Tomorrow I’ll be sitting down to interview Sandra Betzina — pattern designer, fitting expert and the woman behind Vogue Today’s Fit.
There are sewing days … and then there are sewing days.
When I recently contacted Sandra regarding copying one of her patterns, I learned she was coming to New Zealand for a holiday. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask if we could have a coffee together. She said yes!
Yes, I am excited. Very excited!
If you’ve followed Plus Lovely for a while, you’ll know I’ve been working on one of Sandra’s jacket patterns recently. The jacket is structured. It’s thoughtful. It assumes the body is real and worthy of good fit which, as a plus-size sewist, means everything.
I’m taking Jenna with me to the interview. I’ll be wearing the jacket Jenna made that inspired me to try one of Sandra’s patterns.
Sandra has spent decades helping women understand fit in a practical, empowering way. Not in a “change your body” way. In a “let’s make the garment work for you” way.
As a plus size sewist, that philosophy is close to my heart.
As a former journalist, I’ve interviewed plenty of people over the years but this feels different. This is someone whose work has influenced how many plus size women sew, how they think about shaping, structure and confidence in clothing.
I’ve been refining my questions carefully. I want to ask about:
- Sewing for real bodies
- Confidence and construction
- What she sees happening in sewing today
- What she wishes more women understood about fit
I know I will feel a quiet thrill sitting across from someone whose patterns are currently laid out on your sewing table. Sandra is a legend in the sewing world so I’m just a little bit star struck!
Tomorrow I’ll be taking notes not just as a sewist but as someone who believes that making your own clothes, especially in plus sizes, is an act of creativity and self-respect.
I can’t wait to share the conversation with you.
If you have any sewing-related questions you’d like me to ask Sandra, drop them in a comment below.
Now excuse me while I go and double-check my recording device and try to act completely calm.