On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about hand sewing with my guest Louisa Owen Sonstroem.
Louisa considers garment-making skills to be deeply empowering. Louisa writes and teaches about patternmaking and hand stitching clothing. For most of a decade, she worked in technical design and patternmaking, most recently for Macy’s and Eileen Fisher. Previous works have included a self-published book called Hand Sewing Clothing: A Guide, as well as two seasons of “Patternmaking in Public Places,” an outreach project she started to democratize access to patternmaking skills. This year, Louisa is celebrating the August release of her newest book, The Handsewn Wardrobe: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own Clothes, from Patternmaking to the Finishing Stitches, in collaboration with Storey Publishing.
This episode is sponsored by P&B Textiles.
Basics and beyond!
P&B Textiles has entered their 45th year of business — that’s four and a half decades of
creativity and connection! A true legacy company celebrating its commitment to design,
innovation, and outstanding customer service. Through the years, they’ve built lasting
relationships and inspired makers everywhere. They truly value those personal
connections with both fabric shops and consumers. P&B —– “Basics and Beyond!”
Louisa shares how she discovered sewing as a child, beginning with simple hand stitches taught by her mother in rural Connecticut. That early spark led her on a lifelong journey to master and share the skills of garment construction and design. From self-publishing her first book, Hand Sewing Clothing: A Guide, to the release of her new title, The Hand Sewn Wardrobe, Louisa’s work is driven by a mission to democratize access to sewing and pattern-making knowledge.
Louisa reflects on her outreach projects like Pattern Making in Public Places, which invite people to see—and try—the craft for themselves. She also shares how she hopes her latest book will help others build a handmade wardrobe from the ground up.
Hand Sewing Clothing: A Guide is Louisa’s self-published book, which preceded her traditionally published book. We talk about her handmade approach to self-publishing, including its challenges and rewards.
Louisa’s new book with Storey Publishing is The Handsewn Wardrobe.
Louisa explains that while studying English at the University of Connecticut, she discovered that the school didn’t offer the kind of pattern-making courses she wanted—only costume design through the theater department. Drawn to making real, everyday garments, she decided to pursue further study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
Louisa clarifies that she wasn’t attracted to high fashion or couture but rather to the technical, skill-based, and engineering side of clothing construction. At FIT, she completed an intensive one-year fashion design program and was preparing to continue toward a degree in technical design—an area focused on garment measurements, fit, and production standards. Before finishing the degree, she landed a job in technical design, gaining hands-on industry experience that proved invaluable.
Louisa discusses her growing discomfort with the fashion industry’s waste and overproduction, and how that realization extended to her own home sewing practice—where enthusiasm sometimes led to creating more than she needed. This sparked a search for a slower, more intentional way to make clothing.
Her exploration led her to hand stitching. What began as an experiment soon became a passion, offering mindfulness, portability, and deep satisfaction. She found that hand sewing allowed her to connect more meaningfully with her craft, reduce waste, and rediscover creativity through simplicity.
And, of course, I ask Louisa to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Louisa recommends:
Keep up with Louisa on her website and on Instagram.
