What are the sewing habits, tools and construction choices that have made the biggest difference to our sewing?

In this episode, Johanna and Malena share their personal sewing game changers, including pressing throughout construction, pre-pressing hems, inserting trouser zippers on the flat, making toiles, and cutting tricky fabrics in a single layer.

They also discuss what home sewists can learn from ready-to-wear construction, using press templates for pockets, adjusting presser foot pressure, heavy thread for topstitching, rotary cutters, overlockers and magnifying lamps.

Some are simple workflow changes. Others are tools worth investing in. And one involves a cereal box.

Tutorials mentioned:

⁠Johanna's dress pants zipper tutorial⁠

⁠Jeans' zipper tutorial⁠ (video)

⁠Sewing Jeans Book⁠

⁠Jeans pocket with press template⁠

⁠Magnifying lamp⁠ (Amazon affiliate link)

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Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knit bindings are one of those sewing techniques that might seem simple. Just wrap some fabric around an edge, right? Well, not quite that easy, unfortunately. Plus, there are plenty of ways to do it, so how do we know which one is the best?

Essentially, a perfect topic for Johanna and Malena to dive deep into. Malena even confesses that she has never sewn a binding before. So Johanna breaks down the different approaches. They talk about choosing fabrics, calculating width and stretch, and working with a coverstitch binder or a regular sewing machine.

French binding, zigzag stitching, basting and stitch-in-the-ditch techniques also make an appearance in this meaty episode. If you've ever been intimidated by bindings, this episode has you covered!

Johanna's binding resources

⁠⁠Coverstitch Success Video Course⁠⁠

⁠⁠Master The Coverstitch Machine Book⁠

⁠Sewing Activewear Book

⁠

⁠Erikas Syskrin⁠ (for all your binding needs)

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Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why wait until January to start fresh? Fall has all the ingredients for a new beginning, right? That's when we crave routines and want to reset, reorganise and make new plans. This is why Johanna and Malena make a case for September being the start of a Sew New Year.

To kick off this new concept, they discuss habit stacking, journaling and mood boards, along with some very practical sewing tips. Plus a few lifestyle tips (nurture your reward system, as Johanna likes to say). So let go of ambitious resolutions and an endless sewing bucket list. Instead, we should ask ourselves: What do you want more of in your sewing life? A new skill? A wardrobe rethink? Or simply more time at the sewing machine?

Consider this your September permission slip to start fresh, with fewer expectations and hopefully some fun fall sewing. Happy Sew New Year!

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does fall 2026 actually look like when you stop scrolling past the runway photos and start thinking about what you'd actually wear? Johanna and Malena compare fashion magazines, runway coverage, AI trend research and a very Swedish source of trend intelligence: watching what young people are wearing at a music festival Johanna visited recently.

They talk about the return of visible craft, romantic details, tailoring, statement coats, richer colours and the surprisingly persistent comeback of capri pants and barrel trousers.

They also cover the current anti-polyester conversation, the return of preppy dressing, and a few trends that get a much less enthusiastic response from Johanna and Malena. Because just because something is trending doesn't mean we're going to sew it.

Book rec:

⁠The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew⁠ (Amazon affiliate link)

Podcast rec:

Articles Of Interest: Ivy Style

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us on our socials:

⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠

⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠

⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠thelaststitch.com⁠

⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer is almost over, routines are returning, and Johanna and Malena are back with a catch-up. They talk about trying to take time off, getting back into work mode, Swedish summer weather, and the small matter of a health scare that gave Johanna an unexpected break from coffee, spices, wine and basically all the things she enjoys.

The conversation also delves into the less glamorous side of creative work: EU packaging regulations and the administrative maze of running a small business.

They also have some fun sewing updates, including differential feed breakthroughs, making samples for To a Tee, and getting ready for a fall photo shoot and a fresh look for the podcast.

Another exciting thing: Johanna is about 75% done with To A Tee. Who knew! The work-life balance is, however, still in the muslin stage, it seems.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us on our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darts. Tiny folds of fabric that somehow manage to cause a surprising amount of confusion.

In this episode, Johanna and Malena unravel one of sewing's most fundamental techniques, exploring what darts actually do, why they're still relevant, and how they transform flat fabric into garments that fit real bodies.

Along the way they discuss bust, waist and shoulder darts, when you can replace them with princess seams or yokes, and why modern patterns sometimes hide shaping in plain sight.

There's also plenty of practical advice on marking, sewing, pressing and troubleshooting darts, whether you're working with crisp cotton, slippery silk or stretchy knits.

If darts have ever felt a bit mysterious, this episode is for you!

Johanna's dart tutorials

⁠Sewing darts on knits ⁠(Vide pants tutorial)

⁠Sewing darts using bobbin thread ⁠

⁠Quick and easy way to sew darts⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠

⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠

⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠thelaststitch.com⁠

⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠

⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠

⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠thelaststitch.com⁠

⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another To A Tee update, and this time Johanna and Malena have plenty to share. After months of writing, drafting, testing and revising, the book is finally starting to look like... well, an actual book.

In this episode, they take you behind the scenes of the latest stage of the project, from sewing instructions and paper pattern layouts to neckline options, grading and all the tiny decisions that make a sewing book both useful and enjoyable to sew from.

They also share an unexpected highlight: a surprise shout-out from one of the sewing world's biggest names.

About To a Tee

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people picture one job when they think about fashion: designer. Or perhaps a pattern maker if you are deeply into sewing (like us!). But the clothing industry is a whole ecosystem, and most of the key roles happen far away from the sketchbook.

In this episode, Malena and Johanna break down how the apparel business actually works. From global players to small independent brands, they walk through all the roles that shape what we wear.

If you’re curious about building a career in clothing or just want to understand what really happens behind the scenes, then this episode is for you!

Episodes mentioned

Secrets of a big brand pattern maker

Creating a sewing pattern from start to finish

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another catch-up episode, which means Johanna and Malena are chatting about everything from summer sewing projects to the not-so-glamorous realities of running a sewing business.

Malena has been sewing a new boat-neck knit top and they swap some practical sewing tips, including a clever neckline trick, moving shoulder seams for a better fit, and ways to reduce bulk when sewing knits.

The conversation then shifts from the sewing room to the business side of things. Johanna reflects on leaving her day job to focus on The Last Stitch full-time, while Malena shares what it's like balancing a part-time job at a bridal shop with freelance sewing. They also discuss pattern sales, Etsy, newsletters, AI, marketing, why visibility has become harder than ever, and what it really takes to make a living teaching sewing online.

If you've ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at Stitching Tales, this episode is your backstage pass.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sizing a sewing pattern is rarely as simple as making everything bigger or smaller. In this episode, Malena unpacks what pattern grading actually involves, from choosing a base size to adjusting proportions for areas like the bust, waist, neck and sleeves.

You’ll hear why grading is about balance rather than mathematics alone, how fabric choice affects the process, and why there are so many different sizing charts out there.

If you’ve ever wondered why sizing can feel inconsistent or simply confusing, this episode gives you a clearer understanding of the decisions happening behind the scenes.

Mentioned in this episode

Muna and Broad

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:

Stitching Tales on Instagram

Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

Hazelhen Patterns Instagram

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

thelaststitch.com

The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.