Love to Sew

Get comfortable because we are chatting all about loungewear! We talk about the importance of sewing loungewear as a form of self-care and what sewing patterns you can sew up for maximum comfort!

Love to Sew episodes mentioned:

Helen and Caroline’s house dresses:

A post shared by Caroline Somos (she/her) (@carolinesomos) on Jul 18, 2019 at 3:27pm PDT

Patterns mentioned at the top of the episode:

‘Back to Basics – Practical Pieces’ Pattern Suggestions:

‘House Dress Vibes’ Pattern Suggestions:

“I woke up like this” Pattern Suggestions:

‘Keepin’ Cool’ Pattern Suggestions:

‘Keepin’ Cozy’ Pattern Suggestions:

Other:

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Learn all about wool! We discuss common characteristics of wool, how to care for your wool garments, and why you should wear wool even in warmer weather. We also touch on some tips and tricks for sewing with wool and our favourite wool makes!

Love to Sew episodes mentioned:

Some of Helen and Caroline’s wool makes:

A post shared by Caroline Somos (she/her) (@carolinesomos) on Dec 9, 2018 at 5:02pm PST

Caroline’s Yates Coat

Helen’s Clare Coat

Helen’s Cascade Duffle Coat

Helen’s Hollyburn Skirt

A post shared by Helen’s Closet (@helens__closet) on Jul 3, 2020 at 2:47pm PDT

Learn more information on wool:

Pattern suggestions for merino wool jersey:

Pattern suggestions for challis and crepe:

Pattern suggestions for gabardine:

Pattern suggestions for boiled wool:

Wool coat pattern suggestions:

Sewing with Wool:

What to do with 1 meter of wool:

Wool lining options:

Other:

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Maressa Fernandez joins us to talk about maker affirmations! She shares how maker affirmations can help us to work through creative struggles, and also inspire a breakthrough in your creative practice!

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

Follow Maressa:

Maressa’s IGTV Maker Affirmations

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Sep 2, 2020 at 7:19am PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Aug 5, 2020 at 2:18pm PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Jul 8, 2020 at 1:54pm PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Jun 16, 2020 at 3:38pm PDT

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Maressa’s IG Photography Tips

Maressa’s handknit sweaters:

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on May 20, 2020 at 2:32pm PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Jul 2, 2020 at 9:29am PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Sep 14, 2020 at 6:07am PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Dec 30, 2019 at 9:06am PST

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Dec 9, 2019 at 9:17am PST

Who is inspiring Maressa:

A post shared by Alexis Bailey (@therealalexisbailey) on Sep 17, 2020 at 1:53pm PDT

A post shared by Gavriella (@gavriellamakes) on Aug 30, 2020 at 3:06pm PDT

What Maressa is loving at the moment:

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Sep 4, 2020 at 7:03am PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on May 5, 2020 at 3:27pm PDT

A post shared by Maressa Made || Maker Affirmer (@maressamade) on Jun 29, 2020 at 11:36am PDT

Other mentions:

A post shared by Helen’s Closet (@helens__closet) on Mar 10, 2020 at 8:21am PDT

Transcript:

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: This week, Maressa from @MaressaMade joins us to chat about her maker affirmations. Maressa inspires makers everyday to live their most creative lives. We discuss overcoming sewing setbacks, finding joy and confidence through making, and being more intentional with your creative practice.

Helen: I have every intention of doing that.

Caroline: So do I.

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

Maressa: Hi, you guys! I’m so excited to be here.

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

Maressa: Um, my name is Maressa Fernandez, and I am a maker. I’m a sewist, I’m a knitter, I’m a lover of crafty things, and I also offer accessible creative coaching.

Helen: Amazing. And where are you from?

Maressa: Um, right now I’m based in Maryland, um, in the United States, but I’ve pretty much lived all over the States being a military brat. So there’s a little bit of country in my voice, there’s a little bit of West Coast, East Coast, it’s all in there.

Helen: That’s awesome. So tell us a little bit about your sewing journey to start us off. How and when did you learn to sew?

Maressa: Sure. Um, so I started off as a knitter and one of my coworkers, um, I told her about basically a million and a half sewing fails that I had had. And she very patiently listened to me and was just like, oh, you just needed a friend to help you out on this journey. And she was kind enough to give me this pattern that she was actually, like, working and tweaking and drafting at that time. And she basically walked me through the entire thing from step to step to step and was like, I believe in you. You can do this. I know your seam is wonky. I know that thing is not totally straight, but it’s going to be okay.

And she really held my hand all the way through to this point that I made a garment. It was the Gena Crop, um, by Janet Celeste Patterns, and I put it on, and I just remember this feeling of just, it was the same feeling that I had when I finished my first knitting project. It was this, like, ultimate sense of pride in that I really made something that I’m actually physically wearing on my body, and I don’t hate it.

And I just remember, at that moment, feeling like, if I could just preserve this feeling, preserve that feeling of, like, pride and worthiness, I want to do that every single day. And my friend’s response to that was pretty much, well, why don’t you just keep sewing? And I just have never looked back since then. I’m forever trying to keep that sense of pride and worthiness in my making journey now.

Caroline: Oh, that is such a great story. And I bet you, we could all take a little lesson from that. If anyone out there is struggling with a craft, getting into it, find a friend that can help you through it cause I think that is so life-changing to have someone rooting you on, especially at the beginnings of learning something new.

Maressa: I totally agree. I think that one of the best parts of being a maker and being a creative is just relying on your community around you. I think it’s what makes making and creativity so special.

Caroline: Oh, you’re so inspiring already, Maressa. This is gonna be such a great conversation. Um, we did want to ask you about knitting, as well, cause we know that’s a big part of your life. Can you tell us a little bit about what your knitting journey’s been like?

Maressa: Yes. I would love to talk about knitting. Um, so I grew up watching my mom sew, um, and so I didn’t have any, kind of, perspective on seeing knitting. A lot of knitters grow up seeing their family members knit, or somebody around them they know knits. Um, I didn’t have any of that. So I, fast forward to me being in my early twenties. I have three kids, and I’m a military wife, and my husband is deployed all the time. And just in total honesty, I was really, really lonely.

Um, and so I decided that I was going to do this one thing for me. I was going to teach myself something and feel like I accomplished something, um, that wasn’t just me being a stay at home mother, wasn’t me holding it down as a wife for my husband. It was just for me. So I went on YouTube. I watched about a million and a half, um, YouTube tutorials, and I taught myself to knit. I think I just went to, like, my local craft store and bought some yarn there.

But, I mean, I quickly fell down a rabbit hole of finding all of these indie dyers and, um, fell down the rabbit hole of hand dyed yarn. Once you find the hand dyed yarn community, you really find this beautiful community on Instagram of knitters who are super passionate and want to share their love for knitting and want to give you, like, that bump up, like, that you can do it.

And I felt that so strongly that it was almost like, even though I had zero friends where I was living at the time, and my husband was gone, and I could only speak to him, like, once every three or four days, it felt like I had a whole community of friends that was cheering me on. So I just felt deeper and deeper and deeper down this rabbit hole, um, happily.

And as I started to become a more and more proficient knitter, I just had this fortuitous event happened that as I moved to Maryland, finally, after my husband got out of the military, it was again, pretty lonely. I hadn’t made any new friends in our new location, and I randomly saw this hand dyed yarn company that I loved their products, uh, advertise for a job. And I just, I hemmed and hawed for, like, a week, which was so dumb now thinking about it because I almost missed out, but I finally put in my application.

And my now boss, Dami Hunter at magpie fibers, and I like, we like, to say, like, that was just, like, our “Aha!” moment. Like, I felt like I walked into the interview, and it was finally me meeting the community that I had been a part of for so long and at a distance. So it was just, like, everything come full circle, and knitting for me just feels like, uh, family now. It’s my extended family, just like sewing is my extended family, too.

Caroline: Oh, that’s so wonderful. It sounds like the stars really aligned for you with this job at magpie. How long have you been with them?

Maressa: A year and a half now. A year and a half of sweating and working and loving every second of it.

Caroline: Oh, that’s so awesome. And I wonder if you have any advice or words of encouragement for any sewists out there who might want to take up knitting.

Maressa: Oh, my gosh. Yes! I feel like a lot of sewists have been reaching out to me lately cause they’re trying to get into knitting, and I, firstly, I, I, I try to put it to them in sewing terms, right? So, the first couple of things you make in sewing are not perfect, right? They are imperfectly beautiful, and that’s okay because practice makes progress. So don’t try to, to, I don’t know, what’s the saying, jump? I don’t know what that saying is, I might need to stop.

Helen: Don’t jump the gun.

Maressa: Yes! Thank you! Don’t jump the gun before you’re ready. Make a simple project. I usually recommend to do something that’s in the round. So that would mean, like, a hat or a cowl because you can do those on circular need-, needles, and you don’t have to learn how to knit back and forth just yet. You’re just going around and around and around in a tube, and it lets you really focus on one skill, getting it right. And then helping build a good foundation for you to, like, move on to the next amazing world of knitting.

Caroline: That’s great advice. I should take it. I’ve been wanting to get into knitting. I tried a couple times, but I think my expectations were too high, and I was just wanting something totally wearable and amazing with my first project. Um, and I just keep, kind of, abandoning it and, and not finishing it. So I’m going to take your advice and start slow.

Maressa: You can do it. Start with a hat. I’m telling you. Start with a hat, and I promise as soon as you finish the hat, and a hat, like, even if you are a slow knitter, works up so fast. Like, I, I knit on and off on a hat, and I have it done in maybe a week or so, which I know is not super fast in comparison to sewing, but for knitting that’s really, really fast.

Caroline: Yeah, yeah.

Maressa: So start small, and I promise you’ll be like, okay, I could maybe do this.

Caroline: Aw, thank you. Well, we really want to talk to you about your maker affirmations because you define yourself as a maker affirmer, so can you just start us off by describing to us what that is exactly?

Maressa: Sure. Uh, number one, it’s a made up term, but I think it, kind of, perfectly encompasses where I am on my creative journey. I found out really quickly that my creative cup is, yes, filled by sewing and by knitting and by embroidery and all of these other things that I do, but it felt like it was filled tenfold when I was using my creative energy to empower others on their creative journeys.

So I really wanted to use the little tiny interweb space that I had to make everyone that came into that space feel like their creativity was valid. Um, so I started that off with maker affirmations, and it just has, kind of, grown from there.

Helen: And at what point in your sewing and knitting journey, did you start making these maker affirmations? Was there something that made you decide I’m going to start sharing these on the internet for everyone to see and hear?

Maressa: Oh, for sure. I really love telling this story. So I actually started as my own maker affirmer. Um, I was going, I mean, like, as we all do as creatives, I was going through that slump period where you just are unmotivated to start nor finish anything, and I just couldn’t get it going for some reason. I kept trying and trying and trying. And I kept, like, staring at other people’s feeds on Instagram with longing, like, I wish I could feel that urge again.

So I thought about what usually makes me the happiest when I would talk to other friends that I had that were creatives, and I was always so happy when I felt like they came to me with a creative problem, and I felt like I could give them, like, this bump up, give them a creative cheerleading moment. And I, kind of, looked at myself and I was like, well, what’s holding me back from doing that for me. If I can do that for everybody else, why can’t I do it for myself, too?

So I started writing these letters to myself where I would pretend that I was talking to a friend, but I was inserting my own creative problem. And so I would just write them, only to myself, only to myself, only to myself. And then finally, one day I turned around and was like, I think you have something here. And it didn’t feel fair anymore, especially knowing that there were so many other people that were probably going through the exact same things I was going through, um, to keep them to myself in my little private journal.

So I started putting them out, um, first as captions, um, that I would do maker affirmation captions that you could read. And now they’ve evolved into a video format because I wanted to make them as accessible as possible to most of my community. And so I have some deaf and hard of hearing followers that I wanted them to be able to see and, or read captions so that they could read my lips, and then that’s where we are today.

Helen: Okay. That’s so cool. So where can our listeners go and check these out, first and foremost, because I want them to go watch?

Maressa: Oh, for sure. So you can head over to my Instagram @MaressaMade, and you just click the little TV icon for the IGTV, and they are all there.

Caroline: Awesome. Hearing about this and your, kind of, journey to discovering that this was something that you were passionate about and wanting to share more, it makes me wonder if you had an affirmer in your life growing up. Did you have anyone that was your personal maker affirmer?

Maressa: Oh, that’s a good question. I think that I became my own maker affirmer because I didn’t have that person in my life. My parents were always super supportive of everything that I did, but there’s, there’s that disconnect, I think, between generations of that creativity is not necessarily, like, financially viable, so it doesn’t have, or, at least to them, right? It doesn’t have as much value as focusing on something else. And part of me wanted to, kind of, like, combat those feelings that are still deep inside of me somewhere. I know they’re lingering. Um, but I also, kind of, wanted to speak to anybody else that doesn’t have a maker affirmer in their life that maybe is looking for one and doesn’t know that they are.

Caroline: Mhm, yeah, and you really do provide that on your IGTV videos. You’re so soothing and welcoming, and what you said earlier about wanting to have, you know, an Instagram page where people could come and feel supported and feel like their creativity is valid, you are very successful at providing that, for me, at least. When I watch your videos, I just feel so comfortable and at ease with my creativity and encouraged to, to move forward and continue to explore it. So congratulations on creating something just so amazing because I love your maker affirmations.

Maressa: I’m so glad that this is an audio podcast cause my face is so hot and red. Thank you.

Caroline: But I bet you people in the community have been loving these maker affirmations cause, I mean, I’m sure I don’t just speak for myself that they are just really, really helpful to keep me grounded and keep me, kind of, aware and more, almost intentional and just aware of my creativity and how I’m, kind of, implementing it on the day to day. I wonder what the response has been like from, from the making community, with this content.

Maressa: It’s been amazing. I just could not feel, like, more welcomed in a community and because your creative journey and the struggles that you’re going through, sometimes they can be really personal and you might not want to leave a comment that’s public out on my IGTV, and I totally get that, so instead they’ll send me a DM and just say like, I just want you to know, my day really sucked, and I really needed that. Or, I really messed up this project, but I needed to hear your view on failure. Or, I haven’t been really focusing on, like, what my joy is within my creativity, and thank you for helping me try to look for more intentionality for it.

Uh, it, it’s an amazing thing, and it’s almost this really great feedback cycle because now I have so many followers that will actually tag me in their stories or whatever that they’re, like, telling me what their progress was that was started, initially, by something I said, but they’ve gained a new insight from it, and then I gain a new insight because of them sharing that back with me. So it’s beautiful. I’m just… Feel so grateful.

Helen: Amazing. I’m sure it’s going to continue to grow too. I definitely encourage our listeners to watch some of your videos because they got to get a taste of what you’re all about. And we’re going to talk about some of the subjects today, hopefully, if you’re game to talk about some of the themes that you cover in these maker affirmations. So why don’t we start with the theme for September which is intentionality in your creative journey. What does this mean? And how can our listeners get more intentional with their making?

Maressa: Sure, so I think intentionality, the way I most like to describe it, is being deliberate with your motivations. So if you’re deliberate with your motivations, it means that you’re seeking out what brings you joy in your making, in your creativity, and trying to celebrate those moments more every single day.

That doesn’t mean you have to win at celebrating them more every single day. But it does mean you have to try. So I think my easiest way to, kind of, talk about that is celebrating small wins over celebrating the big ones. A lot of the times, we wait until we finished that big project, right? We wait until we’ve finally completed it, and we’ve taken the finished, styled shot of it.

And then we can celebrate like, look, I did it. And I feel like there’s so many opportunities along that journey of the project that you’re creating to celebrate each and every win, even if it’s a monotonous win that you’re not even super concerned about. If you hate putting bias tape on. That’s okay. But you can celebrate that win that you accomplished doing that, right? You overcame something that you disliked, and you still found joy in it.

That’s, I think, the easiest way for people to understand what intentionality is. I think there’s a problem, too, about where we sometimes place our focus. We place our focus, maybe not necessarily on the things that bring us the most joy, but sometimes on those outward ideas of what we think everybody else wants to see.

But if the simplest garment is the one that brings you the most joy, make that, like, you should follow what your creativity is trying to lead you because your creativity trusts you, so you have to trust it.

Caroline: Yeah, I love that you, kind of, encourage people to, sort of, notice these things about their creativity and their creative practice and really take that information and apply it to the practice that you’re doing more of what you love and, kind of, focusing more on those things that bring you joy.

And I want to go back for a second to, you know, this idea of not getting bogged down in the big celebrations. We really loved that part of, um, your video that you posted, I think a few days ago, and I think it’s so powerful to, kind of, release those big celebrations. It almost takes the power away from the finished product and always working towards this, like, success at the end of a project.

And it, it takes that power away, and it helps you to focus more on the process and the joy that you get from the process. And I think that is really, really powerful, I’m saying power a lot, but it’s very powerful to, kind of, shift your thinking around that. I think that was such a great idea that you introduced.

Maressa: You took the words right out of my mouth is that I want the focus to be less on the product and more on the process because if you’re on a journey, in a creative journey, then it’s not about a destination. You can’t get off the train, right? Like, it’s going to keep going. So, I want people to focus and enjoy that ride that they’re on with their creativity, more so than they’re enjoying each stop, if that makes sense.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. We also love that you touch on gratitude so much in your videos and in your maker affirmations. So we wanted to ask you to just tell our listeners how you use gratitude as a tool in your making practice and in your life as a whole?

Maressa: For sure. Gratitude for me is one of my, just, core values. I tell my followers all the time that I start and end everything that I do with gratitude. So I like to be really purposeful and intentional about, as I’m starting a new making journey, a new project, a new creative venture, that it always starts with me recognizing whatever privilege I have in starting those because I am able bodied to be able to do what I’m able to do. And I also recognize that there was a time in my life that I did not have the time nor the resources to be able to be as creative as I am now. Um, so I always like to start off with gratitude for being in a place in which I am free to express my creativity and free to express it in the best way that suits me.

And then I have to be grateful at the end, right? Because I’ve gone on this journey, whether it’s noticeable to me or not, I have grown in that moment. So I have to be grateful for the growth that I’ve achieved in that journey and looking forward to the growth that I’ll hopefully achieve on the next.

Helen: That’s beautiful. The next thing we wanted to talk to you about is finding your self-esteem through joy. And I thought this was really interesting. How can we guide our self-esteem journey with joy as the focus while we’re making clothes or sewing sweaters or whatever it is that we’re doing?

Maressa: Yeah, I feel like, just like gratitude, joy is something that plays a really big role in all the things that I talk about. But I think it’s crucial, right? We all say like, oh, I do this because it makes me happy, right? So what I feel like joy can do for you is, as you’re seeking it out, as you’re trying to find these little pieces of joy in your making journey, like if you hand sewed a buttonhole, like, you deserve to celebrate that, you know? You deserve to say, yeah, I did that.

And I want people to recognize that those tiny sparks of joy in your journey is a moment for you to say, like, okay, this is another building block for me. This is another way for me to take my confidence and build it up. If I’m taking the moment to intentionally recognize my joy, um, I can also spare a moment to intentionally build up my confidence to intentionally say, yes, I am a maker. Yes, I am a creative. Yes, I am an artist.

Caroline: It’s so true. Wouldn’t the world be amazing if, like, every time we accomplished something creatively we were like, yeah, I’m amazing. Just, like, you need to talk to yourself more on a daily basis and help your self-esteem. I totally can see this being really, really helpful for a lot of people. Kind of, in the same vein, we wanted to talk about confidence in their creative practice. We get a lot of messages about sewing fails and how hard it is to push past those moments. And we wonder, like, do you have any advice for getting over that making fail and keeping that confidence high and, kind of, moving forward?

Maressa: Sure, I do, uh, that’s because I’m a total weirdo, and I love failure, and I think everybody else should, too. I love failure, um, because I really feel like that moment in, where you fail, is this weird breeding ground for the most creativity you’ll probably ever come up. Because in that moment in where you fail and you go, okay, I need to step away from you because you’re making me real mad. In that moment that you step away, it’s not, your brain never stops working, you know? Your brain is consistently going and worrying and trying to find the best solution, trying to tell you that maybe you can do it, trying to tell you like, all right, this could be your moment.

And it might not be that you come back to that project in 10 minutes. It might not be that you come back to that project that day or that month or that year, you know? Sometimes it needs time to marinate first. But I think that if we all thought about failure as opportunity for growth, then I think we’d all be a little less scared of failing and a little less scared of feeling frustrated because I feel like frustration is valid because that frustration is just going to push you to be better.

Helen: Yeah. I’m thinking about moments when I’ve failed or when I’m just having an off day and I feel like I’m getting nothing done and why am I even awake right now? A lot of times, those thoughts that you’re talking about and they pop up, you know, regrets, or maybe like if you had done it differently, it would have turned out differently.

Those opportunities for growth can get obscured by. like, beating ourselves up, you know, instead of your brain saying, if you had done this differently or, you know, solve that problem in another way, it would have been better. And you’re like, great. Moment for growth. But a lot of times it’s more like, you did that really poorly, you know? You should have done better at that or you should have tried harder, and we ended up placing a lot of blame on ourselves. I’m wondering if you have any solutions for that? Cause I would like to hear them.

Maressa: I’m just going to stick that right in there. Um, yeah, this is actually what I personally battle with and what I personally talk about the most. I feel like imposter syndrome, that feeling of, it is totally my fault. I am just not up to par with any of my peers in this space. Why couldn’t I accomplish this silly thing? That happens to me all the time. Yay, perfectionism. But for me, I think that, that imposter syndrome is me not accepting a challenge. That’s how I’ve come to view it.

That moment for me is me trying to make an excuse or that self-critic trying to make an excuse. To say, oh no, no, no. Don’t look over there. Don’t look at all the other things that you’ve accomplished. Stay focused right here on your doubt. Don’t listen to that, right? And I think it really takes some willpower and some intentionality to say, okay, well, let’s sit down and focus on all of the things that I did accomplish, even though I screwed that thing up, right?

I drafted this pattern, and it’s still not working out, but what did I already accomplish? Well, I did number one, I did number two, I did number three. I’m stuck on number four, but that doesn’t take away the accomplishments that I’ve already done. And if I can sit with the fact that even though that tiny inner demon wants to tell me that I’m the worst, and I can take a second to refocus on what my actual tangible accomplishments are, I think that that takes all the power away from that self-critic and puts the power back in the hands of your creativity.

Helen: Yeah, and it can be hard sometimes to focus on those things. Sometimes I even write down my accomplishments for the day when I’m feeling like I didn’t do too much or that I failed in some way. Just actually writing them down, or I don’t know if you have a whiteboard in your sewing room or you could put them up on the wall if you need to. Make it as big as you need to make it, you know?

Maressa: That’s a great suggestion. I used to have, for, I was struggling to knit this sweater, and I made like this little checklist that I needed to knit, like, just two rows a day, every day to be done with a sweater by such and such date and just the act of ticking those boxes every single day to be like, okay, that’s all I knit. I knit for 10 minutes, but it doesn’t matter. I ticked my box. That alone was, like, this physical reminder to me, like, you’re, you’re doing this, like you’re doing this, and that deserves to be celebrated just as much as your big wins.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s, kind of, like putting things on your to-do list that you’ve already done. Like, if you’re in a moment where you’re really struggling and messing up a step in sewing, why not write down all the steps that you did up until that moment that were successful to, kind of, give yourself a confidence boost to move forward?

Maressa: I am all about a retroactive to-do-list.

Caroline: Yes, it’s my favourite. You also talk about how creativity can be an outlet for emotions other than joy, and I wonder, is it okay to be sad when you’re sewing or angry when you’re knitting? Like, is it okay to, kind of, channel those emotions into your creativity?

Maressa: Uh, absolutely. Cause I think if we asked this same question, um, of any fine art painter, It wouldn’t even be a question they would laugh and scoff at us, you know? So what makes your making and your creative expression any different, right? I have a garment that I made that I was going through a tough series of time with, like, anxiety and whatever, and for me, that garment now represents me overcoming that time of my life. So without that, I wouldn’t have that physical reminder of all that sadness and anger and frustration that I was feeling at that time.

So yes, it does remind me of those feelings, but those feelings are valid because I overcame them. Um, and I think having those physical reminders of periods in your life, even if they’re not your most favourite periods, it, it’s a physical reminder of your growth and a physical representation of your art. So feel free to put whatever emotion you want to put into your sewing.

Helen: I love that. Just don’t cry too hard and sew over your finger.

Maressa: No.

Helen: Oh man, okay. One last video we wanted to touch on in your Maker Affirmation Series today is Creative Alignment in Chaos because I think many of our listeners and community members are in a pretty chaotic time of life right now. We would love to talk with you about what you mean when you say creative alignment and how we can find more of that.

Maressa: Sure, um, when I say creative alignment, what I’m really meaning is seeking out what your why is. So, why are you creating? Why are you sewing? Why are you knitting? Why are you making? And then choosing that in joyful action. Once I know my why, for instance, for me, I know my why is my creative cup is filled up 10 times more if I’m empowering others’ creativity.

So I know that even if I am struggling with everything at large, I know that I have this one action that I can control. It’s a factor that I can then say, you know what? The outside world is up in flames around me, but I can seek this moment to do the one thing that, the one factor that I have in my hands and I can play my card how I want to play it.

And if you’re playing that card to bring you more joy, I think you’re always gonna find satisfaction in that because that’s you taking ownership of your own self care. It’s you taking ownership of saying, like, this is my creativity, and it deserves to be protected, and it deserves for me to tend to it in the way that brings me the most joy.

Helen: You talk about how with your creativity, that it’s, it’s tenfold when you’re sharing it with others and encouraging others. What are some other ways that you’ve seen creativity manifest in, in your followers and in the community?

Maressa: We like to say, like, oh, sewing makes me so happy, right? But I think that the answer is definitely a little more introspective than that. What about sewing makes you happy, right? Like, dig down deeper into that. Is it the creative problem solving that makes you happy? Is it gifting your creativity to somebody else? Is it the gratitude of receiving someone else’s creativity? I think that there, each of us have these little unique ways in which we, just, correlate to that joy more so than in others.

I have a friend that she just, everything she makes, she wants to give it away, and that is just part of her joy. So she sets aside time for herself to consistently give to, whether it’s a non-profit organisation that she gives some of her makes to, whether it’s a family member, whether it’s a friend. When she finds an opportunity to use that as her love language, she, she takes it. Um, and so I think that if we all, kind of, drill down deeper into what exactly is it about our creative alignment that brings us the most joy, and then we start seeking that out with more intention, it might be able to combat some of these outside forces that are bringing a lot of folks down.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. I also wonder if you have any tips for actually prioritising making during these stressful times when it seems like such a low priority. And I feel like a lot of people just don’t even want to look at their sewing machines right now cause it just feels like too much, you know? Do you have any ideas for how, you know, you can really, sort of, get yourself in that sewing room or in that making space to actually, you know, do that work?

Maressa: Yeah, I personally am just the fan of start small. Like we talked about earlier with that little tick mark list, it doesn’t have to be anything huge for you to say that you’ve accomplished something. There are small wins that you can do every single day, whether that’s, I’m just going to go and look at a whole bunch of indie patterns today, and I’m going to try to be inspired by those.

That’s a win. Like, if you went and looked through all those indie patterns and you, kind of, got some ideas about things you might want to make in the future. Even if you’re not able to do that today, it doesn’t take away the fact that you let your creativity breathe for a moment and actually have a chance to see the light.

So I would say to focus on those tiny actions that you can do, and be intentional with those tiny actions because if you can only spare 10 minutes before, you’re just, like, okay, can’t do this. I don’t have time. I don’t have energy. I don’t have whatever. Try to focus that in a small action that you know can bring you the most joy back.

Caroline: Mhm, and it all comes back to that intentionality and that noticing the things that bring you that joy so that you can then, kind of, channel that when you’re getting into creativity. I feel like I need to be taking notes right now. Joy. Creative alignment. I have a list on my wall to remind me of all these things, but your work is so focused on helping others, and I wonder if we can take a cue from you, and if you could give our community some advice about how we can all just better support people, other people in the community, as they explore making in whatever media they choose.

Maressa: Sure, um, I still, we’re just going to speak in terms of, like, Instagram. I still remember the first time somebody commented that I did not know on a picture of mine and was, I think they said something very nondescript like, so beautiful. That feeling of being like, oh my gosh, somebody, they see me. They see me. They see my creativity. They recognize that, um, I am always trying to pay that forward to as many creators as I can and want them to feel like their creativity is seen.

So if you have an opportunity to let somebody know, even if you’re not a very public person, you know, you can always do things privately, whether that’s in-person or virtually, but you can let them know that you’re inspired by their work because we never know what that other person is going through. There are many times that I’m in a creative slump and I am still posting away. Um, and it just might be that one person that says that one, one thing that’s worded just right. That you go, well, you know, maybe I did do that okay. Or, well, you know, maybe, maybe I can do this again tomorrow.

Um, so I think if we’re intentional with our words in welcoming both new and old makers, um, into our little circles. I think that we could really build this community. It’s so great now, but I just feel like we can build it to be even better.

Helen: It’s definitely growing, too, with all of these people coming to create and wanting to get into sewing and knitting. I feel like the community has grown a lot in the last six months, and it’s really exciting to have all these new members. So we want to make sure we’re welcoming them with the same welcome party that we got when we got here, you know?

Maressa: Exactly! All of these people bought machines and they’re like, now what?

Helen: Yeah. Okay. So you talk a lot about emotions and the highs and lows of creativity and working through that and, and you’ve talked about your own personal struggles with anxiety and depression, and you’ve shared a lot of vulnerability with the community, and we would like to know how do you find the courage to create and share and make on a daily basis? Where is that courage coming from?

Maressa: Um, I think, it’s almost, kind of, ties back into the same thing that I was saying earlier about being a maker affirmer and not necessarily having that role in my life. I feel like, for a very long time, I didn’t see anyone sharing, um, about the same kinds of struggles that I was going with, like my issues with anxiety and my journey with depression. And I felt like if I can be open about the things that are happening to me, someone else might be able to identify. So even if I don’t feel better today by sharing, someone else might feel better today by me sharing.

And I think that it comes less from courage and more from, like, a sense of service, if that makes sense? There’s something really humbling about sharing something very vulnerable, and then someone else resonating with that, even if it makes you super uncomfortable. I talk all the time about how every time I share something that I think goes a little past, um, where wherever my walls are up at that time, I have what I like to call affectionately a “vulnerability hangover” and, I kind of, retreat and go back in my bubble and I, like, delete the app off my phone, and I think that that, that reaction is okay. Um, but it doesn’t take me completely away. It’s just that I need some time to process what I’ve shared, and then I’m able to come back, and I always know that whatever I’ve shared has been of service to others.

Helen: Mhm, oh, yes. The vulnerability hangover is real.

Maressa: It is real. Real, real.

Helen: And I think it affects all of us in different ways. Um, and it doesn’t necessarily happen always when you share something that’s really personal, it could happen just when you share a picture of your make. Like, you’re putting something out there that you made and, and, kind of, opening up the doors for people to comment and that puts you in a really vulnerable position which maybe might make you feel like you want to run away. So if you don’t get around to replying to people’s comments right away, it’s okay.

Maressa: Yes!

Helen: People know you’ll come back.

Maressa: I totally agree with that. Like, it, everybody’s vulnerability threshold is at their vulnerability threshold. So I feel like if we’re just treating everyone with kindness, then hopefully, you’re helping them, kind of, feel like it’s okay to be vulnerable with me. We’re, we’re, we’re a trustworthy community to do that in.

Helen: Yes, true.

Caroline: Yeah. I want to go to photos for a second, actually, because, Maressa, you did a really fun series very recently on Instagram, all about IG photography. And I wonder if you would share some of those tips with our listeners cause your photos are amazing.

Maressa: Aw, thank you. There, a lot of times I am yelling at my kids in between, but thank you. Um, yeah, so I think my biggest takeaways from that little series that I did, and those are saved in my highlights for anybody that wants to go back and watch them, I did, like, a question and answer session for everyone that had questions about Instagram photography. I took away from that that a lot of people struggle with actually modelling whatever is their finished object and how to look natural. I got a lot of questions that were, like, how to not look like a weirdo or just, I struggle with my face.

So I, I think the biggest takeaways that I had from modelling your actual finished objects was, if I am, I think this is, like, such a good hack because nobody ever says it. If you’re modelling just, like, a closely cropped shot of a detail somewhere, I am still posing with my entire body. So what I mean by that is, if I am really trying to be really happy and joyful in that picture, I am still smiling and being happy and joyful even if my camera is pointed at my hemline, for example, cause I think our bodies are these beautifully complicated things that somehow that still translates in your photo because you’re tensing different muscles that maybe you didn’t even know tense when you smile. So I always say to pose with your whole body. If you would point your toe, point your toe.

Number two, I always have music on when I am taking shots of myself, and I try to make that music be reflective of what type of vibe I’m going for my little photoshoot. So. I had, like, a session where I wanted to be this wild child fairy in the woods, and so I played Stevie Nicks for the whole time, and it was just the right combination of, of fierce woman but also one that was soft and gentle. Um, and I felt like that then translated really, in how I was feeling the music, it came across in my photos, even if I wasn’t necessarily dancing to the music.

Caroline: That’s a great tip. I love that music tip because it’s one of those things like you, you know, if you’re like, for me, when I was modelling Helen’s Pona Jacket, Helen, you played music in the background, and that totally changed the vibe, like, for having your photo taken. It just helps so much to have that background noise and music that you like, and that you’re, kind of, vibing to and then it really comes across in the photos.

And I don’t know why I don’t just play music all the time when I’m taking photos of my makes, but I’m definitely going to start now cause that, it, you know, you can really, kind of, capture what you’re trying to evoke in your photos with music, and it’ll just, kind of, help you along. I think that’s such a good tip.

Maressa: Totally. Even if it’s just a song that you just like, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy cause just a song that you like, you’re automatically gonna look more joyful in your photo, so…

Caroline: Yeah, totally. Well, you are such an inspiring person. If we haven’t said it already, I’ll say it again.

Maressa: You already made me blush. Stop it.

Caroline: I won’t stop, but we did want to ask you who is inspiring you right now in the sewing community, or even outside of the sewing community in the making community.

Maressa: I am, I have been so inspired by, she is @TheRealAlexisBailey. Her name is Alexis, and she’s amazing. She is going on this, like, hand sewing journey right now, and she’s going to be putting together these, like, hand-sewn kits. And I’m so freaking excited about it because what I love the most about knitting is that knitting is portable and can go with me anywhere. And she is going to basically make sewing portable for me, and I genuinely can’t think of anything better.

So I’ve been so excited just about her journey with hand sewing. And now that I have a way to, kind of, feel like I can easily get into hand sewing, too, and expand my own creative journey. And then I love, um, my friend Gavy she’s, uh, @GavriellaMakes, um, she is a knitter, and she is starting to do, like, hand dyeing, like, natural hand deying with botanicals and I just have been, she just dabbles in all of the things, like, she just does sewing, and then it’s flawless. And then she does embroider,y and it’s flawless. I’m just always in awe of her. And then she has these amazing captions that go along with it that she, you know, challenges, some preconceptions that we have about race in our society, preconceptions that we have about privilege in our society. And I think she does it in this really beautifully gentle way that just gets you to ask the right questions, and I just love that about her.

Maressa: Awesome. Well, we will definitely link those folks in the show notes so everyone can check them out. We wanted to talk about your style for a sec because you do have very cohesive style. We love your style. It really comes across through your photos and all of your makes. And I wonder if you are as intentional with your wardrobe planning as you are with your actual making process and how you decide what you’re going to make next.

Maressa: Yeah, I. I am a diehard fan of the Design Your Wardrobe Course by Seamwork. I, so I first started doing capsule wardrobes way before I ever made actually any garments. And then it got, kind of, got away from me. And then, you know, your closet eventually looks like it’s going to explode. And I knew that once I started making garments, I wanted it to, kind of, still be in this same vein where I had this cohesive palette happening in a cohesive enough look that I could still create a different vibe, according to how I was feeling, but they would still all, kind of, coalesce together.

So that, that source alone from Seamwork has been a godsend because it really helped me drill down into what my specific style was and then what were, like, I took the time to, kind of, think about what were my outside, other, n the periphery styles, too. Cause I think everybody, kind of, has, like, oh, I always wear this style and I really love it. But you know, sometimes I just really love a fill-in-the-blank. And so I really wanted to, kind of, feel like I could stick those things in in a cohesive way. And I think I, kind of, do that mostly through my colour palette, um, and still feel like I was being true to this, kind of, capsule garment making.

Helen: You have such a beautiful collection. I’m especially jealous of your handmade sweaters. I want them all. They’re so pretty. And I know you love, like, reds and oranges which is my jam as well.

Maressa: Yes! I saw your throwback sweater, right?. It’s beautiful.

Helen: Oh, yes. Thank you. I just copied Andrea’s exact colours.

Maressa: Listen, that’s the wa-, that’s the way to go sometimes because she has good taste.

Helen: Exactly. She really does. Um, I’m wondering if you have any favourite things you want to highlight so we can share them on our channels the week that your episode comes out and our listeners can take a look.

Maressa: Okay. So I love, I just shared it recently on my feed, it’s the Whitmore Sweater. Um, it’s by Amy Lowden, and she’s @TailoresStudio. It has this really beautiful yoke detail. Um, and I did the version that has mohair in it, so it has like this beautiful halo, fuzzy glow. And I just feel like a freaking rock star in that thing every single time I put it on.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. Okay. I have to say we know because we were admiring that sweater right before we came on for this interview, and Helen wants to make it, and it’s so gorgeous. Oh my gosh.

Maressa: Please make it. It was just so satisfying. And it’s so much easier than it looks because Amy just does an excellent job with her pattern writing. It’s, it’s beautiful, and I want to make, like, 14 more. It’s great.

And then I would say one of my most worn makes, well, one of two, of sewing is Tyler Trousers. It’s a zero waste pattern, and it is just so simple to make. I think any beginner can make them, and they’re so freaking comfortable that I could genuinely sleep in them, eat in them, wear them all day, wear them out. I only want to wear them, especially in pandemic life right now, so…

Um, and then my second, um, most made make is actually a shameless plug for Helen’s Closet, um, is my York Pinafore. I have a York Pinafore, um, that’s out of black bull denim and because I work at magpie fibers and we’re around dye all the time, it is just, like, my ride or die pinafore that I wear to work all the time because it gets super hot, but it can also withstand all of the dye that I will inevitably get on me, so…

Helen: Aw, that is amazing. I’ve been meaning to make a black York as well. I feel like it’s a perfect wardrobe staple for fall.

Maressa: Yes. It just slides right in there just perfectly. I’m really excited to style it for fall, but I’m already planning another one, too, so I don’t know.

Caroline: That’s so awesome. And I hadn’t heard of the Tyler Trousers from Janet Celeste, but I’m looking at them right now, and they actually go up to a 66 inch hip which is pretty good for a no waste or zero waste pattern. I find the size ranges can be limiting on those, but that’s exciting.

Maressa: Yeah, she’s really good about trying to be as inclusive as she can, so…

Caroline: Yeah, thank you so much for sharing. We’ll definitely link those up the week your episode comes out. So tell us what’s next for you, Maressa? What’s, what’s on the docket for the rest of the year?

Maressa: Um, more knitting and more sewing. Um, I’m planning for myself, like, a little tiny, like, a real capsule wardrobe with, um, six garments, so I’m going to be really focused on trying to create this fall capsule wardrobe for myself because I think it would be really cool, um, to show our making community, like, with just six items, how many ways I could style those six items for fall. So that’s, kind of, my project for Instagram.

And then I’m just going to hopefully keep empowering and affirming makers both on Instagram and in Patreon.

Helen: Fantastic. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Where can our listeners find you online so they can follow all your goodness?

Maressa: For sure, you can find me on Instagram at @MaressaMade or on Patreon at www.patreon.com/Maressa.

Helen: Thanks again, Maressa. This was such a pleasure to chat with you. I love watching your IGTV, so it feels like I got to just jump into one of them which is amazing.

Maressa: This was amazing, and I, you know, having a total fan girl moment only some of the time, so I feel like this was a success.

Caroline: Celebrate those wins. Alright. Thanks Maressa.

Maressa: Thank you so much.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye.

Maressa: 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: 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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We discuss our favourite sewing tips for sewing undies and the supplies you need to sew your own undies. From period panties to boxer briefs, we’ve got you covered in our sewing patterns round-up too!

Thanks to Kinship Handwork for supporting Love to Sew! Join the Make-It-Your-Own Society, and make seven knit garments completely your own by hacking the pattern, and using surface design, dyeing, and hand stitching. Love to Sew listeners get one month FREE at kinshiphandwork.com with the coupon code LOVETOSEW! 

Love to Sew episodes mentioned:

Sewing machine needles for sewing undies:

Elastics:

Photo credit: Emerald Erin Shop

Photo credit: The Bra Makery

Photo credit: Tailor Made Shop

Getting Fancy:

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Shops to buy supplies:

The sewing part:

Additional resources:

Sewing Patterns:

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Sara Trail from the Social Justice Sewing Academy joins us to talk about how SJSA’s workshops and programs support youth in their exploration of social justice issues through quilting as textile artivism. We also talk about the SJSA business incubator and exciting ways that you can help and get involved!

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Social Justice Sewing Academy info and mentions:

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Other mentions:

Gee Bend’s Quilt – Blocks and Strips Work-Clothes Quilt by Lucy Mingo. Photo by Steve Pitkin/Pitkin Studio, courtesy of Souls Grown Deep Foundation

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From sewing patterns to online educational sewing content, we cover lots of free sewing resources to help you save costs and keep sewing!

Thanks to Deer and Doe for supporting Love to Sew! Deer and Doe’s new e-book “Dressed” is out now and includes 9 new patterns. Love to Sew listeners can enjoy 10%-off during September with the code ‘LOVETOSEW’ at deer-and-doe.com.

This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Love to Sew Podcast episodes mentioned:

Helen’s Closet Patterns new free pattern release – The Luna Tank!

Buy/Sell/Trade Handmade IG account

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YouTube Educational Resources:

Blogs:

Podcasts:

Communities:

Free Pattern Resources:

Sewing patterns database:

Free patterns:

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Arounna Khounnoraj joins us to discuss the beautiful craft of punch needle! She shares what you need to get started, how to overcome beginner challenges, and some top tips for punch needle success.

Thanks to Sewing Patterns by Masin for supporting Love to Sew! Go to sewingpatternsbymasin.com to get 25% off your pattern order with the code LOVETOSEW.

Thanks also to Skillshare for supporting Love to Sew! Get 2 free months of Premium Membership at Skillshare.com/lovetosew.

This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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It’s our 3 year anniversary! Join us as we catch up on our businesses and day-to-day lives, along with answering all your questions in a special Q&A!

Thanks to Kinship Handwork for supporting Love to Sew! Love to Sew listeners get 20% off the digital course Sew Clothes You LOVE until August 27th using Code LOVETOSEW at www.kinshiphandwork.com.

Thanks also to Sewing Parts Online for supporting Love to Sew! Love to Sew listeners can enjoy 10%-off using code LOVETOSEW at sewingpartsonline.com. Some restrictions apply.

This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Support Love to Sew on Patreon! Click here to see our tier options and to learn more!

Love to Sew episodes mentioned:

Helen’s first me-made garments include her turquoise pants and stars top!

Caroline’s first me-made garment was a t-shirt!

Sewing items mentioned in this episode:

Edgestitch Foot (photo credit: weallsew.com)

Invisible Zipper Foot (photo credit: Singer)

Helen’s fav TNT makes this year:

Caroline’s fav TNT makes this year:

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Other makes mentioned:

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Learn all about pins and needles! We cover different types of needles and pins and what you need to know when considering pins and needles for your projects.

Thanks to Love Notions Sewing Patterns for supporting Love to Sew! Try out Love Notions’ Classic Tee pattern for free by going to lovenotions.com and using the code “lovetosew”. 

Thanks also to MakeBox+Co. for supporting Love to Sew! Visit makebox.co before August 18th and get 10% off everything in the shop using code LOVETOSEW at checkout!

This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Our favourites pins mentioned:

Pin length differences:

Pin point differences:

Fancy / Other pins:

Pincushions mentioned:

Pincushion quadrant organization:

About Sewing Machine Needles:

Schmetz’s colour code system for needles!

Common sewing machine needles mentioned in this episode:

Other needles mentioned:

Hand-sewing needles mentioned:

Sharpening needles:

Other mentions:

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Julian Collins joins us to chat about his sewing journey and the Black Makers Matter coalition. We discuss how the sewing community can support Black makers and help to ensure companies big and small make it clear that they value their Black customers. Julian also talks about the confidence he gets from wearing handmade garments and his SewManly Facebook group! 

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Simon Shirt pattern by freesewing.org

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