Maker’s Spotlight: All About Amy
The absolute highlight of being a sewing pattern designer is seeing how my patterns are interpreted - the fabrics you use, the hacks you do and how you style your finished garments. You’re very inspiring! Amy lives in Singapore and has made some stunning versions of my patterns. I asked her a few questions about how she got into sewing and what inspires her.
How did you get into sewing?
Some of my earliest memories are of climbing hilly steps in Hong Kong where little booths selling buttons and trims would be perched and hunting for treasure with my mum. She’s very crafty and taught me to sew, knit, and embroider from a young age. Later, as a high school student in Manhattan, I took night dressmaking classes at Parsons School of Design.
It was a good 20 years after that before I started sewing again, during the pandemic. I sewed little bed hangings for my daughters’ cardboard four-poster doll bed and thought, Hang on! I can do kids’ clothes too. And after some kids’ clothes – Wait a minute, grown-up clothes are basically the same! It was slowly all coming back, like a muscle memory.
It’s so much easier and more joyful to sew now than when I was in high school! I love indie patterns, PDF patterns, online fabric stores, and of course the wonderful online sewing community.
What was the first garment you made?
It was a little blue summer dress, which I jazzed up with hand-embroidered flowers and beaded straps. I must have been 13 or so. I think I still have it!
Amy made her stunning Chloe Dress from deadstock Dolce & Gabana fabric and added a black lace trim to accetuate the sweetheart neckline, slit and hem.
Amy hacked her Springe Dress into a playsuit using the Springe Jumpsuit shorts.
What do you look for in a sewing pattern?
Fun details and the opportunity to learn new skills. I can never resist a giant puff sleeve, a cutout, or a deep hem.
What inspires you to sew?
I love that sewing requires structure and precision within loose creativity and inspiration, and I enjoy the challenge of taking a 3D idea to a 2D pattern and back to 3D again when you fit it on to your own body. It builds new skills, and it’s also productive.
I also like the idea of creating heirlooms for my daughters to give to their children. I’ve started machine-embroidering their names and ages on each piece to mark the date.
How much of your wardrobe is memade?
Probably about a quarter of my wardrobe stock, but almost 100% of the items I actually wear! I reach for my me-mades again and again because that’s simply what I want to wear, both because of style and comfort. I love that my handmade wardrobe is exactly fitted to my preferences and my body!
Amy made the midi dress version of the Kaia Dress with narrow elastic at the waist.
Do you make garments for anyone other than yourself?
I sew a lot for my daughters. I tried sewing for my husband, but men’s clothing is hard! (And takes up so much fabric.) He gets all of his shirts custom-made, so the bar is high. Maybe one day I’ll summon the willpower to try again.
I’ve made robes, simple skirts, and tops for some other close friends and family as gifts, but it always makes me super nervous. I do make mistakes when I sew, and I think of sewing as an intensely personal exercise, fitted to my specific sizing and ease preferences…I’m always worried it’s not going to pan out when sewing for others! So far, they’ve either been really gracious or really easy-going. Phew!
Do you have a favourite Sew Love Patterns make?
It’s hard to pick! I am loving my new Chloe dress and have an emerald green silk one queued up, and I also have a lovely deep teal crepe with white roses destined for a future Springe dress. Sew Love Patterns designs are really versatile, in terms of being able wear out from day to night.
Do you have any sewing tips you could share with us?
I find all my special machine feet such time-savers. Besides the obvious – buttonholer, invisible zipper – I am really loving my gathering foot, ruffler, and button foot. The only one I’ve gone off is the rolled-hem foot; it’s just much more consistent to sew a pin hem the traditional way. I just got a blind hem foot and am going to experiment with that next!
Amy made her Springe Dress with the big sleeves and the midi skirt with a front slit.
