Stitching Tales

In this sun-soaked episode, Johanna and Malena dive into the joys of summer sewing. In particular, how to choose the right fabrics and styles for hot weather. They also give tips on the best way to hack a pants sewing pattern into shorts, and why Johanna relies on breezy shirts rather than sunscreen on most summer days. Malena's tutorials for hacking pants into shorts https://www.hazelhenpatterns....

What makes knit and woven fabrics so different, and why does it matter for your sewing project? Plus, can you use a sewing pattern designed for woven on knits, and vice versa? Malena and Johanna dive headfirst into the ultimate fabric showdown: stretchy vs structured, forgiving vs well-fitted, comfy tees vs slim-fit shirts. The battle is on! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Ever dreamed of turning your passion for sewing into a full-fledged business? Johanna and Malena pull back the curtain on what it really takes to leap, from pricing and mindset shifts to setting up the business correctly and asking for support. And is it even a good idea to turn your beloved hobby into a business? Listen to find out! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or contac...

What's the ultimate seam allowance? (hint: it depends) And should sewing patterns come with seam allowances, or not? Johanna and Malena delve into the world of seam allowances and share some pro tips that you may not have heard before. Plus, Malena talks about how seam allowances are done in the garment industry, which is quite different from what you'll find in most sewing patterns. Email...

Johanna and Malena have sewn for over 70 years. Not individually (they are not that old!). But together, that's how many years it adds up to. So have they learned something after all these years? Well, quite a lot, it turns out, including some important mindset stuff. Listen to find out! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or contact us at our socials: Stitching Tales on Instagram ⁠...

Johanna and Malena love sewing. But not every type of sewing. Some projects are just plain nope! In this episode, we spill the tea on garments and fabrics that we avoid like the plague. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or contact us at our socials: Stitching Tales on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stitchingtalespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stitching Tales on...

Malena is releasing a new Hazelhen pattern for the first time in years (yay!). But she recently had a revelation that made her rethink the launch process. So now she has to come up with a whole new game plan, and Johanna is here to help. Plus, there is an update on Johanna's situation, which left her in dire straits (which she talked about in last week's episode). Hint: Things are looking up! Emai...

Johanna has hit a low point after weeks of a stubborn flu combined with a return to her day job. A lack of direction and overwhelm have made her feel like she's treading water with the sewing business. Luckily, Malena has some great advice on where Johanna should put her main focus to make the business grow. Have suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Or contact us at our...

Should you stay-stitch knits? How do we eliminate puckers when sewing set-in sleeves with ease? Plus, have Johanna and Malena jumped on the projector file bandwagon? Listen to find out! In this episode, we open the listener's mailbox and answer your pressing sewing questions. Have more questions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ Or write to us on our socials: Stitching Tales on Instag...

Lured by the idea of sewing faster? Johanna and Malena have some practical tips on how to sew more efficiently AND make fewer mistakes. Plus, we address the elephant in the room: Is faster sewing something we should even strive towards? Time-saving tips for sewing jeans https://www.thelaststitch.com/7-time-saving-tips-for-sewing-jeans Fastest way to assemble pdf-patterns https://youtu.be/yxNObYiJS...

Picking the wrong type of knit fabric for a project is a recipe for disappointment, so listen to this episode before you make your next knit garment. Malena and Johanna talk about different knit fabrics and their properties. What's the difference between a single knit and a double knit? And why are sweatshirt fabrics often flossy on the inside? Listen to find out! Then the discussion takes a d...

Malena is getting close to launching a new sewing pattern, but will she make her (self-imposed) deadline? Johanna has returned to her day job after a six-month-long break, and this new reality brings out mixed emotions. They also discuss alternative career plans, especially if you have a passion project that takes up a lot of brain space. Perhaps Johanna's next career move is to become a tram...

Building a personal brand means showing yourself. But how much is too much? Malena and Johanna have a candid talk about navigating their online presence, and the possible pitfalls. Johanna opens up about sharing her divorce online and what it's like dating as a semi-public figure. Plus she has an exciting update on her relationship status! Malena wonders if she should show herself more on Inst...

Would Malena and Johanna still run their sewing business if they became financially independent? And how can we shop smarter when buying fabric online? These and other great questions from the podcast listeners are answered in this fun Q&A episode. Plus we get to find out when Malena last sewed a garment for herself, that wasn't a work project (the answer might shock you!) Have more questions?...

Too busy sewing to read the sewing machine manual? No worries; we have all been there! In this episode, Malena and Johanna confess their own sewing machine mistakes and share tips on how to avoid making them. Plus Malena has been making patterns for a very cool design collab, and Johanna is feeling thorn that her day job leave is coming to an end. Have questions? Email us at ⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gm...

Interfacing can make (or break) a garment. So how do we pick the right type? And should we interface stretchy knit garments? Malena and Johanna do a deep dive into the world of interfacing and share some valuable tips you might not have heard before! Interfacing stretchy knits https://www.thelaststitch.com/using-fusible-interfacing-knits/ Stabilising shoulder seams on knit tops https://www.thelast...

Johanna is back from an amazing mini-holiday in Lisbon and is ready to tackle the next project – hers and Malena's new sewing book. She also had some shipping drama that made her want to run and hide and almost quit her business. Malena has been home alone and spent her "free" time sewing the photo samples for her upcoming pattern Yes, Malena will release a second pattern this year! Johanna's new...

Is rayon a natural fibre and are synthetic materials always bad? Plus, why are some fabrics rubbish while others hold up for decades, even though the fibre content is the same? Our resident fiber expert Malena goes deep into this important, and underrated, topic for us sewists. Johanna is in awe and has several new revelations in this episode. Enjoy! Have more questions? Email us at ⁠⁠stitchingtal...

Are sewing sweaterknits doomed to fail and are fine wool knits worth going broke for? Plus: Where are all the good menswear patterns? Johanna and Malena open their mailbox and answer more questions from our lovely listeners and viewers. Have more questions? Email us at ⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠ Or contact us at our socials: Stitching Tales on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com...

Johanna has secretly launched her jeans sewing course, and you are among the first to find out! As a loyal podcast listener, get 20% off Denim Mastery before it officially launches on February 20. Grab your offer: https://courses.thelaststitch.com/denim-mastery?coupon=DENIMTALES (or use code DENIMTALES at checkout). The sale ends February 20 11.30 PM (Central European Time) Meanwhile, Malena is re...

Hemming with a serger is both fast and easy. Yet most of us don't do it. To change that, Malena and Johanna talk about four ways to hem knits using just a serger. Plus they get into coverstitching a bit too, and share valuable tips for making your coverstitching look professional. Get 20% off Coverstitch Success Use code POD20 or this link: ⁠⁠https://courses.thelaststitch.com/?coupon=POD20⁠ Hemmin...

Will AI be able to construct a sewing pattern using just an image, a prompt and your measurements? And will sewists jump on the latest trend; hot pants as the new mini skirt? Johanna and Malena bring out the crystal ball and make some bold predictions. This somehow brings us into a heated discussion about unethical, unsustainable and downright dangerous practices that some clothes companies use. W...

Hemming stretchy knits is tricky – something Malena and Johanna know all too well. Luckily they have figured out some really cool tricks that will make it so much easier, even if you only have a regular sewing machine. Tauko Magazine ⁠https://www.taukomagazine.com/shop/issue-14⁠ Subscribe to Johanna's newsletter https://www.thelaststitch.com/newsletter Blind-hem tutorial https://www.thelaststitch....

How to fix growing necklines, dealing with difficult knit fabrics and what's the story behind Johanna's sewing career? We answer these and many other listener questions in this Q&A episode. Have questions for another Q&A episode? Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com Fit for Knits Book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thelaststitch.com/fit-for-knits-book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stitching Tales on Instagr...

Malena can finally reveal her secret project! Plus she has big plans for 2025 (hint: two new sewing patterns). Meanwhile, Johanna is burning the midnight oil trying to finish her jeans video course. And she is waiting for a very exciting delivery that gives her clout among the young people in her life. Looks like we are off to a strong start! Pre-order Tauko Magazine https://www.taukomagazine.com/...