8 Ways to Develop Craftsmanship So You Can Slow Down

Show Notes

• Sarai’s Embroidered Aims Blouse


• Sarai’s Grace Dress


• Rhett Jacket Sewalong


• Patterns in this episode: Keaton, Denise, Larkin, Grace, Dezi, Savannah, Rachel, Bud, Roan
  


• FREE Neckline Class


• 
  Podcast listeners get half off an unlimited Seamwork membership when you use this link, plus you get to keep that price as long as you’re a member!


• Tell us your idea for the next icebreakers for makers!

Podcast Transcript

Sarai
I'm Sarai.

Haley
And I'm Haley.

Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio.

Sarai
Welcome back to Seamwork Radio, where we share practical ideas for building a creative process so you can sew with intention and joy.

And today we're talking about how to use craftsmanship as a method for slowing down, and we're going to cover why it can be so hard to slow down, techniques you can incorporate into any project to slow down, and the types of projects that will help you increase your craftsmanship and slow down as a consequence.

All right, we'll start with an icebreaker. Haley, what creative hobbies have you always wanted to try?

Haley
A hobby that I have been meaning to check out for what feels like forever is ceramics. I have nothing to support this idea, but I feel like I would be really good at it.

Sarai
You probably would.

Haley
I like hobbies that have a physical aspect to them.

Sarai
Yeah, it's very physical.
Haley
Because I feel like that takes you out of your head a little bit, so I feel like I would really like that.

Sarai
Yeah, it's very physical. You use a lot of core. I took a couple of ceramics classes in the last few years, and it's physically demanding. It's fun, though. It's really fun. It's really, like, tactile, the feeling of the clay.
Haley
And just sounds fun to get all messy. I love making a mess. That's fun to me. So one of these days, I'll make my dream a reality.

Sarai
Yeah, you can do it.

Haley
What about you, Sarai? Is there any kind of creative hobby you've always wanted to try?

Sarai
Well, one thing I want to do is I've been thinking about designing some textiles. So designing some fabrics to print with Spoonflower and actually make into clothing, that's something that I've been wanting to do for a long time. And just learn more about designing repeating patterns and things like that I think would be really fun. I like to draw, so I think I would really enjoy it. I just haven't sat down and made the time to actually learn about it. I was thinking about taking a class or something, an online class and learning a little bit about it, because I use Procreate to draw on my iPad, and I feel like I could turn that into some pretty cool designs if I took the time to learn a little bit more.

That's one that I really want to try. I think most of the things the creative hobbies I've wanted to try, I've done it, at least dabbled a little bit.

Haley
Yeah.

Sarai
But there are definitely things that I want to do more of that I haven't made the time to do. It's hard. There's so much fun stuff to do out there.

Haley
I know. And I am like a serial dabbler.

Sarai
Yeah, me too. Me too. I've got, like, my core hobbies, like sewing and knitting, gardening, all that stuff, but I like to dabble in a lot of different things and see what suits me.

Haley
You never know when you're going to find your next core hobby.
Sarai
Or things you can incorporate. I've been doing some embroidery. I made that embroidered Aims blouse that's on YouTube now, and it was really fun. I want to do more embroidery. I think it would be really cool to do some kind of, like, art quilt or something that incorporates embroidery and quilting. It'd be really cool and fun. I wish I had all the time in the world to do these things.

Haley
Wouldn't that be nice?

Sarai
Yeah. So many ideas. Well, if you have an icebreaker for us for a future episode and you're a Seamwork member, you can leave it at Seamwork.com/go/icebreakers. And there's a thread there where you can post your idea, and we'll probably use it on a future episode. We love to use your icebreakers, so let us know if you have one.

All right, so today we're talking about using craftsmanship as a way to slow down. We just want to mention that we know the word craftsmanship, or craftsman is a gendered word, and we were trying to think of a word that didn't have that, and we could not think of one that conveyed the same meaning. And craftspersonship is kind of unwieldy. So if you have one, let us know. We would love to know what it is.

We're just going to use that word because it's the only word that we can think of.

So in an abstract sense, I think we all know that sewing and developing our craft is a really excellent way to slow down. But at the same time, I think we spend so much of our days just really pedal to the metal and just hurtling through our list of to do's.

When it comes time to slow down and actually focus and be mindful, that can be really hard. I think we're just so used to operating in that mode that switching gears into a slower mode and remembering that sewing is a way to slow down and not just be go-go-go, and also not just be in that kind of acquisitive, dopamine driven now-now-now mode is what sewing is partially about.

So that, I think, can be a real challenge for a lot of us. And when it comes to making your projects, I think the patterns themselves, they aren't always written in a way to help you slow down, because designers really want to help you get there quickly and easily. And they're writing for everybody. They're writing pattern instructions for everybody.

So most people don't want the slowest method to make something, but occasionally you might want to slow down, and you might need to slow down, or you might want to do things in such a way that really exercises those craft muscles and really put a lot more thought into things. So we're going to talk about some ways to do that today.

Sometimes you just need a little extra direction to help you find those moments because they're not necessarily going to be in your pattern instruction. You need to think a little bit about it.

So Haley, can you think of a moment in a pattern's construction recently that did make you stop and slow down?

Haley
I've been making lots of tops recently, fairly easy tops. What was the last thing that forced me to slow down? Oh, I sewed a jacket recently. It was the Rhett jacket—we filmed a sewalong. And Rhett has a collar and also has buttonholes. And those are two places that I always force myself to really slow down.

Unfortunately, I feel like collar, I mean, at least in the case of Rhett, you're like 75% done, which I feel like is that place in a sewing project, at least for me, that I'm always wanting to pedal to the metal, get it done, power through. But it was really nice because it kind of forced me to slow down and spend some time with the iron, which you know I love. But I just love a little precision sewing moment to just help me get in the zone. Gets me in a real place of flow, for sure.

Sarai
Yeah, well, I think that's an interesting point. I do think there are those points in a pattern where you just want to be done. And for me, it's like the same thing. I was sewing something yesterday and it was time to make dinner and all I had left was the hem. And one other thing, it was like the hem and there was like a tie that I needed to make and I was just like, I really don't want to stop, but dinner is going to be really late if I don't go downstairs and at least get started. And so I felt like rushing and I had to kind of put it aside for a bit and come back to it.

But I wonder if anticipating those and seeing if there's a point in the pattern, for example, with the collar you just mentioned, you know, this is going to be a little bit more complicated. You're going to need to slow down. Maybe that's a good stopping point for you to put a pause and come back to it. And if you can see that in advance, I feel like that would be helpful for me.

Haley
Totally.

Sarai
And kind of anticipate that and it makes it easier to put it away at that point. I think if you're not telling yourself you're going to finish the whole thing.

Haley
Yeah, absolutely. What about you? Was there a moment in a pattern’s construction recently that made you really slow down?

Sarai
Yeah, actually the thing I was sewing yesterday, it had kind of an unusual step in that. Well, there are a couple of things in it. The pattern was not great instructions wise. It was like an old McCall's pattern from the early two thousands. It's a dress. It was a dress, and the instructions referred to it as pants at one point. That made me slow down a little bit, but it had an unusual construction.

It had a binding on the ends of the sleeves. It had, like, cap sleeves with binding on them. And instead of just regular binding, you folded it in half and you stitched it on. Then you turned the fold to the inside and slip stitched it, which was not how I would—normally I would just do a binding. And so that kind of forced me to slow down because I had to do some hand stitching. And I think the fact that I've made this embroidered Aims blouse recently that took quite a long time and involved a lot of embroidery, so it was hand stitching, kind of warmed me up to doing more hand stitching because normally I really don't care to do it and I'll avoid it if I can.

But I was actually like, okay, I'm going to sit here for a few minutes in this comfortable chair and stitch for a little bit. And it was fine. I think it brought some enjoyment to the process. I think doing a big hand-sewing project like that really made me appreciate how relaxing it can be, hand sewing.

Haley
Well, it sounds like you sought out that enjoyment. You took yourself out of that moment, went over to your comfortable chair, sat down and did it instead of staying there hunched over at your desk.

Sarai
Yeah, it's true. So I think looking for those moments is really key to allowing yourself to slow down.

Haley
How do you feel like these slowed down moments affect your overall satisfaction with the end product?

Sarai
I think they do. I think if you take the time to do something in a way that you know is better, even if it's slower, that always increases my satisfaction in the end because I feel like I really put the effort into it and put the thought into it to do it rather than doing it in just the easiest way.

If I had done it by machine, I wouldn't be dissatisfied with it either. But I think the addition of those little hand sewing touches and things like that and those special things that take a little bit longer do make you feel a little bit differently about.

Haley
Yeah, I agree. I feel like it adds, like, an extra layer of pride in your end project.

Sarai
Yeah, definitely.

Haley
Do you have any tricks for seeking out those moments during your sewing to slow down?

Sarai
I think for me, it's about embracing the moments when they come up and looking for ways to make them feel relaxing instead of taxing or just something that's going to delay my gratification. I think that's what's really important to me. So, like, I was just talking about going over to the comfortable chair and sitting there with a blanket and the cats around me, of course, because that's their comfortable chair.

That really helps. And I think a lot of it is the mindset that I bring to it. What about you? Do you have any tricks?

Haley
You're going to laugh. My trick is that, well, you should be pressing everything always. So I really like to utilize my time at the ironing board as, like, a pause. It doesn't matter if I'm making the simplest pullover shell top. I'm ironing frequently throughout the process, and so taking the time to make sure I'm like clipping and grading and doing all of those little details and ironing everything just so allows me to bring a level of craftsmanship to even the simplest project. And that's my big tip: press everything.

Sarai
It does introduce a natural pause into the flow, though. You have to get up, you have to move over to your ironing board or ironing station, whatever you have. And it does help.

Haley
I think, too, that craftsmanship is this term that people hold in a really high regard in their mind. And I would like to challenge you, listening, to rethink the way you're thinking of that term and think of how you can give that level of time and appreciation and love to everything that you make, not just you're making, I don't know, shoes from leather or like, I don't know, casting metal. I think that people reserve craftsmen for these things that sound, I don't know, really, like…

Sarai

Highfalutin?

Haley

Yeah.

Sarai
I don't think it needs to be that way. I think it's about the attention you bring to it and the care that you bring to it. And I feel like it doesn't have to be something that is very slow. I think that's something that often comes with it, and it can be a great tool for slowing down, like we're talking about today. But I think it's more about how much care you're putting into the thing, how much you really get out of it personally, too, and how much it kind of advances your own knowledge, your own skill level, helps you grow as a creative person. I think that's what goes into craftsmanship for me.

Haley
Yeah.

Sarai
Well, we're going to share eight moments and a few kinds of projects that might help you to slow down. So, when we talk about these eight moments, these are things that you can really incorporate into almost any project you're making and use them as a way to slow down and bring more craftsmanship to the things that you make. So if that's something that you would like to do, if it's something you'd like to think about a little bit more intentionally, this might help you to do it.

So here are the eight things. So the first one are seam finishes. I think seam finishes are a great way to slow down. I remember when I first started sewing, and I didn't know about seam finishes because most pattern instructions, they don't mention it. They don't even talk about it. And so I was always kind of like my clothes always look so handmade because they look like, on the inside, they are unraveling, and I would look at clothes in the stores, and it wasn't like that, and I didn't really know about sergers or anything like that at that time.

And I feel like when I started to learn about all the different seam finishes you can do, whether you have a serger or not, it kind of took my pride in what I was making up a whole nother level.

So for me, seam finishes are really important to feeling like I have a complete garment that I really put all the love and attention into. Do you have any favorite seam finishes, Haley?

Haley
I love a French seam.

Sarai
Me too. I love one.

Haley
I find them really enjoyable to sew, because I get to iron more, and they're just like the garments I've taken the time to make them on. I just feel like I love them, like, a little bit more. They make me happy when I put them on.

Sarai
Yeah, it is a beautiful seam when it works. It only works for some garments. It doesn't work for every garment. So is what I mean. I think I love a French seam. I also love a bound seam or a Hong Kong seam on a jacket, an unlined jacket or something like that. My red jacket that I've made, it's made out of a cream colored bull denim. And on the inside, I finished all of the seams with a black and white gingham bias tape. And it makes me happy. Every time I put it on, I'm just like, oh, look at this. So cute on the inside.

Haley
I should have done that. I did a green rut jacket with gold serger thread. I think I talked about this—and it makes me think of a leprechaun.

Sarai
Yeah, you mentioned that. Like, oh, my gosh. It's a great opportunity to use bias tape, too, and a cute pattern. I would like to do one again and maybe use, like, a Liberty fabric or something.

Haley
I was thinking floral.

Sarai
Oh, my gosh, that would be so pretty. I would love that. It's just, like a little treat for yourself, and then other people see it when you take the jacket off, and it just looks so fancy.

Haley
It does.

Sarai
I love that. I think seam finishes generally are just a way to kind of add that special sparkle, even if you're the only one who's going to see them. I think that makes it even more special sometimes because you know that you put the time and attention into it.

Haley
Yeah.

Sarai
The next one is hand-sewing hems. So oftentimes your pattern instructions will give you the easiest way to finish a hem, which is usually by machine, but you could also do it by hand. And I think sometimes this just results in a really nice, clean look, depending on what you're making. So sometimes it just can look really good. Do you ever hand-sew your hems? Do you often do that?

Haley
Yes, I definitely do. Of course, it depends on the type of garment. I love a really deep hand-sewed hem on a pair of trousers is really lovely. Or anything that I want to just have that slightly elevated look, and I don't want any visible, like, top stitching on the garment. Then I will always opt for a hand-sewn hem, and it's one of those things that's not hard, it's just time-consuming, and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Sarai
Yeah, I think it also can be a good opportunity to use a nice trim on the inside. You could use a bias tape to finish the raw edge and tack it, or not tack it, like catch stitch it or slip stitch it. I love that I had this fancy Mark Jacobs dress that I got from this discount consignment store in San Francisco, and it was like a peach color, and then it had a tape on it, like a hem tape on the inside. And then it was hand stitched at the hem, and it was just such a beautiful detail and just made the dress feel fancy to me because I knew how much work went into that. And I think just knowing the amount of labor that went into it makes it feel special.

Haley
And it's one of those things I never regret. I'm never like, oh, man, I'm so bummed. I made this beautiful hem.

Sarai
Yeah. So that's a great place to incorporate hand stitching.

The next one is basting. Any kind of basting that you need to do, whether it's a sleeve or a zipper, it can be really tempting to skip this step, and you can skip it sometimes, but if you take the time to base something in, it often makes the sewing process much, much easier. Especially if you're doing something like a sleeve that has maybe some gathering or easing and you want it to be just-so. You don't want to have any extra folds or anything like that. Make it just look as clean as possible, then basting can be a way to do that, especially hand basting. You have so much control when you're hand basting much more than you do when you're using a machine. So that's another great place to slow down and take your time and create quality over speed.

The next one is taking the time to cut single layer. So if you're doing something like stripes or plaids, like, you need to match up your stripes or your plaids, or you're cutting something on the bias and need to do it in a single layer, that's another good opportunity to slow down.

I think people sometimes avoid stripes or plaids just because they don't want to have something that doesn't match. But it can be a really good opportunity to just take your time with your cutting.

Personally, for me, the way I like to approach cutting is I try to never cut and sew on the same day. I'll cut something out one day and sew it on another day. This can be a really good opportunity just to take your time with the cutting. You don't have to get it done in an hour. You can really make it special. So I made a bias dress recently and it did take a while to cut it all out.

Haley
It does, yeah.

Sarai
It is a little bit more time-consuming, but I think the result was worth it. So that's another one.

Number five is turn of cloth. So basically anywhere you need to clip, you need to notch, you need to edgestitch. Really making those edges look perfect and clean. Haley kind of mentioned this when she was talking about pressing earlier and really spending time on that. I think this is a great time to slow down is when you're dealing with edges or anywhere where the cloth turns over.

Clipping and notching in particular, I think are really important. Corners, too. Making sure you're clipping your corners, using a point turner to get them just right turned out, really getting your edge stitching right. Going slow with that I think really makes a difference in the garment.

Haley
Yeah. I've seen a lot of people sew. I've taught a lot of people. And something that I would see so often in the classroom is just people are really timid with their clipping and their notching. And I'm like, no, you need to go for it.

Sarai
Get in there.

Haley
Yeah. And just like clip the crap out of that seam, ok?

Sarai
\One trick that this is a little bit of a progression, but one trick that I like for corners, if you're scared of getting really close to it, like you're afraid it's going to unravel at the corner. I think I got this from a David Page Coffin book. I want to probably so many good tips. Yeah, so many great tips. But it's to sew the corner. Basically sew the corner twice. After you've sewn the corner, go in and sew right next to your first line of stitching just in the corner, really close to it. It could be on the inside or the outside. It's just to provide a second layer of stitching and then you can clip really close to that corner and not have to worry about it unraveling because you have two rows of stitching instead of just one at the corner.

So a little hat tip to David Page Coffin for that. I'm pretty sure that's where I learned.

Haley
What a treasure trove of good sewing tips. R-I-P.

Sarai
Yeah. R-I-P. David.

Number six is pressing—Haley’s favorite.

Haley
I'm bummed I didn't get to deliver this tip.

Sarai
Well, we can attribute it to you. Pressing is a good opportunity to slow down. I think that it's one of the things that makes the biggest difference in the look of your garment. If you're sewing with lighter fabrics, it's really important to get those crisp seams. If you're sewing with heavier fabrics, it's really important for kind of flattening things out and making sure that everything lays really well and doesn't bubble.

Pressing is vital, and the more time you take with it, the better your finished project is going to look, for sure.

Number seven is embellishments. So trims, embroidery, smocking, handmade bias tape, all that good stuff. There are so many different ways you can add details and embellishments to your garments and taking the time to do that.

I like to do this in the design phase when I'm really planning out what I'm going to make. I love to look at ideas. I have a Pinterest board just for ideas for different details and think about how I can incorporate those into something I'm going to make and then almost base my project around that detail, and that just makes it really satisfying to me.

I like to do that. It could be something like I was mentioning earlier, like the Hong Kong seam on the inside as something as basic as that. Or it could be a really interesting, like scalloped neckline or something like that.

There's just so much you can do with sewing, and I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in what the pattern intends and what the patternmaker has designed that we forget that we can really make things however we want them.

Haley
Totally.

Sarai
And it just takes a little creativity and a little bit of extra time. It's also a good way to slow down.

And then finally, the 8th moment that you can use to help you slow down is pattern hacking. I love pattern hacking. I hack most of the patterns that I make. I would say. And by pattern hacking, we just mean changing up the pattern. So you could be combining two different patterns together. It could be doing a little bit of basic pattern making to give it a different look or add design lines.

There's tons and tons of different ways you can pattern hack. We have tons of pattern hacking resources on our website. If you go to Seamwork.com and you look for pattern hacks, you will find a lot there. We have them for a lot of our patterns, different ways that you can hack it, and then you can apply those hacks, usually to a million other patterns, too.

It's a great way to learn some basic patternmaking, but it's also a really nice way to slow down and be a little bit more creative with what you're making.

So those are the eight moments that we have for helping you slow down with pretty much any project that you want to sew.

And then Haley is going to share some different projects that can help you to slow down.

Haley
Yeah. So if you want to really take this a step further and make sure that you're not just slowing down at these opportunities that we outlined, but really focus on a project that is going to force you to slow down every step of the way, these are my recommendations.

So number one is any kind of jacket with a lining. I always find this to be, first of all, a really satisfying project, but it's also something that's a little counterintuitive, the way that a lining comes together in a jacket. And I think that kind of, like, mind-bending puzzle aspect of it is a really great learning opportunity and a great moment to slow down.

Some of my favorite favorites from the Seamwork catalog include the Keaton Blazer, which incorporates a lot of tailoring techniques. So if you would like to dabble in that, I think that's a great project for you.

There's the Denise Coat, which is a really great introduction to lined coats because it has an otherwise simple construction.

And then the Larkin, which is a gender inclusive fit pattern. So we fit that pattern on male and female bodied people. And it's a bomber-style jacket, really cute. And I've sewn it, and it's wonderful to make. It features a belt pocket, which is a great slow-down moment.

Sarai
You know what I want to do with Larkin in the fall or the winter is I want to make it in like a sherpa or some kind of, like, furry fabric like that. I think that would be so cute. That would be cuddly.

Haley
I love that idea. We got my wheels turning.

All right, my next project idea is anything cut on the bias. Working on the bias requires a little bit of extra care. You have to cut single layer, and just some extra precautions to make sure that you're not distorting. We have actually a few Seamwork patterns that are bias cut. We have the Grace dress. Sarai has a really awesome project that she did recently. And she hacked it.

Sarai
I hacked it, yeah. And I [show you how to hack it(https://www.seamwork.com/articles/making-a-1930s-inspired-slip-dress-for-spring).

Haley
Yeah. So definitely go check out that video. We also have the Dezi Skirt, which is a really great skirt that is a good introduction to bias cut. And then the Savannah Camisole.

My third recommendation is any kind of button-up shirt. Button-ups have lots of wonderful moments that allow you to slow down. You have the button plackets. You have the collar. It's a project where you are going to spend a lot of time at the ironing board. So the speed of this is really kind of predetermined by all of those factors.

We also have some great button-up options. We have the Rachel shirt, which is a. Little bit more of a slim fitting button-up. We have Bud, which is a shacket, which is kind of a hybrid of a shirt and a jacket. Has lots of those great details. And then we also have our brand new pattern, the Roan tunic, which is a button-up tunic that's really oversized, kind of fit. I think that it's very cool. It makes me think of Ina garden.

Sarai
Yeah, I'm like this very coastal grandma.

Haley
It is coastal grandma. That was what I was going for. So if you like that too, you should check out that pattern.

My fourth tip is to look for details that you've never sewn before. Anything that is unfamiliar is always going to force you to slow down. Follow those instructions a little more closely. Refer to your favorite sewing book, look for a YouTube tutorial. Sometimes I think that we get in a really comfortable place with our sewing and we stop pushing ourselves to learn new things. And incorporating something that has a detail you've never sewn is a great way to really focus on your craftsmanship.

Sarai
Yeah, totally agree.

Haley
And then lastly, look out for details that require a little bit of extra precision. So this could be things like welt pockets, collars, anything that has a reverse corner, which is when an inner corner is joined to an outer corner. Things like this that are going to require you to maybe slow down and do the basting or just spend a little extra time to get it just right is always a good moment to develop your craftsmanship a little bit further.

Sarai
Yeah, a lot of people hate welt pockets because they take so long. But I love sewing welt pockets.

Haley
Yeah.

Sarai
They're so precise and I don't know, it's like putting together a puzzle to me.

Haley
Yeah. And I think that the people who maybe don't like it, there's a couple of different kinds of methods to doing a welt pocket. I mean, like, anything in sewing. So I'd encourage you to try another method for it. Because I have a preferred method, and just because I have a preferred method doesn't mean that will be yours.

Sarai
Yeah, that's very true.

All right, well, to recap real quickly for you, we shared eight different moments you can use to slow down, embrace craftsmanship in your sewing. And those are seam finishes, hand-sewing your hems, basting, cutting single layer like stripes, plaids, or bias anytime you're going to turn the cloth. So clipping, notching and edge stitching, for example. Pressing, adding, embellishments, and pattern hacking.

And then we also shared five kinds of projects that can help you to slow down. And those are jackets with linings, anything cut on the bias, button-up shirts, details you haven't sewn before, or details that require precision, like, well, pockets or collars. So those are some of the tips we have for you today.

What's your big takeaway from the conversation today, Haley?

Haley
I think that my big takeaway is that I really want to sew something with a bound seam finish. Yeah, I got, like, so excited when we were talking about it, and I was like, that might be a clue as to what I should be doing.

Sarai
Yeah, I kind of want to do that also with napkins. Like, I've seen a lot of cloth napkins lately that have really pretty trims on them like that, and I feel like Liberty, like, little mini floral would be so cute.

Haley
So cute.

Sarai
I'm going to the fabric store after this. Maybe I'll look for something special.

I think my big takeaway from this is that it's all about mindset, and it's all about the mindset you bring to these slowdown moments. And if you see it as just this hurdle you have to get through to finish your project, it's not going to be as enjoyable as if you get yourself in that craftsperson mindset and really think about how you can use this as an opportunity to make your garment something really special. And when you do that, you just feel differently about the thing that you've made, and I think that's a really big part of finding sewing success, is just feeling good about the things that you've made, and anything you can do to feel good about what you've made is going to be time well spent in my mind. All right, well, if you want to learn more about this, haley mentioned the Rhett sewalong, so we'll put a link to that in our show notes if you want to check it out. I have a Rhett jacket that I mentioned myself that has the bound seams on the inside that is a really fun project, and it has some of these special details, but it's not too complicated.

Haley
No, it's a great beginner jacket.

Sarai
Yeah, it's a great jacket. So you can check that out. We have lots of other sewalongs also, so if you really want to kind of step through each part of the process of sewing something, you might want to check them out. You can go to seamwork.com and find them there. We have a whole lot of them, and they can make sewing something that's a little bit slower or more complicated, a lot easier and simpler and more fun and much more approachable.

I also want to mention that we have an awesome neckline class that's free. And this class teaches you how to draft your dream neckline so you can learn to make a scoop or a boatneck or a V-neck or raise or lower your neckline. And it's taught by Haley, and you can find it at seamwork.com/go/neckline. And we'll put a link to that in the show notes as well. That's a really awesome free resource, and I think a lot of people don't realize how easy it is to change a neckline.

So once you learn these skills, you'll be able to apply it to tons and tons of different projects and just get into the idea of pattern hacking if you haven't done it before, it's a really easy way to start.

And if you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review and five stars on your platform of choice, whether that's Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you happen to be listening to us today. We have a review here from Miss Michelle, and she says “Inspirational. I'm so glad to have found such an awesome podcast. I listen to Sarai and Haley as I work out and walk on the treadmill at the gym. I picture what they're discussing, and after my workout, their show notes contain all the links and annotations from the podcast.”

And Michelle goes on to say some other really nice things. We super appreciate that, Michelle. I love that. I am also a treadmill walker myself, and I know how important it is to have something that is entertaining when you're walking on the treadmill because it can be a little bit boring. That is definitely my podcast and YouTube time, as well. So thank you so much. Really appreciate that.

And that wraps us up for this week. I'm Sarai.

Haley
And I'm Haley.

Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio.