Seamwork Radio: Sewing and Creativity (Seamwork)

If you've ever wanted to dive into the world of sewing but didn’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Glory Allan, a self-taught sewing enthusiast and popular creator on YouTube and TikTok, knows exactly how it feels to be a beginner. In our recent conversation, he shared invaluable insights and practical tips for anyone embarking on their sewing journey.

Sarai and Haley explore why a messy space is such a block, and what makes clean-up hard for us, and they share Haley’s surefire, seven-step process for cleaning up your space in only 15 minutes.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about their favorite go-to fabrics for sewing clothes, what makes them so versatile and useful, and their favorite manufacturers and shops to go to when they need them.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley discuss how a beginner mindset can help you become an advanced sewist. They'll explore niche sewing and how exploring all the unexpected corners of the sewing world can empower you.

We often get asked how to help clothes look less "homemade," but what's the stigma behind homemade? In this episode, we explore that and share some tips for making your clothes look polished.

If you love fabric, you might be familiar with both Cotton + Steel and Ruby Star society. In this episode, Haley sits down with all five founding designers to talk about their creative journey, their close friendship, and what designing fabric means to them.

Is your sewing starting to feel like a chore? Sarai and Haley share 6 totally approachable tips for what to do when your sewing (or any other creative hobby) starts to feel like work. 

Making sewing plans is a great way to keep you motivated, but sometimes you need to break the rules. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share the reasons why you might want to break your plans along with tips to help you ditch them.

Today, we're talking about 4 really fun but less common fabrics that you may never have sewn with. We'll cover why we love these fabrics, the best ways to use them (including some ideas you’ve probably never heard of), and our favorite tips for sewing with them if you want to give them a shot yourself.

In part five of the Sewing by Design series, Sarai and Haley talk about finding your fit. Creating clothing that fits is such a motivating factor for why so many people sew. But learning about fit and applying those lessons to your own sewing practice can be intimidating. Sarai and Haley cover why fitting is a challenge for most people, then provide a simple framework for approaching fit. They discuss how to diagnose your fit in a systematic way, the two types of adjustments you need to learn, and how tracking and finding your fit can make the whole process so much easier.

I like to shop for fabric seasonally, and it helps to have a list of tried-and-true fabrics that work well for each season.

It also helps to get really familiar with the qualities of each fabric, so you can pair it to the right project.

In this episode of the Seamwork Radio podcast, I’m sharing 10 of my favorite winter fabrics to help you stay warm and stylish through the cold months ahead.

You’ll use these fabrics year after year, so the more you get to know them, the easier it will be for you to do your seasonal fabric shopping.

In today’s episode, we're talking about how thinking about your handmade wardrobe as a garden can teach you more patience, resilience, and long term thinking. We'll cover how both gardening and sewing can help you cultivate patience, joy, and the powerful experience of building something from scratch.

Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons is here to talk about sewing for kids! She's sharing her top 10 tips for sewing for kids. And even if you don't do a lot of sewing for kids, you're going to find a lot in here that can apply to your own sewing as well, even for yourself or for other adults.

After packing up and moving to a new house, Sarai decided to create a queue of 5 projects that she believes she’ll wear for at least 10 years. She’s calling it The Decade Project. In this episode, she and Haley talk about this project and how you can create your own personal sewing challenge.

Editing is one of the most underappreciated aspects of any creative journey. This includes picking out a new sewing project. With so many choices, the process can feel overwhelming. So, how can you simplify it? Ask a designer!

In this episode, Sarai and Haley discuss why editing is vital to any good design process and share an easy three-step process they like to use when creating their sewing plans for the season. 

We're looking inward this week and sharing a bit about what it's like working at Seamwork. Sarai and Haley share our values and philosophy and why we're pursuing B Corp certification this year.

Everyone makes these sorts of mistakes, even those who have been sewing for decades. But the big difference between people who stick with sewing and find joy in it and those who get frustrated and give up isn’t about the mistakes – it’s about how you treat yourself when they happen.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley share 9 ways you can find self-compassion in sewing. 

Sarai and Haley are hosting a quick-tip series on the podcast. For the next few weeks, they’re sharing quick episodes full of tips to answer your most burning sewing questions.

And today they’re talking about scrap busting, with five ideas to help you bust your scraps. 

In this week’s episode, Sarai and Haley share 5 ideas to help you sew for cold weather. They cover how to make your winter sewing extra warm and cozy, and share practical tips and fabric ideas for a toasty, wearable winter wardrobe.

Do you ever look at your closet and wonder, how much of this stuff do I really need? In today's episode, we share some approaches to this question, and ideas we've used (or want to use) to eliminate clutter and maintain a reasonable wardrobe.

In the final part of Space Camp, Sarai and Haley help you organize everything in your sewing space. They'll share how they organize fabric and give you tips for maintaining an organized, clean space.

This is part 1 of a 2-part series called "Sewing With All 5 Senses."

We are such sensory-seeking creatures, and in very direct ways, sewing feeds our sense of sight and touch. But if you can find ways to stimulate all of your senses when you’re sewing, it can become an even more radical form of self-care than it already is.

Today, Sarai and Haley talk about how to intentionally enhance your sense of sight and touch, which are the two senses we experience the strongest when we’re sewing. They cover what elements play into our sense of sight and touch, and give you tips for how to embrace what feels good.

We’ve all been spending a lot more time at home in 2020, and that’s led many of us to think more about our spaces. Whether you have a tiny corner or a luxurious craft room, we’ll share 8 tips to help you organize and update your space without buying things you don’t need.

Decluttering handmade clothing is HARD. We all get attached to things we’ve made with our own two hands. In this episode. Haley helps us out with five questions you can ask yourself and three practical tips to help you move your handmade clothes to the donation pile when it’s time.

Alexia Abegg is a multi-faceted creator. She works in ceramics, textiles, block printing, and designs fabric for Ruby Star Society. In this episode, you'll learn why you need to give yourself permission to have all the hobbies!

Sewing shines a bright spotlight on any changes your body might be going through. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share 9 tips for sewing through body changes, big and small.

In October, we hosted our very first in-person event at Seamwork HQ. Nearly 100 Seamworkers gathered for Stitchfest, and we all spent the day together later. There was a panel of local patternmakers, a sample sale, and a live recording of the Seamwork Radio podcast.

In the live recording, Sarai and our patternmaker, Robin, answer the 7 most common sewing questions we get asked here at Seamwork.

Do you feel pressure to make gifts this time of year? In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about how the holiday season creates a perfect storm for crafting-stress, plus some tips for removing pressure while still making gifts with love.

In this special roundup episode, we share what we’re working on, including our sewing plans and what we’re excited to make next. We’ll also talk about all the new stuff coming up at Seamwork!

Ashley grew up in British Columbia, Canada and had a freewheeling, happy childhood.
Her mother was confident, creative, and charismatic. Everyone seemed to adore her, especially Ashley. She was full of energy and seemed able to do anything.

But as Ashley got older, a different picture emerged. She learned that her mom had a secret, and over time it would destroy their relationship – and her mom’s life.

But somehow, for some reason, the experience of sewing with her mom remained one of the few bright spots.

“I just feel like, you know, that was sort of one of the one of the activities that we shared where she wasn't she wasn't so critical. She wasn't hard on me. She was competitive with me. You know, she coached me. She gave me some space. She gave me, like, access to her tools.”

“I'm pretty sure my mom made the shirt she's wearing, plus the sweater my toddler brother was wearing, and she definitely made the pink corduroy overalls I'm wearing, plus the booties. I used to ask her about those overalls all the time. For some reason I was delighted by the buttons, which were little kitties.”

“You can see the wall hanging in the background that my mom made. I feel like that could probably sell for a lot of money at some hipster craft fair these days!”

“You can just see the fur tops of my brother's mocassins - she definitely would have made those.”

“She was so tall, look how high I have to reach her hands! She liked to dress strikingly - bold colours and designs that accentuated her features. I remember she had to wear a stick-on bra with that dress because it was open in the back with verticle panels from collar to waistline, and we laughed about that; she was always showing me how to be classy - bra straps should never be visible for example.”

“She knit a special blanket for each of her babies during her pregnancies, and for mine she said she just knew intuitively that she was having a girl, so she chose the peach colour. I actually remember her finishing my baby brother's blanket in the hospital bed just hours after delivering him. She was a tough lady.”

If you are interested in helping address drug use in a compassionate way, Ashley has provided some wonderful links to help you get involved.

Ever feel like you don't have time to sew? Sarai and Haley talk about some of the blocks that we commonly encounter when we want to sew, but we can't. And then six strategies that might help you to remove those blocks.

It’s unlikely that you’ve met a father and daughter with a bond like that of Michael and Ava.

Ava is 9 years old, and absolutely loves her dad, Michael. Not only does she feel comfortable discussing her life with him and letting him in on what’s bothering her as she grows up, but they collaborate together on custom-sewn outfits just for her.

Years ago, Michael made the decision to be there for his daughter. Sometimes that’s meant listening to her when she faces a problem at school, and other times it’s meant learning to do her hair or paint her nails. And it’s also meant using his creativity to learn to sew for her.

As a single Black father who works every day to empower his daughter to become the person she’s meant to be, he’s breaking stereotypes. As a male in a traditionally female-dominated hobby space, he’s used his creativity to empower others to be vulnerable, empathetic, and share what they create with pride.

"One of my biggest goals was for her to be able to express herself. That was a struggle for me when I was growing up. It wasn't even that it wasn't encouraged. I just wasn't given the opportunity. And I didn't want her to have that same experience. So, you know, just initially sitting down and having conversations with her, asking her how she's doing, giving her the opportunity to say how things are actually impacting her."

"So with my upbringing I have always felt close to women like. So it's just like a natural transition for me to be close with her, to be able to listen to her and, you know, I understand some of her emotions, some of it, you know, I have no clue what, you know, some of the feelings are. But, yeah, I think it's just being emotionally available to her."

"It was pretty much anything creative, so I would um, take like the alphabet, I used to make this for my mom. When I was younger, I would take the whole alphabet and assign a word to describe her. So she would post that on her walls. Or if it was when I was younger, I used to go to the Boys and Girls Club on Saturdays and take like an art class. So painting, drawing, writing. When I got older, I started doing like party planning, having, you know, gatherings for birthdays where I could create invitations and centerpieces."

Find Michael on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/daddydressedmebymg/
Read an article by Michael in the July issue of Seamwork at: https://www.seamwork.com/issues/2020/07/the-power-of-expression

As a podcast listener, you get half off an unlimited membership to Seamwork. Just go to https://www.seamwork.com/go/podcast50 and sign up.

You might have learned to sew from grandparents or parents, but some of us didn't have sewing elders. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share invaluable lessons and reflections from Seamworkers who have been sewing for more than 20 years.

In a world of fast everything, sewing can be your sanctuary.

Imagine spending a little extra time on your favorite projects, feeling less rushed, and discovering a renewed love for sewing. In the latest podcast, Sarai shares tips on embracing slow sewing. She explores 10 simple, approachable tips to help you slow down

This topic frequently comes up in our community, as many of us are looking for ways to slow down and truly enjoy the process, so this episode gently reminds us that sewing can be more than just the clothes we create; it can also be about the journey of making them.

In this special series, Sarai and Haley are going to show you exactly how they use Design Your Wardrobe to plan their sewing. They'll work through each step in the course, sharing their plans and tips along the way.

In this episode, they share the color palettes they put together this season along with what they found in their fabric stash and closet.

Today, we’re talking about our absolute favorite types of projects for sewing with linen. Linen is an amazing fabric, especially in warmer months. It’s light, breathable, comfortable, and easy to sew. We’ll talk about our best ideas for garments made from linen, and the specific patterns we’d use.

In this episode, Sarai speaks to Nia Kelley. At just 36, Nia suffered a stroke that would damage about a third of her brain, making basic tasks like speech and reading difficult. The road to recovery was long. But on that journey, Nia discovered new sources of creativity and hard-won lessons about ambition and just what she is truly capable of.

We're refreshing our sewing spaces! Are you using all of the stuff in your sewing room? In part 3 of this series, Sarai and Haley help you audit your sewing space and decide what to keep, donate, and trash. 

Having a bunch of choices gives you the illusion of liberty—look at all your options! However, when you have many options, have you ever felt really restricted instead of free to decide? It’s the paradox of choice.

In this episode of the podcast, Sarai and Haley explore why having more options can lead to less action, what causes indecision in sewing, and tips for making choices a lot easier and clearer for yourself.

Sewing can change your life in unexpected ways, but it’s a complex skill to learn. How can you teach someone else how to sew? This topic was inspired by a new course taught by Sarai and Haley, called Learn to Sew Clothing for Absolute Beginners.

Let's talk about my five tips to help you choose the right fabric for your sewing project. We're going to cover why choosing the right fabric can be so hard for so many people, what to specifically look for when buying fabric for a project, and how to dramatically improve your fabric shopping skills in a short amount of time.

When it comes to sewing tools, are you a specialist or a generalist? Sarai and Haley share the 20 most essential sewing tools in this two-episode series. In part one, they discuss the 10 most essential tools to have.

After reviewing the 10 most essential sewing tools last week, Sarai and Haley share 10 nice-to-have tools. These tools are by no means necessary, but they will save you time and effort—plus they’re fun to collect!

Do you ever feel a bit "meh" about sewing? We'll explore how you can tackle the creative doldrums by asking yourself a few key questions, and figuring out the right approach for you to find your way back to a hobby you love.

This month, we're talking about making clothes last. In this episode, learn 10 different ways you can mend, adapt, or wear your clothes when they've gotten a little past their prime.

Lingerie expert Sophie Hines is the special guest on this week's epiosde. She shares 10 tips for buying and sewing lingerie fabrics. If you've ever been curious about sewing your own bras, underwear, or loungewear, you don't want to miss this episode!

In this episode, Sarai and Haley share a 5-step process for organizing your fabric stash so that you get the most out of it. If you feel like you’re spending way more on fabric than you need to, and that you’re buying more than you can possibly sew, learn how a few simple tweaks to the way you organize can save you money and help you reduce waste.

This re-run episode is packed with tips for finding the best fit for your clothes. You'll learn how to treat your measurements like data, diagnose a good fit, and track your fitting adjustments so you can make them quickly and easily. When it comes to fit, every body is different—it's normal to be different!

Outfit formulas help you get dressed easily and confidently each morning. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share five outfit formulas you can wear this spring. They cover what an outfit formula is, what makes a good outfit formula, and then five ideas you could incorporate into your own spring wardrobe. 

It can also be hard to find the motivation to sew when you have lots of other commitments—and when the daytime hours are short.

Stay productive and creative with these simple, effective ideas for sewing when you're low on time and energy.

When you look at a project you’ve finished, what stands out more, the mistakes or the successes?

If you’re so busy looking at the flaws that you can’t feel truly satisfied with what you created, Sarai and Haley have 8 tips that will help you reframe your failures.

It’s the final week of Design Your Wardrobe! Sarai and Haley are doing DYW right now, too, and they’re sharing their experiences (and tons of tips) with each module in the course.

This week, they’re sharing the checklists they made that all of their plans must meet, some details about the outfits they put together, and some of the patterns they plan to make. 

If you love to sew, you probably love a helpful shortcut. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share a long list of shortcuts to help save you time and headspace while you sew clothes.

Need to refresh your sewing space? In part 2 of this series, Sarai and Haley help you set a strategy for your budget and the time you have to refresh your space. They'll also share tips for managing your tools and storage methods.

Here's something you might not know about yourself: You're an editor.

When you sew your own clothes, you're always making editorial decisions, from pairing fabric to a pattern to styling a final outfit.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley cover why editing is so important in design, how to set constraints to make editing easier, and ideas for making tough choices a little bit easier. 

Wondering how to store all of your fabric in a way that's accessible and inspiring? Sarai and Haley share what works best for them, what doesn't, and three approaches to storing fabric, so you can find what works best for you.

Feeling stressed out? In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about why it’s hard to sew when you’re stressed and share super practical tips for using sewing as a way to remove stress and not add to it.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley chat about trends. They show you how you can incorporate trends into your wardrobe while still feeling like yourself and making clothesyou can wear for a long time.

They use designers and the design world as a lens so you can create a more focused wardrobe that really feels like you.

When you sew clothes that you don’t end up wearing, it feels like a huge waste of time and energy. You might beat yourself up and it can affect your confidence. But sometimes those wardrobe outcasts just need a fresh perspective. We’ll share some new ways for you to consider these outcasts that might help you start to wear them again.

Do you have too many ideas for sewing projects and not enough time to make them all? Here are 4 steps to help you bring an idea for a sewing project out of the idea stage and turn it into a finished garment.

Today, we're talking about five books on creativity that have totally transformed the way I think, and even in some cases, really have changed my whole life. So we're going to cover one book that helped me create rituals that I've been practicing for years, one that helped me understand how to get into a creative mode more easily, and one that's a really practical workbook for building more creative time into your life, so you don't want to miss these. 

You wouldn't start building a house by buying paint and picking out cabinet hardware. You'd start by creating a strong foundation. In this re-run episode, Sarai and Haley explore the first step in the Sewing by Design process: Lay Your Foundation.

Is there a subtle difference between the clothes you LOVE to wear and the ones you actually wear? In today's episode, Sarai and Haley share even more exercises from the new Style Workshop, to help you define your core style.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley cover some of the benefits of setting up a ritual for your sewing. Then they show you how to create a creative ritual that fits your mood and attention each time you sew. 

We’re on the second week of Space Camp where we’ll all refresh our sewing spaces to create a comfortable, organized, and inspiring place to create when you’re at home—no matter how big or how small your space might be.

Your sewing space is more than just a place to stitch—it’s where your creativity thrives. Whether you have a dedicated room, a corner in your living room, or even a repurposed closet, transforming your space into a creative sanctuary can inspire you and make every sewing session more joyful.

Here are eight tips to help you create a sewing space that feels peaceful, nurturing, and perfectly aligned with your creativity.

Maggie Crisler stands 6’1” tall, is plus-sized, and feels like her accent isn’t quite Southern enough for her small Alabama town, but it’s too Southern for the rest of the world. After a tumor on her pituitary gland caused her to rapidly gain over 90 pounds in one year, she thought she was locked out of clothing that fits. And she quit sewing. Why should she bother making clothing if her body might be totally different in a few months?

“I didn’t know what was gonna happen, and I still honestly don’t know what’s gonna happen with my health and my body. I don’t know if once we get all of the stuff sorted, if I’m going to drop 30 pounds or if I’m going to stay the same size or what. “

Maggie is a force. She plays a bright red vintage organ in a rock ‘n roll band, quilts, has long, wavy red hair, sews her clothes by hand, and has a cool job at Alabama Chanin. When you talk to her, she exudes confidence. She’s matter of fact. She has a kind tone in her voice, she’s a great storyteller, and you can’t help but want to just hang out and chat all day. But she’s spent much of her life feeling like she doesn’t fit in.

Born and raised in Alabama, and growing up in a creative household, sewing has always been a part of Maggie’s life. Her relationship with this craft has changed as much as her body. After a two-year hiatus from sewing, Maggie is back with some lifelong lessons she’s learned about making, sustainability, self-image, and the power of a well-fitting garment.

As a podcast listener, you get half off an unlimited membership to Seamwork. Just go to https://www.seamwork.com/go/podcast50 and sign up.

Today, we're talking about sewing statement pieces for your wardrobe. We'll cover how to choose colors and prints that you’ll actually wear, ideas for making a statement even if you don’t like bright colors, and how to find your own personal style signatures.

In the last episode, we explored the reasons that we sew in order to uncover our individual sewing "why." Today, we discuss how to use that "why" to make decisions with purpose and intention.

Some of your future sewing projects will fail, so what can you do when you make a mistake? In this episode, Sarai and Haley share 3 simple steps to help you get past a mistake or failure.

It’s the first part of Style Camp! Over the next 4 weeks, you’re going to get an exclusive look at our new Style Workshop.

Haley and Sarai will share exercises from the workshop and talk about why this course is so powerful for helping you with one of the hardest parts of sewing your own clothes — knowing what to make!

We all make mistakes when we sew. It’s normal.

Almost every project you sew might have a few sewing bloopers, but the silly little mistakes you often make are pretty easily avoidable.

In this week’s episode, Sarai and Haley talk about some of the most common sewing bloopers and how to avoid them. 

In this episode we discuss how sewing teaches you to want less. So we're going to cover our own relationships with consumption, how that's changed throughout our sewing journeys, and then eight ways that you can lean on sewing to help you consume less.

Show Notes:

• Making Time: Sarai's personal substack all about creativity and managing her energy around it.
• How to Use the Rule of Three Outfits: A past Seamwork Radio episode dedicated to helping you plan and develop a curated wardrobe.
• Design Your Wardrobe: Our popular course helps you plan the sewing projects you'll love to wear.
• Style Workshop: This hands-on workshop helps you define your core style. It's FREE for Seamwork members and just $10 if you aren't a member.
• Podcast listeners get half off an unlimited Seamwork membership when you use this link, plus you get to keep that price as long as you’re a member!
• Tell us your idea for the next icebreakers for makers!

Is your social media algorithm showing you the same thing over and over again?

We use social media and Pinterest for mindless entertainment, but it can be easy to go down a scroll-hole. If that's the only input your brain is receiving for inspiration, you can get stuck.

In this week’s episode, Haley and Sarai chat about how social media algorithms are creating cultural uniformity and how you can find ways to discover your own unique taste when there is this culture of sameness.

We invited Caroline and Helen from the Love to Sew Podcast to join us for this episode. If you're looking for some new podcasts to listen to, whether sewing or craft related, narrative storytelling, or (how could we leave it out?) true crime, you'll find something new to try on today's show!

Today, we're talking about how you can make even the most basic patterns feel exciting to sew. We'll cover choosing the colors that make you feel your best, picking out fabrics that you’ll love, and how to find ideas for details that really make a basic garment feel special.

What is niche sewing and how can it supercharge your skills and creativity? In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about how niche sewing can help you to continuously grow and rediscover the joys of sewing.

Altering thrifted or store-bought clothes is easier than you think! Allie from Allie Upcycles, an expert in size-inclusive thrift flips, is here to share her top 10 favorite tips for altering your clothes with ease.

Whether you're adding a zipper, adjusting a hem, or creating a whole new look, these practical tips will help you breathe new life into your wardrobe. Ready to make your clothes work for you?

When do you have enough? Making things brings you joy, and you can’t always measure it by the number of clothes in your closet. So how can you sew without overflowing your closet? Sarai and Haley share 10 questions you can ask yourself.

How do you know if a piece of clothing is high quality? And how do you build quality into the clothing that you make? In this episode, we discuss the three areas to look for quality in clothing, and what "high quality" really means for us.

In practice, minimalism can feel restrictive and even joyless, especially for a creator. So is there a middle path with minimalism? Can you be a semi-minimalist?

Have you ever wanted to tap into your inner designer? In this episode of Seamwork Radio, Sarai and Haley continue their conversation about the Sewing by Design framework and chat about how building a wardrobe with intention and purpose can transform your sewing practice. Sarai shares tips based on our Design Your Wardrobe program to help you tap into your inner designer.

When you’re getting dressed in the morning, your goal is to wear clothes, not for your clothes to wear you. And if you love vintage fashion, sometimes it can be challenging not to feel like you’re walking off a movie set or cosplaying as a character from another era.

But we love vintage fashion.

So, how can you incorporate vintage into a modern wardrobe? Here are 7 tips.

What is "choose your adventure" for sewing? In simple terms, it's niche sewing. Sarai and Haley discuss how a beginner mindset can help you become more advanced, how to go about tackling a skill you've always wanted to learn, and how to combine different resources in order to become your own teacher.

Last year, we held a really popular summer sewing camp in conjunction with the Seamwork Radio Podcast episodes. We're re-airing the "Space Camp" portion this year to give you a chance to organize and set up your dream sewing space.

Sarai and Haley will be your camp leaders, and in the next 4 episodes, they'll share ideas and exercises to help you upgrade your space.

In this episode, we’ll hear stories from the Seamwork team about how past and future generations of sewists have impacted our sewing stories.

As a podcast listener, you get half off an unlimited membership to Seamwork. Just go to https://www.seamwork.com/go/podcast50 and sign up

Wondering how you can sew more sustainably? In this episode, Sarai and Haley share four main ways to consider your environmental impact when sewing, including a bunch of actionable tips from the community.

Wondering what kinds of sewing books are best for learning how to sew? In this episode, Sarai and Haley share a framework for building a sewing library, including three types of sewing books you should have.

 Last week on the podcast, we learned how a Seamwork pattern is made, from design to the final photo shoot. Today, we have some common fitting myths to dispel.

Robin, our professional patternmaker, is a special guest on this episode. Robin's been patternmaking with us at Seamwork for more than 7 years. Prior to that, she worked in the ready-to-wear apparel industry as a pattern maker with companies like Patagonia, Ugg, and Hanna Anderson.

And today, she's here to bust 5 common fitting myths.

This episode talks about the four main reasons you might not want to wear something you've made, how to plan to make things you'll get more use out of, and a quick exercise you can do at home to help you brainstorm ideas for future projects.

Have you heard the term “deadstock” applied to fabric? What does that mean? Inspired by a thread in our community, we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of deadstock, vintage, and secondhand fabric. And we’ll share some favorite places to find it.

What is the real reason you sew? By understanding the "why" behind your sewing practice, you can find new ways to stay motivated, understand your sewing, and make meaningful choices about how you spend your time.

We’re on the third week of Space Camp where we’ll all refresh our sewing spaces to create a comfortable, organized, and inspiring place to create when you’re at home—no matter how big or how small your space might be.

Today, you'll decide what to keep, donate, and trash. 

Sewing is such an involved hobby, and with all the possibilities for mistakes, sometimes you can take it a little too seriously. That can kind of suck some of the joy out of sewing. Here are creative ways to make sewing more playful.

Folkwear has been creating patterns for nearly 50 years. Despite four changes in ownership and two recessions, this women-owned business is still making patterns today.

As a podcast listener, you get half off an unlimited membership to Seamwork. Just go to https://www.seamwork.com/go/podcast50 and sign up

We made a lot of mistakes when we first started sewing with knits. But like anything in sewing, it always comes down to your tools and your technique. We share the top 10 tools that make sewing with knits effortless and fun, without all the hassles of our early wonky projects.

In today’s podcast episode, Sarai and Haley share five lessons they’ve learned from Design Your Wardrobe, and all of these lessons point to one thing: learning how to think like a designer and edit your wardrobe is an invaluable tool for your sewing.

April Yang is a DIY, thrift-flipping enthusiast, and she has ideas to help you start your first upcycled project. In this interview, the founder of Coolirpa shares expert tips for thrift shopping, preparing your designs, and making sewing sustainable and fun.

In this episode of the podcast, Sarai and Haley talk about a five-step process for tackling all your unfinished sewing projects.

They cover why UFOs feel like such a burden, what common barriers stop you from finishing a project, and the steps you can follow to have fewer unfinished projects taking up space both mentally and physically. 

Most of us have fabric stashes that seem to get bigger and bigger. In this episode, Sarai shares 5 tips to sew from your stash to help you keep the yardage in your home to a helpful minimum.