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Nicole: Are you still turning straps?

Ada: Yes. Listeners who are only listening can’t see but I’m holding up my spaghetti straps. 

[Intro music]

Ada: Welcome to the Asian Sewist Collective Podcast. The Asian Sewist Collective is a group of Asian people from around the world brought together by our shared appreciation for fiber and textile arts and our desire to see more Asian representation in the sewing community.

Nicole: In this podcast we explore the intersection of identities and our shared sewing practice as we create a space for Asian Sewists and our allies.

Ada: I’m your co-host, Ada Chen, and I’m recording from Denver, Colorado. Denver is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho peoples. I’m a Taiwanese American marketer, turned entrepreneur, and these days you’ll find me running my natural skincare brand, Erleia. That’s E-R-L-E-I-A. Find us on social media at Erleia Skin. Most importantly for this podcast you can find my sewing at i.hope.sew on Instagram.

Nicole: And I’m your co-host, Nicole. I’m recording outside of Chicago, Illinois, the original homelands of the Council of the Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Potawatomi, and the Odawa people. I’m a Philippine American lawyer who loves to sew and you can find me on Instagram at Nicoleangelinesews.

Ada: I, like I told you, on Instagram I asked my sister if she wanted me to make us some matching outfits for our upcoming trip and she said yes. And then she wanted a sundress that was flowy, sent me some ready to wear things and I was like okay well I don’t really want to have to learn or buy a new pattern for this. So like what about some things that I already have? And we were making the handmade millennial suncatcher dress. Shout out to Ella.

Nicole: Ooh, that’s what I would have guessed. Like when you said that I was like oh okay.

Ada: Which is feature spaghetti straps. But my, one of my biggest fitting issues with it when I did the pattern test and when I made my actual one last year was the strap length. And this is one of those patterns where you like have to test the strap length as you go. My sister does not live here. I’m meeting her at our destination. So my solution for straps is just to make them adjustable. So you have.

Nicole: Great solution. 

Ada: Right, like but then you have to make the regular strap to make it the adjustable part and then you need to make another tinier strap to hold the loop to hold the adjustable part. I don’t know if any of this is making sense when I describe it but you basically to make the adjustable strap you need two straps. So instead of turning two straps per dress, two dresses, four straps. I have eight straps because four times two.

Nicole: But you can measure, you’re making yours adjustable as well.

Ada: Yeah, because like this was the part that really did hold me up the longest because I sat there thinking about it and I actually think I have either like a DM2 LOL pattern testing or a note in the pattern testing group where I just sat there and I sewed the strap on the wrong side of the back band because I was like trying to measure and then trying to get it to fit. And then there was a note that I left – thank you past self in my reel of the toile- where I was like I fitted this wrong because I it was supposed to your natural waist.

Ada: It’s hitting it like the bottom of my like bottom middle of my rib cage. So I figured I would just see if this would make it easier on myself for fitting. But currently turning straps is not making it easier on myself for the finicky tiny bits. 

Nicole: Your hands cramping?

Ada: It’s not even I cut my nails. It’s like I don’t really have nails to get the thing turned and the fabrics that I’m using one of them is a like crinkle cotton that I got in Japan. That’s her mine. And then the other one is a linen like a really lightweight line for my sister. And surprisingly the cotton is okay like in terms of weight and being able to turn but the linen just like frays at the end.

Nicole: Oh, yeah. 

Ada: So you can’t really use a loop turner or the you know the turning stick with a little hook because it keeps talking.

Nicole: I had that issue. Yeah, I remember with mine because I had used the viscose. 

Ada: Oh, yeah. 

Nicole: And like every time I caught something it would turn and then like it wasn’t big enough for the straw chopstick method. 

Ada: Yeah. Yeah. And then someone I think her name’s Adrienne DM me because I posted it on Instagram. I was like raise your hand if you like spaghetti sauce but you hate tearing them out. And they were like what if you did the like serger method and I was like I’m too late for that and also like I don’t because of the amount of fraying on this I don’t think it would withstand it at the end. And then they were like we’re about stabilizing it. I’m like we’re already we’re passed out. We’re just going to accept it on this one and do better next time. My original post was going to be raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by spaghetti straps and turning them inside out. Yeah, that’s what I am currently making and I might try to make a pair of shorts before I leave too because we are needing some shorts. What are you making?

Nicole: So I have definitely been in a making slump which I feel like is my yeah I feel like it’s my sewing journey right now. This is kind of what it is but I haven’t felt great about anything I’ve tried to make since the Chicago Frocktail dress. So I’ll run through like what I’ve tried and what I’ve been like about. I will, listeners in the show notes, I will put a link to this Vogue pattern but one of our listeners and IG friends Michelle who’s at Mimifxrd has a really cute go to jumpsuit which is a Vogue pattern so a big four Vogue pattern and it’s a loose fitting either you know knee length culotte or you could cut it to shorts and then it’s two straps that criss cross in the front and tie in the back so in theory like a really simple halter. I was like yeah this is really cute. I made it in my size according to my measurements and just the sizing was really off and really tight on me which I was like ah boo and then with the top, in theory, you’re like yeah two straps is not bad like that should be easy to fit but because I’m in the largest size that they have the way that and this is a common complaint about big four grading I’m not really sure about know me but the larger the sizes get it just kind of seems that like they hit times you know…

Ada: yeah 

Nicole: like times 20 like 20 magnified and just everything gets exponentially larger and Michelle and I have very different body types so the way that it’s graded works for her the way that it’s graded does not work for me and I was like okay well and I was gonna be a wearable toile and it’s really cute but I think if I ended up losing weight at some point it would fit better that doesn’t fix the top either which is a bummer so I’m like okay well I’m just gonna call this a learning experience so I was like a bummer yeah because it was really cute and I made it you know and then it was like that it’s all so I expect that I would have had to have made adjustments but very much in a well screw it I want to do it

Nicole: and then the second thing I tried to make again another wearable toile from bed sheets is the Seamwork Sky jumpsuit and it is a pant jumpsuit woven with it’s like a boiler suit and this the silhouette is really simple it’s pull on with a zipper in the back and it comes with a waist tie but I haven’t made a boiler suit yet and I graded did all the necessary gradings for the usual adjustments that I make like I’ll do a sway back for the back just a little one usually I do that to start I have a short waist but I was like I’ll just leave it because this is a woven jumpsuit and the actual jumpsuit is really nice and the waist the bottom part fits really well with the adjustments that I had but I showed you the jumpsuit and I can’t lift my arms past the tee

Nicole: and I’m like huh. I need to figure out how to make adjustments for this I’m not really sure where to start. So listeners, consider this an invitation to help me figure this part out because the arms fit so they’re not tight around the bicep. Everything fits alright I did make a short short version when I had to adjust the cut of the leg to make the short instead of like the tapered ankle pant ankle bottoms but that was fine but I can’t can’t even put my arms out 180, or like 90 degrees you know like a T.

Ada: yeah basically a T-rex

Nicole: it looks really good when I’m expanding and it’s it’s fine when I’m sitting to but like it’s just can’t lift my arms situation and I’m like we had discussed how it was maybe it was maybe a arm a sleeve size yep issue right yes so I’d have to figure out what I would need but it’s really like it feels as though from my waist to my underarm like maybe that maybe that’s what it is which is odd because I am short-waisted so I would have expected it to like have enough room but maybe that’s just not how the geometry works out but the takeaway is like I just don’t have the patience right now the troubleshoot that either so I’m like all right moving on to something else and I just really couldn’t figure out what I wanted next I’ve been I’ve been like waffling. I have a wedding coming up two weddings in August of course the first wedding I’m in so outfit decided and the sky jumpsuit was going to be like a test for a cute jumpsuit that I could wear as a guest but then like wear after I’m like I can’t I don’t even want to mess with the fitting on that anymore so I have I ended up buying a ready to wear gown because it’s black tight for a black optional and I bought it with the the bridesmaid’s outfit for the first wedding it was kind of like by the ready to wear you know like check out our dresses there were like there was like 10-15 bucks and like very fine you know like yeah just to make my life easier and then now what I ended up making which I was surprised that I really ended up loving was the dress. So you know I’m very like I don’t feel like myself in dresses and blah blah blah like you know what I just want to try this so that I can because I want to dig into the pattern and I do like dresses but there’s just not been anything I felt that I’ve seen on other people and like what’s popular in the sewing community right now that feels like me. So I picked this pattern up a while back it’s the chriswood sew’s gemini dress.

Ada: I don’t think I know that one I know chriswood sew’s other dress.

Nicole: Yes it came out I think at the end of 2023. chriswood sew’s is a zero low-waste designer and who who is mostly I think they are exclusively drafts to fit your size patterns and I bought I bought this pattern along with another one during a sale because I was like I do want to try it some of chriswood sew’s designs I feel like I have made already on my own so the envelope dress is really popular the parasol dress is really popular. And just by looking at them I’m like I feel like I’ve done definitely the envelope dress and so I didn’t feel like I wanted to pay for instructions on like a process that I’ve already myself felt like I could achieve. But the gemini dress is really nice so I have a I had two yards of a viscose from Hawaii that I’d gotten a while back so -oh no it wasn’t never mind it was from LA Finch fabric that’s what it was and but it evokes Hawaii for me because it has palm leaves and it has a black background so and it’s drafted based on my measurements it is really easy like I sewed it in an evening like granted I was up until two

Nicole: mostly from excitement I was like wow this is fun and I sewed the nitty version but it is it is very low waste so once I finished the things that I had left over were four triangles that were just about this big listeners can’t see what I’m doing but like put make a peace sign and put your finger on top of the peace sign and you get your your pieces and they were cut out for the neck facing so the construction is really confusing to me at first and with a viscose I was like but but it turned out really well and I made the midi version and I’m like moo-moo ish for me I love I would love I would love to love midi versions of things. For my body they look it looks so good when I’m wearing heels the way that it elongates everything just like I love it. I don’t wear heels though so that poses a problem, I don’t wear them anymore so I cut it to about one inch longer than the pattern mini size so it works work like the next day because I was texting my co-worker slash bestie and I was like well I did I made something and it’s perfect for this Mexico wedding that I’m going to in August as well because of the the viscose pattern it’s versatile enough for me to wear to work so I’m actually pretty excited to maybe make another one and I can see it being really all season and I haven’t gotten excited about making a dress in forever I made one last year that I really liked but when I revisited it this year I was like I don’t really want to wear this but I think it’s I think it’s more of a it was the pattern it’s a buffalo check and I’m like I love plaids but the last oh I also made it another plaid thing I told you about it was giving me millennial mom goes to target vibes and I was

Ada:  Like nothing wrong with that, no shade, but it wasn’t the vibe you were going for that day, was kind of how I read the message 

Nicole: Yes and I’m also not a millennial mom on the target run I’m sometimes a person I’m millennial on the target run but and I love this pattern I’ll shout it out it’s the so bake make norah tank which I have made in the past and I was like why didn’t I make more of these because they were really cute and then I picked a pink tartan plaid and I made it and then it was just kind of like it was really giving like millennial mom vibes and again no shade whatsoever but I texted you I’m like how can I make this feel more up to date than it is and then I was like you know what forget it this is like I’ll just I’ll just wear something else and I ended up wearing like a tank top and a pair of pants that I made a long time ago so for the for like the outdoorsy picnicky event so yeah that’s been like so I’ve made stuff but they’ve felt like flops for my vibe my style the fit and I have just not felt in the mood to troubleshoot I’m like okay I need something else moving on so the Chris Woodsoe’s Gemini dress has been a winner and I’d like to try to make at least one more with the intent of it being like a rotating Mexico blue dress like swimsuit cover up it’s nice dinner dress you know like sometimes cover-ups are just see-through and you’re like I don’t really want to go to dinner in this.

Nicole: but and then that we’ll see if I can if I have anything in my stash that would be more subtle with regard to pattern that I could I could wear it because then with a jacket like a suit jacket it’s a really simple silhouette it’s very wearable to work with with a jacket or a cardigan so looking forward to trying that again and knowing that I could do it in an afternoon it’s like so compelling but yeah so that’s kind of been what I’m going on what I’ve been up to but I want to circle back to where our conversation started do you want to tell the good people where you’re going? 

Ada: I’m going to the Olympics to see the Olympics not to be in the Olympics. Though I do know somebody I do know two people who are competing for Team USA oh the badminton twins are sisters of a good friend couple friends who were in the same Taiwanese American organizations with me in the Bay Area so we are wishing them a lot of good luck and good vibes it’s definitely interesting to see people that you know slash have seen at weddings in the news but yeah my sister and I planned out this trip about a year ago probably this is like the earliest we’ve ever planned a trip like this and we figured it was like once in a lifetime. We’ve both been to Paris multiple times before we both took French in school she took French a little bit afterwards as well so she’s a little more fluent than I am. So we felt like it was like a very manageable place and like we’re never going to be able to say we watched a beach volleyball in front of the Eiffel Tower ever again and I think that was the main selling point but when I think we were talking about your trips and the weddings coming up to Mexico and then my trip to Paris and Marseille we were talking about capsule wardrobes which was going to be the original full topic of this episode and I was like doing a little bit of digging as you were chatting and I realized that the concept of a capsule wardrobe is uniquely very American.

Nicole: Really? 

Ada: Well I think applying the word capsule wardrobe to it it’s perhaps a little American in that apparently it became it started as a thing probably like in the 40s 50 60 70s according to Wikipedia, make of that what you will listeners. And then Donna Karen made it a more popular kind of term in the what 80s 90s when Donna Karen was like the American designer and the whole concept was like having five to seven pieces that you could mix and match which I don’t think I think has kind of like when we think that term I think we can think very American approach things but like I’m on Reddit sub threads like her one bag where people talk about planning to only carry one bag with them on their like X number of days or month’s trip and they’re doing the same exact thing but they’re just not calling it a capsule wardrobe. And I don’t know I was looking at the dresses that I’m making and then like thinking about what the outfits are that I’m gonna wear and I was like I don’t really know if a capsule wardrobe price yeah…

Nicole: yeah how would you then define capsule wardrobe for traveling

Ada: I think it’s when you go in saying you’re gonna have like X number of bottoms X number of tops or plus or minus like full body outfit right like a dress or a jumpsuit and then you’re gonna mix and match from there and I do have some good friends who do this and like they managed to do it really well somehow for me and my style this just does not compute because I think I have a lot of different pieces and some of them go together really well and some of them clash in a way that I don’t want to put them together and so for me it’s like there’s a limit on like this or that and I’m somebody who’s like if I I will always pack like an extra day or two of clothes and this is just how I’ve always been in case I get stranded at the airport in case like there’s a delay in case I sweat a lot and so that outfit usually is not necessarily like derivative of the rest of the capsule it’s like the emergency outfit which I’ve seen a lot of my friends start to do for their children

Nicole: yeah kids I don’t have any kids I understand that you need to try to plan as best as you can because who knows what will happen depending on the age of the kid but also like you just want to be ready I remember my sister when her first was born and we actually went to the Philippines right after her first birthday and she’s like I just have so much stuff apart from the caring for the child thing it’s like well how do you plan clothing for a kid luckily at the time not luckily but it made it simpler that Lana wasn’t walking yet so she was totable you didn’t have to worry about her running away in the Philippines like into a crowd or anything like that but yeah the extra outfit I think is is something that my I don’t know where I learned this it must have been for my mom but it’s always keep a full set of clothing on you like not on your body but in your carry-on bags and it must have come from family because I remember going to the Philippines when I was a kid and all of our chekcedluggage got delayed in in Tokyo

Ada: so ours straight up just got lost on the way to Taiwan.

Nicole:  oh no you never found, you never got it again 

Ada: I think we got it maybe at the end of our trip like I don’t know where this luggage took a detour. So I remember like having all these clothes from like the night market and like borrowing some from like relatives and that probably was the start of it as well I feel like a lot of people around our age who traveled to Asia or wherever long distance yeah and might have had like a check-in luggage mishap. I’ve been delayed before, it’s never fun yeah so

Nicole: I can think of so the thing about capsule wardrobes and we’ll just go ahead and call them capsule wardrobes. It’s funny that it seems to be an American term, I’m like well it wouldn’t surprise me if Americans were semi unique in their excess when it comes to clothing anyway. Like I bet a lot of people around the world just have a key 20 pieces in their wardrobe anyway the on a daily basis. But the thing that strikes me about capsule wardrobes for traveling is like you have to know what you’re gonna do right?

Ada:  like what your plans are?  

Nicole: Yeah, rather than bring everything so you’re prepared for everything if you need to narrow down what you’re gonna bring like you have to know what you’re going to do and to an extent what the weather is likely going to be like but I have not had long trips where I haven’t had to pick up something it’s usually an umbrella it’s usually an umbrella because I don’t think I’m bringing rain gear.

Ada: Look, the Olympics, as of the time of this recording the Olympics opening ceremony was last night and everybody got rained on and my whole feed was just team USA in their little Ralph Lauren jackets and then a clear plastic poncho because nobody at Ralph Lauren was like let me make them a cute rain jacket too. 

Nicole: yeah oh yeah and those clear plastic ponchos are like the you would never normally get caught dead in one of those in Paris

Ada: no yeah I think a lot of teams had the clear plastic ponchos yeah and it was uh it was a look

Nicole: oh man when I was in Paris last which was a long time ago it was my husband and I and it was cold and raining I remember it was I think just a really short trip in in winter and we bought a big umbrella not one of those like wimpy ones that was gonna get you know blown away but it ended up being very chic like a big umbrella with like the black car coat with my overcoat and then just walking around with boots and yeah I was actually I don’t know working out really well

Nicole: hey everyone, I’m here to pop in to let you know that yes we are still selling our labels. If you’d like to support the podcast while we are figuring out and trying to give you something at least one per month go to ko-fi.com/AsianSewistCollective to pick up the packs of our sustainable labels and our original labels. If you’d love to adorn your garments with some of our sayings and just some of the ideas that we’ve had and you want to support your favorite Asian Sewist Collective podcast go ahead and pick up a pack or two or three and you’d be most grateful for your support 

Nicole: so what do you think we’ll move on to like how I think about travel capsules. Like are you the type of I guess maybe from what we’re saying you sound like the type of person that likes to do a variety of things but like what do you how do you think folks who aren’t planners like they don’t know what they’re going to do like how would you navigate putting together a capsule wardrobe or how do you think they would navigate it

Ada: I was like I like my husband oh right there what a starting place I think he just brings like two pairs of jeans two pairs of shorts and then like throws in a bunch of t-shirts and calls it a day because they’ll all basically capsule wardrobes themselves. Because they all will eventually match. There’s no like associated undergarments of like is this going to show through is this the right cut of bra of stuff yeah and then if he has like a work meeting or something he’ll bring the specific outfit for that. I don’t again because all my stuff is not necessary like you can mix and match all of it all the time Yeah, like I have some I’ve now accumulated a lot more like crop top crop length T-shirts tank tops. I’ve made a bunch where I prefer to wear them with a high-waisted Either elastic or whatever, but they don’t really go with my like high-waisted very frayed booty shorts From you know a ready-to-wear brand that I’ve had forever like there’s some things where I’m like well that That pair of shorts is definitely good for hot weather, but I’m not gonna be wearing it with like a bunch of these other tops And I wear so then I end up kind of Making like plan B’s like a lot of plan B’s I’m like this is plan a like we’ve got these sets of outfits and then worst-case scenario like if I throw in one more option like it could We could shuffle the whole thing around or if I change my mind when I’m there I definitely agree with you that You kind of have to know what you’re doing on the trip, right? Whether you’re gonna be outside a lot walking a lot doing nature things going into the water So that definitely I’m a planner so that definitely informs the choice But I feel like in the last few years I’ve gotten almost a little more good like a Very bare bones in the packing Mm-hmm, right like I’m just gonna be there this many days I need this many days of clothes plus one and I don’t really Talk about it, and I think especially as more of my closet has become me mades, they do kind of end up being stuff that I can like cycle in and out of or feel more comfortable in and not like worry about as much. so, I Don’t know maybe I am doing a capsule wardrobe without calling it a capsule wardrobe. I did however by packing cubes for this trip.

Nicole: How do people not use packing cubes?

Ada: You just roll your clothes and efficient Tetris packer.

Nicole: I can do that too, but like saying you remove one thing and then it’s like Get and then you

Ada: like oh, I’m not saying that after day one when I check in wherever I’m going it’s a pretty sight. But I think for this one because I’m actually going back to back Straight from there to our like mini anniversary trip like I have different things I want to keep separate and like for different occasions and all that so I think the packing cubes will be very useful Yeah,

Nicole: I it’s an adult thing adulting thing like that. I that like once I it seems like really like why would you need these and then And I’m like alright fine. I’ll try it. I’m like This is a game changer And then I have my dirty clothes one as things migrate to like throughout the trip.

Ada: I did buy multiple I have I had some which were a freebie from 7-Eleven Taiwan because I accumulated enough stamps on or something on one of those promotion things when I was there a few years ago. And It’s just like it’s not a true packing cube in the sense of like it’s you know, very light-weight and mesh-y It’s actually very thick like polyurethane. I think so it’s got a bit more structure to it and Yeah, I think I’ve been using that long enough where it’s like if I’m just bringing a backpack on a weekend trip or something Like I could see the value of it and now for this week long trip thinking about it. I was like, yeah I guess I should get more than one.

Nicole: So yeah. Then I’m just thinking about previous travel wardrobe and you’d mentioned a couple times about you know your Your wardrobe and wearing more me mades. Qre there any things that you already own or that you think about making? It’s like a regular like when you’re gonna travel you want to have this piece this pattern In your in your packing

Ada:  My travel uniform is a black t-shirt and black leggings the black leggings are probably from my set like Copious amount of ready to wear gym leggings like from a big Gym exercising brand Preferably one of the many sets that I have that have side pockets so I can put my phone in there and my passport in there. If not, it’ll be like a nice comfy fitting pair and the black t-shirt is I have a few of those if it’s a Shorter flight or you’re not as long it’ll be that plus a sweater if it’s a longer flight. It’ll be a longer t-shirt. It’s always gonna be something extremely soft and stretchy and I take airport hobo chic to the max. I know there’s like varying schools of thought on this but for me when I am on a plane I don’t want to be I don’t want to be touching the plane. 

Nicole: Yes. Yes. 

Ada: No shorts No shorts. No if I’m wearing shorts leaves there will be a jacket or something with pockets over it and I Just want I do not want to have a waistband. I do not want to be sitting with jeans and I Don’t know how people do it. I respect you. I personally cannot. So that’s my travel wardrobe. So it’s like it’s definitely like the t-shirts the t-shirts and the tank tops I think have over the past like five years probably become something a little more That I cycle through and you know make every few months I might need to like replace worn out t-shirt or just have some extra fabric and some extra time and like well definitely wear a t-shirt and I think what’s funny is I was reflecting upon this a few weeks ago and like how style has kind of evolved for Let’s just say women in their 30s. Millennials. Where the 2010s it was very much that like J crew gentle lines aesthetic, right? You know cardigan you had a tank top and some jeans, skinny jeans, and flats That was very much the aesthetic of the era and now we’re kind of like why would I be slightly uncomfortable? Who cares. So then we came into like athleisure and now I feel like I’m getting more comfortable with where I fall in that, so it’s like Neither completely one or the other. But yes, I do have an airport outfit and there are some deviations from the legging sometimes like I have some Arden pants that I’ve made that will come up sometimes or sweat pants if I’ve run out of clothes 

Nicole: It’s so funny. I remember when athleisure started to be a fashion, it’s like a Point of fashion instead of just being like a gym thing and I was like heck. Yes I love athleisure, athleisure everyone pronounces it. It’s it’s so I mean like I’m no longer an athlete .You feel like it’s that I’m like Comfy things are you know fitted and comfortable. And, and, that’s funny you say that about like it airport uniform I have the same one and it’s the same one I’ve been wearing for like 15 years and it’s it’s a ready-to-wear pair of black leggings one of the many that I own. I have bought a new pair recently due to size changes But I’m like keeping old pairs because that bodies change and these are gonna be on the planet for a long time. So I might as well just hang on to them. But it’s black leggings and like a chambray button-down shirt or a button-down shirt now like an oversized button-down shirt.

Ada: Wow, I can’t even with buttons.

Nicole: Yeah Well, I’m with you on the don’t touch the plane. I’m like I’ll wear, I can wear slow or slides with socks. Opinions have evolved on that. I just don’t care. I will wish I’d rather wear shoes Like I just don’t want to touch the plane You know if I’m going somewhere like crazy hot I will plan my outfit for when I arrive out at the airport. Like I will strip off the leggings put on like a skirt or a pair of shorts Like I’ll have a plan for when I get there. But like I just don’t want to touch anything on the plane with my body.

Ada: I will sweat until I get to a place that isn’t the airport to change.

Nicole: Okay, you’re you’re more dedicated than I am. I think I just I can’t I don’t know if I could pull that part of that one off. But usually like I’ll have to change, but yeah, that’s my go-to ready-to-wear. But I think when it comes to Sewing items or having already sewn items and taking them on trips, One pattern that stands out to me are the Soline culottes by staystitch. 

Ada: You have made those many times.

Nicole: I have in two years ago when they first came out 2022. I was looking back on my Instagram like They were the pairs the three pairs that I made and I still wear two of them. I wear regular one. I wear regularly The other I wear semi regularly and the other I don’t wear at all anymore But that’s because they’re white and I think I should just dye them Yeah, and I will get a lot more wear out of them, but that is a prevailing Outfit staple for me on vacation Warm weather vacations because I don’t do a ton of cold weather vacations And if I do cold weather then it’s like leggings and a car coat like I said, it’s like, The coat makes a difference. Because you kind of only got to worry about the coat and like make it a staple and everything else can just be You know functional But yeah, the soline culottes have been one I keep thinking I just need to what in my this summer that I talked about like my Funk my sewing funk on making stuff. I’m not loving it. I keep saying I just need to make a new pair. I can’t find the previously printed printed AO pattern in the mess of things that is my life and I apparently also printed the actual tape print at home, but I didn’t tape it together I’m like, I don’t I don’t want to tape it and I can’t find the actual like one that already exists It’s rolled up somewhere. But I would like to make another pair and maybe even see what it’s like lengthened into a pant Maybe for other seasons, but it has been in the past consistently something that I will take with me on trips. And also wear a lot at home too. I’m just going through my Instagram Yeah, that the culottes and then I don’t have ones that are Standard colors. I think when people think about making travel and capsule wardrobe something that will mix and match. I just kind of mix and match with what I’m feeling with regard to that. I’m like, well if I’m gonna bring the orange ones, Bring stuff that’ll go with the orange ones, you know. But yeah, yeah, the orange ones have been around for a long time.

Ada: Okay, that’s fair 

Nicole: Which is yeah, I like and I wear them all the time and I so the last thing I want to To just like highlight. I think it’s the capsule wardrobe that I put together in 2022 for Vegas, and it was just I’m really proud of it. So maybe it’ll give people ideas and I don’t have all the photos up because that was also what I was looking for right now but it was an impromptu two night three night trip to Vegas two or three nights, I can’t remember exactly and This was like at the peak of my sewing enthusiasm like I’m so enthusiastic But like I don’t know if this happened to you, but like I just on a roll as like loving it. 

Ada: I feel like We were both very prolific 

Nicole: Yeah, and posting as well but I remember I brought for four for three nights in Vegas I brought One two I brought three tops and two bottoms. All Me made and so the bottoms were the orange Soline Culottes and a lavender colored Emerson short from true bias. And they it is a Pull-on short with a flat front and an elastic waist and pockets on the side and it was made from a lavender tencel lyocell That I had and then those were the two bottoms that I had that the top was a Top that was fitted with big ruffles was a tank top. It was the top part of a tabitha sewer dress. it’s I just made it as the top to match the cool off and That was top number one and then top number two was made with the yellow or sorry the lavender lyocell. It was the top half of the seam work at Kimmy dress which was a basically four panel top. That it’s not it wasn’t zero waste, but it’s but it has a V neck and Then connects in the back. It was really simple to make and the Kimmy dress was really easy to make as well I remember at the time I was like, oh, I like this dress So I had those and then I also had a Big four crop top made from the orange linen Oh so orange coolots to orange shirts and a lavender short and a lavender top and Because of the colors they work really well together the orange culottes also are yarn dyed so the instead of the fabric being dyed after the threads were dyed first and then woven Into you know into the fabric and the yarn dye is actually the orange with lavender in it. So if you go on my Instagram and you look at pretty much any of my orange outfits if you can see that there’s a little bit of Like a hint of extra dimension in it and that purple in there, which is really cool. But it worked out really Vegas is one of those places though where you’re just like I’m gonna be out and I’m gonna be hot like so, you know to the extent that planning occurred it was like well, I need to take those two things into consideration so the linen and Making sure that the pieces mixed and matched and I was ready to go until like that one that capsule wardrobe I didn’t make anything because it was the last minute it was like six days later We decided we were going to Vegas, but I pull all of it from my my me made wardrobe. It was all stuff that I still wear now I think the lavender stuff I don’t wear now as much because of size changes But the culottes definitely the top I could probably do as well, but since it’s a crop they’re both crops It’s limiting for some events for me but yeah, that was like my oh Boy, I was okay. I’ll do it anyway. I was gonna say coup de grace. Is that the right is that the right like expressions like my proudest? Yeah, me. Yeah, okay cool Usually it’s English like in things in English that I’m misusing or scared to use and like I’m like coup de grace came to mind for talking about Paris Olympics and all that. But yeah, is there a trip that you can think of where you felt like oh, yeah, I really packed efficiently For this trip with me with like me made With me mades or a mix.

Ada: I mean, I guess my wedding trip I made a lot of me made for had a lot of cute outfits coming out of there And it was very tropical. So we had those and then also I think last year when I went to Scotland with my sister. That was my panic sew tank top 45 minutes before leaving for the airport I still wear that tank top regular rotation.

Nicole:  Classic.

Ada: It’s a good make and those are probably the two Times I was starting to think like as you’re seeing like Vegas is really hot I was like, yeah, like when I went to Korea it was this was like pre-pandemic pre-sewing. It was so hot because it was like July And I was like I I think that’s part of my problem when I travel in the summer when it’s going to be hot somewhere. I Just sweat I’m gross. I’m like I could not even be moving and I weren’t doing anything. I’ll probably just sweat and and It’s for me I cannot recycle through Something after it’s been sweating that much and I think most of my trips I’m all for like washing hand washing as you go and like line drying them. But I think a lot of the time where I struggle is like I’m not in a place long enough for something to line dry. Yeah, so that’s kind of been like the issue that prevents me from doing that, but I will definitely keep Your packing in mind at least when I’m attempting to pack for this I should probably start packing not the night before

Nicole: You said you you planned this trip a year ago, Ada. What are you doing?

Ada: I just looked at what the weather was going to be.

Nicole: Fair fair you’re not gonna know what the weather is.

Ada: Yeah, but I I think It’s gonna be cool with the cute matching dresses with me and my sister definitely determined to get those done I think I can get enough time in between things between now when I leave to get those done and If I’m thinking about gaps in my wardrobe right now, which is how I think I’m trying to approach my sewing now . It really is just shorts that aren’t my booty short like with the little fray ready to wear shorts and it’s not my kind of more. I don’t want to say older looking, but it’s not my Clyde pants cut into shorts patterns because those a I think one of them doesn’t really fit anymore But I’m hanging on to it because it has a cool pattern on the fabric and the other ones I Just don’t they were my wearable toile so they’re I don’t feel the most comfortable or confident in them. And so now I’m like what’s the short pattern that I can whip up really fast and Probably a midway linen that I also bought while traveling To make myself comfortable in like 80 to 90 degree heat. 

Nicole: Do you want my ideas?

Ada: Sure

Nicole:  I don’t want to like encourage you to buy new pattern if you don’t already Like yes support all small businesses, but I’m not we talk about like how much stuff we have and like how easy it is Is for us to fall into buying things? So, you know just for what it’s worth on these these would be good to check out. So the Spline culottes like okay

Ada: They I do have a winslow culottes pattern from Helen’s closet But I think I haven’t made them in a really long time, so I probably need to refit them And I don’t know if I have enough yardage.

Nicole: The leg opening on those look way bigger than the soul in a lot So okay, so the soul lean is going to be more What on the longer version you do get the flowy on the bottom, but it’s really just It’s not it’s there’s ease at the hip and then like a slight Angle outward to get the culotte effect, but you can easily draft that to like be straighter, you know to like use less fabric and there’s no pleats so because it is a full elastic waist. I do like the Emerson pant they when I bought it The size was limited and that wasn’t something that I had thought about when I was when I was sewing But they did true bias has released the extended sizing for the Emerson and it goes by really fast

Ada: I think I have a similar pattern copy bottle brush pant. They are definitely still size limited. They have not expanded the pattern and I did make those pants for my sister

Nicole: You’re so generous with your sewing. 

Ada: It’s really only my sister. Let’s be real And a lot of it is wearable toiles and I’m like, yeah, I really feel this so much but yeah, I did buy that pattern to make her birthday set and I just don’t think I want to be installing a zipper fly before I go.

Nicole: Oh, and on my head is that yeah, yeah, 

Ada: so similar to the Soline culotte’s the zero-waste pant in the Brigitte Helmerson book which I’ve already made like 30 times Two of which were also in linen where it was kind of like what I was thinking to do with this But I might just make a shorts version.

Nicole: That don’t say how that wouldn’t work, right?

Ada: Like I might just Lower the rise it is quite high-waisted the way I did it and I think I already shortened it two inches in my last version I might even shorten it another half inch Mm-hmm, and then just have the rise, but I wasn’t sure if those were gonna look too kind of baggy for a lack of Better term with the elastic waist so I was considering making a Interfaced front waist, and then making elastic back waist, but I don’t know we’ll see I Should probably finish the dresses first and Then get to that the other option was gonna be just like a simple circle skirt Probably not with the stripe because that’s a little difficult.

Nicole: Oh my gosh. 

Ada: Yeah, but yeah, I Look we shall see because I need some more non spandex sport bottoms to be walking around in Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but You know, I do need some more. I do feel like I would wear those a lot like To in my day-to-day, you know, if I’m in the warehouse Go to work or if I’m working from home like I do think I would get a lot of wear out of that So we’ll see and I would like to note that it I’m using some of the fabrics from my last trip in January, hmm, so that’s probably a personal record between time of travel fabric purchase and Actually making it into a garment so feeling pretty proud of myself for that

Nicole: Put one of our labels in there 

Ada: 100% 

Nicole: one of our made with fabric purchase while traveling labels folks They’re still available. So head to our coffee page Take a look at what’s still in stock and you can support us by picking up a label pack or two or three or four And just remember the holiday season is coming up So be a great time to stock up and support your favorite podcast. I have one more recommendation for shorts Just because I pulled it up Well, while yours I totally listening, promise. I was totally listening But if the twig and tail coastal cuff shorts I made there again a really fast make all elastic none of that none of that fly nonsense. but I made them last year and they’re size-inclusive and it is a cuff short as it indicates and actually made them in a nylon suplex like a Hiking type of fabric Because I was in my hiking era in 2012 2023. It’s true. It’s a beginner hiker But like we took four trips like that were hiking trips. I’m like what three I Think three technically, but I was like, who are we? But that’s a good one too the twig and tail coastal cuff shorts comes together really really fast. Of course go with what you already have and what you already like know and what could work I was gonna say you could hand so like on the plane. I’m like, I don’t know if I would hand so short I’ve trust my stitches from my butt.

Ada: I have tried so many times the hand stitch on a plane and I’ve just concluded that that’s not me. That’s not what I want to be putting in my carry-on In my seat. I’d rather have a book or a nice video or a podcast to listen to and I was gonna say honorary a shout out to Friday pattern company and their Sport shorts pattern. I have that pattern. I have not made it yet. It’s a very sporty kind of retro vibe for woven, which is nice, but I don’t think I have time to Really dig into something new and I really just want to use these khaki stripes because they feel very French Even though this fabric is not from France. I also did listen to Lisa Black women’s stitch and her podcast and her recent trip to France So shout out to Lisa definitely go listen to that episode if you are going to Paris. She has a lot of shopping advice which honestly saved me so much time and embarrassment And I know where I’m gonna be going for fabric So,

Nicole: oh, we’ll have to do a check-in after you get back I don’t think I’ll be able to go to any shops while I’m in Mexico, but if I do I’ll see I’ll see what I can pick up

Ada: Yeah, I definitely don’t need more fabric, but I definitely wanted to take a peek and see what was special and unique especially because a lot of the fabrics I think it Lily I can’t are unique and locally produced and and It’s a dying art so Definitely wanted to see those and see if there was anything that I could think about that would fit in my lifestyle and my needs for my wardrobe, you know Now if not now in the next like five to ten years Very cool.

Nicole: Well listeners, let us know what your thoughts are. How do you plan for traveling with your memakes? How do you coordinate with what you already own? What are your considerations? We’d love to hear from you about how you handle that and when Ada and I get back from our travels We’ll see when we can check in with you again soon.

Ada: Anything else Ada Nope, that’s it. If you see us on your travels, definitely say hi shout out to Stephanie Steph stop makes who stopped me in REI A few weeks ago. Oh, no, I’m like, hey, I know you from sewing Instagram So, yeah, we are out and about in the world when we’re not making new podcast episodes or sewing So definitely say hi. It’s not weird if anything. I think I’m just a little more awkward in person.

Nicole: I Don’t know where my how my awkward there. I think I’m pretty standard across the board awkward in person online But all the sports short is a pay-what-you-want pattern See awkward we were already getting.

Ada: Anyways, thanks listeners for tuning in this week month. We will get back to you in a couple of weeks with our next episode.

Nicole: Ta-ta

Ada: Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the Asian Sewist Collective podcast If you like our show, please consider supporting us on coffee by becoming a one-time or monthly supporter or by buying our sewing labels. Your financial support helps us with our overhead expenses. The link to our coffee page is KO-FI .com Asian Sewist Collective and you can find the link in our show notes on our website and on our Instagram account. Check us out on Instagram at Asian Sewist Collective. That’s one word Asian Sewist Collective. You can also help us out by spreading the word and telling your friends We would also appreciate it if you could rate review and subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.