Hello Sewgirl!

This week we have a guest post from one of our favourite indie patten designers, Fiona Hesford of Sewgirl. Her patterns are hugely popular at Coles, if you’re a fan of beautiful clothes that are straightforward to sew and comfortable to wear then take a look at Fiona’s fantastic range!

Hello! my name is Fiona Hesford and I am the founder of Sewgirl, specialising in indie dressmaking and accessory sewing patterns for beginners and intermediates. So far, I have about 20 patterns in the Sewgirl range from ‘Orla’ Trapeze dress (shown above) to pinafore dresses such as ‘Mildred’, separates namely ‘Elsie’ trousers along with classic ‘Brompton’ bags and ‘Chelsea’ hats to name a few. 

I absolutely love making patterns since I started Sewgirl around 2009, although it wasn’t really until about 2018 that I started my own range. Appearing on Sewing Quarter TV gave me the springboard I needed to launch my first tunic pattern, before that I had been developing projects for books and magazines and before that I had worked in the fashion industry as a knitwear designer since leaving Brighton University.

When my children were little (I have twins which are all grown up now), I really wanted a change of direction, so instead of creating knitted textiles, I started designing, firstly sewing projects for the home, followed by clothing for myself. I had a part time job in a fabric shop, where I totally fell in love with fabric and sewing. I really enjoyed looking at the colourful bold prints and cutting and folding fabric, in fact everything about it was a pleasure. It was around the time of the financial crash when the ‘Make Do and Mend’ ethos was reborn, it all came together for me at a time of austerity.

I had submitted some projects to an American publisher called Lark, which went on to be featured in a book called ‘Sweet Nothings’ including an underwear set from an embroidered tablecloth and a nightdress from a 1970s retro sheet which fitted with the times, and I’m pleased that upcycling is still very popular today.

The first dress pattern I ever launched under the Sewgirl brand, was a simple summer tunic called Hilda. It had a pleat at the front neckline and easy sew sleeves, it was such a big hit, I think because it was easy to make, loose fitting everyday style that was great to wear on holiday. It’s still one of my favourites even today and is my go-to dress when it’s a hot summer day.

Most of my patterns show me modelling them on the front cover. I find people respond well to this. It seemed to me an obvious thing to do, as they are all items I wear myself every day. I like patterns that are easy to make that you will use again and again. I don’t like to struggle and it’s important to me that people have a good experience. The general feedback is that my instructions are very clear and easy to follow and that is music to my ears!  

I work from a purpose-built studio in my garden, looking out to greenery through the large windows, it’s the perfect view and with the radio on, it’s my sewing sanctuary. I’m a great advocate of having a dedicated sewing space which I would recommend to any sewing enthusiast, I think it’s good for your mental health.

Apart from sewing and dressmaking I love to cook (mostly vegetarian food) and grow things in my little garden. We keep a lot of indoor plants, which I really enjoy. Most days, I walk or cycle down to the Worthing seafront, where I live, and enjoy looking out to sea which I find truly inspiring. It’s when some of the best ideas pop into my head. I also like swimming in it when it’s not too cold!

I love to travel up and down the UK doing shows for my husband’s work and mine, it’s great to get away and meet lovely like-minded people. In November 2023 I dropped in on Coles Sewing Centre in Nottingham and it was great to meet the team in one of my favourite outlets.

This year I am focussing on launching some fabric designs for Sewgirl. My husband is an artist, and his work has inspired some of the new printed designs. I’m aiming for the collection to be modern and bold with vibrant colours and am very excited to be starting a new project which works alongside the patterns. I’m hoping to launch them online soon, at Sewing for Pleasure show in March at the NEC and the Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally London.

My latest project is a jersey pattern called Poppy Cocoon dress, which is proving popular. I’m delighted that sewing clothes as a hobby is becoming more popular than ever, it’s a fascinating subject which I think gives endless pleasure and satisfaction. Even when projects don’t quite turn out quite as expected, it’s always a valuable learning experience.

In future I would like to write a book about making hats and bags. Trouble is there’s not enough hours in the day but watch this space!