Seamwork Radio: Sewing and Creativity

Mimi G is loved in the sewing world. So when Mimi introduced the sewing world to her then beau, now husband, Norris Danta Ford in 2015 it was easy to be enchanted by the creative energy and connection they shared. Listen to their love story!

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.

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!

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!

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.

The decade project is Sarai's challenge to sew 5 garments to wear for the next 10 years. It's taught her 5 key things about designing clothing for longevity, and they're all things you can apply to your own sewing.

These are 2 different approaches to learning—the ambitious learner and the cautious learner. On today's episode of the podcast, we talk about how to identify which type you are, what the benefits and pitfalls are, and how to learn from the other.

In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about how you can build up your sewing skills intentionally while making things you still love.

Caroline didn't set out to open one of the most successful online fabric shops in the sewing community, but she always knew sewing would be a part of her journey. In this episode, she shares how Blackbird Fabrics came to be.

In this episode, we round up some of our favorite fitting resources with options for every experience level and approach. We'll talk about books, where to find fit resources online, and our brand new fitting class and free downloadable fit journal.

When you sew clothes that fit, you feel empowered. In this week's podcast, we discuss some of the core principles of fitting, and how you can get started on your own fitting journey.

Have you ever found yourself working on the fit of a garment and not knowing when to stop? Or felt confused about what actually constitutes a fitting issue? Or maybe even found yourself obsessing over how something your making fits? In this episode, we talk about developing a healthier mindset around fitting while still working to develop the skills and outcomes you're looking for when you sew.

Why is cosplay so entrancing? Why do people want to spend a bunch of time and money to transform themselves into someone else? Hear from six cosplayers who show us how clothing connects us to each other, because we're all welcome in this craft.

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?

This week on the podcast, Haley and I are sharing some of our own little tricks for making time for the things we enjoy, namely sewing and making. We talk about: Figuring out how much time you want to spend on creativity, Determining which activities bring you joy and which don't, How to make sewing feel more like playtime.

An obsession with goals, productivity, and checking things off can be really unhealthy. In this week's episode of the podcast, we explore how the Cult of Efficiency came to dominate our cultures and share 5 tips to help.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.