Listen Now

As 2021 comes to a close, we're taking this chance to look back and reflect on all the amazing episodes, guests and laughs that we've had over the last year. Thank you to all of you for your support and love this past year, we can't wait to see more of you in March 2022!

With over 27 years of industry experience, it's safe to say that Ben Cooper really knows his stuff! In this episode we discuss digital pattern cutting as a whole, his journey and how his love for technology has fuelled his professional work. He now passes on that knowledge to his students through teaching at Gerber, Fashion Enter and Fashion Tutor so we felt he was the perfect person to discuss this great topic with us!

Julian Roberts, a creative pattern cutter, teacher and academic joins Kathryn to talk about his unique method of creating garments and patterns called Subtraction Cutting. This was a hugely inspirational chat and I hope that it brings you all a fresh perspective on creative pattern cutting. A big thank you to Julian for joining me on the podcast!

For our 50th episode we're covering some of the biggest pattern cutting mistakes that we’ve made and been witness to. We’ve asked all of you what some of your biggest pattern cutting mistakes are and there were some wonderful answers that we wanted to share with you all!

This episode is all about seam allowance! That often overlooked, but 100% essential part of our patterns and garments. Expect to hear about how to add it, different types of seam finishes and the relating seam allowance. As well as how you can reinforce your seam allowance to ensure your garment lasts as long as possible. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

Sarah is a fellow teacher of pattern cutting and a long time advocate of sustainability within the fashion and sewing industries. She founded her business with sustainability at its centre and while it’s grown and evolved over time, this remains one of her core values. In this episode she shares her world with is and gives us her top tips for making your pattern cutting and sewing more sustainable. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

So you want to learn to make your own patterns but you're not sure how to find the right teacher, course or resource?  We've got you covered in this episode! Kathryn chats to Charlotta Ayers about pattern cutting courses for hobby sewists, would be professionals and anyone wanting to further their training. Grab a glass and start planning your next pattern cutting adventure...we've already got a few of these on our own wish lists too! Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

We often get asked about how we got into sewing and pattern cutting. For Kathryn the answer always includes her mum, Jill! So we asked the wonderful lady herself to join Kathryn and share her sewing journey with you all. It ranges from sewing at school, to opening her own businesses, sewing for fun and teaching her daughter to sew. Sewing means a great deal to both Kathryn and Jill so we hope you enjoy this insight into their lives together. A huge thank you to Jill for joining us! (Thanks mum!) Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

Necklines aren’t as easy to change as you might think, there’s a whole host of things to consider and tweak for different types of styles so sit back and relax as we explain what they are, how we do it and what you need to keep in mind when doing it.

Join us, Caroline and Kathryn, as we dive into the important world of pattern labelling. We're giving you the low down on what exactly we write on our patterns, why we do it, what the abbreviations are, what they mean and why they're so essential!

Pattern cutting can feel like a long process, especially when you’re also sewing your own garment or toile so we have a few tips and tricks that we use in the industry to speed things up a bit.

We are joined by Hannah and Rosie, the founders of The New Craft House to chat about the link that they've created between the fashion and sewing worlds through selling deadstock fabrics.  Anyone in the sewing world will be familiar with these ladies and their business, whether it's through their wonderful workshops or their fabrics, and be just as excited as we are about where they're heading in the future. 

Who doesn't love it when you buy and dress and IT HAS POCKETS?! Our beloved pockets are an integral part of garment construction and they come in many different shapes and sizes. Join us to talk through some of our favourite pocket details, construction and tips.

The inside of your garments are just as important as the outside, sometimes even more so!  So we’re talking fusing, corsets, boning, shoulder pads, sleeve rolls, bustles, cups and all those hidden components of your garments that provide support and structure.

Charlotte Wilden runs her own bespoke bridal service and does everything from the initial design, pattern cutting, sewing and even the final embroidery and hand finishing. She has a beautiful design aesthetic which is evident in her work and we can't wait to share her world and little more about our bridal experience with you all. Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

We're bringing you all our tips and tricks on how to get a beautifully fitting garment and what to watch out for in a fitting. From measurements, to bust points to balance lines we've got it all! show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

There is so much more to launching your own pattern label than meets the eye. Vanessa Hansen, professional pattern cutter, has recently launched her own indie pattern label and she’s here to share her experiences, lessons learnt and let us in on exactly what it’s taken to get it off the ground. www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

This episode is all about the mysterious world of linings and facings. Why we use them, how we construct them and the difference between the two. We also have a few pattern makers tricks for you that might help to solve some of those common mistakes and faults that we often see with linings and facings. Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk 

As pattern cutters, things aren't always clear cut. Its our job to use our experience and knowledge and sometimes actually just our instinct to interpret the correct alteration or shape to put onto a pattern. Things aren't always in black and white with pattern cutting so in this episode we try to answer some of those all too familiar questions that we often get asked and don't really have a Yes or No answer for.

We are joined by Declan Jackson, professional pattern cutter turned costume maker. He shares his journey from his start in the fashion industry to his move into the film industry. Having already got some big name productions under his belt, like Bridgerton and Mission Impossible, he's onto an amazing start in his new career. Declan has always oozed creativity, as well as being super inspiring he also has some great tips and words of wisdom for any potential pattern cutters and costume makers. Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk