Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Fashion Half Cut

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

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

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

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

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

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

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

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

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

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

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

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/fashionhalfcut

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

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

show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

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

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

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

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk 

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

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

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Understanding darts, how they work and what to do with them is a fundamental part of pattern cutting. In this Episode we're delving into the technical world of pattern making. Explaining what darts are, talking you through some theory, manipulations and much, much more!

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk
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It's been one whole year since we launched our podcast, can you believe it?!
Thank you all so much for your support, we wouldn't be here without all of you.
We're keeping it light hearted and fun for this one, with a Q & A reflecting on our time in the industry. Expect stories (both good and bad) and lots of silly moments together.
show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Hanna Fiedler trained as a traditional bespoke tailor at the Berlin Opera Foundation before moving to London to study design and pattern cutting. She launched her own luxury womenswear fashion brand in 2018 and has since gone from strength to strength, including a recent pop up space at Harrods. In this episode Hanna shares her personal journey and insights with us, we hope her tips and advice help some of you out there who are thinking of starting your own fashion brands.

Working out how a garment is taken on and off the body is an essential part of garment construction. In this episode we explore our favourite types of fastenings and how they effect our pattern and sewing. So next time you're designing or interpreting a sketch…..think.….how do I get into this?

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Alvanon are industry leaders who specialise in creating physical dress forms and 3D avatars to help brands achieve a better fit. Jackie Lewis, senior consultant at Alvanon, gives us the inside scoop on how physical dress stands are made and how this translates into the world of 3D avatars and 3D fitting. Jackie is also the course development director for MOTIF, an online learning platform aimed at filling the technical gaps that we often see in the industry. You all know how passionate we are about learning so we couldn't wait to pick her brains about the courses they offer and how it links to the world of fitting with Alvanon. 

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

2020...What a year you've been! Covid-19 definitely put a spanner in the works but we've still got plenty to be thankful for. The launching of this podcast for one! In this episode we look back at our favourite moments of the past year and discuss what lies ahead for us in 2021.

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Zak Timol, the creative brain behind the well known menswear brand, Velsvoir, joins us to talk us through how he and his 2 brothers started up the brand (by accident) and how their famous bow ties have led to them winning awards and building a globally recognised brand. Zak is full of creative wisdom and stories about how this family run business has gone from strength to strength and is now even part of a Guinness world record! 
A big thank you to Zak for joining us!
Shownotes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

As pattern cutters we work side by side with those amazing sewing experts, the professional seamstresses. While we don't sew everyday we've definitely picked up our fair share of tips from these talented individuals and this is the episode where we share them with you!
Expect to learn more about our sewing journeys and how we put these tips into practise. From fusing tape to different types of needles, to having a good attitude...these are or top 9 sewing tips and lessons.

Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

For this fabulous episode we're joined by Dan Mcilwraith. Product developer by day, glamorous drag queen by night! 
Dan shares his world with us and fills us in on the more technical aspects of how he transforms into Daisy. We hear about the pattern cutting, the fabrics, the sewing and how he got the nickname deadline Dan. He also gives some advice for anyone wanting to try out drag for themselves and shares his personal journey with us, including his work with the charity Positively UK. This amazing glimpse behind the sequin curtain was an incredible chat and we give a huge thanks to Dan for joining us!

Shownotes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Caroline's back! For her return we decided to spill the beans on one of our favourite techniques...cutting on the bias!
Yes, that 45 degree grain line that we know you all love and love to hate. Expect explanations of what it is, how to do it, why we love it, tips for sewing and plenty of bias pattern cutting and sewing related stories.
Show notes: www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

In this episode we're joined by Rhiannon Bydawell who is a menswear pattern cutter for McQ by Alexander McQueen. We discuss the key differences between menswear and womenswear, and Rhiannon shares stories about bespoke tailoring on the infamous Saville Row, which is where her journey started. She also shares some industry tips and lessons learnt along the way and gives us a sneaky glimpse of her impressive VIP client list! 

As pattern makers we create the "blue print" that the factories use to produce hundreds of garments, so it's no surprise that we spend a fair amount of our job working with Factories!
This episode is all about how that relationship works, who's involved and how to ensure your work is factory friendly for easy, mistake free sewing. To help me discuss this I'm joined by Alice Warne, a production and product developer, to help talk us through some of the finer details of what life working with factories is like for her. She gives us tips on finding factories, working with them and fills us in on her personal experiences, both at home in the UK and abroad.
Whether you're a pattern cutter, a garment tech, a fashion student or you're thinking about launching your own brand...this episode is for all of you!

Find the show notes at www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Our favourite Intern turned employee, Sidnie Brennan joins us to discuss her journey so far. She fills us in on everything from going to university to study fashion, to developing her design portfolio, her internships and then finally getting her first job as a Technical and Product Development Assistant. 

Go to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk to find the show notes.

Fittings are an integral part of garment development, and as pattern makers we spend much of our time in the infamous fitting room! Join us as we talk you through how fittings work, why they're so important and let you in on our own experiences and some top tips. We also hear what life is like as a fitting model, from Anna Popovich who has spent years working for some of the best-known London brands. She gives us a unique perspective through the eyes of one of the most important people in the room.

Head to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk for the show notes

This week we've got an interview with footwear designer, Anna Kichenside, who has been in the industry for over 16 years. Anna gives us a glimpse into the world of footwear design and fills us in on her journey, from where she trained, to how she got her first foot in the door. We also hear her thoughts on the business of footwear, where she thinks it's heading and how she's merging her two worlds today.

This week we're sharing a real insider secret with all of you lovely listeners. It's one of the few perks of the jobs when you work in fashion and it's definitely one of our favourite parts of the job! We are of course, talking about... SAMPLE SALES!
We're covering what exactly they are, how they differ between high street and luxury, how to find them and, of course, some of our own sample sale experiences!

For the show notes head to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

It's Caroline's last week before she breaks for maternity leave and in honour of that we are talking about all things maternity wear!
Expect some great shopping recommendations, a view of maternity wear and all the details through a pattern cutters eye and a mini interview with a maternity wear specialist, Paige Colthart.

For the show notes, head to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

This week Kathryn interviews Charlotta Ayers, the co-founder of School of pattern cutting. Charlotta started life as a designer, before moving into the world of pattern cutting and teaching. In this interview we talk about studying at Central st. Martins, the pros and cons of pattern cutting and life as a teacher, both at college and through her own business. Charlotta has a some great pearls of wisdom for any fashion students out there so if that's you, then stay tuned!

Caroline and Kathryn pull back to curtain and expose the very grey area of sizing and grading within the fashion industry.
We chat about how it fits into the development garment life cycle, to how grading works and even our own personal experiences.
We are also joined by Maggie Stott who is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to grading and pattern cutting. With nearly 50 years of experience in the fashion world, she's a real expert!
For the show notes head to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

You asked, and we answered! A huge thank you to all of our lovely listeners who sent in questions, we absolutely loved hearing from you! The questions range from freelance life, to recognition in the industry and also include things like the technical aspects of pattern making and what we personally like to sew. 

To find the show notes head to www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

Olivia von Halle is a cult luxury British silk brand whose name has become synonymous with reinventing silk pyjamas and disrupting the nightwear market. You will have seen her beautiful silk creations in films, on the red carpet and worn by all of your favourite celebs. In this interview she talks us through everything from her early days as a start up to how she is coping through Coronavirus, her business model and everything in between. Thank you Olivia for taking the time to chat with us!
To find the show notes and some examples of Olivia's work head to our website, www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

This episode is all about one of our favourite bits of kit...blocks! (or slopers as our lovely American friends call them)
Join us as we discuss what they are, how to make them, how to use them and the different types that we've come across in the industry and at home.
To find the show notes visit www.fashionhalfcut.co.uk

In this episode we dive deep in the beautiful and creative world of draping! This is both of our favourite ways to work and we've packed this episode full of do's, don't's and handy tips and tricks!

Elisalex started her career as a shoe designer and ran her own very successful brand for 4 years before moving into pattern designing and the sewing world. Working in fashion runs in her family and we love the idea of moving between the fashion industry and the home sewing industry and seeing the two worlds come together. Join us as we talk about everything from starting your own brand straight out of college, to lessons learnt, working with fashion revolution, sustainable fashion, starting another business and being a working mum.
Our favourite message from this interview? Be kind to yourself.

In this episode we talk you through our top 7 Pattern Cutting tools and pieces of equipment. These are our absolute essentials that we just couldn't function without!
Like most pattern cutters we know, we're both massive fans of clever stationary. If you want to hear us raving about rulers and which notchers send us nutty then this is the episode for you!

Join us behind the scenes and take a front row seat at the iconic London Fashion Week. We discuss past fashion week experiences,  and Caroline brings you her diary of live recordings from the studio, the catwalk and the show rooms. Step inside our shoes and experience what fashion week is like for a real life pattern cutter.

As the Coronavirus pandemic plunges the world into chaos, we bring you a bonus episode with an update on life as freelancers and small business owners in this very scary time. We share our thoughts and tips for working from home and how we're managing to continue work as pattern cutters. While this episode focuses on the work and business side of things, our first thought is always for your health and we hope that you're all safe and well at home.

Emmeline Child, fashion sustainability programme leader and lecturer at the University of Northampton, joins Kathryn and Caroline to talk about all things sustainable in fashion. 
Emmeline gained an impressive amount of knowledge and experience in this field while launching her own brand and business and became a real pioneer in her field. She is now a Researcher, Senior lecturer and University Programme leader. Teaching in the areas of sustainability, fashion and design in the UK, India and Sri Lanka.

A look back into our personal journeys and how we got into the big bad world of fashion. We started a few years apart and took different routes but have somehow ended up in the same studio working alongside one another. Find out how and why we decided this was the right route for us!