Stitching Tales – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

From high fashion to brides and book woes: An update #126

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 01:03:22

It’s catch-up time! Malena has some cool news about her work, including a brief moment of proximity to a famous couturier. Plus a new part-time job at a bridal shop. We talk high-fashion pattern making, brides and the surprising joy of having a job where you interact with others.

Meanwhile, Johanna has been wrestling with podcast hosting, monetising the podcast and the small matter of recutting more than 100 episodes. Meaning she wants to throw her computer out the window. They also get into their upcoming t-shirt book, where minuscule details can turn into a molehill. Plus the perennial question: must stripes align?

There is also a dental correction and a discussion of whether buying another overlocker is a completely reasonable expense. We’ll let you decide!

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Or contact us on our socials:

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠Johanna's dress pants zipper tutorial⁠

Sewing game changers: Tricks that changed our sewing #125

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 49:22

What are the sewing habits, tools and construction choices that have made the biggest difference to our sewing?

In this episode, Johanna and Malena share their personal sewing game changers, including pressing throughout construction, pre-pressing hems, inserting trouser zippers on the flat, making toiles, and cutting tricky fabrics in a single layer.

They also discuss what home sewists can learn from ready-to-wear construction, using press templates for pockets, adjusting presser foot pressure, heavy thread for topstitching, rotary cutters, overlockers and magnifying lamps.

Some are simple workflow changes. Others are tools worth investing in. And one involves a cereal box.

Tutorials mentioned:

⁠Jeans' zipper tutorial⁠ (video)

⁠Sewing Jeans Book⁠

⁠Jeans pocket with press template⁠

⁠Magnifying lamp⁠ (Amazon affiliate link)

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Or contact us at our socials:

⁠⁠Coverstitch Success Video Course⁠⁠

Bindings: The knit finish worth mastering #124

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 55:18

Knit bindings are one of those sewing techniques that might seem simple. Just wrap some fabric around an edge, right? Well, not quite that easy, unfortunately. Plus, there are plenty of ways to do it, so how do we know which one is the best?

Essentially, a perfect topic for Johanna and Malena to dive deep into. Malena even confesses that she has never sewn a binding before. So Johanna breaks down the different approaches. They talk about choosing fabrics, calculating width and stretch, and working with a coverstitch binder or a regular sewing machine.

French binding, zigzag stitching, basting and stitch-in-the-ditch techniques also make an appearance in this meaty episode. If you've ever been intimidated by bindings, this episode has you covered!

Johanna's binding resources

⁠⁠Master The Coverstitch Machine Book⁠

⁠Sewing Activewear Book

⁠

⁠Erikas Syskrin⁠ (for all your binding needs)

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Happy Sew New Year: Why fall starts the sewing year #123

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 52:46

Why wait until January to start fresh? Fall has all the ingredients for a new beginning, right? That's when we crave routines and want to reset, reorganise and make new plans. This is why Johanna and Malena make a case for September being the start of a Sew New Year.

To kick off this new concept, they discuss habit stacking, journaling and mood boards, along with some very practical sewing tips. Plus a few lifestyle tips (nurture your reward system, as Johanna likes to say). So let go of ambitious resolutions and an endless sewing bucket list. Instead, we should ask ourselves: What do you want more of in your sewing life? A new skill? A wardrobe rethink? Or simply more time at the sewing machine?

Consider this your September permission slip to start fresh, with fewer expectations and hopefully some fun fall sewing. Happy Sew New Year!

Spotify

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About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠

Fall fashion 2026: What to sew, shop and skip #122

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 • Duration 01:10:59

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

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Or contact us on our socials:

⁠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)

Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

Sewing revelations, business woes and a health scare #121

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Duration 46:31

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:

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.

⁠Sewing darts using bobbin thread ⁠

Getting darts right: Everything you need to know #120

Tuesday, August 11, 2026 • Duration 59:54

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)

⁠Quick and easy way to sew darts⁠

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⁠Stitching Tales on Instagram⁠

⁠Stitching Tales on YouTube⁠

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

To A Tee update: The book is taking shape #119

Tuesday, August 4, 2026 • Duration 56:19

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:

About Malena Hjerpe: Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.

hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström: Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.