Whatever stage you’re at in your journey of creating a handmade wardrobe, there are a few basic concepts that should become second nature in your sewing practice. For example, having separate pairs of scissors—one for paper and one for fabric—and understanding the grainline your pattern pieces require, whether they should be cut on the straight…
Category Archives: COMMUNITY
As a sewist, you’ve probably heard the term “deadstock” circulating in fashion and sewing circles, but it’s not just another buzzword—it’s the coveted material for DIY enthusiasts and eco-conscious designers alike. But what exactly is deadstock fabric, and why is it on the radar of home sewists? Deadstock fabric is like a rare jewel of…
Have you ever held back from sharing your sewing or pattern ideas because you were afraid that others might not take them seriously? Do you tend to stick with the same patterns and fabrics because they’re familiar and feel safe, even though you know there’s so much more out there to try? Maybe you’ve avoided…
When I first started sewing garments, I immediately fell in love with linen. I loved how it wrinkled with wear and it felt very forgiving as I taught myself how to sew a straight line or maintain the same seam allowance throughout a pattern. So when I sat down to think of my seven favorite…
Last fall, my family and I relocated to a small rural town south of Phoenix, Arizona—a stark contrast to our previous urban lifestyle just minutes from downtown LA. One of the things I knew I would miss was the easy access to the Fabric District, where I could find endless bolts of deadstock fabrics. As…
Oxytocin. The hormone responsible for the squishy feeling you get inside when you hug someone you love or stroke a fluffy dog. And, I found out while I was pregnant, the hormone pretty single-handedly responsible for a successful labour. Of course, there’s more going on, but from what I could tell, the more of it…
Empathy is a concept that I am sure most of you are familiar with, but what about applying it to our relationship with our wardrobes? When considering the production of “fashion” we often don’t think about the fact that our clothes have passed through many hands to make it into our wardrobes. Farmers, spinners, dyers,…
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…
I have relocated around the world multiple times, and downsized from a house to an inner-city studio apartment. Since moving to Munich, I’ve also had to develop almost two different wardrobes to handle the more extreme temperatures, rotating my wardrobe and periodically packing away those seasonal pieces when they are not needed. Therefore, I have…
Linen and summer go together like peanut butter and jelly, they say. Okay, maybe they don’t say that… but it’s true! Living in a very hot climate is one of the many reasons my closet is mostly comprised of linen. It’s natural, so my skin is sure to not get irritated when it reaches the…
What is more luxurious than linen pyjamas? (Okay- that is a rhetorical question because everyone has their own vision of luxury.) Linen pajamas evoke slow mornings and leisure. They are more elevated than your partner’s old sweats and a toothpaste-stained sweatshirt…which tends to be in rotation for me regularly this season. As I was preparing…
I’m sure most of us in the sewing community have experienced feeling like we have lost our “sewing mojo” – a dip in our motivation that can leave us feeling stuck and frustrated. Don’t worry! With a little self-reflection and by implementing a few of the strategies in this article we can reignite our motivation…
I started writing (and sewing) about dopamine makes just over a year ago. Thank you for coming along this journey with me- it means the world to know there is a place that extends beyond the practical and into the….unabashed silliness of sewing with no purpose except to feel. (That is NOT to say I…
There are some joys we keep to ourselves, and some, once we break their secret code, we want everyone to know it too. To join us in the joy. In my twenties, it was salsa dancing and more than once I was the person at a dinner party counting steps and demonstrating the basics to…
I am impatient. It’s one of the few bad qualities I have that I don’t actually feel bad about. I’m a foot tapper, a lane changer and for my sins, the kind of sewist who would cut straight into the good fabric. And of course, if you’re the same, you’ll know the highs and lows…
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