Seamwork Radio: Sewing and Creativity

Going Deep with Moodboards

Rediscover Your Style When Life Changes

Paperless Sewing Using a Projector (with Fuyo of Projectors for Sewing)

Have you ever wished that you could just SEW, without all the hassle of printing and assembling paper patterns? Today, Fuyo from Projectors for Sewing tells us how.

What We’ve Learned From a Year of Pandemic Making

The last year and a half have been transformative for many of us. In this episode, we explore how the pandemic shaped our thoughts about making, and the lessons we've learned about the importance of craft in our lives.

6 Tools We Wish We’d Bought Sooner

Are there sewing tools you wish you'd bought sooner than you did? In this episode, we discuss the six sewing tools and notions that we love so much, we wish we'd always had them in our lives.

How Much Clothing Do I Really Need?

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.

Finding Your Sewing Why, Part 2

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.

Finding Your Sewing Why, Part 1

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.

Behind the Scenes: The Seamwork Philosophy

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.

A Rising Ruby Star

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.

Why Buy Organic? (Featuring Birch Fabrics)

What exactly is organic fabric? And why should you buy it? We're joined by Arleen, Director of Operations for Birch Fabric to talk about the how and why of organics, and why they focus their business on organic cotton.

Taking the First Steps to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business

Ever thought about turning the hobby you love into a business? Today, we're joined by Abby Glassenberg of Craft Industry Alliance, who shares her wisdom after working with over a thousand craft businesses of all sizes.

What are the signs of high quality clothing?

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.

Three DIY Replacements for Disposables in the Bathroom

This month, we had an amazing article about making your own non-disposable bathroom products. Today, we'll talk through those DIY ideas to help us all reduce waste in the home while using the scraps we already have.

Creative Mending Tips and Ideas

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.

What are the Signs of High-Quality Clothing?

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.

Quick Tips to Make Paper Patterns Last

Today's episode was inspired by a video on our YouTube channel called "3 Tips to Make Paper Patterns Last". We'll share the 3 tips from that video, and also adding a few more ideas to keep your paper patterns around longer.

How to Use the Rule of Three Outfits

In last week's episode, we talked about prioritizing your projects. This week, we're quickly digging into one specific technique that will help you to plan and develop an idea, and make sure it fits your wardrobe.

How to Prioritize Your Projects

This week, we address a question in the Seamwork community about how to prioritize projects and prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed. We share Seamwork members' tips, and our own experiences to give you a few ideas to try.

What to do When Your Hobby Feels Like a Chore

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.

Creativity Runs in the Family

The Burrells are a tight-knit family that sews together. Patricia, Sierra, and Sone-Seerè each know how to sew, but it wasn't something that they did together—until recently. These three women tell the story of how they share this creative spark.

Look for Hidden Sewing Fears

Creativity makes us feel vulnerable. Sometimes we have hidden fears around our own shortcomings, our self-image, or what other people might think. We'll talk about what some of the common fears around sewing are, and how we deal with them.

Learn to Celebrate Progress

Not many of us spend a lot of time patting ourselves on the back. Let's change that! In this episode, we'll share some concrete ideas that we've found helpful to celebrate progress and stay motivated.

Find Your Sewing Affirmations

What do you do when sewing frustrates you? How do you handle stress, failure, and the occasional hit to your self-esteem that comes with creating? In this episode, we'll share a tool that can help you be kinder to yourself and stay motivated to make.

Ann Lowe: Big Risks for Big Dreams

Ann Lowe moved to New York with big dreams. She wanted to become a great American designer, no small feat for a Black woman from Alabama in 1928. But she held fast to her dream, taking enormous risks and facing down catastrophe to realize her talent.   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.

Where to Find Vintage and Deadstock Fabric

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.

Update Your Sewing Room Without Buying More Stuff

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.

How do I Get Rid of Clothes I've Made?

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.

Creativity is Magic, with Christi Johnson

This is the story of a designer who really knows herself and her craft. She left a decade-long career in the fashion scenes of Los Angeles and NYC to open up a textiles studio in the Catskills of upstate New York, where she rebuilds textiles with magic, ritual, and a deep connection to nature. 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.

Sewing Through the Generations

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

Sewing a Legacy, the Story of Folkwear

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

The Ways We Share

In this episode, we’ll hear stories about sharing, and how we share our craft with our loved ones. We asked you about a time that you sewed for someone else. Did it go as planned? Did they love it? How did they react?   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.

Sewing for the Body I have Right Now, with Maggie

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 hone...

STORY: Sewing for the Body I have Right Now, with Maggie

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 hone...

MINI: Finding Unexpected Connections Through Sewing

In this episode, we’ll hear stories about how sewing connects us. We asked you the question, when has sewing helped you form unexpected connections? Adrienne finds a sense of connection through the online community but also with previous generations of sewers and makers in her own family. Megan finds a sewing pattern in her grandmother’s sewing stash with a special note. We also talk about building our own communities. Carmela Zabala, one of the founders of Sew Tampa Bay, shares some t...

Finding Unexpected Connections Through Sewing

In this episode, we’ll hear stories about how sewing connects us. We asked you the question, when has sewing helped you form unexpected connections? Adrienne finds a sense of connection through the online community but also with previous generations of sewers and makers in her own family. Megan finds a sewing pattern in her grandmother’s sewing stash with a special note. We also talk about building our own communities. Carmela Zabala, one of the founders of Sew Tampa Bay, shares some t...

Daddy Dressed Me with Michael and Ava

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...

STORY: Daddy Dressed Me with Michael and Ava

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...

Overcoming Mistakes with Creative Grit

In this episode, we’ll hear stories about sewing projects gone awry, and how failures can become opportunities. Marjorie thought she had ruined the dress she was sewing to wear to her son's wedding when she burned a hole in it. After literally throwing the dress in the trash, she decided to turn the flaw into a feature and added hand embellishment to cover the burn. Tiffanie wanted to give up on a ruffled dress for a student showcase, but when she finally finished the dress, she felt pro...

STORY: A Bright Spot in the Dark with Ashley

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 t...

A Bright Spot in the Dark with Ashley

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 t...

Seamwork Radio is Back!

Welcome to Season 3 of Seamwork Radio! After a long hiatus, we're back with a brand new season of stories. We'll bring you a new full-length story on the first of the month this fall, along with a mini-episode on the 15th. You'll hear stories from the lives of people like you, and how sewing has impacted them. We're so happy to be back! Enjoy the first episode with Ashley, and look for our mini-episode in mid-August 2020.

Episode 15: Creative Community with Kristine Vejar

In 1999, Kristine Vejar took her first trip to India. There, she met the Rabari, a small community that changed her perspective and direction for the future.

Creative Community with Kristine Vejar

In 1999, Kristine Vejar took her first trip to India. There, she met the Rabari, a small community that changed her perspective and direction for the future. In this story told by contributor Jessica Yen, Kristine shares what she learned, and how that informed the direction of her growing business, A Verb for Keeping Warm. Related links from this episode: A Verb for Keeping Warm, Kristine’s multi-faceted business. The Modern Natural Dyer, Kristine’s book    

Beating the Odds with Melissa Fehr

In 2008, sewing blogger Melissa Fehr revealed something on her blog: she’d been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Soon, she’d need a complete bone marrow transplant. In this episode, Melissa shares how her relationship with her body changed before and after this life-changing experience – and how this relationship eventually led her to designing her own patterns. Related links from this episode: Fehr Trade, Melissa’s blog and patterns Be The Match, the US National Marrow Donation Pr...

Episode 14: Beating the Odds with Melissa Fehr

In 2008, sewing blogger Melissa Fehr revealed something on her blog: she'd been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. Soon, she'd need a complete bone marrow transplant. In this episode, Melissa shares how her relationship with her body changed before and after this life-changing experience – and how this relationship eventually led her to designing her own patterns.

Loving a person, not their gender with Marie of A Stitching Odyssey

In September 2015, Marie wrote a post on her sewing blog called “Loving a Person, Not Their Gender.” In that post, she talked about the experience of having her partner come out as transgender. In today’s story, we talk to Marie and her girlfriend Charlotte about that experience, and what came after. Editor’s note: At the end of this episode, the name of Marie’s blog is misidentified as Diary of a Sewing Fanatic, another lovely sewing blog. Marie’s blog is called A Stitching Odyssey. We ap...

Episode 13: Loving a person, not their gender with Marie of A Stitching Odyssey

In September 2015, Marie wrote a post on her sewing blog called “Loving a Person, Not Their Gender.” In that post, she talked about the experience of having her partner come out as transgender. In today’s story, we talk to Marie and her girlfriend Charlotte about that experience, and what came after. Editor’s note: At ...

Episode 12: The Learning Process with Joost De Cock

Have you ever wished for a way to just punch in your measurements somewhere and get a pattern that’s drafted just for you? That’s the idea behind makemypattern.com, a menswear-focused website created by Belgian sewist Joost De Cock. Joost went from only sewing a few curtains and pillows to making his own wardrobe to creating ...

The Learning Process with Joost De Cock

Have you ever wished for a way to just punch in your measurements somewhere and get a pattern that’s drafted just for you? That’s the idea behind makemypattern.com, a menswear-focused website created by Belgian sewist Joost De Cock. Joost went from only sewing a few curtains and pillows to making his own wardrobe to creating this incredible online service in the span of just a few years. In this episode, we talk about his learning process and resources he recommends to improve your own sewin...