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Sewing with Threads Podcast

Erica Bunker’s Advice for a Stylish Self-Sewn Wardrobe | Episode 39

Produced by Cari Delahanty and Threads Editors. Edited by Cari Delahanty

Erica Bunker’s fashionable garments are an inspiration to many sewers. Not only does she sew well-fitted, colorful, and contemporary styles, but she pairs them with admirable accessories, wears them with confidence, and photographs them skillfully.

The Threads editors were eager to catch up with Erica for Episode 39 of the Sewing with Threads podcast, and talk about the fundamentals of creating a luxurious home-sewn wardrobe.

 

Creating and teaching

Her website and blog, Erica Bunker | DIY Style! is a popular source of fashion sewing and styling advice. Erica documents her garment projects and offers tutorials. She says it’s her passion to pass on sewing skills to people of all sewing experience levels.

Erica wrote “Sharpen Your Pencil Skirt,” Threads #191 (June/July 2017), which is now a Threads Insider article.

The podcast discussion ranged from her current projects and where she looks for inspiration, to how she finds time to sew and blog about her creations.

Erica is based in Auburn, Alabama. She started her blog in 2005, after a career in accounting and raising her children. She’s a self-taught seamstress, and she describes herself as a burgeoning designer, public speaker, and wardrobe stylist/consultant.

A custom closet

One of the reasons for Erica’s interest in sewing is the importance she gives to having a great fit and the confidence it can bring. As a tall (5-foot, 9-inch) woman with a curvy figure, she says she found it difficult to purchase garments proportioned to fit her properly. In the process of sewing her wardrobe, she mastered pattern alterations, such as lengthening pants or adjusting necklines.

Here’s a look at some of her recent projects:

 

Lurex suit Erica Bunker

Erica models a suit based on Butterick 5428 (out of print), sewn in a champagne-colored Lexi lurex mesh bonded knit from Zelouf Fabrics in New York City.

Simplicity-9114-Erica-Bunker-DIY-Style-x-Zelouf-Fabrics
This stunning sequined mesh dress or duster is sewn from Simplicity 9114. Erica’s fabric is Aisha all-over sequin floral embroidery mesh from Zelouf Fabrics.

 

Anna Dress from Style Sew Me Patterns Erica Bunker
Erica sewed the Anna Dress from Sew Style Me patterns in a vibrant red print rayon/nylon blend woven from Fabric.com.

Listen to the entire podcast for more of Erica’s style and sewing advice, and, if you watch our podcast video, you’ll see even more of Erica’s outfits.


This episode is brought to you by our friends at Baby Lock. During April and May, Baby Lock retailers across the country are hosting Difference Makers events. When we sew together, there’s no end to what we can create—or the difference we can make. Join us as we sew brighter days for foster children in our community. Often left with only a plastic bag to tote their belongings, these kids deserve a little sunshine. We’d love your help as we sew drawstring bags using Baby Lock sergers, to benefit children in our area. To learn more and sign up, visit BabyLock.com/difference-makers.

Baby Lock logo for behind the scenes bonus podcast


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  1. user-6617347 | | #1

    Erica! I've long been an avid admirer of your work! You are SO talented! I love everything you make. Your talent and expertise knows no bounds. Always a pleasure to read (or watch) everything sewing related that you do. As an aside, and please forgive me for this, but there seems to be no other way to get in touch, is there a problem with your blogsite? Every time I've tried to log on in the past months and months, my anti-virus software shows a warning that there is outbound traffic coming (I assume) from your site that it has to block. Once, after I'd visited your site, my computer screen went blank, and it took awhile to get it back running. Not sure if anything is wrong, but you may want to try logging on from a different computer than the one you're using, and see if everything is okay.

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