Talk Gertie To Me – Details, episodes & analysis

Season One of Talk Gertie to Me will begin on July 11, so subscribe to be the first to hear the new episodes!

Step into the wildly creative, deeply personal world of Charm Patterns with Gertie as she stitches together vintage glamour, pop culture obsessions, body positivity, and unapologetic queerness.

From behind-the-scenes design inspo like Slutty Italian Summer to candid conversations on beauty, Broadway, and the messiness of creative life, this podcast is part sewing salon, part slumber party, and always ridiculously fun.

What is "Slutty Italian Summer" and how has it influenced Gertie and the patterns at Charm? Listen in as Gretchen and Andrea talk about the vintage and modern inspiration behind this catch phrase, and how it has impacted the Charm summer collections for the past few years.

Links & Images

• Charm Patterns mentioned include:
  • The Lisa Bodice
  • The Gina Bustier
  • The Sophia Dress
  • The Elsa Culottes
  • The Vargas Panties
• White Lotus (particularly Season Two)
• Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 1992 collection
• Vanity Fair cover with k.d. lang and Cindy Crawford
• The Merry Widow film from 1952 with Lana Turner
• Camila Cabello 2017 Guess ads
• More Camila Cabello from 2018 in The Edit
• Charm's Vintage by Gertie magazine (Summer 2025 issue) heavily inspired by the Slutty Italian Summer aesthetic 

For more vintage-inspired sewing patterns in sizes 2-34 (with A-H bust cups), check out us out at Charm Patterns.

Welcome to the first real episode of Talk Gertie To Me! Come get to know Andrea and Gertie as they talk about who they are, how they've come together, and why they're excited to be doing this podcast.

Links & Images

• Maintenance Phase podcast - What's Our Deal? episode
• Gertie's 2020 daily livestreams on YouTube
• Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing (2009-2017)
• Vanity Fair magazine cover with k.d. lang and Cindy Crawford
• "Vintage style, not vintage values" - Dandy Wellington

For vintage-inspired sewing patterns in sizes 2-34 (with A-H bust cups), check out us out at Charm Patterns.

Join me while I discuss recreating the white lace dress that Audrey Hepburn wore to the 1952 Oscars. It's a bit of fashion history mixed with some sewing fun!

Links & Images

• Charm Patterns mentioned include:
  • The Waterfall Dress
  • The Sabrina Dress
  • The Holly Bodice Backs Expansion pattern for the Sabrina Dress
  • The Lamour Dress
  • The free Charm Circle Skirt
• Christine Lingerie in Vancouver
• Iconic Atomic in Palm Springs
• Info about Audrey Hepburn's 1952 Oscars Dress and the Roman Holiday Coat Dress
• My version of the dress, on the cover of the Spring 2025 issue of Charm's Vintage by Gertie magazine
• Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn (1954)
• The Great British Sewing Bee
• The Fasturn fabric turner

For vintage-inspired sewing patterns in sizes 2-34 (with A-H bust cups), check out us out at Charm Patterns.

We've made two vintage-inspired swimsuits at Charm and they are WILDLY different. Learn why with Gertie and Andrea, who dive deep into the making of these two projects, as well as the aquamusical, submechanophobia, and the "famous" Jewels of the Sea ad that has lived rent-free in Gertie's mind for decades.

Links & Images

• Charm Patterns mentioned include:
  • The Esther Swimsuit (with Pride rainbow photoshoot)
  • The Jane Set (Jumpsuit)
  • The Liz Dress
  • The Lana Dress
  • The Foundations Petticoat (i.e. "the sea monster")
  • The Bathing Beauty Swimsuit
• Gertie's Charmed Sewing Studio book for more vintage swimsuit info
• Rose Marie Reid info (and swimsuit collection photos at the bottom of the page)
• The "famous" Jewels of the Sea ad that Gertie is obsessed with
• All about Lastex
• Hair flowers from La Casa de Flores
• Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso"
• Esther Williams info and filmography
• A clip from Bathing Beauty with Esther Williams

For more vintage-inspired sewing patterns in sizes 2-34 (with A-H bust cups), check out us out at Charm Patterns.