Stitching Tales

What does fall 2026 actually look like when you stop scrolling past the runway photos and start thinking about what you'd actually wear? Johanna and Malena compare fashion magazines, runway coverage, AI trend research and a very Swedish source of trend intelligence: watching what young people are wearing at a music festival Johanna visited recently.
They talk about the return of visible craft, romantic details, tailoring, statement coats, richer colours and the surprisingly persistent comeback of capri pants and barrel trousers.
They also cover the current anti-polyester conversation, the return of preppy dressing, and a few trends that get a much less enthusiastic response from Johanna and Malena. Because just because something is trending doesn't mean we're going to sew it.
Book rec:
⁠The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew⁠ (Amazon affiliate link)
Podcast rec:
Articles Of Interest: Ivy Style

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us on our socials:
⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠
⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠
⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
⁠thelaststitch.com⁠
⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠⁠

Malena Hjerpe: Professional patternmaker
⁠⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠⁠

Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author
⁠⁠thelaststitch.com⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer is almost over, routines are returning, and Johanna and Malena are back with a catch-up. They talk about trying to take time off, getting back into work mode, Swedish summer weather, and the small matter of a health scare that gave Johanna an unexpected break from coffee, spices, wine and basically all the things she enjoys.
The conversation also delves into the less glamorous side of creative work: EU packaging regulations and the administrative maze of running a small business.
They also have some fun sewing updates, including differential feed breakthroughs, making samples for To a Tee, and getting ready for a fall photo shoot and a fresh look for the podcast.
Another exciting thing: Johanna is about 75% done with To A Tee. Who knew! The work-life balance is, however, still in the muslin stage, it seems.

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us on our socials:
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠⁠

Malena Hjerpe: Professional patternmaker
⁠⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠⁠

Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author
⁠⁠thelaststitch.com⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darts. Tiny folds of fabric that somehow manage to cause a surprising amount of confusion.
In this episode, Johanna and Malena unravel one of sewing's most fundamental techniques, exploring what darts actually do, why they're still relevant, and how they transform flat fabric into garments that fit real bodies.
Along the way they discuss bust, waist and shoulder darts, when you can replace them with princess seams or yokes, and why modern patterns sometimes hide shaping in plain sight.
There's also plenty of practical advice on marking, sewing, pressing and troubleshooting darts, whether you're working with crisp cotton, slippery silk or stretchy knits.
If darts have ever felt a bit mysterious, this episode is for you!

Johanna's dart tutorials
⁠Sewing darts on knits ⁠(Vide pants tutorial)
⁠Sewing darts using bobbin thread ⁠
⁠Quick and easy way to sew darts⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us at our socials:
⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠
⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠
⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
⁠thelaststitch.com⁠
⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us at our socials:
⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠
⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠
⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠ (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
⁠thelaststitch.com⁠
⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Or contact us at our socials:
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠⁠

Malena Hjerpe: Professional patternmaker
⁠⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠⁠

Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author
⁠⁠thelaststitch.com⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another To A Tee update, and this time Johanna and Malena have plenty to share. After months of writing, drafting, testing and revising, the book is finally starting to look like... well, an actual book.
In this episode, they take you behind the scenes of the latest stage of the project, from sewing instructions and paper pattern layouts to neckline options, grading and all the tiny decisions that make a sewing book both useful and enjoyable to sew from.
They also share an unexpected highlight: a surprise shout-out from one of the sewing world's biggest names.
About To a Tee

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us at our socials:
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube
About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠⁠

Malena Hjerpe: Professional patternmaker
⁠⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠⁠

Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author
⁠⁠thelaststitch.com⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people picture one job when they think about fashion: designer. Or perhaps a pattern maker if you are deeply into sewing (like us!). But the clothing industry is a whole ecosystem, and most of the key roles happen far away from the sketchbook.
In this episode, Malena and Johanna break down how the apparel business actually works. From global players to small independent brands, they walk through all the roles that shape what we wear.
If you’re curious about building a career in clothing or just want to understand what really happens behind the scenes, then this episode is for you!
Episodes mentioned
Secrets of a big brand pattern maker
Creating a sewing pattern from start to finish

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Or contact us at our socials:
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram



⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠stitchingtalespod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠⁠

Malena Hjerpe: Professional patternmaker
⁠⁠Hazelhen Patterns Instagram⁠⁠
⁠⁠hazelhenpatterns.com⁠⁠

Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author
⁠⁠thelaststitch.com⁠⁠
⁠⁠The Last Stitch Instagram⁠⁠
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.