Love to Sew

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Spoonflower Meet-up!

Meet-up with Denise Archer!

Erin visits Blackbird Fabrics for a bra-making workshop!

Meet-up with Lauren Taylor who hosted a Blackbird workshop!

Kelli Ward from True Bias visits Vancouver and also hosts a workshop at Blackbird!

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Get to know your curves as we dive deep into the curvy sewing resources in our community! We discuss go-to curvy sewing communities, curvy sewists, and bloggers to follow, and the sewing tips you need to get that perfect fit.

This episode of Love to Sew is brought to you by LOLA. To get 30% off your first month’s subscription, visit mylola.com and enter lovetosew30 when you subscribe.

Thanks also to Grammarly for supporting Love to Sew! Start writing confidently by going to Grammarly.com/lovetosew to get 20% off a Grammarly premium account.

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Online resources mentioned:

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You can get this free Close Case Patterns pants fitting worksheet when you sign up for their newsletter!

Book resource mentioned in this episode:

Online curvy sewing communities:

Same Pattern Different Bodies featuring the Fig + Needle Crestwood Skirt

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Challenges mentioned:

Hashtags mentioned:

Curvy Sewing Blogs:

Curvy sewists to follow:

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Other pattern companies that have some patterns in new sizes and/or have always had inclusive sizing: 

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The Sewing Workshop patterns mentioned in this episode:

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The Sewing Workshop mentioned fabric:

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Are you looking for the perfect sewing gift to give to a loved one? What about gifts to give to your sewing friends? We’ve got you covered with all our favourites, so your gift can be both as special and unique as your loved one! 

The transcript for this episode can be found on this page at the end of the show notes.

Gifts that Caroline has made for others:

Gifts that Helen has made for others:

Garment gifts for others:

Accessories

Kitchen-Themed Gifts

Household Gifts / Other

Gifts for Sewists

Transcript:

This transcript was made from the Love to Sew Favourite version of this episode, released on December 13, 2021. You can listen to this version of the episode on the player below:

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 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: 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 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: Do you want to make some handmade gifts this holiday season? Last week, we talked all about sewing for others on your own terms, and now is your chance. We share the DIY projects that make gifts as well as what to get that special sewist in your life.

Helen: Yeah. I mean, if you were thinking of getting me something, like, what would you get me?

Caroline: Um, I don’t know. Maybe we’ll talk about it later, but also, maybe it’s a secret.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: How’s it going?

Caroline: It’s good. How are you?

Helen: I’m good. It’s December now.

Caroline: What? I say that every month.

Helen: Okay. It’s a relatable feeling. Yeah, I’m sure we’re not the only ones feeling like, oh, great. It’s December now.

Caroline: Yeah. November was, kind of, a blur. It really did fly by, like, all months of the year.

Helen: And now it’s that time of year where you have so many things on your calendar and so many plans to go do things, and it can be a bit much, especially when you add on all of the shopping, making…

Caroline: Yeah. All those things you need to do. Why not add on a handmade gift?

Helen: That’s why we’re here. Just pile it on.

Caroline: Pile it on.

Helen: I think today’s episode is going to be fun because we did talk a lot last week in our Can You Sew This For Me Episode about how it can be, kind of, annoying when people ask you to make stuff for them when they learn you’re a sewist and how to graciously say no to your family members, but this episode is all about sewing on your own terms for other people, deciding, you know what? I really would love to make my mom something special this Christmas, and I’m going to do that for her. And I don’t need to involve her in the process. It’s just going to be something that I’m going to make. So you can do that for any loved one in your life, and I think that can be really special. So we’re going to talk about that today.

Caroline: Yeah, but first let’s get to some feedback and a question, and then we can jump into the episode.

Helen: Okay. So Deb wrote in to say, “I love your podcast. And I look forward to it every week. This week, I really perked up when I heard you mentioned 3D printing, as that’s a large part of my day job. I love the idea of using a 3D printer to make your own buttons, but I would caution against putting them in the dryer as most 3D printing materials do not hold up well to heat. I would hate to see all that hard work ruined. You can test, test, test, but if, by chance, you put it in the dryer on low and accidentally it’s on high, it would be a sad day. Probably best just to hang to dry, a quick search on Thingiverse.com…”

We’ll link that in the show notes.

“…showed several results for button designs. It might be a good place to start. Keep up the great work that you’re doing. Your enthusiasm is inspiring, and I found you just when I needed you the most.”

Caroline: Aw, thanks, Deb.

Helen: So sweet.

Caroline: I love these tips because it is true that 3D printed things don’t hold up super well to heat, high heat, so you have to be careful with that. But, yeah, I mean, handwash, I think that’s reasonable.

Helen: Yeah, I think so, too, especially if you’re putting a special 3D button on a coat or something, you know, you’re going to dry clean, you might not have to worry about it too, too much, but it is so fun to experiment with. I know that Shea uses Thingiverse, right?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s really cool. They have so many different things on there. Pretty much anything you can imagine. Yeah. Cause people are putting stuff up there all the time.

Caroline: Yeah. He always checks there to see if he can find something before he, like, models it himself in his fancy programs.

Helen: With his fancy skills.

Caroline: Yeah, with his fancy schools.

Okay. Let’s get to the show. As you know, we’re talking about homemade gifts today. It’s going to be great.

Helen: You sound thrilled.

Caroline: Yeah, no, I am thrilled. I think it’s really special to, to make something for someone that you love, especially around the holidays or for their birthday, especially when it’s a surprise and they haven’t asked you to do it, and it’s totally your decision to do it, and you can back out at the last minute if it’s not working out. And it doesn’t have to be a huge thing, it can be something really small. It’s really the thought that counts. And I feel like that, that feeling of watching someone you love open something that you made for them.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s really special.

Helen: It is extra, extra special, and it can be the answer to that question of, like, what do I get that person? They have everything. Or, you know, they just buy things when they want them or need them. And they’re not really one to, like, wait on purchases. I have a few people like that in my life where it’s like, well, what am I supposed to get you? You just go get things when you want them. So getting something handmade, it’s, like, something that they could never get, right? They could never buy. It’s extra, extra special.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And it can be also a great way to save money during the holidays. We all know that sewing is expensive and that it’s not necessarily cheaper to make your own things versus buying them. But when it comes to handmade gifts, if you’re using fabric that’s leftover from other projects and you’re using free patterns or you’re making up your own patterns, you can actually make things very affordably that could be cheaper than if you went out and tried to buy somebody a gift.

Caroline: Absolutely. So we talked a lot in our Scrap Busting Episode about ideas of what to do with your scraps. Some of our favorites are a sleep mask, reusable makeup remover pads, and a soup bowl cozy. Those are all tutorials from your blog, Helen, and they are also great, super detailed, really easy, approachable projects that are pretty quick as well.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: Scrunchies, I mean, classic gift.

Helen: Yeah, you can give people three scrunchies, like, a little bundle.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Great for anyone with long hair because it protects your hair while you’re sleeping or during the day. Super useful.

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, the sky is the limit, right? You can make gifts for kids. You can make gifts for parents, siblings. We are going to focus on our favorite gift ideas today. So what have you made for other people in your life as gifts?

Helen: I have made robes, for sure. Both my mom and my sister. And I made Sam a dressing robe, as well, but I used, I think it was, like, a Butterick vintage pattern or something. I just found it at the thrift store, and that was great. It got some terry at the fabric store and just whipped up a robe for him, and he still wears it every morning. That’s really sweet. I think robes are great. They have sentimental value. There’s something that people are going to be wearing regularly at home. So, you know, they’ll get use out of it. I mean, even people who don’t wear robes on a regular basis, if they actually had a robe, they probably would wear it.

Caroline: Yeah. I have to say that’s one of those things I think that people don’t often buy for themselves. It’s, like, an extra thing. It’s, like. slippers. You just don’t always have that. But then when someone else buys it for you, it feels like such a luxury.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it could be really nice. And I’ve also made tote bags for people. Um, little zipper pouches. Blackwood Cardigans make a great gift because the sizing is pretty forgiving, and it’s not meant to close in the front, so you don’t need to worry too much about that. You can, kind of, eyeball the size and, and it will probably work out well. And then of course, aprons. Y’all know I love aprons. All aprons, all the time. I’ve made several aprons for people using various different designs and patterns, and that is just a great, universally-usable present. You know even if the person that you gift it to doesn’t wear it. Maybe somebody else in their household will wear it. You know, an apron is just a great thing to have on hand.

Caroline: Yeah. I love those ideas.

Helen: How about you? What are your go-to Christmas gifts?

Caroline: Well, I have made tote bags. I think those are really fun and easy to make, and you can make any size you want. There are really no limitations there. It’s a great scrap busting project. Color blocking, quilting, you can do so much with tote bags. I have definitely made a bunch of robes slash, kind of, the cover-up style, open robe in the front where you can wear to the beach or wear to the pool or the lake or just around the house, too, in the summertime. I love that cause they’re easy to fit, especially the ones that are open in the front, so you don’t necessarily have to know someone’s exact size.

Leggings and undies. I’ve made so many leggings and undies for my sister. She loves that. It’s, like, my go-to gift for, for her because she loves the leggings that I make her, and she wears them all the time. Um, same thing with undies. I use the Watson Bikini Underwear Pattern, and they’re great.

I also think a simple, like, lap blanket or a baby blanket is a really great gift idea. It’s small, it’s manageable and you don’t have to quilt it. You can just use, like, a really special fabric on the front and back, binding, a little bit of batting in between. You can, um, you know, stitch some quilt lines on it, but you don’t have to actually quilt together the fabric. There’s some great tutorials on Purl Soho’s website. Um, but you can just, yeah, you can just do it and wing it, and I’ve done it before, and it’s really fun.

Helen: Love it. You don’t need to be a quilter to make a quilt, right?

Caroline: No.

Helen: If you can sew, you can figure it out. You can do it.

Caroline: Totally. And, like, you can do a lot, too. It doesn’t have to be, like, a quilting cotton. You can use a flannel, like, a plaid flannel lap blanket in the winter. Like, how cozy is that, you know? You can use linen. You can go, like, more modern. You can go more cutesy. So lots of options there. So those are the things that we’ve made in the past, but we have many, many ideas.

Helen: We certainly do.

Caroline: So we’re going to round up our favorites.

Helen: Yes. So if you want to make garments, I think choosing a pattern or an idea concept that was going to be easy to fit, unless you’re planning on doing some, kind of, fitting with the person, or maybe if you live with the person, you have the opportunity to go in their closet and see what sizes they wear, maybe even steal one of their garments temporarily, so you can have it on hand to compare with your size chart. Those are options if you’re a bit closer with somebody. But if you’re, you know, across the coast or the country from somebody, then you’re definitely going to want to make something that’s easy to fit and maybe something seasonal as well. So, of course, we already talked about how much we love robes, but there are lots of other loungewear things like pajama pants or pajamas shorts or a whole pajama set.

Caroline: Yeah. So Closet Case Patterns has the Carolyn Pajamas which is super cute, and there are a few different views with both shorts and full leg options. Also, you can do the piping option for that set. So, really cute opportunity to, sort of, mix fabrics and colors. Thread Theory has a great PJ bottom which looks super comfy. I also love the idea of, kind of, mix and matching your own favorite, like, loungewear patterns. So I’m thinking, like, Virginia Leggings or Hudson Pants and then paired with, like, a Linden Sweater or I don’t know, something else, some other kind of cozy sweater, even an Elliott would be amazing as a set. Make it in, like, a matching French Terry, and then it’s, like, a cozy loungewear outfit for your favorite person.

Helen: Yeah, it’s true. I think knit loungewear is my preferred loungewear. That’s what I always go to when I’m lying around at home.

Caroline: Yeah. Lying around. There’s also the Lahja Dressing Gown by Named. It has two in one dressing gown. Um, so it’s a really, really great option if you’re thinking of making a robe for anyone in your life. I really love that option, and there’s tons of tutorials online for robes and cover-ups. Just series of rectangles.

Helen: Oh, yeah.

Caroline: If you don’t want to buy a pattern, there’s so many tutes online for that. So check those out.

Helen: If you want to go non-loungewear route, I think a jacket pattern, oversize jacket, like the Pona Jacket. Again, you can come up with your own design if you want. Just a series of rectangles or you can, kind of, figure it out and give people something that’s more of a flowy layer.

Caroline: If we’re going to talk about patterns, I have more ideas. One year I made a couple of Roscoe Blouses for Shea’s mom and grandma, and Roscoe is another one of those patterns that I think you can go a little bit oversize and it still looks really cute. So I just picked a pupple… I picked a pupple.

Helen: Picked a pupple peppers.

Caroline: I just picked a couple of pretty floral rayons from my shop and I made a couple of Roscoe Blouses, and they loved them. I also think the Wiksten Shift Dress is another, like, sort of, oversize, but it’s belted. It’s pretty, um, I feel like it’s…

Helen: Forgiving.

Caroline: Forgiving. Yeah. It’s pretty forgiving, uh, fit. So anything, I think that’s, like, a little bit oversized is a good option.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Alright, what about accessories? Because those are really fun for scrap busting.

Caroline: Yes. I mean bags. Um, those are a great option because you’re not working with sizing. You don’t have to worry about fitting a bag. It’s a bag. So Portside Travel Set from Grainline Studio. I love that one because it comes with a few different options. So there’s three different sizes. There’s the duffle bag size, that’s a larger project, a lot more detailed, but maybe you can make that for someone who travels a lot locally and just wants, like, a smaller, kind of, carrying bag versus like a rolly bag.

You can do a lot with fabric there, too. Remember, you can use interfacing to make your favorite fabric a little bit thicker. So, you can do pretty much any fabric for, well, maybe not any fabric. I won’t say that.

Helen: Can I use bamboo jersey?

Caroline: You can use, you know, most, kind of, stable, woven fabrics, and if they’re not heavy enough, you can interface them and make it work for a duffel bag.

They also have a medium sized bag that could act as a toiletry bag or even a knitting bag to hold your current project or your gift receiver’s current project because this isn’t for you.

Helen: Try not to keep the gifts. That’s the hard part.

Caroline: And also, um, there’s a smaller pouch option in that pattern. That’s more of, like, a travel pouch. It’s great for holding a passport, small notebook, pens, chargers.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Um, so that’s a really great option for someone who travels. I love the idea of doing a whole set for somebody, but that’s a lot of work. Um, who knows if that would ever happen if I wanted to do that, but maybe who knows?

Helen: There’s also the Oberlin Tote Bag by Klum House which is a heavy duty tote that has leather straps. And you can carry a lot with that bag. And it’s super, super, pretty and cute, especially if you go and get the actual leather for the straps. That can look really professional.

Caroline: Yeah. And the Costa Tote which is your free pattern. It’s beautiful in a canvas. It’s another great scrap buster. It’s, kind of, a lighter weight tote that’s great for market shopping, grocery store…

Helen: Book bag.

Caroline: …like, a carry-all type thing. And if you sign up for Helen’s newsletter, you’ll get it for free.

Helen: That’s right.

Caroline: But I love the idea of color blocking also for the Oberlin Tote or your Costa Tote. I think color blocking, like, the bottom with, like, a wax canvas and the top with, like, a regular canvas…

Helen: Yeah, or using your denim scraps combined with wax canvas…

Caroline: Ooh, yeah.

Helen: You can have a lot of fun with different prints. I think that Anna from Noodlehead, we had her on our show a while back, but she designs all sorts of bag patterns, another great place to go look for options, but I just love the way that she combines different prints and textures and fabrics, and you can use all of these different things you have lying around.

Caroline: Absolutely. And then what about a yoga mat bag for the yogi in your life? Um, so I think Threads Magazine has a free pattern for that. Again, that’s another one of those ones, if you go on Pinterest or just Google, there’s lots of free yoga mat bag patterns out there. Um, that’s a really fun one to make. I’ve made a yoga mat bag a while back, and I use it all the time. I love it.

Helen: Oh, nice.

Caroline: Dopp kits or zipper pouches.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Tons of patterns out there for that. That’s a great gift. It’s small, compact. That’s one of those ones you can make, like, the night before and totally get away with it.

Helen: Or, like, assembly line and make 10 for everyone.

Caroline: Love it.

Helen: Great gift for kids and teenagers, too, because they need those for, you know, when they go to school as, like, a pencil kit or a little makeup pouch, or, you know, a little bag for their toys. My little niece is obsessed with putting things in bags. So a bag is, like, the ultimate gift.

Caroline: Okay. What about a fanny pack?

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: Those are cool now, right?

Helen: I love this idea. They are so cool now, and that is a really fun project. It has a lot of detail. I think it would be really fun for you to actually make it an interesting learning experience, as well, because it’s, like, a lot of little small pieces.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So that could be really fun. We have a couple in mind: the Fennel Fanny Pack by Sara Kirsten. Super cute. And then also the Pooze Pouch by @maeve.makes. We’re going to link them both in the show notes. They’re both really awesome.

Caroline: I love how you said that. It’s so enthusiastic. The Pooze Pouch.

Helen: Pooze Pouch.

Caroline: It sounds like a dirty word, but it’s not.

Helen: It’s not. Pooze Pouch.

Caroline: I love it. Um, you can also make a wallet. This is an awesome gift idea. Thread Theory has a few smaller size wallet patterns that are great for holding just, like, cards or a small amount of cash. But I love the idea of making a little wallet or even a little coin purse.

Helen: Yeah. I mean, wax canvas would be really fun for a wallet, again, like, a stable denim or canvas, but I was thinking you could even use a boiled wool to make, kind of, like a soft wallet. I’ve seen some at craft fairs. All the edges are raw, and you’re basically just stacking rectangles up until you get the pockets that you want, sewing them together, putting a snap on, and they, kind of, have a soft feel to them, but they have all those pockets there.

Caroline: Yeah. So my recommendation, fabric lady over here talking, uh, look for boiled wool that’s thick and stable because some boiled wools will be drapier and lighter weight. So, like, the boiled wool viscose that’s at Blackboard right now would not work for that. But if you go for, like, a boiled wool, that’s like a little heftier, or even a, felt…

Helen: Like a Melton?

Caroline: Like, you can buy, like, a Melton or a felt even at Michael’s and use that.

Helen: True. Yeah. So true. Um, also, aprons we already talked about. My love of aprons. The Dogwood Apron that we have in my shop right now that we just came out with, the collaboration between us and Elena Dogwood Denim, I think is just a great gift for any maker, whether it’s woodworking or cooking or gardening or pottery or anything really because you need to protect that area of your body and also have all your tools on hand.

And it’s a really simple project. It’s so great for all of your scraps leftover from your jeans.

Caroline: I love the Dogwood. I want to make one for my brother. I feel like he would really appreciate it cause he loves woodworking.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: And he’s, kind of, crafty and artsy, and I think he would really, really like it.

Helen: Even if you just see, like, a crafty spark in somebody, maybe if you gave them a Dogwood Apron, they would be like, oh yeah, I should make something.

Caroline: Yeah. Love it. Yeah. Okay. So alternatively, for the cooks in your life, not that the Dogwood Apron isn’t good for cooking.

Helen: I mean, for cooking, you probably do want a bit of a splash guard on top. It’s true.

Caroline: But if you want to do a full-sized apron, I mean, obviously there’s the York Pinafore expansion pack for the York Apron which is super cute. It’s that crossback style apron. Um, love, love, love your pattern, Helen, obviously. Um, Purl Soho has a great free apron pattern on their website, and aprons are also pretty easy to draft. So if you know, a person’s general size, you can just, kind of, draft something up yourself.

Helen: Or use one that you already have at home as a base. It’s basically some kind of a square rectangle shape on the bottom. Some kind of a, I don’t know, like, a curve, quadrilateral cone triangle thing on top.

Caroline: I’m really getting it. Yeah. I can picture it. Thanks.

Helen: I’m gesturing, but you all know what an apron looks like, right? And then you put some straps on it, and you’re good to go.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: And pockets, of course. Of course, pockets.

Caroline: Okay, let’s talk more about kitchen-themed gifts cause you know how much I love the kitchen.

Helen: Yeah. The kitchen is a great place to look when you’re thinking about making stuff because there’s a lot of textiles in the kitchen. Uh, potholders or oven mitts is a great option. You can quilt them, and you can use fun fabrics for that. Do make sure that you’re giving them a good amount of heft with your quilting because you don’t want anyone burning themselves. And you also want fabrics that can withstand high heat, so that they’re not going to be melting or anything. So use cottons and things like that, and make sure you’re doing maybe one or two layers of quilt batting, depending on how thick it is.

Caroline: Yes, and fabric napkins. So you can make really easily, some fabric napkins with just a square of fabric, and you can make it more elevated, depending on the fabric choice. Martha Stewart has free instructions on how to make this on her website. There’s also tons of instructions online on how to do those beautiful mitered corners on a napkin. Um, once I made napkins for my partner’s mom for Christmas, and I used just, like, a simple linen fabric, but then I used fabric paint to, kind of, color block a part of the napkins. And it was a really fun, easy project, but it really came together beautifully, and it was a fun gift to give.

Helen: That sounds amazing. Yeah. You could add that extra touch with a little hand embroidery or a little block printing or something and just make it extra special, so it’s not just a square of fabric.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: It’s a napkin.

Caroline: And of course, um, Spoonflower, in their interview in Episode 90, talked all about this family heirloom recipe tea towel. Um, I love, love, love this idea. So if you haven’t listened to that episode, go back. There’s a great story behind it.

Helen: So you’re not going to tell people right now? No, essentially, I’m going to tell them, printing a family recipe onto fabric so that you can make a custom tea towel for a loved one. Yeah, it’s super, super special. I’m sure anyone would love to receive that.

Caroline: What about a cute lunch bag?

Helen: Ooh. Yeah, that’s a great idea. You could give that again too. I mean, I guess you could give it to a kid. Maybe it’s a better thing to give to, like, the parent of a child.

Caroline: Yeah. I feel like a, like an elevated lunch bag out of, like, a waxed canvas with a little roll and then snap.

Helen: Yeah. I mean, I guess if you work in an office or you take your lunch to work, then even adults need lunch bags.

Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah. And maybe for those more sustainably-minded folks, reusable sandwich or snack bags are also a really great option. And then you can also do, like, a DIY waxed food wrap. So just, like, a piece of fabric and then you use the, you get the special wax to wax it and then you don’t have to pay however much it costs to buy that in a store,

Helen: Yeah, but it is challenging.

Caroline: It’s challenging. I’ve heard stories of, like, like, animal hair getting, like, embedded in the wax.

Helen: Yeah. There’s a few different ways to make them see them look up some tutorials, but that one’s a little involved. Yeah, it is very cool.

Caroline: It is. You can use fun prints. Great scrap buster, again. I also love DIY produce bags. So sheer cup lining that you would use for bras is the perfect lightweight fabric option for this cause it’s see-through, so you can still see what’s in the bag for the grocery checkout person, but they’re also so lightweight that it’s not going to weigh anything. It’s not going to add to the weight of the veggies or fruit that you’re buying.

Helen: That’s a really good gift for somebody who is more eco-conscious. Like, my sister won’t buy any plastic or take any plastic from the grocery store.

Caroline: Does she just, like, pile all her produce, like, on the…?

Helen: She just shops only at places that don’t, like, wrap plastic around everything. But some grocery stores it’s, like, every single, like, cabbage or every single…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Blueberries, like, wrapped in plastic.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s true. Yeah, it really does add up. Yeah. Okay. Let’s talk more gifts.

Helen: Alright, I got a great gift once from my mom when we were taking some art classes together. She made me this roll up bag for, you know, like, brushes or pens and pencils. It’s basically a rectangle with a bunch of pockets in it. And then it has a flap that goes over the top and you roll it up. We’ll link one in the show notes for those of you that are having trouble visualizing, but you can use it for all sorts of things. Like, makeup brushes, it makes a great bag for. Knitting needles, anything where you have a bunch of pencil-like things.

Caroline: It, kind of, looks like those, um, like, chef knife roll-up things with the handle.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. But I don’t make a knife one out of, like, cotton lawn though.

Caroline: Yeah, use the heavy duty canvas for the knife holder.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Spoonflower has free instructions on how to make this brush holder in a blog post, so we’ll link that in the show notes.

Helen: Perfect.

Caroline: You have made a cover for your Kindle.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Which I’m amazed that you even, I mean, I don’t know why I’m amazed because you’re amazing. But when I first saw it, I didn’t believe that you had DIY’d because it looked so professional with, like, the cardboard pieces and, like, the elastic around the corner.

Helen: I need to do a tutorial about that one because I think it is my proudest DIY make I’ve had it for, like, three or four years.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And it’s still going super strong because when I was looking for covers on Amazon for my Kindle, I was like, oh, these all look like garbage. I wanted to make something that was a little bit less plastic-y looking and would actually protect the screen as well. So it’s basically just, like, cardboard slipped into fabric, like a book cover, and then it has an elastic to hold it on, and it worked really, really effectively.

Caroline: So you could do a tablet cover like that. You could also do, like, um, like, a felt tablet cover or sleeve, or you can quilt, like, a sleeve for your laptop or for your tablet or for your Kindle or for your phone.

Helen: That’s smart. I made Sam one that’s, like, a sleeve. It’s got fuzzy fabric inside, and then it just has, like, a little Velcro tab on one end.

Caroline: Love it. Yeah. We found a felt tablet cover on the Leah Griffith website, and she also includes pockets for pens and clips. It even has a tie off option on the front, so it’s super cute. We’re going to link that one in the show notes, but lots of options there and another great scrap busting project.

Speaking of scrap busting, I mean, we’re just full of scrap busting projects today: bookmark. Bookmark is so simple, but you can have a lot of fun with this one. You can do, like, a fabric bookmark and add some floral embroidery on it or even, like, a little quote. You can block print it again.

Helen: It’s nice when bookmarks have something on the end of them. That can be where you put something a little bulkier…

Caroline: Like, a little tassel.

Helen: Yeah, a little tassel, or you sew a couple of, like, really pretty buttons up there. Um, I have a bookmark that I gave Sam. I didn’t make it, but it is fabric. And I think that there’s probably some, kind of, really, really thin cardstock inside. Basically, a rectangle of fabric and then on top, it’s got a couple of buttons, and he’s been using it for, like, a decade.

Caroline: That’s awesome.

Helen: Yeah. Super handy. Another small thing you could make is like a Christmas ornament. Come up with some kind of concept for Christmas ornament. We got one sent to us by a listener.

Caroline: Yes! One of our listeners sent us this adorable Christmas ornament that’s, it looks like little baby fabric bolts or little mini fabric bolts. So it’s, like, pieces of cardboard, like a fabric bolt, and then you just wrap scraps of fabric around it. And she had it, kind of, tied off in a little bundle. OIh, you even have it here. It’s so cute.

Helen: It’s hanging up on the wall.

Caroline: We’re looking at it right now. And it looks like a little stack of fabric bolts, and it’s the perfect little Christmas ornament, like. I’m in love with it. It’s so cute.

Helen: For any maker, I mean, quilter and really anyone who likes, enjoys a craft store…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …will get it.

Caroline: Yeah. But also, really any cute little object or shape, animal can be made into a really fun Christmas ornament that’s great for scrap busting.

Helen: I have an idea for a Christmas ornament that’s, like, a ghost where it’s just a piece of fabric, like, hanging on a ball and you just put googly eyes on it. So cute.

Caroline: A Halloween-themed, Christmas ornament.

Helen: Look, we get a little eclectic with our Christmas decorations. I’m just saying you don’t have to get fancy here.

Caroline: No, you really don’t. I think that sounds really fun.

Helen: Yeah. Alright. I love this next idea. This one Melanie put in here for us. And I think it’s so smart: giving a kit to make your own DIY something. Specifically, she suggested here a scrunchie kit. So if there are other members in your family or your friend circle that want to learn how to sew or are crafty and really enjoy making their own things, you could give them their kit for how to make something and include things like pre-cut fabric, notions, like, if it’s a scrunchie kit, you could use elastic, a safety pin, and a little instruction card that you could design yourself or download off the internet. Um, and we have included some links to YouTube tutorials, too, where you can figure out how to go about doing this. But I love this idea.

Caroline: I love it, too. It’s so, so cute. Yeah. Okay. What about other fiber art, kind of, related gifts that might or might not involve your sewing machine?

Helen: I really like this because, of course, if people like doing one craft, they’re probably at least mildly interested in some other craft. So you could do block printed handkerchief or scarf. You could try your hand at dying, um, a pre-made scarf. There’s actually a local shop in Vancouver, but they also sell online called Maiwa, and they have all of these napkins and scarves and tea towels and stuff that you can dye and block print. They’re, like, ready to go. So if you wanted to, you know, again, production line, make a bunch of something. You could grab a bunch of napkins and have fun experimenting with dyeing or block printing.

Caroline: Yeah. You could also do a rope bowl. So buy some rope from the hardware store and make a little rope bowl or rope bag or rope clutch.

Helen: Love it.

Caroline: Um, that’s such a great gift idea. People are always really impressed by rope vessels.

Helen: It’s true. Yeah, I mean, you see them in a lot of higher end stores now because they are a great little accessory for your interior. So I think people would be very impressed by a rope bowl.

Caroline: Yeah, and I also love the idea of making a little coupon to give to somebody that stands in for, like, a handmade gift. So it could be like, here’s one apron of your choice in the fabric of your choice, or, you know, you can come up with whatever you think that person will want and give them a little coupon for it. So you’re saying I’m going to make you this. Now you have to follow through, and it’s a little bit easier than having to, you know, dole out a ton of handmade gifts right before Christmas.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. You don’t have to be super specific either. You could say I will make you one garment or one bag and then you can actually have fun working with them on what garment they want, and looking at patterns that can be a really fun part of the process.

Caroline: Involving them in the process, making sure that they’re going to get something that they love.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Okay. Okay. This is all for other people, but what about me, Caroline? What about my Christmas needs and what people are going to get me for Christmas?

Caroline: Well, Helen, I don’t know, but what about me?

Helen: Oh my gosh. I mean, It is really nice when you’re into something and your friends and family take note of that and they get you something related to your hobby. I always so appreciate when people do that, but it can be, kind of, hard to come up with things. And maybe you have other sewists in your life you want to get gifts for, and you’re like, I don’t know. What should I get them? So we have some ideas for you.

Caroline: Yeah. And then you can send this episode to your friend or family member and give them a timestamp. And then they’ll just start listening right now. Hello, friends, and learn about all the great gifts they can get you for Christmas.

Helen: Yeah. So what would be some gifts that you would like to receive as a sewist?

Caroline: Oh, personally, I am really in love with all of Merchant and Mills’, cute, little, kind of, accessory items that they sell. They have really beautiful packaging. It really feels extra special and high quality. And I think it just would make a wonderful gift for sewist because it’s something that maybe isn’t, you know, what they would invest in right off the bat. But it’s one of those things that you can kind of get down the line as, like, an upgrade.

They have tons of, like, special kinds of pins or little kits for bags or patterns. They have this really adorable travel sewing kit. Um, but really nice, like, not a dollar store, one. It’s, like, really, really beautiful materials in this little aluminum tin that you can keep in your bag. Like, just, they do such a good job with sewing gifts. So, love Merchant and Mills.

I also think, if you’re a thrifter, a fun gadget, like a bias tape maker or a vintage buttonhole attachment. We’ve talked a lot on the show about Singer, uh, vintage buttonhole attachments, if you can hunt one down, that is such a cool gift for a sewist. I also personally would love, like, a sewing or, like, I don’t know, girl power-themed print for my sewing room.

Helen: That does sound like something you would love.

Caroline: Some kind of, like, fun artwork that would work well in my sewing space, I feel like that would be a really fun gift for a sewist AKA me.

Helen: Duly noted. Okay, my turn. I think that, um, no, actually somebody made me once a wooden tailor’s clapper by hand, somebody who does woodworking, and I thought that was just amazing. So if you do know woodworking or you can get something custom done, somehow, a tailor’s clapper is a great way to go because it is a simple shape and you don’t need to be too precious about all the details. You just need to, like, a nice, solid… Ooh, Caroline’s pointing.

Caroline: You made me think of something.

Helen: You just need a nice solid base for actually pressing and maybe a pointed end. That’s super handy. Um, also a wooden pin holder. If someone could turn a wooden object and then put a magnet in it and you can, like, stick your pins in there. That’d be cool.

Caroline: Speaking of woodworking projects that you could make for sewist, um, when you’re doing, like, resist dyeing, you need those shaped blocks, like, for indigo dying and that kind of thing.

Helen: And clamps.

Caroline: Yeah, and clamps. So you could get, you can make, like, a bunch of triangles or squares or circles. You screw into them so that there’s something to, like, wrap the string or the elastic around. So you put, like, a screw in, but leave it not fully screwed in. Um, and just, like, give them a bunch of those and be like, hey, here, go dye some things.

Helen: Yeah. It’s so true. With block printing, also, you need blocks to glue your, um, soft blocks to depending on what kind of block printing you’re doing, but woodblocks, great idea. Can’t be easier. Everybody go and get out your radial arm saw. Go nuts.

Caroline: Um, another great one is a mini anvil because I feel like that’s a really special tool to have in your sewing room. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s a really fun thing to get as a gift because it’s cute and small and adorable. And then you can tell everybody you know that’s there about sewing and, yeah, why you need a mini anvil.

Helen: And how cute it is. Yeah, I think I would like to receive, Since I have been sewing for a while, I have most of the tools that I need. I mean, I’m always down for an upgrade, but I think what would really excite me as a gift is any kind of other fiber art-related kit. So if it was, like, a little felting kit or a dyeing kit or something like that, where I could get my hands dirty and do something other than sewing, I would be super into that.

Caroline: Oh yeah. Or some kind of a class or a gift certificate for a class, online or in-person, if you know someone who frequents a local sewing shop, go and see if you can get, like, a gift card for a class or, like, a voucher for a class that they don’t spend it on something else. They spend it on, like, something, like, an experience that’s fun for them.

Helen: Yeah. That is the ultimate gift, I think.

Caroline: Yeah. But there’s tons of other things that you can get for a sewist in your life. So, of course, garment labels are such a fun, final touch on a handmade garment. And it’s not something that all sewists necessarily have kicking around in their stash. It’s, kind of, one of those special extra items. So Kylie and the Machine Labels are super, super cute. We love… they have labels that say things like “me made,” or “it has pockets” or “this is the back,” “slow sewing,” “ta-da,” like so many great, great labels.

There’s also a new company called Stitch Collective. We’ll link them in the show notes. I absolutely love her feminist garment label. I think it’s super cute.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: She’s got a few really great designs, and I think she’s coming out with more. Um, but there are tons of companies out there that make cute labels, and you could also go the personalized route and get personalized labels for your sewing friend. And we’ll link some shops on Etsy that do that cause there are lots of options there.

Helen: Yeah, like if your friend’s name is Dave, you can have labels made that say “made by Dave.” How cool would that be?

Caroline: Love it.

Helen: Alright, I think also special notions make a great gift, like bias tape is, I mean, you can never have enough bias tape, right? And if you get special bias that’s already made out of a fun fabric and it’s already made for you so you don’t have to go through the effort of making it yourself, I find that super handy. Um, we got some beautiful bias tape from the Small Circle. We’ll link that in the show notes, they have so many different fun prints. And I think there’s a few other companies that do that as well. Maybe we’ll track some down for the show notes.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: We also did a roundup after our Buttons and Buttonhole Episode, that features a ton of different buttons shops, where to buy custom buttons, beautiful buttons, special buttons, all kinds of different buttons, and that is on our Instagram. We’ve highlighted it, so you can go and check that out if you want to buy some special buttons for hol-, for the holiday.

Caroline: For holiday, holidays.

Helen: I can’t talk anymore. It’s like I ran out of talking juice.

Caroline: That’s not good.

Helen: Caroline, you talk.

Caroline: What about sewing books?

Helen: Sewing books are excellent. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a good book, whether it’s about sewing or some other craft. Again, you can go a different fiber art route. Yeah. I mean, I think there’s so many good options. For a sewist, maybe a pattern drafting book. Maybe they want to try their hand at drafting.

Caroline: Ooh. Yes. Love it. Okay. Finally. Obvi.

Helen: Obvi.

Caroline & Helen: A gift card.

Helen: BlackbirdFabrics.com gift card. I mean that’s at the top of my list all the time.

Caroline: But seriously though, find out where your sewing friend buys their fabric from or their notions, or maybe specialty shop that they really want to buy something from. It’s a great opportunity to give this person a choice to choose whatever they want from their favorite shop. And you can get it in, you know, whatever amount you’re comfortable with, and they can use it just towards a future purchase. It’s, like, a sure-fire way to please somebody. I know some people don’t really believe in gift cards, but I’m not one of those people.

Helen: I think it really depends on the person that you’re giving the gift to because it’s true. They might want to choose, and you might not have any idea what to get them, so you’re better off going the gift card route and having it all work out.

Caroline: Yeah. We hope that this episode helps you with your gift giving and making, especially as these holidays approach. Can’t believe it’s December already get your butt in gear, get those gifts going, guys.

Helen: You know what, on that note, I just want to put a quick plug in for being realistic.

Caroline: Oh, okay.

Helen: Uh, and not taking on too much this holiday season. Because sometimes you want to make gifts for 20 people, but sometimes that’s not a good idea.

Caroline: Don’t. Nobody should be making gifts for 20 people.

Helen: I mean, it depends on the gift, I guess.

Caroline: I guess. Yeah.

Helen: But, uh, you don’t have to make gifts for everyone, and think about how much time you actually have to sew. Be realistic.

Caroline: Yeah. And we’re gonna be linking all of these ideas in the show notes, so be sure to check out those additional resources online at LoveToSewPodcast.com, and yeah, there’s only a few weeks left, so get making.

Helen: I love it. Get making.

Caroline: That’s it for this Love to Sew Favorite. 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 can all relate to the situation when someone asks us to make or mend something! Do you sew for others, or is sewing a solo, self-care activity for you? We discuss how to create sewing boundaries to keep your sewing passion ignited, and also how to graciously say no to those sewing projects you don’t want to tackle.

Ida Victoria Patterns has a special offer for Love to Sew listeners! Get 20%-off all patterns by using code “LOVETOSEW” at checkout. Valid through Dec 31, 2019.

This episode is sponsored by Skillshare! Love to Sew listeners can get 2 months of unlimited access for free at Skillshare.com/lovetosew. Thanks, Skillshare!

A post shared by Can You Sew This For Me? (@canyousewthisforme) on Feb 1, 2019 at 10:38am PST

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This episode is sponsored by Skillshare! Love to Sew listeners can get 2 months of unlimited access for free at Skillshare.com/lovetosew. Thanks, Skillshare!

Sew Liberated: Mindful Wardrobe Project from Big Dog Little Bed Productions on Vimeo

A post shared by megthe mindful wardrobe (@sewliberated) on Oct 22, 2019 at 9:19am PDT

Meg’s Suki Robe from last years #sewfrosting challenge!

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From creating a strong buttonhole to finding the perfect button for your project, we cover all the details when it comes to buttons and buttonholes! We discuss hand-sewing and machine sewing button techniques, and some helpful tips to ensure you have well-sewn buttons on all your garments!

Thanks to Buffy for supporting Love to Sew! For $20 off your Buffy comforter, visit Buffy.co and enter promo code LOVETOSEW.

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

Each To Own – Classic Round Sew-Through Button

Arrow Mountain – Shanked Bamboo Chevron Button

Photo Credit: Pixie Faire

Photo credit to Listener Megan Tuffley

From left to right: Standard square buttonhole, rounded buttonhole, and keyhole buttonhole. Photo credit www.nationalsewingcircle.com

Bound Buttonhole

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Sewing starlet Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch joins us to chat about retro sewing and curvy pattern design! Gertie shares her sewing journey from starting her blog over a decade ago to producing sewing patterns, books, and hosting workshops around the world. Gertie shares her love for retro glam, and the behind-the-scenes of making a pattern that accentuates women’s curves.

Are you ready to create your ultimate dream wardrobe? Now’s your chance with Spoonflower’s Dream Wardrobe giveaway! Enter now through November 19 for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree on Spoonflower!

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

Liz Dress

Jane Set

Butterick B6453 Dress Pattern

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The transcript for this episode can be found at the end of the show notes on this page.

Carlos’ Sewing Journey:

Vogue Patterns ‘Make The Look’ Social Posts:

A post shared by Sewing Patterns (@mccallpatterncompany) on Oct 10, 2019 at 10:57am PDT

Vogue Winter Holiday Collection

V1655

Carlos’ favourite pattern: V9253

V9253

Carlos’ handmade wardrobe includes many versions and hacks of V9220:

V9220

Carlos’ mentioned black shirt. Classic – with a twist!

Today’s look! An original design of mine for self-drafted button down shirt with an integrated scarf! Made from a fine wool cashmere blend flannel from @truemartfabrics. #voguepatterns #menwhosew #mensstyle #menshirt

A post shared by Carlos Correa (@carlosvoguepatterns) on Oct 11, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

Transcript:

Note: This transcript was made from the Favourites re-release version of this episode, released on June 29, 2021. You can listen to this version on the player below:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, ncluding 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 Carlos Correa who designs for Vogue Patterns. Carlos shares his amazing career path, his passion for high fashion, and creating special details in home sewing patterns. We also get a peek behind the curtain and hear how Vogue sewing patterns get made. Everybody vogue!

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

Carlos: Hello, ladies. It’s nice to be here with you. 

Helen: We are so excited to get a chance to speak with you today. And we were hoping that you could start us off by introducing yourself to our listeners. 

Carlos: Absolutely. So my name is Carlos Correa. I’m the, uh, Vogue Patterns designer. I’m a long time  designer. I’ve been with the company for over 20 years. Um, I grew up in Puerto Rico. Uh, I learned sewing very young. My mother and my four sisters, they were all, uh, dressmakers, uh, made all their clothes, and I grew up with it. So, uh, going to pattern stores, going fabric shopping, all of that in my childhood for as long as I can remember. Um, now, initially my thinking wasn’t to become a pattern designer, or a designer, at all. Uh, but at some point, when I became a teenager, I got interested in clothing and fashion. The clothes that I liked didn’t exist in the stores, uh, or they were too expensive. You know, I was really attracted to the high-end, high-fashion sort of sort of things.

And so, uh, I realized that I could make my own. I asked my mother, you know, would you let me, you know, play with the sewing machine. Uh, initially she said, absolutely not. You’re not breaking my machine. You’re not going anywhere near it. In fact, she forbid it, but I, kind of, snuck around in her sewing room, and I started pulling boxes of patterns and looking at the guy’s sheets and looking at the various pattern pieces.

And you know, when my mother wasn’t looking, I would look to her scraps of fabric. And I would cut things out and make things. And, uh, the next thing, you know, I was really into it. I enjoyed, um, just the process, the sewing, the patterns, everything. And, uh, I, no, my mother finally acquiesced. She saw that I liked it, and she would take me to the fabric store and buy me, uh, patterns and fabrics.

And at that time I didn’t know Vogue Patterns existed. So I actually learned to sew with, uh, McCall’s and Simplicity Patterns. I made pants or shorts and shirts and just loved it. Um, and eventually, I became aware of fashion designing as a profession and, uh, I applied to F.I.T., you know, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. And I was lucky enough that I got accepted. 

I will say my sewing training, kind of, really came in handy because when I had to submit a portfolio and examples of my clothes that I had made, you know, I had already been making clothes for some time. I was able to come up with really well accomplished sewing samples. I think that may have been a factor in getting me accepted. 

Also, I was a really gifted, um, uh, sketcher. I was really, really into this, drawing and drawing clothes specifically. So that’s how I got into F.I.T.. And I graduated from F.I.T. and started to work almost immediately after graduation. And the rest is history. Here I am, all these years later, you know. 

Helen: It sounds like you were a dream candidate for F.I.T.. I’m sure they were just drooling over all of your sketches and your work so far, having had so much experience with sewing. It’s amazing.

Carlos:  Thank you very much. I mean, I like to think, you know, it was very lucky that I got in because, as a matter of fact, I was so naive I didn’t even think of applying to any other schools. 

Helen: You were like, this is it. 

Carlos: Yeah. I think it was, sort of, like, fate, uh, that, sort of, like, was guiding me at that time because I was doing all these things without really thinking. It was just a lucky sequence of events, but everything luckily worked out really well. And I loved F.I.T.. It was great. 

Helen: So was your move to New York and to go to F.I.T., was that from Puerto Rico? 

Carlos: Correct. I was 18 years old. I finished high school. Um, I told my mother, um, that I was moving, uh, that I was going to school here. She had to have no idea that I was doing any of it. Um, I don’t know what I was thinking by not telling her.

I was just, sort of, like, I don’t know maybe in my head, I was just thinking it wasn’t going to be happening after all. And I would have to have some plan B, but, but no, when I finally got the acceptance letter, that’s when I told my mom. And she was like, well, okay, we need to get money for your plane ticket and so on, but she was really cool.

She was very supportive. She, um, called a relative of hers, uh, so that I could stay with this, uh, relative for a couple of months before I moved into the school. Um, so it was a nice transition from home to New York. And to be honest, at that time, at 18, um, I was, again naive and fearless, so I thought nothing of moving here and, you know, doing all of that. Uh, it didn’t really hit me until a couple of weeks after I arrived in school that it was going to be a little bit different than what I had expected, in good ways and bad ways. 

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, that is so incredible. Tell us more about that time, at the beginning, when you first moved to New York, you’re in a new city, you’re going to F.I.T., you’re, kind of, following your dreams. It sounds like it really was fate for you to get in there. But that time when you were in school, were you, was that, kind of, a period of discovering your design style as well? Do you feel like you evolved at all while you were in school? 

Carlos: That time when I was in school was incredibly, uh, exciting, a little scary, but I was surrounded by like-minded people. You know, there were many designers, obviously men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear. So it was a very creative, um, community of people. I found it incredibly, um, inspiring to be there. Uh, the, the things that intimidated me initially were the people, not in school but outside of the school because I didn’t realize how rude New Yorkers can be.

Uh, you get used to it, but it was culture shock for sure. Uh, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was culture shock to be in a, in a city that is so fast and so driven by, um, success. And, you know, you have to have a lot of, like, a tough skin because people often won’t give you a chance or a break. And some people will try to actually break you. That was a bit shocking and a little bit, um, discouraging initially.

But again, because I was in an environment that was creative and I had friends that were like me, you know, creative and looking for inspiration and trying to express themselves, um, all the negative stuff, kind of, like, receded into the background. And I made a decision to just focus on getting ahead and, you know, focusing on my studies and just enjoying the moment, because it was a very privileged place to be, to have that opportunity to come to New York, to go to one of the best schools for fashion, to work with incredibly gifted, talented professors and surrounded by so much talent in class. Everything that was negative, kind of, receded.

And I just focused on the good ones, the good things but yeah, I learned a lot. And, of course, in New York, you have access to the best of everything, fashion-wise. So going to the stores, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, you know, seeing the beautiful clothes that I had seen in magazines or on television, but seeing them in real life was incredibly exciting and incredibly inspiring.

The people in my school dressed really, really interesting ways. Um, you know, Puerto Rico can be a bit provincial when it comes to fashion. Like, you know, people don’t want you to be too, uh, high fashion or too, too stylish. I mean, there’s, there’s a certain, um, a boundary that you can’t cross, but in New York, there were no boundaries.

You know, guys wore skirts. Girls shaved their heads. You know, people wore black every day, and it wasn’t a funeral. Uh, people took chances, you know, people who go through the fashion magazines and look at the latest everything, and they will want to wear that immediately because they know how to make their own clothes, they could.

So all of that, um, creativity and self-expression, uh, helped me on my journey to become a designer because, um, once you realize the only limits there are to your creativity are the ones you put in front of yourself. When you remove the limits, you know, anything is possible. So, yeah, it helped me, helped me tremendously to be in that environment, um, for two years.

Helen: And I’m curious if you had a vision during this time of exploration about what you wanted to do after you went to school or what your compatriots at the school were planning to do? Was everyone wanting to have their own fashion line, or did you always have the idea in the back of your mind that, you know, sewing patterns were interesting to you or had you kind of moved past that? 

Carlos: I moved past that. I, the sewing patterns thing, um, went in a file in my head somewhere, and I just, don’t know, uh, focused on school studies. At the time everybody wanted to be their own designer. Everyone wanted to have their own label.

That was the dream for most of the people that were with me. I was not so sure about that for myself. Um, I wanted to work for a big designer. I wanted to, like, learn from somebody else initially. I don’t know if it was the lack of ego or just being smart, but I reckoned that if you went on out on your own, so young and with no experience, the chances were, you know, pretty high that you would end up making tons of mistakes and maybe not even survive.

So I, I thought it was smarter to, like, learn from somebody else. So my immediate focus, um, after graduation was to find a job on Seventh Avenue with a big designer. And so sort of build on what I learned from the designer then, you know, take it from there. So that was the plan all along, uh, patterns I wasn’t even thinking about. Um, but Vogue Patterns in a very, um, curious way came into my life at college. For this particular tailoring class, we had to buy a pattern, and I went to one of the fabric stores in New York. And that’s where I had discovered Vogue Patterns which I didn’t know existed. And I was amazed because I opened that book, and I see every top designer was in it. Calvin, Donna, Geoffrey Beene, all the European designers, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and YSL.

I was, I was looking at that book. I’m thinking, what is this? And why, how did I not know about this? You can buy designer patterns. Uh, and once I discovered that I was super excited about Vogue, but again, um, going to work for them, at that time, didn’t occur to me. I was still thinking that I was going to just finish my school studies and then go to a Seventh Avenue when I get my bonafides from there which is in fact what happened.

Caroline: Yeah. So that was going to be my next question. After you graduated, what did end up happening? Tell us about that time and, kind of, where you ended up working after school. 

Carlos: Well, right before, I finished, uh, school I had to, um, take one last special ed, one last class course. Um, they called it your specialization and that’s what you chose to be.

Whether you were going to study evening wear or children’s wear or whatever. And I was a bit of a contrarian at that time. Everybody wanted it to be in either evening wear or, um, like there was a class called Current Scene which was really trendy clothing. And the one class that nobody wanted to take was tailor design which was coats and suits.

And I was intrigued by that because I’ve always loved tailoring. I’ve always loved men’s tailoring, specifically. So I ended up applying for that course, which again, very few people wanted to even be in it. And so, um, I got in. My class was very small. The teacher was a French professor. It was really tough. But taught us how to make handmade, tailored clothing and, you know, all of that good stuff.

Um, but anyways, as part of the finishing, as far as your, uh, graduation pro, project, you have to make, um, one outfit, design one outfit and make it, and you got to have a critic. My critic was Harve Benard, and he was so impressed with my work that he offered me a job before I even finished school.

Caroline: Wow. 

Carlos: Yeah. So that was a really lucky break because while people around me were stressing a lot whether, whether they’re going to find a job, I was so blessed that this, um, great man who had a very successful company, um, designing coats and suits, he saw some potential in me, offered me a job. So, immediately after graduation, I mean, I went to work for him, uh, on Seventh Avenue, and it was an amazing break. 

Helen: Yeah. That’s incredible. Especially after showing something that you worked really hard on and having somebody critique it and then offer you a job is really a true stamp of approval. I’m sure that must’ve felt amazing. 

Carlos: It felt amazing. And it was unexpected because the thing is, there was another student in my class who was designing a really beautiful, uh, coat. Um, and, we all thought she was able to get the Critics’ Award which was the prize you got if you are the best in the class. We all were sure that she was going to get a job with him.

I designed, her coat was this beautiful grand purple wool coat. And I chose to go with a gray double faced, um, sort of maxi coat shape, uh, very modern, super minimal in styling, but really, um, I felt represented what I liked, and I’ll never forget when he told me that he wanted me to come to work for him. I remember asking him, you know, I could have sworn you were going to give that award to, you know, the other student because her coat was so beautiful and so spectacular, and I’ll never forget what he said.

He said, well, the thing is Carlos, that coat took seven yards of fabric. There’s no way you can make a coat like that, there’s no way you can produce it. So that was his, that was the deciding factor for her not getting the award because part of the assignment was that you have to design something that he, as a manufacturer felt, have potential, um, for commercial success.

And I guess that’s what put me over the edge. My coat had that. But yeah, I was, I was over the moon happy, and this man was such a nice man, such a decent man. Uh, it was, it was a very good opportunity, and I knew that I had to say yes and, uh, see how it went. 

And was your work with him 

Helen: primarily focused on the design side of things? Or were you also working in the production and sewing side of things as well?

Carlos:  Well, it was most production, mostly production. Basically as an assistant designer, what I got to do primarily was draw flats. So I had to do a lot of flats at that time. Uh, I was pretty good. Um, I had some good graphic arts skills, so I was designing brochures.

I was designing, um, uh, putting together presentation boards, which is, um, if you don’t know, when you have a new collection, but you have no samples, you put a board together, you put sketches on it, then you tell the buyers, okay, so this are the clothes. We don’t have clothes yet, but these sketches are to show you what those clothes will look like.

Uh, so we did, I did a lot of those. And, um, I also worked with, um, fabrics. Sometimes we would get boxes and boxes of fabric samples, and we all got together and went through them to pick the ones that we liked the best. Um, learned a lot about putting, uh, color stories together, uh, fabric stories together, you know, designing groups of merchandise, um, by color, by pattern. It was an interesting education.

It wasn’t, it wasn’t the most creative or high fashion, but it was, it was, it was good stuff to know, a good foundation to have. You know, if you’ve never worked in a corporate setting, that in itself is an adjustment, you know? 

Helen: Yeah. I’m sure. And it sounds like a lot of these skills would transfer over really well to sewing pattern design. And we really want to chat with you a bit about your design process and working for Vogue Patterns, but can you bridge that gap for us? How did you get from your first job after school to designing for Vogue Patterns? 

Carlos: So after I worked for Benard Holtzman, at Harve Benard for about a year, um, I got a little bit, I don’t know, anxious, or just wanting to move on because, you know, eventually I wanted to be in high fashion.

So I never forgot about that, and things happen very quickly when you’re that young. I remember, um, there was an opening at a company called Tahari which at the time was doing very, very high end looking women’s dresses and sportswear. And I applied and I got that job. So I told Bernie, um, Mr. Holtzman that I was leaving, that I was gonna get this, take this other job.

And he was like, okay. He wasn’t very happy, but he understood. So I went from Harve Benard to Tahari. And then while at Tahari, a model that I knew from, from Harve Benard called me and said, Carlos, there’s an opening for an assistant designer at Geoffrey Beene. Would you like me to put a word in for you? I know so and so. I can get you an interview, and even though I had just started working at Tahari, um, when she said that to me and the way she said it to me was almost like, it wasn’t a suggestion. It was like, you should do this. So I said, okay. Geoffrey Beene, at the time, was a very important American designer on Seventh Avenue. His clothes were almost close to couture level in terms of quality.

Um, he was like a designer’s designer, they used to call him. And so I, I said, yes. Um, so she gave me the name of the person to call. I contacted this person. I got the, um, appointment, and it just happened very quickly. You know, Harve Benard, went to Tahari, then getting the interview with Geoffrey Beene and then getting the job at Geoffrey Beene.

It all happened within ,like, less than a year, but that interview with Mr. Beene was really good. Uh, he loved my sketches. Uh, he was a very kind man, very, very sweet person. He said, when can you start? And basically, yeah, I got a job. I went to work for Geoffrey Beene for a number of years. Um, that experience with couture clothing was extremely helpful because it did help me get the job at Vogue Patterns.

You know, once I got all that couture training from Geoffrey Beene uh, learning about best fabrics in the world, the best, uh, techniques, um, working on fashion shows, seeing how it, fashion shows got put together, all of that, uh, sort of broadened my horizons. It was just an amazing time. I will say this: once, um, I went to a job with Geoffrey Beene, I did learn something about Seventh Avenue that I didn’t like, that it was, that the pace is insane, first of all. But the thing about high fashion specifically that I didn’t, I found a little disenchanting is that when you’re working at that level, um, the clientele is very small. You spend six months designing these extremely creative, uh, extraordinary clothes, but because the audience is so small, um, you really are, kind of, designing in a bubble.

You know, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s an interesting thing. You think that that will be the best thing you could do, but after three years of designing basically, you know, very elaborate clothes that very few people got to wear, I got to thinking that that’s what they don’t want it to do because in my view, clothes don’t get worn or clothes or fashion that doesn’t make sense for people’s real lives, it’s really not what I wanted to do. So I as much as I enjoyed all that, all those beautiful designs, those beautiful clothes, I realized that I wanted to do something that was a little bit more, um, universal.

So I reckon that high fashion wasn’t for me necessarily. So after three years there, I, you know, took a break to reassess and that’s when the opening at Vogue Patterns came up. Interestingly enough, I remember thinking to myself, you know, I had forgotten about this whole industry. And I had forgotten that I have, in fact, when I was younger, I did for awhile thought, wouldn’t it be cool to work for a pattern company? You know, wouldn’t it be cool to design for patterns? So that opportunity comes up at Vogue Patterns, and I contacted the design director, and I had the interview. And he was really impressed, he was really impressed with the fact that I had worked for Geoffrey Beene. So I think, in a roundabout way, it all worked out because I think the fact that I had Geoffrey Beene experience is the reason he wanted to give me the job. But I think the fact that I also had the experience with the product and then the other side of it, it also helped me, um, get that job.

And I will say that once I started working for Vogue, the head designer who gave me the job, who wanted me for the job, told me later that, um, he really wanted to hire me, but his boss didn’t want him to hire me because she felt that I wasn’t going to stick around for longer than a year. And this was many years ago.

But, but, yeah, I almost did. I got the job because she didn’t want to do, um, his, his boss didn’t want him to hire me, but he insisted, and I came through for him. So here I am. 

Helen: Yeah. So how long has it been now that you’ve been working with Vogue? 

Carlos: It’s been over 20 years. 

Caroline: Wow. You showed her.

Carlos: But I gotta say it was a really great, great opportunity. Yeah. Um, and I, I loved it from day one. I mean, I knew the language they were speaking. Uh, I knew the product really well. And what I enjoyed the most was that, um, these, these nifty little patterns that we put together were going out and, you know, it was just the idea that you can make fashion accessible to as many people as possible. You know, it really made me very happy. 

Helen: Yeah, it’s a nice contrast to what you were saying before about making fashion for, you know, a small group of people versus making fashion for such a large group of people, even, like, a global community. And before the show, you mentioned as well, that in the last 20 years, it’s shifted so much to online, and now there’s just endless opportunities for us all to connect which is amazing. It’s one of the best things about working in the sewing industry, we think. 

Carlos: Uh, I agree, uh, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s, what’s given me, I mean, I think given my career like an extra boost at some point. I would say, at some point, maybe it seemed like there was a disconnect. You know, I wasn’t seeing, uh, or wasn’t hearing how things were doing or, or, or it felt like, um, I wasn’t connected to the consumer very much.

Um, but that all changed with the internet. Now you’re connected whether you want to or not, but I, but I definitely am more of the, I want to be connected. I want to know what people are doing because, um, a) it gives me a reason to stay here and then do what I do, but also, uh, motivates, motivates me to, to just keep doing better and better, you know, not to disappoint the consumer out there.

Caroline: Yeah. And I mean, it’s, it’s so interesting what you do for Vogue Patterns now, and we’re so excited to talk to you because we’ve never had the chance to kind of get a peek behind the curtain of Vogue Patterns and, kind of, hear about the process of what it’s like to be a designer working for them. So we, kind of, want to talk about that a little bit. Can you tell us what being a pattern designer for Vogue entails? What kind of things do you do on a daily basis? 

Carlos: Uh, it’s, it’s a very, it’s a very good question. What we do here is, is, is, is complex, and it’s multifaceted, uh, it crosses over very many different areas of the company. It’s not just, um, sitting in front of a computer or sitting on your desk and making sketches all day long.

I mean, that’s part of it. But, but, but not the main part of it. Um, basically, um, what I do is, I’m responsible for making sure that there are things to put in those envelopes. Um, and, and what I’m, what that means is that, you know, when you get together with the team, that’s another solution. I said, team of, there are business people that you work with, um, and you come up with, with plans of what you want to put out.

And then, uh, as a designer, you are there to give them a creative vision of what the consumer would want to get excited about. So I need to do a lot of research, um, like online, I go to stores. I am constantly looking at what’s happening in fashion. And you start gathering ideas, but not in a random way, in a random fashion.

You, sort of, like, make lists. You know, I want these ideas for spring. I want these ideas for fall. I want this ideas for summer, and you come up with these plans for each catalog. And, um, the plan is, you know, how many designs and, and you come up with a very large list of possibilities, of options, if you will, which then get edited down and down and down till you got something that looks like, you know, a good number of propositions for the consumer.

And the editing process involves listening to the business people, listening to the consumer is crucial. I cannot tell you how many times I’m on the blog or on the internet and somebody will say, I wish there was a pattern for this and this and this. And you know, you take note of it, and you work on it, and you, you develop that idea, and it becomes a great success.

So I think the consumer feedback is really important. For Vogue, it’s, it’s a little bit different, I guess, in the sense that the consumer expects a very high level of design and quality. So that makes the challenge a little bit different because, um, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s a very specific product. It’s, it’s not supposed to be the easiest, and it’s not supposed to be the fastest to make.

So, you know, you don’t want to err on the side of too difficult. You also don’t want to make it so basic that she’s not gonna feel motivated to spend the extra money on a Vogue pattern but basically, the, the whole idea of, of a Vogue pattern is that it will give you the ability or give you the opportunity to have access to the best fashion, the best designs, are at home. I feel like there’s a lot of people who look at fashion magazines and look at the collections and see very exciting new clothes coming down the runways, and they appreciate the design. They could certainly find ways to make those clothes fit in their lives. But because of the issue of oh, it’s so expensive, or it’s not even accessible to them because the clothes would get made in such small quantities that even if they could afford them, they couldn’t buy them.

So, so having, giving the opportunity to the consumer to have access to those designs, those looks, in the form of a Vogue pattern, it’s it’s it’s what’s um, what makes Vogue special. There is, I know, I say, some people say, oh, it’s so difficult. Uh, and it is, but I feel like if you are a person who has a certain level of experience, and if you want to challenge yourself to make something a little bit more advanced, a little bit more specialized then Vogue gives you that opportunity. And I think that’s what makes the brand stand out. 

Caroline: It really does. I mean, we, we love Vogue Patterns, and we love that they have a little bit more of a high fashion edge. And I wanted to ask you a little bit about, kind of, inspiration and how you choose those runway looks to, kind of, interpret into a Vogue pattern.

Cause we even noticed on your Instagram that you sometimes share those side-by-side images of a Vogue pattern and then a designer, and you do refer to them as sort of straight from the runway. So I’m curious what that process looks like. Like how do you decide what runway looks to, to pick out. 

Carlos: Yeah, well, I, I love fashion. I love designer clothes. I love, I love shows and, and, basically, what I like to think is that, um, first I listened to all the consumer feedback we get online. And people will often be very, very kind and generous with their input. So you keep an ear open and, and try to, like, figure out which designers are trending, which looks are coveted.

You know, like if celebrity X shows up on the red carpet, you know, a striking new design, and there’s a lot of buzz about it and, and in our community, there’s a lot of people talking about it and sharing the image. You know for sure that something like that would appeal to the consumer as a pattern.

So things like that, you know, you have to have to be, um, you know, paying attention to. A lot of what, what drives fashion these days is celebrity, you know. So I spend a lot of time looking at, you know, red carpet photos, magazine spreads, paparazzi shots of, you know, celebrity X, what they wore and what’s, what’s, what’s, what’s trending, you know, things like that.

Um, give you a lot of inspiration and a lot of ideas, what the consumers will find interesting, you know, because that’s basically what makes fashion happen these days is, is the celebrities and what they wear, you know. What, what do you think? 

Helen: Yeah, we’ve said on the show before that more celebrities need to get into sewing because I think if there were more sewing celebrities, then the sewing industry would also have a big boom, and people would be interested in making their own clothes.

Carlos: Yeah. I, I feel like the thing, I mean, why I sew today; there’s so many reasons for wanting to sew, but I feel like, um, the best things, the reason I can give you is that is something that you craft. I mean, it gives you a joy, it entertains you. And then at the end, you end up with someone who can actually put on your back.

I show people that it enhances your life. It enhances the pleasure you take in life. When you have something on that fits you, that’s made meticulously and tailored to your specific likes, I mean, there’s no other feeling in the world. And I mean, yeah, sure, you can maybe go to a store and buy something made that looks great and fits you really well, but what you won’t get from that is the satisfaction of knowing that you did it. You know, and also the, the, the, the, the time, the enjoying, enjoyment of putting it together and all that time spent working on it, is, is something  that you can’t get off the rack. 

Helen: And are you thinking about that a lot in your design process, thinking about the home sewer and interacting with your design and with the pattern, and I’m sure with fashion design versus sewing pattern design, there’s probably some differences there because you have to think about how it’s going to be constructed on home sewing equipment by a home sewer.

Absolutely. 

Carlos: You know, that’s, that’s that support that initially was a bit of the challenge because you know, in ready to wear, you never think about those things. But being a sewer myself, I know what the challenges are, and I know what can make or break a successful project. So I think about that a lot.

I mean, it could be something as simple as, you know, the cutting layout. You know, is that cutting layout unreasonable? Is it gonna drive you crazy? You know, I knew I didn’t really need, like ,10 feet of space to cut that skirt. You know, it starts with things like that. And you also have to think about, are these notions going to be readily available?

Um, am I choosing a fabric that is so specific that if the person sees it and does something like it, they immediately discard the design because of it. So, yeah, uh, that, that’s a huge factor how the consumer, consumer is going to work with it. Is she gonna enjoy the process? That’s very important because I think if you enjoy the process of putting the item together, it makes for a more, uh, successful project, and it gives you more enjoyment.

You know, I would prefer that the person had a good time putting it together. 

Caroline: Yeah, and I’m also curious when in the design process you start thinking about the fabric element of it because also home sewers have, kind of, limited access to different types of fabrics. So what does that look like for you? Do you, kind of, design a pattern with a specific fabric in mind or does that, kind of, come later? 

Carlos: Always, always, always think with the fabric in mind because, um, you know, fabric can be, um, a very important factor in the success of a pattern. So if I design a dress that could only work in knits, but I, you know, tell the pattern maker, it’s going to be woven, that’s a problem. So you have to, you have to know, you know, you have to know what the dress is. This is going to be for wovens, you have to know. If it’s going to be for soft wovens, you have to know these things. Uh, as you’re designing, um, because, you know, when you hand a pattern maker a sketch or a drawing of something, you want that to be as well thought out, nicely edited package.

So the pattern making can get to, through it, without any issues. In couture, you can give a pattern maker a sketch, and you could, she could spend, you know, four weeks on one sketch, and we don’t have that luxury here. So, so the, so that the more, you know, and the more you, um, you think about those technical aspects of the design, the better it is for you in the long run because it makes things run more efficiently and yeah, it, it, it’s, it’s a huge part of what we do here the, the technical part of it. It’s it’s, you know, it’s why this job isn’t for everybody. 

Caroline: Yeah. So, so what does that process look like from, you know, you’re designing the pattern and you’re sort of paring down and deciding what’s going to go ahead into actually, you know, turning that into a sewing pattern, but how many people are involved in that process and what are the steps from design, you know, conceptualization to actually finishing the pattern and putting it out for sale?

Carlos: It’s actually a very tight group of people here. Um, most people think that this must be, oh, a huge, you know, corporation with like loads and loads of, of layers of people, but it’s actually a very tight group. So that helps in some ways, because it helps you get from point A to point B quicker, but it is crucial that, you know, you communicate very efficiently.

So when I’m presenting my new designs, I want to give them a very thorough and complete vision of what the new design is, you know. Is it going to have buttons? How many? All of those things, you know, have to be worked out. Is it going to be a woven? Is it going to be a knit? So you start with that and then when you move on to the next stage, which is patternmakers making patterns, again, you give them a very complete and edited package with all the technical information.

If you have any references, to give the references. Um, and then so on, you checked your, your muslins, you know, you have samples, dress made, and it’s all, like, a big team effort. Um, but again, because it’s a small team, it’s really crucial that communication is, is, is, is honest, is accurate. That’s what makes it work. I don’t know if that makes any sense. 

Helen: Yeah. Yeah, it does. And one thing that comes to mind for me, um, as a pattern designer myself, I have, you know, my own little mini process. Um, but there is a lot of back and forth, you know, after you make a sample, you might tweak something, go back and sew it again and continue to tweak it until it’s perfect.

And I’m wondering if there’s ever time in that process where they come back to the design phase and you change elements in the design, or is it pretty much set from the time that you have decided, you know, like you said, are there buttons and how many. Does that ever change later on in the process? 

Carlos: Um, it does from time to time, you know, we know it can happen sometimes. What happens is sometimes maybe an error was made. Somebody would make a mistake, maybe the patternmaker read the sketch the wrong way or wasn’t paying too much attention to what it, what she was doing. And something happens anyways that was unexpected and sometimes I don’t expect to the thing is exactly what you fall, fall in love with, so that happens from time to time. I try not to be too rigid, and I try not to be too, uh, too tight.

You know, sometimes it is possible that you will go on the floor, and you will see exactly what you wanted, and you’re thrilled. But very often you go there and you find a close approximation and then you have to start tweaking and tweaking and tweaking until you get it where you want it to be. And then again, sometimes you go out there and you find something that’s not even close, but it happens to work even better than what you have in mind. So yeah, there’s, there’s there’s opportunities for tweaking and for changing along the way within reason. 

Helen: Yeah, of course. Well, I imagine you guys are on pretty tight deadlines, putting out so many catalogs and patterns every year. So tell us a bit about what that’s like to work under a deadline, doing all of the things that you’re talking about.

Carlos: It can be exhausting and can be stressful. Um, but, uh, if you have good organizational skills and again, if you communicate and if you, if you handle things sufficiently with, with the teams, um, you get through it. It’s a matter of getting used to, like, looking at your calendar, you know, keeping up with the deadlines, various deadlines, you know, just keeping track of, you know, did I get this? Did I not get it? You know, why is this missing?

Um, but yeah, it’s crucial that you stay on schedule. That’s just a non-negotiable. Um, but, but you do get it done. I mean, again, it’s, it’s the teamwork that makes it happen. And, and only with honest communication, do you get it done. 

Helen: And after 20 years of doing it, does it feel like old hat for you? Are you completely comfortable in that process? Or are there still moments where you’re, like, oh dear, like, we need to get this done, and it’s going off the rails? 

Carlos: Uh, you can get too comfortable. You can get too, uh, complacent. Um, so to me, that’s, that’s what makes it exciting. And then I, to this day, I still feel like, you know, I’m constantly learning and constantly pushing myself, you know, to keep going, you know, again, uh, I think it’s a mistake to get too complacent or too comfortable.

And luckily for me, that’s, that’s never been the case. Um, it’s, it’s, it’s an ever changing job. You know, fashion changes, and you have to change too. 

Caroline: And what’s your favorite, kind of, phase in the process of getting a pattern released? 

Carlos: To me, definitely the research. It’s what I like the most. I like going through all the ideas that I put together, reading the blogs, reading online and seeing the reviews, seeing what’s sold. Instead of, like, trying to create a story based on all that data that makes sense. But that also feels like it’s a story you haven’t told yet because I feel like in fashion, uh, what you’re doing is you’re telling stories, you know, at the end of the day. You know, so what story do you want to tell this season?

Uh, so that, that, that research is what’s, what’s interesting to me. Um, the pattern making part of it is really interesting as well. Um, you know, seeing people’s interpretation of your ideas is always interesting, but yeah, the research part of it is, is, is what’s exciting to me. I mean, once the clothes are made, unless the clothes are being photographed, you have been, you’re so far removed from it that it feels like it’s old news. And it’s ironic because you spent six months working on something, and then when the stuff finally comes out, you’re like, oh, I’m so tired of that thing. Meanwhile, you people haven’t even seen them because they haven’t gone on sale yet, but yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s the early stages of the process that get me excited. 

Helen: Well, that makes sense. I mean, that is your wheelhouse, right? You’re the one coming up with the, the ideas and the design which I’m sure is really exciting. And I can imagine seeing all your designs come to fruition and the final samples and photo shoots and everything is probably also very exciting. 

Carlos: It is. But again, by the time that happens, I’m already, like, two collections later. So it’s, it feels like it’s old news. Yeah, exactly. It’s an old story. It’s a book that I’ve read several times, and I know from memory, so I’m ready to let it go though. But I will say this, um, once the designs hit the market and people start talking about them, then that’s exciting. It’s, it’s, my second favorite thing is seeing people’s reactions, good and bad. That’s all you want, you want to get a reaction. You want people to talk about it. And then when I see that happen, I get very happy. Like, we just put out at a new, uh, collection, Winter/Holiday, uh, has been up for, like, 10 days. And that’s exciting because that’s people, real people in real time, you know, interacting with the product and it’s, it’s just great.

Helen: Yeah. And what is the story behind the Winter/Holiday collection this year? 

Carlos: So, I was thinking that even though we all love casual wear and we all like to dress really casual, I keep thinking about, you know, if I had a party to go to in the holidays, if I had a little event to attend. If there’s women out there who want to, you know, look special then and make something, you know, that will wow the people at whatever event or whatever location they have to, um, they have to go to that time of the year, what would they want to wear? So a lot of what we did for that issue was, you know, festive and pretty, and, sort of, like, just dress up looks, uh, I think we cover a variety of, of body types and shapes.

So it isn’t everything is super this or super that, but the main goal was to give a more dressed up, look, you know, to the consumer and, and give them options still to, you know, to make themselves look a little bit more pulled together.

Helen: Yeah. I’m seeing a lot of sequins which I absolutely adore and jumpsuits. I mean, I’m here for it. It’s beautiful. 

Carlos: Rich colors and, you know, a little bit of glitter, a little bit of all that stuff, because again, you might not wear that all the time, but once in a while, if you made a beautiful sequined dress, whether you make a maxi or short, it’s your choice. But if you make a pretty sequined dress in a stretch fabric, you put it on.

It’s not uncomfortable. It’s not tight. It doesn’t pull. It’s just liquid. And you go to the event and you get a glass of wine and a cocktail, and you know, you look better than anybody at the party, and you’ll have a good time. 

Caroline: You’re really painting a picture. I love it. 

Helen: Yeah. And you made your outfit, so you have the extra boost of confidence.

Carlos: Absolutely! If you like it so much, you can make it againin something not sequined.

Caroline: So what trends are inspiring you right now? And are you able to give us, like, a little sneak peek into any, like, upcoming patterns that are coming out or the styles that Vogue is going to focus on in 2020? 

Carlos: Um, in very general terms, I could tell you that the goal for Vogue is to be as, as, as, as high fashion as, as, as special as possible.

So, uh, I, I will be looking for more of that in the next, in 2020. They want the brand to stand apart. We want, want the brand to, like, have something unique to say, uh, to the consumer because I think in the end, there’s just so many different options for her. There’s no point in me having something that somebody else already has.

So for Vogue that will be, you know, more high fashion, more and more runaway inspired looks, you know, more and more of that, you know, giving her access to the best of the best. 

Helen: And looking back on 2019, do you have a favorite pattern design of yours or maybe a favorite pattern design of all time even, if you can think of one?

Carlos: Yeah, I mean, there was this one dress that we did, um, a couple of years ago that it’s, it was extremely popular at the beginning and continues to be, it was, um, V9253. It was a plunging neck dress with this beautiful little, like, tie that came from the back and tied, at the front. It was a, um, maxi shape.

And that dress has been incredibly popular. It’s one of my favorites for sure. People have made it in so many different ways, and, uh, it’s a very easy Vogue pattern. So it’s not difficult to make which is, kind of, ironic when you think about it, the easy Vogue. But, um, but yeah, that’s, that’s one of my favorites, for sure, 9253. 

Helen: We have seen that a lot in the community. I have that pattern myself, and I haven’t found the perfect fabric yet, but it is stunning. I mean, it just looks so glamorous, but also comfortable. What more could you want? 

Carlos: Yeah. And it works in every possible fabric there is. I mean, somebody had made it in sheer fabric even.

Helen: Wow. 

Carlos: Which, kind of, blew my mind because you could see right through it. But, but yeah, it’s super versatile. Um, it was a surprise that it did so well because that neckline is quite deep. Um, but it’s, hasn’t been an issue. I mean, some people choose to, like, close it up a little bit. 

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. I’ve seen that or wear a little camisole under it or something like that. You know, you can do what you would like with it. It’s beautiful. Very cool. 

Caroline: So to wrap up our conversation about, kind of, pattern design and the sewing world, I’m curious, in the 20 plus years that you’ve been working with Vogue and designing patterns, what are some ways that you’ve seen the sewing world evolve uh, over this time? I know we, kind of, touched on social media and that connection side, but have you seen any other shifts or shifts in the sewing community over the years? 

Carlos: Yeah, um, definitely, the, um, the, um, the, um, the PDF pattern phenomenon. That’s incredibly exciting and new. Um, the fact that there are so many, uh, independent labels out there is very exciting.

It, kind of, shows me that, you know, there’s a lot of people out there who want to sew they just need, you know, more options. So that’s exciting. I mean, when I first came to the industry, it was Vogue, Butterick, McCall’s, and Simplicity, and that was it. So, um, and, and some European pattern books, but yeah, the, the, the immense amount of indies the PDF patterns, uh, all of that stuff, um, it’s super exciting. You know, it gives me hope for the future because, you know, if, if those didn’t exist, if it was just the four of us, we’d be like, oh, okay.

Helen: Yeah, we agree. It’s so exciting to see the shifts that are happening. And we feel like there are more people discovering sewing every day and that there are different pattern companies for different things. And I think Vogue patterns is perfect, like you said, for those special moments, if you want to dress more like the runway trends or you want to tackle something more challenging. We’re always trying to encourage our listeners to get out of their comfort zone and try something that’s a little bit more couture, something that’s a little bit more difficult, but that it will pay off in the long run because they’re going to learn so much from it. 

Carlos: Yeah. I mean, there’s this place for fast sewing. There’s a place for slow sewing. I mean, the point is: you have options, and you should. 

Caroline: I also want to hear a little bit about your own sewing and if you are also sewing your own clothes and, kind of, what that looks like for you.

Carlos: Yeah. I definitely make my own clothes. I’m a slow sewer. I’m not a fast sewer. But, uh, on Instagram I have, um, an account where I, um, uh, aside from posting the things that we do here, I post my own outfits that I’ve made. Um, I’ve made, uh, the shirt pattern, um, V9220, like five times. I, I’ve made it in so many different ways that aren’t even on the pattern, like I’ve hacked it to make it into other things. But I do love making shirts. Uh, I love making jackets. Um, and for me, it’s about getting inspired by something that I can’t find in the store. Like, I want to make just a basic shirt, which is why I’ve taken this pattern and, kind of, twisted it every which way, but I want to have, if I don’t, if it doesn’t exist in a store, then I want to make it. So, um, that’s, that’s the primary motivation. Uh, I’ll mix these things, and I’m a slow sewer. I enjoy, you know, basting things by hand you know, cutting things one single layer of fabric at a time so everything matches. It, that’s, that’s what I enjoy. I enjoy hand sewing, um, and all those, like, time consuming techniques because to me,unless I’m rushing, I I’ll, I’ll spend four weeks on a shirt. But I’ll be so happy with the end result, that it’s worth it. And I do it in installments. I’ll only sew, like, for a couple of hours at a time. That helps. 

Helen: Yeah, that’s great to hear. All, all our listeners are always trying to find time to sew and are sometimes hard on themselves for taking a long time to make something. But it sounds like you are really embracing all of those nice details and taking time with your fabric and with your project to really feel the love and enjoy the experience which is a huge part of sewing.

Carlos: Yeah, my dressmaking manager here will give me the best piece of advice is of course you don’t have to,you can sew for one hour a day and you know, you’ll, you’ll get there. But you know exactly, but no pressure, no rush. Just, just do it whenever you can. Do an hour to two hours. Um, but enjoy the process.

Helen: We tell our listeners do 10 minutes. 

Carlos: I mean, even if that, but it’s you build up on that and before you knew it, I mean, again, it’s, it’s, it’s about enjoying the, uh, the, the, the trip, the, the, the, the journey. And I feel like if you put too much pressure of, oh, I’ve got to finish it in this many hours. It’s, it’s self-defeating.

Helen: We also were wondering about your fabric stash because, living in New York, you know, you mentioned you have access to all these amazing fabrics, and I’m sure you see tons of fabrics at work. So do you have your own personal collection at home? Are you raiding the Vogue collection at work? 

Carlos: Uh, I have a very, I’m pretty good about not accumulating a lot of fabrics. And I try to, if I buy, um, if I buy a fabric, I have very specific purposes for each one of those fabrics. So I tend to go through them, you know, I use them, so I don’t have a big stash. It is a very, very modest little number of fabrics that I have yet to cut through. But normally the process for me is I get the idea. I get a pattern that I want to work with, and I go get the fabric. I just get to it. Um, I mean, it may not be  immediately, but I’ll get to it and I try not to buy any more fabric until I have gone through the ones I have already, you know, put aside. 

Helen: Oh, Carlos, it’s reasonable. 

Carlos: I know, I know. I was made that way. 

Helen: It makes so much sense when you say it.

Carlos: Yeah. Yeah. But, but yeah, but, I mean, yeah, it’s hard because there’s so many different fabric stores here. You could go a little crazy. We do have fabric sales from time to time. And I always say to myself, you know, I’d rather let that go to somebody else who would love it more than I will. So I’m very generous like that. 

Caroline: Oh, well, I also wanted to encourage our listeners to go check out your Instagram account. You recently posted a really cool picture of a shirt that you made with this awesome piece that sort of wraps around the back, and it’s just so high fashion and so cool. And I wonder, do you often kind of incorporate those more high fashion elements into your own personal wardrobe? Like what is your, kind of, personal style? 

Carlos: Absolutely. I mean, personal style is classic with a twist. So, uh, a shirt like that, you know, the idea was that, you know, it wasn’t really an idea. I just thought of, what would it look like if I had a scarf that was built into the shirt and then I know, know pattern making and I can draft my own patterns.

So I took a basic shirt and I drafted this panel, you know, that went over and became a scarf. And I adjusted the back and what have you. And, you know, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do. I, I did, uh, a very, you know, fast, little, like, muslin of it. And it worked, but I, I do love those, those special pieces, you know, to supplement the more classic things that I have.

And that’s, that’s why I sew. And that’s only, that’s really the reason why I learned to sew to begin with. As a teenager, I liked designer clothes. I liked looking at GQ, uh, Magazine for men. And seeing all those amazing clothes, and, um, I’m thinking well, I mean, my mom sews. I can sew. And really, that’s really how I got started. And all these years later, it still motivates me. 

Helen: So wonderful hearing all about your journey. And we’re so happy that we got a chance to talk with you today. 

Carlos: Thank you very much. 

Caroline: Tell our listeners where they can find you online. 

Carlos: Well there’s um, on Instagram is @carlosvoguepatterns and Facebook as well. And, of course, there’s McCall pattern company Facebook page and Instagram page. 

Caroline: Awesome. Thank you so much again for chatting with us. It was amazing to hear your whole story and how, you know, you just came full circle with designing, and we just loved hearing about your journey. So thanks a lot. 

Carlos: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Helen: Okay. Take care. Buh-bye. 

Carlos: 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. 

Thanks to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening. We’ll talk to you soon. .

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We are sharing our favourite items in our sewing toolkits! We also cover toolkit checklists for specific projects such as jeans-making and bra-making. Do you want to level up your sewing toolkit? We cover that too!

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Helen’s Favourite Sewing Tools:

Caroline’s Favourite Sewing Tools:

Beginner Sewing Tools

Intermediate Sewing Tools

Advanced Sewing Tools

Hand-Sewing Tools

Jeans-Making Tools

Bra-Making Tools

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