Stitching Tales

The digital ebook version of To a Tee is now available for preorder! And there’s a sweet bonus for all you early birds. You’ll get our T-shirt fitting class for free, exclusively with ebook preorders.
👉🏼 thelaststitch.com/toatee

Two and a half years apart, two days in front of the camera, five T-shirt styles, and enough sample garments to keep a small clothing shop stocked.
Yes, Johanna and Malena finally meet up in person for the To a Tee book photo shoot, and they're here to tell the tale.

They talk favourite patterns, rib knits, lettuce hems and the strange things that happen when you put two sewing nerds in a room with a deadline. There's also the less glamorous side of making a book: tweaking patterns, sorting measurement tables, laying out pages and getting everything ready for the printer. The finish line is in sight, even if the to-do list hasn't quite got the memo.

Plus, there's a podcast glow-up on the horizon, future book ideas, and Johanna's plan for a sewing tutorial app. Apparently, finishing one enormous project is an excellent time to start imagining three more.

Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe:
Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström:
Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zippers can feel either completely manageable or like a trip straight down to anxiety land. So Johanna and Malena take a deep dive into the surprisingly broad world of zippers, looking at coil, metal, plastic and invisible zippers, and how to choose the right one for different garments.

They share practical tips for getting zippers to behave, including choosing the right length, stabilising fabric, accurate placement, shortening and even how to make new stoppers (that involves fire!). Then Malena takes on her bridalwear hat and gives some great tips on how to succeed with invisible zippers.

There’s also a little zipper history detour that reveals something embarrassing about the Swedes, and Johanna realises she is part of the problem!

Johanna's zipper tutorials
Pants zipper tutorial (with pattern pieces)
Jeans zipper tutorial (video tutorial, with pattern pieces)
Zip-up runner belt tutorial

Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com

Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe:
Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström:
Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The T-shirt might be one of the most ordinary things in your wardrobe, but it has a surprisingly eventful past. Johanna and Malena trace its history from men’s underwear, athletic wear and workwear to James Dean, band tees, slogans and the everyday fashion staple we know today.

Along the way, they talk about the rise of jersey, Coco Chanel, and the practical origins of the white T-shirt. They also nerd out on construction, seamless knitting, and why getting a simple T-shirt to fit well is not nearly as simple as it looks.

Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com

Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe:
Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström:
Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johanna is about to lose it if she has to sew one more striped garment in 2026. Luckily, Malena talks her off the ledge. Instead, they get into the weeds of sewing striped fabrics: Cutting as a single layer, deciding whether to follow the grainline or the stripes, figuring out where a hem stitchline should land, and discovering that sleeve caps have absolutely no interest in cooperating with stripes.

They also compare their different approaches to stripe matching, from meticulous planning to knowing when to say, “Good enough.”

There are tricks involving pins, basting, glue pens, wash-away tape and walking feet, but the bigger lesson is learning which battles are worth fighting. Because sometimes the perfect stripe match is possible. Sometimes the garment shape wins. And sometimes you just have to stop looking at it and move on with your life!

Then Johanna makes a bold statement: the best way to prevent modern-day brain rot is to sew more stripes!

Johanna's cutting and sewing stripes tutorial

Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com
Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube
About Malena Hjerpe:
Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)
About Johanna Lundström:
Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johanna and Malena open up the mailbox and answer some great listeners' questions, which takes the conversation into Swedish sewing culture, personal style and why making your own clothes can be about much more than filling a gap in the wardrobe.

They compare Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Japanese style, talk about how sewing can become several hobbies at once, and share their thoughts on adjustable waistbands and the challenges of a truly unisex pattern block. Plus Johanna goes on a long rant against Swedish mainstream fashion!

Email us at stitchingtalespod@gmail.com

Stitching Tales on Instagram
Stitching Tales on YouTube

About Malena Hjerpe:
Professional pattern maker, sewing book author and owner of Hazelhen Patterns.
Hazelhen Patterns Instagram
hazelhenpatterns.com (get your free Malva t-shirt pattern)

About Johanna Lundström:
Sewing book author, pattern designer and sewing content creator.
thelaststitch.com
The Last Stitch Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.