Sewing Confidence, Body Positivity and Better Fit with Sarah Laws of MHW Patterns

In this episode of The Sewing Social, I'm joined by Sarah Laws, founder of My Handmade Wardrobe Patterns, pattern designer, sewing educator and passionate advocate for helping people create clothes they truly love to wear.

Sarah takes us back to where it all began, sharing how learning to sew as a child sparked a lifelong passion for dressmaking and ultimately led her to design sewing patterns that empower makers of all abilities. 

We chat about the journey from hobby to career, the realities of running a creative business, and the joy of helping others discover the confidence that comes from making their own clothes.

Together, we explore one of the biggest challenges many garment sewists face -getting the right fit. Sarah shares practical advice on understanding your body, making pattern adjustments with confidence and why achieving a great fit has far more to do with understanding proportions than chasing a dress size. It's an encouraging conversation that reminds us sewing is about creating clothes to fit our bodies, not changing our bodies to fit our clothes.

We also discuss the importance of body positivity within the sewing community and how making your own wardrobe can transform the way you think about clothing, style and self-confidence. 

Sarah shares why she believes sewing is such an empowering skill and how it encourages us to celebrate our individuality rather than compare ourselves to unrealistic standards.

Community is another thread running through our conversation. From the hugely popular Crafty Sewing Camp to the Weekend Sewing Club, Sarah explains why creating welcoming spaces for sewists to learn, connect and be inspired has become such an important part of her work. 

Whether you're new to garment sewing, looking to improve your pattern fitting skills, or searching for inspiration to build a handmade wardrobe that reflects your personal style, this episode is packed with practical advice, thoughtful conversation and plenty of encouragement.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Sarah's journey from childhood sewing enthusiast to professional pattern designer.
• The story behind My Handmade Wardrobe Patterns.
• Tips for improving garment fit and building confidence with sewing patterns.
• Why body positivity and inclusive sewing matter.
• How making your own clothes can transform your confidence.
• The value of sewing communities, including Crafty Sewing Camp and the Weekend Sewing Club.
• Practical advice for anyone looking to grow their sewing skills and enjoy the creative process.

Follow me: 

Instagram: @thesewingsocialpod

                     @thedalythread

Tiktok: thesewingsocialpod

If you've enjoyed this episode and appreciate the work I'm doing, please 

Tip me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/thesewingsocialpod

Also, feel free to get in touch - you can text the show (available through your podcast provider on each episode) or email:

thesewingsocialpod@gmail.com

*Join my Substack where we continue the conversations: 

The Sewing Social: Off The Mic - https://substack.com/@thesewingsocial

Affiliate Links:

• Thready Set Go - https://threadysetgo.com

     Discount code for your first month free - SEWINGSOCIALPOD

• Sew And Stow - https://www.sewandstow.co.uk/

     Discount code for £10 off your board - SEWINGSOCIALPOD

Guest Details: 

Website: https://www.myhandmadewardrobepatterns.com/

Instagram: @mhwpatterns

The next pattern making Retreat: - September (3 spaces left): https://www.myhandmadewardrobepatterns.com/shop/p/retreat-january2026-5zh6j-k39xg

Weekend Sewing Club: https://www.myhandmadewardrobepatterns.com/weekend-sewing-club-sales

Crafty Events: https://www.craftyeventsuk.co.uk/

Chapters

00:00 The Journey Begins: From Family Influence to Fashion Design
02:53 Education and Experience: The Foundation of a Fashion Career
06:17 The Birth of a Business: Crafty So and So
07:41 Empowering Women Through Sewing: The Transition to Teaching
13:04 Creating Patterns for Real Bodies: My Handmade Wardrobe
20:01 Celebrating Change: Designing for the Evolving Female Body
23:16 The Weekend Sewing Club: A New Initiative
27:49 Pattern Making and Fitting: Common Themes
31:25 Crafty Sewing Camp: A Joyful Gathering
34:55 The Dressmakers Ball: Celebrating Creativity
37:54 Future Plans: Intentional Wardrobe Programme
48:22 Substack 

Transcript

Gemma Daly (00:10)

Sarah, welcome to the Sewing Social podcast. I'm so happy to have you on today.

Sarah Laws (00:15)

Thank you for having me. I'm delighted to be here.

Gemma Daly (00:17)

You're welcome. I

was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

Sarah Laws (00:22)

of course. So I'm Sarah Laws. I am a pattern designer and sewing tutor specialising in making clothes to fit your beautiful body.

Gemma Daly (00:32)

We love that,

we love that. So let's start right at the beginning. Can you tell us how you first started sewing?

Sarah Laws (00:39)

Of course. like a lot of people, it has been something that was kind of ignited through my family, through so through my mum sewing, watching her sewing. I think ⁓ must have been I think the first thing that I made was probably a kind of soft toy, one of those kind of kit ones that you have everything all the parts all cut out for you and everything like that.

so yeah, making that. It was a hedgehog actually. It was a little fluffy hedgehog making that. and I very quickly progressed from hedgehogs to wanting to make clothes because I quite quickly realised that that was that was something that was really exciting. so I used to make little books of designs, my mum, and then she would it was called the Roses Co. That was the name of my little catalogue. framed on kind of do you remember the Freeman's catalogue?

Gemma Daly (01:07)

You

Yes.

Sarah Laws (01:29)

It was like yeah, the the big book of bit like the Argos Book of Dreams, but it was my book of dreams, the Freeman's catalogue. yeah, I I created my own little like catalogue, the Roses Co and gave it to my mum and said, Mum, can you make this? And we'd go down to the local sewing shop and pick out a pattern that was similar, fabric, trims, that kind of thing. And ⁓ she'd make whatever I kind of dreamt up, which was lovely.

Gemma Daly (01:32)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (01:54)

until she said that she had to go back to work full time. so then she was like, Well, I think you're probably ⁓ old enough slash kind of learnt enough to have a go yourself. So, ⁓ went down to the local market, Leicester Market, and picked up, you know, a couple of meters of fabric for five quid. and yeah, that was it really. After that, it was, you know, prima patterns,

hand me downs, anything I could get get my hands on basically kind of trying to make my own clothes and ⁓ get started like that.

Gemma Daly (02:26)

that's a really lovely story and I love the

phrase from hedgehogs to clothes.

Sarah Laws (02:32)

Yeah.

Hedgehogs to Taffeta Ballgown with lace that we went all the way to Nottingham Lace Market to try and find and then we realised that Nottingham Lace Market isn't actually a lace market. It's just full of like fancy ⁓ coffee shops and things like that and arty people.

Gemma Daly (02:38)

Wow.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So it sounds like sort of fashion and clothing has always really been a part of your life, because you then went on to study fashion at uni, didn't you?

Sarah Laws (03:03)

Yes, I did, yeah. So I basically knew from about age thirteen that I wanted to do something to do with textiles. So in our school, again, I'm gonna go into the big book of dreams, we had this thing called actually called the big book of careers. And in that book, there were all the careers that you could possibly ever do. Of course, you know, about ninety percent of them were missing. ⁓ and I turned to the page that was to do with textiles and it was like, fashion designer or costume designer.

Of course I now know there are about a hundred other things that you can do in fashion, but for me it was like, well, costume design, not that great at drawing. I want to make clothes that people can actually wear, that's what I like, that's what my driving force is. I'll go into fashion design. So right from kind of yeah, age twelve, thirteen, I decided that was my path, that was what I wanted to do. went on to do a foundation course which I loved and I would really recommend anybody thinking about going into anything creative.

Do a fa foundation course. Most universities and colleges offer them and it gives you a chance to just have a play for a year if you can. You know, if you're thinking about doing a gap year but you're thinking, I don't know whether to kind of, you know, do that or do or go to university, doing the foundation course. My friend who is sixty-three has just done one and she said it's the best year of her life. Because you get to do live drawing, you get to do photography, graphic design.

Gemma Daly (04:17)

Wow.

Sarah Laws (04:24)

bit of website design, although back when I did it that was like, you know, kind of a one week module. This is a website. Get somebody to make one for you. That kind of thing. I've since learnt quite a bit more about that. but yeah it was it was it was absolutely fantastic. And then that led me into doing my and I was toying between going to Nottingham and London but I wanted that London lifestyle. ⁓ and I'm really glad that I did because it was three years of

Starting off with pattern making, we did ⁓ the first kind of six to ten weeks, I think it was, was learning about all the basics of using blocks, doing pattern design, that kind of thing. and then from that we started developing our own ideas. But the most important thing that I got out of the whole experience, ⁓ and especially being in London, was going to the fashion shows.

and doing the work experience. and I had a fantastic opportunity to dress backstage a couple of the designer shows. And it was just such an eye-opener, you know, to see designer clothing that is literally like at that development stage, that catwalk stage. There's some amazing creativity. There's also some rubbish. So it was very like, you know, leveling. It was kind of you one minute you're going, wow, that's amazing. Next minute you're like,

Gemma Daly (05:33)

Hahaha

Sarah Laws (05:39)

okay, maybe I can do this. So it's it was good. It's good good well rounded experience.

Gemma Daly (05:46)

Yeah, it sounds

really good and I might have to do that foundation degree myself.

Sarah Laws (05:51)

so good, honestly. I think it's like a it's a BTEC and it's just a one year and it's one of those courses that's still not massively, massively overpriced. It's kind of, you know, affordable, which a lot of education isn't. I mean, I personally think that these days I would recommend people to go and maybe get some industry experience before going to university to do anything like fashion design, anything that's very vocational. because you need to know what direction you're going in.

But I really wish that I'd gone down the route of doing a fashion and business course because that's now what I'm looking at doing. I'm gonna start a business course in September. even though I've been running a business for fifteen years now. But, you know, there's always something new to learn. And I think if I'd have had that found foundation at the beginning, I would be a lot, you know, clearer on what I'm doing, or I would have been a lot clearer on what I'm doing earlier. recommendation.

Gemma Daly (06:23)

Okay.

think that's the beauty of

hindsight, isn't it? Because we can all look back and think, I'd wish I'd done that then, but it's great that you're going to do it now as well.

Sarah Laws (06:50)

Yeah, yeah, it's never too late to learn something new. And I mean, you know, most of my customers that come to me are at least over forty five. My core kind of demographic is kind of fifty, fifty five. Most of people who have done a bit of sewing in the past and then they come back to me to kind of level up. So, you know, they've got the the the base kind of foundation, they know what they want to achieve, they're incredibly intentional.

in what they're you know, they want to to get out of the experience of working with me. And that is just a wonderful group of people to work with. Empowered women, ⁓ my goodness, fierce and exciting as well. ⁓

Gemma Daly (07:26)

absolutely. Powerful. Yeah, I love that.

So many of the listeners may know you from your crafty so-and-so. How did that business come about and what made you sort of take a career pivot into what you do now?

Sarah Laws (07:41)

Great question. So ⁓ when I moved back from London after having worked for a couple of high street retailers, I then went into working for another couple of high street retailers in Leicester. I found that I was like losing connection with my kind of core kind of why, why I'm doing it. And I was also missing hands-on creativity.

a lot of what I was doing was basically kind of drawing a picture, labelling it up, sending it out to a different country to be made up. And quite often I wouldn't see the samples coming back. So we all know that feeling of having like finished a sample, you've had the idea, you've brought the materials, you've combined those materials, you've done all the hard work, and then you have that finished item and you can like look at it, admire it, enjoy it.

And that bit was just missing. I didn't have that anymore because the samples would just go straight to the buying team and I'd be like I'd see them in a meeting where they'd been changed and all that kind thing. Anyway, that was my kind of moment of realising I need some connection. So I set up a community group and that was just in my local kind of it's actually in the youth in the youth centre. ⁓ and

It started off as just doing kind of general creative things called Leicester's Crafty Ladies. Facebook group's still going, even though I don't manage it. Somebody else manages it. I'm like, it's still going. Occasionally I check in and I'm like, ⁓ very busy. so it's amazing how these things just grow, like, even when you're kind of stepping away from them. But the community group, we started off by doing like

Gemma Daly (08:56)

Hehehehe.

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (09:09)

A bit of flower arranging and some air dry clay and some embroidery and then people were like, So now that we know you a bit better, what did you used to do? What's your or what do you do? What's your job? ⁓ I'm actually a fashion designer. could you teach us how to sew? And I'm like, Yes, yes, I can do that. Then of course like 'cause I'm an I'm a planner. I like to like have work worked out how everything will work. So I'm now then going, right, how do I get like

Gemma Daly (09:26)

You

Sarah Laws (09:35)

All these sewing machines, do I have to get things like tested? Do I need to get like all lots of equipment and stuff? And in the end I just told myself, stop overthinking it, just hire out a bigger hall because it needed a little bit more space. We were just in a very small room. And ⁓ just tell people, bring your own sewing machines, we're gonna make some pyjama bottoms, I'll provide the fabric so that I can kind of keep everybody on the same level. And we did pyjama making, we did apron making, we basic garments.

And then people wanted more. So in two thousand fourteen I moved into my own little studio because I decided by then this was what I loved. I've always loved teaching people. Whenever work experience students came into the jobs that I was working at, I'd always be like, Whoo, let me show you, let me tell you this, let me kind of guide you on this, have you heard about this? And kind of, you know, taking them on under my wing. So it's always like teaching kind of thing has always been a bit of a driver for me.

I found with this teaching people about something that I really was passionate about and and that pushed me to learn more about it as well, was just so fulfilling. ⁓ so yeah, I started teaching people how to make their own clothes in my tiny little studio. I could only fit four people in there and people had to cut out in the corridor. You know, we're not talking anything fancy. And then in two thousand fifteen I met Freya. I don't I think I'd already met her actually.

It was time when blogging was like just starting out and ⁓ we went to a bloggers meetup and that's where we met then like a few about six months later I was like I don't really know what to do, I don't know whether to stay in my studio. I've had a a larger studio in the village that I'd had my first studio in. I had had

Gemma Daly (10:58)

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Laws (11:17)

an opportunity to take that on but then it just had felt fallen through. So I put a little message out on Facebook like I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I know I want to do something. And she came back to me and said, do you want to do something together? Do you want to to meet up and see what we can do? So we started business dating because we didn't know each other very well, so we were like, well we should get to know each other first before you know we start this like empire. And it's kind of kind of important. That would be my other top tip.

Gemma Daly (11:45)

Yeah?

Sarah Laws (11:46)

and yeah, from that we then decided that we'd start looking for a premises because her background was in retail. She was working for John Lewis at the time, going through the management kind of program. I had left my job my full time job ⁓ at the place that I was working then. and yeah, I knew that I just wanted to teach workshops.

do that side of the business and it wor it just you know looked like it was going to work really really well with her doing the retail me doing the workshops and then having a bit of space to kind of develop some kits and patterns and things like that as well. So we found our premises, loved it, absolutely loved it. I started producing my patterns because I realised that there was a gap in the market at that time particularly for interesting patterns

Gemma Daly (12:19)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (12:33)

for more curvy women, like plus size ranges in ⁓ the big four patterns back then were pretty dire. They were kind of sacks basically. that's been partly the fashion, but they they weren't there wasn't the variety that there is now. I'm so glad that it's kind of it's come up. but there was definitely a space for really, really good, fairly simple

Gemma Daly (12:35)

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Laws (12:57)

⁓ dressmaking patterns for teaching and that's what my handmade wardrobe began as and was used for in the workshops.

Gemma Daly (13:05)

Lovely. I didn't realize actually that you had that sort of input into plus size patterns. Did you develop your range with that in mind then?

Sarah Laws (13:15)

Yeah, absolutely. I mean I've always been very mindful of teach what you know and learn what you don't. and until I found somebody I could work directly with, was a bit unsure about

taking the size range too high because I don't know that body. You know, I wanted to work with somebody who could tell me like that feels too tight under the arms, that needs a bit more ease in this particular area. And I need I had a lot to learn myself. we all know like with plus size ⁓ pattern drafting it's not just about taking a pattern block and adding a bit and adding a bit and adding a bit. You know, you have to think about

Gemma Daly (13:33)

Yep.

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Laws (13:54)

the whole body is a 3D, you know, both the length and the width and contours and everything. So working with somebody who's ⁓ a fantastic tutor and came to tutor with us for quite a long time at Crafty Tracy, was absolutely fantastic because she was so honest, you know, if anything wasn't quite right, she was like, Nope, that needs changing, this needs changing. And you need somebody like that who's gonna be like

you know, just tell ya ha tell you how it is. Because you can know how clothes feel on your body, but clothes will feel very different on everybody else's. So yeah, that was that was a really good ⁓ experience developing that and taught me so much.

Gemma Daly (14:33)

Yeah, well it sounds like you went about it the right

way because obviously there's been a lot of, I don't know if the right thing is to say controversy, but I know some pattern companies have just added and added and added haven't they and it's not the right way to go about it.

Sarah Laws (14:46)

Yeah.

Yeah, and it comes sometimes from the pressure from the consumers to want that from them. But you know, how how do you learn these things? You have to get hands on, you have to just take the time to really get to know.

Gemma Daly (14:54)

Mmm.

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (15:02)

you know, I've I've had some formal training in pattern cutting as I've gone from some amazing tutors, mostly like one to one just, you know, sessions that I've done with people. And I still have training. I'm gonna do some more training later on this year. I always want to just keep kind of topping it up so I've got something new to to bring. but a lot of it is just literally from getting hold of people and wrapping fabric around them and seeing what works. And often when I'm doing my bodice fitting, you know, we'll we'll

Gemma Daly (15:24)

you

Sarah Laws (15:29)

map out everything, get everything on the bodice ⁓ block, on the paper bodice block as it should be, or as we think it should be according to the measurements. And then when we put it on your body, it everything needs kind of just tweaking a bit, moving. And it's just a case of really like looking and not being afraid to just kind of go, what happens if I do this? If I pinch this bit? What happens if I lift these shoulders? What happens, you know, if I just ⁓

unpick the side seam and take a bit out of the back and leave the front the same. and you can't do it on yourself. You do, that's an easy way of me saying, come to me. But it is there are some things that are really difficult to do on yourself. If you've got a mannequin that is your proportions, like the Mimiquins ⁓ mannequins, it does make it a bit easier. But of course those don't move. So you still need to kind of, you know, get your toile on your body, move around, reach for that thing on the high shelf.

Gemma Daly (16:04)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (16:22)

Do your laundry, you know, all the things that you'd normally do to check whether the garment is really gonna work work with your body.

Gemma Daly (16:30)

That's a really good point actually, because I think a lot of us just try and fit it and you just stay there, don't you? And you're like, yep, that looks like about right. But you've really got to reach for that shelf, like you say. So for anybody that hasn't discovered my handmade wardrobe patterns yet, how would you describe the brand and your design aesthetic?

Sarah Laws (16:37)

Mm-hmm. Yes, it looks good.

Yeah, definitely.

so yeah, I probably haven't said how things kind of went from crafty to my handmade wardrobe. So obviously we did have my my handmade wardrobe kind of bubbling under whilst I was doing whilst whilst we were doing crafty so and so. I think I set up my handmade wardrobe two years after crafty. crafty so and so, I wanna say unfortunately, but I think it was like a natural kind of progression. ⁓ when COVID came, we moved everything

Gemma Daly (17:00)

That is a good point.

Sarah Laws (17:21)

out of the studio and we set up a home like selling from our dining room tables and we actually discovered that the website kind of retail side of things Freya was really good at. Me not so much, but she was absolutely excellent at it. So after COVID kind dealt us a a a bit of a blow, dealt everybody a bit of a blow, we decided to shut the shop.

Gemma Daly (17:36)

you

Sarah Laws (17:44)

and we moved into a ⁓ a studio. and we carried on doing the online sales and like the occasional kind of open door. but it allowed me to really focus on the workshops and the patterns for those workshops. During that time I also started working with Love Sewing magazine and I've been working with them for I think it's about six years now. It's quite a long time.

And I've basically for the past three years done a project for pretty much every issue of the magazine. So that's 13 issues, that's 13 patterns a year. and I've seen the whole team completely change, but I've tried to keep things as consistent as possible, just so readers really know what what they're getting from my handmade wardrobe. And it's really helped me to kind of develop what my brand is, also through workshops.

Gemma Daly (18:10)

Wow.

Sarah Laws (18:29)

having people making the garments in house, you know, with me has made me see how to improve silhouettes that I'm creating and make sure that they're suitable for the people that want to sew them. So as I said my core demographic is kind of, you know, I say forty five plus, but it is mostly kind of fifty fifty five. And ⁓ that

kind of demographic I think has been dealt a bit of a poor hand in the past with shapeless garments or garments that haven't been necessarily designed with their lifestyle in mind. So we all know as you get a bit older, naturally move. So your boobs go low, ⁓ generally.

your shoulders will tend to come over because we all do a lot of leaning over work whether it be computer or it might be kind of leaning down to pick up kids that that affects your shoulders. When you have kids obviously your rib cage does expand and it doesn't generally tend to go back. Mine hasn't your stomach as you go towards menopause is going to become more rounded. Honestly there is nothing that you can do about it. That is natural.

Gemma Daly (19:20)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (19:36)

And this is one of the things that I am a bit of ⁓ a little bit evangelical about. ⁓ so from like age naught to twenty, we grow and our bodies change and it's celebrated and it's like, ⁓ you're you're growing up, look, it's wonderful, fantastic, you know, look at you grow and then get kind of twenty ish and you're expected as a woman to stay exactly the same until the end.

Gemma Daly (20:00)

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Laws (20:01)

That's just insane to me. It just doesn't make any sense. I think we should celebrate every change in our body. and yeah, be healthy, you know, do what you can to be strong and have a a body that serves you and gives you allows you to have the lifestyle that you want to have. But I'm I'm over the the worrying about having a washboard, flat stomach. Like I've got more important things to worry about than that. So I want to produce patterns that, you know

Gemma Daly (20:02)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (20:28)

make you just enjoy the the the things that you're doing rather than thinking, you know, I feel uncomfortable, this bit's a bit tight, or is this bit showing off that? And I always include a range of lengths as well because some people don't feel so confident showing off their legs. So there'll be a MIDI length. Some people don't want to show off their arms, so there'll be a sleeve option usually for most of the the designs, especially for the weekend sewing club. And I listen really carefully.

to what my ⁓ members ask me for. Regularly put out polls on like, you know, what patterns would you like to see next, what design features do you love, what do you really want with not to do? think working directly with your customers like that, you really give them something that they want. And that's that's what drives me. I love it.

Gemma Daly (21:14)

Absolutely, and I

love that you brought up about the female body as well and I really agree with that time scale of things and also really don't agree with how we're treated we're expected to be because we go through huge changes in our life. How can we remain the same all the way through?

you said about your primary demographic is 50, 55. Do you think by that age, we're sort of like, we are sort of over that, we know ourselves better and we want a bit more for ourselves. Would you agree with that?

Sarah Laws (21:50)

It's a really tricky thing for me say because I'm forty how old am I? Forty two. I feel older than I am in a good way. 'Cause I feel like like I don't know, I spend so much time around these amazing women that are so inspirational, honestly. And I'm just like I'm actually excited about kind of growing up. Which I think a lot of people when they get to forty, they're like, ⁓ no, my life is over.

And it's like, no, no, it's just about to begin. Like, you know, strap we're going along for the ride. so yeah, I I I think it it's it's one of those things where like it's hard for me to say how somebody feels at that age because I'm I'm not there yet. But from what I see, they're having the best life. They're going sewing retreats. They don't have to justify

Gemma Daly (22:28)

Hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (22:38)

like having a day off from looking after the kids or whatever because, you know, they they they've got freedom generally and I'm really looking forward to that. Not saying that I don't have freedom now, but there are, you know, certain things that come with I've got a daughter who's seven, certain responsibilities. And ⁓ yeah, I'm glad that there's something really kind of exciting to look forward to as well as be living right now.

Gemma Daly (23:06)

Yeah, I love that. You've actually given me goosebumps because I think everybody needs to go to you for inspiration.

Sarah Laws (23:13)

Yeah, yeah, I'll I'll welcome everybody in. I'm I'm in lots of places, so they can find me most places around the Midlands.

Gemma Daly (23:16)

Yeah.

tell us about your weekend sewing membership then, because this is quite a new thing that you've started offering, isn't it?

Sarah Laws (23:28)

Yeah, yeah, so about was twelve months ago actually, this July will be twelve months of the weekend sewing club. I decided that I was not doing enough sewing. I think I decided that a long time before then. And I looked at, you know, why why am I not doing enough sewing? Why are people around me maybe not, you know, getting that sewing time in? And I realised it's because I was taking on projects that were very fulfilling

like jackets, jeans, making over my entire wardrobe, you know, planning like twenty variations of something. And I just needed some really simple patterns to sew to actually create a wardrobe of clothes that I would love to wear. not like just special occasion, everyday clothes. And I also needed to set aside a certain amount of time every month when it was just protected time. Because when you work

Gemma Daly (24:00)

You

Sarah Laws (24:17)

doing something that is your hobby that you absolutely love, then they say, you know, you'll never work a day in your life, but it can also turn to you end up working every single day. So I needed to kind of like integrate my hobby, my enjoyment of of my why, why I'd got into, you know, remind me why I'd started sewing in the first place and started on this journey.

Gemma Daly (24:28)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (24:40)

And having the weekend sewing club with a two hours session every month ⁓ set out was ensuring that I got that time in and also all my members could join me for that. and I send out prep emails so that keeps you on track. So in the two first weeks of the month, you'll get your three get ready to sew emails, which will include, you know, information about

⁓ what fabric to use and a bit of kind of information about like how to best handle those fabrics. We have a fabric focus every month so we'll learn a bit about a new fabric I do that in conjunction with Minerva which is really a really great partnership because their knowledge about fabric is pretty amazing. and yeah just it's

a great way for me to stay connected with people. So whilst I was developing patterns, it is a very head down get on with the work kind of thing. And I think it's very easy to lose that kind of connection with the people that you're actually designing for. And this really keeps me in check. I mean I have my group of ambassadors that I work with. I've got some amazing ambassadors and the feedback they give me is just making the patterns better and better every month.

I've actually got somebody who's just come on board as a kind of proofreader and sense checker. So often when I'm working on patterns, I kind of get very embedded in how I would do things and she comes in with a maybe we could would this technique be better? Or maybe add this bit in so that beginners might find that a bit easier? or you know, ideas for hacks as well, so Sam Sequin Girlie.

on Instagram, did an amazing series of hacks of the Ballisima blouse, which is one of my core main range ⁓ patterns, which I bought into the Sewing Club, Weekend Sewing Club. And she did lots of variations, including some new collar pieces, some new ⁓ sleeve finishes, simple things that people can, you know, add, but encouraging people to really think about how they might make the pattern their way, which is definitely what I'm all about.

Simple styles made your way and that I think then gives you confidence rather than just copying what somebody else is making, which if you really like it and it suits you, brilliant. But when you find you ⁓ make something that is really your own kind of style and you love wearing it and you get compliments on it, then it that builds your confidence. That's not just making clothes, that's making you

a stronger person all all round.

Gemma Daly (27:09)

Yeah, that's absolutely true. And I love the idea of that. So, you know, a lot of us do get carried away with creative businesses, which are our passion, but you kind of forget sometimes to go back to the core of it, which is the sewing. I'm completely guilty of it. I don't have any sewing time at the moment because it's all about the show. Yeah, I should do. I should do. And that's definitely like two dedicated hours of sewing.

Sarah Laws (27:19)

Mm-hmm.

Join the weekend sewing club. Join the club. ⁓

Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah,

Gemma Daly (27:38)

So you

mentioned that you also offer like a pattern making and fitting service. What do you find are the common themes that your students want to learn about pattern fitting?

Sarah Laws (27:50)

So generally people tend to come to me for the bodice fitting first. so I do things slightly differently to people who teach pattern cutting, making a bodice. I start with a bodice block, a multi-size pre-made bodice block, because I think if you start with the maths, sometimes it can be a little bit overwhelming.

And actually, once you've made a block that fits you, you don't need to know how to make blocks. All you need to know is how to use a block. And I want to get people to that stage as quickly as possible, because that's where the fun fun stuff starts. You can follow instructions and make a block for you know with all the maths and numbers and everything like that. There will still be fit issues. You still need to then probably move the shoulders or tweak where the darts are and that kind of thing.

⁓ so the way that I do it, we take your measurements, we make a few basic adjustments. If you need a full bust adjustment or a small bust adjustment, we'll do that on the paper pattern. And then as soon as we can we get it out onto ⁓ calico, twirl it and get it on your body. And that's where I start my kind of tweaking and and nipping this bit in. And all the way through I'll tell you what I'm doing and why. And I think that's the really important thing because a few people have said to me they've

had fittings before, but they've not really understood why things have been changed. Whereas I like to explain, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna add two centimetres onto back at the shoulder to the height because you've got slightly rounded shoulders, so we need an extra length on the back so that we have enough fabric to allow the shoulder seam to sit in the right place. And therefore, if we do that, we want to remember to add that two centimetres into.

Gemma Daly (29:04)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (29:26)

sleeve. So it's joining it all up. and I think it's a lot to think about, but coming to a class with me and doing it rather than kind of working it out yourself, it can you can get very overwhelmed if you're trying to do it yourself. But at least if you come to a class with me, I'll remember to remind you at the right time to add that bit into your sleeve and you know to make that change because we made that previous change.

so yeah, it's is usually for fitting people come to me, but then when I show them how they can move darts around the bodice, how they can change them into gathers, pleats, how they can manipulate sleeves, that's when they're so I came here for fitting, but now a designer. Okay. And then I take them on the rest of the journey with me.

Gemma Daly (30:06)

You

It sounds really fun. I think I definitely need to come up to one of these classes as well because like I've been sewing for a number of years now but I do I do get put off by all the adjustments and things. I just want to make the thing.

Sarah Laws (30:15)

huh. It's exciting.

when you've got a block that fits you and you know how to make a few changes. I mean what we tend to do on the development classes, which I'm just starting to run, I do retreats and we usually do pattern development as part of those 'cause it's three days. but I'm just starting to do them as stand off standalone two day courses at the fabric obsession. And we take your b your bodice block or your trouser block or your skirt block, dress block, whatever you've already got.

Gemma Daly (30:27)

Yes.

Sarah Laws (30:51)

And then we change like two or three things. I tend to have a rule, change two things on the first iteration. So that might be like adding some gathers into the sleeve head, and it might be adding a button placket, for instance. And that's enough of a change to take it away from being the block to being a style, being a design that you've made decisions, you've made design decisions about. That makes you a designer. You've chosen the fabric, you've chosen the stitching, you've chosen the buttons.

all the bits and pieces that make it uniquely yours. And for me that is that's really exciting. Mm-hmm.

Gemma Daly (31:26)

Yeah, I love that. It's so interesting. So another one of the things that you're perhaps really well known for in the sewing community is Crafty Sewing Camp. inspired you to create it and how has

it evolved since those early days?

Sarah Laws (31:40)

So Crafty Sewing Camp really is just I feel joyful when I think about it. It is a group of wonderful people who are all on the same wavelength getting together for a really indulgent 48 hours basically of sewing and everything related to sewing. We have a big party on the Saturday night.

usually with a theme. This year it's Bollywood theme, which I'm super excited about. We've got my friend Manisha from Manisha's Fancy Fabrics coming to show us how to do sari wearing. So she's gonna wrap us all up. We've got somebody coming to do ⁓ henna and mendhi designs and I think we've got a curry van coming. But I need to just yeah.

Gemma Daly (32:23)

Wow.

Sarah Laws (32:24)

like don't hold me to that one. Otherwise I'm gonna be in the back like microwaving ready meals like a like a crazy person. So ⁓ yeah, don't hold me to that. It might be burgers, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be curry. So ⁓ yeah, it's just it's just joyful. yeah, and we've still got tickets if anybody wants to come. We are closing tickets at the end of I want to say the end of June, which is like just round the corner. I'm having a meeting with Freya this evening to

Finalise like the last bits we have workshops as well. So usually they're something a bit different to what you might do. If you've been sewing for a while, you'll learn something, or just make you know, make something different. we have people come in from all over to do workshops. We've got ⁓ Lindsay coming to do overlocking and she's going to be teaching people how to make leggings as well this time, which I think will be really fun.

Gemma Daly (33:16)

awesome.

Sarah Laws (33:16)

and we've got Tracy ⁓ who I mentioned earlier, she's coming to teach ⁓ a class as well. and we have we usually have like a small market hall. now Freya is going on a wonderful trip to Australia to see her sister right up until about three days before sewing camp. So things are a little bit different this year. We're kind of like having the equivalent of a fallow year, you know, where people like take the time off.

Gemma Daly (33:36)

my gosh.

Sarah Laws (33:43)

But of course we're not taking the time off. We're just having a more relaxed approach to things. Getting a few other people in to do some things. it will be just as wonderful, but yeah, it means you know, we're not we're not kind of over over stretching ourselves and when Freya comes back and she's got massive jet lags, she's not like, ⁓ I can't even see But yeah, we're being kind to ourselves.

Gemma Daly (33:50)

Yeah.

And yes, and why not? And remind

us of the dates, Sarah, just in case anybody is interested.

Sarah Laws (34:12)

so the dates are I'm just reaching for my calendar because my brain does not store any information these days. But it's in August and it's the second weekend of August and it is the fourteenth to the so it's from the evening on the Friday fourteenth, and then we stop around kind of three ish, two three ish, just after lunch basically, on the Sunday.

and we have sewing rooms where you can sew and just kind of spend a a full day doing that. tea and coffee on tap in a sports hall, help yourself and it completely catered. So all you need to think about is sewing, which, you know, is bliss. That's what it should be about.

Gemma Daly (34:55)

Awesome!

And as if all of the above isn't enough, you also run the Dressmakers Ball, which is the highlight of some sewist calendar. What do you love about that event?

Sarah Laws (35:02)

Yes we do. Absolutely.

the so the dressmaker's ball came about from us just all standing around the cutting table, looking at all the fabrics that had just come in when we had the shop back in St Martin Square in central Leicester. And we s had all these beautiful like ⁓ evening wear fabrics around us and we're like, if only we had an event to sew for

Most of our friends had got married and, you know, had all those that kind of you know, parties and stuff like that had happened, or it was very kind of occasional. and we're just like, well, we could create something allows us to make garments for for this ⁓ occasion. And so we did. so yeah, basically it's just a celebration of sewing.

We have made it quite grand. In fact it is at the Grand Hotel and it's an amazing space. Like when you walk up the stairs you've got your double kind of beauty and the beast almost style staircase where you kind of come up and then you've got this beautiful kind of chandelier domed ceiling and then the King's Hall is really impressive with like wood panelling and big like sumptuous curtains and yes and a balcony and it's just a really lovely space.

makes you feel really special. and it's such delight seeing what people make for it. Or, you know, people often wear things that they've worn to other events as well. You don't have to make something brand new for it. But it's that thing of like, and this is what I love about sewist events. You see somebody that you've might maybe not even spoken to before, but you know that you've got that thing in common with them.

And you go up to them and you immediately have something to talk about and you celebrate each other's outfits and just immediately get talking on common ground. And so you're like in a room of like a hundred and fifty friends immediately. I mean, where can you go that you feel like that? I certainly don't feel like that in any other environment in my life. Like school playground is a bit like I walk into a room of a hundred and fifty sewists and I'm like, my people

Gemma Daly (36:57)

Yeah.

that is so true. Yeah, that's so true.

Sarah Laws (37:05)

So that's why we do it. We need that.

I'm actually going to the ⁓ London Frocktails this year as well for the first time. So that will be really interesting to be a guest. I don't think I've been a guest at one of ⁓ the sewing events, so I'm really excited about that as well. And it's really interesting to kind of feel that buzz of like as an organiser I kind of know what I'm making for the dressmakers ball like six months ago. Whereas with

Gemma Daly (37:11)

Mm-hmm.

Aww.

Yes.

Sarah Laws (37:31)

the the other event I'm going to, I'm like, I've got to think about it and I can design and I can, you know, get really excited as as a guest as well. So nice to be on the other side. Thank you.

Gemma Daly (37:41)

that's lovely and I hope you have a great time. So, you know, we've talked about loads of things, you've got loads of things

going on, but is there any more exciting plans, Sarah?

Sarah Laws (37:54)

Well, I'm just laughing because I had just had a catch-up with somebody who would be tutoring with Emma, Emma Smith, and she was like, So what's new? Because she's always like, There's something new. So the Sarah's had ideas and actually end of last year in I have a shared studio here and the ladies all said to me, You are not allowed any more ideas, stop it.

Gemma Daly (38:04)

Hahaha

You

Sarah Laws (38:14)

And actually it was the best thing that they could say to me because it allowed me to really focus on what I was doing and build the so weekend sewing club. But I said to myself, from basically now, June, I was allowed to start having or start developing a new idea for next year. So of course, as soon as I switched that bit of my brain on, it's like, aha, okay. So ⁓ last year I ran a programme called Be Your Own Designer and it was an online programme. We met once a month

Gemma Daly (38:33)

you

Sarah Laws (38:40)

And each month we concentrated on a new element of pattern making using a simple top block. So it's just a single-darted, simple top with a sleeve, and we looked at how we could develop that into lots and lots of different styles. So we had one month on facings, on pleats and gathers, on fastenings. We also looked at stretch fabric, so we introduced a jersey block and looked at things that you could do with that.

twisting the fabric, draping the fabric, etc. It was great. It was a lot of work. I learnt a lot in the process of actually putting the course together. And I'm really, really happy with the the course that I delivered. But of course as you go through the process of developing a course and delivering it, there's always things that you realize that you'd want to change if you put it out again. So that course still sits and everybody who joined it gets

lifetime membership so they can dip into it whenever they want but I'm now layering on a new addition to it. Because what I realized was it's all very well learning these new skills but without some kind of plan, some kind of intention, it can feel a bit overwhelming. You know, learning for learning's sake is not something that we are very good at doing in adulthood. In child in childhood we're like yes just

Gemma Daly (39:55)

Mm-hmm.

Sarah Laws (39:57)

Bring it all in, we're like sponges. But when we get to adulthood, we want to be putting it into practice straight away. And we want to know how it fits into our lives. So the programme that I'm putting together for next year is called the Sew Intentional Wardrobe.

So a combination of the Be Your Own Designer course, but also the Sew Your Own Style mini programme that I did in the middle of last year, which was looking at doing a wardrobe audit, looking at how the colours that you choose make you feel and what colours you're drawn to. We'll we'll look a little bit at kind of getting your colours done, because I think that there is an element of that.

Gemma Daly (40:11)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (40:33)

Like, but I think that you have to it works best when you combine it with what colours am I drawn to and why and how do they make me feel. But looking at the kind of psychology of it a little bit as well as what just suits your skin tone. Because what suits your skin tone is all about what other people see of you and it's all about serving others. So if somebody tells you that shade of pink looks good on you, you feel good. You're like, ⁓ somebody else approves.

Gemma Daly (40:52)

Hmm.

Sarah Laws (40:59)

Whereas there'll be certain colours that I'm drawn to, like kind of rust. I've got some rust kind of ⁓ linen trousers on today. And I just the colour it just makes me feel like warm and cozy and and I d I'm just I'm drawn to certain colours and I've I I've enjoyed exploring why. So that side of things, like just being a bit more aware of

why we're drawn to certain fabrics as well and certain styles and do they does do those styles actually serve our lifestyle? especially as the you know, bodies are changing. Are we being drawn towards wearing more and more baggy styles when actually something that's fitted in the right places is going to make us feel just better overall. So the so intentional wardrobe is

looking at all of those things all together, a bit of kind of the psychology of it and a bit of the well I just love it so I want to make it and this how do I make it? we'll also look at how I shop as well because I do still go into shops but my fashion designer background ⁓ tends to make it more for inspiration. I'll still go and try on things and look at how they fit and then like learn from that how I want

clothes that I make to fit ⁓ because it's much better than making up five toiles of a pair of trousers and none of them fitting and feeling bad about yourself. Go into a shop, try on lots of different trousers and different shapes and see what suits. You know, see if you pinch a bit here on that garment that's already made, what happens. I spend a huge amount of time in the fitting rooms and I think the assistants probably think there's something wrong with me.

But I'm there with like my camera going, you know, take a photo of this detail and that detail and, you know, just yeah, they're they're at the end of the day, they're just doing their job. I'm just doing my job. I'm not ripping anybody off. I'm not gonna like mass produce these items. This is purely for me. This is purely selfish. But I really, really enjoy, you know, getting out and and really yeah, connecting with what I like and what I

Gemma Daly (42:57)

Yeah.

Sarah Laws (43:06)

how things feel on my body and ⁓ that's what the whole the whole programme is about like making a a a wardrobe of clothes that will make you feel like the best version of yourself so that was coming up next year and it's going to be delivered in person so the fabric Obsession we will have two days in person every two months

And then at another venue, there'll be two days in person at a different venue. And alongside that you'll get online calls, you'll get lots and lots of prompters to help you think about doing your wardrobe audit. And it can be as big or as small as you want. The aim is to produce a three-piece capsule, but that three pieces could be a t-shirt, a pair of leggings, and a skirt.

Or it could be a jacket, a pair of jeans, and a cardigan. You know, it could be more complicated things, it could be simpler, but they're garments that serve you. And that's that's what the whole the whole intention of it is.

Gemma Daly (44:04)

Sounds fantastic

and you've got so many interesting ideas, Sarah. I could honestly listen to you talk about stuff all day long.

Sarah Laws (44:13)

And remember this is going through my head all the time, so occasionally I just have to be like, no, no. But that's what my studio mates are for as well. They're like, Sarah, you're thinking again. Get on with it. Get on with the what you actually need to do.

Gemma Daly (44:15)

Yeah.

fantastic.

So just to tie things up today, I like to do a little game of this or that. Is that okay with you? Yeah. Right. Let's go for it. Wovens or knits?

Sarah Laws (44:32)

Course, yes please.

Ooh, at the moment wovens.

Gemma Daly (44:39)

bold

prints or classic plains

Sarah Laws (44:42)

Classic plains, but bright colours, always. Coffee. so I always make for autumn winter. but I do love I do love the heats. I need to start making more more summer clothes, but yeah, probably autumn winter.

Gemma Daly (44:46)

Tea or coffee?

Spring, summer or autumn, winter.

An organized stash or creative chaos.

Sarah Laws (45:02)

I'd love to say organized stash. I have started putting a lot of things into Stash Hub, but just wondering if it's in view. No, not quite. ⁓ quite large box down here, quite a large box down here of fabrics that's just come in and needs processing. so yes, organised chaos at the moment.

Gemma Daly (45:10)

you

Sweet or savory?

Sarah Laws (45:22)

I'm afraid I am a sugar in my coffee kind of girl.

Gemma Daly (45:25)

drafting or sewing.

Sarah Laws (45:27)

that's a tricky one. That's really difficult. I do love pattern drafting and if I can get somebody to sew up my first samples, I usually do. Cause I just I just want to get on with the like the drafting bit, which I love. But I love having made something myself that that then works really well.

Gemma Daly (45:37)

You

So a bit of both. Scissors

or rotary cutter?

Sarah Laws (45:49)

Always scissors. I don't trust myself with a rotary cutter, I'm afraid. Too many dull blade incidents. Multiple, multiple, multiple. When I'm I've got lots of deadlines for all different things. But you know, there's there's a there's a timeline, it all works. I've got a post-it note system, it's fine.

Gemma Daly (45:55)

One project on the go or multiple.

I thought you might say that.

Yeah.

And the last one, a tried and tested pattern or a new make

Sarah Laws (46:16)

tried and tested, because I've got to say, you know, once you've got your blocks, that's your tried and tested pattern, but then it always becomes something different. So it always becomes a new make in itself. and that's the wonderful thing about having blocks that fit you. Whatever's in your mind, that's your foundation, and you know it's gonna fit when you've made it.

Gemma Daly (46:35)

That's it. Perfect. So where can people find you, Sarah?

Sarah Laws (46:39)

So mainly I hang out on Instagram, MHW Patterns, and then there's my website which has access to everything including the weekend sewing club. that's ⁓ myhandmadewardrobe patterns dot com. And the weekend sewing club opens for new members on the twenty-fifth of the month, every month. So twenty fifth to the end of the month.

Just open it for that last little bit to get everybody new on board and up to up to speed, ready for the new pattern to drop on the first of the month. So if you want next month's pattern, which is a gorgeous tea dress, the anyone for tea dress that has been super popular with my ambassadors ⁓ already, will then sign up from the 25th. okay.

Gemma Daly (47:17)

Perfect. And I think this episode will actually be out in July. So if you've got any inside goss about the August pattern.

Sarah Laws (47:25)

⁓ absolutely. So August, it's actually something that I'm gonna I'm hoping I've got a couple of weeks to make up a few things for my holiday wardrobe. And I think if we can get a couple of pairs of these made, they're gonna be like pretty much my entire wardrobe. it's an elasticated waist trouser with a shorts crop and kind of ankle grazer and long ⁓ version, a wide leg trouser, just comfort.

first with side seam pockets and ⁓ yeah I think it's gonna be a real winner and of course you know plenty of room on the tummy for comfort because I am planning to eat nothing but ice cream all week so I need to think about that. Make clothes to suit your lifestyle.

Gemma Daly (48:03)

Lovely.

Exactly.

And I will link all of that in the show notes, but I just want to say a massive thank you, Sarah. It's been such a lovely chat. So thank you for joining me on the Sewing Social podcast today.

Sarah Laws (48:17)

you so much for having me. It's been wonderful.

Gemma Daly (48:19)

You're welcome, you take care.