
Latest Episode
How Can You Tell if a Seamwork Pattern is Beginner-friendly?
Being a beginner is as fun as it is intimidating. Not all beginners have the same amount of knowledge or confidence. Sarai and Haley share three levels of beginners and show you how to pick patterns that will grow your skillset.
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Episode 96
How Can You Tell if a Seamwork Pattern is Beginner-friendly?
Being a beginner is as fun as it is intimidating. Not all beginners have the same amount of knowledge or confidence. Sarai and Haley share three levels of beginners and show you how to pick patterns that will grow your skillset.
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Episode 95
What is the Best Way to Learn New Sewing Skills?
Sarai and Haley talk about why it’s hard to pick the best projects that challenge you without frustrating you, how to identify the skills you need, and our favorite method for learning new skills, project by project.
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Episode 94
What Are Some of the Best Sewing Shortcuts to Save Time?
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.
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Episode 93
The Best Sewing Books for Beginners
Wondering which sewing books are best for learning how to sew? In this episode, Sarai and Haley share a framework for building a helpful and inspiring sewing library, including the three types of sewing books you should have.
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Episode 92
How to Find the Type of Sewing That Fits Your Goals
You might have sewing goals in mind, but it’s easy to get distracted. Sarai and Haley share a bunch of ideas to help you uncover your most important sewing goal right now, and how to balance having fun while meeting your goals.
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Episode 91
Creative Exercises for When You Only Have 10 Minutes
When you’re feeling crunched for time, it’s hard to make space for sewing. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share 14 different activities for when you're short on time but feel like doing something sewing-related.
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Episode 90
How to Sew When You Feel Stressed Out
Feeling stressed out? In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about why it’s hard to sew when you’re stressed, and they share super practical tips for using sewing as a way to remove stress and not add to it.
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Episode 89
3 Steps to Help You Get Past a Mistake or Failure
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.
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Episode 88
Tips for more playful sewing
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.
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Episode 87
How Can I Get More Wear Out of the Things I Sew?
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.
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Episode 86
Alexis Bailey's Hand Sewing Kits
What if you could bring your projects with you wherever you go? When Alexis Bailey asked this question, she had an idea. Now she's the owner of Fibr & Cloth, selling supplies and kits for hand sewing and a growing collection of zero-waste patterns.
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Episode 85
How can I use more of the fabrics I buy?
Are there fabrics that are gathering dust in your stash? If you can already picture a few unused cuts of fabric, and you’re cringing, Sarai and Haley will share 12 tips to help you use more of the fabric that you buy and buy fabric that you'll use.
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Episode 84
How We Sew Through Body Changes
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.
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Episode 83
How do I Quiet My Inner Sewing Critic?
Do you criticize your sewing more than you would someone else's? We all have an inner critic—a voice that critiques the things we do or make. This inner critic is not something you need to fight; it’s something you need to understand.
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Episode 82
Is it Cheaper to Sew Your Own Clothes?
Is it really cheaper to sew your clothes? Before fast fashion lowered the cost of ready-to-wear clothing, sewing was an economical solution to expensive clothing. Now cheap clothing is just a click away, so that isn't necessarily the case.
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Episode 81
This Long Thread with Jen Hewett
Sarai and Haley talk with Jen about how she wove data and narrative together for her book This Long thread, to create a collection of stories, interviews, and essays that reflect the everyday crafts of BIPOC in a way that honors individuality.
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Episode 80
Choose Your Adventure
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 as you combine different resources in order to become your own teacher.
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Episode 79
Find Your Fit
We want to wear clothes that fit. 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.
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Episode 78
Design Your Wardrobe
Have you ever wanted to tap into your inner designer? 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.
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Episode 77
Build Your Practice
What's the secret to building (and keeping) your sewing momentum? Falling in love with sewing. In this episode, Sarai and Haley continue their conversation about the Sewing by Design framework and discuss how to build a sewing practice that you love.
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Episode 76
Lay Your Foundation
Part 2 of Sewing by Design is Laying Your Foundation. Sewing is ultimately a collection of component skills. Identify the most vital techniques and you can simplify the learning process. This episode covers the 8 skills needed to get started sewing.
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Episode 75
Sewing by Design
Learning how to sew can be hard! Especially when you lack a mentor to guide you on your journey. In this episode, we the Sewing by Design framework and how it can be your roadmap for cultivating your sewing practice at any skill level.
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Episode 74
Re-run: A Radical Change in Confidence With Jenny Rushmore
In one of our favorite episodes from the podcast archives, learn how Jenny overcame childhood bullying and discovered her voice in the sewing community, founding Cashmerette patterns and changing the course of indie sewing history.
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Episode 73
Re-run: Daddy Dressed Me With Michael and Ava
There are a lot of stereotypes surrounding father-daughter relationships. Once Michael knew he was having a daughter, he was determined to make sure she knew how and provided a way to help express herself, and one way he does that is through sewing.