Seamwork Radio: Sewing and Creativity

Today, we're talking about what to do when self-doubt gets in the way of your sewing. We'll cover the mindset shifts that help us the most, some practical questions to ask yourself every time you experience self-doubt, and how to make sewing fun again when you feel like quitting.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Today, we're sharing our favorite ten tips for designing a wardrobe that actually feels good every day!

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.

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.

Staying organized can feel like a monumental task, but in reality, it's a series of small, consistent habits that make all the difference. Whether you're new to sewing or have years of experience, staying organized can bring more intention and joy to your creative process. In this week's podcast episode, Sarai and Haley share practical habits for staying organized at every level—annually, seasonally, and during each sewing session.

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.

Fashion trends can be a double-edged sword. They're fun, fresh, and full of creative potential, yet they can easily overwhelm your wardrobe with pieces that don't quite feel like "you." But what if trends could work for you instead of against you? Haley and Sarai have a method to take a designer-inspired approach to trends—one that lets you experiment, have fun, and stay true to your personal style. While the podcast takes a break for the holidays, we're re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This one originally aired in 2023.

Do you often find you sew accompanied by an uninvited guest: your inner critic? That little voice that questions your skills, doubts your decisions, and convinces you that your creative work is not good enough? If so, Sarai and Haley have some tips to banish your inner critic—or at least learn to tolerate its presence. We're taking a break from the podcast for the holidays, so we're re-airing some of our favorite episodes. This episode is one of our faves because we show you how to recognize, manage, and even quiet that pesky inner critic when you sit down to sew.

In this re-run of one of our favorite episodes, Sarai and Haley help you figure out if you're an ambitious or cautious learner (or somewhere in between). They also share the benefits and pitfalls are for each, and how to learn from each of these learning styles.

For our 10th birthday, we're re-airing some of our favorite episodes of Seamwork Radio. In this episode, Sarai talks with Ashley. As Ashley grew up, her innocence and relationship with her mom eroded. But somehow, sewing provided that thin thread of connection that never went away.

In this special podcast epiosde, Haley turns the mic on Sarai, and asked our founder questions about the first 10 years of Seamwork. She'll share how it all started, how it's going, and lessons she's learned that you can apply to your own creative life.

Fabric shopping should be an exciting and inspiring experience—but it can quickly become overwhelming. The endless options and aisles of tempting bolts of fabric make it easy to lose sight of what you actually need. Sarai and Haley share practical tips for navigating fabric stores with intention so you can select fabrics you're excited to sew—and actually use.

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.

Sewing often has you thinking a few steps ahead—about what's next in your life, the upcoming season, and what you'll need to be ready for it. In this podcast episode, Sarai and Haley explore how to embrace seasonal changes through sewing. They share five ways to plan for the upcoming season while also staying present and honoring the season you're in right now.

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.

There are a few important factors to consider before you choose fabrics for those big events and special occasions in our lives. Whether it's a wedding, a fancy party, or the upcoming holidays that make you want to feel your best, the fabric you choose can really make or break your outfit. While it's tempting to go straight for that luxurious silk or stunning velvet, it can also get really expensive and might not fit the environment. In this podcast episode, Sarai shares 5 questions you can ask yourself to make sure you're picking the right fabric for your special occasion garment.

This is part 2 of a 2-part series called "Sewing With All 5 Senses." We continue to delve into our sensory-driven nature. Sewing inherently engages our sense of sight and touch, but by finding ways to activate all five senses, it can evolve into an even deeper and more transformative form of self-care. Last week, we talked about how to intentionally enhance your sense of sight and touch. Today, we'll talk about the other three senses: sound, smell, and taste. We'll cover what elements play into these senses, and give you tips for how to embrace what feels good.

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.

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?

If you've ever felt intimidated by sewing with knits, you're not alone! The stretchy nature of knit fabric can make them appear tricky to wrangle through your machine. But don't worry—Whitney from TomKat Stitchery is here to help. Whitney sat down with Sarai and shared her top 10 tips to help you conquer knits with confidence.

Cornelius Quiring is one of the most creative and helpful sewing content creators on social media right now. When he was 3, he was in an accident that halted the growth of the muscles on half of his body. As a teen, he learned to create adaptive clothing that fit, but didn't hide, his body's unique shape. Now, his goal is to teach you all about patternmaking and clothing construction. And he also aims to entertain you, so you have fun while you learn. In this episode, he shares 5 tips for learning how to make your own patterns.

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!

Finding time to sew in a world filled with endless demands can feel like an uphill battle. Between work, family, household chores, and countless distractions, it often seems that sewing time is the first to go. But here's the truth: if sewing brings you joy, calm, and fulfillment, you need to carve out space for it in your life. In this episode, Sarai shares 5 strategies to help you find more time to sew.

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.

When two podcasters with the same passion for sewing and making things get together, you know it will be a meaningful conversation. Sarai was recently a guest on the In Kinshop podcast, hosted by Tina VanDenburg. In this episode, Sarai and Tina talk about finding balance and intentionality in sewing, making, and life. And, of course, about the importance of taking time to walk your dog.

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.

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.

Curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the world of patternmaking? You're in for a treat! We have a special guest. It's Robin, our talented patternmaker! Robin shares her insider secrets and takes us on a journey through the entire process of creating a Seamwork pattern. From the initial sketch to the final photo shoot, Robin reveals the steps involved in bringing a pattern to life.

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.

Today, you'll get tons of tips for organizing your new sewing space, so you can set it all up and start sewing! We're on the final week of Space Camp where we're all refreshing 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.

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.

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.

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.

Let's talk about five apps that you may not have used before that can really level up your sewing. We're going to cover apps you can use to get creative while you plan your sewing, apps that help you stay organized, and even my favorite app for helping you sketch your projects.

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.

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 set a sewing queue with the best of intentions, but sometimes you can still find yourself stuck. Or, sometimes, you turn into a magpie and constantly get distracted by sewing projects. But there are some tricks to staying excited about your sewing queue. In this week's podcast episode, you'll learn how to choose your next project and get tips you can rely on to keep your queue interesting.

Dressing comfortably in the sun-soaked days of summer is a challenge, but choosing the right fabric can make all the difference. In this episode, Sarai and Haley share their 5 favorite fabrics to sew and wear in the summer. They'll tell you why each fabric is great for summer and give you a list of garments that work well with each fiber.

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.

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.

Clothing is a really strong repository of memory. Creating your own wedding dress is the perfect opportunity to flex your sewing skills and create a true heirloom piece. In this episode, Sarai and Haley discuss the benefits and drawbacks of sewing your own wedding attire. They also share their expert tips for reducing stress and ensuring your wedding outfit turns out just as you envisioned it.

Are you new to zero-waste sewing? Are you thinking about trying a zero-waste pattern for the first time Or are you wondering if Seamwork will ever release a zero-waste pattern? This week's podcast answers all those questions. Sarai and Haley discuss the benefits and limitations of zero-waste sewing and give eight simple steps for exploring this niche.

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!

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.

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.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about how to sew a wardrobe you'll still love in ten years. They cover what makes a garment long lasting—both stylewise and physically—how to choose styles that you'll love to wear for years, and practical tips for making garments that stand the test of time.