Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing, and the Vento Tank by Daughter Judy made with FS Bleached Midweight Signature Finish linen

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.  

My name is Claire and I’m the owner of Studio Studio, a creative design practice focused on branding. On any given day of the week I’m being creative in one form or another: design work for a client, sewn or knit garments for myself, highly detailed yet very temporary Play-Doh creations with my son—the list goes on.

Why do you sew?

There are so many reasons: to create selfishly, to learn new skills as an adult, to slow down fast fashion consumption, to have something that’s *just* for me as someone with a lot of caregiving duties. I also occasionally sew to support the dreams of indie pattern designers through occasional voluntary garment testing (I bow down to all indie pattern labels—you are wizards and my brain does not work the way yours do). 

One reason I don’t sew however is to have another income stream and make commissions by sewing garments for others. Sewing is my sacred space, and I protect it from being tainted by the shadow of additional labor. Something important that my 30’s and early parenthood has taught me is that setting boundaries, yes even around things like your hobbies, is critical for protecting your time and ensuring you’re using your energy wisely.

What do you like to listen to when you’re working (and why)?

Audiobooks and podcasts, always. The story I was listening to often becomes a memory I can think back on every time I wear a garment— Me Made May 2024 was brought to you by detective thrillers.

Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing, and the Vento Tank by Daughter Judy made with FS Bleached Midweight Signature Finish linen

As a child, what was your first encounter and memory of beauty?

Watching my mother. As a child, she was the most beautiful, most creative, and warmest light and I spent so much time with her. I remember being preschool aged and observing her getting ready for a date in her tall black boots and a slinky slip as she harriedly muttered to herself in search of a dress and in awe telling her, “you should just wear THAT”. She laughed at me and put a dress over the slip (probably an early 90’s Ann Taylor polyester floral gem), and told me to not be silly. I just love observing her, and the other people in my life as they do their daily tasks and thinking that they’re more beautiful than they’ll ever give themselves credit for.

Where is home and how does it affect what you do?

For the past 12 years, Virginia, but I’ve lived in various parts of the DMV (Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia) all my life. We get all four seasons here, but what really sticks out are the sweltering summers. The climate, self employment, and my parenting duties really dictate what I do and wear on a given day, but I do ‘get dressed’ in an actual outfit each day to help give myself some structure. I do tend to sew and knit clothing that are wearable in-season, and I also try not to stash fabrics that are out of season or that I can’t use right away. In terms of the demands on my wardrobe, my life is very casual (apart from a date night, occasional wedding, or networking event), and creating clothing for this type of lifestyle feels very in line with what I really like sewing, which are basics.

Do you have a community of crafters/ makers around you or do you find you are on your own?

It’s all about community for me, but funnily enough that’s not really an in-person community. My mom and best friend are also sewists but I live an hour away from them both, so even if I’m talking to my closest circle about sewing, we’re still doing it virtually. Apart from my existing circle, the sewing community I’m a part of over on Instagram feels so pure and lovely (when most things about social media feel anything but). The inspiration I gather, new designers and patterns I learn about, helpful hacks—it all happens there. More than brass tacks sewing stuff though, the good humans I’ve met through our mutual love of sewing has been the biggest takeaway of being a part of the online sewing community. We now text each other, connect over life’s wins and woes, and likely wouldn’t have crossed paths if it hadn’t been for our mutual love of being sewing nerds. 

Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing, and the Vento Tank by Daughter Judy made with FS Bleached Midweight Signature Finish linen

How important is it to make something with your hands?

Is it dramatic to say vitally important? It’s vital. As someone who is a career creative where my job has me sitting in front of a computer creating work for other people’s businesses, making things with my hands and with my own desires in mind is a balancing balm. My body, my mind, my machine, my materials and supplies, my sewing space—it’s a coordinated rhythmic routine that comforts, fuels, and challenges me in the best way.

What has been the most rewarding sewing project you’ve completed so far and why?

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a garment, but a throw pillow.

The wedding gift I designed and made for my friend Jess and her husband as a good luck charm for the new phase of their partnership meant so much more than one throw pillow should. Apart from a wedding fit, it was a symbolic ‘paying it forward moment’ for the beloved wedding gift Jess had knit for me nearly a decade previously and which has become a cherished household item for my family. I had eight whole years to internally over analyze and stress about what I would create for Jess and her partner should they ever choose to get married, yet when the time came, the idea presented itself easily in my mind and came to life naturally. Handmade gifts as a reflection of the maker and receiver’s lives feels quite indicative of the moment in time they’re created, so it’s not a surprise to me in hindsight that I had a hard time thinking of what I would make until the situation actually presented itself! I think that creating a handmade gift is a truly beautiful and deep act of love—the time, thought, care, and imperfect details could never possibly be found on a registry list, and are even sweeter for it. All the details on that creation are here!

Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing, and the Vento Tank by Daughter Judy made with FS Bleached Midweight Signature Finish linen

What is more important to you – the process or the final product (ie your garment)?

For me, it feels sacred to have created a totally safe space to challenge and push myself with the activity of sewing. There are intimidating challenges, there are definitely wins, but there are missteps or even flops, and when I “fail” the stakes are relatively low and failing is safe. It’s a great life skill to be able to practice not doing something well the first or even fifth time. When I set myself a challenge though (sewing a new garment type, not settling for something done just ‘fine’) and I succeed, the emotional rush and feeling of accomplishment is so sweet. I have essentially created a safe little dopamine machine for myself, with the added outcome of owning many handmade clothes that I wear over and over again and truly feel my best in (over a third of my wardrobe is #memade). Long answer short is: I’m more of a process person, and when I wear the final products, a big part of the enjoyment is remembering the process.

What does success mean to you?

Having ownership over your time. Finding the balance of fulfilling your obligations to others while still having space for the people and activities that fill your cup. Also—being able to forgive yourself and your people when there are f*ck-ups from time to time. If you can have both of those things, you’re living very well.

What have you chosen to make out of FS linen and why?

It’s August in Virginia and it’s H-O-T outside. I simultaneously want to not have any fabric touch my body, yet I also want to cover myself and protect my skin from the sun. The logical conclusion was that I needed a matching white set where I cover both very little of my upper body, and all of my lower body. To that end I chose the Pomona Pant by Anna Allen Clothing, and the Vento Tank by Daughter Judy. 

The Pomona Pant is so versatile, and I can wear it indoors in the blasting AC, but also to the pool or beach over a bathing suit. The Vento is quite a sassy date night piece as it’s cropped in this bra view, but in white linen it doesn’t feel unreasonable to also wear it during the day time if I just CANNOT deal with fabric touching my sweaty lower back.