In this episode of the podcast, I chat one-on-one with artist and maker Sonya Philip.
Sonya lives in San Francisco where she knits, felts, and sews. She’s a self-taught artist who often works in series. I am really drawn to her most recent project, 100 Acts of Sewing, in which she’s made 100 dresses in a year, all from patterns she’s drafted herself.
Sonya continued the project for a second year and the array of dresses she’s made is so inspiring. You can browse them all on the gallery page of the 100 Acts of Sewing website.
Sonya and I talk about:
- Body image and how it effects our decision to sew (or not to sew) clothing for ourselves.
- How she came up with the idea to sew 100 dresses in a year and how the idea changed over time.
- The effect that sewing her own clothes has had on Sonya’s life (she hasn’t bought a garment in two years).
- The workshops she teaches based on the patterns used in the project.
Sonya’s dresses on display at the 100 Acts of Sewing exhibit. I bought dress #14. You can see it way up there!
This is the one I bought. Yay!
Patterns for Dress #1 and Dress #2. Get both patterns in Sonya’s Etsy shop and make some yourself!
If you’re interested in fashion and dressing creatively, I recommend following Sonya on Pinterest. She pins beautiful, wearable clothing for real women. I love it.
Click the arrow below to hear the show, or download it for free in iTunes.
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Check out this adorable little bird!
This guy was made by Erin Shebish of Sugar Crumbs on Etsy. Erin is sponsoring the blog this month. At Sugar Crumbs you’ll find adorable, handmade crocheted toys that are one-of-a-kind. Check out Erin’s shop on Etsy and show her some support! Thank you Erin.
Great interview! (I listened to it while I was sewing ^_^). My current fave garment is a thick grey cashmere cardigan I found at a thrift shop. It had some holes, which I mended by covering them with leaf-shaped appliqués and a big eye on the back. It has a zipper and high neck, so is easy to zip up to keep the chill off, or unzip to let the breeze in. I wear it all the time because it is soft and comfortable.
Lovely interview. 100 Acts of Sewing is a great achievement. Go Sonya! My favorite garment is a dress I made by combining two 1970s patterns and fabric purchased at a thrift store. I wear it all the time and happily tell others I made it. Next goal is to make a simple dress out of flower and bird fabric I just bought. One of Sonya’s patterns would be perfect.
I ordered a copy of Taproot just to read Sonya’s article after reading about her 100 Acts of Sewing on another blog. I love the idea of a uniform for everyday life, looking a bit more put together than looking like I just crawled out of bed. My favorite item of clothing was a hand knit sweater I found at a Thrift Store. It is made of different shapes and colours of yarn. Unfortunately it does not fit me anymore, but I kept it for my girls.
Enjoyed the interview while knitting! Currently, my favorite clothing item is a cotton knit jersey vest, a drawstring waist, tunic length in black. It has a Lucy tag, so probably sold as yoga wear. Nice to discover this blog through Sonya’s
FB.
Wonderful podcast…love to hear Sonya speak. Heard her first at a Surface Design meeting in the east bay hills recently, but have been following her blog for awhile.
My favorite clothing items in my closet are (purchased) leggings (looking forward to a pattern from Sonya for that) and a long sleeved, knit top that has thumb holes in the sleeves. One other favorite was a bowling shirt (and husband matching one) that I made for a reunion two years ago. I want to have tunic style tops to go with the leggings and have been looking around for pattern that is close to what I want. Like Sonya, I see design elements in clothes that I like but they are paired with things I don’t like. I have purchased the kindle version of the book she mentioned…’Design-It Yourself Clothes, and that will be my Summer project, to learn to draft my own pattern.
What an awesome interview– so much I could relate to, from making of all kinds to shopping for clothes and body image.
My favorite article of clothing might have to be my old, red cardigan. It was purchased from a store, but (for once) fit all of my wants and needs in a sweater. It’s warm without being bulky, relatively flattering without being either tight or baggy, comfortable at every time of the month, it has pockets (I’m lost without somewhere to stick my hands), mid-hip length and 3/4 sleeves are just the perfect length, and the biggest deal of all– it fits my arms AND my body. My arms are at least four sizes away from my body size, which is why you’ll almost never find me in a woven top unless I make it myself. My red cardigan makes me forget all of that by not squeezing my arms yet not being too big around my torso. It’s super old and worn, and almost at the point where I probably shouldn’t wear it outside of the house. When its day finally comes, I’m thinking I’ll unseam it and trace the pieces…
I have dress #1 and haven’t yet found a fabric store to shop at. In the mean time I look through clothing magazines for ideas.(fabric combinations as well as fasteners. Have started to sketch ideas of what I want to try with the pattern. Being a clay artist I am thinking up ideas for fasteners like buttons, something that can be removed for washing. This interview was very insightful to my own journey to dressing in my own style. Thank you for giving us options.
I love my dress #2! I used a chambray and feel so comfortable in it. I think that combo could be my uniform. My other favorite piece is a linen dress I bought from an artist in Michigan. It’s sewn by a group of ladies on an island and is the most beautiful red. I’ve worn it so much that I’ve had to sew patches on it.
What a wonderful interview! I made a Dress 2 recently, and I absolutely love it. 🙂
One of my favourite garments – and likely one of the ones I’ve owned the longest is this very simple brown linen tank dress I got from J.Crew when I was in highschool! I’ve probably had it for 16 or 17 years now, hard to believe. It’s absolutely timeless, my hot weather go-to, and I hope it lasts a long time to come.
Now that I think about it, it’d probably be a good pattern to try and recreate with a few alterations!
Loved the interview! You WILL be well- dressed for the zombie apocalypse!
Great interview! My favorite piece of clothing right now is a blue cashmere dress /tunic that I bought at a used clothing store. It’s like being wrapped in love when I wear it. The only problem is that the weather has been unseasonably warm this winter in the Bay Area so it has gotten limited wear and there are days when I just put it on anyway and find myself sweating. Charming, indeed. Looking forward to overcoming my fear of sewing machines with Sonya’s patterns!
Lovely podcast! Thank you so much for the wonderful listen – I was sewing happily while it was on 🙂
My favourite piece of clothing is a stunning rainbow coloured maxi dress that my Mum made for me when I was in my 20s and over time she’s let it and out and taken it in, so I can keep wearing it – I guess one day I’ll have to learn how to make & alter dresses, so I can keep it going with me as I change!! Simmi x
Thanks for the great interview.
I’ve been following the 100 Acts project for 2 years and am inspired by the work Sonya has done. I am currently loving a periwinkle blue tunic I made from a thrifted linen tablecloth. It was so fun to incorporate the pulled thread edges into the hems.
I loved the interview! My favorite piece of clothing is a t-shirt I made last summer from a MariaDenmark pattern. I embroidered owls on the front, and I just love it so much. It’s the most comfortable shirt I own, and the owls make me happy every time I wear it.
My raspberry and purple batik wide-leg pants look fabulous paired with a tunic, and are my current favourite item. I’ve made them in black fleece with wool crochet trim for the winter as well, and have other fabrics lined up to make more. Enjoyed the podcast very much, sat with my knitting and a cup of tea. 🙂