clothes. It’s definitely worth it to pick it up when you see it, as next time you are around it will likely be gone! And I think it makes me love sewing so much more, this added excitement of ‘what will I be able to find next!’ and finally finding the perfect fabric for the project I have been thinking about for years. The most recent one being matching Christmas pyjamas for my family! I was finally able to make them this year after coming across the perfect fabric!

I also teach my eldest daughter to sew on our machine, and my son is learning to sew by hand. We will be keeping this skill in our family, I will see to it myself!”

Caroline: I love this thought of making sure you’re keeping sewing in the family and passing it on generation to generation. I know that was the case for my family. My grandmother worked for a tailor, and she sewed and she made all of my mom’s clothes. And then my mom made a lot of our clothes when we were really young, especially. Um, and then my mom taught me to sew and I hope to teach my niece and nephew to sew and maybe one day my kids to sew, if I have kids, so I think it’s important to think about that when you’re having a family to try to pass it on generation to generation because we want to keep that sewing magic alive.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. I also love her positive attitude about not being able to find the right fabric and turning it into, like, a treasure hunt when you get really excited, even if it’s 10 years down the line.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah.

Helen: It’s amazing.

Caroline: That’s great. All right. So our next messages from Julia, “I love the idea of a series about sewing around the world, so I thought I’ll tell you a little bit about sewing in Poland and our community, specifically about our worldwide project.

Unfortunately, some people over here still have post-commuinst mentality, and they feel bad for you if you tell them that you sew, knit or make something in general. Makers of any kind are often unappreciated. So we decided to change it.

A few months ago we had the first sewing bloggers and influencers meeting, during which we decided it’s time for a change. We came up with the “Worth of Sewing” project (“Wartość Szycia” in Polish) to show others that sewing is not only using a sewing machine, it also has different stages. On December 9th, we’ve asked our followers, along with fellow sewists from different parts of the world, how long they think it took us to create the make from the photo. We revealed our answers the next day. It really showed that some people have no idea how time consuming sewing is and how much work, heart, and soul we’re putting into each make.

We’ve recorded a short video about our project and also came up with the idea for another edition, this time focusing on mental worth of sewing. There’s a lot of other things going on in Polish sewing community, but I think this is the one worth mentioning, since lack of understanding for creative hobbies/jobs is an international case.”

So, again, this is coming up again where people are maybe not realising that sewing is a hobby that a lot of people are taking on right now. And that it’s not necessarily because you need to, it’s because you want to, I really love this message from Julia. And I’m actually going to follow up with her and try to get my hands on a link for this video and these posts that she’s talking about so that we can share it in the show notes. Um, because I would love to see that video about people guessing how long it takes you to make something.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: And you get to school them.

Helen: Or they guess, like, 40 hours, and you’re like, actually it was only 10.

Caroline: I feel like most people would not guess that though. Don’t you think?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Even in my day-to-day life, when I run into people that don’t sew and maybe they ask you to sew something for them, or they’re like, how long did that take you? Usually, they’re shocked that it took as long as it did.

Helen: Yeah, and that you would ever want to spend your time doing that. Yeah, they just don’t understand how fun it is.

Caroline: Exactly. We also have a related comment from @sewing_mize. Do you want to read it?

Helen: Sure.

“I am Slovak living and sewing in Czech city Pilsen. Sewing has a long tradition in both countries and is becoming popular again. During the first Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938), there were many fashion houses and designers. People used to have tailor-made wardrobes and present themselves with beautiful dresses. During the following socialism, sewing became a need – if you wanted to have something different from others, change the size or fix clothes. Today, 30 years after the end of communism, I heard opinions, that sewing has skipped a generation – because suddenly everything was available – people started buying more fashion clothes, home sewing was not so needed anymore. Nowadays, it is becoming popular again – I started 2 years ago without any previous experience. I would say that there are enough places where to buy fabric, but my inspiration still comes from abroad – indie pattern makers, tutorials, podcasts, magazines… despite the fact that there are already some rising stars.”

Caroline: This is interesting – the idea of sewing, skipping a generation.

Helen: I think it’s something that we can see throughout the world. You know, people and cultures coming out of war and being in those situations where everything was really tight and they didn’t have a lot of resources and suddenly things becoming available again and not wanting to go back to, you know, making things yourself, or doing things unnecessarily that you don’t have to do anymore because you’re not in that situation anymore, wanting to move on, and sometimes things can skip a generation.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Our next comment is from bervens_makes, “Hi! I live in Norway, and even though the Norwegian online sewing community is great, all the makers in my real life are knitters (I am, too). People tend to be shocked, amazed, awestruck even, when I tell them I sew my own clothes. I sometimes feel like an impostor getting so much credit for sewing even a simple t-shirt! I love how social media, podcasts and YouTube channels bring the international makers-community closer. This has also made me recognize the diversity of this community, which I sadly don’t experience quite so much in real life.”

Helen: I love that perspective and way of looking at it.

Caroline: Yeah, I love it, too. And it’s funny that she mention, mentions t-shirt because we had this whole discussion at the office last week about sewing a t-shirt, and we were talking about maybe sewing a t-shirt workshop. And I was like, well, t-shirts are so simple to sew. And then Laura was talking about how her mom wants to learn how to sew a t-shirt. And it’s just this, like, if you can sew a t-shirt, you can sew anything because it’s just this, like, wardrobe staple.

Helen: True.

Caroline: I think for maybe some people it’s like, how could you possibly sew a t-shirt that looks like a ready to wear a t-shirt, you know? But you can, but yeah, I, I love this message.

Helen: Our next one is from @mkgstitch, “I’ve just moved to China (from NJ) and getting my things together to start sewing was initially stressful (buying a machine, learning the Chinese word for “interfacing”…!) And I thought it would just be my retreat from the world. But! in the 5 months that I’ve lived here it’s been a wonderful way to make friends – I’ve now got more local sewing friends than I had in the US, and hunting out fabrics, shopping together, and sharing web resources has been a great way to get to know the area and other expats and locals in the community. #SewistsOfChina”

That’s so cool. You move to a different place, and you think, well, you know, I might be a bit lonely, but I’ll have my sewing machine. And so, you know, I’ll at least be able to sew, and then it turns into more than that. It becomes a place of connection and a way for you to make friends.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: So cool.

Caroline: We have a voicemail from, uh, Linda in Germany that, kind of, reiterates that, and we really loved this voicemail. So we want to end on this note.

Linda: Hello, Helen and Caroline. My name is Linda, and I’m calling from Germany. Uh, first I want to say, I love your podcast. It is so nice to be in your company when I’m alone in my sewing room. Um, you brought me so much inspiration and your encouragement to open up to the sewing community was a game changer for me.

So I wanted to get that out first and then I wanted to tell you a little bit about sewing in Germany. So here, I think the sewing trend hit a couple of years ago with a focus mainly on sewing knits because I think there are many moms starting to sew for their babies and then later maybe started so for themselves as well.

But my style is a little bit different because I started when I was a teenager and still in school. And I don’t really remember what made me start, but I definitely caught the bug right away. And also didn’t think to start small because after a couple of easy projects, I, um, got myself a Burda pattern for a blazer. And I made that, uh, it was not really wearable. It was a corduroy blazer, brown with, it was crazy, but it didn’t stop me from wearing it. Anyway, and from there, I continued to teach myself as there weren’t the resources that there are today. And also my early experiences in fabric stores was strange and not as pleasant as there wasn’t a very nice selection and it was hard to be taken seriously as a novice seamstress.

All of this changes now. Um, I’m really happy about that. Um, what’s the biggest change for me, I think, is the international sewing community. Um, yeah, Instagram and the market has opened up because I love so many indie sewing brands, and the Instagram hashtags are just so valuable source of inspiration and resource. And yeah, now I can interact with people from all around the world.

And suddenly, sewing doesn’t feel like weird and lonesome hobby anymore. Although I have to say I did love it, even if it felt like that in the beginning. And for many years, I am now almost entirely self-sufficient in my wardrobe and don’t buy clothes much. I’m able to identify with my clothes and the process of making for myself and my family brings so much joy and creativity into my life. Well, yeah, fun fact though, because I sew mainly indie patterns, I don’t really know German sewing vocabulary as well as the English terms, but yeah, I guess that’s because I’m now more at home in the international sewing world, you might say.

Yes, that’s all from me. Thank you for listening and all your hard work. I really love you guys. Thank you.

Helen: Thank you, Linda, for your wonderful voicemail. we can really relate to everything you were saying about feeling like you’re a part of a global community. I mean, in this episode, we’re highlighting differences, the places that we come from and what sewing is like where we live, but we also have so much in common because we sew, and it’s really amazing that we get to be part of an international community like this.

Caroline: We hope you all enjoyed this episode. Please do send in your thoughts, your feedback, um, we really love hearing from you, and we really loved hearing from everyone who had thoughts on world sewing. So keep it coming. We’re always here for you. We’re always listening and reading.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: And, um, we’ll talk to you soon.

Helen: Talk to you next week.

Caroline: That’s it for this Love to Sew Favourite. We’ll be back in March with our new season. You can find me Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you soon.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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Episode 85: Sustainable Sewing with Megan Nielsen

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 04:00:36 +0000

Megan Nielsen shares with us about her journey to becoming an indie pattern designer and her passion for sustainable sewing. We discuss how we can make changes in our sewing practice to be more kind to the earth and to each other.

Love to Sew podcast listeners can get 15% off your next Spoonflower fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap order. Go to try.spoonflower.com/lovetosew and enter your email address to receive your coupon code.

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Episode 86: Sewn Magazine with Michelle Morris

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 04:00:31 +0000

Michelle Morris of That Black Chic and Sewn Magazine joins us to talk about her return to sewing, starting her blog, and creating her own sewing magazine. We chat about her joyful approach to choosing projects and how she makes garments simply for the love of it!

Follow Michelle!
- Blog: That Black Chic
- Instagram: @thatblackchic, @sewnmagazine
- Sewn Magazine

Rippin’ Ain’t Easy

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VOTING TODAY!! I used trasbags to make this golden party dress (the process is on my blog www.thatblackchic.com) , If you you like it please take a second to vote, I can not win without the votes! Voting link in my bio! Thanks for your support! #PrettyGirlsSew #RippinAintEasy #thatblackchic #sewingblogger #mccallspatterncompany #sewing #DIY #diyblogger #golden #blackgirlsthatblog #blackandkillingit #diyproject #memade #hellyeahimadethis #hefftytrashbags #heftyheftyhefty #morimonique

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TaaaDaaaa!Here it is, what you’ve all been waiting for. This is my redcarpet submission for the #RippinAintEasy sewing competition. I am counting on you to vote today, I can’t win without all my family, friends and followers! Thanks for all the support and kind words shared on this journey.VOTING LINK IN MY BIO. #thatblackchic #PrettyGirlsSew #sewingblogger #sew #sewingissexy #sewing #DIY #diyblogger #redcarpetgowns #taffeta #gowns #blackgirlsthatblog #blackgirlswhoblog #blackisthenewblack #imadeit #memade #bling #tonyawards #voteforme #voteformenotpedro#fashionbombdaily#morimonique

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Mori looking fabulous

Interested in contributing to Sewn Magazine? Email info@sewnmag.com
Denim Ceiling!

Fabric Mart

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Episode 87: How to get your SewJo back

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 04:00:11 +0000

We have all experienced SewJo (sewing mojo) or lack thereof! Why does it leave us and how do we find it again? We discuss our personal experiences with losing our SewJo and things we have done to get it back.

Lander Pants by True Bias

Plantain T-Shirt by Deer and Doe

Sage Tee by Elbe Textiles

Support Love to Sew on Patreon!

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Why do you sew? What is your motivation for spending time and resources on this hobby? Do you do it for the clothes? The learning experience? To save money? To make money? Maybe you sew to calm your mind or to express yourself! Let us know in the comments or via email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com . . #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew #sewing #sewcialist #sewingheals #ilovesewing #sewingisthebest #whydoyousew #sewingpodcast #handmadewardrobe

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Jenny Shorts by Closet Case Patterns

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Episode 88: Dress Up and Stand Out with Elisalex de Castro Peake

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 04:00:06 +0000

Elisalex De Castro Peake chats with us about her leap from the fashion world to the home sewing community. We hear the story behind By Hand London and discuss where things are headed next. Elisalex also shares great tips about fitting bodices, embroidering clothing, and dressing to impress.

Follow Elisalex!
- Instagram: @elisalex, @byhandlondon
- Blog: By Hand London Blog
- Store: By Hand London Patterns
Closet Case Patterns Blog
OonaBalloona by Marcy Harriell
Tilly and the Buttons

Charlotte, Victoria, and Elisalex

Elisalex Dress

Kim Dress

Alix Dress

Anna Dress

Flora Dress

Rumana Coat

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Zeena Dress

The Prince’s Foundation: School of Traditional Arts
Elisalex’s top embroidery Instagram accounts to follow:

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Fashion Revolution – Take Action

Episode 85: Sustainable Sewing with Megan Nielsen

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Episode 89: Feedback Fest 2

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 04:00:01 +0000

We share your feedback from the past 6 months in this semi-annual feedback fest! Hear inspiring stories from fellow listeners, get great sewing tips, and leave feeling inspired to get out there and sew something!

Unicorn Stressball – PSA: These fell apart immediately

The Perkins Shirt Dress by Ensemble Patterns

Fringe Blouse & Dress by Chalk & Notch

Myosotis Dress by Deer and Doe

Salida Skirt by True Bias

The Tea House Top and Dress by Sew House 7

Sustainable Scrap-Busters: Soup Bowl Cozy

Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory

Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen

Kalle Shirt & Shirt Dress by Closet Case Patterns

Reeta Midi Shirt Dress by Named

Please help out Love to Sew by rating and subscribing in iTunes!

SYMIHC: Isaac Merrit Singer

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Finally Finlayson! Dang, it took me a long time to work up the courage to make this #finlaysonsweater from @threadtheorydesigns but I’m glad I did. Turned out pretty well and it’s nice and cozy. I see you, cold winter sun, and I’m prepared this time! #sewing #menwhosew #sewqueer #evanstonsews #sewvember

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#hijabifashion

All About Wool by Julie Parker

Swatch Reference Guide for Fashion Fabrics By Deborah E Young

Fabric for Fashion: the Swatch Book by Clive Hallett and Amanda Johnston

The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 90: Surface Design with Spoonflower

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:00:13 +0000

Meredith in her Ogden cami in Organic Cotton Sateen (design) & Theresa in her Papercut Patterns Flutter Blouse (design)

We chat in person with two fun and enthusiastic Spoonflower employees! Have you ever wanted to try designing your own fabric? We share how you can get started with surface design and all the fun projects you can create. We also hear about Spoonflower’s history and how the custom printing magic happens.

Love to Sew listeners recieve 20%-off Sew House Seven patterns from April 23 – April 29 PST by using code “LOVE20” at checkout!

Follow Spoonflower!
- Site: Spoonflower
- Instagram: @spoonflower
- Spoonflower Blog
- Spoonflower Magazine
Follow Teresa!
- Instagram: @theresarizz
- Spoonflower Shop: Trizzuto
Follow Meredith!
- Instagram: @meregold01
Take a virtual tour of Spoonflower HQ!

Helen’s custom print on a York Pinafore – Get it in Helen’s Spoonflower shop!

The Spoonflower Meetup at Blackbird Fabrics – Check out everyone in their custom printed designs!

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The folks at @spoonflower came to visit us in Vancouver, and this past Saturday we hosted a meet-up in their honour! We’re thrilled to say our first local podcast meet-up was a success! We had SEW much fun meeting everyone who came. ⁣Both of us designed our own prints, printed them on @spoonflower fabrics, and made them into dresses to wear for the occasion (how fun is that??)⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ Thank you to those that helped make this happen! ⁣⠀ @dmc_embroidery for sending us supplies for our fun embroidery projects⁣⠀ @cynthiafrenette for the gorgeous embroidery template designs ⁣⠀ And of course @spoonflower for all the goodies, prizes, and your infectious positive energy ⁣ Please come back soon!⁣ @flame_wolf .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ #sewingmeetup #lovetosewpodcastmeetup #lovetosewmeetup #vancouversews⁣⠀ #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew #sewingpodcast #handmadewardrobe #memadeeveryday #memade #sewing #handmadefashion #handmade #sew #sewcialists #isew #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #indiesewing

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Cleo by Tilly and the Buttons

Spoonflower Theme Roundups

Spoonflower Design Challenges

Jenny Overalls by Closet Case Patterns

Sophie Swimsuit by Closet Case Patterns

Ogden Cami by True Bias

Custom Spoonflower Wallpaper in the Blackbird Fabrics Bathroom

DIY Handkerchief love note

Tea towel tutorial

Photoshop Elements
Tag your Spoonflower makes with #spoonflower & #spoonflowerapparel
Spoonflower Magazine
Spoonflower Small Business Grant

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 91: Shirtmaking with David Page Coffin

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 04:00:10 +0000

David Page Coffin joins us to chat about his almost 50 years of sewing experience! He gives us great shirtmaking tips and shares his sewing philosophy. We also dive into his career as an editor of Threads magazine and how he stumbled into the wonderful world of sewing.

Follow David!
- Website: Shirtmaking with DPC
- Pinterest: ShirtmakingwithDPC
Sewing Shirts with a Perfect Fit: The Ultimate Guide to Fit, Style, and Construction from Collared and Cuffed to Blouses and Tunics by David Page Coffin

Hand Stitches: For the Fine Custom Tailored Garment by Stanley Hostek

Threads Magazine

Source: Ravelry

Shirtmaking: Developing Skills For Fine Sewing by David Page Coffin

Making Trousers by David Page Coffin

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Shirtmaking workbook

The hemostat!

How to Make a Perfect Point by David Page Coffin in Seamwork Magazine

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

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

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Episode 92: Sergers and Overlockers 101

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 07 May 2019 04:00:28 +0000

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about sergers! We break down different types of stitches and what they are used for, give some top recommendations for entry-level machines, and tell you what to look out for when choosing the right serger for you. Plus lots of great resources to learn more and get you overlocking in no time.

This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Swimwear fabrics at Blackbird!

Cottesloe Swimsuit from Megan Nielsen

Yanta Overalls from Helen’s Closet

Source: Singer

Serger stitches reference

Source: Slideshare – The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing by Singer

York Pinafore from Helen’s Closet

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Beginner Serging: Machine Basics & Techniques with Amy Alan on Bluprint

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Master the Coverstitch Machine by Johanna Lindstrom

Episode 28: Sewing Activewear with Johanna Lu

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 93: Hey June Handmade with Adrianna Appl

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 14 May 2019 04:00:33 +0000

Adrianna Appl of Hey June Handmade is on to talk about juggling a pattern business, building a house, and raising 3 kids while living in an RV. We chat about her popular patterns and her authentic social media voice. Plus, she gives a pep talk for those of us who are ready to put their creative projects out into the world!

Follow Adrianna!
- Hey June Handmade
- Instagram: @heyjunehandmade, @_homeonthefrontrange_
Children’s patterns at Hey June Handmade

Lane Raglan by Hey June Handmade

Union Street Tee by Hey June Handmade

Biscayne Blouse by Hey June Handmade

Lucerne Blouse by Hey June Handmade

Madewell
The Nine Enneagram Types
Building the house!

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Thank you for following along on this fun journey! You folks are troopers. Looks like you really liked the exterior of our house this year (probably because it’s the only thing semi finished ), but that middle pic is probably my favorite! Here’s to 2019, the year we probably might maybe move into our house

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Home in the RV!

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He insisted on carrying me over the threshold of our new house. (I apologize in advance for breaking the internet with my too-sexy jeans-tucked-into-socks styling.)

A post shared by Adrianna Appl (@_homeonthefrontrange_) on Nov 18, 2017 at 10:57am PST

@replicatethendeviate

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@soveryshannon

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@sewliberated

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@threadbear

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Lander Pants by True Bias

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Episode 94: Why Do We Sew?

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 21 May 2019 04:00:42 +0000

We share the wonderful, heartfelt, and surprising reasons why we sew. Listeners all around the world wrote in to tell us their ‘why’ and celebrate this wonderful hobby with us!

The deadline for this survey has passed! Thanks to everyone who participated. Help us out by taking a podcast survey! This is a third party survey designed by podcasting experts to help us get to know our listeners. Who you are, how you listen to podcasts, and how you feel about our show! It asks questions about demographics, income, and more. The purpose is to help us tailor content to our listeners and find sponsors for the show. This survey is not about sewing, but we always welcome any sewing stories at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

The Winslow Culottes are available in the better size range now!

Winslow Hacks on Helen’s Closet
Check out #winslowculottes

Need some feedback or advice? Tag your makes with #sewingsos to get help and tips on Instagram.
Episode 87: How to Get Your SewJo Back
York Pinafore by Helen’s Closet

Snap-Front Hack

Workshops at Blackbird – These are no longer happening!

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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Transcript:

This transcript has been made from the Love to Sew Favourite re-release version of Episode 94: Why Do We Sew, published on June 14, 2021. You can listen to this version on the player below.

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Helen: We are recording today on the traditional ancestral and unceded territories of the coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples including Tsleil-Waututh Squamish, Muskingum, and Comox first nations.

Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off season. So we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

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

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

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

Helen: Yes, it is top secret stuff just for our Patrion supporters. And if you join at $10 us per month, you will get 15% off discount codes for Blackbird fabrics. Helen’s closet. And our love to sew swag shop and this code can be reused again and again. So it’s a great deal, especially if you shop with us frequently, plus you’ll get a bonus. Mini-sode where we answer a patron question or cover a specific selling topic. So you can learn more and sign up to support us at patrion.com/loved to sell.

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

Welcome, I’m Caroline.

Helen: And I’m Helen.

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

Helen: Today, we are discussing why we sew. We asked you to write in with the reason why you sew, and the results are amazing.

We talk about cherishing family memories, getting into a state of flow, and making clothes that actually fit. We also talk about sewing being therapeutic and how it makes everything better.

Caroline: I love sewing.

Helen: But why do you love sewing?

Caroline: It’s a really good question. We’re going to answer that today.

Oh, my gosh. So let’s talk about how much feedback we got.

Helen: I think this is the most we’ve ever gotten for a prompt.

Caroline: Yes, it really was. I mean, dozens and dozens of emails. Um, hundreds of comments, more voicemails than we’ve ever received on a specific topic, for sure. A lot of people sent us voice memos as well.

It was really nice to get all of those messages because I feel like this topic really resonated with a lot of people.

Helen: It did. People wanted to share their reasons why they sew, and there were a lot of different reasons, more than I actually expected. I wasn’t sure going into it. I thought, maybe, you know, we get a few different camps happening, but when I was, sort of, breaking it down, it seemed like there’s actually sort of nine camps.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: At least that’s how I’ve decided to divy it up.

Caroline: No, I mean, it makes sense. Get that stuff organized, figure out where the commonalities are.

Helen: Exactly.

Caroline: So we, kind of, came up with nine general categories that we can fit all of your feedback into, not that we want to put you in a box, but for this episode it was easier to kind of categorize everything.

Helen: I mean, sometimes I need a box.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Alright, so number one: people sew for connection with fellow sewists in the community.

Caroline: Yes, definitely. Number two: to remember loved ones and make new family memories.

Helen: I love that one.

Caroline: Me too.

Helen: Number three: because we can’t not sew. Literally have to sew.

Caroline: No choice. Number four: for sustainability.

Helen: Number five: because it’s so satisfying.

Caroline: You mean s-e-w satisfying?

Helen: I mean, I put, like, 10 o’s there, but…

Caroline: Sooo satisfying. Number six: to get that me time.

Helen: Yes. And number seven: for health and wellness, both mental and physical. This category can include everything, you know, grief, stress, anxiety, depression, mental and physical illness, all that kind of stuff.

Caroline: Yes. Number eight: to make a dream wardrobe.

Helen: Yeah. And number nine: because we can make clothes that actually fit us. Properly. For realsies. Never see the inside of a changing room again.

Caroline: The dream.

Helen: Okay. So obviously we need to start off by sharing a little bit about why we sew.

Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah, I sew because I think I’ve always felt a pull towards sewing since a young age.

I can remember watching my mom sew our Halloween costumes and being, like, I want to know how to do that. And I’ve told this story before. I, kind of, forced my mom to teach me how to sew so that I could make bags out of old jeans for my friends. But I really can’t explain that pull really other than just really wanting to learn how to do it.

And I think knowing now, um, you know, my mom sewed our Halloween costumes, and my grandmother was also a seamstress. She worked for a tailor. My great-grandmother was also a seamstress, so it’s definitely in my blood. And there’s, for sure, an element of feeling that connection to my ancestors. I also sew because the possibilities are limitless, and it really feeds my creativity.

I think it’s where my passion lies. It’s where I’ve decided to dedicate my life’s work and just makes me really happy.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So category is for connection with fellow sewists in the community and to remember my loved ones.

Helen: I like it. You’re allowed more than one category.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: You can have all of them if you want.

Caroline: That’s true. I think I do relate to most of them, but I think those would be my main, my main reasons for sewing. What about you?

Helen: Well, I love this question, and I actually didn’t start thinking about it until after I read everyone else’s feedback. And then you were like, we should share our stories. And it really got me thinking about it, and it evolves over the years, for sure. But I’ve always been really obsessed with clothing. Like even when I was a kid, I wore the craziest things to school. Like all I ever wanted to do was play dress up. I didn’t care about anything fashion-related. It was just about fabrics and styles and cool things. You know, I would just see clothes, and I would love a certain style or certain something about them.

And then I grew up in a really creative household. So we were always making stuff, and, you know, my mom sewed, so obviously got to see her doing that. And when I discovered that I could do that too, and I started sewing, it was, kind of, like, marrying these two passions. Like, I love clothing, and I love dressing up, and I love having fun with fabric.

And now I can make that my passion and my hobby and actually create those things and, um, have this output that’s functional but also really artistic. So I think that’s where it really started for me: sort of an obsession with clothing. And that has obviously continued on as a pattern designer. I’m still really obsessed with fashion and clothing and things like that, in my own way.

And now when I’m just sewing for myself. I feel like it’s really a need to create something. Like, when I take the time out of my day and outside of my work hours to sew something for myself, it’s just, like, this feeling, like, oh my God, like, I need to sew something. If I go away for too long, I just miss my sewing machine so, so, so much. So I think if I had to pick a category, mine would be because I can’t not sew.

Caroline: Love it. That makes a lot of sense.

Helen: Yeah. It was a really fun question though.

Caroline: Yeah, it is. It really makes you think. I mean, we just love sewing, and we talk about sewing all the time. Sewing, sewing, sewing. But we don’t often think about that motivation behind it, so…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: That’s great.

Helen: For sure. Okay. So the one other thing we wanted to talk about before we get really going here and sharing your stories about why you sew is that we got a lot of comments from people saying that sewing is their therapy. And we have also said this phrase on the show in the past, and we’ve received some feedback from listeners that when we use that phrase, it can, kind of, devalue the real impact of therapy and, and make it seem like sewing can achieve everything that therapy can.

And therapy is really hard work, and it’s incredibly, it’s an incredibly valuable treatment. And we want to be clear that sewing can be therapeutic, but sewing is not the same thing as actual therapy.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. And, of course, not everyone can afford therapy, and not everyone has access to therapy. So we know that people who are, you know, saying that phrase are mostly saying that sewing, sort of, gives them a sense of healing or sense of restoration.

And we thought we would put this little disclaimer out there. Maybe we can all think about a different way to phrase that. We all feel, a little bit, like sewing is our therapy, but what is it specifically about sewing that is therapeutic for you? You know, like, is it, sewing is calming for me or sewing provides space for me to be myself or sewing helps me reflect on what’s happening in my life right now, you know, instead of a blanket sort of therapy phrase. Yeah.

Caroline: So we’re going to be reading a lot of comments, kind of, word for word in this episode where that phrase is used. Um, so that’s why we wanted to talk about this first.

Helen: Yeah, and for a little reminder for ourselves, too.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. So let’s kick things off with basically the cutest voicemail ever from Eleanor.

Eleanor: Hello. My name is Eleanor. I am six and a half years old, and I live in Canada, Province of Ontario and Ottawa. This is why I love to sew. I love to sew because I guess, like, the fun is sewing. And it’s so fun when I do it with my mom, especially. What do you like to make? I love to make dolls and clothes for my dolls. Say, I love your podcast. I love your podcast. Have a great day.

Helen: I love you, Eleanor.

Caroline: We love you, Eleanor.

Helen: That, I die every time I listen.

Caroline: I know that just warms my heart. I love your podcast. Thank you so much, Eleanor. And we’re going to hear from Eleanor’s mom a little bit later. All right. So our first message is from Stephanie.

“I’ve been a short, plus size girl for the majority of my life. My mom had signed me up for sewing lessons so I could hem pants. But my love for sewing grew into so much more. During those lessons, I learned how to alter patterns, how to alter clothing, which styles and colors I liked and didn’t like. I became more and more picky about what I wanted to wear because I knew that I could make my own clothes that fit me and my style better. Wearing something I’ve made out is such a rewarding experience to me. I love being able to show off my knowledge, talent, hard work, and style while also knowing that I’m making things I wouldn’t be able to find or buy elsewhere. There’s something about taking a 2-D piece of fabric and turning it into something 3-D that gives me such a rush and feeling of accomplishment.

“I sew for the 12 year old version of me, who was forced to wear boring old lady clothes. I sew for my plus size preteen slash teen figure skating self, who could never find pretty skating dresses in her size. I sew for my high school self, who were boring clothes in sizes too small or too big because she couldn’t find the right clothes off the rack.

“I sew for my high school self, who made most of her homecoming and prom dresses because she knew what she wanted and wouldn’t settle for less. I sew for all of my theater kids, so that they feel the comfort and confidence in their costumes that I never did. I sew for my clients and friends who come to me, not feeling any confidence in their bodies because their clothes don’t fit them correctly.

“I sew for my clients, so I can educate them how sizing is so different from off the rack clothing and explain to them how number sizes don’t matter. I sew for my mom who got me started and who not only encouraged me to start garment sewing, but trusted me enough to ask me to make my first custom garment ever for her.

“I sew for my sister who I can make custom dresses and clothes for so she doesn’t have to feel as trapped as I did, so she can have that perfect prom dress that doesn’t come in her size. I sew for myself so that I can feel that I’m slowly making a difference, however, small that is. Thank you so much for allowing me to share this with you. And I hope I didn’t bore you too much. Thank you for all you do for this community.”

Helen: Thank you, Stephanie. I really love the way you worded your message to us.

Caroline: Yeah, me too.

Helen: And our next message is from Gudrun. “Two weeks ago, I sat down and started a reply to this question while listening to the SewJo episode. The question has been plaguing me because I’m not sure anymore.

“When I started sewing, it was my lifeline through postpartum depression. It gave me something I could always look forward to. I’m a dress making student, and I’m getting my license as a dressmaker this summer. Hopefully. I’ve been in a real rut. My SewJo ashes on the wind and my self-esteem, null. Sewing has been my biggest aspiration for almost a decade.

“I’m making it my career. It is my hobby and whatever I was doing, I would always rather be sewing. So, all eggs in one basket, sewing is everything to me, and I want it to stay that way. I was trying to answer the questions mostly for myself, but I don’t have an answer. I have practical reasons. I want clothes that fit, that suit my tastes.

“I like making things. I don’t want to buy from companies that don’t pay their employees a living wage. Practical things, nothing that would fuel this all-consuming drive to sew that doesn’t ever leave you alone. I know why I stopped wanting to sew. It has to do with self-esteem issues and unfair comparison, but why do I still want to sew? So after sitting down and taking a hard look at why I’m not sewing, I went and finished a shirt I’d cut out last year. It felt amazing, and it gave me such a burst of energy. I, kind of, feel like I’m waking up and coming back to sewing after a long break which isn’t the case. I’ve been sewing constantly but, kind of, hating it for a year or so.

“And funnily, I think I got better when I was away because I’m noticing differences. So thank you for asking the hard questions. I have no idea what it is about sewing that I like so much. I’m not a patient person. I usually can’t be bothered to be very precise. Sewing doesn’t even relax me. It’s just like chocolate.

“I couldn’t explain what it is that makes it so delicious, but it’s the bomb. Cheerio from a listener that’s just happy you asked why we sew.”

Caroline: Thank you, Gudrun. I feel like we need a category for, like,

Helen: Conflicted people.

Caroline: Not sure, but sewing just has a certain je ne sais quoi that we can’t…

Helen: A certain grasp.

Caroline: That we can’t quit.

Helen: An addictive quality, perhaps?

Caroline: Yeah. We also got a lot of great comments on Instagram, so we thought we would read some highlights before we jump into all the categories. I sew because it’s my passion; it makes my heart happy. I use it as therapy for when everything else is chaos in my life. It’s a constant, the way I can make things come to life, all the potential variables, the one-of-a-kind, the satisfaction and gratitude that I have with this amazing gift is actually beyond words.”

Helen: “I sew because it’s the first time in my life I felt okay making mistakes and learning from them. It’s helped me develop my identity and come into my own as a person.”

Caroline: “I feel so happy and beautiful when I’m creating.”

Helen: “I love to sew because it reminds me that I am capable.”

Caroline: Yes, you are. “The instinctive, meditative flow that oozes from my soul travels through my bodily core, circles around my head, and comes out of my hands into the thread and into my artwork.” Woof.

Helen: Woo. “Sewing has a life independent of me. Sometimes I feel I have nothing to do with it. I am merely the conductor.”

Caroline: “It is the way I bring my inner voice into this world. It heals me. It nourishes me. It brings me joy. It brings me peace. It soothes me. It brings me fulfillment. It allows me to help others. It satisfies me, and it is my omnipresent, eternally reliable, best friend.”

Helen: “I just love to make and turning fabric into something beautiful to wear makes me indescribably happy. From tracing the pattern, cutting out matching stripes, hand basting, winding a bobbin to snipping threads, I adore every single aspect of it. The same way knitting sets my heart aglow, sewing transports me to my happy place.” Oh, these are giving me so many warm and fuzzies.

Caroline: I know, I got a little chills.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. So let’s jump into all the people who sew for connection with fellow sewists in the community.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Susan says, “A year ago, I was invited to volunteer teaching sewing to women who have come to the U.S. As refugees. There’s ,laughter comradery, pride in making time for themselves at the sewing circle. The sharing of life challenges and support in that room full of sewing machines enriches us all.

“I’m almost six feet tall, and I’ve made clothing for 40 years. Sewing Guild has enriched my friendships, but nothing can compare to the fun of sharing sewing with these resilient and creative women.”

Helen: Fantastic. Donna says, “I’ve made good friends through sewing. I love the problem solving together and discussing love of fabric and fitting issues. Sewing friends are generous souls.”

Caroline: This next one’s from Erica. “I love making gifts for others, especially when they are in times of transition: new baby, off to college, moving to a new place. Because throughout the process, I get time to meditate on that person, our relationship, fondest memories, my hopes and dreams for their future. It’s also the one activity where I get to shut off my perfectionist brain and truly experience the joy that comes from experimentation.”

Helen: And a related comment from Lisa, “I sew to connect. When I sew for others, each moment I spend making that gift or garment, I think about the intended recipient, and it helps me feel connected to them and show my love for them. When I sew for myself, I’m connecting with the real me, away from my role as a wife and mom and worker. I connect with my body, my creativity and my style. It keeps me centered when life is hectic. I also sew to connect with the sewing community. Well, it led me to you guys, as well as finding some new friends who also love to sew.”

Awesome.

Caroline: Okay. The next comment is from @the.trendy.homesteader. “I sew because it’s partly my communication. I’m an introvert, and when I sew my swimwear and other articles, it sparks conversation.”

Helen: I love that one.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So true.

Caroline: It’s their communication. Awesome.

Helen: Do you remember when we were wearing our swimsuits on the beach and that woman came up and was like, where’d you get your swimsuit? And we got to tell her all about sewing.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s true. I guess when you’re taking photos of something that you’re wearing it, it attracts even more attention.

Helen: It does. It’s true. And Hazel, hi Hazel, says, “I can escape from the hard things that are happening in my life, and the sewing community is so supportive and connected. I finally met a fellow sewist here in San Diego. Sewing brings together people with the same passion and drive. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that and want to sew?”

Caroline: Really who wouldn’t?

Helen: Who wouldn’t? We’re really preaching to the choir here because everyone who’s listening is a sewist.

Caroline: I know.

Helen: We need to spread this message, message further.

Caroline: I know. I just thought of something, like, being the month of May, we’re all, like, out taking photos of our makes and stuff. And I feel like we’re all probably gonna get a lot of curious eyes.

Helen: True.

Caroline: Maybe we can, like, spin it. And you know, obviously it’s a little bit embarrassing sometimes when people are staring at you taking pictures, but you can take that opportunity to share the fact that you sew your own clothes and get people interested in sewing.

Helen: Yeah. Tell them about our podcast.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Shameless plug, but also, I mean, could be good for them.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Alright.. Our next category is to remember loved ones and to make new family memories. And we are kicking things off with a voicemail from Karen.

Karen: Hi, ladies. This is Karen. I am calling from, uh, just outside of Denver, Colorado. And I’m calling because I just saw your prompt on Instagram about why I love to sew, why anyone loves to sew. And I just had to call in. I’ve never commented before, but I wanted to tell you guys that I love to sew. I am just about to be 37 years old, and I have been sewing since I was, maybe 11 ,and I sew because I come from a super long line of sewists. Proud lady sewists. Um, I learned from my mom, and I grew up watching her sew. All the houses we lived in growing up, she carved out an area for her sewing space. And so I grew up watching her make time and make space for what was important to her and what she loved. And I also love the tactile way that sewing allowed her to cover us and care for us and, kind of, hug us.

And now I having eight year old twins. And I also love doing that with my twins. I love being able to send them out into the world covered in something that I have made especially for them. So I just wanted to call and let you guys know my story of why I love to sew. I like being connected to all the ladies and all the women of my family who also loved to sew.

And, um, on top of that, I love wearing things that I’ve made myself because nothing makes you feel prouder or prettier than when you’re wearing something that you’ve made just for you. So, anyway, I love your podcast, and I love listening to it every week. And I thank you all for what you’re doing. Have a great day. Bye.

Caroline: I want a t-shirt that says proud lady sewist on it.

Helen: Or a pin.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Somebody make that happen. Thank you, Karen, for your thoughts, and our next message is from Michelle. “I love to sew because it has always been a part of my life. I grew up watching my mom sew, and I have very fond memories of her making clothes for my dolls and tagging along to the fabric stores with her.

“She would make my sister and I various items out of Disney fabric. To this day, this is my fabric weakness; I cannot resist a good Disney fabric. She taught me the basics, and I honed my skills in a sewing class in high school. We worked on making my senior prom dress together, purple and black tulle strapless ballgown, the only handmade gown at my high school, and various other projects together.

“My mom passed away a few years ago, and crafting and sewing is the reason I was able to get through the grief. And it brings me so much happiness. Not only do I love to create, I love the feeling that it brings me closer to her and reminds me of very fond memories. I have made several fabric, flower bunches to put up for her.

“And yes, of course, out of various Disney fabrics. I have since branched out to other mediums of crafting, but sewing truly has my heart. Thank you, ladies for an awesome podcast and for sparking joy and inspiration in my life.”

Caroline: Oh, thanks for your message, Michelle.

Helen: Yeah, that grad dress that you got to wear sounds amazing.

Caroline: It does. Melanie says, “I started sewing as a child with my grandma. As an adult, I sew because it gives me an opportunity to quietly create for myself and others, as well as connect to a very special memory of time spent with my grandma.”

Helen: And Elyse says, “I love creating, but mostly it just reminds me of my mom. She taught me how to sew, and I wish she could see all of the things I’ve made lately. I talked to her when I sew. I’m in my happy place. I love that. Talking to your loved one while you sew.”

Caroline: Yeah, me too.

Helen: Probably be mostly like, sorry, grandma. Like, don’t watch this part, mom.

Caroline: Yes. Jules says, “I sew because it makes me happy. I like putting the pieces together. It’s like a puzzle. I like feeling connected to my mom and my grandma and my great-grandma who were slash are all better at sewing than me. I like creating something that feels a little like an art project but also has a wearable and functional finish.”

Helen: I’m sure you’re just as good as them.

@charitysoul says, “I was an art major in college, and now I’m on parental leave from my position as an art teacher with a toddler and a baby at home. So much of what I do never stays done. Sewing is a way to work in a little creative time, making something that stays finished. I love sewing knits for my kids, and I’m now sewing undies for everyone.

“My mom is also artistic, and she says she regrets only creating while we slept. I keep my sewing visible. Even though having my toddler hanging over my machine saying, “I’m so excited,” breaks my concentration, I’m hoping it will plant the seed for her own future endeavors.”

Caroline: I think it will. I can just imagine your daughter, in the future, talking about how she remembers watching you sew.

Helen: Exactly. Yeah, just like you remember watching your mom sew.

Caroline: Yeah. Full circle.

Helen: Full circle.

Caroline: Something like that. Awilda says, “My name is Awilda Rivera. My friends and family call me Taty. I’m from Puerto Rico, a small island in the Caribbean. Let me start telling you that sewing is in my blood. My grandmother sewed, and her specialty was bridal dresses. My mom and her three sisters all sew, too.

“One of my aunties made bridal dresses and sewed like a master pro. She’s my number one sewing teacher. When my mind is blocked or I need a little extra inspiration, she’s my guru, my inspiration. When I was little, she used to make all of my clothes, shorts, blouses, dresses, big dresses, like frosting with a big bow.

“She made some pieces for my daughter, too. She’s turning 90 in June, and it’s my turn to sew a little something special for her big party day. I love to sew because it’s in my blood. It’s not just my hobby. This is my life, my daily living. I work from home sewing, and it’s everything. It’s my dream job because I can express myself creating and I don’t want to do anything else.”

Helen: It’s a good thing you don’t have to.

Caroline: Yeah. I love this that you’re from, like, a long line of sewists, and you’ve all made a living out of sewing. It’s just super inspiring.

Helen: It is, and you get to sew something special for your aunt’s 90th birthday. That’s so amazing.

Caroline: Yeah, that’s really great.

Helen: Okay, our next category is my home base. I can’t not sew. I can’t not sew. You can’t make me stop. I won’t.

Caroline: And we’re going to kick it off this time with a voicemail from little Eleanor’s mom, Julie.

Julie: Hi, my name is Julie. I’m from Ottawa, Ontario, and I love to sew because I must sew. I, if I’m not being creative, it’s a sad day. And so if I’m not knitting, I want to be sewing.

Whether by me made wardrobe, going on a ready to wear fast and seeing where I can make clothes and what I can do. Um, I love learning a new skill. Uh, love the feeling of knowing that I’ve learned a new skill and that I can do something. I love to sew for my daughter. I love sharing sewing with my daughter, just as my mother, uh, taught me to sew, bringing the passion and the joy that comes with it. Thank you.

Helen: Thank you, Julie. I love that. I must sew.

Caroline: I must.

Helen: I must. Alright, Alexa says, “I sew and love doing it since January this year. It started with needing to shorten everything. And I always wanted a sewing machine to help to do that. Little did I know, it would spark such a passion in me. Whenever I think of a project I really want to make it almost hurts inside that I can’t start right then and there. So I sew because it hurts my soul if I don’t. I can relate to that feeling. I want to make it so bad. I want to start right now.”

Caroline: So dramatic, right? It hurts my soul.

Helen: We’ve got room for drama here.

Caroline: Oh yeah, totally. Sheila says, “I love to sew because it’s in my DNA. I just always wanted to sew since I was 10 years old. All my life I’ve been sewing clothes, quilts, things for the home, et cetera. There’s something so rewarding when you cut up fabric and put it back together and you have something to wear or a beautiful quilt. It’s magic. I’m 66, and I plan on sewing as long as I can.”

Helen: Me too. Our next message is from Nikki. “For the first time in my life, at 35 and counting, I have a hobby, and I freaking love it. It took me some time to discover it, but now I can’t imagine ever not sewing. It gives me peace of mind, a challenging and interesting thing to do, and it makes me clear my mind.”

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: I can relate to that.

Helen: I love that you have a hobby, too. Hobbies are pretty important, I think.

Caroline: I think so, too. Laura says, “I honestly don’t know what I did before I sewed. I realized that I have to create things. This is what was really missing from my life before.”

Helen: Chuck says, “When I started to make things I did so because I want to use a certain material or design that I can’t find or can’t afford already made. I found making to be extremely therapeutic. Now I can’t not make. I’m into everything. I started with pottery moved onto leatherwork, taught myself to knit and then learned to sew.”

Caroline: Sounds dreamy. Pottery, leatherwork, knitting, and sewing.

Helen: Dream life.

Caroline: Dream life. Carol says, “I sew because I’ve always loved being able to wear clothes that I made. It’s a source of pride. I began sewing at around 10 years old and now sew for myself, my 94 year old mom, my sister, my daughter, granddaughters, and grandson, and I quilt and make bags, backpacks, et cetera. In the seven years that I’ve been retired, there’s not a moment of boredom. Oh, and I also have a hubby that does all the cooking, shopping, and dishes.” Sounds kind of like you, Helen.

Helen: Yeah, sounds just like me. Awfully familiar.

Caroline: Amazing.

Helen: I love that. Not a moment of boredom.

Caroline: Yeah. Lucky family members.

Helen: Alright, we have another conflicted sewist, Mylene.

Mylene: Hi, my name is Mylene. I’m from Cape Cod and why I sew. So sewing for me is super stressful. I don’t know why I do it. It does not relax me at all. I have to work up to absolutely every project. It makes me crazy anxious, but I think about sewing all the time, all my sweet time. So someone might call me obsessed. I think I’m just passionate. Um, at this point I have all the machines I need, all the notions I need, so it is cheaper than buying clothes. And I really like nice clothes, but I am skinny with a big chest and rounded back and I’m 66 and I’m too old to wear clothes that don’t fit. So I have very simple needs: t-shirts and Blackwood cardigans, jeans. And I guess I am, like, the antithesis of people that experiment all the time.

I’m like the exact opposite. Like Anita by Design. That is not me. I am like the exact opposite. So anyhow, it is cheaper, and I like clothes that fit, and I love doing things with my hands. I love it. And so I don’t need any more clothes. So I only sew when I need to, but I think about it all the time. And now I just teach kids because what do I need? You only need so many clothes. Okay. Take care. Bye bye.

Caroline: Mylene, we love you.

Helen: Yes, I loved your voicemail. I love your attitude. I can totally relate to thinking about sewing all the time. And yeah, you don’t need more clothes, but you’re allowed. You don’t always have to do what you need. Alright. Elizabeth says, “I was living in a foreign country, facing down yet another months-long separation from my spouse, getting ready to start taking yoga classes when I realized I needed a bag for my mat. Amazon wouldn’t deliver in time, and I wasn’t sure how to ask for it in the local shops. So I said, screw it I’ll make my own. My love for the beautiful geometry that turns a rectangle of fabric into something totally new came rushing back. I spent hours discovering sewing Instagram, purchased my first clothing pattern that week, a Helen’s Closet York Pinafore. And that was nine months ago, and I just sewed up my 51st item today. Creating helped me feel capable, powerful, creative, and well, not so darn lonely anymore.”

Caroline: Oh my gosh.

Helen: 51.

Caroline: 51 in nine months. And also her first sewing pattern was yours.

Helen: It’s such a good first sewing pattern, the York. I love it. I know that makes me so happy.

Caroline: Elizabeth, you are a rockstar.

Helen: 50, 51. She’s probably up to, like, 200 by now.

Caroline: Seriously. Wow. Congrats. Connie says, “For me, sewing is breathing. I’ve sewn since I was 12. That’s five daughters and 10 grandchildren ago. I’ve sewn everything from work aprons to wedding dresses, dog coats to fancy little girl dresses, and I’m still inspired every day to create. I really love that my grandchildren have grown up around my sewing machine, and it has impacted the way they look at the world. They don’t ask, can you buy me that or where can we buy that? But rather, I wonder how they made that, or how can we make that?”

Helen: That’s such a cool shift in mindset to grow up with.

Caroline: It really, really is.

Helen: Angie says, “Making is in my blood. I’m not my full self when I don’t have a project in progress. There are just things inside of me that need a creative vehicle to get out. Sewing has always been in my life. My mother sews and taught me when I was young. I’ve explored a lot of mediums through my making journey, but I always come back to sewing because it felt like home. Sewing is my home, and I’m here to stay.”

Caroline: Oh. This is your home. Welcome home. Oh, I love it. Okay. So our next category is all about people who sew for sustainability reasons. Kate says, “I started to become more eco-conscious and aware of how the clothing industry was impacting this beautiful world of ours. So I began buying more ethically made and planet friendly clothing, but the expense was starting to get to me. Those clothes were beautifully made but so expensive. I realized that I had the skills and knowledge to be able to create my own clothing at a fraction of the price as I had learned to sew as a child. I bought myself a sewing machine late last year and haven’t looked back.”

Helen: I love that. It is a little bit shocking when you move into buying more ethical clothing, and the price on some of those items. Because they’re priced realistically to the amount of time and effort and materials that go into it. And not that you shouldn’t support those stores, but realizing that you can make those beautiful boxy linen dresses yourself is a revelation.

Caroline: Yeah, it really is.

Helen: Alright, Kelsey says, “I started sewing for utilitarian purposes. I want to wear ethical and sustainable clothing, but the options out there are extremely limited and are mostly pretty casual. So I set out with the intention of a sustainable and ethical me made office wardrobe. Along the way, I’ve discovered the meditative qualities of it, how amazing it is to have clothes that actually fit, and the great community. So I’m sticking around, but my original motivator is still a huge part of why I sew though I do wish it was easier to find a variety of weights in sustainable fabrics.” Well, that’s true. It’s a challenge.

Caroline: It is a challenge, but there are more and more sustainable fabrics popping up all the time.

Helen: I’ve noticed some in the Blackbird Fabric shop.

Caroline: It’s very exciting when we see our suppliers come out with new sustainable fabrics, and we’ve been seeing a lot of that lately. So it’s really, really encouraging. Emilia says, “I first started sewing once I discovered the human and environmental cost of fashion, but my grad student budget did not allow me to shop ethical fashion. This discovery also came at a very pivotal moment for me, as I moved to the other side of the world and needed a new creative hobby. I find making my clothes very liberating for a variety of reasons. I don’t have to buy into the trends. I respect the environment by shopping deadstock and recycled fabrics. But most of all, because I can channel my inner tomboy and adapt men’s wear patterns to suit my body. I really believe that we should be free to wear whatever we want without distinctions of gender, ethnicity, or country. Sewing also enables me to help others by doing alterations and teaching basic sewing skills to prolong the life of our garments.”

Helen: Amazing.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: @colour_shape_cloth says, “It’s enabling me to make clothes with higher quality fabrics that I couldn’t afford to buy ready made. These days I’m less worried about quantity. I want something well-made that will last. Something about slowing down means you think more carefully about what you want and need.”

Caroline: It’s so true.

Helen: Very true. And that’s part of what Me Made May is all about, to. Slowing down, thinking about what you need in your wardrobe, where your priorities lie. Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah. I agree. Okay. Our next category… I want to say it like RuPaul. Category is: because it’s so satisfying. Alright, our first voicemail is from Carla.

Carla: Hi there. My name is Carla Gover. I am from Pill City, Alabama. And as a child, I had no desire to sew or to watch my mom sew, but as I have grown older now, it is a passion. I love seeing a project and seeing it come to fruition. And I started out with just straight lines, but I have grown to do some more challenging items and just enjoying it. I love sewing. Sewing is my therapy. Thanks. And I love you, too. Buh-bye.

Helen: Oh, we love you, too, Carla. And Becky says, “It’s so satisfying. It’s like putting together a puzzle and then magically you have a finished object.”

Caroline: Sewing is magic.

Helen: Okay. We got a few comments that were kind of work-related, you know, like, sewing is different than my day job, or maybe the same as my day job. All sorts of stuff.

Caroline: First one’s from @rachey_o on Instagram. “I work in maths research and often feel like I’ve achieved nothing all day. Maybe I’ve thought about something lots or realized that what I thought of yesterday was wrong. Often tasks are abstract and unachievable or unmeasurable. With sewing, everything is doable and tangible, and I have something to show for it at the end that is usually what I intended to make. It’s pure escapism, and it gives me something to talk about that isn’t math.”

Helen: I love that. And it also involves quite a lot of math. So it’s related.

Caroline: It’s related.

Helen: But different. Sara says, “I work in a creative profession; I am an opera singer. So you’d think that I get plenty of self-expression in my day. However, I found it’s important for me to have a creative outlet that isn’t my job. Sewing gives me a way to be creative that is low pressure. The fact that my paycheck doesn’t rely on my output is very freeing. And I think the creative decision-making I practice with sewing teaches me to give myself the same freedom to make decisions about my singing. Bonus, I can make beautiful performance and audition attire for myself. It is very empowering to walk into an audition knowing I made my outfit.”

Caroline: Oh girl, I bet it is.

Helen: I can only imagine. An opera singer. Ooo!

Caroline: Wow. Good job, Helen.

Helen: I mean, I mean, I don’t know if Sara would agree, but…

Caroline: I love it. You were channeling Sara. Anna says, “I have a very stressful and intense job which I love but that involves talking to people all day, and it’s so nice to come home and sew and just use a completely different part of my brain. It’s very relaxing, and it’s also nice not to have to talk to anyone.”

Helen: That’s true. Isolating can be good sometimes. April says, “I decided to write in after I heard your assurance that my response did not need to be mushy gushy.”

Caroline: See?!

Helen: See?! “I am 38 years old, and I have put aside creative pursuits all my life in favor of practical jobs that pay the bills. I earn a decent living and realize my privilege in the world, and yet my work does not provide me with any real satisfaction. Honing my skills on the machine and wearing a mostly handmade wardrobe every day at my desk job provides me with a real sense of worth and feeds me creatively. Along with Love to Sew Podcast episodes and trips to blackbirdfabrics.com, each day of the grind is a little more bearable.”

Caroline: I love that.

Helen: We’ve all been there. Lunchbreak fabric shopping.

Caroline: I definitely sense a theme there where people are, kind of, ticking boxes with sewing that they don’t get from their day jobs.

Helen: Yeah, totally. I liked the previous comment from the mom, too, saying that things just don’t stay done at home. You do the dishes, then they’re undone. You sweep, then it’s undone. You do the laundry, it’s undone. It’s just never ending. Whereas sewing something from start to finish, it’s, it’s done.

Caroline: Yes. Alright, we have a voicemail from Erika.

Erica: Hey, I had an Aunt Caroline. It’s Erika calling from the Netherlands. I wanted to tell you about why I sew. I started to sew because I was 16 and I got a very low clothing allowance. And I was super Gothic, and those dresses are quite expensive.

Uh, and I’ve, I could have kept a budget and showed that I needed more allowance. My parents were very much into debt, but instead, uh, I decided I’d better sew the dresses. And even though that was really just a phase, I kept on sewing through university, and I really enjoy that I can make the clothes that I want that fit my body and that I don’t have to compromise because of what the trends are.

But it was only recently after I started my PhD one and a half years ago that I realized also how happy sewing makes me as a practical thing to do on the side while I’m doing this really intellectually straining job that I very much love, but if I don’t do something with my hands or something practical, then I get really, really unhappy.

So sewing helps me with that as well. Thank you so much for doing this lovely show. I love listening to it every week.

Helen: I love that. Do you ever think to yourself, like, I’m in a really bad mood. Maybe I should just sew something. It will make me happy again.

Caroline: Sewing really does, like, actually make me happy.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Like, when I’m in the zone and sewing and then I’m just, like, oh my God, this is amazing. It really does boost my spirits.

Helen: Yes, for sure.

Caroline: So our next message is from Lucinda. “Why do I sew? For a few reasons. I’ve always been good at drawing. It’s my super power. And in my early years of high school, I wanted more than anything to be a fashion designer, but it turned out that sewing, you know, the thing that you need to understand to be a maker of clothes was something my younger self completely lacked the patience for. My sewing teacher at school told me I was terrible at sewing, failed me, and well, that was it. I went on to study art at uni. I have a degree in drawing and printmaking, and art was the thing that I loved more than anything. It’s the thing I still do best, but for various very boring reasons, I left art school with a whole lot less love for the very thing that had defined me for so long and sadly, no longer did. Cue a decade of wandering. I felt conflicted. In my mid-thirties, my husband bought me a sewing machine. I instantly loved it. It was art, but not art capital A. It was practical. It was helping me to come back to a creative life, but with no pressure. I didn’t make any clothes, but I did make. It felt good.

“By the time I reached my early forties, I was sewing clothes because it meant I could choose the fabrics I liked. I couldn’t afford the beautiful clothes I saw in some shops. They didn’t fit me either. And while standing in a huge shopping center in Melbourne, one day, I realized that what that meant was that I would need to make my own.

“It felt amazing. Sewing for me in my late forties is about reconnection to the creativity. It’s about engaging the part of my brain that needs to think about the world in creative ways. It occupies both my hands and my evenings. I’m careful about choosing which project, make full use of my scraps, and while I do lots of other things, sewing is the thing I come back to. Sewing makes me feel useful and capable of making beautiful, practical things.

“It takes me out of the fashion loop and means my wardrobe is full of clothing I genuinely love to wear. Phew, sorry for the essay. Thanks both for your tireless energy on the show.”

Helen: Aw, thank you, Lucinda. I love this story, and I’m really glad that you got your creative energy back. It sounds like it was a bit of a journey, but we’re glad to have you. Alright, Rachel says, “I love to spend the time on small details, and I love the fact that nobody else in the world will have what I wear and the little details I can include that nobody sees: contrast bias binding, colored pockets, et cetera.” I love those details, too. Super special secret.

Caroline: Stephanie says, “I sew because it’s fun to create something out of cloth. I always love to think this was cloth on a bolt before I made it into… blank. It’s just exciting. I don’t think I save any money by making things for myself, but I do take more pride in them and probably take better care of them. So perhaps in the long run that saves money.”

Helen: Kat says, “There is an intrinsic joy from creating something beautiful and useful like functional art. I love the textures and colors. I love to build with a flexible and pliable medium. I love to touch fabric, all of it, which sparks my imagination. The end result, quilts, clothing, bags, is so easily shared by wearing, gifting, or selling. The best thing is spreading the love by teaching others to sew.”

Caroline: Oh yeah. We’re experiencing that lately.

Helen: Oh yeah. It’s amazing.

Caroline: Katie says, “It started out as a hobby to keep myself busy, but it’s turned into this very necessary thing that allows me to express my creativity, sew proper fitting clothes for myself and my family, and it helps me feel like I’ve truly accomplished something at the end of the day because dishes get dirty again and so do the house and laundry. But once I’ve sewn something, it tends to stay that way.”

Helen: Ah, yeah. It’s a recurring theme. This is from @chocomoholic. “I sew because there’s something incredibly satisfying about making something with your hands. Not only that, but you start with an idea or a plan and at the end you’ve got a garment you can wear and love for years to come. I get to feel accomplished every time I finish something, even if it isn’t perfect. I’m only sad that I didn’t learn how to sew until about four years ago, despite having the desire to learn since I was 12. Now I can’t imagine my life without it. It brings me joy every time I put something on that I’ve made for myself and even every new project I plan.” That’s so sweet. I wonder how many other people feel like they wish they’d learned to sew sooner?

Caroline: Probably a lot of people.

Helen: Probably anyone who learned to sew as an adult. It’s like, why didn’t I learn this when I was a kid?

Caroline: But I think a lot of it is right place, right time. True. Romy says, “I do it because I’ve always been crafty and love the satisfaction of taking a flat piece of fabric and constructing it in such a way that you can make a garment. I’m also a fan of flat pack furniture which gives me the same satisfaction. The fabrics are also part of it. There aren’t many shops where you can buy flamingo print dresses for adults.”

Helen: So true. I also love flat pack furniture.

Caroline: Oh yeah.

Helen: @mountie.mama says, “For me, sewing is the ability to complete projects, taking something and seeing it through from start to finish. Working in law enforcement, so many things are up in the air and are left without endings and little control. Sewing fills that need for completion, control, and creativity.”

Caroline: Thank you for your service, @mountie.mama.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. Our next category is to get me time and we’re kicking it off with a voicemail from Meg.

Meg: Hi, my name is Meg and I’m calling from Brisbane, Australia.

I’m a huge fan of your podcast and have been listening since day one. I just wanted to respond to your call out: why do you sew? I sew for my mind, body, and soul. I sew to be in the state of flow, and I can spend hours in my sewing room without even realizing it. It really is a form of mindfulness, meditation, and therapy for me. It helps me focus my mind, nourish my soul, and ultimately, increase the happiness in my life. I also love the magic of being able to pair the right fabric and pattern together and turning something flat and shapeless into a garment that ultimately fits me. I’m constantly learning new things and challenging myself along the way.

It teaches me to be patient as well. My seam ripper and I have a love/hate relationship. In recent years, sewing has opened my eyes up to a whole new world of thinking about fashion. I try to avoid fast fashion wherever possible and rarely set foot in the big fabric shop chains here in Australia. It’s not only important nowadays to ask who made my clothes but who made my fabric. A large portion of my fabric stash is made up of secondhand fabrics, vintage bedsheets, deadstock, or natural fibers.

I try my best to make ethical and sustainable choices wherever I can. Sewing is by no means a cheap hobby, but the benefits far outweigh the monetary costs. Thanks for listening and keep up the episodes. We love them down under. Bye..

Caroline: Nancy wrote to us. “Hey guys, I love, love, love sewing. I love knitting and weaving, too, but for me, sewing brings me flow.

“According to Wikipedia in positive psychology, a flow state, also known as being in the zone, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. That was a mouthful. I lose track of time when sewing. I embrace the challenges.

“I love both the process and the outcome, except when it’s a fail, then it’s a bummer, but still, I come back for more. I’m very prolific and therefore, tend to only buy discounted fabrics because Lord knows I don’t need more clothes, but for now, it’s just too much fun. I don’t care that I don’t know where I’ll wear the garment or that I made something similar, but I just want to try this particular pattern. I’m just game for more. Thanks for asking and for the podcast. It’s the best.”

Helen: Thank you, Nancy. I love it. It’s just too much fun.

Caroline: It is.

Helen: @a.makers.saga says, “Sewing is my safe haven. Sewing has brought so much inspiration and excitement. I’m a mom and wife who has lost my sense of self and the zest for something new as I devote myself to raising and caring for my two littles. Being a new wife 2015, new mom, first in 2016, and then in 2017, moving to a new city, left me in a state of adapting and rolling with the punches. I forgotten about self care and doing what makes me happy. Sewing truly allows me to express myself in a way that brings my soul ease and peace.

“I can’t quite explain all the levels in which I am fulfilled. I have purpose, excitement, and have even learned to get my kids to sit down with toys at their small desk next to mine.” Aw, I love that. Coaxing your kids to hang out near you so you can sew.

Caroline: Oh. Kristin says, “I started sewing in earnest when I was about 14 because I had a really difficult time at that age feeling like I fit in with my peers.

“We had just moved to a new state with a very different culture and values than what I was used to. And I tried so hard to be like the other kids. At that age, it’s so discouraging to feel like an outsider, but once I realized I could sew for myself whatever I wanted, I discovered I didn’t really want to fit in.

“And I didn’t have to change myself to fit anyone else’s mold. And it was okay if I wanted to be different. I felt free from a lot of the pressure and expectations that I had heaped on myself. Even though that’s been 20 years ago, I think a little of that sensibility has remained with my sewing practice. It’s how I stay connected with myself even when lots of things in life are changing.”

Helen: Aw, that’s great. I love it. I can be different.

Caroline: Yeah. It makes me want to, like, make sure that all schools are teaching sewing, you know?

Helen: Yeah. It’s definitely going the other way right now. Natalie says, “I love to sew to escape into the zone. You know, the one, I mean? The one where you aren’t thinking about anything else and it feels like you’re in your own little creative bubble where nothing else can get in. You look at the clock and realize it’s been hours without you even realizing. Kind of the same zone you get into when you’re reading a really good book.”

Caroline: Oh, we know the one. I was there last night.

Helen: You were there last night. Making your Zadie?

Caroline: I started sewing my Zadie jumpsuit and I was like, I was like, I’ll just thread my machine. And then I threaded my machine. I was like, I’ll just do the first step. And then I did the first step and then I was almost better. I like blinked. And I was like, oh, I just had the binding left to do. Four hours later. It was amazing. Yeah. I love getting into the zone like that.

Helen: Oh, so fun.

Caroline: Okay, Joyce says, ” Sewing is my me time. Focusing on a project means I’m less focused on the stresses in my life because I need to concentrate. The feeling of accomplishment is also such a reward and gives me a bit of self-confidence. It gives me an identity.”

Helen: Rebecca says, “It’s about the only time I’m fully 100% focused on the task at hand. I’m not thinking about work or kids or the state of my house or relationships. I find it completely immersive while I’m doing it, but I also love the creative aspect.”

Caroline: And Denise says, “I sew as a stress reliever. When I’m sewing, I forget about everything else. I even forget to eat. I love the challenge of a new pattern, fabric, or technique. Lastly, I sew to have clothes that fit correctly.”

Helen: I always forget to eat, too. Allie says, “I love making something from nothing. I see something I like, and I need to dissect it and figure out how it’s made. It helps me to appreciate things more. It’s not-so-instant gratification. It’s meditation. I have a deep desire to create and work with my hands, and I’m really proud of myself that I’ve finally taken a class and learned. I now have my own machine, and I’ve started a little side business, making things from garments to scrunchies to rope baskets. I love trying new things, and it brings me joy and puts me at peace to let my creativity flow. The possibilities are endless.”

Caroline: They really are. You go for it, Allie. Good luck with your business.

Helen: Our next category is all about health and wellness, both mental and physical.

Caroline: We’re going to kick it off with a voicemail from Teresa.

Teresa: Hello, Helen and Caroline. My name is Teresa. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in USA. And I now live in London, England. So sorry if my accent is a little bit between places. First of all, I love your podcast. I only found it pretty recently, and I’m kind of glad that I only found it recently cause then I get to listen through to tons of podcasts.

I don’t have to wait for loads of them to come out. So I am a little bit worried about when I get to the end. I’m going to have to wait a whole week for another one, and that’s going to be really sad. Um, I just wanted to give a response to the question you’d asked about why we love to sew. So, for me, I think it’s interesting that if you asked me this question five years ago, I would have given you a very different response to now. So, previously, I always felt that I just really loved to sew because I was able to make things that fit me. I was able to make things that were unique and different from what anybody else was wearing.

And it was just a lot of fun. And really, I felt really proud wearing the things that I made. I have had some problems with my shoulder over the last six years or so. And I spent about two years not being able to sew, and I didn’t think a whole lot about it cause I wasn’t able to do a whole lot of anything just because there was a lot of pain when I was trying to move my arms in most directions. I ended up having surgery at the end of last year.

And as I’ve been recovering, one of the things that I was most excited about was getting to sew again. It was a pretty huge thing to be able to do. And I hadn’t really considered what a huge thing that it was until I was doing it again. And I think some of the biggest things that I’ve realized now that I take away from sewing is, I mean, obviously express my creativity, which I kind of knew about, but almost didn’t realize I wasn’t doing it as much.

And it really made me feel more grounded in myself and just enthusiastic about life to be able to do that again. And then the other element that really has made a big difference for me is the meditative aspect of sewing, just completely blocking out my cares and lows in the world because I’m completely focused on my project and nothing matters other than what I’m sewing.

And I do feel like since I’ve been able to sew again, I’ve been so much more calm. I’ve been so much more peaceful and happy in myself. I’ve had more energy just in my life. And my husband has said, he feels like he’s got his old wife again, like I’m how I used to be. And honestly, I just didn’t realize how much sewing was a part of that. So I just want to share that with you guys, and I’m sure you’re getting lots of responses. Um, but yeah, I just wanted to send you a message cause I know you like to get some voices, and thanks again for your show, and yeah, keep, keep doing the good work that you’re doing. Bye.

Caroline: Thanks for your message, Teresa.

Helen: Yeah. We’re glad you got your SewJo back.

Caroline: Back in the game.

Helen: Alright, Lucinda says, “I sew because a head injury means I had to give up a job that I loved. I sew because I can listen to podcasts, music, and audio books, at the same time, I can no longer read. I sew because I love it, and it has saved me.”

Caroline: Alison says, “To keep the depression side of my bipolar at bay and give me goals to keep going when I’m down. I tend to sew bright things, even though I’d love a black wardrobe. And I use sewing to express my artistic side, not just to make things to wear.”

Helen: Marianne says, “I’ve always loved sewing from a young age, inspired by and taught by my grandma. I do it for me. I love the clothes, love the challenge. And if I make a little bit from it, that’s an added bonus, but it’s like a therapy for me. When I had bowel cancer at age 27, I pretty much had to give up my career as a musician, as I couldn’t use my body like I needed to, but I desperately needed a creative outlet. And since I couldn’t do much physically, I started to sew more. I’ve continued this form of therapy for the last five years. And it’s the ultimate way to clear my head, focus myself on the project I’m working on, and stay creative.”

Caroline: Yes. And Suzi wrote in, “I’ve been sewing clothing for a little over a year now, and it’s been a total game changer for how I think about clothing. I have fibromyalgia which is a chronic pain condition, and it makes it so that I don’t like any of my clothing squeezing me because that increases my pain patterns. I can’t even wear a bra because even the loosest bra band increases my back pain. And finally, I decided that life was better for me without them.

“It’s very difficult to find clothing that’s stylish but isn’t tight or clothing that’s comfortable but isn’t baggy. Sewing for myself has allowed me to create clothes that have shape but aren’t tight. I’ve gotten very into pattern adjustment and pattern drafting, making my own moulage and slopers, I recently finished drafting a t-shirt pattern that I’ve been working on for months. At version 4.0, I’m finally happy with how it combines the perfect fit with the perfect amount of ease.

“And since I don’t wear bras, I have to adjust the bust of any pattern I buy. Since I sew a lot of basics, many of my makes look deceptively simple, but a lot goes in behind the scenes to give them a custom fit. Wearing clothes that are working with me instead of against me feels so empowering. And it doesn’t hurt that it making them is so much fun. When I’m not sewing, I’m an artist, and it has been fun working sewing into my studio time. Love listening to your show while I sew.”

Helen: Ooh, I love hearing that. We have another voicemail from Rochelle.

Rochelle: Hey guys, it’s Rochelle, and I’m from Sydney, Australia. And I wanted to ring in to talk about why I sew. Now I couldn’t sew about two years ago. And unfortunately, my husband and I have been going through a really hard time trying to conceive, and I’ve had multiple miscarriages. And the reason I survived is because it keeps me sane. It’s what got me through those really hard days where I didn’t, I didn’t know which way was up. Um, I started sewing after my first miscarriage, and basically, I have become leaps and bounds since then.

I have got all the gear now, and I basically make everything. I make all my clothes. I quilt. It’s really my happy place. And it’s really what’s kept me, it’s really what kept me going. Um, And sewing has just, yeah, sewing is just what makes me happy now. So I’m so glad I found sewing. I’m so glad I found your podcast and keep doing what you’re doing. Love hearing it, um, all the way from Australia. So thanks guys. Bye.

Helen: Thank you, Rochelle.

Caroline: It does make things easier when you have all the gear.

Helen: It’s true. Alright, Lynn says, “I started sewing when I was eight years old. Self-taught with lots of trial and error and sneaking on my mother’s sewing machine. Sewing was something that I could do and do while isolated. I struggled for years in school; it profoundly affected my self-esteem. And so sewing was something that made me feel good about myself and gave me self-confidence. Fast forward. I got married young, 20 years old, and had my first child by 21. She passed away of sudden infant death syndrome.

“And I began to fake it till I made it doing custom apparel in Atlanta, Georgia to cover the debt of my daughter’s passing. I went on to have three more children, a boy and two girls. We moved to Utah, and out of a Halloween costume I made worn by a prominent ad executive, I ended up designing costumes for Intel’s print and TV ad campaigns, having a one-person LLC for several years as a costume designer.

“This costume,the Intel Bunnyman, is a permanent archive in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Go figure, at 35 during a painful divorce with a custody dispute, I ended up having a full psychological testing done. We both had too, and I was diagnosed severely dyslexic. I promptly went back to school, having my disability accommodated in fashion design and interior design.

“From there, I became a full time costume designer for film and television. I’ve worked on Dancing with the Stars, seasons three through 27, and I’ve done several movies and commercials. I love creating and sewing more than anything else. And finding out that there is a sewing community on social media has been very exciting.

“I’m married again just two years ago. Mine and his children are all grown, and I have two wonderful granddaughters and the sweetest step grandson. Sewing has given me so much, professionally and privately. As a young girl with an undiagnosed learning disability, it helped me cope. As a woman, it has given me my highest sense of confidence and allowed me to thrive.”

Caroline: Wow. Thank you so much, Lynn, for sharing your journey with us, this is such an inspiring story. Um, it seems like you had a lot of highs and lows, but sewing took you through, so…

Helen: Yeah, we’ll have to try and find the Intel Bunnyman costume…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Put it in the show notes.

Caroline: Good idea. That’s awesome. Alright. Rosy says, “My memories of sewing go right back to my childhood with my grandma and my mom making me clothes and teaching me some of the skills. However, as a young teenager, I hated having to wear handmade clothes and turned against sewing. When my grandma died suddenly at just 68, I inherited her sewing machine. I began to sew small things like cushions and bunting as a way to connect with my memories of her.

“My enjoyment increased as I got better at it. I started making clothes, and that really lit a spark inside me. After my daughter was born, I became very ill with depression and was eventually diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Sewing became my way of control. It was the one thing I could keep a handle on when nothing else seemed to make sense.

“I would use sewing as a way to distract myself when the suicidal urges became too strong for me to ignore. And then I would sew to celebrate my good days. I still have borderline personality disorder, but after undergoing intensive therapy, it’s under much better control. So now I can enjoy making clothes for myself, and sometimes my daughter if she thinks it’s cool enough, just simply for the satisfaction of making something pretty in an unusual style or print that fits me well and costs half the price of buying it in a shop.”

Helen: Dang straight.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Sara says, “I discovered sewing when I was unemployed and lost in life. I did a professional course as a seamstress that gave me back the confidence and courage to try new things and go back into the working world. Sewing gave me this great community that feels like a family and gave me friendly podcasts to listen to, gave me a sense of belonging. Right now, I sew at work occasionally as a textile conservation assistant, and I sew at home for self care and mental health. I also have scoliosis, so fitting is always an adventure, but I’m slowly learning. The sewing community helped me see that all body shapes are beautiful and that my condition doesn’t define me nor stop me from wearing things that fit well. Sewing is love, for yourself and for others.”

Caroline: Sewing is love.

Helen: Sewing is love.

Caroline: I’m into that. Holly says, “I sew for the joy of it, but lately, I’ve been sewing a lot more because my partner is a wonderful man who struggles with addiction. Sewing helps me to focus on me, on my happiness, and my health. Is it too corny to joke that sewing reminds me to take things one seam at a time?”

Helen: One stitch at a time.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. Not too corny at all. Charlotte says, “I sew for my wellbeing and because it makes me genuinely happy. I started sewing at 14. Then it became a part of my education and income rather than a hobby, so I stopped for years. I started again last year as a way to cope with what felt like inescapable and never-ending grief after my dad died suddenly in 2017. After observing from the sidelines for months, it was actually the Love to Sew Podcast that got me physically sewing again because your infectious enthusiasm reminded me how wonderful sewing is and most importantly, how joy can be found again in creativity. After I made my first top last year, I remember feeling like I recognized myself again for the first time in 18 months. Since then I’ve been sewing several more garments which I love to wear, taken up knitting, crochet, weaving, natural dyeing, and embroidery. And next up is shoemaking and printing. Thank you, Love to Sew.” Aw, so sweet. I’m all teary. People get back into sewing because they hear our podcast.

Caroline: It’s so moving to, that everyone here was willing to share these like deep stories that are just, I don’t know…

Helen: Personal.

Caroline: Really personal. Okay, Rebecca says, “Sewing has been there for me at many difficult times in my life. It has cured boredom, loneliness, self doubt, and my unhealthy relationship with my body. It gives me an outlet to reawaken creative energy when my job leaves me feeling tapped out. And it pushes me to try new things that, before, I would have believed were not possible for me.”

Helen: Oh, my gosh. I love that. @distractedbygold says, “I started sewing my own clothes because I wanted to wear things that no one else had, but I’ve discovered the added benefit of feeling beautiful in whatever I wear which I never felt before. Now I think of sewing as self-care; it’s time I dedicate to my wellbeing. People say it’s therapeutic, but I like to think of it as self-love. Who else deserves this much effort from me? No one.”

Caroline: It’s true.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Alright. So, our next category is…

Helen: …to make a dream wardrobe.

Caroline: Eleganza extravaganza.

Helen: Alright. Melanie says, “I sew because I love the challenge. I started sewing back in middle school, and I picked it up here and there throughout my life since, mostly just adjusting my ready to wear clothes. Lately though, ready to wear clothes, just don’t do it for me. I don’t like the current trends, the quality isn’t the greatest, and don’t even get me started on the pain of trying to find something that fits well.

“I have a dream wardrobe in mind, and it does not exist in stores right now. So I’ve decided I should make it myself. I got back into sewing almost a year ago, and it has been so difficult but also so rewarding. I mess up a lot, and I mess up big. I swear a lot, and I throw things sometimes, only soft things ,I promise, and wonder if I will ever be good at this. But then I look at the work I did in the beginning of my sewing journey and compare it to my current work, and the improvement is tangible. And that is very exciting. I love working to conquer something that seems impossible. And as a bonus, I get to wear those awesome clothes that were tailor-made for me, by me. It’s like magic. I make a wish for a roomy soft sweater with pockets, and before I know it, I have exactly that. It’s a limitlessness that cannot be bought, and I freaking love that.”

Caroline: It is true. It’s so powerful that we’re not at the mercy of what is in ready to wear stores. We can literally say, I want this color of this garment and we can just make that happen.

Helen: Yeah. Magic.

Caroline: It is magic. @leslie_gail_handmade says, “As a young girl of 13 years growing up poor in a Louisiana small town, a girl at school pointed out that I wear the same dress to school every day. I realized she was right and went home to tell my mom. She pointed to the sewing machine and a stack of fabric and said, there’s this sewing machine, and there’s fabric. With that direction, I started what has become a lifetime of sewing, designing, dressmaking, costume design, and alterations. I now can finally sew mostly for me and my daughters but will always find my happy place at my machines.”

Helen: I love that. There’s the fabric and the sewing machine. Sarah says, “It started because I was making poor choices when shopping, buying a bunch of low quality mismatch clearance clothes that didn’t fit and didn’t go together. So I stopped buying, and I started sewing. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, a tangible output. When my work is all emails and meetings, it gives me a creative outlet where I can play with colors and shapes and express myself more truly. I can make floral overalls and a dinosaur t-shirt and a confetti cake dress and they all reflect different parts of me.” Yes, you can.

Caroline: Can you wear them all at once though, because that would be amazing? Anneke says, “Hi, I saw your call for people to tell you why they sew, and I have a few different answers. The first reason is that I love the act of making something. I’ve always been drawing and crafting and later, I got interested in using textiles. My parents gave me a sewing machine for my 20th birthday and after messing around with scraps of fabric and doing some strange upcycling projects, I dove into dressmaking. I was never really that interested in clothes or fashion and rarely satisfied with the things I could find in stores.

“Sewing my own clothes allows me to dress entirely the way I want to and to have the final say about shape, fabric, and fit. I also like to combine sewing with my drawing by creating my own fabric prints, embroidery, or t-shirt graphics. The final and most boring reason is that I’m quite picky and sensitive about fabrics and textures, especially when it comes to things that are worn next to my skin. Sewing gives me more control over that. For example, if I make a dress with a fitted bodice, I can line it in cotton instead of a synthetic lining. So that’s why I sew.”

Helen: I love it. It’s not boring.

Caroline: No.

Helen: Marie-Claire says, “I thought I would drop you a line and let you know why I sew. When I started working, teaching at college, I looked really young, and I needed to wear clothes that made me look less like a student myself.

“I tried to buy button shirts with a collar but couldn’t find any that fit me. I started sewing shirts for work but took a long time before I understood which fabrics I should use, chambray, cotton shirting, light linen, and which ones I shouldn’t. I’m looking at you quilting cotton. And even longer to realize how to fit shirts properly.

“It’s not until I used a Palmer-Pletsch shirt pattern a few years ago that I realized the true reason why I sew: one inch broad back adjustment, shortening two inches at the waist, grading from a size 16 in the chest to an 18 at the hips. I realized all of my frustrated attempts to buy tops at the store were because I didn’t fit their mold.

“I started sewing out of necessity, but the reasons I continue to sew and find joy in the process are because I found some truly inspirational people in the sewing community. I first saw the tag #memadeveryday on Roisin Muldoon’s blog and realized that it was okay to wear handmades every day and that these handmades can be colorful and joyful. I started listening to your podcast as soon as you girls launched, and I’ve been pushing myself to sew things other than shirts to create a whole wardrobe of things that fit. I ventured beyond the Big Four and bought some PDF patterns from indie companies.

“I now ask myself, ‘What would Heather Lou do when making a pattern?’ I conquered my fear of knits. I embraced the initial janky t-shirts made on my sewing machine, bought a serger, and then made beautiful t-shirts. I jumped in and made a coat, then a sweatshirt. I think perhaps most importantly, because of your openness on the show, I’ve come to appreciate that sizing on patterns are just numbers, and I’ve come to accept my body for what it is. So in the end, I came to sewing out of necessity, but now I sew because it brings me joy. I can now make clothes for myself that fit, and I make me feel comfortable in my skin. Thank you so much for your podcast. I can’t express how much it has meant to me, how I think of sewing as a practice how I view my body, and the feeling that I have sewing friends visit on Tuesday every week.”

Caroline: Thanks, Marie-Claire.

Helen: Just dropping in on sewing rooms all over the world every week.

Caroline: Yeah. We’re like sewing Santa Clauses.

Helen: Sewing fairy godmothers.

Caroline: Yeah, there we go.

Helen: I don’t want to be Santa Claus. Santa Claus is creepy.

Caroline: Adam says, “I sew because it’s a way for me to express my creativity. As a person of the transgender experience, it means that I can adjust and tweak and make the clothes I want to wear. Sewing is the power to make anything I dream of and also the power to decorate my apartment to my eclectic tastes without breaking the bank.”

Helen: It’s true. You can find a lot of cool decor fabrics out there.

Caroline: You really can.

Helen: Rikki says, “Sewing is my creative outlet. Michelle Morris had discussed how sewing is like an art for her, and I can totally relate for sure. I had family members who sewed, mother, father, and paternal grandmother, but Betty Cooper from the Archie comic books really sparked a fascination with garment sewing, especially when she copied Veronica’s Paris originals. I love that I can sew whatever I dream up or copy from someone else, including designer fashions.”

Caroline: I love that. I love the Betty and Veronica reference.

Helen: I had forgotten that she used to sew and reading this comment reminded me of that. I used to love the Archie comics.

Caroline: Oh, me too. I used to read them on family vacations at the beach. We would just bring a stack of them and all share them.

Helen: It’s only like the same 20 stories over and over again, but any new one, you were like, yes!

Caroline: Debra says, “Mostly I sew because I hate most of the ready to wear that is available for someone my age. I’m an older seamstress, and most of the fashions are either too young or just straight out, too boring. Most of the items that I would call age appropriate are so granny. I don’t want to try to dress like a 20 year old, but I don’t want to look like I’m ready for dentures in a rocking chair either. So I guess it’s so I can make my own style.”

Helen: Yes. I love that.

Caroline: Alright.

Helen: Our final category.

Caroline: It’s a big one.

Helen: Yes. Making clothes that actually fit. I feel like all of us probably fall into this category a little bit because it is so satisfying to make clothes that really fit your body.

Caroline: Oh yeah.

Helen: Shannon says, “I sew because as a fat, gender queer person, it’s hard to find ready to wear that fits both my body and my gender. With sewing I can burst pass the restrictions of sizeism and the gender binary.”

Caroline: Our next comment is from @napoleanne. “I sew because I’m a fat, femme, gender queer person who doesn’t see themselves reflected in the sizing or marketing of ready-made clothing. I’ve also learned just enough about fit to hate almost everything that comes pre-made off a hanger. I also have serious ethical issues with the garment industry, especially fast fashion. I also sew out of a sense of pride and accomplishment when I do complete something,irregardless of how wearable it is. Every mistake is valuable in sewing, and that sense of patience with my own learning curve of a complicated set of skills has helped me to process other life failures and mistakes with more grace.”

Helen: Yes, I do feel like sewing has influenced so much of the rest of my life.

Caroline: Yeah, and I love the sentiment that every mistake is valuable in sewing, like, you can pull a lesson out of all of your mistakes.

Helen: Yeah, and it’s not just about not seeing size representation in ready to wear. It’s all about gender. It’s about style. It’s about personal preference. It’s about what other people think that we’re supposed to look like. All wrapped up in this really complicated situation, and it’s nice to be able to take ourselves out of that and just make things that we want to wear.

Yeah. Eva from Germany says, “You recently asked about why we sew. I love the idea to make a podcast out of it. I was thinking about exactly that question a few weeks back and about the different types of sewing people out there. I started knitting clothes about six years ago, not only because I very much enjoy the process, but also because I’m tall with long arms and a long torso. The idea of creating jumpers and cardigans for myself with sleeves and bodices of the right length, for me, was mind blowing. I started sewing one and a half years ago for exactly the same reason. Creating clothes that fit my body, my arms, my overall length is pretty great. And I’ve been filling holes in my wardrobe ever since, partly out of necessity, partly just because I can. I enjoy sewing clothes for work that next to a good fit, have small gimmicks that make work easier. I’m an art conservator and work on a lot of scaffoldings on building sites and in churches. I wear a me-made apron almost every day with pockets just the right size for the stuff I carry around and elastic loops on the inside for the cable of my headphones. I’m already planning a next apron with even more specialized functionalities. And the third reason I sew is the reason for which probably most sewists sew. I just love the process and slowing down the stress reduction and the calmness.”

Caroline: I love this idea of making like a utilitarian apron that fits exactly the things that you need.

Helen: Yeah, like, your little sewing apron.

Caroline: Yeah, exactly. Alright, Anna says, “I’m a feminine presenting, non-binary person slash trans woman, and I use they/them pronouns. I started sewing a little over a year ago because I couldn’t find clothes that fit me. Being that most women’s clothing is designed for cis-gendered women, things rarely fit. I was getting very frustrated with finding clothes when I realized that I could just make my own. I’ve always been a creative person and have an engineering-oriented mind. So I borrowed a friend’s sewing machine and started sewing. I did some sewing in home-ec class in grade seven and again for theater credits in college. This is the first time I started sewing for myself. It took a little practice to remember how to do it, but it came back quickly. My first project was a circle skirt with a zipper. I’ve moved on to making my own leggings, sleeveless tops, and I’m currently working on a raincoat.

“I also love using atypical fabrics like PVC vinyl and stretch pleather. So far, I’ve either copied other clothes or drafted my own patterns. And I still have a hard time finding patterns in my size that I like. That’s okay though. I’ve always been someone who can’t do things the typical way. I found a site that will create patterns based off my measurements, mjtrends.com.

“The patterns are for specific clothes, but they have a basic body suit that I can modify for many things. What keeps me doing this is that I love to create things. There’s nothing like the excitement of a project working out and being able to wear it. Getting compliments when I say I made it is nice, too.

“I also enjoy the challenge of trying something new and learning a new skill. Some days it’s a mess, but that’s part of the journey and the joy. Thanks for all you two do.”

Helen: Thank you, Anna, for writing in with your story and your thoughts. And that sounds like a cool website. We’ll put that in the show notes for anyone who’s interested.

Caroline: Yeah. Thanks, Anna.

Helen: @i.am.ervhan says, “I sew because of a breast anomaly that did not allow me to buy fitted bras. I started sewing in need for supportive and tailored bras. Then I kept sewing and sewing, and now most of my wardrobe are handmade. It makes me feel like I have no anomaly at all.”

Caroline: Our next comment is from @jessosaurus.meh.

Helen: @jessosaurusmeh.

Caroline: @jessosaurusmeh.

Helen: Love it.

Caroline: “Because I really hate clothes shopping. But seriously, because it’s pretty much the only way to get clothes that fit properly that I like and I’m comfortable in. Also, I hate clothes shopping.”

Helen: I hate clothes shopping. Jessica says, “I sew because I love making clothes that fit me. Before I started sewing clothes, I never really wore t-shirts because I couldn’t find a reasonably priced t-shirt that fit nicely. The Old Navy and Gap shirts are made with a fabric that seemed to cling to everything I didn’t want. Then I made my first shirt out of bamboo knit. I was floored by the difference. It felt nice, skimmed over my body, and it looked so good. I recently made my first pair of Ginger Jeans, and I made the low rise which was too low. They’re totally wearable, but I’d like a higher rise to keep everything contained. If I tried these pants on in a store, I’d totally feel like crap about my body, but making them myself, I’m like, well, just got to make a higher rise next time. The way my mindset has changed is amazing. Same with shorts. I’d try and buy them, but my waist is two sizes bigger than my hips, and so I’d never get a good fit. I just muslined up the Grainline Maritime Shorts, graded up at the waist. And bam, they fit! Sewing has basically eliminated my obsession with my body weight because no matter what size am, I can make something that fits and makes me feel good.

“Also, I make all my nephew’s clothes out of my leftover knit scraps and adorable baby fabrics. He’s 15 months old and lives in Langley, and I live on Vancouver island. It kills me that I can’t see him as often as I’d like to, but making his clothes makes me feel like if I can’t be with him in person, I’m there in spirit.”

Caroline: By the way, hi, Jessica. Jessica came to our jeans workshop.

Helen: Oh cool.

Caroline: And she actually brought some of her nephew’s clothes to mend on our sergesr when she was there. Cause she was like, I made this for him. I need to just, like, mend a little hole. I was like, you’re a rockstar.

Helen: Amazing.

Caroline: Oh, alright. Next, we have a voicemail from Kristen.

Kristen: Hi, Helen and Caroline. This is Kristen calling from Chilliwack. I was just calling to answer the question that you put out to the community, wondering why do we sew? Um, I sew because it’s a superpower. I get behind my machine, and there’s truly nothing I can’t create with the supplies and just the courage to give it a shot. In my life, I walk around in my handmade wardrobe, and I hold my head high because even if I’ve had a bad day at the very least, I’ve made my own clothes. And that’s pretty amazing. Uh, thanks so much guys. Love the show. Can’t wait to hear the episode on why everybody sews. Take care. Bye.

Helen: Thanks Kristen. You know how they say that you should make your bed in the morning so you feel that sense of accomplishment, like, you’ve already accomplished something? We don’t need to do that. We just put on our handmade clothes and screw making the bed.

Caroline: I was just gonna say I like, would love to do that every day. My perfect self does that every day, but I definitely don’t achieve it.

Helen: No, but you know, putting on jeans that you made yourself accomplishes, kind of, the same thing.

Caroline: I love that. I’m going to tell myself that every time I feel guilty about not making the bed.

Helen: How often do you make your bed?

Caroline: Um, fifty percent of the time.

Helen: Whoa.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Oh god. Mine’s probably like 2% of the time.

Caroline: Oh really? But, like, my definition of, like, making the bed is, like, not the same definition as a hotel, as, like, my mom making the bed there. No, it’s just, it’s like putting the blankets onto the thing. Cover all of the mess underneath and look presentable.

Helen: Yeah. That’s how I roll too. It was a good segue. We have a couple of final thoughts here to wrap up the show. Thank you for sticking with us through all of these. It’s been really fun to share.

Um, and this first one is from Michele. “My sewing is all about giving. It’s giving to myself: time to be alone and create; time to research, learn, and try skills, often surprising myself; time to be organized or chaotic as my emotions dictate; time to discover and perfect my own personal style; time to create heirloom items to help my heirs to know me; and it’s also about giving to others, clothing for our beautiful grandchildren, household decor for our adult children and their growing families, donations of pillowcases, toys, and clothing for those in need locally, nationally, and internationally; and handmade gifts to family and friends. Sewing is the best of gifts given to myself and to others.”

Caroline: I love that.

Helen: Beautifully written. Thank you, Michele.

Caroline: Thank you. Alright, so our final thoughts are from Gail, and she made a special request that we have some beatbox to go along with this, so we’re going to do our very best. I can beatbox, and I cannot sing, but I don’t think it’s really singing. It’s just, it’s like spoken word.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: You got this.

Caroline: I got this.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: Okay.

Helen: Ready? [beatboxes]

Caroline: “I get time to myself. It’s therapy. Like solving problems creatively. There are ways to be cheap like upcycling or using my stash to limit buying. It’s fashionable. It’s challenging, but mostly, it is satisfying. An added bonus, I must confess, I like getting those compliments.”

Helen: Yeah, girl. You nailed it. I’m, like, running out of breath. I have to hold my breath while I beatbox. I don’t know how to breathe at the same time.

Caroline: That was a rush. Thank you, Gail. We’re now going to give up podcasting and start touring beatbox troupe, right?

Helen: I know who’s not getting compliments.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely not me.

Helen: Oh my gosh. Thank you everyone so much for sharing. We’ve really loved prepping for this episode.

Caroline: We really did. It was so great. That’s it for this love to so favorite, we’ll be back in September with our new season. And in the meantime, you can find me caroline@blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at Helen’s closet patterns.com and our love to sew swag shop at love to sew. shop.com.

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

Caroline: And of course, if you want to join our Patreon fam now is a great time to start for just $5 us per month. You’ll get access to our monthly bonus episode and $10 us per month. We’ll get you a 15% off discount code for Blackbird fabrics, Helen’s closet and our love to sew swag shop plus up bonus mini-sode. Go to patrion.com/love to so for more info,

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

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Episode 95: Creative Collaboration with Alexia Abegg

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 28 May 2019 04:00:59 +0000

Alexia Abegg talks with us about Ruby Star Society, fabric design, tie-dye, and pottery. She’s an amazing creative force and gives us her secrets to successful collaboration, following your passion, and getting things done!

Love to Sew listeners can get 10% off their first purchase at jpknitandstitch.com until the end of June by using offer code “Love2Sew” at checkout.

Follow Alexia!
The City Quilter to Close After Almost 20 Years in Business by Abby Glassenberg

Rashida Coleman-Hale – @rashida_coleman_hale

Sarah Watts – @wattsalot

Moda Fabrics

Alexia’s Ruby Star Society Fabrics

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That’s a wrap! A huge thank you to @modafabrics, they are the kindest, loveliest people to work with and we had such a fabulous #quiltmarket with all the amazing people on their team. Now, time for a nap! #rubystarsociety #showmethemoda

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Alexia Marcelle Abegg Pottery

Queen of Cups Handmade

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Marcelle Medallion Quilt

Liberty Love: 25 Projects to Quilt & Sew Featuring Liberty of London Fabrics by Alexia Marcelle Abegg

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 96: Rubbing off Ready-To-Wear

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 04:00:11 +0000

Recreate your favourite ready-to-wear garments! We break down different methods and provide tons of great resources that will help you replace your store-bought with me-mades. Plus, we answer your sewing questions and reveal some exciting podcast news!

Help us out by taking a podcast survey! This is a third party survey designed by podcasting experts to help us get to know our listeners. Who you are, how you listen to podcasts, and how you feel about our show! It asks questions about demographics, income, and more. The purpose is to help us tailor content to our listeners and find sponsors for the show. This survey is not about sewing, but we always welcome any sewing stories at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Love to Sew is hiring a Creative Assistant! Find the job posting here.
Workshops at Blackbird

Women’s Shift Dress + Top by Wiksten

Yanta Overalls by Helen Closet

Five of Hearts Studio
#memadeeveryday
#youmakejune
Helen’s Closet improved size range: Blackwood Cardigan, York Pinafore, Winslow Culottes
Lou Box Top from Sew DIY

Jenny Shorts from Closet Case Patterns

York Pinafore from Helen’s Closet

Willow Tank from Grainline Studio

Uniform Tunic from Grainline Studio

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 97: Vlogging with Brittany J. Jones

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 04:00:23 +0000

Brittany J. Jones takes us behind the scenes of running a sewing YouTube channel! How she taught herself to make videos, how she stays on schedule, and how she stays true to her authentic voice online. Plus we chat about the Sew in 30 movement, radiating positivity, and Big 4 patterns.

Follow Brittany!
- Instagram: @brittanyjjones
- Blog: Brittany J Jones
- YouTube: Brittany J Jones
The Big 4 pattern companies:
- Simplicity
- Vogue
- Butterick
- McCalls
Brittany’s pattern storage

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This took wayyyyy longer than I anticipated but now all of my patterns are organized and it’s the best feeling ever!!! Check out my story to see where they were stored before it was a mess y’all! . . Let me know below what you store your patterns in . . Dresser: @ikeausa Malm . . #patterns #sewing #patternstorage #ikeamalm

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How to Organize Your Patterns Using Trello
Brittany’s favourite online fabric shops:
Jasika Blazer from Closet Case Patterns

Haul Videos

Pattern Preview McCalls 7810

Sew In 30

What I Made

Sew With Me

Continuous Lighting Kit by LimoStudio

Inside the Hem

Vivmom Sews

Mister Domestic

Anita By Design

Sew to Fit

Mimi G Style

#sewin30

Style Sew Me

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 98: Scrap Busting

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 04:00:14 +0000

What do we do with all of our fabric scraps? We break down how we store our scraps, what is worth keeping, and loads of project ideas that will have you scrap-free in no time.

Introducing the Ashton top & Donovan skirt!

Kalle Shirt from Closet Case Patterns

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New fave make! My striped linen #kalleshirt The length is somewhere in between the cropped and tunic length, and I used the hemline of the tunic length, with less scoop in the back. Went with the full button placket because that’s my favourite look. I made a straight size 20 and the fit is great! I love wearing it buttoned all the way up also wearing my #morganjeans Fabric is from @graylineslinen in NYC. . #memadeeveryday #handmadefashion #sewing #indiesewing #plussizesewing #

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Send your fabric questions to hello@lovetosewpodcast.com for a future episode!
Episode 27: Fabrics 101
Love to Sew Podcast Creative Assistant
FABCYCLE
Unfilled Moroccan Pouf

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Shallow Ikea bins

Geodesic from Blueprints for Sewing

Credit: Cookin’ & Craftin’ – Scrapbusting: Geodesic Sweatshirt in Ponte

Fraser Sweatshirt from Sewaholic

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Blackwood Cardigan from Helen’s Closet

Lane Raglan from Hey June Handmade

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Jordy Bralette from Emerald Erin

Indie, Darling: Best Indie Patterns for Colour Blocking

Source: Ministry of the Environment – Government of Japan

DIY Pouf Pattern from Closet Case Patterns

Credit: Closet Case Patterns

Sustainable Scrap-Busters: Soup Bowl Cozy

Amy Nicole Earrings

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Sew Powerful

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 99: Patternmaking with Suzy Furrer

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 04:00:25 +0000

Suzy Furrer of Apparel Arts joins us to chat about patternmaking. From creating a moulage through to drafting patterns, Suzy has so much knowledge to share. We also talk about building her design school and literally writing the book on patternmaking!

Follow Suzy!
- Website: Apparel Arts
- Instagram: @apparelarts_oak
- Bluprint: Suzy Furer
The Sewing Workshop
Marcy Tilton
Kenneth King
Apparel Arts

Apparel Arts classes
- Patternmaking and Design
- Construction
- Couture French Jacket
- Fashion Illustration
- Draping
- Design Principles / Fashion History
- Textiles
- Tailoring
- Manufacturing Practices
- Weekend Warrior Sewing Series
- Serger and Cover Stitch Machine Basics
Apparel Arts teachers
Building Patterns, The Architecture of Women’s Clothing by Suzy Furrer

Suzy Furrer on Bluprint

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/00-high-2.mp4

Moulage: Tight-fitting mould of the upper body, from the neck to the low hip.
Sloper: A time-saving template pattern based on the moulage with added ease. Also known as a block.
Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/00-high-1.mp4

Fitting Solo: From Measurements to Muslin by Linda Lee on Bluprint

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/00-high.mp4

We talked about padding dress forms in more detail with Brooks Ann Camper in Episode 56
Fraction Calculator Plus – Apple, Google Play
Pattern drafting programs
- Gerber
- PAD System
- CLO3D

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/easy-to-use.mp4

Request to join the Apparel Arts newsletter for updates about the upcoming online courses!

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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Episode 100: Get to Know Us 2.0

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 04:00:39 +0000

To celebrate 100 episodes of Love to Sew, Caroline and Helen interview each other. What have we always wanted to know? Favourite fabrics, recipes, podcasts, and more!

Support us on Patreon to get access to bonus episodes!

Totally 80s Spotify playlist

Télio Fashion Fabrics
Helen & Caroline’s first meetup

Pepper

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Fraidy and Shea

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Crime Writers On… Podcast

Stop Podcasting Yourself

Grandpa, the Stop Podcasting Yourself mascot, is 15 now!

Quinoa Tabouleh

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Chili Colorado

Roast Chicken

Block printing workshop at Blackbird Fabrics

Toilet Paper: Right Way or Murderer Way?

Top Emojis…

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 101: Community Over Competition

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 04:00:49 +0000

How competitive are you? This week we discuss our experience managing our competitive sides and fostering the sewing community. We hear from our listeners and dive into sewing competitions, social media comparison traps, and how to start a business in a competitive environment.

Send your Fabric questions by email (hello@lovetosewpodcast.com), phone (1-844-SEW-WHAT), or Instagram!

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We’re taking your fabric questions for an upcoming episode! What are your burning questions about fabric? What do you struggle with? What would you like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments! . . . #lovetosewpodcast #welovetosew #sewingpodcast #handmadewardrobe #memadeeveryday #memade #sewing #handmadefashion #handmade #sew #sewcialists #isew #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #indiesewing #fabric

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Episode 96: Rubbing Off Ready-to-Wear

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Jean-ius by Kenneth D. King on Bluprint

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Wednesday Weekly #179

Episode 99: Patternmaking with Suzy Furrer

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Ashton Top from Helen’s Closet

Donovan Skirt from Helen’s Closet

Episode 77: The Fold Line with Kate Underdown

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Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 102: Vintage Sewing and Refashioning with Evelyn Wood

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 04:00:37 +0000

Vintage sewing expert Evelyn Wood joins us to talk about creating garments from the past! She shares tips for refashioning thrift store finds, the importance of mending, and her top 5 good sewing habits. We also discuss ‘garment archeology’ and how to look for clues when admiring vintage pieces.

Follow Evelyn!
- Youtube: Evelyn Wood
- Instagram: @evelyn__wood
- Blog: Evelyn Wood Vintage Fashion House
- School: Vintage Sewing School
Christian Dior Bar Suit

Source: The Art of Dress

THRIFT TO VINTAGE – Refashioning old thrift Clothes into Beautiful Vintage styled Outfits

Vintage Sewing Touches
- Metal side zips
- Rayon hem & seam tapes
- Open seams
- Vintage Fabrics
Australian Home Journal 1954

Source: The Chronicles of an Eccentric

Rayon Crepe

Source: Laurel Leaf Farm

How to Refashion Thrift Store Clothes to Vintage – 1920’s style costume – Thrift to Vintage ep1

Vintage Thrift Haul – 3 months worth of thrift clothing, vintage Vogue sewing patterns and more!

You’re not making mistakes! -In fashion design and sewing ‘mistakes’ are part of the design process!

Learn to Speak Dressmaker Series

5 GOOD Sewing Habits You Need! And All Beginner Sewers Should Develop!

1. Take your foot off the foot pedal when you’re not sewing
2. Keep all cut pieces right side up or wrong side up
3. Trim and press as you go
4. Always leave your bobbin in the machine
5. Regular machine maintenance
Episode 99: Patternmaking with Suzy Furrer

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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Episode 103: Fabric Q&A

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 04:00:34 +0000

We answer fabric questions from the community! From identifying quality textiles to tips for working with tricky fabrics, we cover everything you ever wanted to know in this jam-packed Q&A.

Reserve your place before Nov 1, 2019 and mention Love to Sew, and you’ll get $50-off the suggested donation! Reserve with a friend before November 1, and mention Love to Sew, and you’ll each get $100 off!

The Rome Collection by Closet Case Patterns

Shelby Dress / Romper by True Bias

Women’s Shift Dress + Top by Wiksten

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Helen’s Closet Anniversary Sale – Everything is 20% off this week!

Ashton Top by Helen’s Closet

Yanta Overalls by Helen’s Closet

Workshops at Blackbird – Follow @blackbirdworkshops Instagram!

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IN LOVEwith these gorgeous prints! These fabulous folks just finished our Block Printing Workshop. After two days of carving and printing, we now have some stunning new fabrics! Surface design is such a blast, and we have another block printing class in October for smaller projects. Head to our website to learn more! .⁠ #blackbirdworkshops #blackbirdfabrics #workshops #fabricshop #imakemyownclothes #vancouversews #yvrworkshops #yvrevents #sewingclasses #beginnersewing #vancouver #fabriclove #indiesewing #handmadewardrobe #memade #fabric #sewing #handmade #sew #diy #isew #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #memadeeveryday #handmadestyle #craftedvancouver #vancouverart #yvrcreatives #yvrevent #eastvan

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Women’s Haori by Wiksten

Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory Patterns

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Episode 53: Bra Making with Emerald Erin

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Feeling very bright and sunny in my @megannielsenpatterns #MNcottesloe swimsuit! I made this in swimwear fabric from @blackbirdfabrics and it makes me so happy . This pattern is available in sizes 0-30 and it is such a fun and quick sew! . #handmadewardrobe #ilovesewing #isewmyownclothes #imadethis #sewingswimwear #sewingisthebest #sewcialist #memadewardrobe #maker #isew #diyswimsuit #sewing #indiepatterns #indiesewing #makersgonnamake #sewingaddict

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Episode 27: Fabrics 101

Episode 62: Sewing with Knits

Source “Grainline: Finding the Grain” on Colette

Fabric Terminology
- Slub: The yarn that makes up the fabric has an irregular shape that shows up as texture in the fabric.
- Lawn: Super soft and crisp, and is generally higher quality and best for garment making.
- Charmeuse: A satin woven fabric, usually silk. Very light and floaty, super soft and luxurious.
- French Terry: Always has a flat front and a looped back. Also referred to as french fleece.
“Demystifying Fabric Weight” by Indiesew

Episode 69: Jeans Making with Alina Kroeker

Appleton Dress by Cashmerette

Lela Skirt by Sew DIY

Hollyburn Skirt by Sewaholic

Fiore Skirt by Closet Case Patterns

Cielo Top & Dress by Closet Case Patterns

Hawthorn by Colette

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Episode 104: Sewing Through Cancer with Denise Archer

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 04:00:49 +0000

Denise Archer shares her personal experience battling cancer and how sewing played a vital role. We discuss sewing as an escape and the power of knowing our bodies through our relationship with making clothes. Denise also shares her perspective on body image post-cancer and reconstructive surgery.

Follow Denise!
- Instagram: @pimp_slapped
- Blog: My Evil Tit
Fried Eagle zine – @thefriedeagle

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Children’s Healing Art Project
The Big Bang

Source: OregonLive

Source: The Sewcialists

Source: Seamwork

The People’s Sewing Army – @thepeoplessewingarmy

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A little hiccup makes this mission launch one day late but with plenty of time to accomplish it! . Your mission should you choose to accept it… . (Details on the blog; link in profile)

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Mission 1: Toy Story (Accomplished!)

National Audubon Society

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#memademay2019 @papercutpatterns Kochi jacket and @seamworkmag Aurora tank, mended and modified RTW pants that are on their final threadbare days. . The boys enjoy taking pics downtown so it was easy to give them a fashion editorial challenge for a change. Currently two of them are deep into making bread in the school’s microwave during lunch . Thank you @sozoblog Photography & editing: @alexdolle_ @nigel.wehling

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1988: Dress refashioned into a jacket with a bonus fanny pack.

1990: The striped jumpsuit.

1992: Refashioned denim jean jacket and one of the hats Denise used to sell.

1994: Denise’s beloved fake fur leopard print dress, with future husband Jason.

2002: Denise’s coat making phase.

2008 – 2013: The RTW fast. Colette Iris shorts and the thrifted Ralph Lauren cable-knit sweater that held on to the bitter end.

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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

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Episode 105: Speedy Sewing

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 04:00:27 +0000

You’re busy, we’re busy, everyone is busy! We want to highlight how you can make the most of your sewing time and speed up your sewing process. We give our top tips for sewing efficiency and tons of quick pattern recommendations!

Love to Sew listeners can get $10 off their first Needle Sharp box by using code “LOVE2SEW” at checkout!

Announcing Ashton August! – #ashtontophack

Episode 47: Sewing Swimwear

@sewover50

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Sunday discussion…..we haven’t had one for a while. . How do you rate your sewing self? . . Do you feel inspired or angst when you see other’s sewing? Do you lack confidence and think twice before posting? Do you double guess what people might be thinking? Do you think “will my post get any likes?” and that little voice of self doubt creeps in? Or do you just look? . . Importantly, how do you rate yourself? . . If you’re not rating yourself as good enough or better….or being your very own cheer squad then you’re letting yourself down. We can all be our own “good enough”. Not perfect. . . The SewOver50 community is very supportive from beginners (yes, we all started there so we know what it’s like ) to intermediate to our gifted couture sewers. The only difference is practice….not passion or you wouldn’t be here with us. . . So, share your passion. Suspend that self doubt and post. After all, when it all boils down to it we’re not in it for the “likes” we’re in it because we sewing. . See @sewcialists post 11 June about connecting with the online community…so many fabulous ideas in the comments. (Swipe right for the post photo). . C’mon and shine! . . How do you rate yourself? We’d love to hear your thoughts. . Do tag us at #sewover50 so that we can see what you’re up to. SD . . #sewover50 #sewinclusive #sewcialists #sewingcommunity #sewingisforeveryone #memade #handmadewardrobe

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Episode 27: Fabrics 101

Ikea SKÅDIS pegboard

Roscoe Blouse / Dress by True Bias

Donovan Skirt by Helen’s Closet

Costa Tote by Helen’s Closet

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It’s #Wiksten Wednesday at Blackbird HQ! We have restocked the #wikstenhaori and #wikstenshift patterns on the website so you can join in on the fun! See our fabric details below!⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ From the left: Textured Cotton Linen Jacquard, Washed Linen, Silky Linen & Viscose, Washed Linen, Textured Cotton Linen Jacquard and Striped Lightweight Linen.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #blackbirdfabrics #fabricshop #fabriclove #indiesewing #handmadewardrobe #memade #fabric #sewing #handmade #sew #diy #sewcialists #isew #makersgonnamake #sewinglove #memadeeveryday #sewistsofinstagram #sewersofinstagram #wearhandmade #handmadestyle #imakemyownclothes

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Kila Tank by Allie Olson

Penny Raglan Tee by Grainline

Plantain Tee by Deer and Doe

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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Episode 106: Couture Sewing with Susan Khalje

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 04:00:41 +0000

Join us as we chat with Susan Khalje about the art of couture sewing! We chat about why couture matters, how to create ‘couture moments’ in your wardrobe, and the tools needed to succeed with couture sewing. We also chat about her Couture Sewing School and her favourite couture shops!

Sister Mintaka is delighted to offer Love to Sew listeners 10% off their first order when they use coupon code “LOVETOSEW” at checkout!

The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

Follow Susan!
- Susan Khalje Couture: Sewing Club
- Susan Khalje Couture
- Instagram: @susankhalje
- Facebook: Susan Khalje Couture (SK)
- Youtube: Susan Khalje Couture
- Bluprint (now Craftsy): Susan Khalje
Christian Dior – History and Modernity, 1947-1957
Bridal Couture: Fine Sewing Techniques for Wedding Gowns and Evening Wear

Couture Sewing Tools:
- Silk organza

- Waxed tracing paper

- Tracing wheel

- Glass head pins

- Japanese cotton basting thread

- Scissors

- Beeswax

SKC: Waxed Tracing Paper

The Parisian Jacket pattern

Linen & Cotton: Classic Sewing Techniques for Great Results

Fitting & Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach

Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

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

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

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

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

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

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Transcript:

This transcript was made from the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released on January 25, 2022. You can listen to this version of the episode on the player below:

https://lovetosewpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/lts106-favourite-edit-01-1.mp3

Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off-season, so we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.

Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in March 2022 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favourite.

Helen: Hello, and welcome. I’m Helen.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline.

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

Caroline: Today, we have Susan Khalje on the show to talk about couture sewing. Susan shares her expertise about what makes a garment couture, how we can make space for special techniques in our sewing practice, and what tools we need to get a beautiful couture finish. We also chat about her amazing couture sewing school, sewing club, and online classes.

Helen: What doesn’t she do?

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

Susan: Oh, it’s my pleasure. I’m thrilled to be here.

Helen: We are thrilled to have you. Can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Susan: Absolutely. I’m Susan Khalje. I teach couture sewing, and I’m also a contributing editor to Threads magazine, and oh gosh, I’ve written a couple of books, um, used to have a TV show. I’ve done lots of magazine articles, so, kind of, anything and everything to do with couture sewing.

Helen: And that is why we are so excited to have you on the show because I know our listeners are interested in couture sewing, would love to hear ways they can integrate that into their sewing practice, um, and also just to hear about you and your journey because you have done so much and you have so many exciting things going on. So where are you from?

Susan: I’m from Baltimore, pretty much. Based in Baltimore now, although I did live for a number of years in London when I had a previous life as a classical pianist. And I’ve also lived in Afghanistan where at one point I was running a clothing factory.

Helen: Ooh, cool. We didn’t have any questions about that on our list, but I’m going to add some in there.

Susan: You know, we had a showroom on Seventh Avenue in New York, and I think if anything, it told me that I did not want to be involved in that aspect of the sewing business, that I much preferred my own, I guess, being left to my own devices, being able to develop my own path.

Caroline: And you really have done that throughout your career, so I don’t want to delay any longer. I really want to hear about your sewing journey. So could you tell us how and when you learn to sew?

Susan: Well, you know, my grandmother was a wonderful sewer, and I think she was the kind of sewer, back in the day, she sewed because people sewed. She used to make lots of little dresses for me when I was little, and she had a wonderful sewing room and a huge jar of extra buttons and a treadle sewing machine, and it always seemed very magical to me. And I can actually remember making some kind of a shirt for myself that I do remember wearing out on the street. Goodness. And, um, I remember cutting little holes in the fabric for the buttons, and I couldn’t have been more than maybe seven or eight years old.

And then I studied sewing in home-ec, which people did back in the day, and that was when I, kind of, began to have a real interest in it. I remember spending free time, you know, you could be in a fabric store and look through those Vogue pattern books forever. And, um, I don’t know, it was, it was something I was, I think, like a lot of us, I had, kind of, a talent in, but in those days I never, ever, ever thought it would be a career. It was just something I liked to do.

And I think, like all of us, you know, you buy, you buy more and more complicated patterns. Now you can say, oh, I haven’t done this sort of a collar, and you get a pattern that had that, or I haven’t done, you know, a jacket collar, so you’d get something that showed you that. So it was, kind of, self-guided, and there was the Vogue sewing book back in the day which was, kind of, a very important thing for me. So I think, I think I, kind of, went about as far as you could go on your own, sort of, left to your own devices.

Helen: And then what happened next? Did you end up studying fashion and studying pattern making?

Susan: Not at all. Not at all. No, because there was this, the music inter-, interlude, so I went to a conservatory and then graduate school in England. And then I, I loved England so much I stayed another four years in London. And then I injured my wrist. Not good if you’re a pianist. So I moved back to New York, and I had a girlfriend whose grandmother was a client at a small couture salon. And my girlfriend knew that I sewed. I mean, my friends all knew that I sewed well cause I’ve made things for people sometimes. And she said, well, you know, they, they need someone, and you need a job, and you’re really good at sewing, so why didn’t you, why didn’t you see?

And honestly, I won’t say it was a lark, but it was never, ever anything I had ever thought I would do as a career. It just, it just wasn’t on my radar at all. But I went in and I took a blouse that I’d made for a friend that was, kind of, my little audition piece. I remember it was black chiffon, flowered, had lots of ruffles and, um, I guess they, they saw some potential in that, so I was hired. And I absolutely fell in love with it from day one. It made, and, of course, this was couture sewing, and it was different than what I knew, but it made perfect sense.

And I think it was the logic of it that appealed to me then, that has appealed to me since. It’s so rooted in logic that I don’t know, you know, once you, once you get that, to me, there’s, kind of, no other way. I remember once, I think I was doing an interview for Threads, and I said, well, you know, any other way of sewing is a compromise. And I thought, oh goodness, that sounds pretty snooty, but it’s, kind of, true. I mean, this, this, these are the methods that have developed over the decades, these tried and true methods, and they really do give the most beautiful results.

And, and of course, there’s, there’s a tremendous amount of creativity within that, you know? It’s not just those rules, it’s how you choose to apply them. And I think I’ve, kind of, been in love with the whole process ever since.

Caroline: Oh, well, it’s so wonderful. I feel like we have just this amazing opportunity having you, a couture expert, on the podcast because we haven’t had a chance to really dive into couture sewing with our listeners. So I thought, kind of, a good way to start us off would be for you to just define what couture sewing is for our listeners.

Susan: Oh, sure. I, I’d love to because I get asked that a lot. You know, cause I say to peo-, you know, you’re on the plane and people say, oh, what do you do? And I, I say, I teach couture sewing, and then their eyes, kind of, glaze over. But, you know, it’s kind of sewing the way your grandmother used to sew. It’s sewing without shortcuts.

It’s, and I, kind of, think of it as sewing’s equivalent of gourmet cooking, you know, where maybe you go across town to get the perfect ingredients. You can get out those pots and pans that you don’t normally use. And you, you know, you go through the Julia Child eight page recipe for cassoulet, and you really do get a very spectacular result.

And I think of it as, kind of, that way. Yeah. There, there might be extra steps involved, but it’s, it’s for such, such a wonderful result that it’s, it’s really well worth it. Now, do you cook a gourmet meal every night? Well, probably not. Some of us, as one trick ponies, would, and it’s the only way I, I really enjoy sewing. But, um, you know, it may be something you do a lot. It may be something you only do occasionally. But I think sewing benefits by this approach. I really do.

Helen: And we can’t wait to hear what suggestions you have for our listeners. Um, but one thing that I hear a lot is that couture sewing is all done by hand. And is that true or is there room for machines in couture sewing?

Susan: There’s plenty of room for machine sewing. Um, I think that’s an urban myth. Uh, certainly, yeah, lots is done by hand because that, of course, gives you a lot of control, but certainly, yeah, tons is done by machine. I mean, the machines that we had at Chez Cez et Bez certainly weren’t complicated. I don’t think they even went in reverse, but you know, what, what you’re looking for is a machine that does a beautiful straight stitch. And honestly, that’s about all that you need from a machine for couture work.

That said, you know, things are different sewn by machine and sewn by hand. So for instance, when we put in a lining in a couture garment, it’s sewn in by hand. You stay stitch the edge of the fashion fabric. That gets turned in. You stay stitch the edge of the lining. That gets turned in. And then you sew them together with a fell stitch, and then you do under stitching by hand. And honestly, it feels completely different than if you sew the lining and by machine and under stitch by machine. It really does.

I mean, you know, because if you do that machine sewing, in the first place, you’ve got four layers of thread, right? Two from when you sewed the lining on, and two from when you did your under stitching and, you know, there’s tension in there that holds those threads together. So that’s a very, very different feel than if you just have hand stitching in there.

Caroline: And of course, often in couture sewing, you’re working with more delicate fabrics, so you have to be mindful of that I’m sure when you’re considering sewing by machine or by hand.

Susan: Oh yes. And you know, sometimes you just get better control in the Bridal Couture book, one of the sample gowns that I did, now remember this was back in the day, but there were big puffy sleeves and there was the fashion fabric there was net in there to make them puff out, and it was just a gigantic thing. And th-, the thought of trying to sew that into a relatively small armscye and get the gathers where you want them to be and get the net where you want it to be, I just, I think it’s asking for trouble. I think it would be terrifying. Goodness knows what you’d end up with, right?

You know when you sew and you think, well, let’s see how this looks. Right? You know this. Well, if you sew it in by hand, you don’t have that, that uncertainty, you know? You have such a degree of control and coming to that word, I think that, you know, I joke to my students that I want to stamp the word control on their heads, but that’s what it’s all about. You control every step of the process, and you really, kind of, remove room for error. So, for instance, you control things right away by making a muslin, a toile, you know, a fitting garment, uh, a copy of the garment in, usually unbleached muslin, before you even start. Instead of, well, let me sew this together and see if it fits. Oh, really? That’s expecting a lot. So why don’t we do a dry run? Why don’t we give it a try? Why don’t we see if this is going to work? Why don’t we see if there are any changes we need to make? Why don’t we see if we need more fabric in the bust? Why don’t we test all that out? Why don’t we do a dry run, right?

And you know, when you’re working with the sort of fabrics you work with on a couture garment, and usually you want a special fabric because, let’s face it, you’ve got a lot of time invested in this process.

Helen: Why do you think that people don’t do more testing and muslins and trying out techniques before they jumped right into the sewing? Do you have any theories?

Susan: Well, yeah, I mean, it just takes more time. I don’t even always like to make a muslin, you know? I have an online thing. We’ve been filming a class, and we’re doing, at the moment, the circle skirt dress. And so obviously, I made a muslin of the bodice, and you’ve got two bodices. I made a muslin of those. And I, I said to the fellow who films with us, I said, gosh, do you really think I need to make this skirt muslin?

And he looked at me like I had two heads because he’s been working with me a long time. And he said, you, you don’t think you need to make the muslin? I know. I was just trying to get out of it. Obviously, I did, and I’m glad I did. And there are all kinds of reasons why it made sense, but yeah, it takes time. And I think we’re just eager to jump into the project.

Caroline: Yeah, I can feel that need a lot of the time when I’m approaching sewing where I just want to jump in, but I think that’s one of the wonderful things about couture sewing is that it almost forces you to be a little bit more deliberate and a little bit slower and just approach things in a more careful way.

Susan: Yeah, it completely does because I think when you do this kind of sewing, you love the process. And you, you really do. You love every step of the process, hopefully, otherwise, as a friend of mine says, write the check, go to, go to Bloomingdale’s and buy the dress. But hopefully, you love all the steps along the way. And I guess that’s reinforced, hopefully, by the results that you get.

And when you think, gosh, thank goodness I made this dress up in muslin because, you know, it doesn’t really suit me. I’m glad I didn’t waste any more time on this one, or, you know, thank goodness I practised that tricky seaming on this muslin because now I know what to do when I get to the garment. So it’s, yeah, it’s, do I always like taking the time to make a muslin? No, but do, do I regret it heavily if I don’t? Yes.

Caroline: So, Susan, can you give us some examples of sewing techniques that are often used in couture sewing that may be different from what home sewists are used to using regularly?

Susan: Oh, sure. I guess one, just one that comes to mind right away is a handpicked zipper. And I’ve seen an awful lot of lovely garments, um, I don’t want to say ruined, but, um, looking not quite as lovely as they might look with a machine sewn zipper, right? And handpicked zippers are so easy to do that once people learn how to do them, they’re like, oh my goodness. I’ll never do a machine zipper again. And I think people always wonder, are they going to be strong enough? And they’re very strong.

Now, I don’t know if you’d use them for little junior dungarees, but, um, you know, there’s sewn with double thread that’s coated with beeswax and. you know, really nice firm stitches. And honestly, they’re, they’re as strong as you ever need them to be. They really are, so that I think is one technique that, um, home sewers could easily incorporate.

Helen: I think our listeners are probably going to be very excited right now because I know a lot of people are afraid of zippers, and they don’t have a lot of success sewing them. So knowing that there’s another option where you don’t need to try to wrangle it through your machine.

Susan: Oh, which is the worst. Oh, goodness gracious. I, oh, no, it’s a nightmare. You try to sew along and then it clunks down off the thing and you get, you know, it, you don’t get a straight line. Plus you see all that thread on the back and, you know, you can do either a centred application, which is lovely, or you can do a lapped zipper. They’re, they’re both lovey and honestly, not at all hard to do. And once you do them that way, oh my goodness. You’re a convert. You’re sold.

Caroline: Yeah, I can completely relate to this. I love a handpicked zipper. And one of the first times I tried that was for a dress that I made for my sister’s wedding, to wear to my sister’s wedding. And I just wanted to have that control in the back because the print was so lovely. And I just wanted it to know that the zipper would be invisible. And I don’t know, there’s just something about that, like, hand sewing of the zipper with that technique that just takes that garment over the edge into something really, really special. So honouring those special garments, I think with these couture sewing techniques is a great way for our listeners to, kind of, create that moment in their regular sewing practice.

Susan: I agree. And I would say another one, you know, I talked a minute ago about sewing in linings. You know, so let’s say you were doing a sleeveless dress, okay? And let’s say, you know, you, kind of, sew the lining by machine, and you have to pull it through and all that, and you hope that everything lines up. It can be very, very difficult, in the first place, to get the two sides to match perfectly, and it can be hard to get the lining fabric to line up perfectly with a fashion fabric. right?

I mean, sometimes there’s too little of it, in which case you get a lump in the fashion fabric, or there’s too much of it, in which case it, kind of, peaks out the edges. Well, if you were to sew the lining in by hand, you could just put it exactly where it needs to be, right? You could just fold it and put it exactly on the line, perfectly placed, just the right amount.

So, yeah, it takes a little bit of time, but honestly, not that much time, and, you know, the result that you get is so beautiful, and it makes so much sense. I always think, with my students, there are a couple of big departures that couture sewing has from, if we might say traditional sewing or the way people sew today, and one is that we don’t rely on that five-eighth inch seam allowance as a guide. And, you know, if you’re a fit model that might be fine. Or if you’re selling a pillowcase, that might be fine. But otherwise I think that just doesn’t give you enough leeway. It doesn’t give you enough room to play with.

So in couture sewing, it’s the seam line that’s marked, the seam line is your guide. And there’s always a big seam allowance, and that’s your insurance. Let’s say you want the neckline to be higher, or you want the sleeve to be longer, or the waistline needs to be lower, or you need more room at the centre back or on the sides. You can fix all those things because you-, you’ve built in this decent seam allowance, so that’s a huge difference.

And I have to say, you know, I’m older than you guys, but back in the day, you know, you’d buy a pattern and the seam line was marked. They were individual sizes, and there was always a seam line, and then it was a seam allowance, but the seam allowance, the seam line was marked. You know, couture solves it by marking the seam lines and giving yourself all kinds of room because you’re going to need it. You know, nothing, nothing ever fits perfectly. Gosh, it just doesn’t.

Helen: It’s so true. And when you’re marking your seam lines, are you marking them with chalk or do you use a running stitch?

Susan: Well, that, that gets into another big thing that couture sewing does which is almost, golly, almost all of the time, not a hundred percent, but much of the time, we use an underlining. And an underlining is a supporting layer that, I think, gives a bit of oompf to the fashion fabric behind the scenes, but it also is a layer that you put the marks on.

And silk organza is what we use so much of the time, so the silk organza gets marked and then this, the marked silk organza gets hand basted to the fashion fabric. So you create this, kind of, two layered pod, if you will, um, and that’s treated from then on out almost as a single layer.

So what does that do? That does all kinds of wonderful things. Let’s say you’ve got a pleated skirt. Well, it helps fill out those pleats. It spares the fashion fabric from having that marking go on it. Um, if you’re sewing your hem, the hem stitches go to the underlying, not the fashion fabric, so you don’t see them, cuts down on wrinkling, absorbs perspiration. You can also shift the colour.

Let’s say you’re working with a white fabric. You’re making a white wedding gown bodice, and it’s a little too white. Well, if you use a cream underlining, you can shift that colour a little bit. Or if you want it to be really white, you can use a white underlining and really make that white, even more intense.

The, the biggest example I had of that, you know, I used to do custom bridal. That’s what I did for decades. And I had a bride who wanted, there’s, kind of, a colour that was popular at one point, it was called a rum pink, and it was a beautiful pink, and it almost had, kind of, a beige-y undertone to it. It was gorgeous. And that’s what my client wanted, but I couldn’t find quite the right colour.

I remember, I was up in New York at B&J, and I actually found a pink satin, and I used of all things, a chocolate brown underlying. It sounds bizarre, but it was just, I know, you’re right, but it was just enough to make this beautiful deepening of the pink with this brown behind it. Who knew? So underlinings do all sorts of things, but your question, how do we mark these seam lines? Often, we use tracing paper, the old wax tracing paper, and that’s what marks the underlining. Now, you have to be careful with that stuff because it’s pretty permanent, and you don’t want to ruin something, so you do have to use it with caution.

Caroline: You have a great video on YouTube, all about, ah, this wax tracing paper where you sort of walk us through it. So we’ll have Sam link that in the show notes, if anyone is wondering what that’s all about. So it sounds like silk organza and a wax tracing paper are two things that are pretty essential to the couture sewing process. Can you walk us through any other specific tools that are used in couture sewing?

Susan: Well, you’ll need a tracing wheel. Um, uh, I don’t know. I’m, like, the lowest tech sewer in the world.

Helen: Do you use, like, specific types of pins?

Susan: I do. I do. I’m so glad you asked. Um, yeah, and this is so funny. We’re working on an article at the moment for Threads, and I think it’s called the couture toolkit. So I named all these things, and they’re all things I have in my store. And I wrote to my editor and I said, you know, this is awful. This is going to sound like an infomercial, but these are the things you need.

And so let’s talk about pins. So there’s a wonderful sewing teacher named Judy Bartlett, who used to specialise in a lot of Japanese tailoring techniques. And years and years ago, when I first started my couture sewing school, she said, oh, Susan, you have got to use these Japanese pins and needles for your students. They’re the best. And they really are the best because, so when you put a pin into your fabric in the first place, you don’t want the fabric, you don’t want to have to cram it into your fabric because what happens, the fabric shifts, right? And you lose control, so you need a pin that goes in effortlessly, but you don’t want one that’s too long.

And there are a lot of beautiful, thin, long pins. There are some that, oh, they’re so pretty that’ve got multicoloured glass on the ends, they’re beautiful, but they’re too long, and they’re too thin, and they bend too easily, so you don’t want that. And these, they’re glass headed pins. They’re beautiful. They don’t melt if you press on them, right? Cause you can find pins that have a plastic end. That’s not such a good idea. They also don’t get lost in lace, and I work a lot with lace, and, you know, a lot of pins, kind of, sink out of sight. So I think they’re just gorgeous pins, mostly because they won’t bend, but they go through any fabric without shifting it, and that’s really the whole, the whole reason.

And the same with hand sewing needles. Again, there is certainly hand sewing involved in this process and you want the needle to go through your fabric effortlessly. You don’t want to have to cram it through the fabric because, again, things are going to shift, and you want to maintain this degree of control the whole way. Well, if every time you put your needle into the fabric, it shifts around. Well, that’s not a good idea, is it? Plus, you know, you just, kind of, get tired. You want, you want the needle going into the fabric to be an effortless part of the whole situation. And these are, oh gosh, once you get used to these needles, anything else feels like pitchfork.

Oh, and basting, so there is, you know, I talked earlier about putting those two layers together, the underlining and the fashion fabric, and that’s done by hand. It’s not done by machine because that, we’ve talked before about the effect of machine sewing, but let’s say you changed your seam line, and you had that machine sewing in there, and fabrics are going to slip. You have to do this by hand, and you want to be able to put a lot of stitches on your needle. So basting, you know, we found these wonderful basting needles that you can really put a lot of, you know, you can get a lot of stitches on those.

And then basting thread. Back in the day, silk, you know, basting thread was, was usually silk. And I think the theory was that it, I don’t know, everybody said it didn’t leave an impression if you pressed it, and it’s easy to pull out, but it’s very hard to find the right weight of silk basting thread anymore. So many of them out there, some Japanese silk threads, but they’re so thin, it’s hard to get much of a grip with them. So these days, I like the Japanese cotton which it ha-, it clings nicely to the fashion fabric which is, which is great. Good scissors, um, little, little four-inch scissors that, that just clip to a really sharp point.

Beeswax, you want to have beeswax if you’re sewing, you know, if you’re putting in those hand picked zippers, um, because anytime strength is required, you want to put beeswax on your thread. So you just thread your needle, you pull the beeswax, you pull your thread through the beeswax a couple of times, but you then have to press it to melt the beeswax into the thread, because if you don’t, all the beeswax will come off in the first few stitches, so that’s no good. But what you really need to do is, kind of, coat that thread with the melted beeswax, so that’s an important part of that. Ithink that’s honestly, you could, kind of, do what you need to do with that.

Helen: I love hearing that because that’s a very approachable toolkit, and we’ll make sure we link everything in the show notes in case people want to get started.

Susan: But it is, you know, this is, I say, I’d be happy in a garret, you know, give me a garrett and a candle, a spool of thread, a needle. I’m good. I’m fine. I’d be perfect in the 17th century. My harpsichord and my sewing supplies. It’d be great.

Helen: And what about interfacing? Because we talk about interfacing a lot on the show and I’m sure our listeners would love to hear what your go-to interfacing method is.

Susan: Oh gosh. I hardly ever use it.

Helen: Um, I had a feeling you might say that.

Susan: Well, you know me, um, no, we do use it a little bit, and honestly, I am, I am the furthest thing from knowledgeable in that subject, but we do use it, for instance, behind bound buttonholes, right up against the fashion fabric, not on the organza, but against the fashion fabric.

We use it if, um, we’ve just got this new pattern that, the Parisian Jacket, and it’s got a cut on sleeve, and of course, you know, you have those hinge points where you have to reinforce your fabric and cut right into that sharp angle, so, um, interfacing is used there, fusible.

Anytime where you have an angled seam you have to cut into, but I think it’s not used so much in couture sewing because it does seem to me there’s always, kind of, a problem with getting it to stick permanently and consistently, and, to my mind, it changes the nature of the fabric so totally. So, I mean, I joke with my students. You could make a, I don’t know, a riding jacket out of silk chiffon, if you fused it enough, but would it be silk chiffon?

So sometimes it’s, kind of, an experiment, but back to your questions about fusibles. Yeah, a little bit, but not a whole lot. Um, maybe in an under collar, you could use them, if you felt that would do what you want it to do. You can detect a degree of reluctance here, but, um…

Helen: No, I appreciate you answering the question because I do think, um, you can do a lot of sewing without interfacing. And you talked about control at the beginning of the episode. And a lot of times interfacing things like collars is about getting them to be stiffer so we can have more control. But of course, if you’re hand sewing, you already have that control, and you can manipulate things a little easier.

Susan: Well, you can… Now, I’ll tell you another time, so I mentioned we’re in the middle of filming this circle skirt dress. So it actually has, so in the bodice, it’s, kind of, a sleeveless bodice, there’s a handpicked zipper down the centre back, and this particular dress does not have an underlining. It has just a lining. So the fashion fabric isn’t underlined when you do this zipper. And sometimes, of course, you get some of the support for the zipper from the zipper tape, which is good, and, you know, you’re pretty much on the straight of grain coming down the back of the dress.

But on the sample dress I have, which is actually the dress on the cover of the Linen and Cotton book, I was zipping that zipper, you know, to put it off and on the dress form the other day, and I found that the fabric was getting caught in the zipper. And I thought, well, that it doesn’t look too good. What can we do about that? So I got some fusible and on the sample that I’m going to be making, I’m going to put some very lightweight fusible down that zipper placket so that it will hopefully strengthen the fabric along that fold and keep it from, kind of, crumbling and getting caught in the teeth of the zipper.

Caroline: That sounds like a great use for interfacing.

Susan: Yes, there you have it.

Caroline: So I think a lot of our listeners are thinking like, this is a lot of amazing information, but what is the process actually like for creating a couture garment? So could you walk us through that process of developing a garment from concept to a finished item? Like, what does that look like in steps?

Susan: Okay. Well, to me they’re, kind of, five elements that I think all have to come together. So I think, I guess I’d say it probably starts with design, you know, because if you’re going to put all of this work and time and money into a garment, you want to have something pretty specific in mind, like, oh, I need something special to wear to my sister’s wedding or, you know, to my daughter’s wedding, or I want to make a beautiful suit. So I think you start with that. And, um, I always think, what does the design say? Does it say enough? Does it say too much? I always ask myself, why are certain elements there? So there’s design and I study that pretty, pretty carefully.

Um, you know, and there’s also the concept, I have a friend in England who does custom work, and he says that his clients come to them, come to him with needing a specific garment in their wardrobe, you know? It’s not just, oh, I want to dress, no, I need a new blouse now, or I need a new jacket now. So there’s the whole concept of building a wardrobe too, you know? What fits into the scheme of things? What’s going to be perhaps a useful garment to have? So lots of thought for the design and then fabric.

Oh my goodness. Couture garments use pretty gorgeous fabrics. Again, you know, this is a process that takes a lot of time, and you’re, you’re putting so much effort into it. You want something that’s going to last and the better the fabric is, I think the easier it is to work with, the more beautifully it’s designed. And, you know, you see these beautiful prints, and they’re obviously, you know, a more expensive fabric. Well, they paid their fabric designer more money. And honestly, these really beautiful fabrics do so much of the work for you. They, they don’t make it a struggle to work with them, you know? The patterns just fall into place. They help you with the placement. They, they’re just a joy to work with.

And you know, sometimes I’ll have a student who says, oh gosh, I can’t wait to get good, and then I can sew with better fabrics. Hm. It’s so hard to sew with lousy fabrics. It is a fight you every step of the way. So, you know, should your first sewing project be out of an expensive fabric? Of course not. But I always say, if you were going to have Julia Child come for dinner, you probably wouldn’t serve her rump roast. Get filet mignon. And you just get a better result with these really, really beautiful fabrics. Plus, they’re inspiring. They feel wonderful to work with. They’re beautiful every time you look at them, so that I think fuels much of the process.

Alright, so there’s design, there’s fabric, and then, elephant in the room, fit, um, which let’s face it. It’s the hardest thing of all. Um, it really is. It’s the hardest thing to get right. And fit is tricky, um, because you can’t fit yourself, not very successfully, you know? I always say you can’t cut your own hair. You can’t do your own dental work. You can’t fit yourself. I, I can’t fit myself. I always wish I had me to fit me. Um, I do. There are great dress forms out there these days that help.

Um, you know, you can take a class with somebody and then, you know, get a, let’s say you get a beautiful dress that fits perfectly, and you can vary that tremendously. Change the neckline, change the sleeves, change the sleeve length, you know, add seam lines, and it’s a great basis. And I think you could go an awfully long way with a relatively few well-fitted basics. Gosh, it’s tricky because it’s, kind of, different in every, every garment, you know, every combination is different. It’s that design on that person in that fabric, how they want it to fit. This person likes a tighter garment than that person.

And, you know, the variables are endless, and it’s tricky. There’s a wonderful fitting book it’s called Fitting and Pattern Alteration: A Multi-Method Approach, and it’s by Rasband, Pottberg, and Liechty. I’s easy to find. And what it does, this, kind of, second half of the book, goes into all the body variations, and it’s almost a little bit like a medical textbook because it’ll have a paragraph that says the ulna is pro-, pronated and blah, blah, blah. And, but it makes you look at the body, and then, that tells you what to do. And honestly it becomes, kind of, a logical process because otherwise, you’re just, kind of, stabbing in the dark. Oh, oh, there’s a wrinkle. Oh, let’s pin that up. Oh no another one. Oh, let’s get rid of that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Go back further. And once you know what’s going on in the body, it all makes sense.

Um, and you know, I do a lot of fitting. It’s, it’s a big part of what I do, and it’s a fun little puzzle. And I start by just looking at that person, and then you’ll say, oh gosh, she’s fuller on the left hip than the right hip. Okay. I need to know that. Lots of people’s heads aren’t in the middle of their bodies, you know, sounds extreme, but you know, for whatever reasons they get shifted a little bit. That’s pretty important to know. Oh my goodness, the variations are endless. So you need to be good at seeing exactly what’s going on in your body or in the body you’re fitting.

And then, honestly, it becomes not so difficult to, to know what to do about it. Like, the doctor, oh, you have strep. Well, here take this. There’s a logic to it. And that book, I’m not saying it’s the most fascinating reading ever, but if you would read that book from cover to cover, I guarantee that your thoughts about fitting would change for the better a thousand times because it will start training your eye. Ours is a visual art. You have to, you have to see what’s going on with the body, analyse that, then you know, then you know what to do about it.

Okay. So fit. And in the world of couture, we talked before about making a muslin, right? And that’s, that really is the foundation of any, any couture garment. It, it has to be. That’s when you, you can perfect the fit and the proportions of the whole thing. And then I think the other two elements are: construction, obviously, you have to know your way around putting it together; and the hand stitches that we use to help with that.

And the final element that I think is such an, such an important part of it is engineering. You know, we’ve all seen those girls at the Oscars, yanking, their dresses up. Well, that’s a dress that’s not properly engineered, and engineering plays a big part in, gosh, so many garments, um, anything that’s strapless, anything that gets into any big amount of weight. You know, engineering is a big, I think, a very interesting part of the whole equation. It’s gotta be engineered right or I don’t care how well it’s put together.

I don’t care how beautiful the fabric is. If any of these areas fall short, your results are going to be compromised. So to me, those are, kind of, the five, the five elements that have to work in concert.

Helen: It’s so interesting, especially the engineering part, cause that’s not how I thought you were going to finish off the vibe. I thought the end would be the sewing. Um, so can we talk a bit more about engineering? Do you mean like the structure within the garment?

Susan: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. There’s, there’s a, uh, there’s an amazing book out at the moment, and you’ll have to look it up or I will send you the link. It’s a book about Dior. And what she has done, she’s a curator in Canada, and she has studied the garments that are in their archive. And they’re mostly, they’re mostly, um, suits and evening wear that were given to this museum by the wealthy women in town. And the detail into which she goes is phenomenal. It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. She’s, she’s made the patterns, and you can see the inner structure, and you talk about engineering. Now, of course, these Dior gowns of what the forties and fifties were. kind of, the, I guess they were a real high point in that kind of engineering, and it’s absolutely fascinating what goes into these things.

And, you know, so much of it, um, well I had a student the other day who made a dress, um, she wanted to wear a strapless dress to a wedding. So we needed to create an inner foundation, a heavily boned inner, inner foundation for it, the, the dress, you know, th-, this inner foundation. Think of a strapless, very, very tight, heavily boned inner part. Well, the dress is just, kind of, over it. I always say it’s like the paint on the wall, right? And it, they were together along the top seam and that’s about it because this inner foundation is really, really snug so it has its own closure. It had little hooks and eyes down the back.

And then the dress is on top of it, slightly bigger, you know, form fitting, but not as snug as this inner foundation garment, and that had a separate closure, a zipper. So, um, without that, I don’t care how carefully fitted a garment is or how tight you make it. If you don’t have this inner structure, it’s just going to head south. That’s gravity for you.

Helen: And if our listeners wanted to tackle a couture project, um, maybe you can use your classes as an example because you do so many workshops, but do people come with patterns? And if so, are they couture patterns? Is there a difference?

Susan: No, no, not necessarily. I mean, I always say I can couture-ize anything. We can, you can bring an a line skirt. We can make that fabulous. Um, and I think sometimes, you know, students will say, oh, you know, I want a project that combines absolutely everything, you know? I want to get my time and money’s worth out of this. Well, okay. You know, I want this and this, this, but, you know, the lovely thing about these techniques is that they can be applied in ways both large and small.

And, you know, how about the little black dress? Oh my goodness, that’s, a wool crepe dress, what a gorgeous thing if it’s beautifully fitted and beautifully put together. What a staple in your wardrobe that, it’s a fantastic thing to have, right? And that’s, that’s a pretty simple garment.

And what’s interesting about this school is that, back in the day, people would come once and that was it. They’d come. Okay, goodbye. Now students come, I mean, I have a lot of students who come every year, and it becomes, kind of, ongoing education, and it’s great for me because I get to see their sewing improve. I mean, that’s really rewarding as a teacher, and I also get to see them go in so many different directions.

So they’ll say, okay, I’ve done this, this, this, what should I do next? And I’ll say, well, let’s do a lace bodice or let’s do something with ruching or, well, we haven’t worked with anything on the bias or, you know, let’s try this. So that’s, that’s really fun. But honestly I think, I think any, any garment, you know, benefits by these techniques.

And, like I said, it can be very simple, just a beautiful sheath. Gosh, what a, what a lovely canvas that is to apply these techniques. Gosh, let’s say you did a wool crepe dress. Um, you know, you could do sleeves that were on the bias and a beautifully fitted sleeve that has darts in the elbows. And if you put that on the bias, then what a lovely fold you get at the bottom, right? You know, you don’t have to have, you know this gigantic evening dress. No, no, no. It can, what’s so brilliant about these techniques is that I think any garment can benefit from them.

Caroline: Can we talk a little bit about fabric as well? Cause I know that that’s such a key element to creating a couture garment. So tell us how you shop for fabric when you’re working on that type of garment and what are, kind of, the key things that you’re looking for in a really high end couture fabric.

Susan: Gosh, um, it’s, kind of, a cheap shot to say that the more you pay the better it is, but in a sense that’s, kind of, true. Although that dress I just described, the girl who made the, the strapless dress, that was made out of a cotton, a lovely, little cotton, and it worked wonderfully, but I’m, I’m kind of spoiled because I’m in lovely fabric stores a lot. So I get to see really beautiful fabrics.

And again, I mentioned before that, you know, the, the good fabric houses hire the best designers. They use the best fibres, not always natural fibres. You know, the, the synthetic fibres these days are incredible. So a lot goes into producing a really beautiful fabric, and in a way, you get what you pay for it. Not that there aren’t bargains out there sometimes, but I think when you get a really spectacular fabric, it, kind of, kind of, pays.

Caroline: Can you, you name some of your favourite fabric stores that you frequent perhaps in the U.S. cause I know a lot of our listeners are based in the U.S.?

Susan: Yeah. Well, there’s Mendel Goldberg which is on the Lower East Side in New York, and it’s run by a wonderful woman named Alice Wildes, who is the, I think, the granddaughter, if not the great granddaughter of Mendel Goldberg, who was, I think, came from Poland and opened this store in the 1890s in what was then the Garment District. Pretty much everybody has decamped to what is now the Garment Center on the Upper West Side in New York, but Alice is, kind of, a holdout.

And I think her fabrics are extraordinary because her eye is so amazing. I love B&J. I think B&J is a great store. That’s in the Upper West Side. Mood Fabric, you know, a lot of people get a lot of good stuff from there. In fact, um, I found a very beautiful Ralph Rucci twill at Mood. There’s Fabrics & Fabrics, also New York, has beautiful stuff. Really, really lovely, lovely things. Sposabella, if you’re looking for bridal, has lovely laces.

On the west coast, of course there’s Britex which is a lovely fabric store. Oh, Promenade. Gosh. How can I forget that? In New Orleans, um, lovely fabric store, really, really wonderful things. Mulberry Silks, i’s in North Carolina. Um, they say silks, but they have a lot of beautiful cottons as well, quite a, quite a selection. Uh, those are the ones, those are the ones that come to mind.

Helen: Oh, that’s great. I’m sure our listeners will be glad to check those out. We’ll link them all in the show notes as well.

Susan: Yeah, yeah.

Caroline: So I want to talk a little bit about your teaching because you touched on that earlier, working with students, and we really want to learn more about what types of classes you’re teaching and, and what that’s all about. So can you give us a little intro to that?

Susan: Sure. Well, back in the day, 1993, um, I, this is funny, I, so Roberta Carr, who many of your members will know, um, wonderful couture dress maker and teacher used to do seminars in her home. And I remember years ago wanting to go to one and I said to my husband, oh gosh, I’d like to go to one of those. And he said, go to one. You should be hosting them. So you, kind of, get this idea in your head and you think, well, okay. Hmm, gosh, could I do that?

So when I very first started, I started, it was called The Bridal Couture Sewing School, and because that was my world wedding gowns, so people would come, we’d do wedding gowns. And then people would say, well, gosh, I’d love to come, but I’m not working on a wedding gown. And truth be told, I got a little sick of only wedding gowns. And I thought, well, you know, Susan, you do call it The Bridal Sewing School, so that is what people are going to sew on.

But I realised I wanted to expand that, so it became couture garments that people would work on. And then I, at The Couture House, we had done a lot of Chanel jackets. We had clients who would, you know, they had the real ones, and we would copy them, so it was a field that I became very familiar with. And, um, then I thought, oh, well maybe I could kind of branch out and we could do those. So that’s where the Classic French Jacket Classes came about, and it’s separated into its own class because I think of those as, kind of, a subset of couture techniques because there are things you do with those jackets that you don’t do with hardcore traditional couture. It’s, kind of, its own little world.

Yeah, those are, kind of, the two, the two main areas. Sometimes I’ve done pure lace skirt classes, but that can be incorporated into couture, so it’s, kind of, kind of, one or the other. Um, the jacket class is usually a seven day class. It’s just a longer, slightly more complicated project. And part of the reason is that when I teach that class in Baltimore, we go to New York to shop because you really want to have the right fabric and the right linings and trims, and that’s one of the challenges of that project.

Um, in fact, next week I’m doing a, a jacket class in New Orleans, and we’ll be going to Promenade for fabric. But, you know, I’ve given my students other resources because it’s a little trickier teaching that class, not in Baltimore or not in San Francisco, where we can go to Britex, and they have lots of trims cause you’ve got to get all the bits and pieces that go with those jackets. But those are, kind of, the two main avenues.

Helen: Well, your classes are legendary because I think every sewist I’ve ever run into has said they want to take one of your classes. That’s one of their goals of their sewing career is to go and take the class with Susan Khalje.

Susan: Oh, gosh. Well, I have to say and so, well, that’s wonderful to hear, and, you know, it’s not just me because what is so lovely about it, and I didn’t realise this when I started it is that you are with kindred spirits, right? You’re with kindred souls, and people make the most wonderful friendships out of these classes. So do I, I mean, I have so many wonderful friends who I first met in my sewing classes.

Helen: Yeah. People come and they just, they have a great time, and they leave feeling fulfilled and just like their heart is so full from spending time with other people.

Susan: That’s absolutely true. And you know, I don’t know why, but sewers are really, really nice. And I don’t know, I don’t know maybe some psychologist could do this personality profile, but I always say if I did seminars with, I don’t know, young bank executives, I don’t know, maybe it’d be a snake pit, but sewers are really lovely, lovely people. So, so I think that’s part of what makes the whole thing, you know, a really marvellous experience.

Helen: And when you do workshops where people get to bring any kind of project they want to work on, how does that work for you interacting with every student and making sure you’re, you’re teaching them all, or are you just, sort of, doing one-on-one time and going around to each person, making sure that they’re making progress?

Susan: Um, it’s probably both. I mean, there are certain, certain techniques that apply to pretty much every project, you know, how to join an underlining to a fashion fabric, but then we get into specifics, and I think what’s so nice about the classes is that you may not be doing a boned bodice, but you can eavesdrop on the person who is doing a boned bodice, right? So you, kind of, get to get a bird’s-eye view of other projects as well.

I think it makes people feel a little less held up to other people. So let’s say you were all working on the same thing. Well, then you’d think, oh, she’s further along on her shirt than I am. She’s doing her cuffs. I’m still working on my whatever. So there’s none of that, right? You know, you’re each, kind of, going down your own path because you know, sewers, we all know different things, gosh, don’t get me to fit your pants. No, do not. You know, when I teach, I think, I think learning puts you in a vulnerable position because you’re, you’re there to learn which means you’re admitting you don’t know something, and I think that’s a hard place to be.

So I tend to be gentle with my students and realise that that’s a part of it. You know, you’re learning something. So let me, let me, let you learn it in your own way. So yeah, there’s a lot of hands-on, individual approach because, and you guys know this, everybody learns in a different way, right? This way I can personalise, you know, some people, you, kind of, need to tell them every step of the way, some people are, kind of, happy on their own. You just have to kind of check in on them. Some people are happy, but they need a lot of supervision, you know, being on their own. Um, so it’s always a very different approach. And I love the fact that I can personalise that with my students. I really like that.

Caroline: And what is the class size for your couture school classes?

Susan: Um, kind of, depends, 12, 13, something like that.

Helen: And you also have online classes, as well, for our listeners who may not be able to get to you in person.

Susan: I do. And that’s why, um, yeah, I’ve got, uh, we have a couple online, and we’ll be putting more and more of those online, but what we also have, and this is I think a really good way to learn, um, there’s the sewing club, which I started, oh gosh, I think about a year ago, partly because, like you said, not everybody can come to a class and it was, kind of, a way I thought, if I can recreate this wonderful atmosphere that my students have in the class of being with their sewing friends, the atmosphere you have, you know, in your classes, the atmosphere that I think develops, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could develop that online?

So that’s, kind of, what the club is and in the club, there’s a lot of, there’s not only people sending me pictures and saying, how can I get this to fit better? And everybody chimes in, or I’m taking a trip to Amsterdam, what are the sewing fabric stores, or what’s a good book about this or that, or, oh, check out this video. There’s a lot of online video content on that, which is sort of exclusive to that site, and let’s face it. Video is a good way to learn. I mean, yes, I would like to have you hands-on with me, that’s the best, but you know, we, we learn by video a lot these days.

Helen: It’s a nice way to get to know an instructor a bit, too. You watch some of their videos and figure out if they’re a good fit for you too, right?

Susan: Yeah, they, kind of, get to see what you’re really like.

Caroline: So if any of our listeners want to join your sewing club, how can they go about doing that?

Susan: Oh, I think you just go to SusanKhalje.com.

Caroline: Perfect. So one of the questions that comes to mind for me is just that you’ve been teaching for so many years, and you’ve dedicated a lot of your career to this, and I wonder what is the most rewarding part of teaching for you? What keeps you coming back? What made you want to really make this into your life’s work?

Susan: Interesting. I think that I find it continually interesting because, I well, part of it is the students, you know, cause they’re so wonderful, and I get a lot of energy and inspiration from them, but I think it’s the endless applications of this couture business, this couture set of techniques, I should say, this couture field, this couture universe, you know, it can just be applied so endlessly that I think that’s what, I think that’s what fascinates me. Just seeing the, the endless iterations of it. There’s that. Yeah. And I think, I think also, gosh, any teacher would tell you that it’s, oh, it’s a joy seeing people gather, inherit, inhabit, gain new knowledge. I mean, that’s the best, you know, when you see that light bulb go off in somebody’s, somebody’s eyes, somebody’s head and you realise, oh wow. They can do things they didn’t do before. I mean, that’s, that’s a special privilege, I think, when you’re able to do that for someone.

Helen: Yeah. I imagine you have a lot of those moments in your class because your students probably have sewing skills that they’ve learned throughout the years, but then when they take it to a couture place and they’re learning different approaches to things, there’s all sorts of light bulbs going off. I’m sure.

Susan: Oh yeah. It’s great. I mean, I get a lot of, my students are good. They really are. A lot of them are good, and I love that I can, I can just make them better.

Caroline: Yeah, it is so exciting the way that you talk about couture sewing. I think a lot of our listeners are going to be excited to give it a try and even just incorporate some of these techniques into their sewing practice on a regular basis. I love how you talk about it as the possibilities are endless, there aren’t limitations with patterns. You can, you can, you can make a couture garment from really any pattern. So I really, really love your approach to this. And I hope, uh, I hope this episode inspires our listeners to go check out some of your work and follow you and maybe take one of your classes someday.

Susan: Well, that would be wonderful. And my, thanks to you all for adding this, this dimension to the sewing world, you know, in, in keeping things going in your way, too, because we all have to, I mean, you know, our numbers are diminishing sadly. We know that. And, um, I think we just all have to do what we can to, to try to, to build them because it’s, you know, sewing’s the best. It’s lovely. It’s, it’s just a wonderful skill. It’s a wonderful world in which, you know, to create and explore. So I think anything that we can do to further that is a good thing. So my thanks to you for doing this.

Caroline: Aw, thank you. Well, we completely agree with you. That’s, we’re making it our mission to spread the sewing love and, and bring as many people into the sewing world as possible because it is such a wonderful craft.

Susan: Well, it is, it is a wonderful craft, and it takes dedication on the part of the learner because you have to be involved with it to a degree. You’ve got to have a degree of commitment and skill and time invested in this until you can wear something that you’ve made, I think, so, maybe letting people know that yeah, you got to, kind of, you got to, kind of, invest a bit in this, you know, you’ve got to, kind of, get into it and then, then you get these fantastic results. So worth it.

Caroline: So worth it. Susan, I hope you know that you are an inspiration for us and for a lot of our listeners. So it’s truly been an honour chatting with you today. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online? Absolutely. Just go to www.SusanKhalje.com, and you’ll find everything there.

Caroline: Perfect. Well, it was such a pleasure chatting with you. Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Oh, gosh, I can’t thank you enough. Huge thanks for asking me to, to be a part of this. It was my honour.

Helen: Bye.

Caroline: Bye.

Susan: Bye bye.

Caroline: That’s it for this Love to Sew Favourite. We’ll be back in March with our new season. You can find me Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you soon.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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Episode 107: Denim

Sam Humphrey — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 04:00:38 +0000

Everything you always wanted to know about Denim! What do denim weights mean? How do I choose the right denim for my project? What is selvage denim? We cover it all this week as we deep dive into Denim!

Check out SewSewLive on YouTube!

The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

Denim at Blackbird Fabric!
@blackbirdfabrics
@lovetosew.podcast
Send us your best sewing tip for a future episode! Leave us a voicemail at 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)
Frank and Oak – Selvage Denim
Cone Mills Denim
Raw Denim Care

Hampton Jean Jacket Sewalong: Bleaching + Distressing Denim on Alina Design Co.

Denim Bleaching & Distressing Experiments on True Bias
DIY Distressed Denim Techniques Road Tested (no longer available – check out Collective Gen’s “DIY Distressed Knee Jeans” instead!)

Anna-Zoe – Hampton Jean Jacket

Caroline’s Morgan Jeans Before:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Caroline Somos (@carolinesomos) on Sep 3, 2018 at 5:55pm PDT

- Caroline’s Morgan Jeans After:

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A post shared by Caroline Somos (@carolinesomos) on Jun 12, 2019 at 12:03pm PDT

Blackbird Fabrics Denim Pinterest Board
Episode 69: Jeans Making with Alina Kroeker
@dogwooddenim
Denim friendly pattern suggestions
- Non-Stretch Jeans
- Stretch Jeans
  - Ginger Jeans – Closet Case Patterns
  - Ames Jeans – Cashmerette
  - Safran Pants – Deer & Doe
  - Claryville Jeans – Workroom Social (great for comfort stretch denim!)
  - Ash Jeans – Megan Nielsen
  - Birkin Flares – Paperdahl (formerly Baste + Gather)
  - Jamie Jeans – Named
- Jackets
- Skirts
- Dungarees/Overalls/Pinafores
Denise Archer’s much-repaired jeans

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#miymarch19 Patch: The current state of my only pair of jeans… . @thatwendyward @dressmakerssocial

A post shared by Denise Archer (@pimp_slapped) on Mar 27, 2019 at 2:38pm PDT

Episode 9: The Refashioners with Portia Lawrie

#lovetosewjeans

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

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Transcript:

This transcript is based on the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released on February 22, 2022. You can listen to this version on the player below:

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Caroline: Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off-season, so we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

If you want more Love to Sew, head over to our Patreon. We have a lot of fun over there, and we appreciate our Patreon fam so, so much.

Caroline: And don’t worry folks, we’ll be back in March 2022 with a fabulous new season of Love to Sew. Now let’s get to this Love to Sew favourite.

Helen: Hello, and welcome. I’m Helen.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline.

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

Caroline: Are you planning to make some jeans this fall? We’ve got you covered. We talk about types of denim, denim weights, how to sew with denim, and denim terminology. What even is selvedge denim anyways? What does unsanforized mean? How can we make our handmade jeans last for years? All this and more in today’s episode.

Helen: Denim, denim, denim.

Caroline: Hello!

Helen: I can already tell you’re very excited about this episode.

Caroline: I am. I love denim. I love talking about denim. I love buying denim. I love sewing with denim. I love making jeans. Jean, jeans, jeans.

Helen: Yes, and it’s that time of year again, and it’s very exciting. I need some new jeans in my wardrobe, so I think this episode is going to be the push I need to get out all of my denim from my stash and see what I’ve got going on and make some cool jeans.

Caroline: How much denim would you say you have in your stash?

Helen: Um, I probably have about 20 metres. Is that a lot?

Caroline: Twenty metres! That’s, like, 10 pairs of jeans.

Helen: Because I started buying all those bull denims that you’re carrying in all the colours which is really fun. So now I have, like, not just blue denim, but lots of colour denim, too, and lots of duck canvas and stuff like that.

Caroline: Amazing. Tons of bottom weights. It’s going to be the fall of jeans.

Helen: The fall of jeans? That could, that sounds like it could go either way.

Caroline: It’s going to be the autumn of jeans.

Helen: I like that.

Caroline: Alright, so we have so much to cover today.

Helen: And we also wanted to say that today, or at least around this time, is our two year podcast anniversary.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. Two years.

Helen: I know. So we started the podcast in August of 2017.

Caroline: Yup.

Helen: It’s been two years. I mean, I can hardly believe it.

Caroline: No, I can’t either. I can. I can, but I can’t. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t.

Helen: We’re very proud of, uh, the fact that we’ve put out an episode every week for the last two years. Um, and we’ve enjoyed every minute of it, so…

Caroline: Never late. Always on time.

Helen: Always on time.

Caroline: Always on time. You can rely on us. Every Tuesday, you can wake up to an episode.

Helen: Um, yes, and we want to thank you so much. We also, we want to brag, and also, thank you…

Caroline: Yes. Thank you for listening.

Helen: …for listening.

Caroline: And showing us love every week and supporting us. And we want to ask for your help to spread the word about the show.

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: We did this last year, and it worked really well. And, you know, if you love listening to the podcast, it would be amazing if you could just, like, take a screenshot of your podcast app or grab any photo from our Instagram feed or our website, and just share it with your friends, share it with your followers, and just help us spread the word about the show.

We get new listeners all the time which blows my mind because a lot of people listen to the show. It’s amazing that there are still people out there that don’t listen to the show, but there are. So help us spread the word and help others sewists discover us. It makes us so happy the idea of getting people to discover us.

Helen: Think about that moment when you found the podcast and realised that there were podcasts about the thing that you’re into and how awesome it is.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Um, so try to spread that to someone else. And if you’re not into social media, you can just email your friend…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …who sews and be like, do you listen to this show? Because you should.

Caroline: Yeah. Absolutely.

Helen: Thank you so much for your help. We can’t wait to see you sharing us.

Caroline: Yes. Alright, we are going to kick off this episode with a question from Carmella.

Carmella: Hello, hello. My name is Carmella, and I live in Tampa, Florida. Um, I have a question for you guys. I am considering sewing my first pair of jeans. And, um, I’m looking at the Morgan Pattern cause I really want a pair of, uh, boyfriend cut jeans. However, I’m super picky about my colours, and I really want to do them in a light wash.

So my problem is that I can’t find a light wash denim on the internet, and I have absolutely, like, zero fabric stores in Tampa. Um, so if you guys could give me some feedback on where to find that or if I’m supposed to bleach myself, or whatever, because I clearly don’t know what I’m doing. Love the podcast. You guys are great. Thanks! Bye!

Caroline: Carmella, that is an amazing question, and I actually get this question a lot at Blackbird because it is really difficult to find light wash denim. And I hadn’t really realised how difficult it was until I started trying to source it, and it is really hard to find. The reason for that is in ready to wear the bleaching and the washing of the denim happens after the jeans have been produced. So a lot of the denim that you can find is a darker indigo wash. And then in the industry, they sewed it up into jeans and then they do the bleaching. And that’s how you get those beautiful, kind of, fade lines along the seam lines. And you know, all of that character that a bleached denim has, kind of, comes from doing it after you sew up your jeans.

If you have bleached denim that you work with and then sew the jeans, you’re not getting that, kind of, fade lines and that character in your pair of jeans, if that makes sense. You can still find light wash denims out there, and sometimes you can sew them up into jeans and then wash them even more and you’ll still get a little bit of character there. I’ve seen it online. I’ve seen it on fabric.com. So do a little bit of digging. But, also, I would not be afraid of working with a darker wash denim, sewing up a pair of jeans and then bleaching them yourself.

Helen: Yeah, if that’s how they do it in the biz, then why not you?

Caroline: And we’ll talk a little bit more about that later. Um, we have some tips and some articles to point you towards, people who have experimented with that that might help you on your bleaching journey. But I say, go for it.

Helen: Bleaching journey.

Caroline: Bleaching journey. You’re denim bleaching journey. Thank you.

Helen: Alright, so you did the prep for this episode because you’re the expert. So I’m going to, like, play the listener.

Caroline: I love, I love it when we do this.

Helen: Caroline, what is denim?

Caroline: Denim is the fabric of America. I read that somewhere online, and I thought that would be a really fun thing to throw in there. Um…

Helen: Why is it the fabric of America?

Caroline: I think because it’s just, like, the cornerstone of what Americans wear, and it was also, kind of, developed and started being made in the US.

Helen: For people working in factories and stuff like that.

Caroline: Exactly. So denim is a sturdy twill weave fabric where the warp thread is dyed, usually indigo dyed, and the weft thread is white. So because of the twill weave of the fabric, the diff, and the different colored threads, the front side ends up being dominantly blue and the backside is dominantly white. So that’s how you get that denim look, you know, if you cuff your jeans along the cuff, you’ve got that lighter white colour.

And denim became really popular in the US in the mid-19th century when Western labourers were looking for a sturdy, durable material for their work clothes. So that’s, kind of, the origin of denim, but in today’s society, like I said, it’s a cornerstone of our everyday wardrobe. Like, we all have different preferences for what we look for in a good pair of jeans or a good denim.

So today we’re going to cover as much as we can about denim so that you can feel confident when you’re shopping for your next pair of handmade jeans, or maybe a jean jacket, skirt, whatever you want to make with your denim.

Helen: I think it’s really amazing that denim is so ubiquitous that it’s a neutral in our wardrobes, even though it has a lot of character, like, there’s a lot of going on in most jeans, there’s pockets, and there’s topstitching, and there’s zippers, and there’s all these different styles of waist and leg and it’s blue most of the time, which we wouldn’t think of as being a neutral colour, but we all wear jeans as a neutral base, and everything goes with jeans, and it’s so easy to style, but that’s just because we’re so used to seeing it, that it has become neutral.

Caroline: Absolutely.

Helen: So interesting.

Caroline: Yeah, I love denim.

Helen: Yes, you mentioned that. Okay, so what are the types of denim?

Caroline: Okay. Yeah, I think that’s the first thing we need to cover, right? Cause there are different types of denim. And when you are approaching buying denim, you want to be thinking about, what type of denim do I want to buy today?

So the first one we’ll cover is stretch denim. So usually a stretch denim is a blend of cotton and spandex. Uh, sometimes you’ll have a little bit of polyester in there, sometimes other blends, but generally you’re looking at cotton spandex, and this is going to stretch, which is going to give you the ultimate comfort. So if you’re looking for those comfy, kind of, like, skin hugging pairs of jeans, like, hugging curves jeans, you’re going to want to go for a stretch.

So skinny jeans, jeggings style jeans, usually you’re going to have about two to three percent spandex or elastane in a stretch denim, but keep in mind that not all stretch denims are created equally. So sometimes a stretch denim with 2% spandex will actually stretch more than a denim with 3% spandex. It’s all about the construction, the weight, the way that it’s produced. So don’t necessarily only look at the spandex percentage to know how much stretch your denim is going to have.

Plus, on top of that, when you wash stretch denim, the character of that denim can change really significantly, and so your stretch, a lot of the time when denim comes off the bolt, there’s starch on it. We’ll talk about that again, in this episode, cause that’s, like, a huge part of buying denim, keeping in mind that denim off the bolt is starched, it feels stiffer.

So when you do that first wash with a stretch denim, that starch comes out and that spandex becomes more prominent and you’ll actually get more feeling out of that denim after you’ve washed it the first time. It’s not always as simple as, like, judging a denim based on how much it stretches in the store cause it can change after you wash it.

So, one thing I’ll say is that while stretch denim is more comfortable, it will not last as long as non-stretch denim, especially if you’re going to be washing your jeans all the time because spandex breaks down over time with heat and washing, so eventually, it’s going to lose its elasticity. It’s going to lose its recovery. So stretch jeans are not necessarily the jeans that are going to last, you, like, 10 years, you know?

Helen: Right. That makes sense.

Caroline: There’s a life cycle on those.

Helen: I think all of us, like, well, maybe not all of us, have pulled on that, like, old pair of jeggings, and they’re just, like, all bagged out in the knees or maybe they rip, you know, in the butt or something. And you’re like, okay, these are done.

Caroline: Yeah, and you can almost see, like, the difference if you take a photo of your stretch jeans, like, right after you make them and then, you know, a couple of years down the line, you’ll see the difference. And even just after you wash them, they’re not bouncing back as quickly. There’s, like, a little bit of bagging out. So yeah, it does make a difference. But if you’re looking for that skinny jean style, then you want to go for stretch denim of course.

Helen: Yeah, with stretch denims, are they typically the lighter weight on the weight scale as well?

Caroline: Yeah, I would say like, if you’re going for a classic skinny jean, it’s going to be a lighter weight denim. If you’re going for non-stretch denim, then it’ll be a little bit heavier, but we’ll talk about weight next.

Helen: Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Caroline: Okay. So non-stretch denim often that’s going to be a hundred percent cotton, but I’ve also seen some really gorgeous, like, cotton Tencel or cotton modal blends. So you might find a really beautiful blend, but a hundred percent cotton is the classic non-stretch denim. Doesn’t have spandex, so it doesn’t have any give, but a non stretch denim is going to last longer.

And in my opinion, especially now in the sewing world, it’s more versatile cause there are so many patterns out there for non-stretch denim. There are not that many patterns for stretch denim. So I just think that a non-stretch denim, if you’re, like, building up your stash, is a really great way to go because you can make jeans, but you can also make jean jackets and skirts and all kinds of different things with that.

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: Now, comfort stretch denim.

Helen: Ooh, what did we call it earlier? The silent warrior.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Silent warrior of the denim world.

Caroline: It’s, so comfort stretch denim is basically denim with around 1% spandex in it. So you treat it as a non-stretch denim, but it has just the tiniest bit of give. And that is often used for those non-stretch style garments, but it gives them a little bit more comfort and a little bit more recovery from the spandex.

So if you’re shopping ready to wear, a lot of, like, men’s classic men’s jeans in this, you know, day and age have just that little 1% of comfort stretch. Um, but personally I love a comfort stretch because you get a little bit of spandex, but then you can also use it for those non-stretch denim patterns.

Helen: Yeah. And do you think that fabric stores now are labelling things as comfort stretch? Or are we looking for the percentage being lower?

Caroline: I would look for the percentage being lower cause I don’t know that many fabric stores that would actually market something as a comfort stretch denim. It’s more of an industry term that I’ve seen, like, in the, you know, at trade shows and that kind of thing, but look out for it.

I mean, again, keep in mind that 1% spandex is going to make it so that it might break down a little bit quicker over time. But if you’re looking for, like, the non-stretch styles with a little bit of give, that’s your sweet spot.

Helen: Yeah, and for our sustainable-focused sewers out there, the non-stretch denim would be the way to go, right?

Caroline: A hundred percent cotton. Yeah, definitely.

Helen: Awesome.

Caroline: Alright, so let’s touch briefly on denim weight because I think it can be a little bit overwhelming when you’re looking at a whole bunch of different denims, and you’re like, do I want eight ounce? Do I want 12 ounce? What does that mean?

Helen: What even is an ounce?

Caroline: So, ounce weight is usually ounce per square yard. So that’s literally the ounce weight of the fabric if you cut a square yard of the fabric. Um, and it’s a pretty common term when you’re talking about weight. So if you’re shopping at different fabric stores, like, a lot of them will use ounces to describe the weight of the fabric.

So once you get to know different fabrics, looking at the ounce weight might be helpful for you to, kind of, learn more about weight. To me, an eight to 10 ounce denim would be a lightweight denim. So I wouldn’t go much lower than eight ounces, and that kind of weight is really great for skinny jeans, but it might be a little bit too light for a non-stretch denim.

So, um, you want to be, like, maybe 10 ounces and more for a non-stretch if you can find it. Ten to 13 ounces is a really great mid-weight denim. For me, that’s the sweet spot. That’s what I look for in a denim. It’s my favourite weight for non-stretch jeans cause it’s not too heavy, but it gives you that heft and that stiffness and that, kind of, like, strength and durability that you want out of non-stretch patterns.

And then you can even go heavier weight, so over 13 ounces. Thirteen to 15 ounces, you might find that. I think we have a 14 ounce denim in the shop. That is going to be, like, a heavier weight denim. It’s amazing for if you want to do distressing, or if you want that really classic, like, mom jean style denim that’s going to last a really long time like vintage Levi’s that you find in a thrift store that have been, like, bleached out.

Like, that’s going to be, like, a heavyweight denim, but when you find it in the thrift store, it doesn’t feel super heavyweight cause it’s been washed over and over again and worn over and over again and, kind of, like, naturally distressed over time. So if you want that out of a pair of jeans, that you’re going to, kind of ,commit to wearing for a long time, then, like, the heavier you can comfortably go the better because that just means your denim’s going to last longer.

Helen: Makes sense.

Caroline: Yeah, and just, don’t be afraid of denim when you’re looking at a denim in the store and it feels really heavy. Just remind yourself, it will feel so much softer and lighter after you wash it because you’re washing out that starch from the denim. And it’s just not going to feel as, like, cardboard-y.

Helen: Yeah, sometimes they’re so crisper, like, stiff, like a board, or they feel like upholstery canvas or something. And you’re like, I wouldn’t want this on my body.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But that’s not what they feel like after you wash them. But, of course, it’s very hard to make that call when you’re at the store.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Um, we’ll talk a little bit more about shopping. Alright, so what about denim terminology? Because there’s so many words and every fabric store’s labelling it differently. And it’s hard to know what is what and who’s where and all that.

Caroline: Yeah, there are definitely some terms being thrown around, and you might not know what they mean. So I covered a few of them here. Um, the first one I want to talk about is raw denim. So raw denim is simply denim that has not been washed after it’s, like, dyeing and finishing processes. So most high-quality denims that you’re finding online in fabric stores are actually raw denims because, like I said, a lot of that washing process is going to happen after the jeans have been made. So the stuff that you can find in the industry is usually raw denim, unless it’s been marked as, like, washed, and there’s some kind of finish on the bolt.

Again, when you receive your raw denim, it might seem really stiff. Don’t worry. That’s the starch. It’s going to wash out. Washing out the starch, it’s not only going to change the hand feel, but it’s also going to change the colour of the denim cause the starch can make the denim look a little bit more grey. So a lot of the time it’ll, kind of, almost become more saturated and darker blue after it’s first wash.

And then some jeans are actually left raw and then worn without washing for, like, at least six months to create the distressing naturally. So if you’re looking for jeans like ready to wear and you buy a pair of raw jeans, like raw denim jeans, usually they’re just, like, stiff as a board. And if you’re like a raw denim junkie, you’ll, like, wear them for six months without washing them.

Maybe even, like, you know, put them in the freezer to get rid of that, like, bacteria and smell and just, like, keep wearing them until you can’t possibly wear them anymore and then you wash them, and all of those natural crease lines that are unique to your body, when you do that first wash, they, kind of, like, fade out and you get, like, a natural distressing that isn’t, like, industry made.

Helen: It’s very cool.

Caroline: It is very, very cool. So as home sewists, you, kind of, have a choice with raw denim. Most of the denim you’re gonna get is raw. So you have to make that choice. Prewash your denim. That’s what I would recommend. But you can also leave it raw and wear it raw. If you want to try that out, you can not prewash it. Wear your jeans raw. Let them, like, naturally distress over time and then wash them eventually. And there’s tons of articles online how to do that, so you can look that up.

Helen: And the reason why we say that we recommend that you prewash your denim is simply because we want you to get a good fit from the pattern that you’re making. And with raw denim, because you’re not sure how much it’s going to shrink after you make the jeans, it’s like putting all this effort into making the jeans and then washing them and hoping that they fit after. Um, maybe you size up or size or two, to, like, make that happen. But it’s just a little bit more of a gamble. So if you’re just getting into making jeans, we recommend washing your fabric first so you have the most chance at getting a good fit.

Caroline: And you can do your own artificial distressing at home. So if you prewash your denim and then you sew it up into jeans and then you decide you want to, like, add some holes or some, you know, fade lines or whatever, you can totally do that at home. And we have some tips for you later on.

But, one thing I’ll mention is, like, for me, I’ve made a bunch of different pairs of jeans. I think I’ve made, like, five pairs of jeans, and I have always pre-washed, sewn them into jeans, and it only takes a few months to start getting those, like, beautiful, natural crease signs and fade lines. And there’s nothing, like, jeans that have been, like, faded to your body. It’s super cool. And it’s super fun to see that change. Like, I even encourage you to take a photo of your jeans right after you make them and then a few months later.

And maybe I’ll pop a photo, cause I have a photo of, one of my jeans that I’m thinking of in particular, after I first made them and now. And, like, they look so different cause they’ve just faded so much with washing and wearing. And, so you don’t even have to do the whole raw denim thing to get fade lines naturally.

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: Okay. The next term I want to touch on is sanforized and unsanforized. And that term, kind of, relates to raw denim. So when you’re buying raw denim, most of the denim that you’re going to find in fabric stores is sanforized. Sanforized means that it has been pre-shrunk. So, in the production process, they’re pre-shrinking the goods so that they’re not going to shrink significantly after their first wash.

Unsanforized has not been pre-shrunk. So if you’re sewing up your jeans raw, you definitely want to size up accordingly because, theoretically, if you’re doing the raw jeans thing and you’re working with unsanforized denim, you’re going to only wash them way down the line. So you want to, like, size up so that you’re thinking about how much they’re going to shrink. Unsanforized denim will shrink, like, 10% on its first wash. Sanforized denim is more, like, two or 3%.

Helen: Right. Okay. Sanforized denim has been pre-shrunk, but it’s, like, pre-shrinking during production, not pre-shrinking post-production.

Caroline: It’s, yeah, exactly. It’s during production.

Helen: And then you still want to prewash sanforized denim, right?

Caroline: Cause it’s still going to shrink that, like, two or 3%.

Helen: Gotcha. Okay. What about, it’s all over the sewing community, selvedge denim?

Caroline: Yes, selvedge denim is really, really cool. So selvedge denim is produced on shuttle looms, and they actually make a fabric that is less wide. How did you say that?

Helen: Narrower.

Caroline: Narrower. Nailed it. Less wide. They produce a narrower fabric, and a lot of raw denim is actually made on old vintage shuttle looms which I think adds a little bit of, like, cache to the product. Because of this type of loom, it produces a denser weave. And the cool thing is that the selvedge is closed. So do you know when you buy a fabric, a lot of the time, even with most denims that are normal widths, you’ll see along the edge that there’s, like, little, kind of, weft threads that are cut? So it’s, like, hairy, almost along the edge of the fabric.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline; With selvedge denim, you don’t have the, that cut edge, so the weft is continuous which means that the selvedge is closed. And, again, a narrow width of fabric, and this, kind of, denotes a higher quality because with the continuous weft, the fabric is, like, denser, a denser weave. Why? Why are you laughing at me?

Helen: Sorry.

Caroline: Cause I like talking with my hands?

Helen: I just wish our listeners could see how much you’re moving your arms.

Caroline: Cause I’m so excited about selvedge denim.

Helen: I know we need to take a video because you were, like, explaining it, and, like, the visuals are really adding to it. Sorry. Okay.

Caroline: So selvedge denim is a denser weave. It’s a stronger weave. And because of the continuous weft, it’s just denotes, like, a higher quality. So the other cool thing about selvedge denim is that when you’re cutting out your jeans, you want to try to preserve that selvedge edge along the side seam.

So usually you’ll find, like, a pattern that’s drafted for that. The Phillipa Pants is a really good example from Anna Allen clothing, with a nice straight side seam. So you preserve that edge so that when you cuff your jeans, you can get that selvedge edge. And a lot of the time it’ll be, like, a pop of colour so that you’ll get, like, a red selvedge, which I think is the Levi’s signature colour. But you know, there’s all different colours. I’ve seen green, blue, pink.

Helen: Like, even just black straight. So yeah.

Caroline: It looks so good.

Helen: So beautiful. So cool. And if you don’t have selvedge denim, you can, like, get that pop of red if you just use, like, red serger thread, and then when you cuff it, it looks like you have selvedge denim.

Caroline: And you can even use that selvedge for other details like in the coin pocket or your back pocket. Like, I’ve seen it used in some really, really cool ways. So I wanted to read this little blurb from Frank and Oak’s website. They have a whole, like, article about selvedge denim, and I thought this was really interesting.

“All denim used to be selvedge, but the booming demand for jeans and denim in the 50s (brought on by movie stars like James Dean) meant jeans makers needed a faster, more efficient method to meet demand. They switched from a shuttle loom to a projectile loom. In the late-70s and early-80s, Japan went denim-crazy. Japanese brands started scooping up old shuttle looms and producing selvedge jeans themselves. Denim-heads in the States began looking to Japan for the best selvedge denim.

Selvedge denim is a mix of quality, rarity, nostalgia, and personalization. Generally, a pair of selvedge jeans will last longer because they feature a denser weave, have more weight to them, provide better creasing over time, and produce a more personalised fit and feel for more character overall.”

And we will link that article in the show notes cause it’s a great read, but I do think that a lot of the appeal of selvedge denim is just that history behind it and that kind of cache, that character. It’s just a beautiful, high-end product.

Helen: Yeah, I mean, it sounds like it’s more than just cache because you’re getting a denser weave which equals a longer lasting pair of jeans in the end. So if you see selvedge denim, snap it up.

Caroline: Yep.

Helen: Alright, what about Japanese denim? Because they mentioned that Japan went denim crazy. So what’s going on over there?

Caroline: Yeah, so there’s a lot of raw denim being produced in Japan. And the cool thing is that it’s often made on those vintage looms that have been scooped up from the US when all those factories were closing in the US. So this old, vintage loom production leads to more variation and imperfections in the weaving process, which for raw denim enthusiasts is actually what they want and like. They like those kinds of slabs and imperfections and texture in the fabric. And that’s, kind of, a signature of Japanese denim.

Japan also has a really rich history of textile dyeing which means they use some unique dyeing processes that create a really great variety of washes and saturations in their indigo denim. So that’s, kind of, what sets Japan apart from other countries in terms of denim production. They also just have really nice quality standards. Um, so, I just think, like, Japanese denims are the best denims out there.

Helen: Oh really? I love it. Okay. Where else are denims coming from?

Caroline: So you’ll also find really beautiful, high quality denims from Turkey and Italy. And, of course, the US. Although, unfortunately, the White Oak plant from Cone Mills closed a few years ago, so we’re no longer getting Cone Mills denim in the US. We’ll talk a little bit more about that in a minute, but you can find Turkey, Italy, Japan, US. That’s, kind of, where you want to go. That’s not to say that amazing denim isn’t made elsewhere, but if you see denims from those countries, then that’s, like, a, kind of, a surefire way to know that you’re getting something that’s of a higher quality.

Helen: Gotcha. Okay. And then Cone Mills is another term that people say all the time. It was Cone Mills denim.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: They have Cone Mills denim. So, like, what does that even mean?

Caroline: Yeah. So Cone Mills is the name of a company that produces denim. And they actually had a factory called the White Oak plant in North Carolina that has, was in operation for, like, over a hundred years. And it was the last selvedge denim mill in the US using vintage looms. So it was really sad actually when it closed because a lot of people were getting their denims from there and able to say, especially American companies able to say, like, our denim is made in America. And they can no longer say that if they’re working with selvedge denim because there aren’t any selvedge denims being made in America anymore. At least not on the scale that Cone Mills was doing it. So yeah, a lot of high end jean companies and, like, Levi’s even were using them.

And even before they closed, we were seeing Cone Mills denim popping up in the sewing world which is really cool. But then right when we were getting real into Cone Mills denim, they closed their plants, so that was sad.

Helen: I know. But then all of these companies, like yourself included, snapped up as much as you could to try and sell it, so you still will see White Oak Cone Mills denim out there in fabric shops because people did try to buy as much as they could basically. Um, but Cone Mills isn’t done for, right? Like, there’s other plants?

Caroline: Yeah, so they have locations in China and Mexico, as well, where they’re still producing denim. And one interesting thing that one of my suppliers in LA explained to me was that the USA plant was using some, like, really vintage looms. So they actually ended up producing goods that had a lot of flaws in them. And there were, like, problems in production. So their, uh, factories in Mexico and in China are using more modern looms. So they’re producing in some ways an even higher quality product than what the USA was, was producing.

Helen: Right, so it just might not satisfy the denim nerds out there, but…

Caroline: And the people that are looking for something that’s, like, domestically made, but don’t, you know, Cone Mills denim is now, like, not a good quality product. It’s still the same beautiful qual-, quality product. It’s just, sadly, no longer made in America.

I also wanted to touch on S-Gene denim because that’s another term that gets thrown around, and it’s, sort of, related to Cone Mills because it’s a patented technology that Cone Mills invented, and it blends cotton with polyester and spandex so that creates a really long lasting denim that holds its shape without stretching or bagging out. So this denim has really, really great snapback, which is, like, recovery and, kind of, boasts the whole concept of, like, no baggy knees, you know, like you’re wearing a pair of jeans and at the end of the day you get saggy knees. So S-Gene denim is known for, like, no baggy knees.

Helen: Alright, cool.

Caroline: It is a really great product. I mean, it’s, it’s definitely above and beyond in quality than a lot of other stretch denims that I’ve seen. Um, not to say it’s the only good stretch denim out there, but it is a great product. So if you can still find it, which you should be able to, it’s definitely out there, then snap it up.

Helen: Cool. Okay. I have a question.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: All of these, like, types of denims, weights of denims, such good information, but what if I’m at the fabric store and I’m in the denim area and, like, it’s just a wall of unlabeled bolts of denim and there’s no information, then what do I do?

Caroline: That sounds horrible.

Helen: I mean, it is.

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, if there is any kind of labelling look at country of origin. That’s, like, the first thing that you want to look at because if you’re finding something that’s, like, made in Japan or made in Italy, then right away, you’re, like, on the right track. But what I would say is, go in with a plan. So think before you get to the fabric store about what you’re looking for in a denim.

So do you want it to have stretch or non-stretch? What weight are you looking for? What pattern are you going to be using? What kind of wash or look or feel are you looking for in your denim? Go in with a plan.

And then also remember that the denim that you’re feeling off the bolt is going to soften significantly with washing. So don’t necessarily be deterred by, like, a cardboard-y feeling denim because that will soften.

Ask for help. I feel like people can be scared going to fabric stores to ask sales associates for help. And that could be because of, you know, negative experiences. That’s a really great way to learn from the people that work there. You might come across somebody who has sewn a pair of jeans themselves and can recommend personally a denim or who knows someone else who works in the store that has.

So ask questions as much as you can to try to find the right denim for your project. Experiment. You could always buy, like, a quarter yard of a few different denims, go home, wash them, see how they feel. And then when you can, buy from a source that you trust and that labels the denims and can, you know, can answer your questions.

So at Blackbird Fabrics, we put as much information in the product description as we can. And we answer all the questions that come in about, is this going to be right for my project or not? Or, you know, kind of look for those companies that are going to give that extra information to use that you can make a more informed decision.

Helen: Yeah. I love that you put the pattern recommendation. So if you’re like, I want to make the Philippa Pants, then you just have to find a denim on Blackbird that says Phillipa Pants in the description and you’re good to go.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. And we love making jeans at Blackbird, so we definitely have, like, personal experience working with most of the denims that we sell. Yeah, so, it’s fun. But yeah, a lot of it comes with experience, too. Like, you don’t expect your first pair of jeans to be perfect, right?

Helen: Mine definitely weren’t. They were a little bit of a mess, and I didn’t end up wearing them that much, but I learned how to construct them. And then I realised that I just picked the wrong weight of fabric for the project which of course is going to happen.

Caroline: So you’re going to learn, like, after your first pair right away, you’ll know, okay, this is too light for me or it’s too stretchy for me or it’s not the right colour or not the right pattern or something like that. Like, you’re going to learn the more jeans you make, and eventually, you’ll figure out what you like, and if you find a denim that you love, buy a lot of it.

You can use it now. You can use it in five years. You can make different types of garments with it. Like, I have one particular denim that I’m thinking of a cotton and Modal blend that I was, like, in love with, and I bought like six metres of it cause I was like, I must have this, like, on reserve for the future.

Helen: I have some of that, too. And it’s amazing.

Caroline: And I’m saving it because I have a pair of jeans out of it, and I love them so much. I still wear them, like, three years later, and I’m like, okay, I’m going to save this for, like, the next pair of those jeans maybe.

Helen: My Persephones are made out of those, and they’re so soft.

Caroline: So soft, right? Yeah, okay, so I also want to talk, kind of, briefly about denim care and raw denim care, in particular, cause that’s most of the denim that you’re going to be finding online. We do have a ton of info about this on the Blackbird Fabrics website, which Sam will link in the show notes. It’s a webpage just called Raw Denim Care.

Denim can do weird things in the wash, especially when you’re talking about heavyweight denims, because in the industry and production denim is usually only washed after the jeans are sewn up. So it’s, like, a much smaller piece of material being washed and in commercial machines, right? So those machines are bigger. They can take larger loads.

And if you decide to go with the fabric pre washing route, which we do recommend, we have some tips that can help you kind of give that denim the care it deserves and avoid any weird mishaps or strange things happening to your denim.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So the first tip that I have is to pre-soak your denim in the tub. So, like I said, home washing machines can be, kind of, small, especially when you’re talking about heavier weight fabric, so, like, 11, 12 ounces or more. So if there are creases and folds in the denim when it goes into your washing machine, this could lead to inconsistent dye runs and, like, white lines in the fabric that are hard, if not impossible, to get out.

So instead of washing your fabric or throwing it immediately in the wash, you can soak your fabric in cold water and hang it to dry. And this is going to lessen that oss of the indigo dye. It’s also going to help to preshrink your fabric before you use it. And you’re, like, avoiding the washing machine altogether.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: So it’s still going to do the preshrinking. It’s just, you’re not having to worry so much about those creases. You could also pre-soak your fabric, and get it completely wet to relax those creases and then transfer it into your washing machine. But just keep in mind, like, anything over 11, 12 ounces is going to run the risk of getting crease lines in a conventional sewing machine.

So if you’re worried about that, if you’re working with a really heavy denim, then soak it in the tub, just in case. You can also cut it into smaller pieces, especially if it’s a really large piece. Cut it down and wash those pieces individually. Just make sure that you can fit your pattern pieces on the size of cut that you made.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So if you’re gonna put your denim into a washing machine, you have to floof your fabric.

Helen: I’m sorry. What?

Caroline: So floofing is a term that we invented. Probably not, but we use it a lot at Blackbird because it literally means, like, you pull at your fabric. You, kind of, unfold the whole piece, and you flick it a few times to, kind of, unfurl all of those crinkles and creases.

So you’re literally, like, cush, cush, cush, flicking your fabric. I wish you guys could see me right now. Maybe I’ll do a video.

Helen: I mean, I think the word floof pretty much nails it. It, it describes it perfectly.

Caroline: Yeah, you definitely don’t want to, like, take your folded fabric and put it right in the washing machine cause that is going to be a disaster. You have to floof your fabric and when you’re lowering your fabric into the washing machine, mind those creases and make sure that you’re not, you know, like, bunching it up and crinkling it. Like, always wash your denim one piece at a time. Floof it, carefully put it into your washing machine.

Helen: We’re not supposed to cram it in with all of our other washing?

Caroline: No, and then keep in mind too, that the heat from your dryer is going to fade the indigo dye quicker. So if you don’t want that to happen, then you can avoid tumble drying your denim and then just hang it to dry. And it’ll just, like, preserve that indigo.

Helen: Love it.

Caroline: My last thing that I’ll say is, like, you definitely don’t need to wash your denim if you don’t want to. You can go the raw denim route and try that out. A couple of girls at Blackbird are doing that, and it’s super cool to see their denims, kind of, fade over time.

Helen: That’s interesting.

Caroline: Yeah, so you can do it.

Helen: So this might sound scary because you talked about all of the dangers of putting heavyweight denims in the wash, but don’t let it intimidate you. Soaking in the tub isn’t so bad. I’ve also definitely thrown 14 ounce denims in my washing machine, in my apartment building, and it’s turned out fine. So you don’t necessarily have to be worried if you are a little bit more cavalier like me.

Caroline: Yeah, and I think, like, the biggest thing, if you’re going to put it into your washing machine, is the floofing.

Helen: Right.

Caroline: I need to get, like, a t-shirt that says, like, floof your denim or something.

Helen: I’m adding that to our enamel pins.

Caroline: Floof that denim! That’s how you’re going to get your denim to soften. So especially if you’re working with a heavyweight denim, like, I would presoak it or prewash it. And even if you do get some of those creases, like, don’t stress out, it adds character.

Helen: It totally does.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: If you’re working with a really beautiful heavyweight denim, maybe you want to distress your denim.

Helen: Maybe you do.

Caroline: Maybe you do. We have never tried, like, I’ve never tried this. Helen, you’ve never tried distressing denim.

Helen: No, I haven’t. I’m always very intrigued when I see people doing Instagram stories about it or writing blog posts, but I have not dived into this yet.

Caroline: So we’re not going to pretend to be experts on the topic, but there are some really great articles online from Alina Design Co., True Bias, A Pair and A Spare. They have some really awesome articles that we’ll link in the show notes all about distressing denim.

But basically, you can do a few different things. You can bleach your denim, you can use sandpaper, cheese grater, scissors, tweezers, exacto knife, all things you probably have around your house and just experiment. And I would say speriment on swatches first.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Don’t go right into, I just said, speriment.

Helen: Speriment on those swatches.

Caroline: Speriment on those swatches. Experiment on swatches first and see what you like and then go to your final pair of jeans cause, I mean, I’m scared of it, too.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Like, when you think about sewing up a whole pair of jeans and then, like, going at it with some bleach and sandpaper, like, that’s kind of scary, right?

Helen: It is scary. Yeah, you want to get a sense for how it might look and how the denim is going to behave if you hit it with sandpaper. And there’s so many different grits of sandpaper and so many, like, different timeframes for bleaching. And if you’re looking for a specific colour, you really want to do a proper test, see how long you need to bleach it for, and know exactly what you’re going to get at the end.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely.

Helen: But I think sanding is probably the least commitment. Like, if you just want a little bit of distressing on your zipper fly and your pockets, a little sandpaper. See what happens.

Caroline: Sandpaper action.

Helen: Yeah. Don’t sandpaper them while you’re wearing them.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: I mean, I guess you could.

Caroline: You also have to be careful with, like, your stitching. So if you’re sandpapering…

Helen: Sandpapering? Sanding? Nailed it.

Caroline: If you’re sanding your jeans around areas where there’s topstitching, you could, like, sand off your topstitching. So you might have to go back in and, like, reinforce some areas.

Helen: Or sand in the sewing process, sand your seam, and then topstitch it.

Caroline: I have seen someone do that. Who did that? I feel like it was Anya from Anna Zoey Sews that did a jean jacket where she was, like, distressing and then topstitching. We’ll see if we can find a link for that, but it was really cool. Yeah, there’s tons of different ways that you can do it, and we’ll try to find some really great articles for you guys.

Helen: I’m in the “let it happen naturally” camp.

Caroline: Me, too, but I do, like, one day, want to try making a pair of, like, really cool mom jeans and then, like, bleaching them.

Helen: Yeah, that would be cool.

Caroline: Yeah, I feel like that’d be awesome. So in terms of sources for jeans fabric, jeans making supplies, we have some suggestions, um…

Helen: Blackbird Fabrics, of course. I won’t make you plug yourself…

Caroline: Thank you.

Helen: …but I buy all my denim from you because you just drop it at, like, the perfect time before it’s denim making season, and you usually always have something in stock, and it’s just, it’s always great.

Caroline: And then of course, Stonemountain. Stonemountain, the queens of fabric. Um, they have some really great options as well. And you can Google, I mean, Mood has some good options. I’ve seen, I think it’s called Fashion Fabrics Club, I bought some really cool, like, acid wash Japanese denim from them. Selvedge denim, it’s so cool. Um, and they have really great prices. So hunt, you know…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …hunt around and check out some hashtags and see where other people are getting their denim.

Helen: Totally. And as far as supplies go, I mean, again, Blackbird, I love the finishes that you guys carry. You have, like, the more distressed finishes. So it’s not the shiny and golden silver. It’s, like, you have a black, antique copper, antique brass, like, really nice finishes that already look like they’ve been worn.

Um, Closet Case also carries denim kits and, occasionally, uh, fabric as well. So they’re a good source for denim supplies. Again, lots of fabric stores are carrying this kind of stuff now, so it’s easy to find.

You have that really cute video where you’re actually showing how to put the buttons on and the rivets and stuff like that. So we’ll have to link that in the show notes, because it’s just a really sweet little video. You can see it all happen. It’s not nearly as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, it’s very fun.

Caroline: Yeah. Let’s quickly touch on the different supplies that you would need when you’re making jeans cause it’s not just denim, right?

Helen: That’s true.

Caroline: You’re going to want to work with some jeans thread. That’s going to give you that really finished, ready to wear look,. If you’re using a jeans topstitching thread, doesn’t necessarily have to be copper. It can also be, like, a gold or it can even be blue or navy, like, depending on the look that you want to go for. But that topstitch is going to give you that jeans look.

Helen: Exactly. And that thread you’re just going to put in your main thread. You’re not going to thread your bobbin with it. Your bobbin you want threaded with normal polyester thread so that you’re not getting it too, too much thread happening. Topstitching in your bobbin is a recipe for disaster.

Caroline: Yeah, exactly. I really love the Gutterman Mara 70 product. Um, it might be a little bit hard to find. Gutterman, like, jeans thread that you find in retail stores is also really great, but the Mara 70 is a little bit more of a professional industry quality. Um, it’s a little bit finer, little bit lighter weight than the heavy duty jeans topstitching thread that you might find at, like, JoAnn’s or something. But it is, like, an amazing product. So if you can find Mara 70 for topstitching, get like and, and it comes on these big rolls, so get, like, a nice big roll of, like, copper or something, and you’ll use it for so many pairs of jeans.

Helen: It is so nice. It’s, like, in-between a regular thread and the jeans making thread.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s, like, middle of the road.

Caroline: And you’re just using that for your top stitching. You’re not constructing your whole garment with that, so if you, maybe you have two sewing machines that you own, you could set one up with your topstitching setup and you can do one with just your regular jeans making, you know, set up, for the construction of the pants. And then you don’t have to keep switching your thread in between steps to get that topstitch, you know, as you go.

Helen: Yeah, totally. Or maybe you get together with a friend and then you have two machines.

Caroline: Yes. Obviously, you’re going to need denim needles. So those are, like, heavier duty needles. Pocketing, so this is a great scrap busting opportunities. Use your cotton scraps, use your shirting, your quilting cottons. Um, it’s a really great way to use up those, those scraps that you have.

Helen: Definitely.

Caroline: Obviously, a jean zipper. Jean zippers have metal teeth and are heavier duty than a regular zipper. So do not use a regular zipper in your jeans. It won’t be able to take that stress of the heavyweight fabric tight around your stomach. When you sit down, it’ll, it’s gonna pop, so go for a nice jean zipper.

And then buttons. So jeans buttons usually consist of a metal top piece and a post that goes in through the back. Same thing with rivets. There are many kinds of rivets. The type that I like has that metal top piece and a solid post, not a hollow post. Again, we sell these kits in the shop, not to plug our shop.

And in my YouTube video where I talk about jeans hardware installation, I also show you the different tools that you’ll need for that, so a mini anvil for setting your rivets and buttons. That’s like a really nice, solid surface. You can also use a cast iron skillet if you don’t want to invest in an anvil or, like, a bench block for jewellery making. That, kind of, metal brick almost is a really great way to set rivets and buttons.

Um, you’ll also need a tailors awl, so that’s going to poke the hole in your fabric. It’s, like, a sharp little metal stick with a point. A hammer, probably have a hammer already. Wire cutters, that’s going to be for trimming your posts. And then, like, a chalk pencil or something for marking the placement of your button. So not a ton of stuff, probably a lot of it you have around.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Um, and I’ll go through all that in the YouTube video, so we’ll link that.

Helen: Yeah, and most hardware kits, if you’re buying a jeans kit, come with, like, an extra button or an extra rivet so that you get a chance to test. I know yours do at Blackbird. I love that because you need to do a test sometimes. Like, even though I know how to install it, I want to just do a test anyway, just to, like, refresh my memory. Make sure I’m doing it right. Make sure everything’s coming together before I take it to my project.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So don’t be afraid to just do some tests. And my one tip with installing jeans hardware is I learned that I was doing it wrong for a while because I thought that if I put the button right down on my anvil or my skillet or whatever, like, metal to metal that I was going to damage the surface of the button. So I would put, like, a dish cloth or something in between or scrap of fabric, but that actually doesn’t help the process of installing. Like, if you put a piece of a buffer or a fabric or something in between, you’re actually preventing the hammer from doing the work and the metal to metal is what’s going to make it just really go in nice and solid. So you actually want the metal on metal contact.

Caroline: Yeah, cause if you have, like, a piece of cloth or fabric in between, that’s giving the post room to poke through the front or to have, like, an indentation. If you ever install buttons and maybe you have, like, a little nipple on the end after you finish installing them, and you’re like, oh, why does it look like this is poking through? It’s probably because you have some kind of material there that’s giving it space to poke through. Whereas if you’re going metal to metal, it’s, there’s no room for it to go anywhere, so it’s going to stay flat.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. It was a light bulb moment when I learned I was doing it wrong.

Caroline: But it makes sense, right? Okay, so we have, I mean, we have so many patterns suggestions, but we’re not going to go through them all in the show because it’s just a lot, but we’re going to link some Pinterest boards from Blackbird. Laura works super hard on these. She has so many pattern suggestions in there for stretch and non-stretch, plus, like, ready to wear inspo. So we’ll link those in the show notes, if you guys are looking for suggestions, and maybe we’ll do a couple of Instagram posts this week as well with some pattern suggestions that you can see visually. But, um, I mean, there are so many amazing sewing patterns available right now for denim. So, go crazy.

Okay, and then I also want to talk a little bit about mending your denim and your jeans and, kind of, prolonging the life of…

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: …your jeans cause I think that’s a really important element to any handmade wardrobe, but especially when you’re working with jeans because jeans can last a really long time if you take care of them.

Helen: Yeah, they really can. I mean, you hear people say that, you know, they’ve had the same jeans, like, Denise was on our show recently talking about her, uh, jeans that she’s mended for years and years and years, and just keeps wearing them. And I think Karen Templar was also talking about jeans that she’s had for ages.

And I love that, the thought of carrying jeans with you throughout your life and mending them. And, of course, they still have to fit which may or may not be the case for our changing bodies, but it’s nice to prolong the life of them if you can, especially because you’ve put in all that effort in making them and not just making them but wearing them in. I mean, it’s all about the wear, right? Like, we were talking about how they fade to your body, and all the fade marks in the right place, so mend them and keep wearing them.

Caroline: Yeah, so the ways that you can do that to, kind of, prolong the life of your jeans is to mend holes before they get out of control. I know Elena mentioned this in her episode, uh, from Dogwood Denim, where she was saying, like, don’t wear your jeans with holes in them, like, mend them before they get out of control.

And then also wash your jeans sparingly. So, I think, a lot of the time, it’s easy to just, like, wear something once and then throw it in the wash. But as much as you can try to wear your jeans multiple times before you wash them because the more you wash them, just the more those fibres are going to break down over time.

You can also preemptively add a patch to reinforce areas that you know are going to weaken over time. So, for me, for example, between my thighs, I get that, kind of, like, thigh rubbing, and I always get holes where my thighs rub, kind of, close to the crotch between my thighs. Sometimes it can be pretty intense, like, pretty large areas that, sort of, just wear down from that friction. So, for my next pair of jeans, I’m going to add a patch just, like, right when I finish my jeans before wearing them. I’m going to have a patch there to preemptively, kind of, reinforce that area. And this is such a cool idea that I also learned from Elena, from Dogwood Denim. She did it on Stories, and it totally blew my mind.

Helen: Yeah, if you know, you’re going to need it, you know, six months from now, why not put it in now?

Caroline: Yeah, exactly.

Helen: It makes so much sense.

Caroline: It’s just going to help to prolong that life and maybe, you know, it’ll,it’ll be a little bit longer until you have to mend that area which is amazing. Um, there was also a really great guest article from Rain of Indigo Proof on the Closet Case Patterns blog all about invisible mending. So she actually talks about that, kind of, crotch area that fades and needs mending over time and shows some really cool techniques for mending invisibly, and it’s actually quite amazing. You guys need to go check it out.

Helen: Yeah, I mean, you literally can’t see it that’s how amazing it is, but we usually, the two of us, when we mend our jeans, it’s just sticking some denim in there and sewing the crap out of it.

Caroline: Yeah, you can have the denim patch, like, behind the hole or even on top of the hole, if you want, depending on if you mind, like, that discoloration or not. Like, depending on how faded your jeans are. And then one trick that I learned recently when I was mending is, like, if you have trouble keeping that patch in place, you can actually cut a piece of interfacing that’s slightly larger than the patch. So you’ll put the patch behind the hole, put the interfacing on top of that, press it down with heat, and that’ll, kind of, lock that denim patch in place. And it’ll also, like, add extra reinforcement to the area, and then you sew the crap out of it. So over top back and forth, back and forth.

Helen: With all regular polyester thread?

Caroline: Regular polyester thread. Um, try to match the colour of your jeans. And also because denim has a warp and a weft that are different colours, you get that, kind of, variation, right? So one really cool way to kind of mimic that look is using two different thread colours. So you go one direction with one, the other direction with a lighter colour, back in the other way. And you, kind of, end up getting that variation in colour and, kind of, matching your denim.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Um, that’s something that I learned from that article on the Closet Case Patterns blog.

Helen: Yeah, it’s so cool. You can get really creative with it, and, like, I like to use multiple patches and not just sticking one big square of fabric in my crotch. Like, you have two legs there, and there’s different shapes intersecting, so you, kind of, have to cut cool shapes to match your holes and also the pattern pieces that were originally used and then sew them together and overlap them.

And when you’re finished, it’s going to feel like your crotch is made out of, like, cardboard or something. It’s not going to feel good. You’re going to put them on and be, like, oh God, I’m never going to wear these again. But just like with your jeans, when you first finish them, they’re going to be stiff. It totally softens with wash and wear. I do this to Sam’s jeans all the time, and he says that they get really, really soft over time. So it’s all going to work out.

Caroline: Yeah, and this isn’t something that you’re just going to do once, right? You’re probably, if you’re going to wear your jeans for years and years, have to mend them over and over again, maybe every year, maybe every six months, but give those jeans that love and really, like, invest in the jeans and try to make them last through mending as often as needed.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: Alright, so, if you have mended to your heart’s content and your jeans are, like, really done, you can upcycle them or you can use your scraps. I think there are other ways that you can recycle your jeans and still continue to love them for years and years. So, one thing you can do is save all of your denim scraps and your old jeans for a quilt, or you can make, like, a quilt top and then use that length of fabric to cut it into a garment. I think that’s a really, really cool idea. Like, making a giant quilt top and then cutting a jacket out of it or something.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: And we’re going to link Sandra Johnson Designs. We had a listener, uh, tell us about her. She does some really amazing denim quilts. So if you’re looking for inspo in that area, um, we got you covered. Sew DIY, Beth from Sew DIY, also did an amazing denim quilt that we’ll link in the show notes, so lots of great inspiration out there if you’re thinking about doing that.

Helen: And if you’re interested in making a garment, there’s a lot of inspiration from The Refashioners, a few years ago, did a denim themed refashioning year and it was incredible the stuff that people came up with. So you can find that on The Makery. We interviewed Portia about The Refashioners very early on in the show, um, so we’ll link all of that in the show notes, and I made a dress for that out of a bunch of Sam’s jeans that didn’t fit him anymore. So we’ll link that, too, cause I had so much fun making that, and it really turned out way more wearable than I thought it would. When I was putting it together, I was like, oh, this is going to look like patchwork, home ec-y but I actually loved the final result and have really enjoyed wearing that, um, dress, so it can be really fun.

Caroline: It was such a cool dress. I love, like, this is one of my favourite garments you’ve ever made.

Helen: Aw, thank youl.

Caroline: So cool. You can also up-cycle your jeans into a skirt. So, like, that, kind of, nineties style long jean skirt with, like, you can see the crotch curve of the denim. If your jeans are in the right shape, you can maybe do that. Also, just making a bag, uh, using, like, different elements from your jeans and cutting out a bag out of your jeans would be a really cool way to upcycle jeans.

Helen: Yeah, for sure.

Caroline: Jeans, jeans, jeans. Finally, I really want to recommend the documentary called Blue Gold. It goes through the history of denim in America. It touches a lot on Japanese denim. It’s just really, really interesting and beautiful documentary, so highly recommend it.

Helen: That’s the one where they, like, follow the denim junkie around and, like, into shop-, vintage shops and denim production.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. That was such a good documentary.

Caroline: It’s so good. Um, so highly recommend that. We can’t wait to see your jeans. We can’t wait for you to share them with us.

Helen: I know we’re so excited. We want you guys to tag your jeans that you make #LoveToSewJeans because we love to sew jeans, and you love to sew jeans, and we want to see your jeans.

Caroline: Yes.

That’s it for this Love to Sew Favourite. We’ll be back in March with our new season. You can find me Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team, and thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you soon.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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