Create Your Own Stylish Outfits for Fall With These New Fashion Editor-Approved Sewing Pattern Kits
Thanks to online shopping, it’s easier than ever to get new clothes delivered to your door, usually within a matter of days. But what if you want to make your own? One new company dubbed SEWSQUAD is offering up a wallet-friendly — and seriously fun — way to nab a closet full of creative, unique designs without ever having to hit the mall or even waiting for overnight shipping.
The brain child of Zoey Washington, a longtime stylist and fashion editor who has worked in the fashion business for nearly two decades at big-name outlets such as Marie Claire, Essence, Vogue, ELLE, InStyle, and Brit + Co, SEWSQUAD “is a line of easy-to-make, fun-to-wear, sewing patterns.”
As Washington tells First for Women, she created the company, which offers up a crafty, affordable, and creative way to express your individual style, in response to a lacking niche in the market for women wanting to create their own designs
“Like most people in fashion, I’ve loved sewing since I was a kid but I have always thought that traditional patterns were so … meh. So for the past few years, I’ve been developing this line with the hopes of blowing the dust off of old-school sewing products,” Washington said. “I have access to the latest trends before they even hit the market, so I like to use what I see on the runway, behind-the-scenes with designers, and, of course, what people are wearing on the street to inform what [patterns] we choose to make each season.”
As such, each SEWSQUAD kit contains a beginner-friendly project inspired by the season’s hottest looks, plus styling inspiration to show you how to wear the goods you make, a bonus pattern called “Leftover Look” that can be made from your scrap materials, and, for good measure, a tape measure!
Best of all? “None of our projects require a sewing machine,” Washington said. “We know a number of people don’t have access to one but still want to create their own looks.”
Courtesy of SEWSQUAD
That also means you don’t need to be a regular seamstress to DIY these fashion-forward styles. “Each kit is designed to be very beginner-friendly,” Washington explained. “We include a section called ‘the 101s’ that teaches you the basics of how to sew so you can get started.”
Though still it’s in its infancy, SEWSQUAD has already released its first line of warm weather-friendly designs, all of which make for easy transition pieces as we enter into the early months of fall: a relaxed t-shirt dress, a classic tee, a structured zip skirt, and a playful skater skirt. Each kit costs just $15, which means you can get the full collection of one-of-a-kind clothes for less than $100.
Washington said the designs “can work for any age,” adding, “Our projects are fun to make and easy to wear so they adapt to any aesthetic. Older clients might really appreciate that we give styling ideas — we style each look in a way that reflects how people are actually wearing the trends and we approach our patterns much like a mini magazine shoot — and that each kit is VERY easy to use.”
For her next collection, Washington plans to increase size options as well as expand the brand’s overall presence. She told FFW, “In the fall, we will be offering fabric bundles. … We will also be rolling out sewing kits.”
Whether you use SEWSQUAD to create your own stylish designs or get a jump start on your holiday gift lists for kids or grandkids, you’re sure to find inspiration in these kits, which make for a super simple way to tap into your crafty side.
Where to buy: Etsy
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