Even though we've been in lockdown or partial lockdown for months I still have a commute to my part time job as a soapmaker, since that's impossible to do from home. During that commute I almost always listen to podcasts and in the evening when I knit or sew...again lots of podcasts. 

And since my friend and fellow creative entrpreneur Saskia de Feijter just started a brand new and fabulous podcast...I tought I share my favorite podcasts. I'll start with the craft related ones, but I've included a few other podcasts at the end. 

Some podcasts aren't updated anymore, but since most will have an archive full of podcast goodness I've added them anyway. Nothing better than discovering a good podcast and binging on the archive.

A Smaller Life - with Saskia de Feijter

A smaller life is a brand new podcast, but it's of to a great start!

I know Saskia since we started collaborating on workshops and teaching beginner knitting workshops at her wool shop. However when she discovered she had a heart condition and then covid hit and she made some radical choices to shape her life and work you can follow her on her journey as she talks to other creatives to explore the ideas of a smaller ife

With this podcast I want to take you with me on my journey to discover the answers to these questions: What do we buy, Where do we buy, Who do we buy from… Or don’t we buy at all but use what we already have? And how relevant is my job as a yarn shop owner selling people stuff when we already have more than we need? How can I make my life as an entrepreneur and textile crafter smaller and more relevant to these times?

https://www.ja-wol.com/blogs/podcast

Making ( Woolful )- with Ashley Yousling

There haven't been new episodes for a while, but I sometimes go back to this one to relisten a few. It was/is by far my favorite wool/knitting/fiber related podcast out there.

https://woolful.com/podcast-episodes/

Threads

Threads is a great source of sewing inspiration, and information.

https://www.threadsmagazine.com/blog/sewing-threads-podcast

Close Knit - with Ani Lee

"The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events"

It's like listening in on a conversation of friends chatting away while you can focus and enjoy your knitting or sewing.

http://www.closeknit.com.au/

 

Thread Cult

Each episode, journalist and sewing blogger Christine Cyr Clisset (of Daughter Fish) interviews master craft people and creators in the home sewing, textile, and fashion communities. From independent pattern and textile designers to couture experts and curators, Christine brings you along on thought-provoking conversations sure to enlighten your own sewing or fibers practice—and give you something to listen to while you stitch, weave, dye, or work!

https://threadcult.com/

More Crafty podcasts 

The podcasts below are on my list to check or I've listened to them sporadically, so I don't have much to say about them other than, give them a try!

Love to Sew

http://lovetosewpodcast.com/

A Coffee with Makers

 http://www.acoffeewithmakers.com/podcast/

While She Naps 

https://whileshenaps.com/category/the-podcast/episodes

Dear Handmade Life

https://dearhandmadelife.com/podcast/

Vogue Knitting

https://www.vogueknitting.com/magazine/vogue-knitting-knitterviews-podcasts/

Clothes Making Mavens

http://www.clothesmakingmavens.com/category/blog/

Sew and Tell

https://www.sewdaily.com/

Yarn in the City

https://www.yarninthecity.com/blog/19/9/2016/episode-45-yarn-crawlers-of-the-baskervilles#

Sewciety

http://modernsewciety.com/podcast-gallery

Very Pink Knits

https://verypink.com/category/podcast/

Pom Pom Mag

https://www.pompommag.com/category/podcast/

Knit British

http://www.knitbritish.net/category/podcast/

The other podcasts

Tara Brach

It's not really a podcast, but Tara Brach's teachings are uploaded so you can listen and enjoy + join along in the meditations. Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. 

My favorite meditation (maybe not the best for a commute though) is the one called "Relaxing into sleep (no bell at the end)" 

https://www.tarabrach.com/talks-audio-video/

Focus on This podcast

This podcast is not craft related, but it 's connected to the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt.....which I don't use, I'm an avid and messy BuJo user! However I do use some of it's principals when I'm planning my day. It's a fun podcast to listen too if you are into planning and want tools to get things done.

https://focusonthispodcast.com/

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

https://brenebrown.com/podcasts/

The Michelle Obama Podcast

The Michelle Obama Podcast

 

The list is a bit all over the place, but I hope you enjoy listening to them and maybe find a new podcast to add to your list, and please share your favorite podcasts in the comments below!

 

Happy sewing!

Charlotte

 

PS: looking for a fun and free sewing project? Sign up to the newsletter for a free copy of the smallest Tsuno Tie Bag and sew up some scraps. If you ​​​​​​​sign up you also get access to the free printable swatch library, sewing project planner and a few other handy templates. You'll receive the files in your welcome mail :)

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I've recently organized a large part of my fabric stash because I couldn't remember what fabric was pre-washed and what fabric wasn't. I've probably pre-washed some fabrics more than once and that's when I decided I needed a way to track some information, so I created a swatch library!

It took me a weekend of pre-washing all the unwashed fabrics + the ones I was unsure about and created a template to keep everything organized. I thought I'd share a bit about the process and notes on how and why you should create a swatch library. But let's start at the very beginning...

What is a swatch of fabric?

It's a small piece of fabric. That you get from:

• Fabrics you already have in your stash.
• (Online) fabric shops.
• Wholesalers.

Why do you need fabric swatches?

If you haven't started a project yet, it's a great way to check if the fabric is a match for your project before you commit to buying several meters of the fabric. Especially if you are shopping online!

You never know how the fabric feels, what the color actually looks like, how the fabric drapes, washes or handles until you get your hands on it. For some projects, it's OK to take a gamble, but when you are working with expensive fabrics, that's not a risk I'm willing to take.

If you already own  a piece of fabric, or you've already used it up for a project, it's still smart to save a swatch of your fabric. You can use it as a reference for future projects or when you're looking for similar qualities online.

How do you obtain fabric swatches from (online)stores?

You can ask for fabric swatches in a fabric store and you can buy them from most online stores. You often have to pay a small fee and/or pay for shipping.

In my local fabric shop, I would be able to pick up a small strip of fabric for free and in other shops they made me buy 10 cm / 4 inches of the fabric. So just ask about your shop's policy on fabric swatches and visit at a quit time, not at peak shopping hours.

But once you have all these fabric swatches, how do you store and organize them? In a fabric swatch library or a fabric swatch book!

These pretty swatches all came from different (wholesale)suppliers, the swatches were simply stapled to a sheet of card stock.

What is a fabric swatch library or a fabric swatch book?

A swatch library or a fabric swatch book is where you catalogue your fabric swatches and write down the details of a certain fabric for future reference.

Why create a swatch book?

• Easily see what you already have without rummaging through your neatly folded fabric stash.
• Keep it near when you are shopping for fabrics online.
• You can use it to log how many meters/yards you have left of a certain fabric.
• Log if you've pre-washed fabric.
• If you have multiple locations/boxes/drawers where you store fabric, you can track where it's stored.

How do you make a fabric swatch book?

It can be very basic. Use double-sided tape, pins, paperclips or staples to attach the swatches to a piece of paper and write down the specifics next to the fabric. Or you can make a nice page layout and work on that for hours whilst procrastinating and putting off ironing the pre-washed fabric, like me! ;)

To download the template I made, subscribe to the newsletter. You'll receive the template in your welcome email.

You can use staples, double sided tape, pins or paperclip to attach the swatches to a piece of paper.

A handy tip to help against fraying and curling edges, add a strip of tape before you cut out your swatch.This is particularly helpful if you are working with knits.

Once you've attached the swatches to a piece of paper, you can store them in a binder. You can either punch holes directly into the paper or you can use clear plastic sleeves to hold the pages and store everything in a binder.

I prefer to use clear plastic sleeves. I can flip through the pages easily without ripping the paper and I have tons of them lying around from when I used them in college, so it's nice to re-purpose them.

Another option would be to use an accordion file folder / expanding file organizer to hold the paper with swatches.

Some shops will send you little swatch books with all your swatches combined and stapled to some cardboard. I tend to keep them that way and just stick the little booklet into a plastic sleeve or the accordion file folder.

What information can you include in your fabric swatch library:

The possibilities are off course endless, but it highly depends on your needs. here are a few ideas to inspire your own system.

• Type of fabric (batiste, poplin, denim, gingham, tweed, jacquard, boucle, voile, double gauze, taffeta, etc.)
• Name of the design ( prints often have a name )
• Name of the designer ( prints can have the name of the designer in the description )
• Where you bought it.
• Fabric content ( 100% cotton, 97% cotton + 3% elastane, 100% linen, 100% tencel, etc. )
• Care instructions.
• Where you've stored it.
• If you've pre-washed it.
• How much you have or have left.
• The price.
• The weight of the fabric.

How do you organize your fabric swatches?

I just randomly stick my swatches in my library, but you can do whatever works for you. You could group them by:

• color
• fiber content
• shop
• type (stretch, non-stretch, knits, etc. )
  
  

What size is a swatch of fabric

It depends on the shop. Most fabrics watches I've bought online were around 5 x 5 cm / 2" x 2", But when I bought wholesale would often receive larger fabric swatches up to a4 / letter size. However, if I'm cutting into a new piece of fabric I mostly cut off a small sliver of fabric to avoid cutting into the fabric too much.

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Have you eve made changes to your sewing pattern, but forgot exactly what you did? *Raises hand*...I often put away a project for weeks, sometimes months and forget whether or not I've added those 2 extra centimeters to the sleeve, or I want to remake a wardrobe staple I made a year ago and can't find the edits I've made.

It's annoying because I could get out a measuring tape and figure most things out, but some edits are quite subtle and hard to backtrack from a garment that's been worn and washed.

So I decided to be more diligent and track my pattern edits in a pattern card/project planner / sewing journal mash-up. Something I used to do when I still designed and produced small collections. We would use a system to track pattern alterations, versions, construction order, material cost, production time and all the materials needed for the project.

I currently don't need to track each and every detail, but I do want to keep my sewing projects organized. My main wish was to be able to set a project aside for a while and confidently pick up where I left off.

There are so many details you could track, but in the end, only trial and error will lead you to a system that works for you.

Here are some of the possible sections you could add to your project planner.

• Body measurements + the date you took those measurements because your sizes probably will fluctuate over time.
• Hacks and alterations. How much length did you add to the sleeve? or how much you pinched out of the back panel?
• Finished garment measurements and ease. Figure out how much ease the pattern has and compare it to garments you already own and love.
• The size or sizes you've traced.
• How much fabric you need.
• The color number of the thread you used.
• Name and designer of the sewing pattern.
• The pattern #hashtag for sharing on Instagram.
• The order of construction so you don't have to check the instruction booklet.
• Future alterations.
• Notions & sewing machine needles.
• Material costs.
• Stitch length or other sewing machine settings.
• The date you started or when you finished.
•  A sketch of the garment or details.
• A link or website name where you found that super helpful tutorial you used.

I decided to create a sewing planner template that includes a few set categories and room for notes and details that fall outside these sections.

P a t t e r n  d e t a i l s
- this is where I can track the basics

name:
designer:
date:
pattern O printed O taped O traced O cut
fabric O washed O cut

f a b r i c / n o t i o n s / n o t e s
- where I can write down everything I need to actually sew the pattern

b o d y m e a s u r e m e n t s + d a t e
- to keep an eye on if my size changes since I last made the pattern

f i n i s h e d  g a r m e n t  m e a s u r e m e n t s
- to see how much ease the pattern has

s i z e  t r a c e d
- If I fall between sizes I can track which sizes I've traced

 

Sewing project planner printable vs a notebook or Bullet journal

You can simply write everything on a sheet of paper and add whatever you need, or write everything down in a notebook or bullet journal, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to create a printable for a streamlined look and ease of use.

I've been a bullet journal user for about 4 years now and I found my style to be super basic, I don't use colors or markers, just my trusted Lamy safari fountain pen. The bullet journal layout was a nice experiment for inspiration. I kept the layout very minimalist and I managed to keep it all on one page. the empty page could function as a way to jot down additional notes or a place to add inspiration for the project.

In the end, I will mainly use the printed template and only use the bullet journal for plans that require more planning and research like when I'm starting from scratch and making the actual pattern.

If you want to try the printable for yourself, it's available as a free download to newsletter subscribers and customers in the resource library.

How I use my sewing project planner for the Garçonne shirt

I used the sewing project planner template I created when I decided to hack my Garçonne shirt. I've already made two shirts with a regular button band, but I wanted to make another one with a partial placket and sleeve plackets and turn it into a popover shirt.

I created the pattern pieces and wrote down how long I wanted the front placket to be, after holding it in front of my chest and adjusting the length.

Another thing I added, was a sketch to remind me how the sleeve plackets should be attached to the sleeve since I have messed this up in the past. I was glad I had the simple sketch handy when sewing, it definitely sped up my process. 

All in all, it was a success and I will keep using it (and probably fine-tuning) in the future!

Now I would love to hear from you! Do you have a system in place to track your sewing projects and alterations? I would love to hear your tips and ideas.

Sign up and download the free sewing planner page template

Sign up to the newsletter for a free copy of the smallest Tsuno Tie Bag to sew up some scraps. Plus If you ​​​​​​​sign up you get access to the free printable swatch library, sewing project planner and a few other handy templates. You'll receive aal these files in your welcome mail :)

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This glossary of sewing terms for the beginner is an A-Z guide that explains many terms, but also includes some tips and tricks that I think you might find handy. The list is a work in progress and I'll add links to tutorials, images and videos when I create them. Let me know in the comments if I missed a crucial sewing term you would like to know about. Continue reading

There are many ways to store your embroidery floss, but here's my favorite. I have a lot of skeins that I use during workshops, so I need to unpack them and pack them in a way that keeps the colours together. If you knit you've probably already recognise the stitchholder i'm using. It was an epiphany when I finally realized I could use them to organize my embroidery floss. I can store 12 skeins on one pin and then stack all the skeins into a clear box where they sort of hold themselves up.

These are 13,5cm stitchholders from prym. 

 

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Grading Techniques for Modern Design -  Jeanne Price & Bernard Zamkoff

Compared to Concepts of Fashion Grading this book feels more like a quick reference guide. Which Is a good thing! This book doesn't over complicate the proces, but still has enough substance to get you going.

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For those unfamiliar with grading, it's when you take a flat pattern in a master size and use that to create bigger or smaller sizes. This is what you do after your pattern is finished, to create a set of patterns to reflect a size range.

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Book review: Draping - Art And Craftsmanship In Fashion Design by Annette Duburg & Rixt van der Tol

This book is the best book I've seen on the art of draping or as the french say, moulage.

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Book review Pattern Cutting by Dennic Chunman Lo

What I love about this book: He explains the why behind the steps and measurements, giving you the confidence to bend and play with the rules

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