Love to Sew

This episode is all about applique! We’re going to share some applique inspo, walk you through different methods of machine and hand applique, and give you a bunch of tips. Applique a quilt, applique your clothes, applique a wall hanging – you’ll want to applique your whole life by the time we’re finished!

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

Show Notes:

Share your applique makes on Instagram with the hashtag #LoveToSewApplique! Whether you’re trying applique for the first time, sharing your current project, or re-posting your proudest applique makes, we want to see it! We would also love to hear your best applique tips. We will be re-sharing posts in our Instagram stories from October 24-November 24. 

Our Applique Makes:

Applique Inspo:

A post shared by Jessica Quirk (@jessicajquirk)

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin)

A post shared by ♡ Shay Rose ♡ (@crescentshay)

A post shared by Rachael (@minimalistmachinist)

Resources:

Patterns:

Tools:

Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello and welcome to Love to Sew! I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

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

Helen: This episode is all about appliqué. We’re going to share some appliqué inspo, walk you through different methods of machine and hand appliqué, and give you a bunch of tips. Appliqué a quilt, appliqué your clothes, appliqué a wall hanging. You’ll want to appliqué your whole life by the time we’re finished this episode.

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

Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m doing well. How are you?

Caroline: I’m good.

Helen: Do you think that anything in this episode is gonna be, like, applicable to us?

Caroline: Oh, no. You didn’t even go there. Oh, my gosh. I don’t know. I think if we apply some common sense, we will be able to, to do some of this in our everyday life. Maybe? You know?

Helen: I thought you had another pun in there. I was waiting.

Caroline: Sorry. I was trying, but it didn’t come to me.

Helen: But in all honesty, I have not done a ton of appliqué, but I have been a long time admirer, first time appliqué-er.

Caroline: Same, same. Not a ton, but I’ve been pretty inspired by Lisa, our assistant, who…

Helen: Mm-hmm.

Caroline: …recently did an appliqué project that was pretty gorge.

Helen: Cool. Hopefully, she’ll share it in our Instagram this week. That’d be fun.

Caroline: Hint, hint, hint. Hi, Lisa.

Helen: No, appliqué is honestly really cool. It has so many different possibilities, uses. You can do a lot with it, so that’s what we’re gonna talk about today. But we’re starting off with a question here from Allison: “Dropped shoulders are everywhere these days, but they’re not for me. My question is, if I find a pattern that I otherwise like, but it has a dropped shoulder or sleeve, how feasible is it to adjust it to be a set-in sleeve? Or is it just too much a part of the design of the garment?”

Caroline: Hi, Allison. Thank you for this question. It’s usually possible to change a pattern from a dropped shoulder to a set-in sleeve. However, it will definitely depend on the pattern. So the closer a dropped sleeve pattern is to looking like a set-in sleeve, the better. So you’re looking for a medium amount of ease in the body. If there’s too much ease, the look of the garment is just gonna change too much.

With a set-in sleeve, another thing to look for is the amount of drop in the shoulder of the pattern. The less dropped the sleeve, the better for this adjustment. And if you’re sewing for a larger bust, look for a dart. Sometimes, a pattern has dropped sleeves because the dart has been eased into the fabric at the shoulder. So you’ll need that dart if you’re gonna put set-in sleeves.

Helen: In order to do this alteration, you’ll wanna have a pattern with set-in sleeves that fits you well, something that you know is gonna work for you that you’ve used before. Lay the bodice of the set-in sleeve pattern over the bodice of the dropped sleeve pattern and trace off that armscye. You wanna match the centre fronts of the pattern and line up the shoulder seams as best you can.

And then you’ll take the sleeve piece for the set-in sleeve pattern, and you’ll lay it over the dropped sleeve piece and you’re gonna trace off that armscye. So you’re, kind of, making a pattern mashup. Now you’re ready to cut out your pattern. And by the way, you can do this in reverse, as well. So if you like a pattern with set-in sleeves, but you prefer drop shoulders, you could change that using a pattern that you have used in the past that has a dropped shoulder.

Caroline: Yes. I think that would work even better, almost, to do that swap.

Helen: I mean, I like to say in these situations, like, anything is possible, right? Like, you can definitely do this. It will take a little bit of effort, and you probably will wanna make a muslin or a few trial versions to get the fit right. Change the ease perhaps. But if there’s other elements of the garment you really enjoy, say the collar or the front placket or the pockets or something like that, then, yeah, you can just change the sleeves and maybe adjust the shape at the sides a little bit. So you’re getting the other elements that you like without that dropped shoulder element.

Caroline: And you can also think about the details that you like and think about whether there’s a pattern you already have with set-in sleeves that you can hack to add those details potentially instead of completely changing the dropped shoulder pattern.

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: Okay, it’s time to get into the rest of the show. Today we’re talking about appliqué. And appliqué is when you attach smaller pieces of fabric, usually cut into shapes onto a base fabric. The word appliqué is also a noun. The fabric pieces are called appliqués. Appliqués are sewn on flats so that they become part of the base fabric. But with that said, they can have 3D elements.

Helen: I’m basing this on assumption, but the word appliqué feels, sorry to say it again, applicable, because it’s literally an applying of a layer, right? And you’re applying it together, and it’s applied on, so I’m, I’m assuming where, that’s where it comes from.

Caroline: I think, I think you’re onto something.

Helen: Oh, thank you. I feel smart. Okay. Knowing various appliqué techniques can actually really open up options for embellishing your me-mades. So here’s some examples of garments that have appliqués. You could do a floral cotton lawn dress with a lace yoke appliqué, a button down with embroidered bird appliqués at the shoulders, a sheer organza shirt with sequin appliqués sewn on it, like polka dots, a denim jacket with a custom design portrait of your dog, appliqué on the back.

Caroline: Ooh, I’m into that. But appliqué isn’t just for clothing. There’s a long tradition of appliqué in quilting, as well. There are traditional appliqué blocks, like the Dresden Plate, and vintage appliqué blocks, like the Sun Bonnet Sue. There are also local traditions, like Hawaiian appliqué quilting, which has detailed symmetrical nature-inspired appliqués. There’s also a ton of freedom in appliqué. You can represent anything you want, depending on the fabrics and shapes you design, and you can make super detailed portraits or simple and effective silhouettes.

Helen: I like that appliqué offers this variety where you can purchase pre-made items and literally sew them onto the thing that you’re making. Or you can go way off down your own path, cut out literally any shape you could imagine and sew that on. So you really have so many options here, and you don’t necessarily have to get super artistic and creative with it. You can just buy the store bought stuff, if that’s more your speed.

Caroline: Yeah. It is another way you can incorporate sewing into your life without, like, sewing a whole garment.

Helen: Mm, totally.

Caroline: We’re, we’re always into that. Okay. Before we get into how to appliqué, let’s talk about some of the appliqué makes that inspire us. We’ll have links and pictures for these in the show notes, so definitely check those out if you wanna see what we’re talking about.

Helen: Let’s start with quilt shall we? Artist Carson Ellis made what they call their “Medieval Death Quilt.” It’s a two-colour quilt in a pink and rusty red in the centre. There’s a medieval woman standing under an arch of branches with roses and leaves. Embroidered ants march along the branches. And there’s also text which reads, “Artful insects play it / Ants go marching to it / Ten by ten to twining do it.” And it’s so gorgeous and impactful and, kind of, creepy in the best way. It mixes appliqué, embroidery, and traditional piecing so wel. Definitely have to check out the “Medieval Death Quilt.” It’s so cool.

Caroline: It’s so cool, and I love the juxtaposition of, like, these, kind of, more ornate shapes with the really modern colour combo of red and pink that’s really popular. It’s just such a beautiful, beautiful quilt.

Many of the quilts by Social Justice Sewing Academy incorporate appliqué into their designs. It’s one of the simplest and most impactful ways to make recognizable images out of fabric. Social Justice Sewing Academy has a project called the Remembrance Project. Sewists make activist art banners featuring portraits, memorialising people lost to violence. They’re really beautiful and each one is so different. By the way, there’s a long history of appliqué banners in activism. Now that’s a research rabbit hole for you to go down.

Helen: Yeah, it’s so cool, and it can be, like, a great outlet for people who are maybe not as familiar with sewing techniques because appliqué is pretty straightforward. You take fabric, and you sew it onto other fabric. You can really get creative. You can leave the edges raw, you can play with lots of different materials. So treating it more like an art project or an artistic expression can be a great way to treat appliqué. Yeah. The Remembrance Project is a wonderful example.

Mary Vaughn made a quilt inspired by one in the V&A museum’s collection in the English appliqué style, which is basically a bunch of silhouette appliqués spread over a large background piece rather than separated into blocks. The quilt has white appliqués on a red background, and there are scissors and baskets and forks and cats and horses and anchors, and even martini glasses. And I just love the boldness of the red and white, and again, just the endless possibility. Any shape you can imagine, you can make an appliqué.

Caroline: Yeah, I love the idea of having a big, sort of, blank slate, and then you just slowly add different motifs and imagery on, and it can be just, like, a lifelong project. It

Helen: Totally.

Caroline: Now let’s get into a few inspiring appliqué garments. Jessica Cork recently made a blouse with lace pieces appliquéed to the bib. It’s a really fun retro look. Jessica actually used a lace doily with a daisy design for her appliqué. But you can also buy lace appliqués that are specifically shaped for yokes, bibs, and plackets.

Helen: Ooh, fun. Anna @Tartan_Tarlatan on Instagram made a really cool appliqué crop top inspired by a vintage designer piece by Luella Ballerino. It’s a symmetrical design of plant shapes on black linen with an orange-y pink linen background, and she designed the appliqués to be shaped like healing herbs. I am obsessed with this top. It’s so cool.

Caroline: Julia Bobbin altered her sister-in-law’s wedding dress, which she bought when she wasn’t pregnant to fit her at 28 weeks pregnant with the help of appliqués. She bought some lace appliqués that went really well with the original lace appliqués of the dress and hand sewed them over the stretch panels. She inserted into the sides. The dress was so beautiful that people couldn’t believe it was altered.

Helen: Very clever.

Caroline: So talented.

Helen: So talented. Crescent Shay made a gown inspired by Taylor Swift’s 2021 Grammy dress. She combined a floral embroidered net fabric with a bunch of three dimensional floral appliqués, and it looks amazing.

Caroline: Okay. Now that we’re all fired up and inspired, let’s talk about the process of appliqué. Your first step will be to get the appliqués themselves, and you have some choices here. You can buy appliqués from Etsy or fabric stores. The kinds of appliqués you can buy are usually a bit fancier, like lace, sequin, and beaded ones. You can also find lots of patches, which are technically appliqués, and by the way, lace appliqués aren’t only for formal outfits. Cotton lace appliqués look great on cotton print fabrics. Also, just, like, take a drink every time I say appliqué because it’s.

Helen: Appa, appa, appa, appliqué. You can also cut out appliqués from embellished fabrics. If you’re using a sequined or embroidered fabric that has a regular design, you can cut out some of those design elements and appliqué them here and there for extra oomph.

Caroline: You can buy patterns for appliqué. This is most common with quilting. Sand & Stars has some great patterns – we love the Blomma, which is a modern quilt inspired by Scandinavian folk flower designs. I love this one. It’s so pretty.

Helen: It’s so cool. Yeah, I really love this quilt, as well. And you can do traditional appliqué quilt blocks like the Orange Peel or the Dresden Plate, which we previously mentioned. And that’s a really great way to try appliqué, kind of, low stakes, just a little bit of fabric. You’re just trying out a quilt block, not necessarily gonna use it for anything. Just having fun.

Caroline: It’s a slippery slope, Helen, just one quilt box. I don’t know.

Helen: Try, try it.

Caroline: But the most versatile way to get appliqués is to design them yourself. There’s seriously no limit to the images you can create.

Helen: Okay. This brings us into the technique part of the episode because there are a bunch of different ways to appliqué, to apply the appliqué, and we are going to go over them now. So first, let’s go over some different ways of making the appliqués. If you’re using a pattern, you can print it out and cut the shapes out of paper. If you’re designing your own, you can sketch out your design first.

Caroline: Avoid making any super narrow parts. Make sure all the parts of your design are at least a quarter of an inch wide. The easiest designs to sew are gonna have gentle curves and few points. Leaves or petals are a great place to start for beginners. Of course, the more comfortable you get with appliqué, the more complex and detailed your shapes can become.

Helen: I suppose the simplest appliqué would be a circle, right? Like, all around, and you could just cover a whole top in, like, cute little dotted circles.

Caroline: But don’t you think circles are kind of hard to, like, turn under? I guess it would be really easy if it’s raw edge appliqué.

Helen: I think it’d be easier ‘cause you won’t have to turn any corners.

Caroline: True, true, true, true.

Helen: Can you tell that we haven’t done much appliqué?

Caroline: We’ll just have to try it.

Helen: We’re just gonna have to try it. Once you’re happy with your design, you’re gonna mark out the shape in a darker colour so you can see it really well, and then, you’re gonna cut it out.

Caroline: Some sewists like to transfer the design to a heavier paper or cardboard, so it’s gonna be easier to trace onto the fabric later on. This is especially handy if you’re going to use the same shape over and over. Old cereal boxes are perfect for this.

Helen: Now you’re gonna take the pattern you made and place it on the fabric. Trace the outline of the shape using a marking tool, and don’t worry about the seam allowance just yet.

Caroline: Now you have a couple of options. If you’re gonna do raw edge appliqué, just cut along the outline you marked. If you’re gonna turn the edges under, cut around the shape, leaving about a quarter inch of seam allowance. It doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate.

Helen: If you plan on interfacing your appliqués, these steps will go a bit differently. Some sewists like to interface their appliqués because it keeps the image from crumpling up with the fabric. If you’re using a satin stitch or narrow zigzag to finish the edge of your appliqués, interfacing will also help to prevent tunnelling in those areas. It also beefs up flimsy fabrics and makes them a bit easier to handle.

Caroline: Here’s how to interface raw edge appliqués: block fuse the interfacing to the fabric; trace the appliqué shape onto the interfacing side; and cut the shape out along the lines.

Helen: And here’s how to interface appliqués with the edges turned under: you’re gonna trace your design onto the fusible interfacing rather than the fabric; cut the shape out and fuse it onto your fabric; then, cut the excess fabric away, leaving some seam allowance, so your seam allowance isn’t interfaced, making it easier to turn under later.

Caroline: If you’re not doing raw edge appliqué, you’re probably gonna need to do some clipping. For concave curves, clip the seam allowance perpendicularly up to a scant eighth of an inch away from the outline. You probably don’t need to clip the convex curves since they can fold under and remain flat. Some sewists do clip them though.

Helen: Yeah, it really depends. Of course, if you’re approaching, like, an inverted corner, you’re gonna have to clip into that to turn it under, and then, do some extra tight stitches in that area to make it really nice and secure. But you’ll all be quite familiar with clipping from your garment sewing. So I think, use your intuition.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So, If you’re turning your edges under, then you can go ahead and press them. At this point, you can finger press or use an iron. It’s easier to do detailed pressing when you finger press, but of course, it doesn’t hold as well as it does when you give it a good press with an iron. If you trace your pattern onto cardboard, you can use that cardboard piece as a jig and actually fold your fabric over the edge. That can really work. Do a combination, like, you know, fold it with your fingers and give it a good press, and then, press it with your iron. And once you’ve done all that, your appliqués are ready to sew.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. Your first step is to place your appliqué on your backing fabric, and you have a few options for holding it down. You can use pins. Appliqué pins are short and fine. Clover’s are only three quarters of an inch long, and they’re good for detailed appliqués and holding down curves. For simpler appliqués, regular pins work fine. If you’re hand sewing your appliqués, pin them on the wrong side so that your thread doesn’t catch on them.

Helen: For raw edge appliqué, you can use fusible web. Trace your shape onto the web’s paper backing, and then press it upside down onto your fabric. Cut the shape out of the now fused web and fabric. Then, peel off that backing and fuse the shape onto your background fabric. This is essentially a double-sided tape.

Caroline: You can hold your appliqués down with small dots of fabric, glue, or liquid school glue, dotted onto the appliqué. Press it firmly to your backing fabric, and then, turn your backing fabric over and gently press it. Pressing from the wrong side of the backing fabric makes it so that the seam allowance doesn’t make a ridge on the front of the appliqué. It’s a great tip.

Helen: You can baste your appliqués down. Use longhand stitches in a contrasting thread, and then, spray basting is another option. You can spray the wrong side of your appliqué rather than your fabric backing, and then, you’ll stick it onto your backing.

Caroline: It is time for a short break. We’ll be right back.

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

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

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

And we’re back with more appliqué goodness. So, let’s recap. You’ve attached your cutout and interfaced potentially and turned under appliqués to your fabric, and the next step is to stitch them down. The quickest way to do this is on your sewing machine.

Caroline: Yes, raw edge appliqué is often finished with a narrow zigzag or satin stitch over the edge. It encloses it so that it’s never gonna fray, and the buttonhole or blanket stitch is also popular.

Helen: You can use a decorative stitch over the edge or close to it if your sewing machine came with, like, a thousand decorative stitches like mine did. Now is your chance.

Caroline: Another option is just to use a straight stitch, close to the edge of the appliqué. For projects that are going to get washed and dried a lot, just know that it will probably fray. It’s a casual look.

Helen: Yeah, this can really accentuate the fabric depending on how it looks when it’s frayed, so you can do some experimentation and see if you like it. For appliqués that have the edges turned under, you won’t have to worry so much about fraying, so you can just use a straight stitch without fear.

Caroline: You could also use a blind hem stitch to stitch on appliqués. This stitch has a few straight stitches followed by a single zigzag that looks like a sideways V. When you use a blind hem stitch to appliqué, choose a thread that matches your backing fabric. You’re going to aim your stitches close to the edge of the appliqué on the backing fabric, and those little v stitches are gonna reach in and tack your appliqué down at even intervals. It looks almost invisible. It’s really cool.

Helen: It is so cool, and you can also do a narrow zigzag, a satin stitch, a blanket stitch, or a decorative stitch over the edges of appliqués with the edges turned under. Just keep in mind that the seam allowance will add some extra bulk to those stitches. But if you want that reassurance that the edges are not gonna fray, you can definitely use a turned under edge and then, also a satin stitch. And just really, really stick it on there.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s on there for life…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Sewing appliqués by hand takes longer, but it can be easier than trying to sew a bunch of small curves and angles. On a sewing machine, you can be much more precise. I know sewing curves on a sewing machine sometimes can be tricky, so sewing by hand really appeals to me.

Helen: Yeah, especially with this kind of precision work. If you have any, like, neck or back pain, be very careful at the sewing machine ‘cause you’ll definitely end up fully hunched over, like, squinting at your tiny little curves. And it can be a lot more relaxing to sit outside or on your couch with your appliqué project, just turning things under by hand. Hand sewn appliqué is sometimes called needle turn appliqué because you can use your needle to help you turn the seam allowance under as you sew.

Caroline: Ooh. And there are a couple of different hand stitches you can use to get an invisible, or nearly invisible, look. The more traditional appliqué stitch works a bit like a slip stitch. You bring the needle up from the wrong side of the backing fabric right next to the folded edge of the appliqué, and then, you insert the needle in the fold of the appliqué and back out. Your thread will be hidden in the fold of the appliqué. Then, you insert your needle in the backing right next to the fold of the appliqué and bring it back up, again near the fold. Then, another stitch in the fold of the appliqué and another in the backing all the way around. It’s invisible on the top and looks like a running stitch on the back.

Helen: The second stitch you can use is, kind of, like a whip stitch. You start by bringing the needle up in the appliqué, just a few threads away from the fold. Bring the needle down into the backing at the edge of the appliqué, and then, bring it up diagonally into the appliqué. This leaves you with very small stitches perpendicular to the edge. If you’re attaching appliqués that are on a sheer backing fabric, you might wanna use this stitch instead of a traditional needle turn appliqué stitch because the sheer fabric won’t hide those stitches that go in the fold.

Caroline: Yeah, so if they’re not hidden anyway, why not make them intentionally visible?

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: I know this can be hard to visualise in a podcast medium. So there are videos for both of these stitches in Suzy Quilts’s Needle Turn Appliqué tutorial. We’re gonna have that linked up for you in the show notes, so definitely check it out if you’re interested in learning more about these stitches.

Helen: A couple more tips for nearly invisible hand stitched appliqués are to keep your stitches small, about an eighth of an inch, and to choose a thread that matches the appliqué, not the backing fabric. This will help it to blend in more.

Caroline: Hand stitching is the best way to invisibly attach appliqués. But that doesn’t mean you have to make your stitches invisible. You can do some bold hand stitching to attach raw edge or edge turned appliqués. It would look amazing in herringbone stitch, cross stitch, or even a simple running stitch.

I also just wanna say we’re talking a lot about different types of stitches and rules and ideas for how you can appliqué, but I feel like this is one of those crafts that you can, kind of, just wing it and it’s gonna look cool no matter what. So, like, don’t worry too much about the type of stitch that you’re using. If it looks good to you and it attaches the appliqué to your base fabric, then I say go for it. It’s a great way to let your artistic side shine.

Helen: Especially if you’re doing a project where you might be using multiple different fabrics or you’re just playing around, you just wanna try things. You can try lots of different appliqué techniques on the same project. Why not?

Caroline: Like, a sampler maybe. A sampler quilt.

Helen: Ooh. Or, like, a wall hanging, you know, like, a little something for your sewing room or for your bedroom. Yeah. Super cool.

Caroline: So that’s the general outline for how to appliqué. As you can tell, you have a ton of choices: raw edge or edge turned in; interfacing or no; pins or glue; machine stitching or hand stitching and more. But don’t get too overwhelmed. Just choose whatever sounds best to you based on the end result you want, and how much time, energy, and money you wanna put into it.

Helen: There are also a few other appliqué tips that we’d like to share before we move on to fabric advice. Yes, it’s coming. If you have a cutting machine, like a Cricut, you can design and cut your appliqués with that super easy and fast, and I’m jealous.

Caroline: You can use clear or smoke threads for less visible machine stitching. These threads can be tricky to work with, but they do give a really low profile look. It’ll probably need a higher tension setting on your machine than usual. It can help to make your spool pin vertical, too, if your thread’s having problems slipping off the edge. Shannon Reed tested a bunch of invisible threads for Quilters Review and gave some tips for using it. You can find that article in the show notes.

Helen: Another way to make your stitching less visible is to choose a less shiny thread for your top thread. Aurifil thread is like that. It, kind of, melts into the fabric. I mean, not literally, but it blends.

Caroline: Lace appliqués don’t usually come with a backing. You can attach them by machine with a zigzag stitch over the outermost edge if you want the appliqué to lay flat. You could also consider putting your stitch line inward from the edge, leaving the ends hanging free. I think that could be really cute. If you wanna sew them down by hand, a whip stitch over the edge would work really well.

I saw a lot of that hanging lace appliqué when I went wedding dress shopping for research, and it does give a really pretty effect. It almost can come across as, like, ethereal and, like, the appliqué, sort of, like, floating, and it’s just really nice and delicate.

Helen: Adding some extra whimsy.

Caroline: Whimsy. Yes, the appliqué floating in the wind.

Helen: It’s also less pressure ‘cause you don’t have to follow the edge a closely.

Caroline: Totally. Yes. Love that.

Helen: Some sewists like to use a hoop for hand appliqué. Like, you would if you were doing embroidery. Others don’t. If your base fabric is sturdy enough, you might not need a hoop. But some people like that. It keeps everything taught and smooth. It’s just individual preference. So if you’re getting frustrated with everything moving around try a hoop, see If you like it.

Caroline: Hoop it.

Helen: Hoop it up.

Caroline: If you wanna do an edge turned appliqué, but turning the edges under is too fiddly for your taste, we have a method for you to raise your appliqué shape onto a piece of sew-in, not fusible, interfacing. With your interfacing and your fabric right sides together, stitch along the outline with a straight stitch leaving a small opening trim away the excess, leaving a scant quarter inch seam allowance. Clip and notch the curves. Turn the shape right side out and press it. You’ll probably need a blunt tool, like a chopstick to turn out all the edges really nicely, and now your appliqué is ready to stitch down. I think this technique would be a little bit bulkier than other ones, but if you use a lightweight interfacing, it shouldn’t be too noticeable. I love this idea. I feel like it’s, like, making your own little patches almost.

Helen: Exactly. It’s like, yeah, making your own little pizza pockets for your…

Caroline: Little pizza pie. Oh, my God. I, we have to make pizza shaped appliqués.

Helen: It would be cute. It’s, like, you could appliqué on appliqué ‘cause you gotta put your slice down, and then, you have to appliqué on the little, like, peppers and mushrooms.

Caroline: What if I like prosciutto on my pizza?

Helen: That’s okay. You could probably find some fabric that would work for that or some ribbon.

Caroline: Yes. Oh, my gosh. Rabbit hole already. Okay.

Helen: Speaking of fiddly edge turning, here’s another method that will really help with that. It’s called the freezer paper method. Basically, you’re making a jig out of freezer paper, which is like parchment paper that’s coated on one side with plastic. So you cut out maybe four layers of the paper, stack them together and press them so that they stick together.

So, this is gonna be your jig. Then, you trace your appliqué shape onto it and cut it out. Now you can press the jig onto your fabric with the plastic side down. It will stick to your fabric without making a mess. No shifting around. And then you can press your seam allowance in. Let the fabric cool and peel out the jig, and you can reuse it over and over. Genius.

Caroline: This is very smart.

Helen: I heard it on a podcast once. I don’t know.

Caroline: Alright. Finally, let’s talk about fabrics. Quilters usually use quilting cottons. Naturally. There’s such a good selection of colours and prints, and you can even skip pre-wash because everything will shrink similarly.

Helen: You wanna think about contrast when you’re choosing colours for your appliqué. If you want your appliqués to be really visible and make a big impact, you’ll need to choose a fabric that stands out against your background fabric, but you don’t necessarily have to do that. If you wanted to do a little more bit more subtle appliqué, maybe you’re going for something more textural. You’re not necessarily wanting that bold contrast. You can really play around here, so…

Caroline: You’re definitely also not limited to solid fabrics. Prints can make amazing, textured, fun appliqués. You can even fussy cut pictures out of a print fabric to make appliqués. I love the idea of taking a print that I love and cutting out some of the shapes and using those as appliqués on a different project. It’s, kind of, like a way to let that print live on elsewhere.

Helen: Totally, and a great way to use your fabric scraps. I mean, come on. This is, like, the perfect use for them. If you’re using a flimsy fabric, definitely fuse some interfacing on there because a flimsy fabric or something really shifty like a rayon. Honestly, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be hard, so make it easier on yourself and interface it.

Caroline: And if you’re not only using quilting cottons, pre-wash all of your natural fibre fabrics before you do anything else. This includes rayons. They’re man-made, but they are made of cellulose, so they’re gonna shrink in the wash. To be honest, rayons are so shifty that they sound like, kind of, a nightmare to appliqué. That’s when you wanna break out the interfacing.

Helen: Yeah, a hundred percent. I think linen would make a great choice for appliqué and would give you, like, a very nice, soft lived-in feel, especially if you were appliquéing linen on linen for a top or a dress or jacket or something. I mean, I am having visions, Caroline.

Caroline: Okay. Speaking of which, can we, I, I wanna have, like, a little dream sesh and…

Helen: Ooh.

Caroline: …‘cause we’ve admitted, we haven’t done a ton of appliqué, but I’m feeling very inspired. So I wanna know if you could start an appliqué project, like, this weekend, what are you doing? What are you making? What are you appliquéing?

Helen: Oh, it’s tough. I think I’d like to try, like we were saying earlier, a little sampler situation. Maybe try making a tapestry of some kind that I could hang up in my studio. But as far as, like, a dream project, I could totally see a simple top, like the Ashton top with appliquéd elements on it. Similarly to that one, we were admiring at the top of the show that orange and black one. Maybe, like, some hands or…

Caroline: Ooh.

Helen: …a bird or floral element or a snake. A snake would be cool. A snake would be really cool.

Caroline: I love this. I, I, okay. I’m thinking about, like, small and larger projects. I would love to incorporate appliqué into some mending and maybe mend some holes in some of the garments that I have sitting in my to mend pile with some little shapes or appliqués. And I feel like that would be a really fun project. Just interface behind and then put the appliqué on top and, sort of, hide your mending with some beautiful shapes and things.

Helen: Well, it is your mending. I mean, yeah, it’s brilliant. That’s a great way to use it and a great application. I did it.

Caroline: Oh, you didn’t. But I also, I would love more of, like, a, like a lifelong project, which I know is dreaming really big, but, like, some kind of large blanket or a block of the month, but maybe it’s, like, a block of the quarter kind of situation where I can just slowly work on, like, smaller pieces when I’m watching TV and then, eventually it’ll become something larger. Something…

Helen: That would be cool.

Caroline: …I could take around with me, and I don’t know. There’s something about that that sounds really, really nice.

Helen: Yeah, or, like, along the same lines as that V&A Museum inspiration. Like, you could have a big piece of background fabric, and then, every once in a while you just add a little something to it, a little appliqué patch, and it’s something you could work on when you’re sitting on your couch watching TV, and you can just add to it whenever you feel like it, or maybe you add to it when you have important, meaningful events happen in your life or something you’re proud of, or maybe something you’re going through that you need to process. You can sit down and think and stitch and add a patch that’s, sort of, like, this story of your life. I think that that is so cool.

Caroline: Yeah, and I’ve seen some really cool appliqué patches on Instagram over the last little while. I think it was Rachel from Minimalist Machinist that did a whole bunch of, I believe it was appliqué, and then, she ended up using it as, like, a patch on a pair of pants. But, like, the whole front of the pants was, like, a big, sort of, block that she had made.

Helen: Cool.

Caroline: I believe that’s, it was appliqué, not quilting, but I think it could totally work for appliqué, even if it was quilting. I think it’s just such a versatile craft that you could use for so many different kinds of projects, so many different styles, and it’s also just such an awesome scrap buster. So we…

Helen: It really is.

Caroline: …always love a scrap buster. We’re always looking for it, right?

Helen: Yes. I love the shape and style of appliqué, as well. Like, it typically tends to be simpler shapes, so they’re a little bit simplified, like, not necessarily a lot of detail. Kind of similar to block printing,

Caroline: Yeah, I was gonna say it’s blocky.

Helen: It’s blocky. Yeah. Which really appeals to me, it looks very fibre arty.

Caroline: Mm-hmm. Oh, I’m feeling very inspired, and I hope you are, too, listener. All you listeners out there.

Helen: Yeah, because we have a challenge for you.

Caroline: Oh, boy, do we. We wanted to create a hashtag that you can use to share your appliqué projects with us. So use the #LoveToSewApplique. And this is for just about anyone. If you’ve never done appliqué before, try it out. If you’ve done appliqué before, share some of your favourite projects with us. And if you have any appliqué tips, please show us. Share them with us. We’d love to hear from you and see all of your amazing projects and get even more inspired this week.

Helen: Yeah, and if you’re listening to this, not the week it comes out, that’s fine, too. You can still use the hashtag, and we’ll still see it, and it will be great.

Caroline: Yes, and we’ll be sharing some of the posts in our stories from October 24th through to November 24th. So once again, that’s #LoveToSewApplique. We’re gonna do it for a whole month, and we really wanna see your projects. So please, please share.

Helen: Yeah, Caroline, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do appliqué. I’m doing it.

Caroline: I believe in you.

Helen: Thank you. It’s high time, but honestly, I’m so proud of you, Caroline. You really applied yourself during this recording sesh.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I’m gonna go apply for a new job if you keep this up, Helen.

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

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

Caroline: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at [email protected].

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

Caroline: Buh-bye.

Helen: Bye.

Caroline: Interfacing or no; pins or glue; matching stitching or hatch or mat hatcheting.

Helen: Matching stitching or hatcheting. That’s supposed to say machine stitching or hand stitching.

Caroline: Wow. I’m gonna start that one over. Rewind. Eerr.

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In this episode, we interview crafter extraordinaire Larrie King, also known as Mister Larrie! We chat with him about nurturing creativity, improv quilting, and trying allll the things. Is there a craft Larrie hasn’t attempted? Let’s find out!

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

Show Notes: 

Where to find Larrie online:

Some of Larrie’s projects:

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Larrie’s fave follows:

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Other mentions:

Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew! I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: Today we’re interviewing Larrie King, also known as Mister Larrie. We chat with him about nurturing creativity, improv quilting, and trying all the things. Is there a craft Larrie hasn’t attempted? Let’s find out.

Helen: If you love to sew, this is your show. Hello, Larrie. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Larrie: Thank you for having me.

Helen: We’re so excited to chat with you about all the things, the many, many things that you do, but to kick us off, can you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

Larrie: Well, I am Larrie King, better known as Mister Larrie. My pronouns are he/him/his, and I’m originally from Louisiana. I lived in Ohio for several years, but now I’m based in Florida.

Helen: Yeah. We saw that you recently moved and went to Disney World. Very exciting.

Larrie: It’s been great for all of the self-care that I’ve needed this past couple of years.

Caroline: Amazing

Helen: Oh, I bet, I bet.

Caroline: So this is a podcast all about sewing. So our first question needs to be how and when did you learn to sew?

Larrie: I think I first started sewing by using a fusible weft because I didn’t have a sewing machine. And I think I tried making some shirts for myself in, like, the ninth grade or so. They did not come out well. The first time I touched an actual sewing machine was probably senior year or around freshman year when I started taking costuming classes as part of my theatre degree. And I liked it, but I, I wasn’t good at it, so I, kind of, put it away for a while, and it didn’t really come back for another 10 years or so, and that’s when I, kind of, took it seriously. And all of it was, sort of, self-taught for the most part.

Helen: That’s so cool. I like that. you jumped to fusible weft interfacing rather than, like, a

needle and thread.

Larrie: I, yeah, I did a little of that, but I, I don’t have… As much patience as I think I have, I don’t have the patience for that.

Helen: You’re like, gimme that hot glue gun. I got this.

Larrie: Right, exactly.

Helen: Well, you have an amazing online presence. We’ve really been enjoying devouring all of your videos. So can you tell our listeners what a new follower could expect to see from you?

Larrie: Oh, wow. First, thank you for that. I typically am trying to put my happiest goofiest self out there so that people can see that as an adult, as a person who maybe you might not expect to be fully engrossed in all things creative, you too could be a part of that. There’s, I think, a generation or two or three of people who didn’t get to really embrace those creative arts and, and making things and playing with colour and textures and, you know, doing all those sorts of arts and crafts things that some of us took for granted because we had access to them.

And so now I’m hopefully out there saying, it’s okay to start now, or whenever you like, and you can do exactly the kinds of projects you’d like to do, but also, check out some of these other cool things that people have been doing, you know, sometimes for, hundreds of years. There’s just so much around us and so many ways to enrich your life through arts and crafts and being creative and just creative practice.

And so that’s typically what my content is always focused on. You know, how can you add a little spark of something to your day that can help to tell the world who you are from the inside out. And a lot of people feel a barrier for that because it’s art or because it’s creative and, and, you know, I wasn’t trained in this or I’m not good at this naturally or I was never praised for my drawing skills or whatever. And a lot of times those things just don’t matter. So yeah, I’m just trying to be the big, the big art teacher for the world that many of us didn’t get to have.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. We love to see it. And your goofy, funny, playful personality really comes out in your videos. You are so fun to watch, and you do so many different types of crafts, like sewing, painting, tie dye, perler beads, scrapbooking, baking. Like, we could go on, we could basically spend a whole episode just listing all of the cool, crafty things you do and share on your YouTube and TikTok and Instagram. One of the things we were wondering about though, is just how you decide what medium to work in when you’re starting a new project.

Larrie: A lot of times the projects that I intend to work on is almost decided for me. I have a somewhat planned system of where I’d like to jump, you know, from project to project. I like to do maybe a soft craft one week, and then, the next week I’ll do something that maybe involves more chemistry, you know, maybe it’s resin pour or something.

And then maybe from there I’ll go to a sewing projects and then, the next week, a painting. And I just, kind of, like to switch it up because that allows me to have multiple projects in progress at once. And so I’m never bored. I never get tired of the project I’m working on. Or if I do, I can always switch to the other thing, and then, I’m still able to keep being creative, but it gives me a break that I might need.

So a lot of times it’s projects that I either have sponsorships for, maybe sometimes people will send me supplies that they’d like me to try out or things that they know I’m interested in. Sometimes personal friends will leave me a bag of fabric and say, can you use this for something?

But other times it’s, you know, me trying to just explore something I’ve heard about or seen my life, you know, and, and maybe wanted to finally take a crack at things like crochet and knitting and embroidery and tapestry. Those are things that I, I don’t normally gravitate toward. So sometimes doing a project in them helps me to get the, the fears out and just, you know, take it head on and see if maybe all that fear is warranted.

Helen: I love that you like to take on new things, things you haven’t tried before, and you mentioned having multiple projects in the go at once. Do you have good follow through or do you just have a room full of partially finished projects?

Larrie: You know, I, this is definitely part of our culture is having the, the big pile of unfinished things. I think that as a busybody and as an advocate for creative activity I have to do my job of finishing things. So sometimes I, you know, I’ll, I’ll come up with a project you know, maybe there’s a timeline that’s not established by me.

Maybe it’s a brand partner or an artist partner or something. And so then I do feel like, let’s, let’s go ahead and finish this and give the priority it needs. I think personally though, I just, I, I know that some people really feel rewarded by starting a project. I really feel rewarded by finishing it up.

So I usually have, no matter what the project is, at least some drive to see it all the way through. I definitely have my little stack of in progress things. I have some things… I’m staring at one sewing project right now that I started four years ago, and I will finish it one day. I just can’t get back to it right now.

But sometimes that’s the way it is. And, you know, sometimes some projects are more timely than others, you know, the weather changes and then suddenly, oh, I need to get, you know, some tie dye out or something because now it’s summer and then, you turn around and then, it’s fall, and it’s October, you know…

Helen: Totally.

Larrie: …so, so I, it, it happens circumstantially, but I, I usually try to be a, a good example.

Helen: Yeah. Well, you recently did a painting, kind of, mixed media painting project where you were talking about the ugly phase of the project. Can you tell our listeners about that?

Larrie: Yes! I am a painter that likes to use a lot of bright colour. I like to pair things together that maybe don’t always seem like they would go together right away. ‘Cause I like to create these fantastical, like, skyscapes and stuff and you know, like, uh, nebulas and whatnot. And so sometimes when those colours are all clashing together and I’m starting to, like, try to put in clouds or whatever, it just looks like a mess.

And as you add shadow and light and, like, give it form, then it starts to come to the surface. And I think a lot of creative art is like that. I think writing is like that. I think making music can be like that. There’s just always this phase where it’s like you can see it, and you, you know, that it’s coming together. But anyone else who looked at it would be like, what is that?

Helen: I don’t know. In sewing, it’s often, like a, what is that situation? Until the very end.

Caroline: Yeah.

Larrie: Yes, absolutely. I have a couple of projects like that that I’ve just, oh, I’m so ashamed of, I don’t know where they went wrong ‘cause I’m usually pretty, I usually take my time with something, especially if it’s a sewing project that I’m really excited about. You know, I’ll rip the seams out and do it two, three times. But every now and then, there’s just one in there that I just cannot, I just, I can’t navigate it.

Helen: Yeah. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Everyone listening can relate to that.

Caroline: You mentioned it, kind of, being your job to finish projects and share them, but I’m curious, do you also have a full-time job or is this what you do all day?

Larrie: I do have a full-time job. I’m an art director at a marketing agency in Orlando. I started out there as a senior graphic designer, and so a lot of my work was doing social media postings for our clients, which included, you know, hospitals, clinics, geriatric facilities, and things like that. So very different from the Mister Larrie content. But making the content was, was almost just as fulfilling. You know, you have your audience in mind, you find the right images and words to say and stuff, and that’s a lot of fun.

My role in art director now is, is similar. I’m doing a lot of the same kind of work with a little bit more responsibility, but it also gives me the flexibility to do Mister Larrie and have time reserved for that so that I can keep making content and stuff. So it’s been, it’s been, kind of, the perfect scenario. It took a little bit to get here, but, but now I’m feeling really good about the whole thing.

Caroline: That’s amazing.

Helen: Oh, that’s, yeah. That’s awesome. I’m glad to hear it. We were gonna ask you how you find the balance, but I, it sounds like you found it.

Larrie: Yeah. I, you know, for now, right now I’m moving into a new house and so that is also forcing me to look at balance and, and make sure that I’m not overwhelming myself with crafty stuff at home when I should be focusing on work and vice versa. You know, so I’m, like, looking at my physical space and things like that and just let me just keep all of these things in balance.

It’s a nice time to, sort of, check in and, and, and make sure that this is what I want to keep doing and, you know, that it’s going the right way because it’s all, kind of, and I’m sure if you talk to any other influencer, content creator types, a lot of it’s just, kind of, a wild, wild west. You just kinda, you’re just kinda out here, and you’re just doing the thing that you like to do, and you hope that someone will pay you for it sometimes.

Helen: Yeah. Well, you have been doing quite a few collaborations from the looks of it, so congratulations on making a go at, at making it work. It’s really interesting to watch people in the crafting and sewing space getting these partnerships and things like that. I really love seeing it, so yeah. Congrats.

Larrie: Thank you.

Caroline: Okay. I wanna circle back to your amazing creativity and all of the different projects that you do. And we really found looking at all of your work and your videos, that your artistic voice just really comes through in each of them. And I wonder how you found your voice and your aesthetic.

Larrie: I think it was channelled through the right set of animated shows through the eighties and nineties. A deep love of the Power Rangers and anime and toys and I, I just, I’m such a nineties kid. And I think that a lot of the bright colour that I like to use and gravitate toward comes from that era.

Things like Lisa Frank, you know, Punky Brewster, all that sort of stuff. And because of how I grew up, which was really disenfranchised and, you know, really poor family situation with a single parent, a lot of those things were just not reality for me. Travelling, seeing Disney World, even that was something I just never thought was ever gonna be actual, you know, a thing because of the way we grew up.

And I just was aware of that. I was always encouraged to be creative and to, you know, be artistic and stuff, but those are things that you can do with paper and crayons. Ultimately, anything more than that that I wanted to do, I just, kind of, put out of my mind. So as I got older and, you know, I was able to sculpt the world around me a little bit more and, and seek out those creative avenues through school, through work, et cetera.

I, kind of, started to pick back up on those things that I really was jazzed by as a kid. And so now as an adult approaching 40, I feel like I’ve reverted to, like, my 10 year old self in a way where I’m inspired by a lot of the same types of things, a lot of the same colours. I’d like to go back and visit that period creatively because there’s so much there that now as an adult I can appreciate more and see the connections to, you know, design history and art history and all these other things that I am also interested in now.

So it’s this big, like, I don’t know if that’s just a part of getting older, approaching midlife, but I feel like all of those things that I may have missed out on or wanted to really explore as a kid but couldn’t are giving me all of that inspiration now. And so I think part of my mission is just to let everybody else know that they can maybe do that, too.

Helen: You could be a kid again, too.

Larrie: Yeah. Exactly.

Helen: Oh, that’s amazing. And we were wondering on that note, what advice you might give to people out there who wanna branch out and try new crafts? We have a lot of sewers obviously, but maybe branching out and trying something completely out of our comfort zones.

Larrie: I found that a lot of the crafts that I did early on were based on my budget. You know, what did I have on hand? What could I afford to buy supplies wise, et cetera. Do I have equipment for these things? And so for a lot of stuff, early, early on, sewing was just, kind of, not in my frame of vision because I didn’t have a good sewing machine. I couldn’t afford to have it fixed, you know, et cetera.

So I think that’s an okay place to start is with what you have. There’s a lot of paper crafting out there. There’s a lot of fibre crafts that don’t take a lot of money at all, and that’s always a good place to start. If you know that you can work within this little window, there’s probably a craft for that. I think if you want to explore more or, you know, really like work on a skill, YouTube is what really got me through a lot of the biggest humps in my sewing journey. You know, you just search for the thing that you’re trying to do. I found the right people. And it was when I didn’t find the people that could explain the things that I needed to have explained. That’s when I started to making the videos myself or, thought maybe there’s a way for me to put the information out there if I can learn it. And that’s, kind of, how the tutorial started.

So I, you know, I think that if you have even the slightest interest in something, a quick YouTube video search, a Google search, you talk with a friend who you know is interested in it, can never hurt. And if you learn something new about something you don’t wanna explore, that’s okay, too. There’s a lot of, there’s a lot of great knowledge out there that connects to other things, you know, so maybe you don’t like sewing so much, but maybe you’re really into draping, you know, or, or, or maybe you don’t like tie dye, but you really love origami, and you’ll be surprised to know that there are correlations there. You know, so I, I think that you can explore for the sake of exploration, especially in a crafty or artistic space, where it can often be inexpensive, low risk.

Helen: Low stakes.

Larrie: Yes, exactly. Try it with your children or your younger family members. You know, that’s always a good excuse to try something if you’re a little nervous about feeling goofy as an adult who wants to try something that feels juvenile. But it’s also okay to remember that you, you, you can do whatever you want because you’re an adult.

Helen: Yeah. And it’s also okay if it doesn’t work out, right? Like…

Larrie: Exactly. And I think that’s a, that’s a part of my content that I try to consciously include is that not everything works out. Some projects you finish them and you just don’t like ’em, you know? That’s okay, too. Some projects you can’t finish ‘cause you did it wrong the whole time. And that’s just a very real part of things. But hopefully showing that process myself can help people to, to not feel so ashamed of that and to embrace it. Because then once you embrace that you might mess this up, then it’s easier to just try it out.

Caroline: Sounds like people just need to find your channel.

Larrie: I mean, I wasn’t gonna say…

Helen: You really have done pretty much everything, so…

Larrie: Yeah, I, I really try to cater to those who are exploring things maybe for the first time. And there are a lot of different things to explore. So I’ve got, I think currently on YouTube, like, 35 different tutorials on, you know, all kinds of different arts and crafts and things. So if you just wanna know about it, you can start there.

If you want to try your first project, you could try, you could probably start there, too. And then the wonderful thing is if you’re already online, you can find tons and tons of people who are, you know, leagues ahead and their knowledge about these things and different ways to approach it.

There’s so many different ways to do all of these things that I usually talk about, which is part of what makes it wonderful for such a diverse group of people to try out. Because maybe my method isn’t the method for you, but, you know, there’s 20 other channels that have different methods.

Helen: Yeah, it’s true. I like that you take sometimes more complex crafts and do a simpler, more approachable version of it. For example, you were talking about stained glass, and you did a version of stained glass that involved some, like, lead sticky tape and paint, and it honestly turned out so good. And I have always wanted to try stained glass. And I thought maybe I never would ‘cause I don’t know how to do that. But I was like, I could do that though. I could do the craft store version. It’d be so…

Larrie: You totally can. I, I still have those pieces. Both of them have held up really nicely. But I, I feel just like you, I feel like sometimes I watch that video and I’m like, oh yeah, I made that. I, that means I could probably make another one that’s even cooler by now. It’s weirdly enough, that’s probably my most popular video on YouTube that, that tutorial.

Caroline: Oh, cool.

Larrie: You know, and, and for me it’s just one of many, so I don’t quite understand why that one specifically, but I think people just inherently love stain glass on some level and…

Helen: Yeah. And it is like, there’s a lot of barriers to entry in that craft…

Larrie: Yes, yes.

Helen: So…

Larrie: Absolutely.

Helen: Yeah. Do you have a favourite craft?

Larrie: You know, I wrestled with this question. I think my favourite craft is sewing. You know, if we’re, including sewing in the, in the realm of crafts I, I think it, there’s just something about taking this flat piece of whatever it is, curtain, bedsheet, you know, actual yardage and transforming it into something that can hold things or hold your body or you can get married in it. You can, the transformative nature of fabric through sewing. Just gives me a lot of joy, and I am nowhere near where I would like to be skill-wise. But I just enjoy it so much ‘cause I know there’s so much I can learn about it.

Whereas with painting, which I always say is my second favourite or my other favourite area, I feel like that’s more internal in that whatever I paint is usually just coming from in me. You know, I, I’ll learn some things from other people. I’ll observe practices and things. I know the basics, but ultimately I just, kind of, paint whatever I feel like painting. Sewing, I’m trying to replicate the work of so many before me and learn their techniques and do these precise things. And so that’s just a whole different kind of creative exercise, I think, and, and that challenges me, and I really enjoy that.

Caroline: Well, we would have to agree with you. We love sewing, as well.

Helen: Yeah, you’re not just saying that ‘cause you’re on Love to Sew, right?

Larrie: Right.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. It is funny that you mentioned getting married in something you made ‘cause I’m currently working on my wedding dress and questioning everything.

Larrie: Right? Yes.

Caroline: I will get there.

Larrie: I I, I, made a, you know, a silly little jacket to wear to work the other day, and that was just like a, oh, my God, am I doing this? Am I wearing this to work? I have to stop at the gas station first. Are they gonna laugh at me? Like, that was a panic attack, so I can’t imagine what you must be going through.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. No, it’s, it’s fun and it will be, I’m sure, so rewarding when it all gets done. We were wondering if you have a plan, like, do you go with a plan for your projects for the future? Do you have a big list of things you wanna do or do you just, like, wake up and go to Jo-Ann’s and just decide on a whim every day, see what happens? Yeah.

Larrie: It, it, it, really is the latter. I, I just, like…

Helen: I knew it. I knew it.

Larrie: Everyone who knows me personally knows I just, like, pop out of bed like a groundhog. I just boop, and then, like, I’m awake, and I’m ready to go do whatever. So yeah, a lot of times I wake up with an idea, and I just start on it immediately. Sometimes I’m watching Project Runway or something, and I’ll just, like, hear a prompt and I’m like, what if I did that?

And then I’ll, I’ll play Project Runway by myself. I’ll give myself, like, you know, 48 hours in the craft room to make something that I can wear to work the next week or something like that. Sometimes it’s because I’ve gone out to Goodwill. I found a fabric or, like, a curtain or something that I wanna turn into something, and I’ll just, like, get the idea then.

I’ll sketch it out really fast and then, just start on it to see if I can finish it, if it could happen. I have tried planning things before, you know, more advanced. I have a couple of longer term projects in mind now, using some I bought some Tula Pink fabric that I just cannot cut into, but I, I have these grand plans for it. So, like, I just, sometimes I, I wanna work on something and with a real plan and a purpose and stuff, but more often than not, it’s oh, my gosh, it’s 3:30 AM, and I have the greatest idea.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. That definitely fits the vibe of your videos, so…

Larrie: Which are often recorded at that time, so…

Caroline: Yeah. No, I love the, the, like, the playfulness. Again, coming back to that with the gamifying of sewing a little bit, where you watch Project Runway and then, you take on that challenge. I think that’s such a great idea for someone maybe who’s looking for a creative project, but not sure where to go with it or where to start. Like, just watch some Project Runway and try one of the challenges. Why not?

Larrie: So I was a graphic design professor for 12 years and, you know, I taught levels of different students, you know, from undergrad to graduate students. And the most common problem they would have when they were working on their portfolios is, I don’t know what projects to do or I don’t, I don’t have any work to do because I’m trying to get a job. So what do I put in my portfolio?

So there was this whole, you know, culture of giving yourself assignments or, you know, borrowing assignments from other people or other, you know, whatever. Just giving yourself work to do so that you can exercise that creative muscle. And so, for me, a lot of times it comes from television shows, like Project Runway and, like, competition shows and stuff where those people are in that constraint, and they have to deliver. And I think that can be so much fun. So, I, I, I try to tease myself with that sometimes.

Helen: One day I would just love it if somebody would like, set me loose, loose in a dollar store and be like, you have to make an unconventional materials dress in three hours…

Larrie: Yeah!

Helen: …and you get, like, $50, and you have 10 minutes to shop. Like, I wanna be, I’m, like, the contestant on Drag Race that’s excited about that challenge, not like…

Larrie: Oh, I never understand when they’re like, oh no, I have to make something like…

Helen: Yeah, yeah. I, I would love that.

Caroline: I don’t know, Helen, I think I can do that for you if you want.

Helen: We can make this happen.

Caroline: We can make this happen. Oh…

Helen: I haven’t heard you mention patterns yet. When you’re talking about sewing, do you mostly self-draft your stuff?

Larrie: I have this wicked fear of patterns. I don’t know where it came from, but, like, lately, it’s just been stronger than ever. I’ve never successfully used a pattern that I’ve purchased. You know, I’ve, I’ve patterned off myself or off of my clothing. But yeah, a commercial pattern or like a, you know, a legit pattern, I’ve never been able to use one.

And I think it’s because I look at the lines and the numbers and the marks and my brain just goes into overload, and it just feels like an impossibility for me. So, yeah, I’ll usually just end up draping things on myself. I used to have a mannequin that I made of myself.

Helen: Oh, fun.

Larrie: So that made life a little bit easier. But I have not yet used a pattern to make anything for myself, you know, garment or anything like that. But I do have a vintage Care Bear plush pattern that I bought at a thrift store a couple weeks ago.

Helen: Oh, cool.

Larrie: And I think I want to try to work on that as, like, you know, my way for learning through it all.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Break the seal a little bit.

Larrie: Of course it seems like the most complicated thing I could start with, but…

Helen: You know, sewing plushies is actually pretty challenging ‘cause the pieces are so small.

Larrie: Yeah, yeah. Maybe that’s, maybe that won’t be the first.

Helen: No, no I think it’s good ‘cause it takes the pressure off. You’re not putting the garment on your body, so there’s not that, like…

Larrie: That’s true.

Helen: …the pressure of finding the right fit with the pattern pieces. So I think that, I think it’s good. Well, we wanted to talk specifically about a very incredible jacket that you made that was inspired by Dorothy from the Golden Girls and Memphis Design and Lisa from Saved By the Bell. And oh, my gosh. It’s so, so, so good. So can you describe that jacket for our listeners?

Larrie: So this jacket is made out of a teal bed sheet mostly. It’s lined with black and white striped fabric of two different sizes. So there’s, like, a thick black and white stripe, and then a very thin one, which is murder on the eyes. I don’t know why I used it. But then the outside has these panels that are, sort of, like, angular, geometric, multicoloured pieced panels that I sewed on top of it.

And the colours are pretty bright and vibrant but also ugly. I tried to describe to a friend, I, you know, this era of, of Memphis Design Studio from Italy and, you know, the Golden Girls and all that stuff. Everything was very colourful, but the colours didn’t always go together. There were a lot of beiges and browns and tans, like, thrown into the mix for some reason.

And I just love it. It is atrocious. And so I just needed to make a garment version of this thing that I could, like, throw over whatever I was wearing and go to work or whatever. Mind you, I live in Florida so it is way too hot to be layering up like that almost at any time. So I made this thing and if I do wear it, I think it looks pretty hot, but I also look pretty hot ‘cause I’m sweating in it.

So, so, yeah, it’s, I need to find a version of that, that is weather appropriate. Although, it is pretty lightweight. Like I said, it’s, it’s bedsheets and, and very thin, you know, broadcloth essentially. So it’s, it’s a really thin reversible jacket, but I just, kind of, I patterned it on a shirt that I had and just, you know, extended the sleeves a little bit and held my fingers crossed through the whole time.

Helen: Well, it really turned out, and I loved the stripe-y inside. I love black and white. And you did say that you might wear it inside out sometimes. So I wanna know, do you wear it inside out?

Larrie: I have not yet. I think it’s so, it’s so much, which is, which is funny to say. It’s teal and so colourful on the other side, but the black and white, I think it just does not flatter me.

Helen: It’s an optical illusion almost.

Larrie: It is.

Helen: It’s hard to look at.

Larrie: I don’t wanna scare children away when I’m walking up, you know? It’s, like, the worst you could imagine happening in real life, in front. It’s like an invisibility cloak, but I probably will eventually try to do it for something.

Helen: Did you design those patchwork panels in advance or did you do improv for that?

Larrie: I, I sketched them out, and then, they’re pretty close to the sketches, but they’re largely improv. I, and I’ve been trying to do more of that as of late. I like a improv quilts exercise. I think a little bit of structure, a little sketching ahead of time gives me more flexibility.

Helen: Do you tend to always, like, sketch out a little bit or do, you ever just go right for it?

Larrie: I. I think that if I want to take it seriously, I’ll find myself sketching it out first, or I’ll sketch it really fast, and then, I’ll sketch it again really nice, and then, I’ll start on it. It’s funny ‘cause I think internally that’s how I know it’s gonna come out. Okay. ‘Cause I’ve, like, considered it really closely through the sketching part.

‘Cause I used to do a lot of drawing, you know, and art school and stuff and, and drawing was, kind of, my first major creative vein. So I think, I think coming back to that just, kind of, gives me a sense of solidness with the idea. And then, I can pursue sewing or whatever it’s gonna be.

Caroline: There’s something to be said about, like, getting an idea out of your brain and onto paper. Like, just for the sake of it, not living only in your head when you’re working on a creative project, right?

Larrie: As a design instructor, one of the classes I taught was a, a beginning drawing course for graphic designers who thought they would be bypassing all of that. But it’s really just about interpreting your idea for the greatest usage and for the greatest number of people to understand.

And so oftentimes sketching something out and being able to translate that idea to paper is crucial. And so we spend a lot of time talking about that and just ideating and stuff. And I think that I try to again, be a good example and, and lead by my own, you know, lessons. And I find that it works really well for me, especially.

When it’s so easy to just forget the idea and move on to something else. Now once it’s sketched down, then it’s real. And, and whether I finish it or not, you know, I’ve got, fashion sketches from 15 years ago that I find every now and then, and I still think these could still work.

Caroline: Mhm.

Larrie: And I feel like as long as they’re there, the idea can still eventually happen. But if I hadn’t sketched them out, I wouldn’t remember those now.

Helen: No, that’s true.

Caroline: That’s so true.

Helen: Now you mentioned improv quilting, and I’m wondering if you follow a plan when you’re doing that, or is that more freeform?

Larrie: So far, I have completed just a small number of, of improv quilts that were, I’d say more organised than not in that I didn’t know what I was doing while I was making it, but I was trying to make a plan along the way so it felt improv, but really I’d stuck to a very close colour system or sometimes even a very close shape system.

As of late, I’m trying to do more scrap-based things that just, kind of, go a little crazier. I went to QuiltCon this past year and, and that was just very eye opening in terms of what people can do with not only so many pieces of small pieces of fabric, but such small pieces of fabric I don’t necessarily wanna meet that challenge, but I do, it did give me a sense of freedom. You know, it, it doesn’t even have to be square or rectilinear. It can be any shape. And, and that’s, that’s fun to explore. That gives you a lot of room in your playground.

Helen: Yeah. Some of the pieces you worked with on your little improv quilts were pretty small. Like, some of those half square triangles looked like maybe an inch or less.

Larrie: Yeah. Yeah. That’s the smallest I think I’ve ever tried.

Caroline: How.

Helen: How? I’ll just leave it at that. How?

Larrie: Honestly, luck. I use a, I, I use a lot of spray starch in my quilting, especially because I think it, the stiffness of the fabric makes it easier to handle. I do a lot of pressing along the way, so I don’t know if that helps to, sort of, lock in things, but you know, I, I really should be paper piecing at this point, but I’m, that’s another thing I’m scared to try, so…

Helen: Me, too.

Larrie: I’ve been encouraged by a lot of people recently that it’s not that bad.

Helen: I think in some ways it’s easier ‘cause you literally have a plan to follow.

Larrie: Yeah. So I really, this is one of those instances where I just have to do it. For years and years in design, I, I refused to dive into animation and working with, like, you know, After Effects and stuff. And my students were all doing it, and I was like, that’s great. I support you. Let me know if I can find you any resources that are not me. And, you know, here we are now, I, sort of, was forced to learn it in my job last year, like, through circumstances. So now I feel very confident in it, and I’m like, oh, my God, I waited all this time.

I could have learned this thing a long time ago and been way better at it by now. So I’m trying to take the same approach to more of these crafting things, but paper piecing I really feel like it’s a whole ‘nother world of, quilting and sewing and, and I want to be able to do more pictographic things or, or representative things in my sewing. And I feel like that might be the way to do it.

Helen: I mean, I look forward to your next video about paper piecing. I know it’s coming.

Larrie: Yeah, yeah. It’s, it’s formulating.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: We’ve seen you use thrifted fabric in a few projects. You’ve made jackets and lounge pants and more. I’m wondering when you’re thrifting, what qualities you look for in a textile.

Larrie: I’m very in tune with the, oh, that sounds so weird to say. I’m very in tune, but I, I, I really I don’t, I don’t know how to really say the quality of being old and used and, prepossessed by someone else, I like to take things that have history or that feel that they have history.

So sometimes that means a fabric that has a texture that I haven’t felt before. Even if it’s one that might be on the thinner side or more difficult to work with. Like, a lot of vintage fabric is, you know, especially if it gets more and more thread bear things like sheets and curtains and things that I tend to gravitate toward because they’re large pieces of fabric, are not always in great condition.

Uh, there’s lots of dust and sun bleaching and stuff. So sometimes I might fall in love with a pattern and then look at the whole thing and I can’t use that. Other times it’s just, you know, I’m looking for something, this specific colour that I don’t see produced as often today, maybe not even in a fabric store. So sometimes a bed sheet will have a pattern that just is gone now, and that’s a fun way to make something that’s unique that no one else will have as a wearable or whatever.

But yeah, I like to just, kind of, use my sense of feel. There’s maybe, like, an emotional quality to it. I get really into my fabric. I just, um, I like old things. I like to think of the energy that we pass along through things. And um, a lot of the things that, the soft things that we use, fabrics and stuff get neglected so much, but they’re there for so many things, you know? They’re, they’re there with us in some of the most intimate parts of our lives. And so getting the chance to repurpose them and give them a new life feels like a really cool thing.

Helen: Oh, I love that we often give the advice when you’re shopping for thrifted fabric to avoid wear and tear and make sure you look closely at the piece to make sure it’s in good condition, but this new approach, actually, no, I’m serious, it’s really interesting, and it made me think of a couple of tablecloths that I kept from my childhood that we used to eat out on our, like, outdoor table. We used to have dinner out there and, and they’re sun bleached and they’re stained. But I kept them because they have this cool ombre effect where the top is bleached, but the sides that hang off the table are not, and I’ve always wanted to make a shirt or something out of them

Larrie: Yeah, I think, I think if you can carry on the emotional quality of that fabric by repurposing it and, you know, maybe it’s not even something that anyone else ever knows about, but you know about it. And so there’s, like, a, there’s a really cool, I think if it gives you the good vibes, if you feel the good energy in it, then that will multiply.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I was also thinking when you said prepossessed, my mind immediately went to, like, ghosts or, like…

Larrie: The Shroud of Turin.

Caroline: You know.

Larrie: I, and I think, you know, this is how I feel about my paintings and, and I use a lot of ephemera in those. And sometimes those are like actual handwritten letters and things. I’ve got some papers that are 150 years old that I’ve used in paintings before. So I approach fabric in a similar way, but there is something interesting about just, like, the idea of somebody else owned this thing. Yeah.

Helen: The stories.

Larrie: Could be kinda creepy. I dunno.

Helen: If you wanted to be, I mean, if that’s your vibe. Yeah. We wanted to know what’s on your sewing table right now. What’s up next for you?

Larrie: Oh, my goodness. So I just did a fundraiser to help me move into a new location where the rent is not gouging me every month so that I can not be homeless. And a part of that fundraiser was creating some zipper pouches and tote bags for people. All based on that jacket actually, so I’m using the same fabrics. I have a bunch of it left over.

And I’m just turning that idea that, that colour scheme into tote bags because I’m really into this, like, black and white fabric part right now. But I think paired with that bold little set of colours, I don’t know. I feel like I’m on a new colour journey, and it’s a lot of fun ‘cause I, I, I often get, I don’t wanna say the word pigeonholed, but people know my content because of the colour system that I use, which is usually pretty vibrant and rainbow-y and stuff.

But that’s, that’s not what I usually, that’s not what I always work in, certainly not what I’m sewing. So it’s, it’s nice to show different parts of my creative library to people. And I think the black and white era is coming in strong, especially because of all the salt and pepper hair that I have now. My beard is fully black and white, and I’m noticing that when I wear black and white, it looks, kind of, cool together.

Helen: Yeah. Nice.

Larrie: So, yeah, I’ve got, I’ve got those bags up and then next I wanna make another jacket of some kind, another garment of some kind. I have no idea what, but something ostentatious.

Helen: Of course. Something very, Mister Larrie.

Larrie: Yes.

Caroline: And do you have, like, a dream sewing project that you’d like to make one day?

Larrie: I am really enamoured with costume design as, as an industry. Gersha Phillips, who does costumes for Star Trek Discovery, a lot of other science fiction properties and stuff, I just, I would love to, like, sit with her for a day and just, be her lackey and, and do work with her. So working in costumes I think would be really wonderful.

You know, I’m right outside Disney, so there’s, there’s always a need for that sort of thing around here, but also just, you know, an outlet for me to look at all the wonderful work that goes into costuming and not just costuming for performance, but also just the, you know, the people who work at Disney.

Not that I’m plugging Disney here, but they all have uniforms and stuff. Whether they look good or not, they all have a reasoning and I love that about it. So I’d love to do any kind of, like, strategic fashion collaboration.

Helen: Ooh, you putting it out there. You never know.

Larrie: Fashion branding, that type of… Yeah.

Caroline: Very cool.

Helen: That’s awesome.

Caroline: Okay, it’s time for a quick break. We will be right back.

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

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And we’re back. Okay. We’ve chatted about all the fun things you do, but we also wanted to talk to you just generally about creativity, because you are so creative, and it’s very boundless from watching your videos. And I feel like my creativity always gets a boost when I’m watching you. And so we’d like to ask you a few questions about fostering creativity, if that’s all right.

Larrie: Absolutely.

Helen: We know you have a history of working in education and we can definitely tell from watching your content. You’re so good at teaching and being positive and encouraging, and we were wondering if you always had that sort of innately or was that something that you learned?

Larrie: I think it was there innately. I remember as far back as first or second grade knowing that I wanted to be a teacher. And I think it’s because the people that I admired the most in my life at that point were my teachers. I had my first art teacher in sixth grade, and that blew my mind.

It was a Black man, my first Black teacher and my first male teacher, in sixth grade, and my first art teacher. So I just thought that could be, that could literally be me. And so I went through school and everything, and I eventually found my way into it through doing art camps for children while I was in graduate school.

And then teaching, you know, at the collegiate level. I taught a couple of high school courses, and I just, kind of, always had that path in front of me, you know, as being an instructor or teacher of some sort. And I’ve always really admired those people who have that nurturing spirit, especially in an academic scenario where it’s not always easy. I know that it wasn’t easy for me as a kid even as a gifted and talented kid, quote unquote. So I think that I wanted to try and, and give that back. And I, I, I think that, luckily that was, kind of, built into me.

When I got into grad school for the second time, there was a college teaching course with a professor that I really, really admired. And after the first few weeks of class, he was like, yeah, you’re really, you’re really a natural at this. You know? And I was just like, that is the greatest validation I could have ever hoped for ‘cause I taught for six years, you know, just hoping I was doing things right because we were in a situation where we just didn’t have the time to really do all of the guidance and the stuff, and it was a very small staff.

So that’s always, kind of, propelled me forward, just that confidence that I have in my teaching style and ability. But also knowing that I’m dealing with literal people and real lives, and they just need to hear the truth. They need to hear how to improve, and they need to, to hear that you support them.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: Yeah. Speaking of supporting your students, have you seen obstacles to creativity in them? And how did you help them overcome that and be free with their creativity?

Larrie: In some instances, you know, in, in higher education there are some degrees that are seen as, as more stable or more lucrative than others. So a lot of times we would have parents who weren’t quite sure if their child would be successful in art or design, and sometimes you had the child who wasn’t quite sure that that’s what they wanted to do.

And, and a lot of what I ended up doing as an instructor was to help usher those students into where they belonged. Sometimes they thought they were a graphic designer when they were really a fine artist. And knowing the difference between the two is part of where I come in. Helping those students to find where their passions actually lie is so much more important than having 300 students graduate in the semester or whatever, you know, kind of, numbers and figures the university systems might rely on.

So I found a lot of my work was there, you know, if a student approached me with some specific goal, my job from then was to help them see that goal come to life through either my program or through a different one at our campus, you know? Sometimes that meant that student was able to leave school and find something else entirely, and that definitely wasn’t the goal.

But not everybody has the same path. And I think that when you come from a background like mine where my education was not guaranteed. It was not even really considered until I was at the doorsteps of it as a senior graduating high school. Your value of it is a little different, and I think it was more in line with what I was seeing a lot of the students feeling and experiencing. And so, yeah, I took a lot of time to be where they were and help them focus on what they actually wanted to do.

Helen: Yeah, I really like this exploratory approach to education, especially after, you know, elementary school and high school and your post-secondary or whatever they call it in the States, I’m not sure but basically, just taking that time to explore, and that can be really overwhelming, especially when you’re spending a lot of money or you have outside pressure from family and, and you have a plan for your life and maybe it starts to take a different turn and you’re not prepared for that. So I’m glad they had you to guide them.

Larrie: Aw, thank you.

Helen: I’m wondering how you personally nurture your creativity when you’re feeling blocked or uninspired.

Larrie: I watch a lot of TV. For me, TV is, is like fuel. I don’t know. I, I grew up on TV, you know? Again, in that single parent household where we didn’t have a lot of money or things, we didn’t even have a car, there’s just a lot of time spent watching TV as a distraction. And so I, I grew to love a lot of different things about it.

And one of the things that I love right now is just, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m bingeing a lot of, like, Gordon Ramsey shows and just watching people be creative in a different way, you know, this is food or watching people do modelling. I dunno, sometimes just getting away from my thing helps me to get that spark from someplace else, you know?

So it’s not always visual art that I need to engross myself with. Sometimes I need to take a break and put my brain in a different place. Because I’m typically inspired by, by most things. I just, I don’t know, I get excited about stuff. I don’t know if it was ‘cause I was sheltered as a kid. Take me to an orange grove, I’m gonna be over the moon.

I just, I feel like there’s inspiration all around us, and sometimes, you do just have to turn back into that child version of yourself and appreciate how wonderful everything is or how different or interesting or scary some things are and let that fuel your creativity, you know, or, or help you to find your voice in that creativity. Sometimes walking away from a project is the thing you need to do because that’s just not the project for you.

Helen: That’s fair.

Larrie: So it really is about listening to yourself and what you actually want, knowing that, you know, maybe I, is this a challenge or is this not right for me? You know that, it takes a lot, but sometimes taking yourself outta the situation entirely, look at someone else’s struggle or, or, or watch the Golden Girls or something to take your mind off of it so that you can see with broader perspective afterwards. That’s usually how I get myself out of it.

Helen: I love that, especially as a fellow reality television fan.

Caroline: Yeah.

Larrie: Yes.

Helen: You’ve given me the permission I needed.

Larrie: Yes. Well, giving yourself permission. I, I say that all the time because I think that’s, what it boils down to so often is people don’t give themselves the permission to explore and fail or to try something new or to, to take a break from something that they’re not enjoying or whatever the case might be. Like, you’re in charge. You really are.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so true. Like, as creatives, it’s so easy to get tunnel vision and just be so into a project. And then sometimes when you take that step back and do something completely different, like watch TV, you’ll find that creativity in unlikely places. Like, maybe you’re watching a show and you’re like, oh my gosh, I love that outfit. I wanna recreate it or something. Or just, like, find that spark outside of maybe all the things that you’re already working on, and it can really help to, sort of, like, bring it back even if that’s not your intention. And it’s okay if it doesn’t too. It’s okay to just give your brain a break and watch some good TV.

Larrie: Rest is so important and we, like to use it as a, bargaining chip with ourselves sometimes and, and I’m trying to get outta that habit myself. But yeah, sometimes just the act of taking a break is all your brain needs so that it can refuel.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay, next up we wanna talk to you a little bit about some of the content that you make around sewing and crafting and your Mister Larrie’s Craft Show! on YouTube.

Larrie: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s so great. You have four seasons. And we just wanted to ask a little bit about that, and I guess first up, why did you start making that show?

Larrie: I started when, you know, it was right after Covid hit, and so we all went home. I was teaching at the time, so, you know, we just switched to teaching online. So I had all this free time, and I initially started out with the idea that I was gonna audition for Project Runway that season.

Helen: Ooh.

Larrie: So I had, I had sewed a bunch of stuff in my downtime, and I’d, you know, fill out the application. I’d been in contact and stuff and just like making sure I had all the right stuff, sent it in. And I found that I really enjoyed the filming process of that. And then I really enjoyed the sewing process, so I just kept sewing it, and I kept filming.

And in the interim, waiting to hear back from them, I was like, I’m gonna just make some tutorials because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in that space on YouTube specifically. But really it was the same situation on Instagram, you know, and Pinterest at, at the time when I started, you know, I just, I didn’t see a lot of Black men doing this sort of stuff, so I was like, okay, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna try and, and let’s just have fun with it.

And that, kind of, picked up speed. And I had a lot of fun, like, learning as I went. But then I was also trying to pay homage to television in general and just, like, all the things about production that I love. And so there’s little goofs and things in there in the first few seasons, references to TV shows that nobody else gets, all sorts of stuff, ‘cause I was just having fun. I was living alone in a house and I was just like, I have a full studio here. I have a camera. Like, this is great.

And I approached some brands about, diversity and just, you know, representation and, you know, and, and they responded positively. And then that, kind of, started the whole snowball of, of followers and, and things. And then TikTok came and I was like, I’m never gonna use that, and here we are now, it being one of my favourite platforms. So it, it, kind of, happened just, out of what I felt was a lack of representation for other people who, who maybe are male or look like me or, you know, lots of different things, but I just felt like maybe I could fill that space.

And then I thought that with my teaching background, like, that would make sense and, like, maybe I could actually teach somebody something. And, and it’s honestly just been my favourite thing in the world to work on. It’s all of my favourite things into one: teaching, art, music, sewing, presenting.

I love being on camera. You know, I, like, all the things that I wish I could just, like, do, eventually became what I did with Mister Larrie, you know? So I would, I, and when I was really in the heart of it, which I would say was probably the beginning of last year, I was just in a really great place creatively, enjoying making the actual tutorials, and that slowed down a lot, unfortunately, as real life has sunken in, but I’m preparing to start season five and get back on track with all of that. So more tutorials coming soon.

Helen: Oh, we look forward to it. And the production value on your videos is really amazing. Like you were saying, those little bits that you do, the references, the editing, and you even include, like, historical information and broader context about artists and makers and history and stuff in your videos, which I haven’t really seen in tutorial videos before. And I was wondering why you decided to put that into your show.

Larrie: I think… That’s a very good question. I think there were two reasons, and one of them is very on brand for me, which is that I’m an educator, I’m a nerd, I’m a geek, and I love learning about the origins of all these things, and I think that they help inform us as to why things are the way they are and maybe help us to better understand our origin point to it.

So, like, knowing why cake mix was made will just maybe give you some, you know, context as to why it works the way it does now. The other reason is because YouTube at that point required videos to be, like, eight to 10 minutes long in order to get any kind of traction on there. And so I was like, how do I turn this craft video that I have so succinctly presented with clear instructions in three minutes into something longer.

Helen: It’s hilarious.

Larrie: So, yeah, so I started out, you know, so I was like, I’m just gonna take the time, then I’m gonna take a full, like, 11 minutes. And, like, we’ll just, we’ll have fun with that. And, and now we’re kind of on the opposite end of that, where things like TikTok and, and even Instagram reels are really preferring shorter content, which I love to make, but it means that the format of my tutorials has to change. So there’s, there’s a little bit of a, a balancing game there that I’ve been trying to play for the last year.

I try not to let the platform dictate too much of what I do because I think that’s when people get really frustrated with content creation in general. But it has pushed me in ways that I didn’t think I would enjoy. And so, like TikTok being one of those things, I love making a 30-second video. It might take me two weeks sometimes. It might take me 20 minutes sometimes, but, you know, the, the reward can be so much fun, and it’s just interesting to see what people pick up on and stuff.

But I do miss making longer, more nerdy, informative tutorials ‘cause I know that there are people out there who will put them on in the background and wash their dishes and have a great time.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. Well when it comes to finding things, too, like, if you’re Googling how to do this craft, it’s more likely that YouTube’s gonna pop up than a reel from two years ago, right? So,

Larrie: Yeah, exactly.

Helen: Yeah. That’s great. I think there’s space for both things, and we were wondering if you had any advice for those of us out there, especially in our community with this move towards more short form videos.

I think a lot of people are feeling excited, and a lot of people are also feeling frustrated and intimidated that this is now the landscape. So do you have any advice for people out there about making short form videos?

Larrie: I think that you have to consider that this is a big pie, and you can have a piece of it. But if you want to sit at this table and eat this pie, they have some rules, some suggestions, some things they’d like, they’d prefer for you to do, to play in their little thing or whatever. Now I’ve, I’ve switched my metaphor, but yes.

Helen: To play in the pie.

Caroline: Play in the pie.

Larrie: My, my point being, you can have as much or as, or as little of it as you want. You know, if, if you really get caught up on, I don’t have the followers, nobody likes my stuff, whatever. If you’re caught up on the numbers and the metrics, but you don’t want to do the actual work, which a lot of people don’t realise of, like, planning and, and producing content and all that, sort of, stuff, then you’re gonna be disappointed.

You know, if you just wanna put your work out there, and you don’t care who sees it, then you can use your own pace. You don’t have to use any of their rules and tricks or whatever. But if you’re the kind of person who feels like you’re being left out, a little bit of all of that it’s just, it’s, it’s unfortunate that that is the game on the platform.

Ultimately, they’re trying to make money through advertisers and stuff, and they need eyeballs on the app. So they need you to do X, Y, and Z to keep the eyeballs there. It can be fun to play here and there. It can be fun to dabble. But I don’t think anyone should be so stressed about it that they start hating the application.

You know, I hear a lot of people, oh, I hate Instagram ‘cause they want me to make a video of my thing. And my, my thought is, why are you on Instagram then? You know ‘cause ultimately it’s the, the point of the app is to share, you know, whether it’s still photos or video or whatever, but it’s people sharing their stuff.

So if you remember where you are, and then remember that you can participate as much or as little as you like, then it just takes the pressure off of it. You know, someone like me, there is a stream of income that’s attached to all of this. You know, noth-, nothing substantial at all. But every now and then it’s like, oh, that’s a nice little extra, like, bill money that I, you know, and it’s because I choose to play the little game here and there. I choose to, you know, follow the metrics and the rules and all that stuff, but it’s also not that bad.

Helen: I was gonna say like, I was so annoyed at first, but now that I’ve made, you know, several dozen videos or whatever I’ve gotten, it’s gotten a lot easier. And it’s pretty fun.

Larrie: It, it does. It gets a lot easier. You know, a lot of people share tips and things through reels. Just follow those. Like, some of them are so simple. You know, make a seven second video with one word of advice or whatever, you know, and, and, and I think that people get caught up on it needs to be perfect. It needs to be crisp. It needs to look really high def.

It does not. Some of the most popular content produced on these applications are of, you know, seemingly accidental video or just, like, the most random things. You, you’d never know what people will respond to. But I think that for me the takeaway is that someone could respond to it.

And so whether that includes a like or a comment or somebody being inspired to try it themself or, you know, you never know. So if it’s out there, someone has a chance to interact with it. If it’s not, then they don’t. And that, and, you know, if, if that’s what you want, then that’s, that’s fine, too. The other end of that spectrum is not everything needs to be on Instagram.

Caroline: Yeah.

Larrie: And I’ve, I’ve learned that lesson time and time again over the last few years. It’s not everything you make needs to be ‘grammable. Not everything you make needs to be for the purpose of making content. And finding that balance will make you a lot happier at the end of the day. Sometimes doing a project and starting it and, and not breaking out the camera can be hard to do, but it can also fulfill you.

Caroline: It’s so true. It’s so true. It’s important to keep some things for yourself, even in your creative practice. Yeah, and what you were saying earlier, kind of, makes me think of, like, if we’re looking at the positives of, of social media and where it’s at right now. ‘Cause I think it’s easy to complain about how things are on social media and how it’s changed over the years.

But, like, right now we’re in this place where, like, you don’t have to have that polished content, and you also don’t need to have a ton of followers to be discovered and to be found the way that the algorithm is. And I think that is such a, great thing about where we are right now, is, like, you don’t have to rely on that huge following. If you make good content that you love, then you might get discovered and have a video go viral even if you have a hundred followers, so…

Helen: If that’s what you want.

Caroline: If that’s what you want. Yeah, exactly. But the barrier to entry is, is maybe a little bit lower now, which is, kind of, cool.

Larrie: I used to be really obsessed with all of it, especially when YouTube was my main vehicle for everything. And I was just frustrated because it wasn’t working for me, and I felt I was doing everything right. You know, I was getting the right feedback from people and just for some reason I couldn’t crack whatever code to get more followers or more views or whatever.

That really was disheartening, and it, kind of, made me slow down making stuff and made me feel bad about making stuff. And eventually, I had to come to a moment where I decided that this was not the most important aspect because it was bumming me out. And, and once I realised that, and once I, kind of, gave that up, that’s when things started to happen.

That’s when people started to grow, you know, followers and stuff like that. I started to make connections to other people, digitally or, or in real life. And that just felt a lot better than worrying about some number that I didn’t have the power to change. And now, you know, it’s, it’s nice to see the numbers and stuff, and I’m not prob I’m not where I would like to be, but I also know that there is some real peace in not focusing on it every day, you know?

Helen: Mhm.

Larrie: I, you know, no shame to anybody who does, you know, but I can’t do it.

Helen: Well, we’re glad to hear that you’re bringing back the Craft Show. Do you have anything coming up on this next season that you wanna give our listeners a little sneak peek, audio sneak peek about?

Larrie: Hmm. Well, I definitely plan to do more sewing. Oh, big surprise.

Caroline: Yay!

Larrie: I, I, I did a series of sewing videos for a popular store here a couple of years ago. And I, I’m basically gonna try and, and reproduce that series, which is, you know, Sewing 101 for children and adults, basically. So I’m gonna try and lead with that. I just, I get a lot of questions of, I have a sewing machine, but I don’t know where to start or what do I do?

And I wanna make sure that people get a good, solid footing on that because I, I have a video that I made now, like, four years ago at this point. But now I know so much more about sewing. I was even, I demo-ed something on the machine and somebody in the comments was like, did you know your machine can do this? Oh, no. I did not know that. So, you know, I, I think it’s time for a refresh version of that.

I’m gonna try crochet again. I’ve been wanting to bust out some amigurumi, but I just, that’s one of my final frontiers. So I’m gonna do that.

Helen: Wait, what is that? I don’t know what that is.

Larrie: Oh, the little crochet dolls.

Helen: Oh, cool!

Caroline: Oh, cute!

Larrie: They, I mean they, they have them for every franchise you could imagine. And they’re just, they’re, they’re simple allegedly. They’re, they’re typically one kind of crochet stitch or not. But, but I just have never even dared to approach that kind of project because the most I’ve ever done the crochet is make a really hard beanie. You know, just so I I, that’s probably gonna be a project. There will definitely be more painting. I really enjoy just showing people the painting process and learning about it from myself because sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing until I watch back.

Helen: Yeah.

Larrie: But then I also wanna look into some crafts we haven’t really done before. I’ve, miniatures. I am obsessed with miniatures. I know a couple of artisans who work on them, and I’d love to tackle one myself. I started one a while ago, so I’ll probably be finishing that up.

Helen: Cool.

Larrie: But then otherwise I’m open-minded. I, I honestly feel like I’m gonna start looping around back to my first few initial crafts since it’s been so long. But I’m also just always open-minded and listening for any recommendations that come my way.

Helen: Oh, okay. Our listeners might hit you up.

Larrie: Perfect.

Helen: Well, we love following you online as we’ve expressed too many times already, but we were wondering who you love to follow, if there’s anyone out there that you wanted to give

Larrie: Yeah, so first off, I have to shout out Jasika Nicole, who she goes by @JasikaIsTryCurious on Instagram. She’s a talented, endearing actor. You’ve probably seen her on the Good Doctor or Fringe if you watched that show, by the way. She makes most of her own clothes, shoes, accessories, and she’s just one of the most radiant people I’ve never met. I love her so much. We’ve, sort of, become friends online through crafting and stuff, but really, I started out stalking her over Fringe ‘cause I was a big, big Fringe fan.

Helen: Oh, amazing.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Larrie: My friend @BzyPeach, B-Z-Y Peach on Instagram. Her, her name’s Laverne, and I think of her as my spiritual big sister. She’s one of the warmest people I’ve ever met, and she is one of the first people I met through the Mister Larrie thing. I’ve met her in real life a few times. She’s all about fibre, yarn, crochet embroidery, produces her own fibres. So you can get her hand dyed custom stuff there.

And then last but not least I wanna mention @DML.Paintings. Danielle Lazala, I think is her last name. She’s this young, colourful painter, and she’s just, like, exploding on Instagram right now. I think she just hit a hundred thousand followers this week. And she is an Orlando local. She paints, she does these wonderful, like, murals and stuff. And I’m hoping to do a collab with her later this year if she message me back.

Caroline: Cool.

Larrie: Um, yeah, but those three definitely came to mind when I saw that question ‘cause I just, I love them all for different reasons. They’re all in different areas of crafts, and I’m always trying to promote, you know, that kind of diversity and just like, try a few different things and then see what sticks. So yeah, that’s the, kind of, a nice little round robin of my favourite accounts right now.

Caroline: Fabulous. We will link up those accounts in the show notes as well for any of our listeners who wanna follow along. Okay. Before we wrap up, we have one more question because Helen and I both love food and baking, and we’ve mentioned, kind of, in passing a couple times in this episode, baking, and you do some truly gorgeous, gorgeous baking.

Larrie: Thank you.

Caroline: So I wanted to know if you could share one of your favourite recipes with us.

Larrie: I, yes, I can actually. I, I started out I think when I was teaching the first round, and I was like, I’m an adult now. I need an adult hobby. So I started baking cupcakes. I used the Martha Stewart Cupcake book, and I blogged it. I did a blog of, of each of the cupcakes I made. The one that I used to this day is her one bowl chocolate cupcake recipe. It’s a very, I,

I guess basic is not a derogatory word in this situation, but it’s a basic batter. It’s really chocolate-y. It doesn’t have a whole lot of ingredients, and every time I’ve used it, it’s just come out perfect. So I use it, I used to bake cupcakes all the time for my students when I was teaching, you know, once every couple weeks or so, couple times a month.

And so I would use that one a lot and, and it also just, you know, let me decorate the cupcakes and stuff. It was a lot of fun, but that one, I will use that one for the rest of my days.

Caroline: Love it.

Helen: Amazing. Love a solid Martha Stewart rec.

Larrie: Yeah, I like to of myself as her illegitimate child, so, her and Snoop, I…

Helen: Yeah. You and Snoop.

Caroline: Oh, well, Larrie, thank you so much for joining us today. This was such a fun conversation. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online?

Larrie: I am on Instagram and TikTok @MisterLarrie. That’s Mister, all spelled out. I’m also on YouTube @Mister Larrie, and I’m on Facebook, too, but you don’t really have to go there.

Caroline: Amazing. Well, again, we’ll link up all of this in the show notes and be sharing lots on social with our listeners. But thank you so much again. It was such a blast.

Larrie: Thank you. This was such a pleasure.

Caroline: Cheers.

Helen: Bye.

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

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

Helen: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. If you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428, or send us an email at [email protected]

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

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye!

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In this episode, we’re sharing stories from long-time sewists! The sewists featured in this episode have been sewing for over 40 years – but some have been sewing for over 60. Wow! They share their sewing memories, advice, and perspectives on changes in the sewing world.

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

Show Notes: 

Previous episodes mentioned:

Photos from the contributors to this episode:

Aileen’s cornflower maternity overalls

Aileen’s heirloom sewing

Catherine’s gown

Resources:

Sewing Patterns:

Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello and welcome to Love to Sew! I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew, and it’s all we’re going to talk about for the rest of time.

Helen: In this episode, we’re sharing stories from longtime sewists. The sewists featured in this episode have been sewing for over 40 years, but some have been sewing for even 60 or more! Wow! They share their sewing memories, advice, and perspectives on changes in the sewing world.

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

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m well, thanks. How are you?

Caroline: I’m good. This is a good episode.

Helen: I know.

Caroline: It’s so good. Some good listener, feedback, voicemails, emails. Oh, my gosh.

Helen: Yeah, this was really a treat. I’m so glad we decided to do this episode. It was lovely to hear from all of our longtime sewing listeners. lots of different perspectives, such amazing response. We’re so excited to share these wonderful stories with you. We laughed, we cried, we saw ourselves in 25 to 35 years still sewing, still podcasting, I mean, we’ll see.

Caroline: Maybe.

Helen: We wish we could share every single one of the wonderful responses we got, but this is not a five hour long podcast. Maybe we’ll do a part two. Let us know if you’re interested, but we do want to give a big thank you to all the longtime sewists who responded and shared their stories. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We loved hearing from you.

Caroline: Yeah. I loved reading through all of the responses, and I also loved reflecting on long time sewists who are in my life or who, are in my, like, ancestry, I guess, like my grandmother who sewed for her whole life and worked for a tailor. And I also loved thinking about how long I’ve been sewing for, which is approximately 25 years, maybe 20 to 25 years. I started when I was, like, 9, maybe 9 or 10, so…

Helen: I’m in the same boat. I think I’m just more in denial about how old I am.

Caroline: Yeah. I am 34.

Helen: It’s true. That adds up pretty quickly.

Caroline: It does, and it’s, it’s pretty wonderful to think about another 20 to 25 years of sewing again in my future.

Helen: Yes! Definitely. And I was thinking about how many articles of clothing these people have.

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: Or have had throughout their journey.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. And where are those articles of clothing now?

Helen: Ooh. That’s a good thought.

Caroline: Probably in thrift shops or handed down to family and friends. Let’s just think about it that way and not the possibility of…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …only the good things.

Helen: Maybe in a box in the attic, you know, just waiting for someone to stumble upon it.

Caroline: That’s true, to be discovered.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, I like that.

Helen: Not eaten by moths, it’s totally fine.

Caroline: No, definitely not.

Helen: But yeah, all the garments, all the style evolutions that many of these long time sewists have experienced, all the different decades. I love thinking about all of that stuff. And there’s some common threads, if you will, throughout these voicemails, too.

Caroline: For sure.

Helen: It was just really great to hear everyone’s perspective. So what do you say? Do you want to get right into it?

Caroline: Yeah, I think we need to. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. So our first message is from Annie, and it’s a voicemail.

Annie: Hi, Helen and Caroline. It’s Annie from Melbourne, Australia. And I’ve been sewing for 50 plus years, starting with making dolls clothes when I was little. And I think my top tip is to treasure the seam allowance. The number of times my body’s changed in those five decades is huge with having four kids.

And I always treasure the fact that you can undo the sides and take advantage of those few millimetres on each seam extra to add up to a few centimetres overall to make something last a bit longer. Or if you buy something from the op shop and there’s seam allowance you think, yes, I can make this fit me. Thanks for your show. I love it.

Caroline: Hi, Annie! This is the honest truth, and if you have an inkling that you might change sizes over time, which most of us do, you can even leave a wider seam allowance and finish it separately to make it easier on your future self. We talked about that in our sewing for a changing body episode, and then, all you have to do to let it out is to rip out the seam and sew it back up.

Helen: Oh, it’s so true, there’s been many times where I have grown out of a garment and wished that I had left more of a seam allowance or finished my seams separately because then it would be so easy, but instead I have this difficult task of adding fabric in some way, so thank you for this very helpful reminder, Annie.

Alright, next up we have a story from Karina: “I’ve been sewing for 45 years. I’m 55 now. My top lesson is to embrace unpicking. If it needs fixing, fix it. Once I learned that unpicking is part of the process, comments about my me-made clothes went from, did you make that? obviously looking homemade, to, where’d you buy that from? My clothes started to look well made, not homemade.

“Also, pressing every seam makes a huge difference. I love that the new technology in sewing machines makes sewing just that little bit easier. Every finished project is my latest favourite, but probably my most favourite make was the first time I made hubs a pair of jeans. He struggles to get jeans to fit off the rack, so I surprised him with a pair tailored made just for him. Warning, now he expects me to make all the pants.

“I can’t imagine my life without sewing. I love it so much and buying fabric is totally, although absolutely related, a separate hobby. I have fabric from last century still waiting to be used, and I’m still learning to use the fabric.

Caroline: Hi, Karina. It’s so true that unpicking is absolutely a part of the process, and you have to accept that it is part of the process. And for the vast, vast majority of seams and fabrics, unpicking and resewing isn’t a huge deal. Maybe unless there’s, like, a lightning stitch involved.

Helen: Stitch of doom. Stitch of doom.

Caroline: Stitch of doom. And no one should feel bad about having to do it. People who draw have erasers, people who sew have seam rippers. Mistakes are almost always fixable. Also, love the tip about pressing as you go. It really does have a huge impact on the way the finished garment looks.

Helen: Yes. Oh, my gosh. So true. And I was thinking as I was reading it about, you know, the phrase, like, I wear the pants in the relationship. What about “I make the pants in the relationship”?

Caroline: That’s powerful.

Helen: That’s powerful.

Caroline: I’m into it.

Helen: That’s powerful. Yeah.

Caroline: Okay, now we have a few stories from Lynn: “I’m 67 years old and have been sewing in some form for 60 years. I started sewing clothes for myself at around age 11. I’ve sewn everything from wedding dresses, two of them, to Barbie tents and everything in between. I had a custom dressmaking business and a drapery workroom when I was a stay-at-home mom.

“I’m now retired from my career in accounting services, but over the years I’ve taught adults and children to sew in extension classes for the local school board and community organisations. I also taught workshops as a MacPhee instructor for several years. I don’t do much on IG, but I’m active in three sewing guilds and Pattern Review.

“Sewing is my passion. I managed to keep sewing when I became a mom at 33. My son was very good at entertaining himself with special toys I kept in my attic sewing room. For safety, he started out in a playpen as there was a steep open staircase.

“We lived near an historic site, and they held a Fleece to Fabric Frolic. They showed the entire process of cloth creation. Michael was fascinated watching the sheep shearing, and it had a big impact. I don’t know how many times he brought me the little plastic sheep from his Fisher Price farm set for a haircut. I fake sheared that sheep with my thread snips. Such a nice memory.

“Years ago, sewing guru Donna Salyers designed a line of Fabulous Furs, fake fur coats in various styles that used every detail of a custom made coat in high quality fur. Details included satin linings, elasticated inner storm cuffs, inner ties, labels, and monograms. She sold both patterns and kits. I was obsessed and made a mink coat. I even went to my friend’s house to use her top of the line Pfaff to add my own label and monogram.

“My playgroup moms decided to go out for dinner, so I dressed up and wore my coat. They were all about 10 years younger than me and decided to go clubbing after dinner. In my fur, I stood out like a sore thumb and felt like a madame with my stable of girls. I went home early and left them to their own devices, never wore the coat again, and donated it. The bonus is, I used the fur remnants to make a Big Bad Wolf costume, the best Halloween costume ever. It included fur spats with leather claws.”

Helen: Oh! Oh, my gosh. That costume sounds amazing. You didn’t specify that it was for your son. So I’m just going to assume that it was for you.

Caroline: Yes!

Helen: And that faux fur coat story is too funny. I bet it looked absolutely amazing though. I sometimes have this experience. I don’t know about you, Caroline, you spend forever making something, you get really excited and then you wear it out to something with friends, and your outfit, like, doesn’t quite fit in with other people…

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: …because it’s this handmade garment that, like, not that it looks handmade, but it’s extra, like, often I end up making things that are, like, kind of, out there, and when I’m in my own little sewing world in my sewing studio it seems totally normal, and then, I step outside in the real world and I’m like, oh, people are, like, staring at me. Like, you’re not quite ready for it. So I’m, kind of, sad to hear you got rid of the coat, but I understand. I, I can relate to that feeling.

Caroline: Totally. I also love the story of you shearing the toy sheep for your little one. I think it’s so cool when kids get involved in their parents sewing, and it’s just such a cute story because there was no fur, you were just faking it.

Helen: So cute. Alright, next up we have an email from Debra: “Hi everyone! I’m 63 years old, and I’ve been sewing since age 5, making handkerchiefs on a hand cranked Singer machine of my mother’s. My mother was a terrific sewer and knitter and worked in a sewing factory when she was young.

“Hundreds of women, all dressed up in pencil skirts and white blouses, hats and gloves, kitten heeled shoes, or even high heeled court shoes. They all caught the company bus to work. They organised days out and summer trips. All glamorous and elegant. As women married, they had to leave. The company felt that married women were not ideal as a workforce.

“My mother sewed for all of us beautiful handmade clothes, made soft furnishings, and recycled everything. My mother recently passed away, and I inherited her sewing boxes and button jars. It took me ages to eventually look through them. I find a sewer’s collection of sewing things a very personal gift for someone to inherit.

“The buttons usually had small snips of fabric still attached to the button. They were like a little story all of their own. Garments I could recall having seen my mom wear or garments she had made for me. Little trims of leftover lace from dresses she had made me.

“I have sewn almost all my life. My children wore my handmade clothes on and off. I continue to sew today, making clothes, curtains, and blinds for every home we have lived in When I think of how simple things were for sewers, it’s moved on miles and miles. Years ago, people learned from relatives, mothers, or aunts. Today’s sewers have so much at their fingertips from all over the world with YouTube or Instagram. It’s a wonderful thing.

“I think half the stuff we buy as sewers we don’t really need. I always say this to new sewers, even after all these years, I have bought things that I have used once and have never been in my hand again. My advice to new sewers is enjoy the process. Ask for help. You’ll be flooded with the gift of other sewers’ knowledge. No one ever died from a wonky seam or a visible invisible zipper. Only we see the mistakes we make. Love sewing. Enjoy it. It’s so rewarding.”

Caroline: Hi, Debra. That is amazing that you learned on a hand crank machine. It’s, kind of, like learning to drive with a stick shift. You’re starting on hard mode. And that sewing factory sounds kind of amazing, but it’s also so sad that married women couldn’t work there. I’m glad that’s not legal anymore.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. Me, too.

Caroline: I also love the, like, nobody ever died from a wonky seam. I say that at work a lot. Like, whenever we’re feeling, like, something is so important, I’m like, guys, it’s fabric. It’s not life or death.

Helen: Yeah. I know.

Caroline: Let’s all remember what we do here.

Helen: I have to do that, too. I’m like, it’s just sewing patterns. These are sewing patterns. It’s fine.

Caroline: Yeah, exactly.

Helen: Lots of great sewing advice and perspective in this email. Really appreciated everything you had to offer and really loved hearing about you going through your mom’s sewing stuff.

It is a really unique, precious gift to inherit someone’s sewing supplies, and I feel like only a fellow sewist would really appreciate going through that and seeing all those little details and, kind of, understanding the story behind how they got all these things or what happened here.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I have to throw in that I ended up using some little bits and bobs from my grandma’s, like, stuff that my mom gave me, that was my grandma’s, when I was sewing my wedding dress. Because I was looking for, like, just the right size hook, and I had bought some but they were too big. And then I, like, went into my stash, and I found these, like, really lovely, dainty little hooks that used to be my grandma’s, and I got to use it on my wedding dress. Isn’t that awesome?

Helen: That’s so cute. Yeah, that’s a really, really great way to put some of those things to use, like, little details here and there. I could see putting, like, a little bit of lace or leftover. trimming on the inside of a garment just for a little sentimental nod. I don’t know. I’m getting all whimsical, but…

Caroline: I know. Oh, my gosh.

Helen: …that’s what this episode is for.

Caroline: Okay, let’s move on. We have a voicemail from Laurie.

Laurie: Hi, Helen and Caroline. My name is Laurie Hines, and I’m from Calgary, Canada. I’ve been sewing for 51 years, and my mom taught me how to sew when I was 13. My best tip is when teaching others to sew, just let them go for it. My favourite project is the Closet Core Sienna Maker’s Jacket out of brushed wool denim from Blackbird Fabric. I still sew on my 1980 Kenmore sewing machine.

A funny story that I have is one time I was sewing for my baby and somehow my bangs got caught up in the take up lever. It was very late at night, and I think I had to get my husband to help me unhook from the sewing machine. It was really crazy. Love your podcast and have a really good day. Bye-bye.

Helen: Hi, Laurie. I feel like we need to have a chat about what defines a funny story.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, that was scary.

Helen: That was scary. That belongs in our sewing horror stories episode. Like, ouch! I can just imagine with baby clothes, too, everything is so small that you end up, like…

Caroline: You’re, like, leaning.

Helen: …leaning in. Like, I can see how it happened. Yeah, I’m gonna, I need to wear a headband now every time.

Caroline: Honestly, yeah, I, I can’t. That’s crazy. That is wild. Yeah.

Helen: Yeah, I’m really glad you’re okay.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I mean, we’re assuming you’re okay.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And that you’re not still stuck to your sewing machine. But I also love how you said that you should just let new sewists go for it. That’s a really good way to keep that passion alive. Just jump in and see where it takes you.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Okay, next up we have an email from Louise: “I’m 40 plus years as a garment sewist. I hand stitched an apron at school and made a white seersucker sailor dress with 80s primary coloured dots for my Guide Needlework badge. Fortunately, no photos exist of me wearing it.

“My mom sewed wonderful things for me, including an Elizabeth I dress from red jacquard curtains and opened up wire coat hangers to support the skirt. And she taught me how to use a sewing machine. I love the lack of fear I used to have. As a teen, we did a lesson once a week and I made a circle skirt, which I finished quickly. So I went out and bought a denim jacket pattern to sew in class.

“I started sewing more during lockdown. A fear of trying new things and not being good enough had arrived. I now look back at fearless me at 15, taking on that denim jacket, and I try and just go for it. If I mess it up, it’s only fabric. There’s more fabric, and I’ve learned something.

“The greatest advance for me has been the rise of indie patterns. The styling on the images, the hand holding instructions, PDF downloads, the ability to interact with the designer on Instagram, the fit of garments, and the information given. I can’t believe the difference between now and the old Big 4 patterns.

“I don’t have a favourite make. Each make, where I learned a new technique, conquered a new fabric, matched stripes, or finished on time, becomes a new favourite. Recently, my Cameron Button Up became a favourite because it turned out exactly how I imagined it, and I learned how to make sleeve plackets.”

Helen: Oh, my gosh. Hi, Louise. Thank you so much. I’m so happy to hear you love your Cameron Button Up. And we love that you’re working on getting back your fearlessness. It’s so true. It’s that ignorance is bliss thing where when you don’t know how hard things are, you’re just like, yeah, I could do that.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: No problem. I can make a denim jacket, but it’s so good to take risks. You get to learn new things, and there’s always the possibility that you’re going to make something way cooler than you would have if you’d stayed in your comfort zone. So thank you for that reminder, and thanks for sharing your stories.

Caroline: Yeah, thanks for sharing, Louise.

Helen: Okay, now we have some stories from Louisa, not to be confused with Louise: “At 72, I’ve been sewing for over 60 years, got my first sewing machine when I was eight, and made clothes for Barbie like so many others did. Best lesson I’ve learned is to fit the body I have, not the one the pattern was drafted for. And don’t be afraid to make major fit changes and hacks.

“So many technology changes since I learned to sew way back in the dark ages, including rotary cutters, electronic machines, home sergers, fusible interfacing, pdfs, indie designers, improved pattern instructions, online tutorials and advice, and of course, internet sewing friends. I love being able to get a pattern right away, print it out at my size, and reprint it anytime I want. We will not speak about the time my cat destroyed a $30 Vogue tissue pattern. Nope.

“Not sure if it’s my favourite project because it’s impossible to choose just one, but my biggest challenge was sewing the Thread Theory Goldstream Peacoat for my husband with all the tailoring details. He loves it so much. I have always sewn to clothe my non-standard body, to have the styles and colours I want to wear, whether or not they are currently in fashion, and as a creative pastime.”

Caroline: Hi, Louisa. Okay, over 60 years of sewing, I feel like that’s the dream.

Helen: That’s the goal. Yeah.

Caroline: Live in the dream Louisa. Uh, but one of the things I love most about sewing garments is being able to fit them to my body. We’ve talked about this a lot on the show before. Trying on ready to wear clothes can really make you feel like something’s wrong with your body, but if you know how to sew, you realise that it’s the garment that needs fixing. So thank you for the reminder and also rest in peace to your $30 Vogue pattern. That must have been a dark day.

Helen: That was a dark day. Oh, my gosh, cats.

Caroline: Dang.

Helen: Dang, cats.

Caroline: Okay, next up we have a voicemail from Judy. Judy left us a lovely, long voicemail, so we’re just going to be playing, an excerpt or two from that.

Judy: Hi, Caroline and Helen. It’s Judy here over in York in the UK. Here are my notes on my sewing journey starting at the age of four. Having seen mum do some embroidery I wanted to join her. So she created a sampler for me, and she drew around some jam jars and she made me sew so neatly. I think that made me be a perfectionist from the age of four because everything has to be perfect. And I can actually remember getting my first sewing box at the age of eight, for Christmas. I’ve still got it, and I do still use it.

Now then, sewing machines. I think you can define a lot of my sewing journey through the sewing machine. So, I can remember how this love affair started, and it was when my dad bought my mother her first sewing machine. I remember going to the shop with myself and my brother, we all went, it was a day out, to buy the sewing machine and she bought a Jones straight stitcher and if I Memory serves me right, it was £30, and I think we’re looking at around 1967, 1968, about that time.

And I wanted my own sewing machine, and my dad said, no way! We’ve already bought one sewing machine, and I’m not wasting any money on a child’s sewing machine. You’re not going to be like your friends. So there I was, I think I was about six, I was propped up on a stool, propped the foot pedal up on another stool, and that was it. I got to sew on a proper sewing machine to make doll’s clothes.

And really from the time I started sewing at four, I could be kept happy with some thread and a needle, and it kept me quiet for hours. But it was when I started secondary school, so that’s senior school from about grade seven onwards, I started to see lots of different sewing machines, and I was fascinated that some of them had needles that went from side to side. Oh, and then the free arm. Ooh, revolutionary. And then they did buttonholes. My mum’s sewing machine had to put on this huge thing to do the buttonholes. And they had little templates that you slotted in.

Anyway, as my 18th birthday drew nearer and I was still sewing, my dad said, OK, I’ll buy you a sewing machine for your 18th. Now he’d got in mind a Bernina. I didn’t want a Bernina. I’d seen the Elna Lotus, the little portable machine. Oh, my gosh. I fell in love with it. Sure enough, 1979, Dad bought me the sewing machine. Well, him and Mum bought me the sewing machine for my 18th birthday. And Dad was really one of the biggest supporters of my love for sewing and encouraged me just to challenge myself in everything.

But he was the biggest tease ever. So after we bought this machine, I then bought and saved my pocket money and what money I had to buy the button sewing on foot, and it cost £34. Now the sewing machine itself in 1979 cost, I think it was, £201. That’s a lot of money even in these days. Anyhow, I buy this buttonhole foot, and he liked to recall this fact regularly through the rest of his life.

So he used to go down to the pub and say, we can offer button sewing on for £30 a button, if you bear in mind the cost of the machine and the cost of the foot. But he didn’t stop because the more I changed the sewing machine and still bought the button sewing on foot, which then had to be bought, but because I went to Bernina, it was the one foot, and I’m still using the same foot that I bought back in 1991 when I replaced the machine.

Anyhow, he kept going on about these things flippin’ buttons. Excuse me for using the word flippin’. He kept on about it, all the way through. And the cost of buttons got more and more expensive. But he didn’t always get things right. He was an engineer. He was actually, an electronic engineer. And when my mum and I were sewing for my wedding, he’d bought mum a Bernina 801 by this time.

And she was making this beautiful silk crepe de chine dress, and I was making my wedding dress out of chantilly lace. Well, Dad gets out the oil can, doesn’t he, when our backs are turned, and he decides to oil the sewing machines. He didn’t tell us, did he? Thankfully for me, Mum got to her machine first and said, oh, no. There’s oil on my dress. At which point I ran up to my machine to see a drop of oil going down the needle. Ahem, he learnt his lesson. That’s all we shall say.

But, technology moves on at such a rapid pace, such a pace that our bank balance certainly couldn’t keep up with it. But my life took a dramatic turn back in 2008, and I lost my husband very suddenly. And I came round to sell the house, so I had a bit of spare capital. And whilst on holiday with my daughter in Cornwall, waiting to a fabric shop for a little wander, and I was like a magpie. I could see these are lovely new shiny sewing machines. And I was magnetically drawn to them. But I was good, I didn’t buy then. I went away, and I looked, and I thought. I did some internet research, and a few weeks later, a brand new Bernina 770 arrived at the house.

I’ve run with the changes in technology and I’ve embraced it, using it effectively as I can. And in part, I do still use my Elna machine. And do I actually need this great big fancy sewing machine? Well, I’ve been fortunate enough, through a very sad circumstance, to be able to afford such a beautiful machine. I’m sitting here now and I would say, I’d much rather have David and the machine that I had the time he died. I don’t have the fancy one, if I could turn the clocks back. But it hasn’t like, it isn’t like that. And I have used the machine. It’s been the most fantastic crutch for me, to distract me and to help me put my life back together. This is just one aspect of how I’ve moved with the sewing journey.

Where do you start on patterns? And pattern, indie pattern designers. Thank you Helen. When I was sewing back in the 70s and 80s, we had the big 4, and people laughed at you if you were, if you were a sewer. I used to get laughed at in the, collecting the kids from school. People would go, look, there’s Judy. She’s the one that sews. Ha, ha, ha, ha. And they’re not saying that now, and they’re coming to me going, can you take my dress up? Can you take my dress in? And they do it. Sewing’s for everybody, folks. I hope you enjoy your sewing as much as I’ve enjoyed my life of sewing, and I’ve got so much more yet to learn.

Come on, folks. Goodbye, Helen and Caroline, and thank you so much for letting me have the opportunity to talk to you. Bye!

Helen: Hi, Judy. Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I thoroughly enjoyed your voicemail. It was so lovely to listen to. That machine oiling story is so funny. I’m glad it all turned out okay, but that is harrowing. Never let, like, a random person in your house oil your machine without telling you.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I’m so glad to hear that sewing has gotten you through a rough time. I think almost all of us can relate to that.

And I also find it so weird that people used to laugh at people who sew. It’s a common thing that’s come up with a lot of this feedback we’ve gotten from older sewists is that back in the day it wasn’t cool to sew, and you almost didn’t want to, like, tell people you wanted to, kind of, hide the fact that you made your clothes versus being proud of that.

And I’m really happy to say that I think that has really changed because now, I don’t know, learning to sew, knowing how to sew, it’s like having a superpower. Like, people are so impressed by that. I’ve never had anyone be like, what? Ew, sewing? Gross.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so true. That outlook has changed so much.

Helen: Yeah, thankfully.

Alright, next up we have a story from Julia: “I’ve been sewing for 48 years, but I’ve upgraded both my skills and my machines in recent years, tackling coats and jeans on my Juki sewing machine. My first solo project, age 14, was a snazzy scarlet sleeveless towelling beach robe bound with white bias binding. The only problem was that we didn’t live near the beach, nor go to the beach holidays, so I never wore it. I still have to remind myself of that lesson when I’m tempted by new patterns. Sew the things you will actually wear.

Caroline: This is great advice. Thank you so much, Julia, for writing in.

Helen: That is solid advice.

Caroline: Okay, on that note, we’re going to take a quick break.

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

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

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

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

Helen: And we are still on Patreon. If you subscribe over there, you can get access to the bonus episodes, behind the scenes photos, and a special 15% off discount code at our super fan patron tier. That discount applies at Helen’s Closet, Cedar Quilt Co., Blackbird Fabrics, and BF Patterns. If you shop with us regularly, it basically pays for itself. Head to patreon.com/LoveToSew to see all the perks and options.

Caroline: If you’d like to try out Patreon or Apple podcast subscriptions and check out our bonus content, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. And, of course, you can help support the show by listening just like you are right now.

You can also leave a review. Reviews really help our show get discovered by new listeners. We know that financial support isn’t always possible. And we want you to know that we love you for listening.

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

Caroline: And we are back, and we’re going to kick it off with an email from Catherine: “I will turn 60 in about two weeks. My mother taught me to sew probably when I was six or seven. Actually, she taught me all the crafts I know. She was the most patient person on the planet and also, one of the most, in the best way possible, perfectionist.

“She taught me to be patient with my crafts. If it wasn’t done right, others might not notice, but I would always know, and it was worth the effort to correct errors I had made and make it the best I could. If my mother hadn’t taken the time to teach me, and in turn, I’ve taught my daughter, I would not have the fantastic sewn and knitted wardrobe that I so enjoy.

“My all-time favourite project is this self-drafted, one-of-a-kind dress I made for myself. It consists of three parts bodice attached to a floor length lace skirt. A feather skirt lined in tulle and flower embellished chiffon is worn over the lace skirt. I hand sewed 1,500 feathers with beads onto the skirt. Needless to say, it’s quite heavy, but in a glorious way. It’s also quite a challenge to sit in a dining chair with all this volume.”

Helen: We have a photo of Catherine in the dress that she’s just described, and it is stunning. You can really tell how much work must have gone into this, I mean, 1,500 feathers.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: It’s truly giving red carpet gown. So we’re going to put that in our show notes so you can enjoy it, too. Thank you, Catherine.

Caroline: Yeah, my jaw was on the floor when I first saw this photo. Like, Catherine, what? Come on.

Helen: Amazing.

Caroline: Come on.

Helen: I mean it would take, like, 60 years to sew that dress.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh, right?

Helen: Alright, our next email is from Aileen: “I’m 54 years old, and I first got interested in sewing when I was around six. I was influenced by my grandmother who sewed and knit outfits for me, my sister and my cousins, and our dolls. My mother, on the other hand, hated to sew and was not very encouraging. Although, she did grudgingly show me how to sew a seam after she saw me struggling with two pieces of fabric that I was trying to sew into a doll dress, but after that, I was on my own.

“I remember picking apart the seams on my eighth grade graduation dress so that I could see exactly how a puffed sleeve was formed and then, clumsily sewing it back together again. In high school, I started making clothes for myself. My mom gave me her old sewing machine, and let me figure it out. I learned to sew from the pattern instructions.

“My edges were raw, seams unpressed. I still remember the things I made. A pair of pleated corduroy pants that mysteriously had different coloured legs. That was my lesson in how to sew napped fabrics. In college, I continued to sew, but only a few dresses for special occasions.

“My beloved grandmother died, and I was given her sewing machine, her fabrics, button box, all her sewing tools, knitting needles, and yarn stash. I didn’t sew much in early adulthood, but I did make myself the most voluminous cornflower blue maternity overalls, and I wore them constantly during pregnancy. I probably looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.

“After that, I pivoted to sewing for my children, and when I decided to learn smocking, I went to a local fabric store which specialised in smocking, which was my first exposure to high quality fabrics. I started reading sewing magazines. Then, my mother-in-law gave me a smocking pleater for Christmas, and I was unstoppable. My daughters wore smocked dresses every day, and I even made a smocked wool coat and matching bonnet.

“At one point, I was allowed to borrow the silk christening gown that my great-grandmother made in 1900, so I could use it as a basis to design a gown for my youngest child. I did not dismantle it. I think this christening gown and the first communion dress that both my daughters wore are my favourite projects. Both of these use heirloom sewing techniques.

“I stopped sewing for a long time to focus on my career until a few years ago I became aware of the downside of fast fashion, and I got back into sewing which, really has felt like starting again as a beginner. Sewing for children is easier than sewing for adults and even with over 30 years of sewing experience I had no idea how to adjust a pattern to make a garment fit me.

“I have learned a lot from listening to your podcast and using other resources, and after a period of trial and error, I’m making clothes that fit and I’m not embarrassed to wear them out of the house. Writing all this has made me realise how important sewing has been throughout my life. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunities to create. It has taught me to approach problems with the mindset, how could I make something that will solve this?

“I think this is the most important lesson that sewing has taught me, and it translates into other areas of my life. And I have to say that while my mom didn’t encourage my sewing, she meant well. As an old school feminist trying to wrestle her way in a man’s world, she couldn’t help but see sewing as a step backwards. I’m glad that we now realise that sewing isn’t antithetical to feminism.”

Caroline: Hi, Aileen. Thank you for sharing these stories. I think it makes sense that if your mom felt pressure to sew that she rebelled against it. I can feel how much you love it in your email though, and you’ve made so many amazing things. Kind of makes me want to try smocking now. And I think it’s really cool that you’re learning to fit your body now and make clothes you love. Learning to fit made such a big difference in my personal garment sewing.

And we’ve definitely noticed a theme of lifelong learning in the responses we got for this episode. We talk sometimes about sewing levels, beginner to advanced, but the truth is sewing is such a wide ranging set of skills that you can be an expert in one area and a beginner in another. And that’s actually a great thing. There’s no reason to ever be bored.

I also love what you said about sewing helping you with problem solving because I think that’s also helped me a lot. Like, one thing I’ve learned with sewing is when something feels, like, unsolvable, if I sleep on it, I’ll usually wake up the next day and have a solution for whatever sewing problem I have.

And that’s translated into real life, too. Sometimes something just feels too overwhelming and I don’t know what to do and I just think, let me sleep on it. And the next day I usually have some, sort of, an idea of how I can problem solve that. So yeah, thank you so much.

Helen: Yeah. And Aileen shared some photos of the garments she mentioned in her stories, the, uh, cornflower blue maternity overalls, which are adorable by the way.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. So good.

Helen: And some of that gorgeous heirloom sewing, so we’ll pop that all in the show notes for y’all.

Caroline: Yes. Okay, next up is a message from Colleen: “Over the years, I’ve designed, drafted, and sewn thousands of competitive costumes for all types of athletes. But where I find myself most comfortable is in the classroom setting sharing my knowledge and craft with others. The biggest change I’ve seen in the teaching area is the amount of online resources available to sewists. There’s so much information out there, and it can be very overwhelming and frustrating if you don’t have a basic understanding of what you’re doing.

“Before I encourage my students to start the search and surf world, I make sure they have a good working relationship with their sewing machine, how to measure properly, and what size pattern they need. Also, choosing the right fabric for the project. I believe that you need a good foundation to be successful in the learning process. And no project is a failure if you learn something from it.”

Helen: Oh, I love both of those pieces of advice. And I think it’s a great idea to learn the basics before you start to search for tutorials. It’s so true that it’s incredibly overwhelming. There’s so much information out there. A great way to get foundations in your sewing is to take a class or find a beginner sewing video series on YouTube or work through, like, a beginner sewing book, so that you get those foundational skills, and that way you won’t miss anything super important.

And I’m really glad that you’re taking that time to give that to your students. It can be hard to wait through those mountains of information. So it’s great that, yeah, you’re giving them that right off the bat, so they have that good foundation. And, yeah, no project is a failure if you learn something from it, and how could you not learn something? At the very least, you learned that you don’t want to make that project again.

Caroline: It’s so true.

Helen: Alright, next up we have an email from Victoria: “My name is Victoria Rothwell, and I’m 68 years old. I’ve been sewing most of my life, and I live in the Seattle area in USA. I started hand sewing with my grandma when I was quite young, but the real sewing started when I was 10 to 11 years old.

“A friend asked me to join a 4-H sewing group of about eight girls with her mother as the leader. We met weekly and worked on our projects. I continued in 4-H for about four years, and after that I made most of my clothes throughout high school and into college. I got all the basics from 4-H, and other than that, I did not get much instruction, other than pattern instruction. There was not much in the way of sewing classes, and I didn’t have many books.

“At that time, making your own clothes was much cheaper than ready made. There was a stigma in having homemade clothes, as they were thought to be not as good as ready made clothes. One advantage to sewing was that there’s more variety. I grew up in a small town where there were not that many stores to choose from, so multiple people were likely to have the same outfit. Sewing made for much more personalised and unique wardrobe. There’s also a wide selection of fabric stores which do not really exist today. We did not have the specialty fabrics of today, but we did have a much greater selection of basics, like cotton and wool.

“Starting near the end of college, I entered a period where I did not do much sewing. I was very busy in graduate school and did not have a lot of time. I also worked in a laboratory where the clothes I could wear were limited. During a period of about 20 years, I only sewed for special occasions, like if I needed a dress for a wedding.

“I took sewing back up in the early 2000s because at that point I wanted to teach my daughter to sew. I started looking online and found many resources and started exploring more techniques. I did not convince my daughter to do much sewing, but she did learn the basics so she can look at something and tell if it’s constructed correctly or if the fabric’s worth the price.

“For the last 10 to 15 years I’ve made most of my clothes. I find it a great creative outlet. I’ve learned about pattern fitting and have taken some classes in construction techniques. I enjoy the whole process. In recent years, I’ve done some quilting, but it does not hold the same status as garment sewing.

“The best project I have made has to be my wedding dress. I got married in 1995 at the age of 40. We had a traditional church wedding with the usual planning. I decided to make my own dress after being treated rudely at a wedding dress store. I found a style I liked so I went out and found a pattern, and I made my own dress. It was the best part of planning my wedding because I had complete control. My husband and I met dancing, and dancing was a big part of our reception. I wanted a dress I could move in and was not too hot. I made my dress with cotton brocade, full skirt, with off the shoulder bodice.”

Caroline: Oh, hi, Victoria. Okay. Thank you so much first up for sharing your stories. So good. And your wedding dress sounds lovely and perfect for what you needed. Trying on wedding dresses is hard enough without salespeople being mean to you. I absolutely know. Because I tried wedding dress shopping before I decided to make my dress. But I’m really glad you took control of the situation and made something beautiful for yourself. You deserve it.

Helen: Yes! I love the idea of a full skirt for a dance party, too.

Caroline: Yes, the twirl factor. Absolutely.

Helen: The twirl factor.

Caroline: Off the charts. Okay, next up we have an email from Jill who has more than 40 years of sewing experience: “I remember my mother sewing clothes and household things. When I showed interest in sewing, she sent me to the lady who taught her to sew. Her name was Melia or Amelia. Anyway, she taught at least a few generations of kids to sew in her basement in the summer. It was the early 70s when I learned, and I still remember, the blue and white toile shorts and top set I sewed for myself. It had red trim. I loved it, and I wore it to death.

“After that summer, I think I didn’t do much machine sewing. I remember crocheting, embroidering, and sewing doll clothes by hand. I remember mom made me three skirts one summer and fall and made me hem them by hand, and I thought I would die of the tedium.

“Anyway, thank you for asking. I hadn’t thought about Melia in years. and it was also nice to remember my mother sewing for me. I recall her sitting up very late the night before my 8th grade trip to a local resort for swimming and outdoor games. She was making me a yellow terry cloth coverup and the hood wasn’t working.

“When I woke up the next morning, it was done and perfect. She’s been gone for 16 years, but last summer I made myself a short sleeve Cameron Button Up out of a piece of printed cotton that came from her stash. I always loved that print, but never had the right thing to make out of it. I still love the print. And now the shirt, too.

Helen: Oh, hi, Jill. Amelia sounds like a true sewing hero teaching generations in her basement. And I think Caroline feels the same way you do about hand sewing after some recent experiences.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: Were you feeling like you were going to die of the tedium, Caroline?

Caroline: The only thing keeping me going was that it was for my wedding, truly.

Helen: It is really cool to hear also that you’re using fabrics from your mom’s stash. I mean, again, a recurring theme throughout this episode, using up those little bits and bobs or fabric stash from previous generations. Such a nice way to remember a loved one. Like the fabric is fulfilling its destiny.

Caroline: Oh, it’s so true.

Helen: Its Cameron Button Up destiny.

Caroline: I know it’s so nice that it’s a Cameron, too.

Helen: I know. Second shout out to Cameron. I didn’t know Cameron was so popular with the longtime sewists.

Caroline: It’s a versatile pattern.

Helen: Alright, our next message here comes from Anne: “I learned to sew at school around 50 years ago. I made a purple, it was the 70s, skirt, A line with a front pleat. My friend from another school thought it was lovely, but I was self-conscious about it, which I now realise was because my school friend, who also made the same style skirt, was rather scathing about garments that we made ourselves.

“When I was about 20, I was working in a warehouse that supplied fashion fabrics to garment manufacturers and another friend and I started sewing using her mom’s machine. I then went on to buy myself a secondhand machine, and I stopped sewing regularly when I had children, just the occasional fancy dress costume for them.

“I started to sew regularly again about 15 years ago, and I’m now retired, and this year have my own sewing room, which is great, even though it’s a small space. I really love sewing my own clothes, but that self-conscious feeling about wearing clothes I’ve made myself is still there. I always say that homemade food and cakes are considered superior, and I’m proud of them, but there’s always a doubt with homemade clothes. I feel like people view them as inferior.”

Caroline: Oof. Hi, Anne. Okay, I don’t understand people seeing homemade clothes as inferior. It’s like, do you have eyes?

Helen: I know.

Caroline: Come on.

Helen: They truly are, like, I mean, these days, higher quality, for sure.

Caroline: Yeah.Oh, yeah.

Helen: Probably back in the day, too.

Caroline: Yeah, and fortunately many people in my life, and I think your life, too, Helen, value homemade clothes. And I hope that you have a few people in your life that can see how amazing they are. And, and there’s another theme we noticed in the responses we got for this episode, people taking a break from sewing and then coming back with a vengeance, which I absolutely love.

Helen: Yes. We always say that sewing comes in seasons, and it’s okay to take a break and come back to it. And these messages really remind me of that because all of these people have taken breaks, and they’re still sewing. So love that.

Caroline: Okay. Now we have a message from Heather: “I’ve been garment sewing for 45 years, hand sewed Barbie clothes before that. I’m 54 now. I started sewing for myself because everything was always too short for me, and it made me feel self-conscious.

“Since becoming disabled 20 years ago, sewing has continued to be the way I can clothe myself in clothes that fit my body and my personality. I’ve had to become much more careful about finding ways I can afford to sew. Upcycling, thrifting, deadstock, gifted and recycled supplies, and fabrics are now my norm.

“Since I’ve been learning to cultivate self-compassion, sewing has become infinitely more enjoyable to me. It feeds my creativity, helps me find flow, gives me time completely distracted from my challenges. And it gives me endless satisfaction to transform flat fabric into three-dimensional garments and make items that are durable and useful.

“Disability can be isolating, and the Instagram sewing community, especially #SewOver50, has brought me educational interaction and friendships. It gave me the confidence to seek out even more in real life sewing friends and begin the hashtag #InstagramSewistsPicnicYVR.

“Even 10 years ago, I would never have imagined I’d be making my own jeans, bras, and shoes. Socks are usually the only ready to wear garments I buy and wear on a regular basis now. It makes me very happy.”

Helen: I also love ready to wear socks, so I understand you’re happy now. Just kidding. Oh, no, I love hearing that you’re making all the things now. Jeans, bras, shoes. That’s incredible. And it sounds like sewing ticks a lot of boxes for you. I love that it can fulfil so many human needs, and it’s really cool that you started #InstagramSewistsPicnicYVR. Um, where was our invite? Next year, please. We’ll be there.”

Caroline: I think I heard about this and I couldn’t make it, but I so want to go next year.

Helen: Yeah, it sounds so fun. This is a meetup for Vancouver area sewists, and I do want to encourage everyone, whether or not you’re over 50, to follow the hashtag #SewOver50 on Instagram. And if you’re over 50, you can also put that on your post so you can participate in the community. You can see so many amazing sewists sharing their work and making connections, and I think that’s so great.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s a great community.

Helen: One of the other threads I’ve noticed, Caroline, is the Barbie connection.

Caroline: I was just going to say that.

Helen: So many Barbie clothes. Yeah!

Caroline: Yes. How many times did we mention Barbie in this episode so far? I see six.

Helen: It’s so good.

Caroline: Pretty crazy.

Helen: Yeah. And I also sewed for my Barbie when I was a kid, so it’s just a tale as old as time.

Caroline: Why wasn’t there a sewing Barbie in the Barbie movie?

Helen: I know there should have been a little nod to sewing in the Barbie movie. That would have been great.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Alright, our next message here is from Saskia: “I’m 55, and I’ve been sewing for 45 years. I made most of my kids clothing on the kitchen table of our tiny Melbourne terrace house with a very basic 1970s secondhand Bernette sewing machine. That table was also used for mealtimes, homework, and kids craft activities. Everything had to be packed away after every sewing session.

“I sewed after my three girls went to bed in the evening. I kept all my sewing equipment, which was also only the basics, including my machine, on the bottom shelf of the pantry. My big takeaway from this is you don’t need a dedicated sewing space or lots of fancy equipment or even much time to make beautiful garments. You just need to sit down and do it.”

Caroline: Yes! This is great advice, Saskia. We are all for investing in tools that will make sewing easier for you, but it’s also true that you don’t need a whole lot to make beautiful things, so don’t feel like you need a dedicated sewing space or thousands of dollars worth of supplies to get sewing. Just go for it.

Helen: I used to have this same issue where my sewing table was also the dining table and homework table and all those things. And yeah, it’s work to tear down and set up your sewing space. But in reality, it only takes a few minutes, especially once you get good at it, you can get very efficient.

Caroline: Yes, exactly. Okay, next up we have a message from Denise: “I will be 70 years old on my next birthday. My mother taught us to sew and knit when we were very young And also sent me to summer sewing classes. She said, if you learn to sew, you will always have clothes to wear. She made my ruffled halter prom dress in 1972, taking the long pieces of ruffle to work with her to hand stitch all the narrow hems during her lunch break. I still have that dress.

“I made my own white cotton wedding dress. We’d call it boho style these days, and it was the mid-70s. Cutting it out on the basement floor and stitching it together on the Kenmore sewing machine I got for my college graduation. Still have that, too.

I became a Love to Sew patron in hopes it would kick start me to get a new sewing machine and a serger, which I’ve never tried. I also have never tried a PDF pattern. Hopefully, I’ll be inspired before the long Wisconsin winter to do all of these things. I love the podcast and listen to it on my headphones as I cut and pack cheese and do the affinage in our small creamery. You keep me company on some long days and hopefully will spark my creativity with your enthusiasm and happy voices.”

Helen: Aw, thank you, Denise. It’s so cool that you have the prom dress that your mom made and that the sewing machine you got for your college graduation is still kicking around, too. I love that. And I genuinely think you will enjoy PDF patterns. And sergers. You should totally get a serger. You’re gonna be 70 on your next birthday. It’s the perfect time to get a serger. Like, now is the moment.

Caroline: Yeah, it is. Seventieth birthday gift. Can I also just say that the idea of somebody packing cheese while listening to our podcast, like, it just makes me so happy. And like, Denise, what is the name of your creamery? Can I order some of your cheese online? Because cheese packaged while listening to Love to Sew, I feel like we need to come full circle and have, like, a cheese board with this cheese.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. You’re speaking my language. We should start another podcast called Love to Eat Cheese.

Caroline: Oh my gosh, I’m in, I’m in.

Helen: I wonder if Denise would do like a cheese for PDF pattern printouts trade with you.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yes. I will print your copy shop prints, your PDFs, and you can send me some cheese. I’ll give you a shipping label for it, too. You don’t even have to do anything. No idea how easy it is to import cheese, um, from the U.S., but willing to try, willing to try.

Helen: Alright, our last story here is from Colleen: “It was 1966, and I was staying with my grandmother for a week while my mother was in the hospital with my new baby brother. My grandmother was a professional tailor, and I was amazed with her sewing room. It was like walking into another world. I hand sewed a doll dress that week.

“A few years later, every Sunday night my grandmother came to our house, and we would cut out a project for me to sew for the week. Every Friday night, we would go to my grandmother’s house, and if I needed her advice or a notion from her sewing room, she would instruct.

“I entered grade 8 sewing class. My home-ec teacher accused me of getting my mother to sew my gym bag, which was our first project in the class, which was so far from the truth, as my mother never sewed. She instructed me to choose and sew any project in class only that I wanted for my next assignment. I chose to sew a plaid lined bomber jacket and matching plaid pants, and I won an award that year.”

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Colleen, you showed them. It is wild that your home ec-teacher accused you of cheating. You were literally unbelievably good at sewing, and, I mean, you proved them wrong.

Helen: You proved them so wrong. Well done.

Caroline: Yeah, well done. Aw, thank you again to all of the sewists who sent in stories for this episode. The ones that we shared and the ones that we didn’t have time for. There were just so many interesting anecdotes and great nuggets of advice. We honestly have the best listeners, Helen.

Helen: We really do. I so appreciate when we do these community episodes because, yeah, it just is all the fuel and encouragement that I need to keep on doing what we’re doing, and I just appreciate you all so much.

Caroline: Yeah, here’s to another 25 years of sewing.

Helen: Forty, Caroline, I want 40.

Caroline: Okay, here’s to another hundred years of sewing. We’re gonna live forever.

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

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

Helen: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. If you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428, or send us an email at [email protected].

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

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye!

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In today’s treat of an episode, we’re talking about sewing costumes! We’ll share the costumes we’ve made and worn, talk about special costume considerations, give some tips for working with unusual fabrics, and share some costume ideas! We’re just DYING to dress up!

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

Show Notes: 

Share your costumes, past and present, on Instagram with this hashtag: #LoveToSewCostumes! We will be sharing posts throughout October. Follow the hashtag to see what everyone else is sharing!

From the Listener Feedback section:

A few of our Halloween costumes:

Helen as a tiny clown!

Helen as a jester with her dad as “Four-Eyes” (his costume every year!)

Helen as a wizard in the cape she remembers so well!

Helen’s mom still has the pattern she used for a bunch of the costumes she made – McCall’s 7340.

Helen and Sam dressed up as Morticia and Gomez Addams last Halloween! Helen used the Sofia Dress and Top pattern by Staystitch Pattern Co. to make a black knit top, skirt, and removable sleeves for her costume. She made the gloves out of bra lace – just sewed them into tubes and left holes for the thumbs. And Sam 3D printed and painted Thing! Bonus pics of fun Halloween snacks. 

Tiny Caroline as a clown!

Caroline as Red Riding Hood!

Caroline’s pink bunny costume!

Caroline as her cat, Fraidy, last Halloween at the Blackbird warehouse!

Halloweek at Blackbird!

A post shared by Blackbird Fabrics (@blackbirdfabrics)

Resources and Inspo:

A post shared by TABITHA SEWER (@tabithasewer)

A post shared by TAYLOR | MODERN QUILTER (@toadandsew)

Sewing Patterns:

Transcript:

Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: In today’s treat of an episode, we’re talking about sewing costumes. We’ll share the costumes we’ve made and worn, talk about special costume considerations, give some tips for working with unusual fabrics, and share some costume ideas. We’re just dying to dress up.

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

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m good. Goooood. How are you?

Caroline: I’m goood, too.

Helen: Happy October!

Caroline: Happy October! We are recording this a little bit early because on October 3rd when this episode comes out, I will be on vacation.

Helen: Yeah! Yeah, but we can pretend. I can picture the fall leaves. I can hear the crunch when I step on them…

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: …and I can smell the pumpkin spice, and I’m ready for October.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. I had some pumpkin spice ice cream today.

Helen: Whoa, that’s early.

Caroline: Yeah, I mean, you know, pumpkin spice has been out since August, so…

Helen: I know, I know. It’s so true. Well, we’re very excited to talk about costumes with y’all today. But first off, we have some listener feedback from Adam about sewing for pets from our Sewing for Pets episode last spring: “My name’s Adam. I’m 27 years old, and I’m from Montreal.”

Ooh, Caroline, fellow Montrealer.

Caroline: Hi, Adam.

Helen: “Lately, I’ve really enjoyed sewing for my two bunnies. Here’s what I’ve made them so far. A fleece bed with a washable cover. To avoid choking hazards, the ends of the cushion are tacked in place by hand, and when it’s time for a wash, I unpick the seam. A patchwork cushion for the IKEA Duktig doll bed made with scraps and also filled with scraps.

“Three is a reusable pee pad. Now this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like to avoid creating waste where I can, and I’ve made this pee pad to put on the bottom of my buns’ carrier when we go for long car rides. The smell of bunny pee isn’t very strong, so I simply soak the pee pad in a bucket when I get home, wring it out, and throw it in the next wash. It’s a sandwich of cotton flannel, terry cloth, and PUL finished with bias tape.

“Number four is a hay bag. 80% of a bunny’s diet is hay, and it’s essential for them to have access to a lot of it, but putting it on a plate gets very messy, very fast. This bag is hung on top of the litter box, and it’s easy to remove and refill as it has a wide zippered top. It’s basically a huge denim zipper pouch with two round openings on the front and two lobster clips that I harvested from a broken purse at the top. I finished the openings with floral bias tape and added vintage patches and tassels to decorate it.”

By the way, this is so cute. Adam sent us a picture of some of these items…

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: …and the hay bag is so good. And, I mean, I saw some Liberty fabric in there.

Caroline: There was Liberty fabric.

Helen: This hay bag is fancy. Yeah.

Caroline: It is gorge.

Helen: We’ll definitely include some pictures in the show notes. Adam goes on to say: “Some of the things I want to make next include a deep snuffle mat because buns love digging and a sturdy cover for ice packs that they can comfortably lie against during hot summer days. Bunnies are prone to overheating but can also be tempted to munch on the forbidden popsicles.

“Also, that cat bed that you showed on the episode looks super comfy and would make a great bunny hideout. I’d like to end this pretty long email with a PSA. Contrary to popular belief, bunnies are not easy starter pets, and they’re not a good option for young children.

They are very delicate and need a long time to trust the people who live with them. Most of them do not like being picked up or held. For people considering adopting bunnies, I highly recommend checking out The Bunny Lady on YouTube.”

Caroline: Hi, Adam. Well, first I want to thank you because I will forever be referring to ice packs as forbidden popsicles now.

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: Hilarious. But I love all of these projects. It sounds like you’ve taken a lot of care to make sure your bunny’s safe and happy, and that’s awesome. Adam sent us pictures of the patchwork cushion on the doll bed and also that denim hay bag that we mentioned. So, of course, we’ll include that in the show notes. But yes, it’s so, so cute. They’re both so cute. And the idea of a fluffy bunny laying on that doll bed absolutely kills me. It’s so adorable.

And I also think the pee pad sounds really practical. It’s just like a flat cloth diaper, so great job with that. I never thought about sewing one, but it makes total sense. And it also sounds like Adam has a good system for washing it. So great job, Adam. I also think it’s so cute that bunnies love ice packs. I mean, come on, adorable.

Helen: I know.

Caroline: I also want to lay down with an ice pack in the summer.

Helen: Right? That sounds really nice. And like having a little cloth cover for your ice pack so you could snuggle it would be great.

Caroline: It’s so caring. I love it. All right. Now let’s get into the bloody gory meat of this episode: Costumes.

Helen: We’re only joking. It’s not gonna get too bloody and gory in this episode. Although if that’s your thing, then I say go for it. That’s right. It is spooktober and a lot of us are thinking about what we are going to dress up as this year. I mean, I know I am.

Caroline: Yes, and the word costumes covers a ton of ground. It could mean everything from historically accurate hand sewn ensembles to elaborate fantasy cosplays to theatre costumes to throwing on a striped shirt and an eye patch and saying you’re a pirate.

Helen: It’s so true. It really can cover a ton of ground. But in today’s episode, we’re going to talk about more casual costumes, the kind you would wear to a costume party or go trick or treating in. So somewhere in between, “I bought this at Party City,” and “I spent six months glueing rhinestones to this ball gown.”

Caroline: It’s a spectrum.

Helen: It’s a spectrum. Yes.

Caroline: Yes. And we’re also going to talk about special considerations for designing your ideal costume and working with unusual fabrics. And then at the end, we’re going to share a bunch of costume ideas. I need them, Helen, because Halloween is no joke at Blackbird, so…

Helen: Ooh, I look forward to hearing about that. Yeah.

Caroline: Okay, first up, let’s have a costume catch up. Helen, what costumes did you wear when you were a kid and have you ever made any costumes?

Helen: My mom definitely made our Halloween costumes as a kid, and she would go all out. She was truly fantastic with the costume making. Some of my favourites include a lion costume I got to wear one year that had, like, a full lion head hood thing that could pull up, and it had, like, all this faux fur all over it, and it was so cool. I also went as Cleopatra one year, and I can remember going to the fabric store with her and picking out the fabric and the trim to put on the costume, and that was so fun.

And then another one that sticks out is one that she made for my sister, which was the spider costume, and she was all dressed in black, and it was, like, a black bodysuit basically and then from the arms was, like, hanging other arms so when she spread her arms out wide it was like she had eight arms because they were, like, hanging from, like, fishing line or something so it’s invisible.

Caroline: That sounds like a lot of work.

Helen: It was so genius, right?

Caroline: Yeah. It’s really smart.

Helen: Yeah. But yeah, I love dressing up. I have made many costumes for myself, but most of them have been pretty simple. I’m the kind of person that always waits until the last minute, and then, I throw something together using my sewing and crafting skills and some help from the thrift store or the costume shop. So I’m definitely not going all out with the costumes, but I do love getting dressed up for Halloween.

I’ve been Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus and mostly that costume was making, like, a stuffed chameleon to wear on my shoulder. I think I have a picture of it. So I’m going to try and bring that up.

Caroline: Ooh, fun

Helen: A couple of years ago, I went as Velma from Scooby Doo, and that was a fun one ‘cause I just wore all the, like, orange and red things that I had in my closet. And then I made some, like, giant cutout glasses out of some, like, black foam core and painted some freckles on my face. It was [a] pretty simple costume in the end.

Caroline: Cute!

Yeah. And then last year Sam and I went as Morticia and Gomez from The Addams Family. And I used the Staystitch Pattern Co Sophia Dress and Top to make that, and I actually made it into two pieces so I had, like, a top piece and a skirt because I knew that I probably wouldn’t wear it as a dress all the time, but I would wear it as separates. So that was a way that I, kind of, got around that so that I could reuse it for my normal wardrobe, and then, I just added on some bits and bobs, so I really like doing that and using things that I already have in my closet, you know?

Caroline: Yeah, I think that’s a great strategy for not making things that you’re just gonna, like, throw away and not be able to wear again.

Helen: Yeah. exactly. How about you? Did you get dressed up when you were a little kid?

Caroline: Oh, for sure. Growing up, Halloween was really an important holiday in our house. We loved dressing up. One of the things we always had to think about was whether we could layer a coat under our costume because it would either be raining or snowing on Halloween in Montreal almost every year, so you have to be prepared.

But like you, my mom also made our Halloween costumes, and she alternated between me and my two siblings every year. So I only got a new costume every few years. And then the other years I was, kind of, on my own. I’d wear hand me downs from my siblings or, kind of, cobble what I could together. But I remember being Dracula, which, that was a hand-me-down. I believe my brother was Dracula first. I also have a really cute picture in a little pink bunny costume that actually I believe my niece or nephew got to wear recently. My mom kept all of her old costumes and now she’s, like, refashioning them for my niece and nephew for Halloween…

Helen: Oh, fun.

Caroline: …which is so cute. Definitely have been a witch, and there are others for sure. I’ll have to try to dig up some pictures because I know my mom made a lot of costumes for us. But, more recently, if I’m being 100% honest, I’m not huge on dressing up. I’m not, like, a Halloween party costume gal, but in recent years, I’ve been more and more inspired because the Birdies take Halloween very seriously.

We actually have Halloweek at the office, usually involving themed days where everyone will, kind of, dress according to a theme, and I did a few of them last year. Most memorably, I dressed up as my cat Fraidy, for one of the days, which I thought turned out really cute. And I just used things that I had, and I made some little cat ears and used face paint, so it was very fun, quick and dirty costume, but it turned out really cute, so…

We have fun. It’s, it’s very fun to be at Blackbird over Halloween. And I, I love people’s reactions because we do pick up local pickup orders. And when my team answers the door in, like, full costume, it always gets a great reaction out of people.

Helen: Yeah!

Caroline: So it’s pretty fun. Yeah. And a couple of my team members are really into cosplay, so they have intense costumes, like serious stuff. So, yeah.

Helen: Oh, I know. Cosplay is a whole other level. Like, the stuff that people create is unbelievable. It’s so cool. And they must have so much fun on Halloween because they have all this cool stuff to wear.

Caroline: Yeah, they have great wardrobes to pull from. We’ve done, like, vampire-themed days, and I’m sure I can guarantee this year we’re going to have a Barbie theme, so yeah…

Helen: Oh, yes! Of course!

Caroline: I’m excited. So hopefully this episode will get me inspired to maybe put a little bit more effort in this year.

Helen: Well, it’s part of, half the battle I feel like is having somewhere to wear the costume to, right?

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: Like, if you’re not going to a party or if you don’t have kids to go trick or treating with, it can be hard to find a place to wear a Halloween costume.

Caroline: Oh, for sure.

Helen: So I’m glad that you guys get to wear them at the office. That sounds really fun.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay, so we are going to make an argument for why you should sew a costume rather than buy one. Obviously, we love to sew, so we love an excuse to sew something. But first of all, it’s just fun. Halloween and costume parties are the times when you can really step outside of your everyday self and play.

Helen: Yeah, great opportunity to express yourself for sure. And as a bonus, you have a chance to make a costume that fits you well and is actually comfortable unlike those store-bought costumes, which just, like, you know, you put them on and you’re immediately just so, like, the most uncomfortable you’ve ever been.

Caroline: Like, the ones that come in a bag with, like, a picture taped on the outside. That’s what I’m imagining. Also, like, absolutely not size inclusive.

Helen: No.

Caroline: Can we just talk about that for a second?

Helen: God.

Caroline: A Halloween costume ready to wear for a plus size body is nearly impossible.

Helen: I know. It’s so true. Or, like, there’s certain costumes that will work. And it’s like, I don’t want to be that.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. I don’t want to just put a sheet on my head and be a ghost.

Helen: Making a costume is also a great way to break through a creative slump. Like, the sheer freedom and over-the-top-ness of it all is like a tall glass of sewjo. You can really colour outside the lines. You can skip the pattern and just make it up as you go along. This is your wild time to create.

Caroline: I love the idea of pouring myself a tall glass of sewjo. It’s, like, kind of, gross, but also I’m into it.

Helen: I think sewjo would be delicious. Maybe it’d be, kind of, like soju.

Caroline: And costumes are great opportunities to work with materials you’ve never used before. Maybe you’ve been interested in sewing sequins for a long time, but you just haven’t had an opportunity. Also, if you’re afraid of messing it up, a costume is a good opportunity to just go for it. No one expects the costume to be perfectly executed. And if you’re trick or treating, it’s probably dark anyways. So people won’t really see much of the details.

Helen: Yeah, it’s so true. Parties, hopefully, are dark, too. I hate when people have a lot of lights on at parties.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. Lower those lights, y’all.

Helen: Costumes are also the perfect opportunity to cheat.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. Project runway style. Yeah.

Helen: We’re down to the wire here. Bust out the hot glue. You skip the hemming. You don’t finish your seams. Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not even going to be washed and worn nearly as much as a regular garment would, so you can really get away with a lot here.

Caroline: Yeah, I don’t know about you, but when I am thinking about a Halloween costume and how I’m going to put it together, it’s usually the day before I have to wear it…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …or in the days leading up to the day I have to wear it.

Helen: Sometimes it’s even after a trip to the costume store where you’re just, like, defeated because there was nothing there that you liked or you realise that for some reason costumes are, like, 50. And then you’re like, what?

Caroline: Yeah. And then you’re like, I can make that.

Helen: Yeah. And then here you are in your sewing studio with your hot glue gun.

Caroline: Okay. Now let’s dig into some things to consider when you’re designing your costume. So first don’t leave it until the last minute.

Helen: Don’t leave it. Do as we say, not as we do. Do not leave it to the last minute.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yes, we are doing this episode nice and early in the hopes that you’ll have time to think about this and make something. And you can even start way ahead of time. Past guest Tabitha Sewer has made some incredible costumes, and they’re not the kind that you can start a few weeks before, so…

Helen: No.

Caroline: …or a few days before.

Helen: If you want to make that kind of costume, you’re making costumes for 2024. So just be ready.

Caroline: And we’ll link up some of Tabitha’s amazing creations in the show notes because they are…

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: …absolutely awesome.

Helen: And something else to think about, which we’ve already mentioned, is do you want to be able to wear it again or wear parts of it as an everyday garment? And here are a couple strategies for making everyday garments into costumes. So you can tack or pin some extras onto your everyday garment.

For example, you could take a gingham dress and pin on a bunch of big plastic ants. You could glue them to pin backs, so they’re removable, and then you could glue some plastic play food to a straw hat and voila, you are a picnic.

Or you could take a white dress and tack stitch or baste large brown spots onto it, and all you need is a headband and a couple of horns and a bell necklace, and you’re a cow. And when you’re done, all you have to do is unpick the tacks or the basting stitches, so it’s super easy.

Caroline: Yes, I love the idea of dressing up as food, like my favourite food. I could be a hot dog. I could be corn.

Helen: I could be cheese.

Caroline: Chee-, oh, cheese. Can I be a slice of prosciutto? Let’s see if that can happen. I feel like it would be…

Helen: That might look kind of gross. People are going to think you’re just like…

Caroline: Like, raw meat.

Helen: …skinned. It is Halloween after all.

Caroline: I don’t know. It sounds, it sounds funny.

Helen: It does sound funny. Please go as prosciutto this year. I look forward to seeing that.

Caroline: Another strategy is to lean into the face paint so you could put on a brightly coloured dress and do makeup inspired by Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein – now you’re a work of pop art. One word of advice here, set your face paints with translucent powder to prevent them from rubbing off on your clothes too much and try to pick pieces of clothing that don’t go too far up the neck so that you don’t have to worry about it too much.

Helen: Oh, so true. Of course, if you want your costume to be wearable again, you’re going to want to spend a little bit more time finishing those seams and making sure that the fit is right, but you don’t have to worry too much, too. You can just go for it.

Caroline: Yeah. Just go for it. Another thing you want to consider is what’s your costume comfort level? What would make you feel confident and have a great time at the event or whatever it is you’re making the costume for? This is very personal. Some people love to go really elaborate with their costumes and others would rather not feel like the centre of attention, so it’s totally up to you.

Helen: And costume sewing is really exciting, so sometimes it can become a big project. Stop and consider what level of project are you looking for, and where does the costume fit into your sewing plans. If you want to make a gorgeous Marie Antoinette copycat gown, we absolutely support you, but just know that it might be the only thing you work on for a few months, so be honest with yourself about how much work you want to put into the costume. And do you want to, like, prioritise it over the jeans you want to make, you know?

Caroline: Along these lines, consider whether you would like to start from scratch or whether you’d rather do some refashioning. Maybe you can work with something old from your closet or go thrifting for parts of the costume. For example, if you want to make a hippie costume, you could thrift some jeans and insert a colourful panel at the lower legs instead of making bell bottoms from scratch.

Helen: And consider whether you want to use a costume pattern. Those are actually a thing. The big 4 come out with costume patterns every year that are inspired by movies and TV. There’s also some really great indie historical patterns out there. Some of them even have theatrical versions of garments, like corsets, that are less complicated than the totally historically accurate versions. And the nice thing about using a pattern is that a lot of the design work is already done for you. You just follow the instructions and do a bit of fitting and that’s it. It’s like the sewing that you’re used to.

Caroline: I never thought about looking for a Halloween specific costume pattern.

Helen: Oh, really?

Caroline: Like, I would think I’d use, like, an indie pattern or a pattern that’s just for, like, a garment that you would wear every day and transform it into a Halloween costume pattern.

Helen: Yeah, no, they exist.

Caroline: It exists?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: That’s kinda cool.

Helen: it totally exists. And there’s, like, a huge archive of options. I mean, my mom definitely used some patterns for us when we were kids, but I don’t think I’ve ever used an adult sewing pattern, but they, they’re definitely out there.

Caroline: Yeah, I’ve definitely seen my mom use them for, for us when we were kids but very cool. We’ve got options. You can also design your own either from scratch or by hacking patterns. Think about the general shapes and silhouette that you want your costume to be, separate it into top, bottom, and sleeves, and then, search for patterns that have those basic shapes and hack them together.

Helen: And here’s a tip. When you’re in the design phase, go over the top, like, design your dream costume if you had all the time, money and fabric in the world, and then, you can pare it back to something more doable or substitute easier materials or things that you find at a thrift store or something. You’re probably going to come up with some great ideas when you let your imagination run free, and then, you can use some of them when you’re changing the design to fit your budget and your time.

Caroline: Consider how you’ll stay warm if you’re going to be wearing your costume outside. Your Dream of Jeannie costume might be the cutest costume ever, but no one’s going to see it if you have to throw a sweatshirt over top. So we do have a few strategies for staying warm. You want to wear base layers, like long sleeve bodysuits or leggings, tights, underneath your costume. You could even choose colours close to your skin tone if you want it to, kind of, blend in.

Helen: And consider whether it’s going to be cold when you’re picking out your costume. Choose a Jedi costume rather than a mermaid costume or a long sleeve Bridgerton ensemble rather than a Clueless costume with a mini skirt. Just think about how warm you’re going to be.

Caroline: Yeah. Or make the costume larger so that you can wear your winter coat underneath.

Helen: Yeah. Wear your ski pants under those tights.

Caroline: I mean, I’ve done it. You’re laughing, but I, we had to do that when we were kids. But you could also make your costume out of warm fabrics, like fleece. Your Wilma Flintstone outfit will feel like a cosy sweater.

Helen: The parts of it that are covering your body will feel really warm. It’s gonna be great.

Caroline: Alright, we’re gonna take a quick break, and we’ll be right back with more about sewing costumes.

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

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And we are back! Okay, my favourite part of the episode, Helen, we get to talk about fabric.

Helen: Yes! And chances are if you’re making a costume, you’re going to be working with unusual fabrics. So let’s talk about some of them and give y’all some tips for sewing with them. There are a lot of polyester fabrics that work great for costumes. A lot of the brightest, shiniest, most over the top fabrics are made of polyester, and it usually comes at a lower price point than natural fibre fabric, so it’s a good choice for a one time use.

Caroline: Yeah. And when you’re working with polyester, you want to remember to use a low iron setting because poly can melt at too high of a heat. And you also want to wash it on cold or warm and tumble dry low. You don’t necessarily have to prewash the fabric if you don’t want to, though, because poly doesn’t shrink, which is great.

Helen: If the fabric is super slippery, filmy, or otherwise unruly, you can cut it on a single layer to make things easier. And it can also help to spray it with spray starch, but you want to give that a test first to make sure it doesn’t leave any stains or anything.

Caroline: And some polyester fabrics are prone to fraying. If yours is, you may want to add extra seam allowance or finish the edges of your pattern pieces.

Helen: The other thing to think about is that polyester doesn’t hold creases very well, so it might not be the best choice for a costume that needs any sharp pleats or details.

Caroline: Good point. Next up, faux leather. This is another fabric that is fabulous for costumes. You want to be sewing this one carefully and test out your tension on scraps. Stitching will leave permanent holes in most faux leathers.

The exception are some faux suedes that have a knit backing. It’s not the end of the world if you have some extra needle holes in a costume. I doubt anyone would notice, but we thought we’d just mention it just in case.

Helen: Faux leather can also have problems with sticking to the machine’s foot or the throat plate, so you can try a teflon foot to help it glide smoothly, or you could mimic a teflon foot by sticking scotch tape under your regular foot. Another strategy is to lay sheets of tissue paper over the fabric, then you do your sewing, and tear it away when the seam is finished.

Caroline: Sometimes the machine’s feed dogs can leave marks on faux leather, so test your machine out on some scraps and check to see if there are any marks, and if there are, use tissue paper under your fabric when you sew.

Helen: And faux leather does not press very well. You can make your seams lay flatter by topstitching the seam allowance down, kind of like a faux flat felled seam. You can also add some topstitching to pieces that need a crisper look, like around necklines and around the edges of belts.

Caroline: Faux fur is so much fun for costumes, so don’t be afraid to work with it – it gives such a fun effect. You want to draw the pattern pieces onto the flat backside of the faux fur fabric using your scissors to part the fur. Cut in little snips using the lines you drew as a guide. This is going to prevent your fabric from having a weird haircut at the edges.

Helen: And when you go to sew your seams, try to push the fur away from the seam that you’re sewing as you pin it. If you have fur get caught in the seams, you can take a pin and, kind of, free the strands of fur by pulling them out. Most fur fabrics will need fluffing up after each seam to, kind of, hide the fact that there is a seam there.

Caroline: I’m imagining, like, taking a comb to your, like, faux fur jacket and just, like, combing it.

Helen: Fluffing it, right?

Caroline: Yeah. Or teasing it.

Helen: I’ve never made anything out of faux fur, but I, kind of, want to, you know?

Caroline: Yeah. It does scare me a little bit because I just imagine tiny little fur snips all over the place and…

Helen: That’s true. You need to, like, do a good vacuum after, but hey, we both have pets. Let’s be real.

Caroline: That’s true. Yeah. Let’s be real. Clips are easier to use than pins with faux fur, and you also want to lengthen your stitches because most faux furs are thick.

Helen: Yeah, and because they’re thick you might want to use a hump jumper to start your seams or get over lumps where the seams meet. And most faux fur is synthetic so you’re not going to want to try and press it. I don’t even know how you would go about pressing it. This is really just, like, get it sewn and it’s done situation.

Caroline: Don’t even try. Ooh, sequins! These are great for a glittery, glamorous costume. Just don’t use your best scissors to cut out sequins because the plastic and metal could really dull them, so use your backup scissors.

Helen: Ooh, that’s a great tip. And sequined fabrics usually have a nap. This means you want to have all your pattern pieces facing one way. There isn’t usually one correct direction. Just choose the direction that you like best and stick with it.

The exception would be fabrics where sequins are sewn in, kind of, a haphazard way, so they aren’t all facing in the same direction. I love those sequin fabrics that you can brush with your hand and it’s, like, one colour one way and another colour the other way. Oh, they’re so fun. I need to make a sequined Halloween costume. What am I doing with my life?

Caroline: I’ve seen ones where it’s like, if you brush it one way, there’s, like, a picture that shows up..

Helen: Oh, yeah!

Caroline: …or writing that shows up. And then you can brush it down on it, you won’t see it anymore. It’s pretty cool.

Helen: So cool.

Caroline: Lay the fabric sequin side down when you’re ready to cut. This is going to minimise sequins flying everywhere. And you might want to consider wearing glasses or safety goggles when working with sequins. I’m not even kidding, even though I’m laughing, they really do fly around, and you want to protect those little eyeballs.

Helen: Protect your little eyeballs. You may also want to consider removing the sequins within the seam allowance. This is going to make the fabric more comfortable to wear because there won’t be sequins digging into your side and also less likely to break your needles, and it will prevent bulky seams. So you just use your seam ripper to remove them. If you’re working with finer sequins, you can just try to sew right through them. Use a stronger needle, like a leather needle, if you’re going to try and sew over it.

Caroline: And if you need to press, use a pressing cloth and press from the wrong side and use a low iron because remember a lot of the time these sequins are made out of plastic.

Helen: You might need a lining, slip, or base layer to keep the sequin fabric from irritating you. And if you’re sewing a stretch sequin fabric, do not use your serger. The sequins could damage the knife and the needle and just get all up in there. You do not want it.

Caroline: And you can keep the sequins you pull off to repair any bald spots later. I’ve also seen… I’m just, oh my gosh, we’re talking about some funny things today. You know the bald spots on your sequins? Yeah, you can repair those, everyone, just so you know.

Oh, no. I was just thinking about, I’ve seen some really cool fabrics that have the look of sequins or that metallic look, but they’re much easier to sew, like lamé or even, like, a knit that has a bobbly, kind of, texture to it almost, but it’s metallic, or almost, like, a, um, appliqué of metallic or something, so it’s fabric on fabric, but it’s not, those plastic-y sequins.

So there are options out there if you hunt them down. You could also look at, like, holiday fabrics, if you want to get that sequin look. I feel like there’s a lot of options out there.

Helen: Oh, so true. Yeah, and all these tips would apply to sewing with holiday fabrics, too. Imagine a sequin gown, a faux fur jacket. Just living. You can reuse your Halloween costume for Christmas.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Okay, velvet is another showstopper fabric that looks great on costumes. Velvet also has a nap, so choose one direction for your pattern pieces.

Caroline: Pressing is tricky on velvet. You can avoid it by finger pressing cold or with steam. You can lay a fluffy towel over your ironing board and lay the fabric on it wrong side up. And when you press, try to press as little of the fabric as possible.

Helen: And keep your pattern choices simple with velvet. It doesn’t press or topstitch super well and details tend to get lost in the pile. it can also be frustrating to sew, so you want to make sure you’re doing something relatively simple for the most success.

Caroline: Yeah. And you might work with spandex also known as elastane or Lycra, if you’re making a costume. This is a synthetic fibre blended with other fibres to give fabrics elasticity and good recovery. Most swimwear and activewear fabrics has, have a significant amount of spandex. By significant, I mean 10 to 20%. And if you want to make a tight fitting costume, like a cat suit, you will definitely want spandex in your fabric and a lot of it.

Helen: A lot. For knits with spandex, you don’t have to worry about finishing your seams, which is awesome.

Caroline: And fitting a tight, stretchy costume is a challenge for two reasons. Firstly, stretch fabrics vary so much that you basically can only make a muslin with your final fabric. And secondly, fitting the body closely even with stretchy fabrics can be a challenge, so you can expect to have to unpick seams to make adjustments. You might want to add a bit of extra seam allowance for this reason, as well.

Helen: Okay, let’s talk about adding trim. For a casual costume, I say whatever works works. Who cares if your stitches are visible? I’m definitely not going to be hand sewing trim onto a Halloween costume. You can also use hot glue, as we mentioned before, or fabric glue to attach trims. Don’t do this with knit fabrics though, because it will compromise the stretch and potentially melt the spandex. Just know that hot glued trims will probably not make it through the wash, so it’s… definitely a temporary application, um, but that doesn’t mean that it’s wrong.

Caroline: That would be a bold move to throw something that’s been hot glued together in the washing machine. Just a hope and a prayer.

Helen: Yeah, exactly.

Caroline: You might want to use polyfill to stuff parts of your costume, like to round out a pumpkin. If you pull the stuffing apart into small pieces before you start stuffing, it’s going to give a smooth rather than lumpy appearance. And always add more stuffing than you think you’ll need because it can lose some of its volume over time. I’m imagining, like, a, like, imagine if you get caught in the rain with, like, a stuffed costume and be so limp.

Helen: A deflated pumpkin.

Caroline: A wet pumpkin.

Helen: I mean, a wet pumpkin is very accurate to Vancouver Halloween ‘cause it would always rain, and everything would be soaking wet. Pumpkins would be, like, rotting by the time Halloween came around.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

Helen: You might also encounter unexpected things when you’re making your costume, like wire, other items from the hardware store. Definitely want to think outside the box. Wire hangers make great armatures. Pool noodles, foam mats, and hula hoops can create structure, and don’t forget about cardboard boxes. You probably already have some of this stuff hanging around your house, and you can also find helpful things at the dollar store.

Caroline: Yeah, I’m imagining the transparent thread that your mom probably used to make those little spider leggies stay in place.

Helen: Could be dental floss for all I know.

Caroline: Could be dental floss. It’s true.

Alright, we’re going to get to the fun part and talk about some costume ideas. We have some really fun ones, so hopefully, this will inspire you all. Uh, but we’re going to begin with the timeless ones. So first up is a witch or a wizard.

Helen: Yeah, I definitely went as both a witch and a wizard when I was a kid, and I had a really cool wizard cape that my mom made. It had moons and stars appliquéd onto the back with sequin trim sewn in, like, loop-de-loops all over it. And I’m pretty sure it was all just, like, stitched, or maybe even glued, right on.

It definitely was not fancy, like, the polyester material. I can still feel it, of that cape was, like, so, so cheap, but it looked so good because it was so sparkly, and it was all covered in these moons and stars. And it was, like, big enough to wrap all the way around my body, and I loved that cape. I used to play dress up with it all the time.

Caroline: That sounds amazing. You have to try to find a picture of it.

Helen: Oh, I wish I could. Okay. I’ll see. I’ll see.

Caroline: But really all you need is black clothes and a pointy black hat to be a witch or a wizard. There are so many ways to amp it up and so many different directions to take. You could paint your face green like the Wicked Witch of the West. You could make it pin up glam with a vintage style dress and a little tilt hat. Or you could do, like, a cottagecore green witch situation with a brown dress and a pinafore and a basket of red and white mushrooms and a pointy straw hat. I think the Basque Dress by Stitch Witch Patterns would be great for that. It has puffy sleeves, a square neckline, and a pointy V shape waistline. This pattern will also be a really great option for a princess costume in organza or taffeta.

Helen: Ooh. Yeah. Oh, it’s so true. I love that V shaped waistline. Okay, Caroline, we mentioned not wanting to put a white sheet over your head and being a ghost, but I just want to put it out there that it’s a pretty, it’s a pretty good costume.

Caroline: I just don’t want it to be my only option, you know? I want options.

Helen: There’s a quilt designer I follow, Toad and Sew, and last, I think it was last Halloween, she got a bunch of her friends to come over and put her quilts on over their heads, and then they put, like, sunglasses on over the quilts, and they were little quilt ghosts.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It was so freaking cute. Oh, my gosh. I mean, you don’t want to cut a hole so you can see. So you literally have to just stumble around blind, but it’s worth it, you know?

Caroline: I mean throwing a pair of sunglasses on a ghost really elevates it, I say.

Helen: It really does. Yeah. A pair of aviators, something cool like that.

Caroline: Yeah. But if you want a more detailed spooky ghost look, you can put together a historically inspired outfit in muted greyish tones and then do some ghostly face paint.

Helen: Ooh, totally. Pirate is another really great one because the beauty of a pirate costume is that you can really hodgepodge it as long as you have the tricorn hat, maybe an eye patch or a parrot stuffed animal, you can, kind of, put together what-, whatever you want. It can be as low effort as a pair of shorts and a striped top.

Or it can be as elaborate as an 18th century shirt and frockcoat. The Darcy Shirt pattern Collab by Clockwork Fairy and Bernadette Banner is a great option for an old time-y shirt You can also just use a button up you have lying around. I mean pirates can look like anything Anything. As long as you’re going, Arrrr, you’re good. Ha ha ha.

Caroline: And vampire is a great one, too. I think one of the best things about a vampire costume is that you can get super glam with it. Vampires are the fashionistas of the monster world.

Helen: It’s so true. You could just keep it simple and make a killer cape, like I was saying earlier. Try one with a coloured lining, like a nice burgundy or purple. The Kinsale Cloak by Folkwear would be a good pattern option, but there’s also lots of great tutorials out there for making a cape, too.

Caroline: Ooh, okay, I have to make a correction because I think earlier I said that we had a vampire theme last year at Blackbird, but it was actually Vampirate.

Helen: Oh.

Caroline: It was one or the other or both.

Helen: Oh that’s awesome.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh, I really need to find some pictures and maybe we’ll put them in the show notes because, y’all, they delivered,

Helen: I mean, obviously you go as both because you just put some fangs on, and you’re good.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay, and now here are some more trendy ideas. I think we all know that Barbie costumes are gonna be huge this Halloween and The Fold Line did a whole video and blog post finding patterns for different costumes from the movie. We will link that for you in the show notes. But what was your favourite costume from Barbie, Helen? What would you dress up

Helen: I loved the rollerblading looks when they go to the real world, and they’re rollerblading along the strip, and they’re wearing their neon. I think that would be a really fun look to recreate as a costume.

Caroline: Mhm. Okay. I loved weird Barbie. I would love to dress up as weird Barbie. But also the cowgirl look was so good. The pink outfit. Oh, my gosh. With the fringe. Those jeans with the tie in the front. I mean, I don’t know. It would be a pretty involved project, but it would be pretty cool.

Helen: It would be pretty cool. I think Ken’s stripy beach outfit would be really fun and simple to make, too. You could use the Samford Set by Peppermint Magazine. You’ve got that camp collar shirt, elastic waist shorts, and just find some pink and teal striped fabric, and you’re ready to go.

Caroline: I, kind of, love the idea of dressing up as Ken. Like, I feel like anyone can bring Ken-energy to the table.

Helen: Yeah, there’s your faux fur opportunity, too, because he wears that killer faux fur coat in the movie.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yes!

Helen: It’d be so fun. You know what I’m not going to be dressing up as? Or who I’m not going to be dressing up as? Alan.

Caroline: Oh no!

Helen: How many Alans are you going to encounter this Halloween? Zero.

Caroline: Probably zero.

Helen: Okay, I could also see Wednesday Addams being really popular, too, especially her dance dress from the viral TikTok situation. I think you could hack it out of the Matilda Shirt Dress by Megan Nielsen Patterns. I would make the bodice out of, like, a sheer black fabric, like organza, and then, you could add ruffles going in a curve from the shoulders down to the bust just sewn on top of the dress. I would make the skirt maybe without the button placket and attach big ruffles to it. It’s probably not the easiest costume, but it would look so cool, and it would be a lot of fun to sew.

And if you want a more traditional Wednesday look, you could maybe combine the Fibre Mood Petula Dress, which is a simple swingy shift dress, with Tilly and the Buttons free detachable collar pattern, and then just redraw the collar to make it a little bit more pointy. and you’ve got classic Wednesday. Both of those would be really fun.

Caroline: Ooh, I love the idea of the detachable collar because it would really transform the look for Halloween or your costume party and then, you can just go back to wearing a regular dress after.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. That’s similar to what I did with my Morticia costume because I had that long sleeve shirt pattern, and then, I just added these, like, detachable, I don’t even know what you call them, like, wizard sleeves basically, so they were like dangling down, and I just like used elastic bands to hold them up on my elbows and then I took them off after.

Caroline: Mario, Luigi, or both would be a good idea for this year since the movie came out. And a lot of us have overalls laying around, so that part would already be done. Add a green or red shirt, white gloves, and maybe a hat and you’re ready to go. There’s a tutorial for a Mario hat on Instructables that we’ll link for you in the show notes. And don’t forget the moustaches.

Helen: Caroline you’re saying Mario, and I just have to say it’s Mario.

Caroline: I’m sorry. Mario!

Helen: It’s Mario.

Caroline: I say Super Mario.

Helen: No, you don’t.

Caroline: Yes, I do.

Helen: No, you do not.

Caroline: Listen, I am the daughter of immigrants, Helen, and I sometimes pronounce words wrong, and it’s not my fault.

Helen: They were playing Super Mario before they ever even came to this country.

Caroline: Listen, I’m going to ask my brother and sister what they say, and I will prove you wrong.

Helen: Oh, I’m gonna have so many good chats at this wedding.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: Okay, Caroline, what are you going to go as for Halloween this year? You got

Caroline: Oh, I do not know, but I’m feeling inspired. I’m going to have to go, go on Pinterest and do a little bit of digging and, you know?

Helen: Yeah, maybe Blackbird Fabrics could do a fun pattern roundup for us to give us some inspiration.

Caroline: You don’t have to ask me twice. I feel like Amanda, our social media manager, loves a pattern roundup

Helen: Yes, we need Amanda’s help, especially for the Barbie costumes ‘cause I definitely think that might be the direction we go in. Like Sam and I could totally pull off those rollerblading outfits. It’d be so fun.

Caroline: Oh, 100%! Yes! Oh, my gosh. No, I definitely want to do a Barbie costume, but there are several days to fill, so I’m gonna have to start early this year, because last year I didn’t start early enough, and I wasn’t prepared.

Helen: Yeah. Some of my favourite Halloween looks are honestly when people go as regular things, like a toaster or like a house plant or like cheese, you know?

Caroline: Cheese! I’m loving the cheese idea, but what about, like, blue cheese?

Helen: Ooh, that’s good. That’s fun. Like, a play on words is always fun. Like, you don’t have to look like what blue cheese looks like. You could just go as, like, cheese, but it’s blue, you know?

Caroline: But it’s blue, yes!

Helen: And then you’re that person who’s, like, getting everyone to guess their costume. And then you’re like, no, it’s blue cheese.

Caroline: Yes, and if you’re trying to brainstorm like me, you don’t have to go with something that’s currently in the zeitgeist. Think about your favourite things like movies, books, mythological creatures, just let your imagination go wild.

Helen: Yeah. And you can, of course, create Pinterest boards, like Caroline mentioned. Try to remember also the times that you’ve said to yourself, like, I wish I could wear that. Or I would love to wear something like that one day. And you can create costumes based on that feeling. Sometimes you don’t even have to be anything. Like, if I want to make a sequin dress and wear it on Halloween, I’ll just be a person wearing a sequin dress.

Caroline: Helen, not to get deep, but aren’t we all just wearing costumes every day?

Helen: Oh, it’s so true. Life is just one big costume party.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. We definitely want to hear about and see your costumes this year. Use the #LoveToSewCostumes, and we’ll share your posts in our Instagram stories throughout October. So excited to see what you get up to.

Caroline: Yes. And Happy Halloween, in advance, and Happy Spooktober!

Helen: Happy Spooktober! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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

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

Helen: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. If you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428, or send us an email at [email protected].

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

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye!

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In this episode, we interview Claire Birnie from Sew Outdoorsy! We chat with her about technical fabrics, weatherproofing your me-mades, gear sewing techniques, and designing plus size patterns for activewear.

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

Find Sew Outdoorsy Online!

Some of Claire’s Amazing Hikes!

On a Munro called Schiehallion in the Grampion Mountains in Scotland⁠

A walk to High Cup Nick which is in the Northern Penine Hills in England⁠

Aber Falls in Wales⁠

On the way to Top Witherns in West Yorkshire⁠

Sew Outdoorsy’s Patterns: 

Resources:

Patterns, Notions, and Tools: 

Transcript: 

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caroline: Mhm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

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

Helen: Mm. Yeah.

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah. That’s good.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Brilliant.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claire: Yes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claire: Pretty much.

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

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

Helen: No, fair.

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: No.

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

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

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

Claire: I, I have, I have noticed.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah, that would be so amazing.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Oh, yeah. That makes total sense.

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

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

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

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

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

Claire: With actual support.

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: And we are still on Patreon. If you subscribe over there, you can get access to the bonus episodes, behind the scenes photos, and a special 15% off discount code at our super fan patron tier. That discount applies at Helen’s Closet, Cedar Quilt Co., Blackbird Fabrics, and BF Patterns. If you shop with us regularly, it basically pays for itself. Head to patreon.com/LoveToSew to see all the perks and options.

Caroline: If you’d like to try out Patreon or Apple podcast subscriptions and check out our bonus content, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. And, of course, you can help support the show by listening just like you are right now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: So rude. I know.

Caroline: You’re bragging now, Helen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claire: Nope, been there.

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

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

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

Helen: Right.

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

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

Claire: Really tightly woven. Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Right. Yeah. Fair.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Right. Okay.

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

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

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

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

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

Caroline: Right.

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Hm.

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

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Yeah, I bet.

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

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

Caroline: Ah, okay. Very cool.

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

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

Helen: Yeah. Feed dogs. Yeah.

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

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

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

Helen: Right.

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

Caroline: Yeah.

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

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

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

Helen: You got a powerful iron.

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

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

Caroline: Yeah.

Claire: Yes.

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

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

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

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

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

Caroline: Mhm.

Claire: ‘Cause it doesn’t press.

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

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

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

Helen: Right.

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

Helen: You’ve got all the gear already.

Caroline: Yeah.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Do what you need to do.

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

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

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

Caroline: Mm.

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Wicking. I love that word.

Caroline: Great word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

Claire: They are so retro.

Helen: Eighties activewear is everything.

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

Helen: Yeah. Amazing.

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

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

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

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

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

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

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

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

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

Caroline: Exciting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Nice.

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

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

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

Helen: Mm. You might now.

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

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

Claire: They do.

Helen: …a larger range. Yeah.

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

Caroline: Totally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

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

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

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

Caroline: Oh, wow.

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

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

Helen: Wow.

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

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

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

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

Caroline: Wow.

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

Claire: It was super fun.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah, that would be amazing.

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

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

Claire: Do you guys hike much?

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

Claire: I just went all in.

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

Claire: Awesome.

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

Helen: Day hiking is great, too.

Caroline: Yes.

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

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

Caroline: Oh.

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

Claire: Oh, nice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah.

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

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

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

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

Helen: Yeah. The outdoors are everywhere.

Claire: Exactly. Exactly.

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

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

Caroline: Oh. Okay.

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

Claire: That would be great.

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

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

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

Claire: Thank you. Bye.

Helen: Bye.

Caroline: Bye.

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

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

Caroline: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at [email protected]

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

Caroline: Buh-bye.

Helen: Bye.

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We answer a bunch of questions in this episode: What even is a yoke, anyways? Are my shoulders weird? How do I DIY those cute western embellishments on my me-mades? We share ideas, inspo, pattern adjustments, and more! Plus, we answer a listener question about making elastic waistbands easier to sew and wear.

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

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

From the Listener Questions Section:

Inspo:

Resources:

Patterns:

Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew, and it’s the only thing worth talking about.

Helen: Today we’re discussing yokes and shoulders. What even is a yoke anyways? Are my shoulders weird? How do I DIY those cute western embellishments on my me-mades? We answer all this and more.

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

Helen: Hi, Caroline!

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: How are you?

Caroline: Good. How are you?

Helen: Good! It’s weird that we’re recording this so far in advance, and, like, by the time this episode comes out your wedding will be over, but I can’t ask you about it.

Caroline: I know! I’ll be three days a married woman. Hopefully, everything goes off without a hitch, and yeah…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Send good vibes, and yeah…

Helen: Voice not reaching new registers.

Caroline: Definitely not stressed at all. No, I’m feeling really good actually.

Helen: Good. Good, good, good. Well, we have a fun episode today. I mean, I think it’s fun, but I love to sew. So…

Caroline: Maybe the most niche episode we’ve ever done.

Helen: Maybe, maybe. But there’s a lot to discuss and shoulders are, kind of, a big deal when you’re making garments.

Caroline: It’s true.

Helen: They hold up your clothes.

Caroline: It’s absolutely true. Yeah. I’m excited to talk about, we have a lot of different angles to look at in this episode when it comes to yokes and shoulders.

Helen: Front. Side. Back.

Caroline: Literally and figuratively.

Helen: Yes.

Caroline: But I think we should kick off this episode with a question from Alexandra: “I’ve been sewing for about a year, and I’m just starting to venture into trousers. I’m having trouble with elastic waistbands. I know they’re supposed to be easy, but all my waistbands roll and twist. My elastic gets caught as I insert it into the channel. Can you provide any tips? What am I doing wrong?”

Helen: Hi, Alexandra. Thank you for asking this question. Elastic waistbands are a very important part of my wardrobe, and I know I’m not alone. You definitely want those to be functional, and yeah, they should be pretty easy to sew. So here are some tips for the best results.

Caroline: So first up you want to be precise about your seam allowance. There should be a little ease built into the casing pattern piece so that the elastic isn’t too difficult to pull through. And if you’re drafting your own casing, add about three-eighths of an inch to your width if you’re topstitching both sides and a quarter inch if you’re topstitching only one side. After topstitching you should have about an eighth of an inch of ease.

Helen: Yeah, that’s really important because otherwise it’s so hard to push the elastic through. It’s just, like, ugh, so annoying. Secondly, you want to consider using a bodkin instead of a safety pin. Safety pins work in a pinch, but a bodkin can make pulling that elastic through a casing much easier. It’s a nice tool to add to your arsenal.

Caroline: Mhm. And after you’ve finished inserting your elastic, do a little topstitching to keep it from twisting. You can stitch in the ditch vertically over the side seams, or you could do parallel lines of top stitching over the whole waistband. There’s a tutorial for how to do this for the Arden Pants on the Helen’s Closet blog.

Helen: And it can really help to buy no roll elastic, which is designed to stay firm. This is the only elastic that I like to use in elastic waistbands. And you want to make sure regardless of what kind of elastic you’re buying, that it doesn’t get narrower when you pull it. You want the kind that stays at the same width when you pull it.

That’s going to make a big difference, as well. I love elastic waistbands, but I’m not sure that pushing that elastic through really gets that much easier over time. It just, kind of, is one of those things you have to, like, do, and it’s a bit monotonous and tedious. And if you have any, like, arthritis in your hands, it can be really challenging.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, just take your time with it. Go slow. Check that your elastic isn’t twisting as you’re pulling it through. Definitely check that it’s not twisted before you secure it closed and along the way as your top stitching. And that added stitching either on the side seams or along the waistband is really going to make a difference. And I think it’ll solve your problem if you’re willing to do that.

Helen: Yes, definitely. All right, let’s move up the body to the yokes and shoulder area.

Caroline: Okay, but first, Helen, can I tell you a knock, knock yoke?

Helen: A knock, knock yoke? Okay.

Caroline: Knock, knock.

Helen: Who’s there?

Caroline: Shoulda.

Helen: Shoulda who?

Caroline: Sholda said no when I asked if I could tell you a yoke.

Helen: I’m so glad I said yes. Worth it.

Caroline: What a way to start the episode, but you know, we love a good laugh, listeners. Okay. Today we’re going to talk about a super important and underrated part of garments. The parts that go up on your shoulders.

Helen: We’re going to talk all about yokes, how to sew them, how to embellish them, and how to add them or take them away. And then we’re going to talk a little bit about shoulder fitting and chat about all the ways you can embellish the shoulders of your garments.

Caroline: Okay, so let’s start by defining yoke. I don’t think we need to define shoulders, but a yoke is a shaped pattern piece on a garment often seen around the neck and shoulders or at the hips. Today we’re going to talk about shirt yokes, which usually come from the shoulder seam to the upper back or upper bust. They can go lower though.

Yokes are often used for shaping. They can absorb a dart. That means that the shaping that a dart would usually provide can be turned into a curved seam along the bottom of the yoke instead. On a fitted shirt without a yoke, there’s sometimes that comes down from the shoulder seam to accommodate the curve of the upper back and shoulders. But with a yoke, you don’t need that dart.

Helen: Yeah, it actually serves a really cool function as well as being a neat design detail. On a classic button up, the lower part of the shirt back often has a pleat or gathers coming down from the centre or along the sides of the yoke to allow for ease of movement so you

can reach your arms forward.

Caroline: Yokes can also be purely decorative. They’re a great opportunity for colour blocking or cutting fabric on the bias or adding piping or ruffles. They can be a great frame for embroidery or pin tucks, and they provide a seam where you can add pleats or gathers to the lower part of the top.

Helen: Yokes on tops are usually at the shoulders coming down to the upper back or upper bust, as we mentioned, but sometimes they do go lower, but they always start at the shoulders. They don’t all look the same though. They come in all different kinds of shapes and sizes, and I feel like especially in you know, the 80s, maybe 70s, as well, those are some crazy yokes.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah, you can really go quite wild with the shaping and the size. We don’t see them as often in our ready to wear clothes today, but they’re out there.

Caroline: Yeah, you can have a yoke that forms a straight line across the front of a top. This is sometimes called a square yoke. I’ve also seen a vintage pattern that connects the yoke to a grown-on sleeve. The seam looks like a square. It goes across the bust and then angles down below the shoulders. It’s super cool. We’re gonna link a pic of this in the show notes for you.

Helen: You can also have pointed yokes. Western shirts have some of the best pointed yokes around. Sometimes the yokes come down in points from each shoulder, pointing towards your chest, and sometimes they come down in a centre V or bib shape, and they usually have points in the back, as well.

@Jukebox.Mama on Instagram is great for inspiration. She does amazing custom chain stitch embroidery and embellishments onto Western shirts. We’re talking piping, fringe, curved welt pockets, decorative reinforcements at the edges, everything good. So we’re going to link that up in the show notes, as well.

Caroline: I’ve also seen yokes that point up from under the arms to the centre front. This is, kind of, a cool detail, too.

Helen: Oh, yeah. It’s true. You don’t have to have the points always going down.

Caroline: You can have a curved yoke. It’s, kind of, like a flat donut that goes over your head and then the rest of the garment hangs from it.

Helen: Yeah, sometimes they extend all the way, like you were saying, over the shoulders, and then the sleeves attach to that yoke. There’s just so many cool things that you can do. Sometimes these curved yokes are called bibs, especially when they go down the front, the bust point, or lower. Bibs can cover the whole shoulder, like a regular yoke, or start part way in the shoulder seam. And a curved yoke can also curve the opposite way, with the high point at the centre.

Caroline: Ooh, so many possibilities. And apart from how they’re shaped, there are a few more differences yokes can have. So you can have a single yoke, also known as a one-piece yoke, or a double yoke, also known as a two-piece or split yoke. A single yoke is one pattern piece, while a double yoke is split down the middle. You usually see double yokes on the back of tailored men’s shirts. It provides another seam that can be altered to fit the shirt very closely. If you have a curve at your upper back, you can split your yoke and curve the seam so that your shirt fits smoothly there.

Helen: You can have a lined or an unlined yoke. I would say that most yokes are lined. It gives a clean look to the inside, and the extra layer of fabric gives the yoke more body so that it lays nice and flat. Yokes are usually lined with self fabric, but you can use contrasting fabric if you want to. It’s a good idea to have a fabric that will shrink the same way as the garment fabric though, so keep that in mind. Since the lining is attached on all sides, it could pucker or bag out if you use a fabric that shrinks differently. So use a lining fabric of the same fibre or at least match natural fibres with natural fibres and synthetics with synthetics. You get it.

Caroline: And unlined yokes are faster and easier to sew than lined yokes. They don’t support the lower part of the fabric quite as much as a lined yoke though, but unless you have a really heavy fabric, that probably won’t be an issue. They also don’t look as nice on the inside as lined yokes. With lined yokes you can, kind of, enclose the seam allowance, and it gives a really nice clean finish.

Helen: Yeah, I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered a pattern, like a shirt pattern, for example, with a back yoke that wasn’t lined because then you get to do, like, the fun, like, burrito twirl or whatever…

Caroline: Mhm.

Helne: …and it just is like really satisfying that all those seams are tucked away. It’s so handy.

Caroline: Mhm. I wonder if an unlined back yoke would be used, kind of, like, if you’re doing just a colour blocking situation…

Helen: Oh, yeah.

Caroline: …and you just want that design detail but it’s not so much about the construction.

Helen: Yeah, that’s true. Like, and I could see that on a knit, like maybe on a pullover or something…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …where you want to have that colour blocking on the top. You definitely wouldn’t want to have two layers up there.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Some yokes also call for interfacing. Usually, it’s so the yoke will lie nice and flat, again, have that structure. And you can use fusible or sew-in interfacing regardless of what the pattern calls for.

We usually use fusible because it takes fewer steps than sew-in, and you don’t have to worry about handling it super carefully. The fabric can bunch up over sew-in interfacing if it’s not perfectly flat during the basting part. So if you want to hear more about the pros and cons of different interfacing methods and lots of tips for getting a good result, you can check out Episode 78, all about interfacing.

Caroline: Constructing a single layer yoke is pretty easy. You just sew the seam. Okay. It might be a bit trickier than that, especially if you’re sewing a super curvy seam or wrangling gathers. So we have some tips for sewing a curved seam. Place your pins parallel to the seam allowance rather than perpendicular. Take tiny bites out of the fabric with your pins and try to pin on the seam line rather than at the edge of the fabric.

And when you’re sewing a convex curve to a concave curve the length of the fabric at the edges is going to be wildly different but the length along the seam lines is going to be the same so that’s why you’re matching up the seam line and not the edge of the fabric. And you can also mark the seam lines if that helps. I’ve also seen people, like, baste, do a basting stitch or a stay stitch along the seam line just so that you can match up that stitch line.

Helen: Totally. And you want to go slowly here. On lots of machines, you can turn down the stitching speed, so that’s a good idea. If you need to start and stop a lot, that’s totally okay. You want to leave your needle in the down position so that things don’t shift out of place. And if you mess up, that’s what a seam ripper is for. Don’t feel bad. We all use them.

Caroline: If you have gathers on the bottom part of the shirt, you can put that side down against the feed dog so that they go in nicely, or you can use a walking foot so that you have feed dogs on the top, too.

Helen: Constructing a double layer yoke is a little bit more complicated. As I mentioned, many pattern companies like to use the burrito method to put in a yoke. It’s going to be hard to visualise this process by listening to us talk about it, so we’re not going to go into detail. But here’s the basic process.

You’re going to sandwich the back of the shirt between the yoke and yoke lining pieces, and then, you’re sewing the lower seam of the yoke. Then, you’re going to baste on the fronts of the shirt. And then, you get to do the fun burrito part, you know, roll up the fronts and backs so you can pull the yoke lining around encasing all of that, and sew it to the yoke and fronts at the shoulders.

And then, when you turn it inside out by pulling the rolled up fronts and backs out of the armhole or neck hole, you have a neatly finished yoke on both the outside and the inside. All the seams are enclosed. So we’ll link a video tutorial for the burrito method in our show notes, so you can really see how it’s done.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s pretty hard to visualise just from words.

Helen: It really is. But it’s so fun. Like, I remember my first burrito.

Caroline: You don’t think it’s going to work. Yeah, you’re pretty, what kind of burrito? No, it feels like magic. Like, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to work ,and then, it just does. And you’re like, wow, sewing is magic.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Another method uses topstitching or hand stitching to attach the lower seam of the yoke lining. So in this case, first you’re going to sew the yoke to the shirt back at the lower seam.

And then second, you’re going to sandwich the shirt front between the yoke and yoke lining and sew the shoulder seams. And then, you press up the seam allowance along the bottom edge of the yoke lining. You can sew the lining down by stitching in the ditch along the bottom seam from the outside of the shirt or by hand stitching it to the seam allowance near the seam.

And if you’re doing this method with a curved yoke, you may want to use a jig to press up the seam allowance. A jig is a piece of card that’s cut to match the curve of the pattern piece, and you place it along the seam line and fold the seam allowance up over it so that you can press it really neatly.

Old cereal boxes are perfect for making jigs. And I will also say sewing a line of stitching along that line that you’re going to need to fold under, and you’re using your machine as a guide to get that seam allowance line perfect, that works really well, too, if you don’t want to make a jig.

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: And if you don’t want to do a jig, too bad because you should.

Helen: But we have a little break coming up so you can dance to our music.

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

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

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

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

Caroline: And we are still on Patreon. If you subscribe over there, you can get access to the bonus episodes, behind the scenes photos, and a special 15% off discount code at our super fan patron tier. That discount applies at Helen’s Closet, Cedar Quilt Co., Blackbird Fabrics, and BF Patterns. If you shop with us regularly, it basically pays for itself. Head to patreon.com/LoveToSew to see all the perks and options.

Helen: If you’d like to try out Patreon or Apple podcast subscriptions and check out our bonus content, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial. And, of course, you can help support the show by listening just like you are right now.

You can also leave a review. Reviews really help our show get discovered by new listeners. We know that financial support isn’t always possible. And we want you to know that we love you for listening.

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

And we’re back. Let’s move on to hacking and pattern drafting with yokes. Hashtag you can hack it.

Helen: One thing we want to mention, if you’re making certain fit adjustments to a pattern that has a yoke, you will need to adjust the yoke as well if that fit adjustment’s in that general area. I think a lot of people get confused about how to do this, but it’s really not too bad. You want to make sure to draw in the seam allowance lines on your yoke and your front or back. Then, you do your adjustment to the front or back and make sure to continue that adjustment on to the yoke if you are, for example, adjusting the armscye or doing a broad back adjustment.

If the yoke is purely decorative, let’s say the top of your back pattern piece is perfectly straight, the bottom of your yoke piece is perfectly straight, there’s no shaping or anything happening in there, so that would indicate that the yoke is decorative. You can just tape the bodice and yoke together along the seam lines, then do your adjustment, and then separate them when you’re done.

Caroline: You can adjust the fit of a garment by changing the shape of the yoke. There’s a couple of articles on the Thread Theory blog about fitting the Fairfield Button Up where they show you how. It’s pretty cool. They make a muslin, put it on the person they’re fitting, and then cut away the yoke at the seams, and bridge the gaps with masking tape you can see where the new curve needs to be and copy that on to new paper or fabric.

Helen: I love this method because there’s something so satisfying about cutting into your muslin and just seeing what happens. Your body will naturally spread it…

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: …apart and then you can really visualise it.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: You can add a yoke to a top that doesn’t have one, as well. You draw a line on your shirt pattern where you want the yoke to be and you can cut it apart. You can end the process here and then just add back in your seam allowance. Shirts like this look great with colour blocking or a lace or mesh yoke or ruffled sandwich in the seam. Or you can manipulate the lower part of the shirt if you want to. Tops with gathers or pleats just under the yoke are so cute.

Caroline: You can adjust the yoke to, like, slashing and spreading it to add pin tucks. And if you’re altering a bodice block, you can draft a yoke to absorb a dart in the shoulder or neckline. We mentioned this earlier, but to do this, draw a line on your block where you want the yoke to be and cut the pattern apart along the line.

Draw a line down the centre of the dart to the bottom seam line of the yoke. And then, redraw the dart so that the dart point is on that bottom seam line. And then, cut this new dart out and swing the pattern closed. And this is going to give you a yoke piece that angles up at the edge by the armscye. Smooth out the seams, add seam allowance, and your yoke piece is ready to go.

Helen: So cool! Along the same lines, you can also eliminate a yoke in a pattern. If the yoke is decorative, all you need to do is just tape the pattern together along those seam lines. You can tell a yoke is decorative, again, because the seam lines will match and be straight. If the yoke has shaping, you’re going to want to add a dart to keep the fit of the shirt.

You’ll basically do the opposite of the process for drafting a yoke that we just talked about. Tape the pattern pieces together and treat the shaped seam of the yoke as a dart. Then, you can move the dart around to where you want it to be. For example, moving it down to, like, the side seam so it’s just a standard bust dart.

Shirts with darts at the back usually have them coming down from the shoulder seam, angling towards the centre back of the shirt.

Caroline: Now let’s talk about something way more fun. Yokes are like a plate that you can pile up with good food. And by good food, we mean embellishments.

Helen: It’s funny because some of them literally look like dinner plates, like, on your shoulders.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Or like bibs for eating food, too.

Caroline: Absolutely.

Helen: You can, of course, use contrast fabric on your yokes. It’s such an impactful place for colour blocking. Just make sure to use a similar weight and fibre to the rest of your garment.

Caroline: You can cut your yoke on the bias. This looks especially good in gingham or plaid. Those diagonal lines are really giving. I love it.

Helen: Oh, every time I make a plaid shirt, I have to cut the yoke on the bias. I just have to.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It’s not even a question. You can fill in your yoke with embroidery, beading, or appliqué. The yoke lining will hide all the threads on the back, so it’s a really great place for this kind of work.

Caroline: Helen you did some floral embroidery on one of your March Tops didn’t you?

Helen: Yes, I didn’t cut the yoke or panel, front panel piece out until later on because I knew I was going to be handling it a lot, and I didn’t want the seam allowances to, like, fray away or get misshapen. So instead what I did is I cut a bigger piece of fabric, I interfaced it, and I used contrast thread to baste along where the stitch lines were going to be so I could see where everything would be placed.

And then I could place my embroidery accordingly. Normally, I would use chalk for that, but I knew I’d be working on this project for a while and the chalk would eventually rub off and fade away. So I went with the thread and then I embroidered all my flowers freehand. And when I was done, I cut out the piece, removed those basting stitches, and then I sewed up my top and it’s so beautiful. It’s one of my most proudest makes ever.

Caroline: Oh, I love that top so much. We’ll have to link it in the show notes.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Traditionally, western shirts are embroidered with chain stitching. You can’t do this by machine unless you have a specific chain stitching machine. However, you can replicate the look by hand. The Camargue Cowboy Shirt by Liberty Fabrics would be a good pattern choice for a western shirt. It has several yoke options.

Helen: Ooh, cute. I really want to do a, like, Western yoke hack for the Cameron button up…

Caroline: Ooh, yes.

Helen: …because Sam looks so cute in Western shirts, and I would love to do a little embroidery project for him, too.

Caroline: That would be so cute.

Helen: You may want to interface your fabric if you’re embroidering or beading, whether or not your pattern calls for it. It’s going to keep your fabric from puckering up when you’re working on it, and it will keep the fabric flat when you wear it, so you can really see your embroidery.

Caroline: And you can use a hoop to keep your fabric taut while you’re working. Try not to stretch your fabric too much when you’re putting it in the hoop. It doesn’t need to be tight as a drum. And if your fabric has enough body, you may not even need a hoop.

Helen: Another option for embellishment would be to put piping along the lower seams of your yoke. This is popular in Western shirts, but it can also look great in other styles, as well. One of the samples of the Rosa Shirt by Tilly and the Buttons is made in a pink and white flamingo print fabric, and it has black piping along the yoke seams, the princess seams, and around the collar. It’s so cute and shapely.

Caroline: You can add ruffles in your yoke seams. The Sagebrush Top by Friday Pattern Co. has a nice narrow ruffle along a front yoke seam. Jessica Quirk on Instagram has a couple of really cool versions of McCall’s 7977, which has a deep V yoke with a big fluffy ruffle.

Helen: Oh, I love a good ruffle sandwich, you know?

Caroline: Yeah. Like, also a good ruffle chip sandwich is good, but…

Helen: That, too. Okay, yokes are also a great place for pintucks. I’ve seen some really nice tops with vertical pintucks on a bib style yoke. Once again, Jessica Quirk with some amazing ones. Truly our yoke-spiration for this episode.

Caroline: Yokes also make nice lines for placing trim, lace, fringe, ribbon, rick rack, you name it. Come on. What is a Western shirt without a little bit of fringe? Okay, It’s time to move on to the other part of this episode, shoulders. Or should I say, shouldas.

Helen: Shouldas.

Caroline: Shouldas.

Helen: Okay, we’ve all got them. We’ve all sewn for them. And it’s, kind of, amazing when you think about it. Your shoulders hold up your clothes. They’re, like, the clothes hanger of the skeleton. Also, they have arms attached that move in every which direction. Like, it’s incredible that we’re able to clothe them at all.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. It’s so true though. I’ve suspected for a long time that one of the reasons there are so many sleeveless ready to wear garments is that, one, it’s hard to draft a sleeve that’s going to fit a lot of different people. And two, it’s hard to draft a good sleeve period.

Helen: Yeah, that part where the bodice connects to the sleeve is a really tricky drafting area. There’s all these different curves happening, and everyone’s shape is a little bit different. So yeah, when you go to the store and you try on clothes, and they just don’t fit right, it’s hard to draft something that’s going to fit everybody.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But coming back to shoulders, let’s talk a little bit about shoulder shapes because everybody’s shoulders are a little bit different. And even your two shoulders are probably a little bit different from each other. So let’s talk about some of the different shoulder shapes out there and what you might notice in your garments if you fall into these categories.

Caroline: First up, sloped shoulders. So when you look in the mirror, your shoulders slope down from your neck like your head is on a hill. Straps don’t stay put. You can get a good neck fit, but the top of the sleeve cap looks like it’s hovering above your shoulders. You get drag lines from garments sloping down. Also, one of your shoulders may be more sloped than the other. If this sounds like you, you want to be looking for the sloped shoulder adjustment.

Helen: Next up is square shoulders. It’s, kind of, the opposite. When you look in the mirror, your shoulders are straight. You often see drag lines radiating out towards the tops of your shoulders from your chest. Collars feel like they are collapsing at your neck, and you can wear strappy garments without any issues because the straps always stay up.

If this is you, you want to look for a square shoulder adjustment to get rid of any of those radiating drag lines. But other than that, I mean congrats on being able to wear strappy things. That’s great. Good for you.

Caroline: Love that for you. Okay, next up is narrow shoulders. When you look in the mirror, the width of your shoulders seems narrow compared to your chest. Your torso is loosely shaped like a triangle. And when you sew sleeved garments, the armholes often fall off the edge of your shoulder. Things might look like they have dropped shoulders on you. Clothes might feel oversized in the neck and shoulders. So if this is you, you want to look for a narrow shoulder adjustment.

Helen: Yeah, this is a common one, and it can be tricky when you’re choosing a size in a pattern because we often are just looking at, like chest, waist, hip. And if you choose a size based on those three measurements, but you often find that the end result still feels big on you, especially, like, above the chest in your shoulder area, that’s when you might be a candidate for a narrow shoulder adjustment.

And again, the opposite of that would be a broad shoulder adjustment. So when you look in the mirror, the width of your shoulder seems wider than your chest. Your torso is loosely shaped like an inverted triangle. And when you sew garments, the sleeve attachment seam sometimes sits inward from the end of your shoulder, creating tightness in the shoulder or drag lines over the top of the sleeve.

If you fit garments to your shoulders, they feel oversized on the rest of your body. So you can look for a broad shoulder adjustment to get that width in the shoulders that you need without impacting the fit everywhere else.

Caroline: And for a forward sloping shoulder, in this case, when you look in the mirror from the side, your shoulders tip forward, and you may see a rounded upper back. This one can develop as we age, but it can also be posture related. You get gaping at the back neck on your garment. It can feel like loose clothes are slipping backwards on your shoulders. So if this sounds like you, you want to be looking for a forward shoulder adjustment.

Helen: And we’re going to have links to tutorials for all these adjustments in our show notes. And I want to reiterate that there’s nothing wrong with you in any of these cases. Literally, all of our shoulders are so different and different shapes. So if you’ve been sewing for a while and you haven’t really explored shoulder fit, that might be an interesting thing for you to start looking at because it really can make a big difference in the fit of especially more fitted garments.

Caroline: And we’re not going to talk about setting in sleeves in this episode because we already have that covered in our sleeves episode. So go listen to that one if you want to hear all about it. It’s Episode 225.

Helen: Sometimes shoulders also need a little bit of help. Padding: it’s not just for 80s power suits. If you have a garment with a strong shoulder, a shoulder pad can help it stand up properly. Blazers are really in style right now, and you can bet they have pads in the shoulders. Almost all tailored jackets and coats do. They’re just not quite as big as they were 40 years ago.

Caroline: You can buy ready made shoulder pads, or you can make your own. They’re shaped like a D, flat on one side and curved on the other, and the curved side goes towards your neck, and the flat side lines up with the armscye.

Shoulder pads are wedge shaped with the thickest part at the sleeve cap, tapering to a thin end toward your neck. And they’re wedge shaped in order to even out the shoulder slope a little bit. You can customise your shoulder pads to your shoulder slope, making them more wedge shaped for slope shoulders and less wedge shaped for square shoulders.

Helen: Shoulder pads should curve over your shoulder from the front to the back. You can buy moulded pads, in which case the work’s already done for you. Or if you’re making your own, you can pad stitch them to hold that curve in place. Closetcore has a free pattern for shoulder pads and sleeve heads that will show you how to do it, which is great.

And speaking of sleeve heads, these are basically pieces of padding with a bit of canvas for extra structure. They’re attached to the sleeves at the sleeve cap, and they keep the sleeves from crumpling at the edge of the shoulder pads and at the front where your arms reach forward. Isn’t tailoring magical?

Caroline: It so is. Finally, we’re going to talk about shoulder embellishments. So first up ruffles and flounces.

Helen: Yes, one of our newer patterns at Helen’s Closet, the Lawrence Top and Dress, has an option for flounces at the shoulders. I have a couple, and I love how floaty they are. It just feels special when I’m wearing this. And the pattern piece is really neat, too. It’s, like, an oval donut shape with an off centre hole, but when it goes into your armscye, it turns into a fluttery sleeve. And it’s sewn just like a sleeve, too. So if you know how to sew a sleeve, you can totally sew this ruffle.

Caroline: You can add flounces and ruffles to your me-mades, even ones that already have sleeves. You’ll just sandwich the flounce or ruffle between the armscye and the sleeve cap when you sew the sleeve seam. It might be easier to sew in flat, although that could make the seam at the underarm extra bulky. I think it depends. On a lightweight fabric it wouldn’t matter, but you might want to sew the sleeves in the round if you’re working with a heavier fabric.

Helen: Piping is another really cool detail that draws attention to the lines of a garment, and with heavier fabrics like canvas and wool, piping can define the shoulders and help them keep a nice shape.

Caroline: Epaulettes are so cool. They were first used in military regalia, and they still are. They’re those golden shoulder coverings with fringe that falls over the sleeve cap, but they’ve been used in fashion for a long, long time now. And they come in styles that are about as far away from military as you can get with sequins, beads, long fringe, lace, even feathers. If you search Etsy for epaulettes, you’ll see some amazing finds. I feel like we need more epaulettes in the world.

Helen: Oh, totally. I mean, I just love that look, especially with the beaded fringe, because you just want to shake your shoulders, like, nonstop.

Caroline: I know, a fringe, you just want to shimmy, right?

Helen: Yeah. Tabs are another really nice shoulder detail. They feel, kind of, outdoorsy. They usually come up from the centre of the sleeve cap and button near the collar. Fun fact, shoulder tabs are like an early version of military epaulettes. The tabs were used to secure shoulder sashes and belts.

And later on, they evolved into the shiny metallic things that we think of as epaulettes. But those made soldiers too easy to see, so eventually the military went back to tabs for everything but the dress uniform.

So in civilian wear, they’re popular in utility style garments like safari shirts and scout uniforms. I sewed a pattern from Deer and Doe once with shoulder epaulettes, the Lupin Jacket. I really liked that one. It had these really cute little buttons on the shoulders.

Caroline: Love it. I’ve seen some tops that have a tab that’s attached at the shoulder, but under the sleeve, you can roll up the sleeve and then button the tab and it will hold it up. It’s called a roll tab. You usually find them lower down on the sleeves, but they can be up at the shoulders, too.

Helen: Yeah, those are really cool. I remember owning some shirts back in the day that had those tabs. I feel like they’re less common now.

Caroline: I know. It’s, kind of, like, a early aughts style.

Helen: Right?

Caroline: Probably going to come back.

Helen: I know, which meaning that it’s, like, super trendy, and we’re just really out of touch. Yeah. Literally, everyone has sleeve tabs now, Caroline. Oh, my god.

Caroline: Dang, I should have kept all those shirts, all those Gap shirts from 2005. Alright, well, that’s all we have on shoulders today. I think we have to start working on our heads, knees, and toes episodes. What do you think, Helen?

Helen: Oh, my gosh. Stop it. Get out.

Caroline: Shoulda thought about it sooner.

Helen: I think this episode might have been my idea, too. I can’t remember, but I definitely shoulda thought a little harder about that.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Pun city over here.

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

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

Helen: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. If you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428, or send us an email at [email protected].

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

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: Bye!

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In this episode, we interview Wendy Liu, also known as WithWendy! We chat with her about DIY-ing designer clothes, thrifting fabrics, making mistakes, and producing amazing sewing videos on YouTube.

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

Find Wendy Online!

WithWendy Videos Mentioned in the Episode: 

Other Mentions: 

Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Helen: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: Today, we’re interviewing Wendy Liu, also known as With Wendy. We chat with her about draping, DIY-ing designer clothes, thrifting fabrics, and making sewing videos on YouTube.

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

Hello, Wendy. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Wendy: Hello, thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited. I don’t get to talk to fellow sewing peeps that often, so whenever I do, I’m like, oh, boy, we can be nerdy now.

Helen: Oh, I know. That’s, like, half the reason we started this podcast, to be honest. For those of you out there who don’t know Wendy, Wendy, maybe you can give us a little introduction?

Wendy: Yes, for sure. So, hi, everyone. My name is Wendy. I sew on YouTube, and I go under the name of With Wendy. And basically, I just make my own clothes, sometimes from scratch, sometimes thrift flip. And it wasn’t intentional that it became, like, a log of my sewing growth, but definitely from the 10 years that I’ve been doing it, you can see drastic improvement in my sewing ability, and now it’s, kind of, like, a testimony to what you can achieve if you just, like, keep spending time with your sewing machine.

But yeah, all the clothes I make tends to be for me to wear. I just, but I love all sorts of fashion, so it’s, like, jackets, dresses, shirts, like, lots of inspiration from fashion news and things that I see currently, and then, once in a while, it’s just, like, for me something that I love to make type of project.

Caroline: Awesome. And where are you from?

Wendy: Originally, I was, technically I was born in Kingston, but I moved when I was a baby, so I really don’t have any recollection of that life anyways. I grew up in Calgary, and yeah, I just had a chill upbringing with my family. My mom is the one in our family who knew how to sew. She learned from her mother in China, and she brought those skills over to Canada. I think for various on and off periods she would use it for odd jobs, and then, she taught me how to sew.

And for university, I moved away from Calgary. And ever since then, after graduating, I’ve been in Toronto ‘cause I think I just am a big city person in my heart. So I was always like, oh, my gosh, I want to go live where it’s busy and there’s lots happening. And Toronto is great ‘cause there’s a real fashion district compared to Calgary, which always excites me when I go visit and just like, look at fabric.

Caroline: Yeah. There’s some great fabric stores in Toronto.

Wendy: Mhm.

Caroline: Tell us a little bit more about your journey, like, learning to sew in the early days and what was your first project and how did that all go down?

Wendy: Honestly, some people really describe, like, that the sound of a sewing machine is very nostalgic for them because it reminds them of, like, quality time spent with a grandmother or something like that, and I definitely have a bit of that going on, too. Like, I just feel like I can see in my mind me playing with my dolls on the ground in my mom’s sewing room while she’s making various repairs or, like, making new clothes for me.

She’s that person who’s always making, like, new curtains for the house, a new cosy for the kettle, like, whatever she thought up she would just try to put it together, and I would say she’s pretty, she has a good knack with the machine for sure. So then with my dolls, she would show me how to make little outfits for them. We’d make, like, backpacks and tube tops and various dresses, like, whatever we could think of.

So definitely, she is the one who made me comfortable with the sewing machine. Like, I never felt like, wow, this is some scary foreign tool. I was just like, oh, you push the pedal, the fabric moves forward. Like it, it felt intuitive to me, thanks to her. And then, oh man, but sewing really was, like, a very dormant skill. It’s not that I loved it. I just was like, oh, I know how.

I took home ec so that I could get an easy mark in the fashion portion. And there was, like, a mom at our church who taught me how to quilt, and she helped me make my very first quilt. So then that was, like, a bit more time spent with machine, but truly, it wasn’t until I got to University that I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, people are having so much fun making YouTube videos. I want to do that, too. Is there any skill that I have that is worth sharing with people because back then YouTube was so tutorial based. It was not as broad of topics as it is now. And I was just like, I guess I can sew.

And the first sewing video I made is so bad. It’s not even on my YouTube channel anymore because the technique and skill level in it is truly atrocious. I was like, I can’t share this with the internet anymore. It needs to come down. But through my, just, desire to have a YouTube channel and be willing to keep going down this road of sewing. Honestly, like, it’s like I took those little seeds that started from when I grew up. But after that it was, like, internet and brute force to turn it into, like, more and more sewing expertise like the way it is now.

And in the beginning, I love teaching. I’ve always been a person who thought, like, when I grow up, I’ll be a teacher. And then one day I realised, like, oh, if you’re good at anything, you can be a teacher. You don’t have to be, like, literally a certified teacher. And so teaching sewing was fun. I didn’t always know what I was doing, but it was this weird feedback loop where, like, the more I sewed, the more I learned, the better I got, the more confidence I had. And it just, kind of, like, kept rolling like that.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s awesome. And it’s so cool that you’ve been making videos for so long ‘cause you can really go back and see the evolution of your personal style and of your videos and the different types of content that you created. So we definitely wanna get into talking about your YouTube channel.

But before then, can you give our listeners a sense of what your personal style is? Because you do make a lot of clothes for yourself, for your videos. So what, what are they gonna get when they go to your YouTube channel?

Wendy: I would say my style is always playful. There’s an element to which the things I saw for YouTube might not even always 100% align with how I dress from day to day And it’s because, because I’m creating content I have to make something that’s at least interesting for people to watch, and so the YouTube style is definitely more amped up in its playfulness. It’s sometimes sporty, sometimes cutesy. I tried to have it be, like, fun and expressive but also very practical. I hate making things that I’m only going to wear once.

And on a personal level though, I do think I dress just, like, a lot more comfortably. But I do love dressing up for different situations and that feeling of being a chameleon. I love, like, trying to be glam one day and then trying to be sporty the next day. So, my personal style is, like, all over the place. But on my YouTube channel, I think fundamentally all the things I make are to, like, spark some kind of joy in the textile, in the silhouette, and in the colours.

Caroline: That makes a lot of sense. Yeah.

Helen: It definitely comes across. Like, there’s so many fun things on your YouTube channel, and you experiment so much, which I love. Like, you’re not afraid to try a textile you haven’t tried before.

Wendy: Oh, I am. I am afraid. I’m very, I’m very afraid

Helen: I mean, you’re afraid, but you still do it, and that’s so great. And, like, you were talking about being a teacher and you really do, you get that across when you’re doing your videos. You’re not, like, exactly telling people how to do XYZ, but you’re teaching people about fashion, and you’re teaching people about textile waste, and you’re teaching people about inspiration, and you’re encouraging them to just, like, try things, and there’s so much creative energy and joy that comes across in your videos. So yeah, we love to see it. It’s so great.

Caroline: Let’s talk a little bit more about this process and, and the fact that you’re, kind of, not afraid to…

Helen: She is afraid.

Caroline: …um, or maybe you are afraid, but you’re still.

Wendy: I’m afraid. I’m afraid.

Caroline: Okay, you are afraid, but you’re still sharing, like, the journey with you-, with your audience, you’re showing the process, a lot of the time, you’re showing the designing and the fitting, and obviously, the sewing process, including fixing mistakes, changing direction. It’s so relatable. So why do you feel it’s important to show that whole process, like, including the mishaps, including the mistakes?

Wendy: So this is the, definitely the biggest change that’s happened on my channel is I used to be so uncomfortable with showing the reality of sewing. I think it’s ‘cause I knew sewing of, out of many many hobbies that you could choose from is on the more intimidating side.

Like, you got to own a whole machine Then, you got to buy all this fabric. Then, you got to know how to use the machine to slap the fabric together. Like, when I think about people who are like, I’m gonna try crochet, and they buy one needle and one yarn. And then I’m like, yeah, sewing is terrifying in comparison to this.

So I had this pressure to make sewing seem a bit more easy. And so I was like, we got to make the videos really clean, really easy to follow. Don’t show them any of the ways they could accidentally run off track. Just be like, step A, step B, step C. And then, I think just over time, I realised I didn’t have the expertise. Like, I didn’t go to fashion school or anything, so I was like, I didn’t have the expertise to be presenting it in such a clean and, like, very godmother-like level.

I was, like, I think it will just be more true to myself and more relatable to others who watch if I show them like, yeah, these are the steps I’m trying to follow, but, but sewing is inherently full of surprises, and I thought about it, and I was like, you know, I I haven’t gone to fashion school. The vast majority of people on this planet have not gone to fashion school, but I’m down to have us all figure it out together.

So that thought process, I think, has made me more comfortable with showing downsides and then, also seeing people, like, laugh with me and enjoy the struggle I was like, oh, okay, at least we’re all getting something out of reality of sewing.

Helen: It is the reality. I mean, people get surprised sometimes when I tell them that I make mistakes, and I have to unpick things. They’re like, really? Like, of course! That is just part of sewing. It happens to all of us, all the time. So I love that you show those things. And we were wondering, how do you keep a resilient and positive attitude when you do encounter those things that don’t go according to plan?

Wendy: I was not always positive. Um, I think, like, every time I get scared of doing something new I, kind of, just tell myself, like, the time and the money I put into the raw materials is probably still much less than paying for a lesson. Maybe it’s a weird way to think of it, but in the beginning, for example, like, I would only sew with super affordable sale fabrics because it terrified me to make something horrible out of expensive fabric. And as I got more confident, I was like, okay, maybe today we’re gonna buy silk. Ah!

But and, like, I just would, kind of, talk myself out of the fear by being like, you know, if you really mess it up, that’s okay. Like, the silk costs however much per yard, and that’s still cheaper than, like, I don’t know, going to fashion school or something. I just, I don’t know if this is a weird way to think of it, but somehow that would keep me going.

It’s, like, I do have this general attitude in life as a whole which is, like, I’m not a finished product. I’m a work in progress, and so, like, it’s okay for my sewing to reflect that I’m a work in progress. You know, maybe when I’m an old granny, I will make, like, my final grand creation or something. But, like, until then, I don’t want to put that kind of pressure on myself because I want to, like, keep learning and keep being open to facing things that I don’t know and, like, learning via mistakes. As terrifying as it is.

Caroline: I actually love this idea of, like, even if you make a mistake, it’s cheaper than going to fashion school. I feel like you’re, like, “girl math-ing” your way into buying expensive fabric. You’re like, it’s basically free because I don’t have to go to fashion school.

Wendy: And I bought it last year, so right now it’s free.

Caroline: It’s free.

Helen: It’s free. The money is spent. Well and rarely are things completely gone, like, I mean, I, sometimes I finish a garment and I’m like, oh girl, this did not, this did not work at all, and then, I put it in the bin for potential refashioning later, whether that happens or not is another story, but oftentimes, mistakes are just little bumps in the road, and you can fix them, and that’s what’s so great about sewing.

Wendy: Yeah. This is why I think I continue to be so terrified to get into knitting. It’s because I think I only know how to problem solve in this sewing world. And knitting, where, like, you are assembling the garment row by row, I’m just like, wait, but how do you fix mistakes?

Caroline: Heartbreak. It’s…

Wendy: Heartbreak is how.

Helen: No, the first time I knit something and I found a mistake in, like, a row, like, 10 rows down, I panicked. But then I took it to my friend who’s a master knitter, and he was like, oh you just drop down, fix it, and then go up the column. And I was like, I didn’t even know that was possible. Like, that you can do it. It’s crazy.

Wendy: Gosh, maybe I should re-face my fear of knitting.

Caroline: I’m with you. It’s similar to sewing, but it’s also so different. And it feels like, you know, you’re learning, like, a whole new skill and making mistakes is scary again.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. So true.

Wendy: I think maybe I’m just already too stressed out about sewing. I don’t need another.

Caroline: Yeah. Do you have any advice for our listeners for getting a good fit on a garment?

Wendy: I mean, this is why the better you get at sewing… does not correlate to you making less mistakes. It’s because, like, the better you get, the faster you work. And then the faster you work, the closer you fly to the sun. And so, like, my advice is always, like, you should slow down. You should make a mock-up before you make the final.

But just with, I feel so, like, this is just words in the wind on a good day because anyone who is, like, powering through their sewing just wants to get it right the first time. And they’re probably sewing because they have a deadline. So I’ll say it, but I understand if people don’t follow it, which is slow down and make a mock-up, but we all wanna get things done fast.

Helen: That’s true. And there’s a lot of great stuff in your videos about how to pinch things here and there, take it in a little at the seam, how to alter things. So I think there’s a lot of creating and changing on the fly, which is also great for getting a good fit.

Wendy: Yes, that’s for sure, but that’s part of slowing down to me because, like, whenever I’m in a rush, then I don’t even have time to keep trying on the garment over and over and keep, like, pinching and adjusting as I go. I’m just like, okay. Well, I’ll just go through steps 1 through 10, and then, I’ll try it on. And then I’m like, oh I should have tried it on a bit earlier.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Would’ve been great if I hadn’t already flat felled this seam, but whatever.

Wendy: Yes.

Helen: Well, you’ve been making YouTube videos for a long time, as we’ve already mentioned. Caroline and I actually went back as far as we could…

Wendy: No!

Helen: …um, to the early days, ‘cause…

Wendy: Why would you do that?

Helen: …we had to see, and it was so, oh, my gosh, it was so great. It was so, like, early days of YouTube style, and you were just adorable. Like, I loved it. I loved every second of it.

Wendy: Thanks, guys. I don’t even go back there. I’m like, it, it exists, but I don’t make eye contact.

Caroline: Yeah, we don’t go back to our really old episodes either.

Helen: Fair. But one of the things we were wondering is if you could tell us how your content has, kind of, evolved and changed over the years.

Wendy: Well, at the very starter level, I feel like my ability to just speak to a camera has certainly improved a lot. Like, in the beginning, I felt so terrified. I think when I look at it, I see a lot of personal growth of, like, I’ve become more confident with the camera. I’ve become more stylistically informed.

Oh, my gosh, like, when I started in university, like, my number one true north star of my fashion was just comfort. It was just, like, hoodies, sweatpants, and, like, no hate on hoodies and sweatpants, but it’s just really not a, like, broad range of fashion shapes and silhouettes. And so I see, like, skills being refined.

I think from the outside perspective, they’ll see that things went from being much more stiff and step ABC tutorial to being a, what I call now, like, a sewing adventure. It’s, like, we start at point A, we have an idea of where we want to be at the end, and we just, kind of, like, meander our way there. I share the struggles.

I honestly don’t even think I share, like, 50% of the actual struggles, because some struggles are so slow. Like, who wants to watch me seam rip, like, two metres of fabric? But yeah, I’m much more transparent and celebratory of that process, even though it pains me, even though it terrifies me. I just like that that’s out there now, so that anyone who wants to sew doesn’t feel like, am I just dumb for, like, making mistakes? It’s like, no, no, no, like, we’re all, going through that.

Caroline: Yeah. No, it is. And again, like, we’re gonna keep saying, you’re so relatable, and I think that’s why people love watching your channel is that we can, sort of, follow you on that journey and make mistakes alongside you and feel like it is okay to make mistakes. I also wonder, ‘cause you’ve been doing this for a little while, if you have, like, a favourite project that you’ve made for your channel or something that’s really resonated with your audience, um, that’s been really, really popular that you want to call out.

Wendy: Yes, this is something I never set out to have as a thing, but essentially every winter I turn a blanket that I find into some, kind of, like, jacket or garment. So I’ve now dubbed it, like, our annual blanket thrift flip. And, truly, I’m proud of every single one of them. I had this one, like, satin quilted one that I turned into a big, puffy wrap coat.

Recently, I had this, like, yellow quilted fabric that had these really pretty flowers on it. I made it into a matching coat for myself and my toddler. There was one year I found this, like, IKEA throw blanket, and I turned it into a Chanel-style, like, jacket and skirt combo. And I don’t know what it is, but I do love thrifting in the blanket section.

I, maybe, it’s just ‘cause it’s, like, basically shopping for fabric. It’s, like, a large, untouched material And yeah, well, I mean definitely a lot of that is informed by the fact that I am Canadian. It’s cold, so I love a cosy sewing project.

Helen: Yeah, you also made a jacket out of a sleeping bag, which I loved.

Wendy: Yes! Oh, my gosh.

Helen: It was so cute!

Wendy: How could I forget? Yes, that one is too warm. I will say that now. I literally have to wait until the weather report says, like, it’s a polar vortex, and I’m like, the day has come. I can wear my sleeping bag jacket because otherwise, I, like, true, I sweat buckets inside it. I’m shocked how hot that jacket is

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Caroline: That is so funny.

Helen: It must have been hard to sew, too, because that’s bulky.

Wendy: Yeah.

Helen: Like, how did you even manage to sew those sleeves?

Wendy: Many, many needles were slain in the process, just littering the roadside.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Wendy: Yeah, I basically got to the point where I was like, been going well, that means any minute now the needle’s going to break again.

Helen: Yeah, you can feel it coming.

Wendy: You’re like, my machine is under stress. It’s gonna happen.

Helen: That’s the flying too close to the sun thing, right?

Wendy: Yeah. Yes. Yes.

Helen: Yeah. I love that Chanel jacket skirt combo, too, because I literally have that blanket in my house, and I’m looking at it in a whole new light. I need to go cut it up.

Wendy: I didn’t even know it was IKEA ‘cause I found it at the thrift store. And then after I finished, I posted it, and people were like, oh, my gosh, I have this IKEA blanket. And I was like, IKEA what? What did you say?

Helen: This isn’t, like, a high end designer blanket? No, we do love your thrift flips, and we’re going to talk about them a little bit later in the episode. But, we also wanted to know if you could walk us through a bit of the video making process for you. Like, how long does it take to prep and film and edit these videos that you make?

Wendy: I feel like it’s roughly two to three weeks. Like, I think back when I was doing this all by myself, and I was single, and I had no kid, I would just, like, pump them out so hard, but nowadays, especially with, like, more things in life to juggle, it’s roughly at two to three weeks, and that’s also only possible because I have a team of people helping me with filming and with editing it. Some YouTubers are quite formulaic, like, it’s, like, day one, we shoot, day two, like, we do wrap-up, day three…

I, I unfortunately have not ever reached that level of formulaic work schedule. Every day I would just wake up and look at my projects and be like, okay, what needs to be done today? And I just do my best to get done what I need to do today.

Helen: Yeah, that’s fair. And, like, that’s also part of sewing ‘cause you never know how far you’re going to make it in the process or what’s going to happen any given day.

Wendy: Oh. Oh, yeah. I definitely still have sewing optimism, where I’m like, and then I’ll whip up the top half in the morning, and in the afternoon, I’ll whip up the bottom half, and then in the evening, I’m gonna sew them together, and it’s like, evening, and I’m like, I’m done one strap.

Helen: You mentioned your team, and sometimes, we can see them in the background of your videos. And I was wondering if you’ve got folks, like, full-time hanging out at your house, working with you or what’s going on.

Wendy: No, I wish I made enough to give that, like, job and income to another person, but I don’t. I think because of my setup with, like, having a kid and having a family, I am never quite sure how full-on I want to be with YouTube, and so I always do it, kind of, like, to the degree that I find myself able, and then, beyond that, I, I am, like, a fiscally, like, cautious person.

So I’ve only ever brought on team members that I knew I could sustain. I have, like, an assistant who helps me part-time. I have two video editors who helped me part-time. And then, the newest person that I’ve added to my team helps me with my social media.

Caroline: Nice.

Wendy: One of them are full-time, and not one of them are locked in at my studio with me, suffering with me. And yeah, I’m happy with the way it is now, but I am always intrigued, like, what other setups could be possible or, like, what this could look like in the future. I think I just, like, do what makes sense right now and try to keep an open mind for what’s, what’s in the future.

Caroline: Yeah, I mean, that makes a lot of sense. And I do wonder because when I think about making videos about sewing, I personally don’t know if I could do it. ‘Cause it’s, like, one thing to sew a project, but it’s a whole other thing to be documenting…

Wendy: Yes!

Caroline: …your project along the way. And you’ve been making DIY content for a while. So I wonder if you have any, like, insider tips or tricks that you’ve learned over the years of, like, how you, sort of, make that work of, like, sewing something, but then, also documenting it and putting it out there.

Wendy: Uh, yeah, I would love to learn any tips and tricks anyone else has out there. Um, I think like, I’m reflecting on where my YouTube channel started, which was, I was at university and during the breaks, when I flew back to Calgary to spend time with my family, I would just, like, film a whole bunch of stuff with my mom’s machine, and then, bring the footage with me back to Western – that’s where I went to school.

And then I’d edit it in between classes and whatnot that I had going on at school. And that was obviously hard to sustain a YouTube channel on because I’m not even physically with a sewing machine. And when I compare that to the way it is now, I would say the biggest tip would be, like, figuring out the tools or the setup that have it so that, like, a camera is just, like, ready to go.

Because the reality is you get carried away in the sewing process, and then, you forget to film, and it’s almost like you have to make filming as easy as possible. Like, all my cameras, they only have one setting, and they just, they literally sit on that one setting the whole time so that there’s as little as possible for me to fiddle with and get going on filming a shot. But I mean, practice helps, too, but I heavily, heavily relate to whenever I see those TikToks or reels that are like, I’m going to film every step. And it’s like, oh, whoops. Sorry.

Helen: Nevermind, it’s just the very beginning and the very end.

Wendy: Yeah. Like, well, here’s what I made. Sorry I didn’t show you how it’s done.

Helen: Oh, that is a great tip though. I’m still in the phase of just, like, I have one tripod, and I just move it around with my camera everywhere around my studio, and yeah, it sucks. I should really get more cameras.

Wendy: Yeah, I had one setup at one point, I have not recreated the setup in a long time, but at one point I had one where a camera was always sitting above my head, pointed straight down at the desk, and often, I’m like, that was one of the best setups that I ever had, but like, my current desk doesn’t have, like, a bar or anything, and so I have not… I’ve forgotten about this one, but that’s one of my faves.

Helen: Hang it from the ceiling.

Wendy: So I used to have a loft bed, like, you climb up to the bunk bed and then, below it you can fit a desk. And I would have a camera suspended via its own strap from the bottom of the bed. And so after I pressed record, I would have to sit still for a moment for the camera to stop swinging. And then, I would start.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Wendy: So, yeah, good times.

Helen: Oh, yeah, 2010 was such a vibe. Well, everything is evolving at a very, very fast pace these days, especially social media, and it can be, kind of, exhausting. So we were wondering how you feel about keeping things fresh and how you’ve continued to thrive as a creator over the years. And how do you feel about TikTok?

Wendy: And… how do you feel about TikTok? Um, yeah, it honestly is so overwhelming the more you look at it. So I will start by saying there’s a degree to which, like, you do have to just be comfortable with your own lane. You can’t just be everything to everyone all at once. As much as, like, I’m a people pleaser, and so I want so badly to be like, I’m everywhere, I’m doing it all, but it’s, like, it’s not possible.

And so there is a degree to which making content forces you to be quite a, like, self-reflective person because you have to really decide, like, who am I, what do I value, what is important to me, and what is not important to me. And then after, kind of, creating a solid base in that area, then I just try to pay attention to see what’s happening.

I’ll try to follow different accounts that I feel like, I don’t know, have a finger on the pulse or whatever, but just figure out ways to do it that make sense for me. It’s hard, though. I think content creation is getting more and more accessible, which is so exciting, but it’s also such a volume that it’s, it’s terrifying, too.

I, I’m so curious how this will evolve over the years, and, like, especially now with a kid, I’m like, oh, what’s it gonna look like in her generation? I feel okay about TikTok, but I will say when I describe it, I, more often than not, compare it to a black hole. So that might not be like, I think that reflects, like, whether I view it positively or negatively as a whole.

Helen: I mean, no, we can’t say for sure. No, I mean, again, that’s all very relatable and who knows where this journey is going to take us, but kudos to you. You’re doing a great job. And I love the longer format on YouTube, especially for things like sewing, because it does give us the opportunity to really see the process and appreciate how much time and effort it does take. And like we were saying earlier, just to show people the reality of it so that, not to discourage them, but to actually encourage them to tackle it and know that it’s okay if it takes them a long time, too.

Wendy: Yeah, me too. I love the long form on YouTube. I think that really is my, like, the way my brain works. And so it’s what I prefer to do. And you’ve seen those, I don’t know if you guys have seen those jokes where it’s like, imagine if James Cameron was a YouTuber and it’s, like, at the end of Titanic, and he’s, like, subscribe!

It’s, like, and every, every format has its own way that it works, and, I think I just love longform. I’m trying to say, like, I want to celebrate the way each of these formats work, and it pains me to feel like one is better than the other, or whatever. I love my long form. This is why I asked someone to do my social media for me because I was like, I only have so much brain space. Please help me.

Helen: Yeah, well, that’s fair. Well, and you have all this video footage, so they’ve got lots to work with.

Wendy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. If you remember to hit record, then you’ll be good. Alright. We’re going to take a quick break, and we’ll be right back.

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

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

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

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

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Caroline: And we’re back. Okay, Wendy, there is a specific project I’d like to talk to you about.

Wendy: I wonder what it could be.

Caroline: Because, I don’t know if you know this, but I am working on making my own wedding dress, and I saw that you made yours. Did you notice how my voice went up there? I’m making my own…

Wendy: …wedding dress!

Caroline: …and I saw that you made your own, too. So I was wondering if we could chat about it a little bit.

Wendy: I’m having that same feeling where, like, after I gave birth, I was like, I want to tell people who are expecting what to expect, but there’s a degree to which, like, you can’t tell them everything ‘cause you don’t want to, like, freak them out unnecessarily.

Helen: Oh, no.

Caroline: Well, I’m, I’m pretty deep in the process. There is no turning back at this point because it’s too late to buy a dress, so I’m in it. But yeah, I just want to know a little bit more about how that process was for you.

Wendy: Okay, there was a lot of internal turmoil in the beginning because part of me was, like, this is my one chance to purchase an item that will be specifically tailored to me, like, probably one of the nicest garments that I’ve ever gotten to wear so far in my life. And so there was a degree where I was so excited to, kind of, like, revel in and celebrate the craftsmanship of someone else.

But then I was like, well, I have a YouTube channel where I make clothes, so it also would make a lot of sense for you to make your own wedding dress. So in the end I chose to make my own, and I don’t have any regrets, so I hope that gives you some peace. But…

Helen: But…

Wendy: …but, bu, afterwards, I was like, I am never doing that again.

Helen: Hopefully, you won’t have to.

Wendy: I know. I was like, if for some unforeseen reason I ever have to go through a wedding ceremony again, I’m for sure going to revel in and celebrate the craftsmanship of another. Okay, but I say that, I said that then. However, I’m now a few years into it in, like, a new dilemma where now I’ve seen my sewing skills have increased so much that now I’m almost like, oh if I made this wedding dress now, it would look so much better than back when I made it back then. So then there’s now, like, a new temptation that’s, like, I guess if given the opportunity, I would make a dress. I don’t know. It’s, um, hopefully, I never have to, like, come to making this decision.

But, yeah, making a wedding dress, it was hard work. I would say it’s the hardest I’ve ever had to self-motivate to finish a project, and like, I was asking my partner, what, like, I have some friends who recently have decided to become content creators, and they’re like, oh Wendy, like, we’d love some advice. And I was like, oh, I wonder what my partner has to say about this because he has been watching me from his perspective, and he might see it very differently than me. And he was like, oh, his take is 50% of being a content creator is being very self-motivated.

And I was like, oh, I never thought about that as being such a big piece of what I do. But I, but I will say, like, on top of that, sewing my own wedding dress was the most self-motivated I’ve ever had to be. I had, like, friends messaging me from, like, a nearby restaurant being like, oh, my gosh. Like, the weather’s so great. Come, we’re out on this patio. And I’m like, I can’t. I have to cut and layer, like, 20 layers of tulle circle skirt. I was just like, why am I doing this?

Caroline: I totally feel you because I’m, it’s the summer right now, and I’m working on my dress, and it’s so beautiful outside, and I’m kicking myself for not making my dress when it was dreary and rainy, but I’m a procrastinator so…

Wendy: I know, I know. It’s, it’s so hard. And, like, my partner, too, was like, if you’re still working on this dress the night before our wedding, like, I don’t know. He, like, said it, like, jokingly, but he was trying to be serious about the threat. He’s like, we’re not getting married. And I was like, okay. And the night before the wedding, me and my mom are like, we’re not getting married. We’re like, ah ha ha ha. There’s, like, two witches like brewing in the sewing room.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Okay, so you were working on this dress the night before the wedding.

Wendy: Yeah. Okay. Not the night before it, but the second, the second night before.

Caroline: Okay. Oh, my gosh.

Wendy: Yes, because the night before, I was already, we got married at my in-laws’ house, in, like, their backyard. So the night before I had taken my hands off the table, and we were just chilling. But…

Helen: Oh, my gosh. That is stressful though, like, Caroline, please tell me that’s not gonna be you.

Caroline: I know that’s, like, pretty much Helen is that person for me who’s like, you’re not going to make this the night before the wedding, right? And…

Helen: Yeah. I will not marry you, Caroline.

Wendy: I refuse.

Helen: I love this idea of, like, do I really want to marry somebody who’s working on their dress the night before the wedding?

Wendy: Yeah, I’m like, why is this a deal breaker? What, what’s the problem?

Caroline: And obviously he’s still married to you, so you’re good.

Wendy: Yay!

Caroline: Okay, back to the dress though. Did you make toiles to test out your design before you worked on the final garment?

Wendy: No. I was, I was on crazy mode. It was, like, no test garments. I, just, the choices that were made, I question a lot of them, but, yeah, no test. I, like, literally one day was, like, shoot, I gotta make this top. So I had, like, a satin halter top that had, that was backless, and it had princess seams.

And had I done princess seams before? No. Um, had I worked with that weight of satin before? No. Have I ever made a slim fit bodice before? I don’t think so. And so I made it and I was like, this looks bad. My boobs look really bad. It’s bad. And then my mom shows up a few days before the wedding, and she could tell that I was already losing steam. I was reaching a point of like, it’s, it’s fine. I’ll just accept it the way it is.

And she’s like, oh my gosh, Wendy, like, okay, we’re going to give this another crack. She, like, sits there, like, seam ripping the satin, and helping me to reshape it. I don’t even know when’s the last time she did princess seams, but she, at least, had some stamina. Whereas, I was like, it’s fine. I’m just going to go lie on the ground.

Caroline: Just wrap some tulle around yourself, and you’re good.

Wendy: It’s fine. So yeah, I highly, highly, recommend to anyone who’s listening to this, please make a test garment, even though it’s not fun. And please try to get it done during not nice weather.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. Even if you’re the kind of sewist who doesn’t like to make muslins, now is the time.

Caroline: Now’s the time.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: You’ve mentioned tulle. You’ve mentioned heavy satin. You’ve mentioned halter. But can you just describe your wedding dress for our listeners? And we’ll also post a pic in the show notes, obviously, but let them know what it looks like.

Wendy: Honestly, it’s a very simple silhouette and actually, what I ended up doing was first I went to go try on a super similar silhouette at a store so that I could be like, oh, okay. I’m happy with the way this looks on me. Because there’s a degree to which people, you know like the whole trying on the dress process people, kind of, discover, like, oh I didn’t realise that I liked the silhouette on me and things like that.

So I’m, like, I’m glad I at least experimented with trying on the, the perhaps finished product, and I highly recommend that to others if you, if you’re gonna make your own dress. Like, maybe go try a similar one first to be like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This, if I get here, I’ll be happy. Yeah, it was, like, a a-line tulle, like, not quite ballgown, like, uh, yeah, somewhere between a-line and ballgown. Or was it princess? Oh, no. I’ve lost all track of skirt silhouettes.

Caroline: It’s, like, a poofy skirt.

Wendy: Yeah, not ballgown, but not like bell, but like more of an A shape for sure. And then it had, like, a satin halter top with princess seams. It was backless, so I had a lot of, like, anti, gravity, kind of, I don’t know, challenges, like the waist, for example, would have to fit me just right or else way too much of the dress’s weight would be hanging on my shoulders and then you would see, like, I don’t know, like, the straps pinching my shoulders and stuff, which is not cute.

So, I’m glad I went with a more classic silhouette. And design, but I have mixed feelings when I look back on the dress sometimes I’m like, I’m so proud of myself that I did that, and other times I’m like, oh, but it hurts that now I am truly, like, miles ahead in skill level compared to back then. But it’s okay. It’s a time capsule of me and where I was at.

Helen: Yeah, and it honestly looks stunning. Like, none of that struggle is coming across.

Wendy: Aw, thanks, you guys. Yeah, this is the, this is the issue with, like, making your own clothes, is you become the one who’s hyper aware of every little stitch.

Helen: Yes. Yeah. Did you have trouble not pointing things out to people on the big day when they would compliment you on the dress? Be like, oh, but look, there’s, like, threads over here and I could have…

Wendy: No. I was able to bite my tongue for that.

Helen: Oh, that’s good.

Wendy: Yeah.

Caroline: You had enough other things going on, I guess.

Wendy: That’s true. Yeah. That’s, this is what, I, like, yeah, I mentioned this at the beginning. But yeah, like, when you make your own wedding dress, it’s super exciting, and it is quite an accomplishment. But then somehow in the grand scheme of the whole wedding, there’s a bit of relief in discovering that it was not, like, the, for some reason, like, the one pillar holding up the whole wedding or something. You were relieved to discover there were many more exciting things going on.

Helen: There’s a whole ceremony. Did you know that?

Wendy: And this person I married. Yeah.

Caroline: Okay, so one more question about the dress. I wonder how it felt to take on such a huge project like this, and also then document it for YouTube.

Wendy: Uh, I, uh, it’s so, I find this stuff difficult. I think I’m, like, relatively, kind of, like, a, I don’t know how else to put it. I feel like I’m, kind of, like, a thin-skinned person where, like, the comments that other people make I’ll try to be like, everyone’s entitled to their own thoughts, but to a degree, it affects me, and it makes me scared to read a potential comment that is, like, negative or I, I definitely feel like my audience can, like, read this vibe from me because everyone is almost always so nice.

So I’m like, thank you. Thank you guys for treating me with, with gentleness. I really appreciate it, and so yeah, like, there’s a degree to which people will already have their own, kind of, judgments about, like, even if you bought your wedding dress alone people would have their own comments on, like, whether they like the dress or didn’t like the dress, and so that’s already in the mix, and then, on top of that, like, fearing that they’ll be like, oh, she made her own dress, and it doesn’t even look good.

But, of course, that’s, like, a very antagonistic way to think about it. And I think the real life outcome was I felt super accomplished. I felt happy to share it. There was one day I was in my building going up in the elevator and then, someone was like, oh, are you Wendy? And I was like, whoa, like, yeah.

And then she was like, I made my own wedding dress because I watched your video of you making your own wedding dress, and that was mind-blowing to me that, like, my journey was not horrific enough that other people wanted to go down that road, too. And so, like, what I’m saying is, as you approach it, I found I was quite scared, but then, as you exit it, it’s like, I’m proud of myself. I did that.

Caroline: And the end result was absolutely gorgeous. You looked amazing.

Wendy: Thanks, guys!

Caroline: The dress turned out awesome. I hope my dress looks as amazing as yours did.

Wendy: It’s going to be so great. I’m, I’m, I’m super looking forward to it. It’s, like, the freedom of creativity to do it yourself means it feels like a very true expression of self.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Definitely. Yeah. And I know, Caroline, you were feeling similarly about whether or not to buy versus make, but then you’re like, but I have a sewing podcast and a fabric store. Like, I have to make my dress.

Wendy: I must.

Caroline: Yeah, yeah, there is that, that pressure is real. It really is. Even if it’s not, like, rooted in actual reality where, like, no one’s going to come up to me and be like, why didn’t you make your wedding dress?

Wendy: How dare you?

Caroline: But at the back of your mind, you’re like, well, people are probably thinking it though, you know? So…

Wendy: Like, there’s that fear of looking back and having regret of like, ah…

Caroline: So no regrets, and I swear I’m almost done. It is August, so I’m, like, six weeks away from the wedding. It’s not the night before.

Wendy: I’m super, yeah, I’m super excited for you because “almost done” were not words in my vocab when I was roughly a month away from my wedding.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you so much for sharing. I think, selfishly, I loved hearing all about that process, but let’s talk about some of the other content that you make for your YouTube channel. One of the things we’ve loved seeing is how you make your own versions of designer garments. So we wanted to just ask a little bit about that. Have you always been interested in high fashion?

Wendy: No, I would say, I’m such a comfort person at my core, and I didn’t grow up with any interest in high fashion or luxury goods. Like, honestly, so much of what I know about it has just come from more recently being a person who likes to read up about fashion history and learn more about the business of fashion.

But it probably came about because I do love to examine how things are made, and this might be like the more engineering side of me. So when I went to Western I studied engineering, and I studied business, and I think this engineering side of me is fascinated by, like, taking clothes and flipping it inside out and being like, oh, that’s a really interesting pocket. What order of operations did they use to get to this so that, like, the seams are invisible? Or things like that.

And once I became a person who was more interested in how garments are made, I think, kind of, like, veering towards high fashion became inevitable because between, like, fast fashion and a garment that took a really long time to make, you can see the varying levels of effort, and you just start noticing the details that make something look nice versus the details that make something look sloppy, and I think that is, the route that I came about it. I would not say I’m, like, by any means, like, a high fashion expert or snob, I just… If something looks nice, I’m like, huh, what’s going into it that makes it look nice?

Caroline: Mhm. And what does that process look like for you when you are reverse engineering these designer clothes? Are you actually going into a store and, like, trying something on or looking at the construction?

Wendy: Yes, I used to, I’m a pro level window shopper. Like, I’m the person who can walk through a whole mall without pulling out my wallet. And all I’m doing is, like, flipping things and looking inside out.

I think during, like, my teenage and, or maybe university years, if I went to the mall with friends, I would, they’d be trying clothes on, and I’d be, like, poking at the clothes and, like, flipping them while they’re on the rack and then, the salesperson’s like, oh, would you like to try that on? And I’m like, no, I’m good.

Um, and then the other thing I think that’s more practical is that when I approach my own projects, I try to write out all the steps before I start. And in that process, I discover those moments where it’s like, oh, next I’m going to do this, and then, I sit there and I’m like, wait, how’s that possible?

And I’ll find that I write the steps, but then, I’ll, like, reorder them so that it makes sense. And it’s, kind of, like, I feel like I’m coming at it from a lot of directions, like, what’s the end goal, where am I starting, and just, like, trying to figure out, oh, I have to do this first before I do this.

I will say, like, an example of my skill level in increasing this area is starting out, I absolutely would not touch lining with a 10 foot pole. I was just so terrified by the prospect of having, like, two layers of fabric to worry about instead of just one. But then, now that I’ve gotten more into lining I, kind of, get it a lot more.

And so now I find myself watching fancy videos of people showing how they do, like, fancy pockets, or, like, these, like, zipper closures with a flap of fabric hiding it, or, like, how people sew flies, and I’m just like, okay, this is a whole new level of, like, order of operations that is very interesting to me.

Helen: It is so fun watching you go through this process in part because you are just, sort of, following your heart, and you’re figuring out your own steps and your own process, and you’re sharing all of that with us. And one of the things I’ve noticed is that you don’t use a lot of patterns.

Wendy: Yeah.

Helen: So can you tell us a little bit about your experience using patterns or maybe your desire to not use patterns?

Wendy: I want to say I’m not anti-pattern. Actually, I would say I’m pro-pattern. And growing up, I really liked sewing from patterns but there’s this weird dynamic on YouTube where I’m making something that’s accessible to everyone on the internet. But the pattern might not be. And so, because I was trying to make videos that could suit a wider range of audience, I would show people like, oh, you could roughly estimate the size of this piece from an existing shirt that you own. Because then I’m talking about something that they might actually have.

Lately, because my sewing has gotten more technical and more like the fit has specific, I find I’ve come back towards patterns. I discovered this tool, the creator of this tool emailed me about it a few years ago called Lutterloh, and it’s, like, a sewing kit that uses the golden rule to measure your bust and your hips and from there extrapolate, like, a whole giant catalogue of patterns.

Helen: Oh!

Wendy: Um, yeah, and I, I love this tool. I wish I could, like, give it to all of my followers for free ‘cause it’s been so helpful to me, but I am a pattern person at heart. I think it’s just easier when I think in 2D.

Helen: Yeah. No, and you do make patterns. I love watching you rub off ready to wear and show people how to copy things in their own closet. I think that’s so fun, and it is a lot more accessible to folks. So it totally makes sense that you, that you go that route. But it’s, it’s really fun watching you extrapolate pattern pieces from just looking at a picture on the internet. And I especially love when you take suggestions from your followers. People are like, make this dress. And then you’re like, okay, I’ll try.

Wendy: Yeah. I love taking their input ‘cause it’s, kind of, gets me out of my own head for a moment. We’re, like, the internet can really, like, give you tunnel vision sometimes where the algorithm just keeps showing you the stuff that you seem to be interested in. So I love hearing from my audience and seeing what they’re doing.

Helen: Is there a particular designer piece that you dream of making that you haven’t had a chance to make yet?

Wendy: I do think, I don’t think of it as much as, like, specific designer pieces, but more so, like, what parts of the fabric store have I not really touched. Yeah, because I love going to the fabric store and looking around at the different sections. And I think one section that comes to mind that I always like to look at, but I don’t think I’ve ever purchased in, is the tweed section.

Oh, my gosh. I love how tweeds look, but I just, I don’t, I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t feel super practical for day-to-day life that we have in Canada. But I would love to find the right tweed to make something there. I would love to make, like, a really nice wool pea coat. That’s, like, something very intimidating to me.

Between the tweed and the wool you can see, like, suiting is, kind of, like, the scary territory for me. And I also am interested in, like, all the construction that goes into strapless dresses. So yeah, I would say anything that involves sewing with a material or technique that I haven’t tried before, those are the things that I’m, like, working up the courage towards.

Helen: I love that plan. It’s so fun to think about the areas of the sewing store that you never get to buy from. Like, I’m thinking of, like, faux fur and sequins and fun things like that. Yeah.

Wendy: Yeah, yeah, I have tackled faux fur and sequins.

Helen: Oh, nice.

Wendy: Tweed. Tweed is there.

Helen: And do you still have tiny little bits of sequins and fur everywhere all over your studio?

Wendy: It has been long enough that that’s not the case. I have my cat fur.

Helen: Right.

Wendy: And I mean, we’ve lived in this house for just over a year. And so I don’t think I’ve been here long enough to pull out the crazy fabrics yet.

Caroline: Okay, well, speaking of crazy fabrics, you also, kind of, treat the thrift store as a fabric store in some ways ‘cause you do some really awesome thrift flips, and we just love them so much. They’re so elegant. So we wanted to ask you how you elevate thrifted fabrics and secondhand garments.

Wendy: Okay, first of all, that’s, that’s very nice, so thank you. I definitely feel a lot of apprehension on the inside when I’m doing my thrift flips. Yeah, I think I, because I learned how to sew from my mom, it was all very oriented towards starting with a raw piece of fabric. And actually, weirdly enough, thrift flips really intimidated me because I don’t know what it is.

I think my brain just didn’t work that way, but as I got into it I realised, oh, my gosh. This is amazing because if you find the right item someone else has already done, like, 50% of the work. They’ve already finished your shoulder seams and whatever. So I’m a huge fan of thrift flipping now and making it look nice.

I would say the difference between early thrift flips and now is I’m much, much better. This is going to sound so technical and specific, but I would say I’m much, much better at finishing the hems nicely. Like, if you can’t tell where the sewing machine messed with it, that’s, kind of, the ideal outcome so it’s like finishing the hem so that it looks as much like the other hems that already exist or just, like, trying to do it in as clean of a way as possible.

And I also think, whenever I finish the projects, because I am making it for content, I take a lot of pride in trying to find a nice background or situation to take, kind of, like, the modelling photos, and sometimes I don’t even believe in a thrift flip until I get to the point where I’m taking the finished photos And I’m like, oh, okay. Yeah. Oh, all right. Okay, this looks okay.

So yeah, I love that part and a lot of my viewers comment too that something that they love about my channel and my content is, like, the effort that I put into selling the finished garment.

Helen: Mhm.

Caroline: That attention to detail is so key. I think when you’re upcycling or thrift flipping ‘cause I feel like we’ve all been to a thrift store and, like, looked at something and been like, ooh, somebody hemmed that. Like, you can tell, you know, like, if you see the, like, thread doesn’t match or it’s, like, a little crooked and you, sort of, see that, like, maker’s mark almost on the thrifted garment.

So having that, taking that time to match the thread or to really measure things out and make sure that you’re just paying attention to those little details, I think that can go a long way in having those thrift flips turn out to be elegant and looking like, you know, real finished garments.

Wendy: Mhm. Yeah, totally.

Caroline: What do you look for when you go to a thrift store? Like, do you have a certain section that you go to or do you just, kind of, like, follow your heart and pick out the fabrics you like?

Wendy: I usually go in with a plan so that I don’t get overwhelmed by all the stuff. Like I mentioned, I love to look in the blanket section, so much so that I’m pretty sure the latest blanket that I thrift flipped, I found in the middle of summer, and my, like, husband saw me walking towards the cashier holding, like, a gigantic quilted blanket, and he was like, oh, my gosh. Like, you’re gonna carry that home? It’s so hot outside.

And so, I love to look there, and then, beyond that, I find I am a person who just purely gravitates towards colours, patterns, and textures. It’s, like, it has to have the right or exciting thing going on in one of those three for me to even get to the point where I touch it and pull it out to see what is this object. I like to look in all the sections.

Maybe the one I look in the least, I would say, would be, like, athletic wear because I don’t own a coverstitch machine. I don’t know what it is. It scares me. But yeah, like, men’s shirts, that’s, like, a very classic thrift flip department. I love to look at all the women’s clothes. I look everywhere. But if I want to be focused, I’ll go in with a plan like, today I want to find a long sweater that I can turn into a cropped cardigan with a matching tank top. And then that way, like, I’ll, at least, start there. And then, if I’m in the mood, I might expand to other sections and see what’s there.

Caroline: Awesome. Those are great tips. Thanks for sharing. Okay, we want to talk a little bit about draping.

Wendy: Oh, boy.

Caroline: Um, switching gears here because we know that you do this from time to time, and we actually don’t get a chance to talk about draping very much on the pod.

Wendy: That’s true.

Caroline: Yeah, so when you’re planning to make a garment, how do you decide whether you’re going to use, like, a flat pattern making technique or whether you’re going to drape on a mannequin?

Wendy: Vast majority of time, speaking for myself, it is flat pattern. And I think that’s just ‘cause that’s the way my brain works. Draping? I feel compelled to give my history with draping, which is, oh, my gosh. I don’t ever want to come off as a draping expert because this is the real story. I was going to be on a reality TV show conte-, sewing contest. And I was, like, so scared at first when they were like, do you want to be on a reality TV show as a contestant for sewing? I was like, so fun.

And then as the day approached, I was like, I’m, why did I agree to this? I’m so stressed out, and then, on top of that, like, all week I had been battling, like, a horrible stomach flu. So I was like, I don’t want to be miked. I don’t want to have to go to the bathroom while I’m miked. Like, please spare me this agony.

So I was so scared. And so, like, I started cramming as some sort of coping mechanism. And I literally just, like, went on YouTube. I found someone named Nick Verreos, who, I think he used to be a Project Runway contestant, and he had videos on how to drape. I literally watched him and was just like, in case I need to do this on the show, I’m just going to glue my eyeballs to the screen to absorb this.

And so that, that is my intro to draping. And I did use it, like, within a few days on the show. And I was like, oh, my gosh, the fact that I’m sitting here trying to do this thing that I only watched someone else do, and I’ve never done before myself is maniacal. Um, but

Helen: I bet the producers were just like, yes!

Wendy: Well, they saw, they saw how stressed I was as a whole, and I think they were already thriving off of that.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Wendy: But yeah, like, if you’re new to sewing, I think, my personal take is that flat pattern is a much more approachable way to go about sewing a garment if you’re brand new. And it’s because there’s an element to which it looks, it’s, like, more ready to show you as a picture what is happening.

Whereas with draping, it’s harder to encapsulate in a visual textbook manner what the heck to do when you’re draping because the whole point of draping is to, like, let the fabric interact with the form and gravity, and so, like, depending on what fabric you’re using, the way it’s going to fall down is different.

And then, I also think a flat pattern is easier for beginners because you can figure out ways to, like, cut your fabric really economically so it’s not as costly to make a garment. Whereas with draping, it’s like you just start with a giant rectangle and then, kind of, like, snip and whittle away to get to the form that you want. So there is, I find, a bit more waste when it comes to draping.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s like the fabric is, kind of, your paper, right?

Wendy: Yeah, you’re just like, you pin it, and then, you let it fall, and then, you pin it in another spot, let it fall, and so in some ways it’s more intuitive. It’s like you’re listening to the fabric, and you get to really see how it’s going to interact with gravity. And then the downside is, like, it’s so much harder to learn and explain how to do this, because it’s just not, something that’s easy to capture, like, a textbook, I find.

Helen: Yeah. It’s the kind of thing you have to do in order to really experience and learn how to do it, which is intimidating for folks who like to do a bunch of reading or whatnot before they even dive in. But it sounds like the kind of thing, you just gotta put your hands on it and try.

Wendy: Yeah, and you need fancier tools. You, like, you need a dress form. I know people can make their own dress forms, of course, but that still takes a lot of time and effort. But you need a dress form that matches the body you’re trying to make the clothes for. Loads of pins and unpinning. I think, like, as I start to make, if there comes a time where I’m making more, like, fancy dresses or stuff like that, I can see myself getting more into draping.

Caroline: Yeah. It’s so funny that you mentioned reality TV because I feel like on, like, Project Runway or Drag Race or, like, anywhere where you see people sewing, like, on a deadline so much of it is, like, they’re, like, pinning fabric to a dress form…

Wendy: Yes!

Caroline: …and, like, draping seems to be, like, so popular in these shows. But then, in reality, there is that barrier to entry. You need that, that dress form. And then also it’s just, like, not that easy to do. That’s not really what most sewists do, I think. But it is really fun. I remember doing draping in school, and I’ve always wanted to come back to it because it’s just that tactile satisfaction versus, like, drafting on paper feels just like you don’t really get to see the full garment right away.

Wendy: Yeah. Yeah. You have to wait ‘til you get to a certain point and then you can see like, oh, how does it hang on my body?

Helen: Yeah, but I have noticed in your videos that you do use your dress form a lot just for fitting and visualising the end goal and figuring out, you know, where you’re going to take things in or manipulate things a bit. So it’s, sort of, like draping light.

Wendy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love my dress form. I feel like I use her far more for other things than for draping. Like when I’m pinning on sleeves, I like to do it with the dress form. ‘Cause then it’s like she’s holding up the garment for me while I pin. And I guess also because I’m often making up a design, she helps me think about, like, is it gonna look good? Or if I’m too lazy to try on an item, like, she can, kind of, stand in for me. Or if something’s not at the point where it can be tried on, but it could be pinned onto something, then, yeah,

Caroline: So what’s her name?

Helen: Yeah, I was gonna ask the same.

Wendy: I’m so uncreative. I’m pretty sure her name is, I just still refer to her as my Judy.

Helen: That’s cute.

Caroline: Thank you, Judy.

Helen: Yeah.

Wendy: Thank you, Judy, for all your service.

Helen: Well, at the top of the show, you mentioned that you have a little toddler, and we would love to know a little bit about what life is like sewing with a toddler around and creating content because I know we have a lot of listeners out there with kids so they can relate.

Wendy: Yes, I was so curious about this before having a child, as well, because literally before having a kid, it’s not that this was healthy, but with me and my content, I would just work, work, work, work, work until borderline, like, collapsing level of exhaustion. I think I honestly saved enough energy to cook dinner and then, just, like, sit on the couch with my partner for the whole evening and go to bed.

And then, once I had a kid, I was like, no, no. That bad. No. Cannot do that. Must save energy for this boundless energy child. And so there’s this weird degree now of, like, you can’t sew until you’re, like, totally beat or anything. In some ways, it’s been nice to sew but end on, like, a positive note instead of end on, like, a I can’t go on anymore. I’m just gonna go to sleep and come back to this project tomorrow.

I mean I sew, when it was early days and she, it was just, like, me and my mat leave, I would sew while she was napping. And then, sometimes I could sew while she was awake, too, like, she would watch me. One time I brought her up to my table in her high chair and she was, like, so enthralled with what was happening, which was super cute. And lately, she’s, actually been so much more interested in what I do because she’ll come in and see the machine.

She loves telling me to turn on the machine, turn off the machine, and, like, the, the, like, guide light, like, flickers on and off for her, and she, that excites her. And then, recently, she really wanted to see me use my overlock. So then I pulled out a scrap fabric, and we made a little bag together that she took and turned into a sleep sack for one of her dolls. Yeah, so it’s, like, very interesting to see the interest she takes and, of course, I have friends who will send me Reels that are, like, my three-year old using the sewing machine.

I’m like, okay guys, I know. I know. This is what you want from me. I see it. I don’t want to pressure her in that direction, but if she’s interested in learning how to use the machine, like, I’m more than happy to show her. I will say, like, from a content creation or, like, sewing full-time perspective, like, it just was even though I say, like, I could sew while she’s napping, or maybe while she’s awake, the reality is, like, once she started daycare, it was much more feasible to really, like, get invested in a project. So until the daycare started, it was very, touch and go. I didn’t have any deadlines. I would just be like, oh, I’d sew if I feel like it, type of thing.

Helen: Yeah, well, and the energy thing you were talking about, I imagine is a big challenge, just trying to conserve some energy for that creative process, which takes a lot out of you. So, yeah, I’m glad to hear that you’ve got daycare now and that you have a bit more time.

Wendy: Yes. I love daycare.

Helen: Yay for daycare. And what about sewing for your little one? Have you made projects for her?

Wendy: Yeah, I will say making clothes for little kids is motivating because everything’s tiny and cute. So first I made her, like, a little bonnet, the type that it’s, like, a little knit bonnet that ties under the chin ‘cause then, oh, my gosh, I don’t know what it is. But, like, when there’s a newborn, suddenly, like, a flood of little newborn hats show up.

But none of them have a chin strap, so, like, none of them stay on very well. And so I was like, oh, I’m gonna make her a cute little bonnet, to keep her head warm. And then when I made this one picnic dress out of a white bedsheet that had, like, little blue flowers, I made a matching one for her. This was for her first birthday.

And then, last winter I made us matching jackets from a quilted blanket. I do think, I thought I would have made a lot more things for her by now, but yeah, as it stands, I think I’ve made three and then, a part of it I think is just, like, I get so much clothes for her secondhand that it’s not anywhere near sewing out of necessity.

It’s more, like, sewing because you want to, because something’s cute. And so I have been making plans to start live streaming where I just sew little dresses and stuff for her because that way it’s exciting to me because I can feasibly finish within a live stream since every single stitch is so much shorter on a small garment.

Helen: Yeah.

Wendy: And then, also, like, I like how I can, like, spend crafting time with my viewers, but then, also, it’s motivating enough that, like ,I’ll get to do something that I’ve wanted to do, but it’s often hard to find the time to do.

Helen: Yeah. And I feel like just fitting all of the pieces into the camera frame is easier.

Wendy: Yeah. True. Yeah. I’ll be like, I’m gonna sew from point A to point B, and you can clearly see both of those points because they’re, like, 10 centimetres apart.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. Well, I love that you put her in some of your videos because, golly, she is so cute. I can’t even believe it. She’s so cute.

Wendy: Aww. She is so cute. Lately I’ve been feeling like, I had a mental, kind of, like, end point in my mind of like, I’ll show her if she’s like a little baby, but there is a point where I’m like, as she becomes her own personhood, I want to, kind of, like, remove her from that so that she can feel like she grew up without feeling like her, her face was on the internet or whatever.

Helen: That’s fair.

Wendy: So, yeah, now we’re in this phase now where I’m a lot more measured about sharing her ‘cause I don’t, I don’t know. I have no idea what it will be like for her generation to grow up being so on the internet because for us we all, kind of, like, got to choose when we started posting pictures or whatever and even though we got to choose, there’s still plenty of cringe created, and so…

Helen: Yeah. It’s true.

Wendy: I’m just like, oh, man. Like, the world that they’re going to inhabit is so strange.

Caroline: Yeah. Mhm.

Helen: Yeah. It is, going to be different. And of course, you’re going to make the decision that’s right for you and your family. And it sounds like you’re thinking very conscientiously about that, so that’s awesome.

Wendy: It is hard. I don’t judge any other parents and how they, how they go about it because it’s, like, their own kid and their own family. And so, yeah, these are just the things you’ve got to think about once you, I don’t know, take this step.

Helen: Well, it’s really encouraging to see you starting a family and maintaining your channel and maintaining your creativity and all that good stuff. So we’re all just very excited to see what’s next for you.

Wendy: Yeah, I’m excited, too. I think, like, YouTube, the digital world, there has definitely been a lot of changes over the year, and they’re very subtle, but they’re very interesting to think about, and I’ve seen how different types of content that I used to make doesn’t work as well now, but then there’s, like, new types of content that I could make that people seem to gravitate towards.

So I would say right now I feel like I’m in more of an experimentive period where I just, like, try new things and see how people feel about it. I’ve been trying to dive a lot more into doing some fashion research so that I can approach different topics with, like, a little bit more knowledge on the background or, like, how things came to be. I recently made a video talking all about gingham and people seem to really be interested in that.

Helen: Yeah, that was so great with the Barbie movie. I really liked that video.

Wendy: Yeah. Yeah. Gingham the the power it has over. I mean, I guess it’s, kind of, like, who, who doesn’t like gingham? And, uh, I also, I think, like, inherently as part of parenting and content creation, I think a lot about, like, if we were to have a second kid, what would it look like to still exist as, like, someone who sews and, and makes their own clothes on the internet. And yeah, these days I feel like I deal with a lot more adult challenges or balances. And so…

Helen: You’re all grown.

Wendy: Yeah, I do joke, like, so, this year I became a Bernina ambassador…

Helen: Ooh. Congrats.

Wendy: with… Yeah. Yeah. It was very, very exciting, and they invited us to their office for a retreat to get really familiar with their assortment of machines and also to meet the other Canadian ambassadors. And quite a few of them were retired and, like, quilting and sewing and, like, super excited about their projects, and honestly, hanging out with them made me feel, like, my real renaissance is when I’m, like, an empty nester, and I can just sew whenever I want, so there’s a degree to which I’m like, okay. Like, there’s still, I have no idea what’s coming up in the next few years?

I know I love sewing and I want to keep doing it and sharing that that growth, but then, I’m also like, oh, but I have this exciting thing to look forward to where, like, I really hope I’m, like, a little old granny and still having fun sewing on the internet.

Caroline: That’s so lovely. And it’s so true. We hear from a lot of listeners who tell us that they didn’t sew for many years and then came back to it and fell back in love with it. So it’ll always be there for you at whatever stage you want to jump back deep into it if you want.

Wendy: Yes.

Helen: Sewing definitely comes in seasons. We talk about that a lot on the show, and it’s totally okay to focus on having a family. I mean, come on. That’s, like, a big deal. So take your time and enjoy it. And yeah, it is always going to be there for you. So we’re just excited to see where it takes you next as we’ve touched on so much this episode, like, you channel is so relatable, and watching you navigate having a kid and maintaining your channel is part of that, and it’s really a joy to watch. So keep it up.

Wendy: Thanks, you guys.

Helen: A little pep talk for the day.

Wendy: I really appreciate it.

Caroline: Well, thank you so much for joining us. It was so fun to catch up with you and talk about your YouTube. Can you tell our listeners where they can find you online and all the places?

Wendy: Yes, for sure. So on YouTube, just look up With Wendy, and you’ll see all the wild and crazy things that I have created. Many of them are not wild and crazy. I promise there’s lots of cute everyday stuff you can enjoy, too. I’m also on Instagram under @WithWendy. I am more recently on TikTok, too, which is @IAmWithWendy.

But yeah, if you follow on YouTube, follow on Instagram, you’ll definitely be in the know of the new things I’m making. And really everything I’m doing is just hoping to inspire people to make their own clothes or, like, explore the way what they wear relates to their own self-expression and who they are and, just shedding the norms of, like, how you’re supposed to dress and just, like, having fun with clothes

Caroline: Oh, that’s so awesome. We’re such big fans of yours. I know our listeners are going to be so pumped to hear from you today. So thank you so much for taking the time and we’ll include all those links in the show notes, of course, listeners, so you can go explore. But thanks so much, Wendy.

Wendy: Thank you guys. It’s so nice. I really appreciated that I got to just talk sewing for a little bit.

Helen: Yes, the best topic.

Caroline: All right. Bye.

Wendy: Bye.

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

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

Caroline: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at [email protected]

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

Caroline: Buh-bye.

Helen: Bye.

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You’ve reached the Love to Sew Help Line! What’s your sewing struggle? In this episode, we’re taking your calls and giving out advice – on how to upcycle overalls into pants, what fabrics to use for summer shorts and trousers, whether or not to backstitch when shirring, and more! Plus, we catch up about our summer adventures and announce a new way to support Love to Sew.

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

Support Love to Sew by subscribing on Apple Podcasts!

Caroline’s new pattern company, BF Patterns!

BF Patterns’ first pattern, the Bestie Bag!

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

Resources:

Sewing Patterns:

Tools:

Transcript:

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew! I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

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

Caroline: You’ve reached the Love to Sew helpline. What’s your sewing struggle? In this episode, we’re taking your calls and giving out advice on how to upcycle overalls into pants, what fabrics to use for summer shorts and trousers, whether or not to backstitch when shirring, and more.

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

Caroline: Hello, Helen.

Helen: Hello, Caroline. Welcome back.

Caroline: Welcome back! Feels like we never left.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. It’s so good to be back though, and I love, love, love the fall vibes, as we say every year.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

Helen: Just a really, really, really exciting sewing season, for me.

Caroline: Yes. And it’s fall 2023, which means it’s been six years since we started making this show. Honestly, I can’t believe it.

Helen: Neither can I. Six years! What episode number is this? 238! What?

Caroline: Ah! So many episodes.

Helen: So many episodes.

Caroline: So proud.

Helen: I feel like anyone who’s listened to all of them should get some kind of award. Like, we need to be sending out gold stars or…

Caroline: Yeah…

Helen: …ribbons or something.

Caroline: …you get a gold star. You get a gold star. Oh, my gosh. Well, of course, because it’s the first episode of the new season we’re gonna start this episode with a little summer catch up, and we do have a little announcement at the end, but let’s catch up first, right?

Helen: Yes, let’s. Caroline, how was your summer?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I am amazed that it’s already the end of August. But my summer has been filled with wedding prep because we’re getting married in just over three weeks. And it is, like, seriously crunch time right now. I’m feeling it. I’m feeling the pressure. But over the summer I’ve been slowly, kind of, working away on getting ready for the wedding. I’ve thrifted almost 60 bud vases.

Helen: Whoa.

Caroline: This was a big project, countless thrift stores, but I have finished that project now, and they’re all ready to go for our little bud vases on our tables. I’ve also been working on making my wedding dress, which if anyone is freaking out or wondering, it’s going really well, and I’m so close to being finished, and I will be finished well before my wedding. So no sewing the dress the night before happening over here.

Helen: Good.

Caroline: So you can all relax, including me. And you, Helen, because I know you’ve been worried.

Helen: I have been worried, and I’m still a little worried because it’s not done yet.

Caroline: It’s not done yet. Just because I have so much hand sewing to do now, it’s pretty much only hand sewing left. And I’ve been slowly working away at it, but August has been busy. We’ve had a lot of house guests and things going on. So, yeah, it’ll happen. I have some good stretches of time coming up that I’m going to be able to work on it, so…

Helen: Good, and I cannot wait to see it. And for our listeners, we’re going to be doing an episode about Caroline’s wedding dress journey this season. So you’ll get to hear more about that.

Caroline: Yes, we’ll save it for the pod.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I’ve also been throwing, glazing, and firing our wedding mugs with Shea. We are giving each of our guests a handmade mug. And Shea and I both love pottery, so we split the work and each made about 28 mugs. And we just finished unloading the last kiln load last night, so they are all done. And…

Helen: Oh, my gosh!

Caroline: …Oh, my gosh! It’s so nice to check that off the list. And they turned out so good. I’m so excited and really proud because that was a big project, and I can’t believe we pulled it off.

Helen: That is incredible. I’m so excited to see them all, and I’m so excited to pick one. Oh, my gosh. It’s going to be so fun.

Caroline: There’s some really good ones in there. It’s hard not to want to keep them all, or at least keep my favourites, but I can make more mugs.

Helen: Yeah, yeah, exactly. There’s always more mugs.

Caroline: Yes, and also this summer, my brother and his fiance moved to Vancouver, and he’s now living 15 minutes away from Shea and I. And honestly, we could not be more excited. Shea and I keep talking about how great it is to have my brother around. He’s just so awesome and hilarious, and he, like, lights up a room.

Like, it’s just, he’s so fun to be around. So having him close is just, like, kind of, a dream. And I haven’t lived close to family in 13 years, Helen. So it’s, kind of, weird to have somebody, like, my sibling so close by, so close that I could just drive over in 15 minutes, but it’s been awesome. We’re really, like, soaking it in right now and enjoying it a lot.

Helen: Oh, I’m so happy for you, and I can’t wait to also spend more time with your brother because I agree, he is awesome and hilarious.

Caroline: Yeah, he really is the life of the party. We also squeezed in a camping trip this summer, which we talked all about on Patreon. And I’ve had tons of family and friends visiting, a lot of family coming by because of my brother’s move to help him get settled in. And then, yeah, just lots of friends’ visits and weddings and things. So it’s been a really jam packed summer, but it’s been really fun.

Helen: Good. I’m glad to hear that.

Caroline: And then on top of all of that, y’all, we launched our very first sewing pattern at Blackbird, our first BF Pattern. And we’ve been working on our pattern line for, honestly, what feels like forever, but really, it’s been almost two years, or just over two years actually.

And we launched with the Bestie Bag, which is a banana-shaped crossbody bag that comes in two sizes. It is out now. So if you go to our website, you’ll see it. But we started working on this bag a full year ago, and honestly, it truly takes a village to get this pattern out, or to get any pattern out.

Holy cow. Like, I don’t know. It was so much work. And none of us on the team are really working on this full-time. So things move pretty slowly for us, which, you know, is… I don’t know.

Helen: A new experience.

Caroline: It’s, it’s a new experience. Yeah. And it’s really, like, just patterns in general for us. It’s been a long time. It’s been a journey with a lot of ups and downs and pivots and problem solving, but I’m so proud to finally have this out in the world. And the response has been amazing. Thank you all so much.

If you bought the pattern or just, like, followed us on Instagram or left a comment or something. It’s been so, so nice to see the response. And honestly, I get a thrill every time I see a new Bestie Bag out there. There are quite a few already, and it’s very exciting.

Helen: Isn’t that the best part? I love scrolling through our hashtags and seeing what people have made with our patterns. It’s such a good feeling.

Caroline: It really is. It’s so fun to see people’s, like, individual takes on the pattern and how they customise it or hack it. Like, it’s just, it’s been really fun. So I’m so happy and excited about what we have coming up, which, you know, slowly, but surely will make it out into the world. I’m not promising any launch dates at this point…

Helen: There you go.

Caroline: …but we’re working on some really, really exciting patterns that, yeah, are just wonderful to wear. I’ve been enjoying wearing samples. I’m one of our fit models. So I get to have a lot of new clothes, which is, like, a perk of having a pattern line that I wasn’t really thinking about when we decided to do this, but it’s, it’s a real plus, I gotta say.

Helen: Yeah, it is. It’s very true, but wait ‘til you have too many samples.

Caroline: Yeah, I know I’m going to need, like, a wardrobe purge pep talk from you ‘cause I know you do that a lot, and you have a lot of clothes.

Helen: I do. You need to find people that are, like, body doubles. Like, I’m lucky my sister’s pretty much the same size as me, so I just give her things.

Caroline: Yeah. But yeah, that’s pretty much it. I’m now getting ready to take a month off of work for my wedding and my brother’s wedding and all the festivities. And we’re squeezing in a little honeymoon, as well. So it’s going to be a busy month off. I have never taken this much time off work, so I’m a little nervous but also, like, so excited. And hopefully, it’ll be awesome, so…

Helen: It will be. Oh, my gosh. And by the time this episode comes out, you’re going to be off. You’re going to be off and away, off and away doing things.

Caroline: Yeah. I think this. Actually, when this episode comes out, I’ll have a few more days of work, and then, I’ll be off for a month, so, yeah.

Helen: Okay. We’re going to miss you.

Caroline: Wish me well.

Helen: But wait, Caroline, what about the podcast?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Well, we’ve been working hard recording episodes for the month that I’m away, so don’t worry, y’all…

Helen: We’re prepared.

Caroline: …we are prepared. We’ll still have some, actually, awesome episodes coming out. I’m so excited about this new season.

Helen: Me, too. It’s going to be so good. So good.

Caroline: How was your summer, Helen?

Helen: Well, much like you, I am shocked that it’s over. Like, what? It definitely flew by. I’m sure our listeners can relate, but it was such a good summer. It was truly wedding-themed for us because we attended three weddings so far, and we have one more, which is yours, of course, to attend.

But that was really fun. Our whole summer was basically heading to Vancouver every few weeks to go to a big lavish party with all of our friends. So what could be better than that? I got to wear a fun outfit. I got to dance my heart out, watch all my friends get hitched. It was really, really fun. And I can’t wait for yours. I’m so excited.

And in between that, we got in, like, so many family visits, of course. And we went on our annual vacation to one of the local islands here in BC, Hornby Island. So that was lovely. Got lots of beach time in. And in July, I even managed to squeeze in a pattern launch for both Helen’s Closet and Cedar Quilt Co. It’s, honestly, I think I blacked out. I don’t even remember doing it. I…

Caroline: I was gonna say like, how do you do it all? And I need to know. It’s crazy.

Helen: Oh, my gosh. It was so much work. Like, June and July were so busy. And now that I’m in August, and it’s, like, chiller. I just, like, yeah, I barely remember what happened, but apparently, we launched patterns, so that’s great.

We launched the Whale’s Tail quilt in July for Cedar Quilt Co., and that was so much fun. I really love all the samples for that quilt. And people seemed to really like the design. So that was great to hear. It was only our second pattern for the company. So I’m still like, are people liking this? So what, so what do you guys think? So far, so good. People seem to be really appreciating the design aesthetic that I’m bringing to the table, so that’s really nice.

And we also launched the Lawrence Top and Dress, under the Helen’s Closet label, which was a huge hit. And I’m not surprised at all. It’s such a fun summer sew. Who doesn’t love gathered tiers of fabric? I mean, if you don’t, that’s fine, but I love it. I just love wearing them, swooshing around. It’s, like, the perfect way to celebrate a beautiful textile, like, the Blackbird Fabrics block prints, oh, my gosh, perfect for this pattern. That’s my favourite sample, and I’ve been wearing it around the house a lot as a house dress, so you know I’m going to be using these dresses all winter, too. It’s an all-season situation.

Caroline: I still think about that sample because you let me try it on when I was at your place…

Helen: Yeah, it looked so cute on you.

Caroline: …over the summer, and once I have time to make all those gathers, I will be sewing one up in a block print because it’s so beautiful and, like, flowy and breathable and the pattern is just, like, I don’t know, it’s, it’s a real statement…

Helen: Right?

Caroline: …while also being, like, comfortable, while also being, like, simple.

Helen: Yeah. And classic. Like, I think it will never go out of style.

Caroline: Totally.

Helen: And it does come with a really cute top option that I think is great for any season, whether you want to do the little shoulder ruffle or not. Like, without the shoulder ruffle, it’s just a nice v neck shell tank that literally could fit into any wardrobe. So yeah, I’m really happy with that pattern. I’m glad everyone likes it as much as I do.

Caroline: Yay!

Helen: As always. but summer’s not over yet. I want to squeeze in a couple more beach hangouts and paddle boards. I’m really trying to, like, squeeze every last drop of summer, you know, make the most of it before the weather starts to turn, but I am looking forward to fall, and we’ve got very exciting new garment and quilt patterns in the works. So definitely more on that in the coming months, and I can’t wait to share.

Caroline: Ooh! So excited. Yeah, it’s been a good summer, right?

Helen: Yes, it really has been. Top notch.

Caroline: Top notch summer.

Helen: Okay, before we get to the sewing helpline, we do have a little announcement. You can now become a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers get access to our monthly bonus episodes, and it’s so convenient because if you already use Apple Podcasts, the episodes are right there in your feed.

Caroline: Yes, this is such an exciting addition, and we wanted to talk about what comes with the bonus episodes. So in our monthly bonus episode, we do, like, a chatty catch-up on what’s been happening in our lives. We share about the realities of running a small business. We discuss new indie pattern releases. We also talk about what we’re sewing right now, or maybe what we’re not sewing right now, what we want to sew. It’s super fun, and many of our subscribers say that these bonus episodes are their favourite.

And if you subscribe, you actually get access to the full back catalogue. That is over 60 bonus episodes and over 40 mini episodes. It’s, like, 75 plus hours of Love to Sew content, and we’re really excited about it. And our mini episodes focus on a specific topic. It’s, like, a deep dive into sewing. So you can sign up to get access to these bonus episodes right in the Apple Podcasts app.

Helen: And we do still have our Patreon going. Don’t worry, patrons. You can go to patreon.com/LoveToSew to sign up. If you’d like, Patreon and Apple podcasts are both great ways to support the podcast, regardless of the platform you choose. You can sign up for a seven day free trial to check it out and get access to that bonus content and see if you like it.

Caroline: Yes. And we’re ad free because of our lovely subscribers. We’re so grateful to them. And if you can’t support us financially, that is totally okay. We love you for listening. Thank you so much.

Helen: Thank you so much. Okay. Let’s answer some questions. I’m so excited.

Caroline: Let’s do it. Hello, you’ve reached the sewing helpline. First caller, please.

Elizabeth: Hello, hello. This is Elizabeth calling in from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’m a longtime listener of the show and a first time caller. I’m calling regarding your episode about Gathering, Shirring, and Flounces. Absolutely loved it. Gathering, um, and making ruffles is one of the first ways that I ever hacked a pattern. I added it to the bottom of my Helen’s Closet Orchard Dress. And I feel like that’s a really approachable and easy way for, kind of, new-ish, or beginner, um, sewists to actually customise their garments.

But one question that I have is about shirring, and I’m still unclear as to whether you’re supposed to backstitch when you are shirring. I’ve seen it done different ways. I’ve seen people, um, on YouTube, kind of, tie the elastic and the thread stitches the way that you do, kind of, at the end of a dart. And so I’m, I’m just still confused and unsure slash terrified to do it because I don’t know what the correct, or securest, way is going to be.

And I’m not sure if you all mentioned it on the show. I don’t think that you did, but could you please let me know because I would love to go ahead and get started, um, shirring, but that has really held me back because I’m not clear as to if you’re supposed to backstitch or not. Help me, please. Thank you so much for all of your amazing work, patterns, and fabrics.

So much love to the show and to you both and to your team. Thanks. Bye.

Caroline: Hi, Elizabeth. Thank you so much for all the love. Okay. I agree that adding a gathered tier to a dress is one of the best, simplest hacks ever. I actually do it all the time, and it’s a good way to get in some gathering practice. But onto your question, whether or not you backstitch when you’re shirring depends on whether you’re working with a circular or flat piece of fabric.

Helen: Yeah, if you’re shirring a piece of flat fabric, you can backstitch within the seam allowances at the beginning and the end of your seams. Backstitching with elastic thread isn’t very neat, but it doesn’t really matter in this case because it’s going to be hidden in that seam allowance after you sew it up.

And I have a feeling that some people knot off the threads even when they’re working with a flat piece of fabric just to avoid the bulk. The elastic thread is bulkier than regular thread, but in my opinion, a backstitch isn’t really bulky enough to make a difference in the long run.

Caroline: Yeah, I’ve also seen, on a flat piece of fabric, people just turning around. So you basically sew to the edge, stitch down a few stitches, and then turn it around and pivot and keep stitching. So you’re only backstitching at the beginning and very end of the shirring rows.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So that works, too. But if you’re working with a piece that has already been sewn into a circle, it would be neater to pull the threads to the inside of the fabric and tie them off in knots. You can do this by gently pulling the elastic thread from the inside until the upper thread comes up in a loop and then, just use a pin to pull the thread through and tie it in a square knot with your elastic thread. So you’ve got options.

Helen: Next caller, please!

Emma: Hi, there. My name is Emma. I’m calling from San Francisco. And I’m calling with a question. So, I’m very much a beginner sewer, and I just started a couple months ago, but I’m very excited, and I really want to create my own wardrobe eventually. But I have quite a long list of projects that I want to do, and some of the projects on that list are starting to include advanced beginner patterns, intermediate patterns, and I just really want to know when am I ready to move on to those patterns that are labelled that way. Like, when will I know that I’m ready to do a advanced beginner pattern versus an intermediate one? Is it a certain set of skills? Is it confidence? I really appreciate your insight and thank you so much. I love the podcast. And thank you again. Bye

Helen: Hi, Emma. Thank you so much for this question. It’s a great one, and I think one that a lot of people have, and I love this idea of when will I know? When will I know when I’m ready? And really, there’s no universal set of skills that all pattern makers agree on for categorising patterns, but we looked over some other pattern companies difficulty guidelines and thought about our own experience, and here’s what we came up with.

Caroline: So, beginner, this is a smaller category than some people may think. We’ve had people write to us saying they’re beginners when they’ve been sewing for a year or more. But in reality, this category is for those starter projects: PJ pants, an apron, a tote bag, pillowcase, or, maybe, a wrap skirt. These are all projects with mostly straight seams and no closures, and they’re perfect for first time sewing machine users.

Helen: And this adventurous slash advanced slash confident beginner category, is maybe the largest category. A lot of patterns end up in this one, and for good reason. This is where you start to see things like zippers, buttons, interfacing, bias binding, curvier seams, and smaller pattern pieces appear, too. Projects for adventurous beginners are a bit more advanced than say a pj pant. But someone who’s motivated could definitely accomplish them just as well. And to be honest, I think someone who’s successfully sewn a wrap skirt could move on to a dress with a zipper and be just fine. They might need to practise sewing a zipper on some scraps first, but they can totally do it. In this case, I really think it is mostly about confidence.

Caroline: Mhm. Okay and then next up would be intermediate. I would put button up shirts, fitted dresses and tops, and simple pants into this category. Intermediate patterns require knowledge of at least a few special techniques like sewing belt loops or a fly or a rolled hem. Fitted patterns go into this category, too, because you might need to know how to grade between sizes or make fit adjustments.

If you’re nervous about attempting an intermediate pattern, remember that every sewing technique is just a series of steps. If your pattern instructions aren’t very helpful, you can always look up a video or a photo tutorial. And consider choosing a pattern that has a sew along. Many pattern companies produce them. There’s video ones, there’s blog ones, and there are some great ones out there from sewing creators like past guest Saremy from SewSewLive.

Helen: In the advanced intermediate category, we would put things like coats and jeans. You have to be able to work with specific fabric types like thick wools and heavy denims. And there’s a lot of details that are even trickier to accomplish because of those fabrics. But again, if you can sew a woven tank top pattern with darts and bias binding, you can make jeans, you will get through it one step at a time. What might hold you back with these projects is more likely to be your sewing machine than your skills. So if you’re still sewing on a really beginner sewing machine, these projects might not be available to you just yet, you might need to upgrade.

Caroline: And then advanced. Advanced patterns are unusual, but they do exist. These patterns are usually for formal wear or tailored clothing. They have features that aren’t on everyday clothing like boning and hair canvas. Sometimes they’re made for delicate fabrics like satin or brocade. Sometimes they’re called advanced because the pattern instructions are really basic, or non-existent, like Marfy Patterns. You’ve got to really already know how to do it, which is, kind of, intimidating.

Helen: Yeah, and ultimately, there are a lot of factors that go into deciding of a pattern. So these categories are definitely not hard and fast. For example, like a bias cut skirt might be categorised as intermediate. Even though there are only straight seams and no closures, working on the bias is a special skill.

Or a casual blazer might be categorised as intermediate because it’s, it doesn’t have a lot of that tailoring and structure to it, or maybe it doesn’t have a lining. Many pattern makers ask their pattern testers what level they would categorise the pattern as to get a little guidance. And there’s also the pattern maker’s experience and knowledge that goes into it.

Personally, we list almost all of our patterns as advanced beginner because we do like to do more simple designs, but also, I just think that anyone can do anything, and it is really just a series of steps, and I’m so confident in our instruction booklet that I know they’re going to be able to achieve it.

Caroline: Totally. And some pattern companies list the skills you need to accomplish a pattern, which is a good place to look if you’re not sure that you’re ready for something. If there’s one or two things on the list you’ve never done before, that sounds like a good level up. If there are more than that, you can still try it out, but just know it’ll be a bigger challenge.

Helen: And it might be helpful to think of difficulty level as the level of the pattern, not your level as a sewist. You don’t have to get permission to try something that you’re worried is above your level. Some people start on hard mode, and they don’t regret it. At the same time, it’s totally okay for a long time sewist to make beginner patterns.

You don’t necessarily need to constantly challenge yourself, and some of the coolest patterns out there are really easy to make. And really, how else are you going to learn new skills if you don’t go to that next level of pattern or try a pattern with a technique you’ve never done before? Like, that’s exactly what you should be doing.

Caroline: It’s so true. It never hurts to give it a go. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. That’s fine. Okay, next caller, please.

Madeline: Hello, my name is Madeline. I’m calling from Virginia. Thank you so much for this glorious archive of podcast episodes that have really helped me when I’ve had some specific questions as I learned to garment sew. I have a question about a type of fabric that I haven’t used yet. Um, and I have a question about how to pronounce it (v-wall), or (voy-uh-l), especially of the cotton variety. Is it (v-wall) or is it (voy-uh-l)? I’ve heard it both ways. Is it a regional thing? Is one more official or, like, signals that you’re a professional as opposed to a noob? Very curious because of all of your expertise. Thank you for being awesome.

Caroline: Hi, Madeline. Thank you for being awesome, too. Okay, so for those who haven’t come across this fabric It’s a lightweight often sheer fabric, and you’ll usually see it in cotton or polyester. Cotton voile is a nice lining fabric, and if it’s opaque it can make a stunning lightweight dress. So think of voile as one step lighter than lawn.

Helen: And how you pronounce it probably depends on your region. I wouldn’t say one way is absolutely correct and one way is absolutely not correct. Although, maybe you will receive emails. But, voile (v-wall) it’s a French word that means veil. So the French pronunciation seems like a good bet. But I wouldn’t correct anyone for saying voile (voy-uh-l). I often say voile (voy-uh-l). Caroline, you’re French, so maybe you would say voile (v-wall).

Caroline: I honestly probably interchange in conversation because I think both are very commonly used, but I do think, like, the French way is probably more correct, but I don’t know. It’s a fabric. I think it’s okay to pronounce it however you feel comfortable in this case.

Helen: If you’re going into a store and you’re like, I’m looking for voile (v-wall). They might be like, what?

Caroline: Yeah, exactly.

Helen: But if you said voile (voy-uh-l), that might be more clear, but it depends where you are. If you’re in France, who knows?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Alright. Next caller, please.

Anna: Hi, this is Anna from Germany with a question. So, the other day I had to redo quite a big part of my project. And while I was ripping away with my trusty seam ripper, I thought about the best way to open up seams. Thanks to you, I know how to open up an overlocked seam and find it weirdly satisfying. But since it was a knit project, I also had to redo a zigzag seam and a lightning stitch, stitch of doom in this kind of situation, if you ask me. So long story short: do you have any good tips on how to open up seams? Especially zigzag or lightning seams? Thanks a lot. I really love your show. Bye.

Helen: Hi, Anna. First of all, we are totally stealing the phrase “stitch of doom.” I love that. aAnd I think the way you open up seams really depends on the kind of fabric you’re working with. So we’ll start with some tips for regular machine seams, and then, we’ll move on to zigzag and those dreaded lightning seams.

Caroline: When I’m ripping out a seam on a tightly woven fabric I like to separate the layers of the fabric and insert my seam ripper under the stitch that pulls across the top. So if the stitches are a ladder it would be, like, the top rung, and then, you can gently pull the fabric apart until it won’t separate anymore and rip the top rung again.

Helen: And of course, if your fabric is sturdy and you’re feeling brave, you can insert the ball end into the seam and run your seam ripper blade down the whole length of the seam to cut it open quickly. But, this can result in rips, so be warned. If you try to do this and it just won’t go, make sure you stop and do it the long way. It’s not worth it to force it down that seam because you will rip a hole in your seam.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, our pattern drafter at Blackbird uses a razor blade to unpick seams on wovens. It, kind of, terrifies me when she does it, but honestly, Helen, it works so well on, like, stable mid-weight fabrics. You just pull the two layers apart and run your razor blade. I wouldn’t recommend it for knits or lightweight fabrics. And if you want to try this method, like, test it on a scrap first, but I wanted to mention it because it’s really cool and so fast.

Helen: I used to have a seam ripper. I ended up getting rid of it because I never used it, but it was a different kind of style where it had a handle. But then, at the end, it had, like, a little scooped razor blade. Like, it was not just a razor blade you would use from, like, a shaving kit, but it actually was, like, in a little seam ripper. It was super cute, but yeah, I was too scared to use it so I got rid of it.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Regret, regret. Okay, if I’m working with a delicate loosely woven or, like, fray prone fabric, I won’t separate the layers. Instead, on one side, I’ll just insert my seam ripper under every third or fourth stitch to rip it out. And then when I’m done, I can pull the long threads on the other side, which should come out really easily, super satisfying, and you won’t have any holes or distortion in your fabric from pulling it apart.

Caroline: Another thing, the ball on the seam ripper is really good for getting under a stitch without catching any of the fabric threads. That’s what it’s there for. And honestly, is there anything more satisfying than, like, pulling the long back thread out after you’ve ripped the seam this way? It’s, kind of, like, pulling out basting stitches. If you get it in one go…

Helen: Oh, I love it.

Caroline: …it’s like… Oh, yes. I love it.

Helen: Yes! Okay, for zigzag seams, if the tension isn’t too tight, sometimes you can hold your seam flat and slide your seam ripper under several zigzags and cut through them all at once. And then, again, you get to pull the long thread out on the back. For knit fabrics, you might have trouble doing that without catching any of the fabric yarns and creating holes potentially in your jersey. So in that case, settle in and do that cutting of every third or fourth stitch on one side. It will be worth it.

Caroline: And lightning bolt stitches, the stitch of doom, as Anna said…

Helen: The stitch of doom!

Caroline: These stitches on knit fabrics are truly the worst to seam rip. They’re tight together, and they go back and forth. This is another one you need to rip out super slowly, taking out every third stitch or so. You will not be able to rip multiple stitches at once, unfortunately.

Helen: No, and honestly, I have resorted to cutting off my seam in this case and just sewing the garment smaller or abandoning it and recutting the pieces if I have more fabric. It’s so hard to rip out. And in the process of ripping it out, you have a pretty high chance of ripping a hole in your fabric or distorting that seam. So it’s, like, unrecognisable from where you started so it might be worth it just to, like, if it’s a side seam, just cut it and then, sew your garment a little smaller.

Caroline: Or maybe, like, question your perfectionism and be like, is this just okay? And maybe I can let it pass to avoid seam ripping, depending on what you’re ripping.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: If I’m being honest, I can’t recall ever having to rip out a lightning stitch, but it does sound like an absolute nightmare, so maybe I just blocked it out

Helen: Yeah, maybe. Okay, we have a few more tips to make seam ripping easier. First one is huge: make sure you have good lighting. If you don’t have good lighting in the room you’re in, you can use task lighting like a headlamp or one of those reading lights that goes around the back of your neck. It makes a big difference to the level of frustration that you’re going to feel during the process.

Caroline: And if you have trouble seeing the stitches consider putting on reading glasses or using a seam ripper with a magnifier. So cool.

Helen: Put on a good podcast or album or TV show, sit on a comfy couch, lean into the slowness of it, deep breaths, maybe you find it satisfying in a weird way, just embrace it.

Caroline: Yeah, if I have, like, a lot of seam ripping to do Like, let’s say I made a big mistake and I want to rip it all out, I’ll, like, usually separate that task out. I realise the mistake. I’ll be like, okay, I’m going to seam rip this tomorrow. And then I have, like, a seam ripping session where it feels like I’m going to accomplish something.

And then it’s, like, separate from my normal sewing practice. And then I can go back to, like, the fun stuff. And if you feel frustrated, that’s totally normal. I don’t think there’s anyone who seam rips happily. Just go easy on yourself. Every level of sewist uses seam rippers or razor blades. It’s part of the process.

Helen: Alright. Next caller

Sarah: Hello! Calling in from Santa Cruz, California. I have a question for you, which is about ease. How do you ease in a sleeve without just doing tucks? That is my question. Love the podcast. Thanks a lot. Oh, and this is Sarah. Thanks.

Caroline: Hi, Sarah. Okay, easing in a sleeve without tucks is definitely possible, but it is challenging, so you’re not alone. We have some tips. You don’t want to skip the lines of gathering stitches. They are there so that the pieces can fit together smoothly, and you want to carefully distribute the gather so that the fabric doesn’t form any folds. You’re gathering, but you’re not, like, making gathers, if that makes sense. You’re just, sort of, tightening up that seamline where you’re going to be stitching. And if your pattern doesn’t call for this step, consider doing it anyways.

In fashion school, I was actually taught to steam the sleeve cap after this step. It’s super, super helpful. So if you have a tailor’s ham, you can place the sleeve cap over the end so it, kind of, wraps around the round part on the end. And that, kind of, mimics a shoulder shape. And then, use the steam on your iron, and it’s going to help shrink up the fabric so that it fits better into the armhole. This works especially well with, like, a natural fibre, like a cotton or a wool or a linen, that will actually react to that steam and shrink up a little bit. But that’s a great tip if you’re not having a lot of luck just with the gathering.

Helen: That makes a lot of sense because you’re basically, like you said, shortening the fabric in that area. You’re, kind of, pushing the fibres together, not necessarily gathering them, and then, you want to set that in place before you even take it to your sleeve.

One thing that I do is, if I’m using a really lightweight fabric, use a shorter basting stitch. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the full six lengths so it’s super long because that can result in more tucks. You could try, like, a four length. And actually, that will give you a smoother experience when you start pulling on those gathers. You might get less tucks, and then, you add in that steaming and perfect.

Caroline: Chef’s kiss.

Helen: Yeah. You can also consider basting instead of pinning. So when you go to actually put your sleeve into your armhole, you can baste that in there instead of pinning or at least pin very carefully and thoroughly. Make sure your pins aren’t pinching the fabric together. You want to pull the pins out before your fabric goes under the needle because sewing over the pins, not only is it risky for breaking your needle, but that can actually cause tucks of fabric to form, so make sure you’re pulling out those pins as you go along.

And doing some quick hand basting will give you more control than pins. So if you’re really struggling with sleeves, hand baste even just that section between the notches where all of that extra ease is. Take a little needle and thread, do some running stitches along your seamline, and then, you can pull that thread out later and it’s going to be a lot more accurate than pinning, and you’ll experience a lot less frustration.

Caroline: Mhm. And some sewists like to keep the sleeve piece facing upwards when they’re setting in sleeves so that they can see the fabric going under the foot and prevent any tucks, like, as they sew along, and you can go slowly and, sort of, adjust the fabric as you go. Other sewists like to keep the sleeve piece facing down towards the feed dogs. The feed dogs are gonna help ease in the sleeve and prevent any tucks. So, kind of, depends on your preference. I feel like slightly more advanced sewers maybe will feel more confident to have that sleeve piece facing down if you tried that method a few times.

Helen: Yeah, it does help to, like, gather the fabric a little bit, but I am still love to see what I’m doing.

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: I like to be able to distribute the fabric if necessary, so I like to have my sleeve piece facing up. But I promise this will get easier the more times you do it. If you’ve sewn a few sleeves and you find the process frustrating, that’s totally normal. It is frustrating, but you will get better at it. It will become more intuitive.

And a couple of small tucks in a sleeve is totally not a big deal. You can’t even see it in a printed fabric. So if you step back and you can’t see that tuck. Just keep going. Like, you don’t need to fix that unless you really want to. If you do want to fix it, you can unpick an inch or so around each tuck and then, just pull it flat and sew it again. I do that all the time. I definitely get tucks in my sleeves from time to time, especially when I’m sewing in a rush.

Caroline: And remember even after you sew that sleeve in a little bit of steam goes a long way. Like, that seam might not look amazing, but then, take it over to your iron and steam it out, and it’ll become just, like, much more crisp. It’ll sit nicely, and it’ll get rid of any little waviness that you might have in that seam.

Helen: Yeah, for sure.

Caroline: Alright. Next caller, please.

Noémie: I love to sew. I’m Noémie, a new fan from Belgium. I recently discovered the show, and I’m loving going through all the previous episodes, all the way back to 2018. I’m calling because I’m a bit of a bias rebel. I never cut my bias. Well, on the bias. I feel like it’s a waste of fabric and both from a sustainability point of view and from an economical point of view. I want to use my fabric as efficiently as possible. Honestly, I don’t find that it’s ever been a problem, but I do worry that the sewing police is going to come and get me one day. So is it okay to be a bias rebel or will I come to regret this? Love you both and thank you so much for the show.

Helen: Wee-ooo. Wee-ooo. Wee-ooo.

Caroline: Sewing police coming in hot!

Helen: We love a sewing rebel here on the show, and we give a lot of info on the podcast so that listeners can make informed choices, but we are not trying to tell anybody what to do. So if you’re happy with the results you’re getting from using cross grain binding rather than actual bias binding, then you go on your rebel way and be happy.

Caroline: But since you asked, the only situation we can think of where you would really regret doing this is if you’re binding something super curvy like a scooped neckline or a circular patch pocket. For those kinds of curves, you’re going to need some stretch so that the binding is going to go around the curve and still lay flat.

Helen: Yeah, if you’ve made garments using non-bias binding, and you’ve noticed that arm openings or necklines aren’t lying super flat, that would explain that, and that would be a reason to switch to bias binding. To get the best binding without cutting on the bias, you want to make sure you’re using a soft and flexible fabric, nothing too stiff or bulky because that’s just going to exacerbate those issues.

Caroline: Yeah, and one way to get bias binding without wasting fabric is to cut many smaller strips and join them together. I’ve done this in the pinch. It does result in more seams But you can join as short as four- to six-inch long pieces together to get the length that you need

Helen: Yeah, you can squeeze it out of, like, a little bit of leftover fabric if needed. Because sewing those really long strips does just, like, eat up your yardage, and it’s so annoying.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So just break it down into small pieces, and then, you can still get that bias. And of course, the sewing police aren’t real. They don’t exist. In the end, we all get to make our own choices about how and what we sew. And if someone decides to play sewing police and criticise you, you just go on your merry rebel way. You’re doing just fine.

Caroline: Wee-ooo. Wee-ooo. Wee-ooo. Wee-ooo! Next question, please!

Helen: Er, er, er. Alright, next caller, please.

Haley: Hi, my name is Haley, and I live in Detroit, Michigan, and I am a beginner sewist now, just over a year, maybe almost two years. And I have a question for the podcast. I dove right into my sewing journey with pattern drafting, which I think some people would call a mistake, but I really enjoyed it. I got into sewing because I wanted to make things that I had designed, and so that’s why I picked up right with pattern drafting.

Because of that, it’s not been the smoothest journey and I’ve had a lot of resources, including your podcast, which has been so incredibly helpful, but I’m getting a lot better at creating the design in my head on paper. And not so great at actually putting together the pattern and the order in which it should be sewn and all of those, like, nitty gritty details after you’ve put the design on paper.

So, my question for you, or maybe my, like, call for advice is, do you know of any really great construction resources? Like, once I have the pattern. How do I put it together? How do I write the, descriptor for how to sew it up myself? What kinds of things do I need to be doing before I really make sure the pattern is final, like, balancing it, checking all of the notches and all of those little details that are not so little?

Yeah, I hope this makes sense. I’m really just looking for something that gets into a lot more of the actual put it together part of sewing rather than the pattern design, and I’ve been having difficulty finding some resources. Thank you. Love the podcast.

Caroline: Hi, Haley. I think it’s so cool that you started with pattern drafting, and we do have a few construction resources for you and a couple of pieces of advice. So first up, when you’re in the muslin making stage, there are a few things to check before you finalise your pattern. You want to make sure that the lines of your pattern are laying correctly.

So the grain of the fabric should make a straight line from the top of the garment to the bottom, and the side seams should be going straight down, not tilting to the front or back. So you want to stand sideways and look in the mirror and see that line of the side seam. You can research more about balance lines to find out how a balanced pattern should look.

Helen: And, of course, you want to check that you can move in it, sit, stand, crouch, bend over, check that your garment has enough ease. And there’s tons more to fitting that we won’t go over today, but in general, make sure you don’t have a lot of draglines, excess fabric, or tightness.

Caroline: And the sewing order of operations is really similar for every garment. Our former guest, Alexandra Morgan, has a video and blog post all about this that we’ll link in our show notes. But the bird’s eye view is this.

Helen: First, you cut the pieces, and then, you do what she calls bundling. And this is your prep stage: applying your interfacing, transferring your pattern markings, and pre-pressing your hems.

Caroline: Third is sewing. First, you sew all the details you can add while the garment is flat, and then, you sew your pieces together.

Helen: Fourth is finishing, That’s adding any closures, cuffs, facings, and hems.

Caroline: There’s a more detailed list for the sewing and finishing steps in the blog post that you can go through.

Helen: It is cool that a lot of patterns follow these general order of operations. And I will say that when we’re designing a pattern, I write a really quick short list of how I think it’s going to go together. Then, I sew it, and then, I realise, no, I have to switch this and that because this needs to happen before that happens, or it would be better, you know, user experience for this to be done at the beginning so it’s ready to go later. And then I, I rewrite the instructions more robustly, and then, I sew it again and back and forth. So there is no, like, getting it right the first time, in my opinion. I think it is an iterative process.

Caroline: Yeah, and it depends a lot on the garment and the details in the garment and, like, for example, with the closure, sometimes you want to sew the closure of the first steps and sometimes you’re doing it at the end depending on how it’s finished on the inside. So you really have to, kind of, use trial and error and gain that experience over time. It’s not something you’re going to know right off the bat.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Another way you can learn about the order of operations is to reference the pattern instructions from similar patterns. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same kind of pattern, but the closer it is, the more ideas you’ll get for how to construct and finish your garment. There are a lot of free patterns out there that you can look through, and some of them are going to teach you different methods and finishes.

Helen: Yeah, I definitely learned how patterns come together from sewing a lot of them. And I love that you want to create your own designs. I totally relate to that, but I want to encourage you not to let that stop you from sewing designs from other people because this will be so helpful for learning construction steps and methods. And I’ve also asked more advanced sewists for advice when I wasn’t sure how to best put something together. They will have a lot more experience and may have encountered a really cool trick that you can use.

Caroline: Yeah. It’s so true. You could, like, read all about construction and try to learn it that way, or you could learn by doing, and then, you have new clothes out of it.

Helen: So true. It is definitely going to help you in your journey.

Caroline: And another construction resource that’s super helpful is The Vogue Sewing Book. It walks you through tons of different sewing techniques step-by-step, from sewing in facings to inserting zippers to making welt pockets. And there’s also some fabric info and cutting and fitting advice. It’s, kind of, nice to have just one construction resource to start with, and then, you don’t have to wade through a bunch of online tutorials to find what you need. I will say there’s a short section on dressing for your body type that we don’t really stand behind, but it’s easily skippable. It’s more of a reference book than a read front to back, kind of, thing.

Helen: Jordan, can you patch in our next caller?

Sarah: Hi, there. My name is Sarah, and I’m a sewist from New York City. My question for you both is about gathering. I can’t tell if I’m missing something, but I feel like I never know how to know if I’m doing the right amount of gathering. When I’m pulling my, my thread after I do, like, the two rows of long stitches, how do I know if I’ve pulled enough, or if I’ve made enough, gather it? Is the only way to know by whether it then fits in the other pattern pieces? Or am I missing information in the pattern instructions that should tell me how many gathers to be making or how to measure them? Uh, or is this something that people just use their intuition about? Thanks so much!

Caroline: Hi, Sarah. Great question. Usually, the best way to know the right amount of gathering is to hold it up to the piece you’re attaching it to. And if it’s only partially gathered, like a puffed sleeve cap, there will be markings on the pattern to show you where the gathered part should fit. Sometimes it’s notches, sometimes it’s just little, like, tailor’s tacks or markings on the pattern piece. Just make sure to transfer all those markings when you’re cutting out your pieces.

Helen: For a circular piece, like a skirt, you would first sew together the bodice, and then, sew together the skirt pieces, so they’re both circular. And then you’re gonna gather the skirt and hold it up to the bodice to check how much more it needs to be gathered. If you want to keep it adjustable, so that you can add or let out a few more gathers, you wrap the threads in a little figure eight around a vertical pin instead of tying them off, which is usually what’s recommended.

I personally like to over gather. Like, when I need to gather a piece of fabric, I’ll gather it, like, right up into, like, a big bunch. And then I, like, to, kind of, push the gathers back out until it fits my pattern piece. And I find this easier than under gathering and then, having to add more gathers. And I also find, since I have to distribute the gathers anyway, like, pushing them out gives me an opportunity to, kind of, distribute them as I go along.

Caroline: Yeah. And if you’re finding, like, holding up your piece to the piece that you’re gathering it to, maybe it’s, like, a lot of heavy pieces, and it feels, kind of, unruly and hard to manage, I actually like to measure the piece that I’m attaching it to just with my dressmaker’s measuring tape. I’ll just walk that measuring tape along the seam line that I’m attaching it to, make a quick note of the length that I’m aiming for, and then, measure my gathered piece as I go along until I get to that length.

And I find that’s really helpful to just get it close to the right place, and then, you can just make little tiny adjustments once you get in there. And remember that you don’t need to make the gathers look nice until you get it to the right length. So once you tie off the threads or wrap them around that pin, you can spend some time moving the gathers around so that it all looks pretty and evenly distributed.

Helen: Totally. Alright. Next caller, please.

Ines: Hey. My name is Ines, and I live in the Netherlands. And my question is why on earth are my jackets lifting at the back? The jackets look great lying down, perfect, the back aligns perfectly with the front. But then I put them on, and the back gets away from my body, look like it flying behind my back. It’s a bit shorter somehow, and I have no clue what I’m doing. Could it be that I need a curved back adjustment, on maybe one of those weight chains at the back? Something else? It’s all very mysterious. I hope you can help me. Thanks!

Helen: Hi, Ines! Okay, jacket fitting can be a bit tricky and it’s a great idea to make a muslin first, you may have already done that, but it is hard to tell what adjustments you need without actually seeing the jacket on your body. And here are a few ideas for adjustments that you could look into based on what you’re describing: a forward shoulder adjustment, a high round back adjustment, an upper back length adjustment, and a broad back adjustment.

It sounds like you need more room in the upper back area to help the lower part of the back jacket to lie closer to your body and not pull up and out. So play around with your muslins and see what lowers the back of the jacket. If you’re using, like, a cotton muslin, you can even cut into the upper back and see if the jacket falls down and how much it falls down. And that would be a good indication of how much of an adjustment you need to make.

Caroline: Some good resources to look into are Closet Core’s article “How to Fit a Tailored Jacket or Blazer” and The Palmer/Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting. We are wishing you the best of luck. You can do this. Next caller, please.

Jo: Hi, Helen and Caroline. My name is Jo, and I’m calling from the UK. Can you please suggest some medium weight cotton fabrics that would be suitable for summer shorts and trousers? I am trying to find fabrics online, but most websites either don’t list fabric weights, or if they do, it’s not something that you can filter on to narrow down the results.

Some websites use light, medium, and heavy as descriptors, but then use light and medium to describe a fabric. I guess I’d like some ideas to identify suitable fabrics and to make a plea for UK websites to add this important piece of information to their listings and their filter options. Thanks so much. Bye.

Caroline: Hi, Jo! Okay, so some medium weight cotton fabrics that would work great for summer shorts and trousers include twill, chambray, denim, and seersucker. A medium weight could go anywhere from, like, 6 to even 10, 11, 12 ounces. It does depend on the fabric, but at Blackbird, we classify medium weight as 200 to 400 GSM, which is about 5.9 to 11.8 ounces.

But again, it depends on the composition of the fabric because different fibres are going to translate differently depending on the weight. For websites that don’t list fabric weights, you can try emailing them about specific fabrics to find out if they’ll work for your project. It’s not really possible to tell the weight of a fabric online without either ordering a swatch so you can feel it yourself or hearing all about it from the seller.

But with that said, I think most chambrays would be a safe bet for summer shorts. Denims or cotton twills that are described as lightweight could work. So, like, a lightweight denim is probably more of a medium weight fabric, but because it’s being compared to other denims that tend to be heavier, we would call it, like, a lightweight denim. So I hope that makes sense.

You can also look out for other clues like pattern suggestions or even going on that shop’s Instagram or website if they post finished makes with fabrics but for summer shorts specifically, I just wanted to call out I think it depends on the pattern that you’re using. Like, if it’s something that’s more of like a jean short you’re gonna want to go more on the, like, mid- heavy-weight end.

And if it’s something with, like, a gathered waistband or something or an elastic waistband, you can go with something lighter. But I would say anything from about six to eight ounces or 200 to 300 GSM would work well for a summer shorts pattern.

Helen: Yeah, totally. My favourite fabric for summer shorts and pants is linen. Yes, it wrinkles, but it’s also just so lovely and summery. And I like my linen for pants to be around six ounces, so more of a mid weight linen for the best results. And I also like rayon pants and shorts for even lighter, more breezy pairs of, like, elastic waist pants. And, those fabrics can be closer to, like, what three ounces, Caroline?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So that’s very lightweight, and they’re not very durable. So it’s definitely for casual wear. No, like, bike riding or horseback riding or anything like that.

Caroline: So Jo wants cotton, but we want Jo to use linen.

Helen: No, cotton is great, too. It’s so great.

Caroline: No. It’s good to explore different fabrics, too. If you’re used to cotton, then that’s great, but try out some linen. You know, we love linen here, so…

Helen: We’re ready for our next caller

Shannon: Hello, this is Shannon calling from Vancouver, and I had a question about pretty insides of garments. So I’ve just noticed that if the inside of my garment is really pretty and has really good finishing, it’s better durability and will last me a lot longer, and I also feel more confident wearing it. So, I wondered if you had any tips about that. I’ve noticed that Helen’s Closet Patterns, they usually have a really nice finishing on the inside. Are there any other designers that you’d recommend or resources to brush up on techniques in that area? Thanks. I’m a big fan. Bye.

Helen: Hi, Shannon! We definitely agree with you. Pretty finishes usually make more durable garments, and we do have some suggestions for finishes that make a garment stronger. First one is flat felled seams. These make a garment more comfortable to wear because you don’t have that seam flapping around on the inside, but they also make a super strong seam. The stress is spread out over two seam lines rather than one.

Caroline: French seams are stronger than regular seams because there’s a bit of a backup seam if the first seam pops.

Helen: A lining also adds longevity to a garment because it puts a layer between the shell garment and your skin, so it will prevent your body’s sweat and oils from deteriorating the outer garment fabric.

Caroline: And Hong Kong seams, which are when the seam allowance is finished with bias binding, they’re not going to make your seams stronger. However, they will keep your seam allowances from fraying or wearing away.

And at the very least, I feel like finishing seam allowance with a serger or zig zag stitch is going to make your garment last longer, so we always recommend this. If you don’t finish your seam allowance at all, the fabric is going to fray and deteriorate really quickly.

So I don’t know, if you’re used to just, like, not finishing, and then you switch to a serger that’s already making much prettier insides of a garment than you were before. And then you can just level up with some new techniques, as well.

Helen: One of my favourite little, quick and dirty seam finishes is just to serge or zigzag and then, press it to one side and topstitch it. It’s, like, a faux flat fell…

Caroline: Yes!

Helen: …because from the outside it looks flat felled, but on the inside you didn’t have to do all that work. But that really does strengthen the seam, as well.

Caroline: And I don’t think that pretty insides always make a garment more durable. I mean a simple seam sewn on tightly woven cotton is going to be stronger than any kind of seam sewn on a lightweight satin. But if it makes you happy to see pretty insides, who cares if it makes your garment stronger, just go for it.

Helen: Most patterns don’t include instructions for making the insides of your garment pretty. It’s, kind of, a “choose your own adventure” situation. But you can decide on what kind of pretty finishes you’d like to add during the planning phases of your project. You might need to adjust a few small things like seam allowance or hem depth to prepare for that.

But I did want to say thank you for noticing that we include those options. I always like to think about the possible seam finishes that would work and indicate where a certain finish like a French seam or a flat felled seam would be appropriate and give people those options as they’re sewing so that they can try out different seam finishes, too.

Caroline: Yeah, and I think a good place to start researching would be Claire Schaeffer’s book, Couture Sewing Techniques. At the very least, it would be a great jumping off point for learning specific finishes.

Helen: Totally.

Caroline: Alright, let’s patch in our next caller.

Amanda: Hi, Helen. Hi, Caroline. Um, my name is Amanda, and I’m calling you all the way from Melbourne in Australia. Um, and the question that I have for you is about alterations. So I have a pair of ready to wear overalls that I want to turn into a pair of pants. I’ve made plenty of pair of pants from scratch, but I’m just not sure what’s going to be the best approach given these are already made and how I’m going to sew, like, the zipper and the pockets. Do you think it’s best if I basically, like, undo them as much as possible and then, treat them like a fresh make? Or is there some tips and tricks you might have for me to make it a bit easier? Thanks. Bye.

Helen: Hi, Amanda. This is a really fun challenge. I wish I could see the overalls because I want to take them apart myself now.

Caroline: It’s like a new hack that we didn’t know existed.

Helen: Yeah. So if you want to take the whole garment apart and use the fabric to make new pants, that’s probably an option. It would be easiest if your overalls are really roomy and you’re making them into tighter fitting pants. You might need to do a bit of piecing to make everything fit. And you might need to buy a bit of new fabric to fill in any gaps. When you’re laying your pattern pieces over your overall pieces, just make sure to match up the grainline so that everything hangs nicely when you’re done.

Caroline: And if you like how the pants part of the overalls fits already, then I don’t think you need to take them apart completely. I would start by cutting off the bib of the overalls, even if it means the pants go up super high. At this point, it’s better to have too much fabric. And you can take a belt or a piece of yarn and use it to hold the pants up so that the crotch is in the place you want it to be. And then mark where you want the waistband to go.

Helen: There will probably be too much ease at the waistline, so you can either gather the pants into a waistband. You could add darts. You could shape the side seams from the hip to the waistband. For darts or shaped side seams, put the pants on inside out and then, pinch out the excess fabric. Make sure the crotch seam is still centred and that the side seams are going straight down from your waist to the hem.

Caroline: And the zipper is going to be the tricky part. I can’t see how you could add a fly. You would have to do some piecing at the centre front, and I think it would get pretty bulky depending on what these overalls look like. But instead you might want to go for an exposed zipper or an invisible zipper at the side seam. The invisible zipper at the side is, kind of, like, a retro 70s look. You can buy a heavy duty invisible zipper if the fabric is medium or heavyweight.

Helen: You can also skip the zipper if you decide to just make a casing and insert an elastic waistband, either all the way around or maybe just in the back. And if you have extra fabric that you cut off the top of your overalls, you can use that to piece together a waistband out of several smaller pieces, or you could get a small amount of new fabric to do that. Make sure the waistband is long enough to overlap for a button and buttonhole, or a hook and eye closure, or however you decide to construct that waistband.

Caroline: Yeah, you could also draft a facing if you don’t have enough fabric for, like, a exposed waistband and you want it to look clean. You could just draft a facing and use, like, a contrasting fabric or similar fabric for the facing.

Helen: Totally.

Caroline: I’m actually so excited for this project for you. So if you want, please send us a picture of your upcycle. We’d love to see it.

Helen: Alright. We’re ready for our final question of the day.

Maddie: Hi there. My name is Maddie. I live in North Carolina. So I have a question about the speed of sewing. While I’m sewing, my husband had made a few comments about how fast I go and how maybe I should slow down a little bit. Recently, I was at an open sew night, and I was watching the instructor sew, just a straight line across the top of a bodice, just, like, the binding strip. And she was going a lot slower than I typically go, which leads me to believe that I might have a bit of a lead foot.

So, I’ve been trying to slow it down, while I’m stitching, on the machine, and it has made a difference. So, I was just wondering what your thoughts were. Is there an ideal speed or pressure that I should be putting on the pedal? Just to be sure everything’s accurate and make sure the stitches look good. I’d love to hear your thoughts. This podcast is amazing. I think y’all do one of the best podcasts across all genres. And I spend 85% of my life in the car, so I listen to a lot. Anyways, thank you guys for what you do, and I appreciate it. Bye!

Caroline: Hi, Maddie. Oh, my god. Okay. Thank you for calling in, and thank you so much for the kind words about the show. We’re so flattered. So nice to hear. This question made me think about when we do our, like, FaceTime sewing days with our friend, and we do our, like, big catch up at the beginning and then, for, like, the bulk of the, like, whatever three, four hours that we spend sewing all you really hear is, like, us sewing in the background.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s just like we’re, we’re sitting there and just listening to the sounds of our machines, and it’s always, like, rahr, ruh-rahr. It’s like a, like a motor, like, revving because we’re all just, like, speed sewing so no, no problems with speed sewing over here. I think it’s totally okay, but we’ll talk a little bit more about it.

Helen: If Sam, like, came into my sewing room and made a comment about my speed, I would be like, what are you doing in here?

Caroline: Yeah, I mean, like, you don’t know anything.

Helen: No, but sewing speed is really up to the sewist and also dependent on the machine. So if you like the results that you’re getting, then sew as fast as you want. And as long as you’re watching your fingers, I don’t think it’s especially risky.

Caroline: But with that said, it is easier to get a good result on tricky seams, like curved pieces, if you’re going slower. A good result would be, like, straight stitches, consistent seam allowance, and good tension. And it does sound like you were having slightly better results going a little bit slower, so maybe slow it down just a little bit.

Helen: Many sewing machines actually have an option for adjusting the speed of the machine. So you can check your machine’s manual. You can usually find it online by googling your machine’s name and number. So if you want to slow down, there’s more you can do other than just lightening your pressure on the foot ‘cause sometimes that’s not possible. And if you find your foot finicky, too, you can actually replace sewing machine feet. Maybe it’s just wants to go all the way down as soon as you put any pressure on it. So you might just need a new foot.

Caroline: Yeah, sometimes just some machines are much more sensitive to the touch of your foot. Some machines also won’t sew as nicely if you put the pedal to the metal. You might notice weird tension, skipped stitches, or in some cases with older machines, like, a bad smell or, like, a weird sound. None of this is good. Definitely slow down if you experience these things and you may even need to take your machine for a tune up, like, if you smell burning oil or something.

Helen: Yes. But sewing speed is super personal. Some people just enjoy going slower or love going fast, and this can be impacted by your lifestyle, too. You might have less time to sew, so going fast is more likely or more important for you, and that’s totally fine.

Caroline: But once again, if you like your results, there’s no reason to slow down. Speed off into the sunset.

Helen: Do you have a need for speed, Caroline?

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Alright. That is our last call for the day. Thank you so much to all of our listeners who called in with questions. This was so much fun. We love hearing your voices, and we have a fabulous season coming this fall. We’re so excited to share it with you.

Helen: We’ll talk to you next week.

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

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

Caroline: You can head to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428, or send us an email at [email protected].

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

Caroline: Buh-bye.

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You asked, we answer! In this episode, we answer questions about lots of different topics, including: Caroline’s wedding dress, Helen’s board game recommendations, impostor syndrome, dealing with negative feedback, and our favourite pizza toppings. When we said ask us anything, we meant it! Plus, we give a personal update on our lives and businesses for the past eight months, play a fun game, and share a WIP organization tip from a drag queen listener.

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

From the Listener Feedback Section:

Caroline’s Wedding Dress Inspo and Fabric: 

Helen’s Christmas Tree Skirt:

Patterns:

Tools:

Board Games:

Other Mentions:

Transcript: 

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Caroline: Join us today for an AMA. That stands for Ask Me Anything and a catch-up.

Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you?

Helen: I’m doing well. How are you?

Caroline: I’m doing so good. It’s really sunny outside, and it’s our last episode of the season, which makes me sad, but also, I’m excited for this episode. It’s gonna be a really fun one.

Helen: I know! We’ve been saving this one for last because we thought it would be fun to answer a bunch of questions and give a bit of a catch-up on what’s been going on in our lives before we head off for a little summer break. But you can always find us over on Patreon if you are worried about missing us over the summer. We’re gonna continue with our chit chats over there.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. We do really fun chit chats over on Patreon. Like, kind of, informal, friendlier, more raw catch-ups over there.

Helen: More raw. Does it get more informal than this? I dunno.

Caroline: But today we’re gonna do it on the regular show for all of our listeners. I can’t wait. I feel like we should kick it off with some feedback though, ey?

Helen: We got some listener feedback in our inbox with the subject line, “A tip for WIP organization from a drag queen.” We rushed to open it up and read. And this is from Listener Jubilee:

“Hello Helen and Caroline! Y’all’s podcast is my fave late-night sewing companion. I was inspired by the episode about WIPs! I sew for drag shows, which means each of my pieces has a deadline. (A non-performer would emulate this by planning a ‘due date’ to wear their creation, like a vacation, friend’s birthday, first day of the new season, etc.) But I’m always juggling multiple deadlines, and they’re each different levels of work. (Maybe I have to make an entire headpiece for a show in three weeks and only hem a skirt for a show in one week—which means I need to get started on the headpiece before the skirt, even though the skirt is ‘due’ sooner.) To organize this chaos and keep myself from analysis paralysis, I store my WIPs in a hanging closet organizer that I lay on the floor face-up. This transform[s] it into a 5-unit bin, that I can expand or contract like an accordion. It does a few things:

“The open tops keep my priority projects in-sight, so I don’t get distracted and start a new project. It limits my drag WIPs to just five. (If a project isn’t in my top five, then clearly isn’t important enough. I can put it in a bin or decide it’s just not the time to start it.) And it gives me a large, centralized bin to drop everything related to a project, so I can clear my table of one project and pull a different one very quickly.

“I also want to add that sometimes the fastest way to complete a project is to decide not to do it. I remind myself that I’m not ‘abandoning’ it. I’m finishing the project by deciding not to do it anymore. Happy sewing! And thank you again for all the tips and tricks. Y’all have saved me so much time and helped me be bolder.”

Aw, I love that.

Caroline: Ooh. Thank you so much for sharing these tips, Jubilee. I get pulled into analysis paralysis a lot…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …so this is really helpful for me. I love the idea of having this accordion-style storage. I think this hack is so genius, and I agree that choosing a day to debut your project is a good motivator.

I like the idea of picking an event to wear an outfit to, as your deadline, even if it’s just a dinner out with your partner or coffee with a friend. You know, I need a deadline, Helen, to be able to finish a project. But, of course, if you’re a performer like Jubilee, you probably have a lot more events on your calendar than most of us. So good job, Jubilee. Thanks for those tips. And check out Jubilee on Instagram @JubileeDrag. She has some really great me-mades.

Helen: Ooh. Yeah. That was so, such a great email and I can’t believe that we helped them be bolder. We helped a drag queen be bolder.

Caroline: Yes. Oh, my gosh.

Helen: That’s an accomplishment.

Caroline: Yeah. Put that on my resume. Okay, Helen, should we get to the show?

Helen: Yes! I’m so excited to answer these questions.

Caroline: Me, too. Okay. We’re gonna be talking about sewing, patterns, and fabric because that’s a big part of our lives, but we’re gonna start by catching up about our personal lives and businesses. And then we’ll do an Ask Me Anything where we’ll answer questions submitted by our followers on Instagram. And then, at the end, we’re gonna play a game.

Helen: Yeah. Ooh, I love that Lisa always prepares a little game for us. It’s so great.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so great. We are blessed. Okay, Helen, catch me up on, I don’t know, the last six months of your life. What’s been going on?

Helen: Six months? I went back a year, okay?!

Caroline: You went back a year?

Helen: Well, just generally, I was trying to think about when our last catch-up on the pod was, and I think it was, like, early fall season maybe.

Caroline: Yeah. It was, like, September…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …I think. Yeah.

Helen: So I was thinking back…

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: …to where I was at that time, and…

Caroline: Me, too. Me, too.

Helen: It’s been, like, a really, really great year. I have to say, like, work has been going very smoothly this past year. I feel like I’ve got a really good rhythm going and a really good work-life balance, which is really nice. And I love all the freelancers that I work with right now, and things are really predictable and, kind of steady, and sales have been steady.

So everything just feel, I feel like I need to, like, knock on wood right now ‘cause I’m like, everything is great, so wonderful. But it really has felt quite smooth, and my stress levels have been good. Like, I used to get really anxious around launch times, and there was a lot of, like, stress around the different events that happen in the business, like sales and launches and stuff, and it’s, kind of, felt, like, a rollercoaster. But lately, I feel like I’ve just been, like, very calm during those periods, even though there’s a lot going on, it’s like I’m getting to the point now where I’m like, I got this. Like, we’ve done this a few times now, it’s gonna be fine.

Caroline: More than a few. How many patterns are in your collection right now?

Helen: That’s a good question. I think we’re around 20, but I’d have to go and actually count.

Caroline: Wow. Dang.

Helen: I know. Can you believe that it’s only been seven years, Caroline?

Caroline: Yeah. 20 patterns in seven years is huge. And I mean, your first few years there wasn’t, like, multiple patterns a year, right?

Helen: No. It was few and far between at first.

Caroline: Then, you amped it up. It’s so great that you’re at this place now where you feel like you have balance and you also are lower stress, and you just feel like you can handle what’s on your plate, which is like, such a great place to be.

Helen: Yeah, it feels really good. And even moments when, like, the website’s not working or, like, something happens that throws me for a bit of a loop, I’m better able to just, like, take a deep breath and be like, it’s fine. Like, it’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna get it fixed, and it’ll be fine.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: It’s all those years of being conditioned to expect the unexpected…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …over the last, like, you know, three or four years that now we’re like, yeah, everything’s fine.

Helen: Yeah. We’ll get through this.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But yeah, and more specifically, I mean, we launched jeans last fall. And then, we did a quilted jacket and vests pattern earlier this year. And those were both really big projects, really big patterns, and I’m really proud of both of them. I love them both so much, so that was really fun to do some more complicated designs for the business ‘cause, as you know, we love a wearable basic here at Helen’s Closet. So it was fun to push myself outta my comfort zone and do something a little more complex and create those instruction booklets, which were very challenging. So I’m definitely proud of those patterns that we’ve launched.

Caroline: Oh, yeah. I was gonna say, those are both, like, big beast projects, you know, a quilted jacket and a pair of jeans.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Those are intense.

Helen: And you’ve almost got yourself a whole outfit.

Caroline: Basically. Yeah.

Helen: Yeah, and we’re, it’s very exciting ‘cause we’re about to launch two more patterns in about a week after this episode comes out. I’m planning to launch them on June 5th, so I’m very excited. We’ve got a pair of pants coming that has two different shorts views, as well, so perfect for summer. And then we have a really fun wrap top that I’ve literally been working on for, like, three years. I looked back at when I teased this pattern, originally it was 2020. So…

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: …thank you for waiting. It’s finally happening.

Caroline: Did you tease it on Patreon or…?

Helen: No, it was on the main feed. I had just made a sample of this top that I had in mind, and I was really excited about it, and I posted it in stories and people have been asking me about it, like, regularly ever since then. So I’m so sorry it’s taken this long, but it’s, it, it’ll be worth the wait. But yeah, in general, I mean, business is great. I feel like I love my job, and I actually look forward to Mondays, which is such a privilege to be able to say that.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Like, so many people do not really look forward to the work week. But on Sunday night, I’m, kind of, like, excited about getting back to it and getting back to work and working on all my projects, and there’s a great variety of tasks and challenges and creativity, so, it’s been a good year. Lots of freedom, being able to create my own schedule and, have a great personal life, too. So the seven years in business is finally, kind of, like, levelling out.

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: The rollercoaster is on, like, just a nice little, like, upper track where it’s just going smoothly.

Caroline: Wait. No. I feel like that’s not the best analogy. ‘Cause if you’re, like, at the top, then does that mean there’s gonna be a dip at some point?

Helen: That’s true.

Caroline: Like, maybe you’re, like, at the end of the rollercoaster, like, the rollercoasters ending, and you’re, like, whoosh, coming in.

Helen: But the ride is over then. This is no good.

Caroline: Or it’s just beginning? No…

Helen: Maybe it’s like when you take off on a plane, and it’s, kind of, scary, and maybe there’s, like, a bit of turbulence and, like, you feel, kind of, sick, and you’re like, oh God, I’m gonna be on this flight for, like, six hours, and you’re just, like, not excited. And then, now I’m at, like, the cruising point where I’ve got a good movie on, and I’m like, this is fun. Somebody bring me some pop.

Caroline: I’m into this. Yeah. Someone get her a ginger ale. Come on.

Helen: I like that one.

Caroline: I love it. That’s perfect.

Helen: Yeah. And then, personally, I mean, summer is here, and I’m so stoked for another summer of paddle boarding and swimming, and we’re gonna try to go swimming every day. We did that last year, too. It was so fun. Different locations we have like beaches and rivers and lakes around us, so there’s lots of variety, and we both love to swim, so that’s a priority for us in the summer is just to do it as much as possible. And right now my whole life is pretty much gardening ‘cause May and April and into June is just, like, full on gardening months where you’re trying to get everything in the ground and get everything all set up, and, and then, you can just enjoy it all summer long. So…

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: I’m, like, just trying to balance work and gardening and, like, getting out every once in a while for an hour to, like, plant some annuals and go back inside.

Caroline: Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Well, that sounds really idyllic and lovely. And I’m very jealous of your daily swim. We’re coming to visit in, like, a month. Are we gonna get to go swimming every day that we’re visiting?

Helen: I hope so.

Caroline: I really wanna see this watering hole that you’ve told me about.

Helen: Oh my gosh. I really need to take you there. Yeah, I really hope that the weather is hot enough. I think it will be…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …if, if this is any indication.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s extremely hot today.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. And then also this summer, four of my close friends are getting married and tying the knot…

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: …so I’m very much looking forward to attending four excellent parties…

Caroline: Yes!

Helen: …and eating four delicious meals and watching four beautiful ceremonies and all that good stuff.

Caroline: Aw.

Helen: It’s gonna be fun.

Caroline: That is awesome. Yeah. Yeah. I’m excited, too. I have a lot of weddings, as well, including my own.

Helen: I know. And I do plan on sewing for all of them. I wanna make a different outfit for all the weddings. So we’ll see if I can pull that off, and no, I have not started.

Caroline: Hey, you know, I support this, and you’ve got plenty of time in my book.

Helen: Plenty of time. I’m just gonna make, like, rayon dresses and stuff, like, nothing crazy.

Caroline: Perfect.

Helen: Yeah. One little update I have that’s, sort of, random is that I’m participating in a weightlifting event next month.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. What? Wait, what? That’s amazing.

Helen: I’m really excited. I’ve been working out, like, pretty intensely, especially this last year. I’ve upped my, my time spent at the gymm and it’s been really amazing and awesome to, like, work on my fitness and build my strength, specifically. I’ve gotten, kind of, into weightlifting, and so I’m participating in a deadlift event. It’s not a competition, it’s for charity, but you can sponsor the participants. So basically for every pound I lift, people can sponsor me per pound. So it’ll be a few, it’s, like, 10 cents a pound.

And then at the end of it, I do one final lift as heavy as I possibly can. And then you donate based on the amount that I was able to lift. And it’s called Pull for Pride and all the proceeds go to the Vancouver Island Queer Athletics Association. So I’m very excited. I’m a little bit nervous ‘cause there’s, like, pro lifters participating in this event, but then there’s also lots of just like folks from my gym who are just there to have a good time and support the cause and all that stuff. So yeah, it’s gonna be interesting.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Hit me up with this link. I wanna sponsor this. I’m so excited for you.

Helen: I know I’m gonna be sending out a link. It’s gonna be good. I’m like, yeah, I think it’s gonna be really fun. I didn’t actually get to attend last year because we were out of town, so this will be my first time going to the event. But it looked really fun on Instagram. I was so jealous that I wasn’t there.

And I just love my gym so much. Such a great community. And everyone’s gonna be there, like, cheering each other on. And currently I’m deadlifting 205 pounds, and I’m hoping I can hit 220 for the event. And I, they say that, like, the crowd really amps you up, too, and so you’re able to lift heavier, but over the next like month, I’m gonna be really pushing myself. So it’ll be interesting.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I cannot wait to hear how this goes. You’re gonna kill it.

Helen: There will definitely be photos and stuff, so we’ll share that.

Caroline: Yeah. Ah, so exciting. Oh my gosh. Okay. When is this happening?

Helen: It’s, uh, June, like, 17th or 18th, I think. Pretty soon. Yeah.

Caroline: Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Okay. Keep us updated.

Helen: I will, yes. I definitely can’t wait to, like, see the pictures and videos where I look very serious and, like…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …but just, like, putting all of those weights on the end of the bar is so satisfying. Like, you feel like a superhero.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. You are a superhero. You are. That’s so cool. You’re so strong.

Helen: I mean, aside from that and all the weddings, of course we really don’t have any plans, like, past September. And I was thinking about this, I’m like, what is coming up in my life? And I’m like, all these weddings and everything in summer, and that’s gonna be great. And then beyond that, like, I have no idea. Like, we have no trips planned. We have no, like, ideas or things we wanna do in the next, like, five years. Like, literally it’s just, like, wide open baby. So who knows?

Caroline: Yeah, I love that. I mean, it’s good. You’re gonna have a really busy summer, and then, I’m sure it’ll fill up knowing you and Sam. You always love to have lots of plans. But it’s kind of fun to not know what’s coming up.

Helen: Yeah. I know, and I’m excited to, like, work more on the quilt company, too. I forgot to mention that earlier. I also launched a quilt pattern company.

Caroline: Yeah. You also launched a whole other business.

Helen: I know, and that has been so fun. Like, I’m having fun over on the Cedar Quilt Co. Instagram connecting with people, and I am still working on the patterns. We have another one coming out in June. I have another one slotted for this summer. So we’re definitely gonna be launching them with some regularity, which is really cool. And possibly, yeah, over the next year or two, I’m gonna be focusing on that quite a bit, as well. So that will be really fun.

Caroline: Awesome. And for, I’m sure listeners are wondering, like, Helen’s Closet, you’re still continuing to launch patterns with Helen’s Closet too, right?

Helen: Oh, yes. Definitely. Yeah, we have lots on the go, and I have no plans to dial it back at all. I think we’re still gonna aim for, like, four or five patterns a year. So I have so many ideas for fall. It’s fun to think about, like, next year and think so far in advance for patterns. Like, sometimes I’m designing, like, for next summer, you know?

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: Or for next winter, which is also quite challenging when it’s 30 degrees outside and you’re like, but I don’t really want a sweater right now.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Yup, yup, yup.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: That’s how it goes.

Helen: I have rambled a lot. Caroline, what’s going on?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I also went back and looked at when our last, like, big catch-up episode was because I feel like so much has changed in the last, like, six to eight months for me, especially at Blackbird. And it was, it was, like, before a bunch of things changed.

So basically back in September, around mid-September, I started managing our warehouse fulfilment team, and I haven’t really looked back since then. We just needed somebody, and I stepped in, and I, kind of, made a decision in that moment, like, I am going to take this on. This is something I really want to do. Previously, we had had different folks managing our warehouse team. And yeah, we just needed a manager, and I wanted to do it because I had felt, kind of, disconnected from, like, that hands-on aspect of the business and spending a lot of time behind a computer, and I was like, I’m ready for a challenge.

And so yeah, that’s, kind of, what I’ve been doing at Blackbird for the last six, seven months now. So you’re probably seeing me a lot more on the floor in, like, content and stuff, cutting fabric because I am. I’m cutting, and I’m working with that team really closely, which means that my job is a lot more hands-on and physical, but it also, kind of, made me prioritise my tasks and let go of some things that maybe weren’t as important that were taking up some of my time.

I definitely have more on my plate right now, for sure, but. I don’t know, it’s just made me really, really happy to take on this role. It’s definitely not something that I’ll do forever. I don’t think it’s sustainable for me to do forever, but for right now, it’s working really well, and I’m really loving it. And it, kind of, takes me back to a time when I used to do everything myself when I was, like, cutting fabric, shipping orders. And there was also a stretch of time where I wasn’t doing that at all, and now I’m, kind of, back to being in that part of the business again. So it feels really good to be doing that.

Helen: Mm. Oh, I love this. I’m so excited that it’s worked out. I know you were apprehensive because of the workload, obviously, primarily, right? Like, how are you supposed to be the CEO of the business and also the warehouse manager? Those are both full-time jobs…

Caroline: Yeah, yeah.

Helen: Like, it seemed like a lot, but you have totally managed to make it work, and it seems like you’re having a lot of fun with it, and you moved your office downstairs…

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: …so that you could be closer to your team which is cool.

Caroline: Yeah, yeah.

Helen: It just seems like you guys have a lot of fun. It certainly looks like it on Instagram. I’m loving all the reels.

Caroline: We do. We do have a lot of fun, and I’m loving having my own office. It’s funny, I think at the beginning of 2022, I, like, manifested having my own office ‘cause I originally was like, I’m gonna make myself an office upstairs. And then that didn’t happen. But then I ended up getting to move into this little office on, on the warehouse floor. It’s been really, really positive. And we do have so much fun. So, yes.

Helen: That’s awesome.

Caroline: And then a big pattern company update. So some of you may know that Blackbird is working on our own sewing patterns, and the company is gonna be called BF Patterns, kinda, like a sister company. And yeah, we were hoping to launch earlier this year, but we had some challenges.

We had some setbacks. Basically, just the pattern that we were working on when we were working on grading it, we were having some fit issues, and we just really weren’t happy with how things were working out. So we, sort of, put that pattern on hold and took 10 steps backwards basically and rethought our whole workflow and process.

And now we’re getting ready to hopefully launch our first pattern in late summer, early fall. I like to think everything happens for a reason. Because we’re in a really exciting place right now, and I feel like the challenges that we had, sort of, made us, like, completely regroup and realise that we needed to be much more on top of our timelines and planning and working with different freelancers.

And it just, like, was, like, kind of, a wake-up call, and we were like, oh, okay, this is, like, way more time and work needs to go into this than we thought, I guess. And our estimations of timelines, just, like, were not realistic. So it allowed us to do that, like, before launching, which I think was really good.

I will say like when I started working on this pattern company, I never would’ve imagined that it would’ve taken this long to launch. I feel like you and I probably talked about this, like, two years ago…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …like, it’s been a really, really long time coming. But for the first, like, year or so, we were working on it very slowly, kind of, it was in the sidelines, on the back burner. We were, kind of, chipping away at it as, we could. We were at a different stage in our business. So, now we have a little bit more space and time, and yeah, I’m just really proud of how far we’ve come and excited to finally launch this year, even though it’s a little bit later than we were hoping and probably gonna look a little bit different than what we were imagining originally. I think it’s gonna be really great.

Helen: Yeah, it’s gonna be exactly what it’s meant to be. You know, like…

Caroline: Yeah, exactly.

Helen: …like you said, it happens for a reason, and it definitely pays to take the time to get all of those ducks in a row before you launch, of course.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And I think people are gonna be excited no matter when it happens. It’s always so hard when things don’t go the way you want, especially with deadlines and timelines and things. You have a vision…

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: …and it’s not working out. But in the grand scheme of things, like, what’s a few months, you know, like…

Caroline: Oh, yeah. Totally.

Helen: …in five years, you’re gonna be, you’re gonna forget all about the fact that it was delayed a few months. It just won’t matter.

Caroline: For sure. And, like, when things were falling behind, we were all, kind of, freaking out. Like, oh, my God. We were planning on launching. It’s not gonna happen. And then, we all were like, wait, nobody really knows. Like, we teased it a little bit and, kind of, you know, we’ve definitely talked about it, but nobody’s, like, waiting for us to launch, you know, so these timelines are completely self-imposed, and for everybody’s mental health, it made sense for us to just, like, take a step back and prolong things a little bit. So, yeah.

Helen: I’m, I’m constantly having to do that with my own patterns. I’ll be like, I’m, oh, I have to delay it a week. Everyone’s gonna hate me. And then I’m like, wait a minute…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Nobody even knows about this.

Caroline: Yeah, sometimes those self-imposed deadlines are good, but sometimes they just cause more stress than they need to, right? But you know what, even with all of these, like, changes to my role in the business and with, like, working on BF patterns and, like, all these big projects that I’m, kind of, working on on the sidelines.

I’m feeling really good about the business and about my own place in that business. And my stress levels right now are, like, an all-time low. I mean, I’ve talked about this a lot on Patreon, but I don’t know if I’ve mentioned on the regular show, like, I just, I’m feeling so, so happy and content and, like, easy breezy lately, and that’s a real win because I’ve gone through some really stressful years, and I know even on the regular show, I’ve talked about it.

If you go back to earlier episodes, you’ll probably hear the stress in my voice, but I don’t know. I mean, I’ll be celebrating nine years in business in September which is also the month that I’m getting married, which is also the month that I’m taking a full month off for the first time ever. And it just feels like, everything’s really good right now.

Helen: Oh, I love hearing that.

Caroline: Yeah. So that’s on the business side. And on the personal side, wedding planning is definitely top of mind for me. I’m getting married mid-September, and my brother’s actually getting married a week after me in the Okanagan, in wine country, in British Columbia, so not too, too far from Vancouver.

And we’re calling it wedding palooza because a bunch of my family’s coming out from Montreal and Toronto and staying in between the weddings. So we’re gonna have lots of fun things happening and family bonding time and all that. So I’m really, really excited. And like I just mentioned, I’m taking a whole month off work, from early September until early October, which is completely unheard of for me.

So I’m nervous, but excited to take that time off. I think it’s much needed. It’s giving me time to, like, prep for the wedding, get married, prep for my brother’s wedding, watch him get married, come home. We’re going on a little five day honeymoon to Tofino and then, back for a few days and then, back to work. So, lots of, like, chill time in between all the craziness, but yeah, I can’t wait.

Helen: That sounds amazing. I mean, it sounds like a whirlwind, but it also sounds like so much fun, and you’ve, kind of, got everything spaced out really well, and you’ve got some buffer days, so I think it’s gonna be such a good month.

Caroline: I think so, too. And, okay, Helen. I finally found the perfect dress fabric for my wedding dress, and I finally have a clear direction I wanna go. I feel so relieved. I was facing some, like, serious dress indecision or decision paralysis, analysis paralysis. It was just, it was a lot. And everyone was like, what’s going on with your dress? And I was like, rah! I dunno. Don’t ask me about it. But now I finally have something to talk about, and I’m really, really sure of my direction, and I’m so excited. Oh, my gosh. I’m making my dress.

Helen: I’m really glad you have your fabric. I’m not gonna lie, I’m starting to get nervous, but…

Caroline: I know you were.

Helen: I didn’t wanna bug you about it, but I mean, I’m sure some of our listeners are also like, okay, but it’s, like, June.

Caroline: I know. We’re T-minus four months.

Helen: No, I know you’re gonna do it. You’re such a last minute sewist, too. So it’s, like, perfect for you.

Caroline: But I promised myself I wouldn’t be that last minute with this.

Helen: I know, but you’re not making, like, a ball gown. Like, you’re making a fancy dress. But I know you can do it. You could do it in a week if you needed to. So it’s gonna be fine.

Caroline: I know. I know. And I’m already, like, prepping and getting ready to start muslining. So yeah, it’s, it’s gonna be fine. My goal is to get my dress done by July, or in the month of July, so that starting August, I don’t have to worry about it. So, yeah, it’s gonna be great. I’m so excited. We’re gonna, I think, talk about it a little bit later ‘cause someone asked about the dress. So I’ll hold off on giving more details until then.

Helen: Okay. Perfect.

Caroline: But yeah, with wedding planning, like, we’ve figured out so many things, but we also, I feel like, still have a lot of planning and, kind of, organising and sourcing little bits and bobs and buying little things, booking little things. So there’s just so many things to think about.

So I’ve got my big list going and working away on checking things off. And Shea and I are also taking dance classes together, which was my birthday gift this year. And we started back in February, and we’ve been going every couple weeks or so to take classes, which has been so fun and, kind of, surprising.

I, I think part of the gift was that Shea was willing to take dance classes, and I wasn’t expecting to receive that gift or for him to want to do that. But yeah, we’ve both been having a really fun time with it, and we’re, kind of, practising a little bit of light choreography for our first dance.

Helen: Oh, I love a choreographed dance. Like, I know it’s light, so you’re not, probably not gonna, like, stick to it a hundred percent or anything, but I just think it’s so cute when people prepare something like that. Like, whether it’s the, the people getting married or, like, their wedding parties or whatever. It’s just, I love that at weddings.

Caroline: Yeah. No, it’s, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be great, so… Nervous about having all eyes on us, for sure. We’re both like, just when we think about the, like, reality of getting married and having like, you know, 50 to 60 people basically just there to look at us all day. We’re like, oh, my God. Why are we doing this?

But also, it’s gonna be, like, probably one of the only days in our whole lives that we’re gonna have all of our favourite people under one roof and get to have a fun party with them. So that’s what I’m trying to remember when I think about the wedding is, like, it’s gonna be a really special day. I’m sure things are gonna go wrong, but either way it’s gonna be really fun and special to have everyone together, so…

Helen: And those moments will go by faster than you think. You’re not gonna be out there dancing forever, you know, like, it’s probably gonna fly by. You can just gaze into Shea’s eyes and think about how much you love him, and yeah, I can’t wait.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, it’s gonna be sweet. I do love him a lot, so, you know.

Helen: Well, that’s good.

Caroline: But yeah, my sewjo is, like, on fire lately. I have so many things I wanna sew. I’m just, like, dreaming about sewing. I’m thinking about sewing. I’m sewing every weekend pretty much. I have to make a dress for my brother’s wedding. I wanna make a dress for my welcome party. I wanna make a dress for our friend’s wedding that we’re both going to. I have other outfits for, like, wedding week stuff that I wanna make.

I’m also just, like, wanting to make our different patterns that we’re designing for BF patterns to be able to, like, test them. And there’s just a lot, a lot of sewing in my life right now, and I’m loving it. Yeah, it’s great.

But yeah, this summer’s gonna be exciting. My brother’s actually moving to Vancouver. He currently lives in Toronto with his fiancé, and they’re making their way out here in August, which is huge to be able to have my brother living here on the west coast with me. So that’s exciting.

And we’re also just, like, doing lots of home projects and improvements, just getting ready for wedding time. Everything’s all about the wedding right now, so it’s gonna be a fun summer dreaming, planning and hopefully, enjoying some sunshine and some of our garden and some swimming, as well.

Helen: Oh, yeah. You will. There will be lots of time for all that good stuff and all the wedding planning. And it’s so exciting your brother’s moving there. I mean, finally another member of your family coming to join you on the west coast.

Caroline: Yes. Oh, my gosh. Yes. He’s excited. I’m excited. It’s gonna be great. I’m so happy. More reasons for other family members to come visit us, too. And he’s moving, we live out on the North Shore and he’s also moving to the North Shore, so we’re only, like, a 15 minute drive away from each other.

Helen: Oh, nice.

Caroline: Amazing.

Helen: That’s great.

Caroline: So that’s our catch-up. I mean,

Helen: Pretty positive overall.

Caroline: Yeah. I’d say pretty positive. Yeah.

Helen: I’m sure some, like, less good things happen, but I don’t remember them, so that’s great.

Caroline: There you go.

Helen: Nothing’s coming to mind.

Caroline: Nothing’s coming to mind. No, it’s been, it’s been a really good year, and it’s fun to end the season in May because I feel like I always feel really excited and hopeful in May. It’s, like, after all of the rain in Vancouver, we’re, like, looking at a really sunny, sunshine-y, hot summer

Helen: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Caroline: And lots of, I don’t know, fun summer activities.

Helen: Yeah. It is such a great time. I just think about, like, dialling back my workload so that I can spend more time outside.

Caroline: Yeah, totally.

Helen: Slowly but surely.

Caroline: Okay. Helen, should we get into some of these questions because our listeners asked us some fun questions. I’m excited.

Helen: They did. Okay. First up, what is the oldest piece of fabric in your stash? Go.

Caroline: Okay. Caveat is I just destashed, like, I just purged my whole fabric stash and minimised it majorly, majorly. I talked about this on Patreon. So I think the oldest piece of fabric in my stash is some linen that we picked up on a trip to New York City. Don’t remember which trip. It’s gotta be at least five years old.

Helen: Oh, yeah. Is it the pink one with, like, the embroidery, kind of, lines on it?

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Yes. I also have that fabric in my stash.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: I have a piece of fabric that I picked up in Indonesia after I graduated high school. I really wanted to go travelling, and I wanted to go by myself because I thought that would be really cool. And so I had took all the money that I saved up from my job. I worked at the real Canadian Superstore.

Caroline: Stellar. Love that.

Helen: I saved up all my money from that job and then I booked my trip to Indonesia, and I stayed for a month, and I travelled around, and I did all sorts of cool stuff, met lots of people. It was really great. But I bought a piece of fabric one day, and it’s still in my stash because it’s one of those things where I’m like, it’s hard to choose what to make with it ‘cause it feels so precious and special, you know?

And I don’t wanna mess it up. I wanna make something I’m gonna love forever ‘cause I love this fabric so much. So it’s been languishing a little bit and I, I look at it often. It’s definitely not, like, buried in the depths of the closet or anything. It’s, it’s very much in the pile with all the prized fabrics. But yeah, I just can’t, I have indecision about that one to this day. That was fully 15 years ago, so…

Caroline: Wow.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Well, no rush. No rush. You’ve waited this long.

Helen: It’s an, it’s a nice piece of, like, stable cotton, too, so it’s, like, it could be so many things.

Caroline: Yeah, yeah.

Helen: It’s tough. Maybe I should just make a pillow cover or something.

Caroline: Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.

Helen: I could enjoy it every day on my couch.

Caroline: One day this fabric will meet its fate and in a good way.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Okay.

Caroline: Okay, Helen, which season do you enjoy sewing for the most?

Helen: Oh, summer a hundred percent. Give me the linen dress. Gimme the swimsuit. I, like, just get so excited this time of year to sew for summer.

Caroline: Me too. Dresses, dresses, dresses, dress dresses. I love sewing summer dresses so much.

Helen: Yeah. They’re fun, easy.

Caroline: I am on the same page.

Helen: I have lots of fabric in my stash for them. It’s just great.

Caroline: Yes! Okay. What is your favourite sewing task and your least favourite?

Helen: My favourite is a bit broad. I enjoy the construction part of sewing…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …which is basically anytime you’re sewing two pieces of fabric together, I’m happy. And my least favourite is cutting out interfacing. Like, bleep, that. Honestly, it is the worst.

Caroline: Yeah, bleep it.

Helen: Nobody likes cutting out interfacing, do they?

Caroline: No.

Helen: If you do, let us know.

Caroline: Yeah. Like, what are you doing right?

Okay. My favourite sewing task would have to be, like, top stitching or edge stitching, especially when I get to use my edge stitch foot on my Bernina, and it looks perfect. I find that so, so satisfying. And then my least favourite, I, kind of, use, like, a blanket answer, which is just the prep. So, like, washing the fabric and then, ironing. Like, who likes ironing, like, four metres of fabric, you know? It’s not fun, so… And then cutting out patterns, like, cutting out a PDF pattern. Ugh.

Helen: Oh yeah. I don’t like cutting out the paper, but I quite like cutting out the fabric. That, I, that was almost gonna be my answer for favourite sewing task.

Caroline: No, I, I always feel like I wanna rush through it, like I wanna get to the sewing, you know?

Helen: Fair. I, I think there’s something satisfying about laying out the pattern pieces and, like, it’s, like, a little puzzle you’re trying to do, and, like, I have a really big cutting table that’s at the right height, so it’s, like, actually quite pleasant. That makes a huge difference.

Caroline: It does. Oh, my gosh. Yes. Absolutely. If you were cutting on the floor, it would not be your favourite.

Helen: No, definitely not. Okay, Caroline, where are you getting inspiration or tips for planning your wedding dress?

Caroline: Okay. Nowhere. I don’t know. Pinterest is where I’m getting inspiration. Tips for planning my wedding dress, I don’t know her. I don’t know. I…

Helen: I think, like…

Caroline: I’m just doing it.

Helen: You’re not going super traditional, so maybe you don’t need quite as many, like, pieces of advice about linings and various things like that. I don’t know.

Caroline: Totally. Yeah. Okay. These next couple questions are also about my wedding dress, so maybe we can get into more details.

Helen: Yes. Tell us: have you started sewing your wedding dress and do you have any advice for other people out there?

Caroline: Okay, so we’ve already covered this. No, I have not started sewing my wedding dress. I don’t think anyone is actually surprised about that. I have made huge progress though, with planning, so I’m, like, I’m getting ready. I’m, it’s happening. It’s, yes, I’ve, I would say I’ve started my dress, but I haven’t started sewing my dress. Does that make sense?

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. And what advice would you tell somebody? To start sooner? Or what…?

Caroline: Start sooner than I am starting. Start sooner than four months before the wedding. Start a year before. Yeah. Don’t take my advice to begin with, so there we go.

Helen: The wrong person to ask. Okay, this next person wants to know if you’re gonna be wearing white to your wedding or if you’re gonna break with tradition. And also, is the gown structured and tailored? Or is it more flowy or clean silhouette, kind of, style?

Caroline: Okay, so I’m wearing white-ish. So the fabric that I found is this really beautiful cotton rayon blend, but to be honest, it looks like silk in person. And it’s embroidered, sort of, eyelet. And it’s two-toned. So the base fabric is like a white, it’s not like a bright white, I would say it’s like a slightly off-white.

And then the embroidery is almost, like, a golden beige-y colour. So this is one of the reasons why I have waited so long to start my dress is because I have this dress that has been on my mind ever since I started looking at dress inspiration on Pinterest. I found this dress, and I have not been able to get it out of my head.

I’ve always loved this dress, but I’ve never been able to find the right fabric. And I just couldn’t get over it. I couldn’t move on. And recently, I did another deep dive, and I found the perfect fabric that just perfectly emulates the dress. So I put a picture in here, Helen. I wanna know what you think ‘cause I’m not even sure how to describe it. Like, it’s a little bit structured in the bodice, but it also is definitely flowy. I wouldn’t say it’s a clean silhouette. Would you?

Helen: No.

Caroline: I don’t know, like, how would you describe the dress?

Helen: It has a plunging V-neck, first of all. The cleavage is gonna be for real.

Caroline: Yeah, I think I’m gonna bring that up a little. I will.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: I’m gonna bring that one up a little. It’s not gonna be quite so plunging. Yeah, it’s, not gonna be down to my belly

Helen: But this person in this picture has no boobs.

Caroline: Yeah. Yes. So yeah, I’m gonna adjust that for my chest for sure.

Helen: But yeah, it has a nice, beautiful V-neck. It’s more structured in the top. It, kind of, like, fits over the bust and onto the waist with, like, structure. And then there’s a gathered skirt and gathered poofy sleeves. So it definitely has cottage core undertones. And the eyelet lace in this picture is very similar to the one you picked out, so I can totally see why you love that fabric. It’s pretty much bang on. And then the mo-, model is also wearing, like, funky sunglasses and holding a cocktail, which really sells it for me. Like, she’s having a great time.

Caroline: I just wanna be her basically on my wedding day, she has a cute little, like, mini-veil, which I’m a big fan of. Totally wanna wear, like, a small, little veil. The dress also has a big tie in the back and buttons down the front, all the way down. So I’m, I’m gonna be pulling a lot of these elements for my dress. It probably won’t be identical ‘cause I wanna change the neckline a little bit. But it’s gonna be really, really similar…

Helen: Yeah. I love the buttons down the front. It’s the style with, like, fabric covered buttons from the look of it, and then, like, a little rouleau loop that you, like, hook on. Are you gonna cover your own little fabric buttons or are you gonna source those?

Caroline: Oh, no. I might cover them.

Helen: Oh, cool. I love that.

Caroline: Yeah, those are fun to do. You can buy the little kits.

Helen: Oh, I’ve never made one, to be honest, so…

Caroline: Oh, really? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You can buy little kits, and then, you cut a circle of fabric and you, like, put the metal button thing on top and then, there’s, like, a backing thing. They’re actually really finicky…

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: …to make, but it’s possible.

Helen: You’re like, they’re so fun and easy. I’m totally gonna make, like, 20 of them.

Caroline: Yeah. They’re fun… looking.

Helen: I mean, you can probably buy them pre-covered, too, just in case you get down to the wire.

Caroline: Yes. Totally. Yes. Totally. I’m not, yeah. That’s not something that I’m gonna be super committed to. I’ll figure out the buttons later.

Helen: So are you using a pattern for this? What’s, what’s happening?

Caroline: So I’m mashing up two patterns. If all goes well, my plan right now is to mash up two Deer and Doe patterns. The Deer and Doe Magnolia and the Deer and Doe Orchidée Dress. And it, kind of, each of those dresses has elements of this dress. So I’m gonna do some pattern hacking. It’s very on-brand for me…

Helen: I love that.

Caroline: …for us, I guess, for the podcast. And obviously, make a muslin or five and hope that it all works out.

Helen: Yeah. Ooh, okay. Well maybe we can share a little picture of the fabric or something so people can, or this inspo pic.

Caroline: I think we can totally share an ins-, maybe an inspo pic and a picture of the fabric. That, that could be fun.

Helen: Yeah. Totally.

Caroline: Okay. Alright. Helen, what is the project that surprised you in the end?

Helen: I was thinking about this, and the one that came to mind was my Christmas tree skirt because it was the first quilting project that I did, and I wasn’t even really thinking of it as a quilting project. I was just like, I want a Christmas tree skirt. And I just Googled it and found a free pattern, and it was like, yeah, I’ll just get some fabrics and, like, throw it together. And I expected to, like, the finished result, but I wasn’t expecting to, like, the actual process so much. Like, that was the moment when I was like, oh wow, this is really fun. Maybe I like quilting now.

Caroline: I love that. I couldn’t even think of anything for this one, so apparently sewing doesn’t surprise me very much.

Helen: I mean, that’s fair. You put a lot of, like, thought and process into making things, so by the end it’s like, is it that surprising? Maybe if you don’t like it, that’s, kind of, surprising.

Caroline: That’s true. Yeah.

Helen: Are you planning on sewing for any kids anytime soon?

Caroline: No.

Helen: Straight no. I love making stuff for my niece Zoya because she is, like, a total fashionista, and her style is always evolving, which is so fun to see. And her birthday is in July, so I’ll probably make her something for her birthday, and she’s really into dancewear right now. So I was thinking I might check out Jalie because they have a ton of, like, dancewear style patterns. She likes bodysuits and, like, kind of, like, sports bra-y tops and stuff like that, and short shorts. So that would be fun, like, getting some athletic wear, some fun shiny fabrics and making her some dancewear stuff.

Caroline: Cute!

Helen: And then at Christmas, I like to make, like, a lounge set for all four of my nieces and nephews. So I keep in mind, like, all year looking for, like, the right knit fabric for this ‘cause I want them all to match. So I can buy, like, six yards or so. And last year I got, like, all this tie dye fabric from Riley Blake, and it was so fun, and they were all, like, decked out in this really fun, like, rainbow tie dye fabric. So I’m looking for something at least that good, you know? Gotta keep my eyes peeled.

Caroline: Yay. Oh my gosh. Those are fun. You do inspire me to sew for my niece and nephew.

Helen: Just don’t do it.

Caroline: But I don’t. Maybe next year I’ve got a lot of sew in to do this year

Helen: I think once you give it a try, you’ll find it’s very fast.

Caroline: I know. I, like…

Helen: Making a t-shirt for a kid, it’s so quick.

Caroline: I do want to, I do want to, I just haven’t.

Caroline: Yeah, Okay. Any app recommendations or puppy dog stories?

Helen: Ooh, I like this. I would recommend the Wingspan app. Wingspan is a board game. It’s all about birds and their nesting habitats. It’s absolutely amazing. I love that board game so much. And the app version of the board game is so good. It’s one of the best, like, board game to app conversions I’ve ever experienced. And Sam and I play it when we go travelling, like, we go on planes and stuff because it’s, like, pass and play. So you, like, play your turn, and then, you pass the phone to the next person, and they play their turn. So anytime you have to wait for something, it’s just the best. It’s the perfect distraction.

Caroline: Fun. Okay, love that. Any puppy dog stories for us?

Helen: Ooh, we got a fence this past fall around our house, and so now we can go out in the front yard with Emma and just let her run loose, and she is loving it. She’s so cute. We go out there and sit on the lawn, and she just rolls around in the grass and runs around and barks, and, and she’s not gonna run away, and it’s just so good.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s awesome. I love that that, like, fence is, like, news. Like, this is 30. Like, we got a fence, and I’m like, woo.

Helen: Aside from my house, it was the most expensive thing I’ve ever purchased, so this is legit. Yeah. How about you? Do you have any app or dog stories for us?

Caroline: Okay. I don’t have any app recs, but I do have a puppy story. So Pepper turned five just last week, which was really, really cute. But I wanted to mention, like, do you guys find that your animal’s habits change over the years? I don’t know if you’ve found this, Helen, but Pepper’s doing this new thing that we call frogging. Like, when she’s really, really happy or excited, she lays on her belly and she, like, extends her hind legs backwards and wags her tail like crazy. And I looked it up. I think some people call it splootting.

Helen: Yes. I’ve heard of splootting.

Caroline: But she only does it when she’s really happy, and it’s so cute. And, like, she used to do it once in awhile, but now she does it every single day, and, like, she’ll do it almost on command. Like, if we go, are you gonna frog? She’ll get, like, excited, and she’ll like put her little paws back. And sometimes when she’s really, really excited, she’ll, sort of, launch into it. Like, she’ll, kind of, like, lay down and put her legs back at the same time, so it’s like, boing, and her little paws go back, and it’s just the cutest thing ever, and I just love it so much.

Helen: Oh, that sounds amazing. I have known dogs that sploot often, and it is pretty much the cutest thing a dog can do, I think.

Caroline: Basically, yeah, I’ll see if I can get a picture of it. It’s very, very cute.

Helen: Alright. Next question is, would you do a meet and greet in Montreal?

Caroline: Okay, so we’ve done this.

Helen: It’s the only meet and greet we’ve ever had, I think, was in Montreal.

Caroline: It’s actually the only meet and greet. Yeah, this would’ve been back in, like, 2018.

Helen: It was ages ago.

Caroline: I wanna say summer 2018. Yeah. So five years ago. I would love to someday do more travel for the podcast with you, Helen, and meet more listeners in person. I don’t know if this right now is the season, quote, unquote season for that in our lives.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: But maybe in the next few years I can convince you to do a little, little podcast tour. Maybe a little meetup in Montreal or Toronto. I don’t know.

Helen: That would be really fun. I do want to go back to Quebec real bad. I really wanna go to Quebec City. I’d love to go back to Montreal, of course, and spend more time in that area of Canada. So, I mean, I, it’s not gonna take much convincing for me.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay, perfect. Well, maybe we’ll start talking about it in 2024.

Helen: Right. Also, I wanna go to QuiltCon. I’m sure we could meet listeners at QuiltCon.

Caroline: Yes. We talked about going to QuiltCon. Maybe that will happen.

Helen: Maybe

Caroline: Who knows? TBD.

Helen: It’s in Raleigh this year.

Caroline: Okay. Helen, is there anything that you feel too intimidated to try to sew?

Helen: I couldn’t think of anything, like, that I wouldn’t try to tackle, but this question reminded me that somebody once asked me if I could sew a cover for their boat.

Caroline: Oh, gosh.

Helen: Like, like, a full-on sailboat, and I was like, what? No. Like, so I would be intimidated to sew a cover for a boat, I guess. Like, that’s too much.

Caroline: Okay. I also couldn’t think of anything, but your answer made me think of this time that I was at a dinner party and a complete stranger, like, seriously spent the entire dinner trying to convince me to start a business selling silk boxers marketed towards motorcyclists. He thought it was the best idea in the whole world, and he was like, you’re gonna make a mint selling these.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Caroline: Like, silk boxers. And I was like, mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Nope.

Helen: That is, sort of, weird. Do they need silk boxers? Like, what’s the connection?

Caroline: There was, like, something with the chaffing and the, I don’t know, the slippiness of the boxers with the leather. I don’t know.

Helen: But silk boxers exist though. It’s not like you need special motorcycle ones, right? Or am I missing something.

Caroline: Apparently, it’s, there’s a hole in the market.

Helen: It’s a hole in the market.

Caroline: Yeah. This was years ago, so maybe someone has swooped in by now, but…

Helen: For sure.

Caroline: This next one’s for you, Helen. What is your biggest advice for a new pattern maker?

Helen: I mean, Caroline, you can answer this one, too.

Caroline: Yeah, everything takes longer than you think it will.

Helen: Yeah, there is that. I always like to tell people to sew lots of different patterns from different companies, different countries even, different price points, different styles, because you’ll learn so much from that experience. And you can take notes on what you like and what you dislike, and you can build your, kind of, perfect experience for your customers with the patterns.

And then my next piece of advice is gonna sound like it’s directed at Caroline, but it’s not, it’s directed at me because I do this all the time. It’s just don’t put your launch on the calendar until you’re actually ready to launch. Because timing has honestly been one of my biggest struggles over the years.

It’s, like, my biggest source of stress is thinking, oh, that, that would be so cute for spring. I’m gonna launch that in April. And then the months start going by, and the deadline starts getting closer and closer and closer, and I’m, like, no closer to finishing the pattern. I start getting really stressed out and down on myself and just feeling like I’m failing at creating this thing that I said I was gonna do at this time. So you definitely do not need to schedule things until they’re ready to be launched into the world. It’s okay.

Caroline: Yeah, you did give me that advice. Like, you did.

Helen: It was one of the first things I told you, but you know what? You have to learn by doing.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. Okay. Somebody said, personally, I’d like more board game recommendations from Helen, especially good two-player ones.

Helen: Oh! I’ve been waiting for this question my whole life.

Caroline: I know you’re like cracking your knuckles like, yeah.

Helen: Oh, okay. Sam and I are huge board gamers. We play games all the time. We love board games so much. So if you are also a board gamer and you have suggestions for me, I would love to hear them. Three of our favourite multiplayer games are actually also great two-player games, so I’m gonna recommend these three: Wingspan, which I already mentioned, has a great app version.

Lost Ruins of Arnak is super fun. It’s one of our absolute faves. And then recently we got Terraforming Mars, which is an older game. It’s very popular. It’s been popular for years and years, but we’ve never tried it. We just got a copy of it recently, and we’re completely obsessed. I think we’ve played it 30 times since we got it already.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: It’s so fun. It’s, like, the perfect style of board game for us. So those are all really great multiplayer, also really great two player. We play them just the two of us quite frequently. Those are all pretty big and involved games. We’re talking, like, two to three hours for playtime.

But for shorter two player games, we love Race for the Galaxy, a game called Targi, which is great. I think it’s out of print, but if you see it at, like, a thrift store or garage sale or something, definitely pick that one up. And then, That’s So Clever. It’s also called Ganz Schön Clever. I’m not sure if I’m saying that right. I think it’s German. It’s a, a dice rolling game that’s really, really fun. You don’t have to come up with, like, clever quips. It’s not, like, a party game. Definitely sounds like it is, but it’s literally just, like, rolling dice and filling out a form, which is very satisfying.

And then, I wanted to mention Patchwork and Calico because they’re both really cute. They’re both quilting-themed games. And we have both of those, and they’re really a lot of fun. I really enjoy both of them. Calico is extra cute because the whole point of the game is that you’re creating a quilt and then trying to lure cats to come and lie on it.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh.

Helen: There’s little cats that you put on the thing, and there’s, like, a booklet with all the cats, and it’s so cute. So if you love cats and you like sewing, that’s definitely the game for you.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Love it.

Helen: And then we play a lot of Crib when we’re like, we just have, like, 10 minutes, and we need to play a game. Crib. Perfect.

Caroline: Just 10 minutes. And just playing a game in 10 minutes. Totally normal.

Helen: Yeah, you got 10 minutes you could play a game.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But yeah. Oh, thank you for asking, seriously.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I could talk about it all day. I need to have another podcast about board games.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. You so do.

Helen: I really like Worker Placements and Rollin Rights, and I’m not a huge fan of party games personally, so keep that in mind if you email me about board games.

Caroline: I literally don’t know what any of that means, but okay. Cool. Love that for you. Okay. Our next question is why do I keep trying to sew when it’s so hard for me to do?

Helen: Oh, I love this question. I mean, doing hard things makes us feel accomplished, and I think sewing is a great exercise for our brains. There’s lots of different puzzles to solve, so even though it feels like a struggle, I think there’s also a lot of, like, dopamine firing happening because you’re working things out, and you’re overcoming challenges. So that’s probably really appealing when you think about sewing, something you wanna keep coming back to, even though it’s hard.

Caroline: Yeah. I feel like if you keep trying to come back to it, it’s probably because you have this pull. There’s, like, some, kind of, motivation or interest there that you’re not able to let go of. So my advice would be to explore, like, that hard part. Like, what about it is hard? How can you lower your expectations of yourself and, like, be kinder to yourself in this creative practice, because that is for a lot of people what it is. It’s just a hobby. It’s a creative practice, so it doesn’t have to be so serious. And I think also from personal experience, a simple, easy win project might make you feel a lot better about it. So instead of constantly trying to challenge yourself, maybe do something that you think would be really achievable for yourself. Make a pillowcase or some napkins or an apron or whatever you think would be easy. Do that to get that, like, easy win.

Helen: Yeah, that’s true. I like balancing my easy wins with my hard projects to keep, keep the successes coming.

Caroline: Yeah, totally.

Helen: Alright. This next one is, I’d love to know what’s on your 2023 to-sew list and how do you each deal with critical feedback? As someone who’s planning on opening my own sewing pattern company this year, I’d love any advice on how to constructively handle negative feedback. Thank you so much.

Caroline: Ooh, okay. Maybe we should talk about short term sewing goals first. I feel like I’ve already covered this ‘cause I was talking about all the things I need to sew for wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding. But what are, what’s on your to-sew list, Helen?

Helen: I have some Cameron button-ups for Sam that I cut out the other day. They’re, like, summer Cameron, the short, one of them is short sleeves, and one of them is just, like, really lightweight. He loves his Cameron, so I’m excited to make him some summer ones. And then I wanna make myself a fresh Sandpiper Suit. I haven’t worn through my last few, but I just feel like every year I just wanna make a new one ‘cause it’s such a fun pattern. It’s a quick sew. I have so much swim fabric in my stash, so I can just throw that together and have another suit to wear.

Caroline: Love it.

Helen: Yeah. Oh, yeah. And in the longer term, I really wanna make a raincoat this fall and maybe also some rain pants. I got some rain fabric from Blackbird, so I’m, like, ready. I just need to actually pick a pattern and, like, do it.

Caroline: I wanna see that. Make it happen, Helen. Okay, so regarding the question on negative feedback, I did have some thoughts. My first thought is just, it’s going to be hard at first. Like, receiving constructive or negative feedback is gonna be challenging. I can promise you that, but know that it gets easier.

Some things that helped me, personally, is just to think about the fact that usually something you can learn from that feedback. So for me, if feedback is delivered respectfully and hopefully with a little air of kindness, and especially if more than one person is sharing that same feedback, there’s usually something that I can take away, like, some piece of learning that I can take away from that feedback. And I think that’s important to do even if you don’t necessarily agree with it. I think it’s important to think about what you can learn.

I also would recommend making sure that you try to separate your self-worth from your business. So a lot of the time people aren’t thinking of, like, the quote unquote person behind the business that’s reading the feedback. So it’s not personal. It’s directed towards your business. So, you know, be kind to yourself and remember to foster that life that you have outside of your business so that you don’t always feel like your business is you, and you are your business. You know, like, those two things are separate, and it’s easier to think of those two things as separate when you’re putting, like, that time and energy into having that work-life balance that I think is so important when you have a business.

And then the last thing I’ll say is that it’s okay to decide to not act on that feedback. I think for every person that wants one thing, there’s gonna be another person who wants the opposite thing, and you will never, ever be able to please everyone. So I wouldn’t even try to please everyone ‘cause that’s a slippery slope. So if you have considered the feedback and you decide that you don’t wanna act on that, that is okay. And you don’t need to make excuses or explain yourself. It’s your business, and you get to make the decisions that you need to make for your business.

Helen: Oh, absolutely. I like that a lot. And also just taking some time with the feedback, too. Like, you don’t need to do something right this second. It really feels like you do sometimes when you get feedback, but it is important to take some time to really think about it and consider and make sure that you’re making the right decision for you.

Caroline: This is something that I learned from my business coach is, like, don’t react to things when you’re at that heightened point. Like, when you receive feedback, sometimes it can feel so intense and so emotional, and it’s so important to take a beat. Like, it’s okay to say, can I think about this? Like, can we circle back to this? If it’s, like, somebody giving you feedback in person. Or if it’s something online, like, taking a step back from it, taking that time that you need to really form your opinion when you’re not in that, like, heightened emotional state. That’s so important.

Helen: A hundred percent. I agree. I agree with everything you said. I mean, negative feedback has definitely helped me grow. So I don’t think it’s all bad. And I do think it’s important that your customers feel comfortable sharing. Is the tone always great? No. And you know, sometimes people are not the most kind, but most people are. And we have a tendency to read, especially written words, more negatively I think, than they are. So I try to, like, read feedback positively when I receive it. Like, as if a friend was delivering it, like, oh, just giving you this piece of feedback rather than being like, oh, you should do this.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: In my head, you know?

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: But yeah, after processing and getting through the feels, there can often be lots of good stuff in feedback. I recommend keeping an archive of nice comments that you receive. I have a folder of nice emails that we save, and Sam makes sure to pass along all the compliments to me when he’s doing the inbox in the morning. And that can really help when you do get negative feedback. If you need a boost, you can just go and read all the nice things. It really works. It’s very nice.

Caroline: Yeah. I mean, Lisa, our assistant, does that for the podcast, too. She’ll, like, kind of, save really sweet emails and send those to us in our chat. And yeah, I completely agree. It’s so nice to be able to look back on them.

Helen: Yeah. And I promise you the fact that you’re asking this question before you even start your business makes me think you’re feeling nervous about receiving negative feedback. And I promise you that you are going to get more positive feedback than negative feedback. But it’s challenging because the negative stuff always seems to outweigh the positive.

So one of the ways that you can keep that perspective is by hanging onto the positive stuff so that you can go and see all of those nice comments when you need them and remind yourself that, like, no, people are really into what I’m doing, and it’s okay that this one person has some feedback for me. You know?

And then the other thing that I like to do is when you get a negative comment, or maybe just, like, a straight up mean comment online, I like to imagine, like, a stranger walking up to me and telling it to my face. Like, it deflates it so much because people would never do that. Like, imagine if some random person walked up to you and was like, I think your patterns are boring. You’d be like, okay. Like, I don’t, I don’t really care what you think. So bye. Like…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: It would be so weird. Like, it might still hurt, but it would just be like, why are you telling me this? Like…

Caroline: It’s so

Helen: If you don’t like it, then, like, don’t buy it. I don’t know what to tell you.

Caroline: Yeah. A hundred percent. That’s a really good trick.

Helen: Anyway. We could go on, obviously. And I do wanna just, like, stress again that we get so, so much positive feedback.

Caroline: Oh, yeah.

Helen: Like, the negative comments are few and far between.

Caroline: And it’s natural to think of those. Like, it, those are the things that you think about when you’re laying in bed at night. Like, you think of the negative, right? Which is why all these little tips that we have will, will help you out.

Helen: Yeah, and I mean, shout out to all of the people that send the nice emails. Like, I get stuff in my inbox all the time from people just writing to say, hey Helen, I just wanted to say I love your patterns so much. I think they’re really great. I made seven York Pinafores, and I love it. I made them for me. I made them for my mom. I made them for my cat. And here’s some pictures, and, like, it makes my day. It’s so nice, and it’s so, like, going out of your way to do something like that is so sweet. I love it.

Caroline: Yeah. We have such wonderful and supportive and encouraging customers and listeners of the pod. We’re so, so lucky.

Helen: Yeah, a hundred percent. Speaking of the pod, this next question, do you regret turning the podcast into a seasonal one?

Caroline: Okay. You know, we love you all, listeners. I wanna say that first. Because our connection and the relationships that we’ve built with our listeners, the time that we’ve spent doing this podcast has been so special, and we are so, so happy to be doing this. But the answer that I have to this question is: no, I do not regret turning the podcast into a seasonal one because I think that switching to seasons has allowed us to continue making the show while our businesses grew and through different seasons of our lives. And I think it was a really healthy and realistic decision for us. And I’m actually really proud of us for making that decision because, like, it truly did mean that we could keep making the show.

Helen: We were at a crossroads. We were like, we can’t do this anymore because it was taking up too much time and taking away from our time spent on our other businesses, and we are both in really busy seasons with those businesses. So it felt, like, very overwhelming and I’m so glad that we didn’t decide to stop making the show ‘cause that was an option.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: We were like, well…

Caroline: Totally. That was on the table.

Helen: What if we just make the show half as often? And it totally worked. Like, it’s very manageable now, and we can still have a lot of fun with it, but we get to take breaks, and it has made it continue on. So I’m really glad we didn’t, like, throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak, you know?

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah. Breaks are healthy. Breaks are healthy. And I think we both agree that that was the right decision for us.

Helen: Yeah. Okay. This next one is, do you ever have complicated body feelings about modelling for your businesses?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yes. For sure. Like, there are so many pictures of me on the internet, you guys, and sometimes it just makes me feel things. Like, I literally am just… Like, anybody could Google my name, and there’s just so much content to consume and judge.

Helen: Yep.

Caroline: But putting those feelings aside, which I think are natural and normal overall, I personally feel that modelling for my business and being quote unquote the face of my business for a lot of years has made me more confident and has made me see myself in a positive way. So yes, the feelings are complicated, but I don’t regret going about things the way that I did ‘cause I think it allowed me to connect with our audience and our customers in a really positive way.

And part of that is just, like, having fresh eyes, but part of that is also just that it’s hard to look at yourself that much. I really struggle sometimes going through the pictures, and I’m focused on the clothes for the most part. And I wanna find pictures where the patterns look the best that they can.

But of course, I wanna look good in the picture, too. And sometimes I, like, can’t choose a picture where the clothes look amazing because I don’t like the expression on my face or something. And I have to, like, convince myself that it’s okay that, like, I think my smile is, like, weird in that one or whatever ‘cause no one else is gonna notice.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And I also really struggle with my acne, in particular. Like, Sam will take a video of me, and it will be great, and the lighting will be perfect, and the clothes will look great, and I’m smiling, and I look happy. And then, I go to watch it and I’m, all I can see is the big pimple on my face. And I just, like, can’t see anything else.

And I just, like, I have this moment where I’m like, ah. Like, I, why? Why? Why me? Why do I have acne on my face? You know? But I have gotten a lot better at looking past that. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable sharing pictures of myself with acne, because that’s me. I have acne. Lots of people have acne, too, and I think it’s important to represent ourselves authentically.

So I have gotten better at that, and I’m not bothered by it all the time. But I will say that sometimes it really gets to me. And I do think overall the experience of putting myself out there and putting photos of myself online has been really positive, and it’s definitely improved my self image. I like a lot of the pictures of me. Often when we do photo shoots, I’m like, dang, I look hot.

Caroline: Yeah. Yes you do, Helen. You look great in all your photos.

Helen: Thank you. Well, we do narrow it down from a thousand, so just keep that in mind.

Caroline: True. Yeah, true. Okay. Helen, what are your favourite pizza toppings?

Helen: Ooh, this is an easy one. I’m not like, do you have complicated feelings about pizza toppings? Fresh mozzarella, like, the super soft squooshy kind. Basil leaves, fresh basil. And mushrooms. It’s one of my favourite combos. Or, I love a ham and pineapple so much. I’m such a ham and pineapple girl. Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: How about you?

Caroline: Okay. Two. I have, like, two options. So basic option: olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese. Gotta have extra cheese on there. That’s, like, if I’m going the, like, Dominos route. Okay?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: If I’m feeling fancy, like, if I’m making a homemade pizza or if I’m, like, at a beautiful pizzeria, I’m going for pear, gorgonzola, prosciutto, and arugula. It’s such a good combo.

Helen: Killer combo. Great on a pizza or in a sandwich.

Caroline: Yes!

Helen: Like, you can’t go wrong.

Caroline: Yeah, the flavours sing.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. Our next question is, I feel like my style is changing, but I have a big stash I’m emotionally attached to. Any tips for destashing or making a cohesive wardrobe when I’m a print magpie.

Helen: I wish I could help with this, but I am in no position to give advice on this front. Like, I, too, am a print magpie. I have such a hard time letting go of me-mades that I don’t wear anymore because I just wanna keep everything. My closet is so full of things I do not wear, so I can’t even on this question. Caroline, what do you think?

Caroline: I don’t know. My, my answer is just let it go. Like, let go. Do the destash. Let go of the things that you’re not attached to anymore. Life is too short to hold on to fabrics that you don’t love or wanna wear. Like, don’t spend the time making something in a fabric that you’re not into anymore. Let it go. Let it go. And yeah, making a cohesive wardrobe when you’re a print magpie, I would say mix in some solids, baby. Mix in some solids that you like, in colours that you like. Pull some of the colours from the prints that you like, and then, you’ll be golden.

Helen: You could have, like, a, a rule for yourself where you have to buy a solid, if you’re buying a print. Like if you’re gonna buy one of the new Blackbird Fabrics summer rayons, you also have to get a basic everyday linen because those go together.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: You don’t get two prints.

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah.

Helen: I need to hear this. Our next question is, I have been reflecting on a 10 year plan and figured out how to be more efficient with work time in order to get more time sewing. How do you feel about sewing becoming your work? Did it become less interesting?

Caroline: I have no regrets about this. I will say my interest in sewing ebbs and flows. I feel like that’s also been documented on the podcast. Like, there are seasons when I don’t sew as much, and there are seasons when my sewjo is on fire. I think that would happen regardless of whether my business was sewing or not, or fabric, I guess.

But I really love being passionate about what I do. I love that my work can also be my creative outlet. I freaking love fabric. I love being surrounded by it all day long. I love that I get to make new clothes for content, but also for myself. Like, there’s just so many positives to it. I, really, it has not in any way made me, like, not like sewing. So no regrets here.

Helen: Yeah, I feel the same way. Like, I think both of us have businesses where we’re not doing production sewing. Like, we’re not creating goods.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So there is still a lot of room for creativity. And I love sewing so much still. I have sample sewers who help with the business sewing now, so I’m even more free to sew for pleasure, and that’s really great.

And yeah, I think just making patterns is a great creative process because you’re always making new things and new designs and playing with fabric, and I really don’t tend to get bored. And now I’m doing a ton of quilting, too, so my sewing workload has increased. I don’t have a sample sewer for the quilting yet, maybe one day, but I’m really enjoying it so far.

And I do spend a decent amount of time every day sewing, like, at least an hour, maybe two a day, working on stuff. I like to take breaks from my desk and go over to my sewing machine and just, like, chip away at things. So it’s always fun.

Caroline: Yeah. Helen, what are three places you’ve never visited but want to someday?

Helen: I would love to go up to Haida Gwaii. It’s in BC. It’s, like, an archipelago of islands on the coast of BC, a little further up north, and I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to visit, so that’s on my bucket list. I would love to also go to South Korea because I love Korean food so much, and I’d love to travel around. Caroline, I know you’ve been there, so I’m jelly about that.

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: But it would be so, so much fun. So that’s, like, a bigger trip that I’d love to do one day and then, a little road trip down the coast into the States has always been something that we’ve talked about doing and going down through Oregon. And I’ve down, I’ve gone down to, like, Portland and Seattle before, but I’ve never gone down to San Francisco. So San Francisco is on my bucket list. How about you?

Caroline: Love it. Okay. Mine is, kind of, Europe themed game. I really wanna go to Spain. I’d love to go to Madrid and Barcelona. I actually did, like, a project when I was in high school, all about Spain and, like, kind of, where I would go if I went on a trip to Spain. And my dad used to travel to Spain a lot for work. And I speak Spanish, so I just feel like it would be such a fun trip. And the food, like, the tapas and, like, the scenery and the architecture, like, I just feel like it would be so, so, so fun. So I’d love to go to Spain. My next place is Paris, Paris, France. I…

Helen: You have to be specific.

Caroline: Just, I’m,

Helen: There’s a lot of Parises out there.

Caroline: I am dying to have, like, a croissant in Paris. Like, I just would die. I just, I’ve never been to Paris. I don’t know how I’ve never been to Paris. I want to go, I know it’s basic, but I want to do it.

Helen: I feel like Paris is somewhere that we could go together. You know, we meet up in Paris.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. Yes. Let’s meet up in Paris. That sounds amazing. Okay. And then I also, Shea and I have talked, we’re going on a honeymoon to Tofino in September right after our wedding, like, a short little, jaunt over to Tofino. But we do wanna go on, like, a longer trip to Europe for our like, real, real, for real, real honeymoon. Probably next year.

And our plan is to do, like, a scenic train trip in Europe. You know, Shea loves trains. and I’ve seen some really beautiful like, itineraries going through Europe, and it seems pretty affordable, and we get to visit a lot of places all in one and just, like, really beautiful. And yeah, the trains will just get me that buy-in from Shea, so we’re, we’re gonna make it happen.

Helen: That’s absolutely brilliant ‘cause, yeah, he’ll love the train parts. And then you don’t have to do a lot of, like, flight hopping, which is, kind of, annoying. You have to go to airports all the time, but you still get to go to lots of different places. Ooh, I love it. Jelly.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Which sewing project has taught you the most?

Caroline: I would say sewing a coat. Like, if you’re looking for something that’s going to teach you a lot of, like, new skills or challenge you, sewing a coat is right up there. You’re learning about tailoring, interfacing. Maybe you’ll throw a welt pocket or a lapel in there. Lining techniques, like, there’s so much there. It’s a longer project. Yeah, I think my most teaching moment projects were sewing coats.

Helen: I agree with you. Sew a good coat. Okay, this next one is personal. Can I ask how much each of you make at your current jobs? I know you have an episode about sewing jobs, but I don’t think there’s a lot of transparency in pay when people start their own businesses. Oh, this is true. I totally get the desire to know how much it’s possible to make so that you can try and predict your experience running a business, especially if you’re starting a business in the sewing industry, because there’s not that many of us out there.

Like, it’s pretty small industry and, it seems like maybe some people are making a go of it, and some people are just doing it part-time, and it’s, kind of, hard to suss out what is actually possible. I too had that question when I decided to start my pattern company, and the truth is that it is different for everybody.

Financial needs are also different depending on where you live and whether you have kids and all that stuff. So I’ll say this about myself, personally, that we live on the income from Helen’s Closet, and we know we’re able to save money and have disposable income, too. We do have a sizable mortgage and not that many other big payments, like car payments.

We have no kids. It’s just the two of us, and I pay a lot of people to help out with Helen’s Closet part-time doing various tasks. I’m not doing it all myself, but I certainly do a lot of it myself. And it’s definitely possible to make enough money to live well as an entrepreneur. I mean it depends on so many variables.

So it’s so hard to be like, you can totally do it. You’re totally gonna be successful and make lots of money. There’s no guarantees, right? It really depends on all sorts of different factors. But we have found success in this business, and it’s been amazing, like, more so than I ever would’ve expected when I was getting into selling sewing patterns. So I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m able to live off of this income and grow this business with my partner and, and that he’s able to support me in doing that, too. So that’s great.

Caroline: I second pretty much everything you said. I agree. It’s, I think it’s different for everyone. It took me a few years to be able to pay myself a salary that was, like, enough to live on, but I did get there, and I feel really lucky to be able to do that.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah, same. That’s a really good point. It definitely was not paying the bills right out the gate.

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: Okay. Last little question here. Do you ever experience imposter syndrome?

Caroline: Yes. I would say a bit less so now after so many years of owning my business, but there are always those moments, like you hear about them, Helen, when I’m like, I have no idea what I’m doing, Helen. How did this happen? But those moments pass, and really, nobody knows. Nobody really knows what they’re doing. Let’s be real, like, you… it’s, it’s fine. I don’t know. Yes. My answer’s yes.

Helen: I know, I feel like the question should be, do you ever not experience imposter syndrome? I totally experience this. I mean, all the time. Not, like, all the time, like, constantly, but frequently. And it has helped me immensely just to connect with my fellow designers in the sewing community to chat and make those connections and commiserate and share knowledge.

And everyone that I’ve connected with, all of the fellow designers out there have all been really open and amazing and supportive. Not, like, cagey and, like, they don’t wanna tell you things. Like, I have contacts with all these other designers, and I can ask them questions, and they get back to me, and everyone is really supportive and kind.

So that definitely has helped it make feel less like everyone else has all the answers and I’m the only one, like, making it up as I go along over here, you know, trying to figure it out. Like, we definitely touch base regularly and talk about things that are happening in the community and stuff, so I really appreciate that about the sewing designer community.

But certainly when I started my business I felt like such an imposter, like, just huge, huge imposter. Especially not having, like, pattern making training, not having gone to fashion design school, like, all that stuff. Really, like, for the first few years I was like, oh my God, nobody look at me. Nobody ask me if I’ve been to fashion school ‘cause the answer’s gonna be no. And then they’re gonna be like, you’re a fraud. But at the end of the day, like…

Caroline: But nobody look, like, nobody look at me. But you’re, like, literally everywhere.

Helen: Nobody look at me, but I’m over here. Yeah. Oh, totally. It’s a weird feeling, and you, like, yeah, it’s hard to shake it, and it’s very illogical, of course, because if you’re making a quality product, it’s a quality product. Like, all that other stuff doesn’t matter. But the answer is yes.

Okay. We’re gonna play a quick game before we wrap up here. And the game we’re gonna play is called Gift Master. How does this work?

Caroline: Okay. This game comes from the podcast I Said No Gifts with Bridger Winegar. There’s even a board game version that you can buy and for each turn you get three gifts and three celebrities, and you have to decide which celebrity you’ll give each gift to and justify it. Okay. So your options for gifts are me-made pajama pants. They’re cozy, they’re cute, and you made them. Second gift: a Bed, Bath, and Beyond Coupon for 20% off, but you can only use it at The Container Store before June 1st,

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: Five yards of Liberty Fabric. Now that’s luxury.

Helen: Wow, there’s a vast variety of gifts here. Some of them are better than others.

Caroline: So celebrities. Your first celebrity is David Schwimmer. He played Ross on Friends.

Helen: Yes, I know.

Caroline: Just FYI for anyone who doesn’t know.

Helen: Okay.

Caroline: Secondly, Flossy Flossy holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living cat at 27 years old. And Dame Judy Dench.

Helen: Oof. Now, who was she in Friends? Okay. I would give the me-made pajama pants to Flossy because that would be so cute. I mean, cat in pajamas. Yes.

Caroline: Absolutely. I agree with that one.

Helen: I would give the Bed Bath and Beyond coupon for 20% off to Ross, I mean, David, David Schwimmer. Do I have a reason for this? Sort of, just, like, you know, process of elimination, because obviously, the Liberty Fabric’s going to Judy Dench. So David…

Caroline: Okay.

Helen: I’m so sorry. You’re getting a coupon.

Caroline: Yeah. And you need to use it in the next, I don’t know, few days.

Helen: Yeah. Have fun.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I, I, would do the same thing. I would agree with you.

Helen: Yeah. Oh, good. Okay. I’m curious to hear if we’re in agreement on the next one. Okay. Your gifts are one: the power to get a perfect fit without ever making a muslin again. This is the dream. Two: a burrito from Chipotle, delicious, filling, and affordable. Number three is three thimbles, none of which fit properly.

Caroline: Okay.

Helen: The round two celebrities are Rumplestiltskin, from the fairytale; Taylor Swift, she’s a really popular musical artist; and Gordon Ramsey

Caroline: Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So definitely Taylor Swift is getting the power to get a perfect fit without ever making a muslin again.

Helen: A hundred percent. She deserves it.

Caroline: She deserves this. A hundred percent. Yeah. I don’t know a lot about Rumplestiltskin, but I don’t think we like him. So he’s getting three thimbles, none of which fit. And I’m gonna give the burrito from Chipotle to Gordon Ramsey, but only if he can go into a Chipotle and, like, order it like Kitchen Nightmare style where he’s, like, criticizing it and being like, what are you doing? This chicken isn’t fresh, you know?

Helen: Yeah. I also think he would not enjoy it…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …in the end either.

Caroline: Totally. Yeah. And, like, do we really like Gordon Ramsey? I don’t know.

Helen: I’m not, I mean, I, I but yeah, Rumplestiltskin, and I also was trying to remember this story, and I, I’m pretty sure he, like, exploited his daughter for personal gain to, like, gain evil power or something. Like, I don’t think we like him.

Caroline: Yeah. I did some light Googling, didn’t retain much of it, except that we don’t like him.

Helen: Perfect.

Caroline: Okay, well everyone, this is the last episode of our Spring 2023 season. We are going to be back with our regular episodes in September, but in the meantime, we will still be releasing fun, chatty, full-length bonus episodes. You can’t stop us for talking for a full hour on these episodes. You will get us for an hour once a month on Patreon, and we also release a mini episode if you’re wanting some sewing technique info. We talk about sewing once a month on Patreon for a little 10 to 15 minute episode. And truly, our patrons are the reason why we’re able to put out our regular episodes without any ads. So thank you all to our patrons.

Helen: Thanks to our patrons so much. It’s such a fun little community. We put lots of fun pictures of ourselves up there, too, doing our everyday lives.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So if you are a fan of the show and you can afford it, please consider becoming a patron. And if you’re not able to, that’s totally fine. We love that you listen to the regular show too, so no worries. Thank you so much for listening, and we will see you on the regular feed in the fall.

Caroline: Or on Patreon next month.

Helen: Woohoo. Bye.

That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com and CedarQuiltCo.com and Caroline at BlackbirdFabrics.com. And we’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Caroline: Go to LoveToSewPodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at [email protected].

Helen: If you love Love To Sew and want more, you can sign up for our Patreon for $5 a month. You get that full length bonus episode and weekly behind the scenes pictures. And for $10 a month you get all that plus a mini episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% off codes for Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics. Patreon is the best way to support us so we can keep making quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew for more info.

Caroline: Thank you to our amazing podcast team for an amazing season. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore of the Podcast Cabin is killing it as our editor. And Margaret Wakelee, the lovely Margaret, is our amazing transcriber. And thank you all for listening. We’ll talk to you next season.

Helen: Ooh, see you in the fall.

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This episode is filled with ideas for sewing projects to make for your fur babies! We recommend patterns, fabrics, and sewing techniques that will keep your pets safe, entertained, and adorable. Plus, we chat about our own pets, answer a question about how to fix a dress pattern that comes out shorter in front, and share a listener tip about soluble basting thread.

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

From the Listener Question and Feedback Section: 

Our Pets:

Patterns/Tutorials:

Notions and Fabric:

Other Mentions: 

Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Helen: Hello, and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Caroline: Join us for today’s topic: Sewing for Pets.

Helen, how are you?

Helen: I’m great. How are you?

Caroline: So good. Sorry, I just took a sip of coffee.

Helen: Yeah, we’re actually recording a podcast right now. I don’t know if you knew that.

Caroline: I know. I’m sorry. I’m just so happy. I have a candle burning. I have a warm cup of coffee. And the sun is shining.

Helen: Ooh.

Caroline: I’m so excited for the day.

Helen: Yeah. It is a good day. It’s a sunny Sunday. I have plans to go swimming in the ocean later today in my wetsuit. Pretty stoked about that.

Caroline: I love that. I have plans to bask in the sunshine in my garden.

Helen: Oh, perfect.

Caroline: I’m so excited about today’s topic: Sewing for Pets.

Helen: Me, too. We’ve been wanting to do this episode for a while actually, and it’s been kicking around in our brains, but we were like, can we do a whole episode about pets? And the answer is yes.

Caroline: Yes. Absolutely, yes. Okay, but before we get to the main show, we’re going to start today’s episode with a listener tip about gathering. Shari wrote, “I was talking back to the podcast today. Soluble thread for zigzagging over dental floss! At least for that line of basting stitches near the seam line. Too many people are not aware of this very useful product. I use it anywhere I need to baste but don’t want to, or can’t, pull out stitches. Test the strength of the one you buy if you’re going to pull it for gathering, don’t iron it ‘til you’re done, and if you’re threading a needle, don’t lick the end!”

Helen: Oh, thank you so much for this tip, Shari. I didn’t even know that water soluble threads existed, to be honest, but it makes total sense. I mean, I know about dissolving stabilisers, things like Wonder Tape and stuff like that, but I never imagined that you could make thread out of that stuff.

And we did a little research and found a couple of options that will link up for everybody in the show notes. One is called Rinse ‘n Gone, and it’s made by Wonderfil. And the other is Vanish, and it’s made by Superior Threads. Wonderfil recommends storing your thread spool and your wound bobbin in a zipped up bag in a dry place. A drop of water could eat through quite a bit of the thread.

And when you’re ready to dissolve it, you can remove the thread by washing your project on a gentle cycle or by wetting it and brushing the thread with a toothbrush. I would recommend trying out the toothbrush method on a scrap before you do it on your main fabric, just in case. I think this is mostly intended for quilting cottons. And I wanna reiterate something that Shari said, which is, don’t press over this thread. Finger press at the most, because any kind of moisture from your iron will also dissolve it.

But Caroline, this totally solves your problem that you’re complaining about.

Caroline: I know. Thank you so much, Shari, for coming to the rescue here, because I asked our listeners for tips. and you came through.

Helen: Yes!

Caroline: And I’m totally gonna try this because I do think that the zigzagging over dental floss, or cord method for gathering is faster. It was just that last step of removing the stitches that was hard. So this totally solves that problem, and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!

Helen: Yeah, it’s so freaking cool, too.

Caroline: Yeah, come on. I just wanna, like, show everyone that thread can dissolve. That’s so cool.

Helen: I mean, I am definitely going to be licking it just to see what happens.

Caroline: Helen.

Helen: I can’t resist. Like, don’t lick that. Don’t lick it.

Caroline: Don’t do. Okay. You’re gonna do it. Alright.

Helen: Gonna do it anyway. Cool. Cool, cool, cool. Okay, next up we have a listener question. Sylvie wrote: “First, I am a fan of your podcast, and I am learning so much week after week! Here is my question: I am an apple shape, 44” bust and 40” waist. I have sewn a Style Arc Pixie Dress that I love but the front is shorter than the back, probably because of my bust and tummy. Is there a way to correct that? Thank you again!”

Caroline: Hi, Sylvie. Thank you so much for listening to the pod and for asking us this question. Okay, so the Pixie Dress is a loose shift with an A-line shape. It might seem silly to make a full bust adjustment or a full tummy adjustment to a garment that’s not super fitted. But it’s actually not. It can solve this exact problem.

Style Arc doesn’t provide a high bust measurement, but they do provide a shoulder breadth measurement, and this is the measurement from the bone at the edge of one shoulder across the back and ending at the bone at the edge of the other shoulder. You may need to press into your shoulder to find this bone. But Style Arc also recommends adding a finger under the measuring tape for ease.

So you’re gonna choose your size based on your shoulder measurement. And check out the bust measurement for that size. If your full bust measurement is larger, do a full bust adjustment. And this is gonna add extra fabric horizontally and vertically so that the front of your garment is gonna be longer. Because the Pixie Dress doesn’t have a fitted waist and since your waist is smaller than your bust, I don’t think you’ll need to make a full tummy adjustment to this pattern. But give this a try and see if it solves that issue.

Helen: Yes. Great tip. Okay. Are we ready to get into the show, Caroline?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I’m so excited, Helen. We love our fur babies and sewing things for them is great because it’s an easy win. Whipping up something cute for your pet’s a great way to take a break from complicated garment sewing.

Helen: Yes, it can also use up scraps. Lots of the projects we’re gonna talk about today only use a little bit of fabric. And bonus: you can use your garment sewing scraps, and you can match your pet. Ooh, I love that.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I love this, too. It’s also a great way to show the world that your pet is the main character. Who else has a custom collar and leash at the dog park? Nobody. That’s who.

Helen: I don’t know, in Vancouver, like, statistically, quite a few people probably. Okay. It is a total crossover of two of our favourite obsessions: sewing and our pets, or our fur babies, as we’re calling them today. So in this episode, we’re gonna go over a bunch of projects that you can make for your dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and rodents.

I’m gonna be honest, this episode is 99% about dogs and cats, but if you have goats or something, you might find a few ideas that you could adapt. And we do have one project that works for the birds and the rodents. Plus, we have lots of tips for making your project safe, practical, and comfy for your animal BFFs.

Caroline: Shout out to any of our listeners who have goats. Do you think any of our listeners have goats?

Helen: Oh, a hundred percent. Yeah.

Caroline: I love it. Email us if you do. I wanna, I wanna know about your goats. Okay. Before we get into the projects we’re gonna talk about today, I think we should introduce our pets to our listeners, a formal introduction.

Helen: Okay, Caroline, tell me about your two pets.

Caroline: Okay, so I have a dog named Pepper. She actually just turned five this week, and I also have a cat named Fraidy. He’s 12. He’s approximately 12. We don’t have his exact age, but when we got him, he was around three.

We like to call them “roommates.” Like, they’re good roommates. They’re not necessarily friends, but they do care for each other. And once in a while we’ll catch them, kind of, close to each other on the couch. But yes, they, they do respect each other a lot and cohabitate really well.

Pepper is about 40 pounds. How, how much detail can I go into here?

Helen: I mean, please, describe Pepper.

Caroline: I feel like, like, a dating profile. Pepper is a medium-sized dog. She’s about 40 pounds. She’s very fit. She’s…

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Caroline: Well, people always comment on how, like, muscular or, like, lean she is. She’s a lab border collie cross, so she has short hair. She’s white with black spots. And obviously, she’s very cute, but I’m biased. I just think she’s the sweetest, most adorable dog in the world. She’s super smart.

She doesn’t love eating, which is a weird quirk of Pepper. It takes a lot for us to get her to eat, but that’s just, you know, it’s who she is. We love her for it. but she loves running around at the park and playing fetch. She loves cuddling and sleeping in her bed. Yeah, that’s Pepper. That’s Pepper for you. That’s my intro to Pepper.

Helen: I just love this description. Like, my dog loves the park and sleeping. She’s named Pepper because she has, like, pepper, little pepper spots all over her.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s why.

Helen: Little black spots. Yeah, she’s so cute. And I would say she has strong whippet vibes. Like, she’s quite slim for a lab border collie. Like, she has, she’s very lean looking or, like, a greyhound almost.

Caroline: She runs really fast at the park when she’s chasing her ball. She, like, loves to, like, sprint. We’re always like, wow, she’s so fast.

Helen: Yeah. That’s so fun.

Caroline: Okay, so Fraidy is about the polar opposite of Pepper. He is, so he’s a fluffy orange cat. Some might say slightly overweight. He’s a little bit lumpy, but we love him just the same. He loves food. Oh, my God. He loves food. He needs a snack every hour or else he will just wail at you. And him and Shea have a very special relationship. They cuddle all the time. He loves to just be like attached to Shea at the hip, basically all night long. He loves his treats. He loves catnip. What cat doesn’t love catnip? He’s not very active. He sleeps a lot.

Helen: He has pretty long hair. He is, like, very, very flooffy.

Caroline: He’s very flooffy, and he is a beautiful cat. Yeah. My mom always says he looks like Garfield, but I don’t, don’t know if I agree.

Helen: He does, kind of.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: He is gorgeous. He’s probably one of the most beautiful cats I know, personally. Like, no offence to all my other friends’ cats, but Fraidy’s up there.

Caroline: Yeah. And I think I’ve told the story of Fraidy on the show before, but he was definitely meant to be our cat. And maybe I’ll talk about it another time, but…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: He was my neighbour’s cat, and then, he was our cat because it was meant to be.

Helen: Exactly. Sometimes it just works out.

Caroline: Yeah. Okay. Tell me all about sweet, sweet, Emma. You know how much I love Emma. Oh. Oh.

Helen: Emma’s so sweet. Okay. My dog is Emma. She’s a Rottweiler. She’s about 80 pounds, which is pretty small for a Rottweiler actually. The, the male rottweilers tend to be about, like, 120, 130 pounds. And the females are typically smaller, and so she is smaller. People often think she’s a puppy. She has big puppy energy even though she’s almost seven. But people are always shocked when we tell them that she’s seven.

She’s so, so cute. She has that classic rottweiler colouring, the black and the brown, and it’s, like, almost, like, luminous that, like, deep, rich brown, that’s just so beautiful. She loves to eat. She lives to eat. All she thinks about is food. She’ll eat, eat pretty much anything. She’s good though. She doesn’t beg for food or, like, try to get stuff off the table or counter or anything. But if you have something in your hand, like a treat for her, like, laser focus, and if you throw it in the air, she’ll do acrobatics to get the treat.

But if you throw a ball, she will literally just sit there and, like, stare into your eyes while the ball hits her in the face and she’ll just, like, pretend the ball doesn’t exist. Like, she has absolutely no interest in toys.

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. That’s so true.

Helen: Can’t get her to fetch to save my life. Like, she’s the most boring dog to go to the park with ‘cause she just stands there. And yeah. She loves to eat, and she loves to cuddle. She’s a big cuddler. She’ll just, like, curl up next to us on the couch and fall asleep, and I love that about her. She’s so soft. So we spend a lot of time on the couch together.

And she’s been such a great dog. We got her when she was about three, and she came very well-trained. So I’m super grateful to her original owner who ended up having to get rid of her because her, she had another rottweiler in her house and they were not getting along. Emma is a single dog only kind of dog. She doesn’t care for other dogs much. So she rehomed her to us. And I’m so grateful she trained her so well. And she’s such a great dog. So I just feel so lucky to have her.

Caroline: And our, our puppers have met before a couple times, and they actually get along fairly well.

Helen: They do. Yeah, I would say Pepper is one of Emma’s favourite dogs.

Caroline: Oh, wow.

Helen: She doesn’t like very many dogs, so the bar is pretty low, but…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …but she does get along with Pepper. They are able to, like, coexist in the house together, so that’s great.

Caroline: Totally. Yeah. Yeah, we have some pretty cute pictures of them together over the last few years, so I’ll try to dig some of those up maybe…

Helen: Yeah, totally.

Caroline: …and put them on Instagram this week.

Helen: Well, Caroline, have you ever sewn anything for Pepper?

Caroline: I have, I, not a ton, and I definitely have some dream projects that we’ll, we’ll talk about. But I have made Pepper a cover for one of her dog beds. It’s, like, a quilted cover that was, like, you know, those Costco beds that you can get, like, the big circle ones? Those giant pillows.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I think you have one for Emma, too. It was, yeah, it, it needed to be replaced, so I, I did that. That one’s super cute. I’ve definitely made her bandanas over the year. Like, I love making her a matching bandana to something that I make with my scraps, and then, we can match. So love that. And she looks so cute in a bandana.

Helen: She really does.

Caroline: It really suits her. And I also, she has this, like, outdoor, kind of, raised bed that comes with, like, a frame, and it broke. Over the years, it, kind of, ripped. So I, I replaced that, which I think counts as a sewing project for Pepper. But it was really easy and straightforward to do. But yeah, I definitely have dream projects. Like, I really wanna make Pepper a jacket, but, like, I wanna make it next time I make a coat. I wanna, like ,make her a matching coat. Like, possibly the Closet Core pattern ‘cause I think it’s really cute. So that would be, ugh, just total dreams.

Another dream I have is to make a sling for Fraidy because like I said earlier, Fraidy is always attached to Shea. Like, in the evenings, Shea will pick him up and, kind of, like, hold him like a baby, like, on his side. Like, he’ll, kind of, one arm is, like, holding Fraidy, and Fraidy, sort of, like, clings to his shoulders…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …and just will just stay attached to Shea for, like, literal hours. Like, he just wants to be in Shea’s beard, basically. So I feel like one of those baby slings would work so well, ‘cause then Shea could have his hands free…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …and Fraidy could just be attached to him and they would just both be really happy. So this is actually, I think, an easy project that I could do. I don’t even think there would be much sewing involved, especially if I did the, like, wrap style.

Helen: True. Yeah.

Caroline: So I’m really, I’m dreaming about making that for Shea and Fraidy.

Helen: Ooh.

Caroline: I think they would love it.

Helen: Yeah, that sounds really cute.

Caroline: Yeah. What about you, Helen?

Helen: I have not sewn anything for Emma yet, but we do put bandanas on her a lot. And I was at the fabric store recently, and they had bandana fabric. You can buy it, like, on the bolt, and it’s basically just, like, a square of bandana in all these different colours. And then, you can just get them to, like, cut you a square of it. And then all, you have to do is hem it. So I bought some because they had this really beautiful blue colour, and I was just intrigued by it as a fun little project. So I was gonna make a bandana for Emma for the summer and a matching one for Sam. I got two.

Caroline: Is it all different colours on one length of fabric or did they have different bolts of different colors?

Helen: It was different bolts of different colours.

Caroline: And then, they cut you just a square?

Helen: They can cut you just a square or two. I got two squares, and it’s, like, narrower. It’s, kind of, like, interfacing with, like, I mean, it’s the width of a bandana basically, so…

Caroline: Oh.

Helen: …it’s narrower piece of fabric. Yeah, I thought that was really cool. I’d never seen that before, and I was just intrigued, so I bought some.

Caroline: Mm-hmm.

Helen: But yeah, Emma looks so cute in a bandana. We often have a bandana on her, and then, I would love to make her a raincoat. We have a raincoat for her from a company called, Ruffwear, I think is the name, and it’s really great. And it rains so much here, so when we take her out in the pouring rain, it’s nice to cover her up a bit so she doesn’t get soaking wet. She doesn’t really like being wet. She’s not a swimmer.

And if she’s out in the rain, and she’s getting wet, she’ll just, like, shake the entire walk. Like, she’s trying to, like, get the rain off of her. The rain jacket actually helps a lot. She really likes it. And I think I would like to make her another one because the one we have is just a little bit too small. I feel like I could tweak it and make it fit her even better and get a little bit more coverage.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And then the other thing we have for her that we use a lot is a drying coat. So after we get in from the rain, especially in the wintertime, we’ll, like, wrap her up in this, sort of, like, towel coat so that she can, like, warm up. She probably doesn’t even care. It’s, like, more for my benefit ‘cause I think it looks adorable, and it makes me feel good to, like, put this little towel coat on her when she’s all wet.

Caroline: Mm-hmm. It’s, like, you’re caring for her.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I’m sure she appreciates it.

Helen: She seems to, she always just, I mean, she doesn’t really care about wearing clothes. Like, you put it on her and she’s, sort of, like, whatever. So I think she would happily wear, like, a full costume. I don’t think she would care at all.

Caroline: Pepper does not like full costumes. I once dressed Pepper up as a pizza, like a piece of pizza. She was not into it. She, she lasted approximately 20 minutes.

Helen: Oh, my gosh.

Caroline: And then I was like, you look sad.

Helen: She, Emma doesn’t like having stuff on her face or head, which is pretty typical for a lot of dogs. But if you put something on her body, she’s like, she just doesn’t even seem to notice, you know?

Caroline: Oh, my gosh. I forgot to mention how much Pepper loves swimming…

Helen: Oh, yeah.

Caroline: …earlier. She loves swimming.

Helen: You should make her a bathing suit.

Caroline: Oh, my God. Like, a little one piece.

Helen: A little one… Blackbird Fabric swim.