Laura Nash, founder and designer of Sew Chic Patterns, answers our five meet-the-guest sewing questions, on the Sewing with Threads podcast.

You can also listen to the entire conversation with Laura in Episode 49 of the podcast to learn more about her  interest in vintage looks and what’s next for her and Sew Chic Patterns.

---

---

 

How did you learn to sew?

Laura shares that she started sewing as a little girl, teaching herself by making fancy clothes for her Barbie doll. She shows one of the first projects she completed. Although Laura has a degree in fashion design, she points out that you don’t learn to sew in design school. Her formal training took place in high school home economics classes, plus lots of practice and experimentation on her own.

What are you currently sewing?

Laura may be a successful designer, but she admits she’s not sewing anything right now. Instead, she is busy writing a workbook on the full-bust adjustment, to accompany some fitting classes she will be teaching in the coming months.

Which type of fabric to do you enjoy sewing the most?

Like many of our podcast guests, Laura loves woven fabrics, and in particular, she enjoys woolens. These textiles provide structure and control, both of which are ideal for the vintage-inspired designs Laura prefers to make.

Which sewing word or term is your favorite?

Interestingly, Laura’s favorite word is “pink.” Not as in “Think pink!” but as in “pinking shears.” She talks about the history of the term and the process of pinking fabrics, for decorative or technical purposes. She loves old-fashioned words, such as understitching, fagoting, godets—all terms for time-honored techniques that make garments special.

What do you love most about sewing?

The short answer is: The three C’s—custom style, custom color, custom fit. Each of these benefits means you can love what you wear. If you achieve all of them, you’ll find joy in getting dressed every day.

---

Photos: courtesy of Laura Nash