Welcome to this creative little sewing blog of mine, The Flora Modiste! My name's Julia, and I'm here to tell you what this tiny little corner of the web is all about. Not only will you learn how to sew your own clothes here, but you will also learn how to repair your clothes. (Because at TFM, knowing how to repair your clothes is just as important as knowing how to sew them.)

In short: I want to teach you how to add (and keep!) meaningful pieces in that sweet little wardrobe of yours for years and years to come.

How do I plan on doing that? Well. To start, I'm going to teach you how to sew specific construction details using step-by-step sewing tutorials. (Think: Invisible zippers, inseam pockets, double welt pockets, learning how to match patterned fabric & stripes.. The list goes on and on.)

Our sewing tutorials walk you through how to make any garment you have ever dreamed of. Because that's all a sewing project is made up of really:

In addition, we have a bunch of DIY sewing projects that you can do all by yourself (fo' free!) using our custom DIY instructional tutorials. (I'm talking DIY pup bandanas, shower caps, scrunchies.. Just to name a few.)

And don't forget that we are so much more than a sewing blog now.. Our pattern shop is officially open! If you're the girl that just wants to buy everything needed for a project (rather than shop for it) I GOT YOU. DIY sewing kits are officially up for sale, as are custom TFM sewing patterns. (Our very first sewing pattern in the shop is for The Dany. You can make either The Dany Sheath or The Dany Two Piece using the one sewing pattern--Or both!)

At The Flora Modiste, we are all about making things easy. Because sewing doesn't have to be hard--I think people just make it that way. So, you're in, right? I figured. But first--Let's get to know each other a little better, shall we?

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent first step! Grab your free, printable worksheet below and start learning how to sew your own clothes today.)

Welcome to The Flora Modiste: The beginnings of this sewing blog

Have you ever seen that commercial where the guy goes "I'm never getting married, I'm never having kids, I'm never moving to the suburbs..."? And then the next frame is of that same exact guy picking out a ring to propose with... After that, it's him in the delivery room while his first little bundle is being born... And then of him watering the lawn for his huge house in the suburbs?

Well. I feel a lot like that guy lately. Why, you ask?

When I first saw that commercial I just laughed and took another drink of boxed wine. I wasn't married and was focused on living an (unbeknownst to me at the time) exhausting, unsustainable life in Brooklyn with entirely too many roommates. Because there was no way my longtime beau and I were getting married--We had too much to do and accomplish since moving from California to New York on a whim, not knowing a single soul. (Not even to consider the cost of a wedding.)

And I can actually visualize us in a bar in New York saying how "marriage is just a piece of paper". Yah? Fast forward two years: We moved back to California and had the most beautiful wedding. And I absolutely love being married to my husband and partner of the last (almost) 12 years. It is one of the best decisions we have ever, ever made.

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent first step! Grab your free, printable worksheet below and start learning how to sew your own clothes today.)

Okay, we got married. But there was no way we were ever going to live in the suburbs, since that's where people go to make babies and basically die of boredom. Right?

Fast forward another three years: We live in a house in the suburbs of San Diego. While it's a very tiny house, it's still a house. And again--Absolutely love it. I look forward to just being home with my love and our Terrier. To me, it's the happiest place on this Earth. (BUT we don't have kids... And I'm still drinking boxed wine. SO.)

However, there is one more major mind shift that I have had in recent years.

One of the talks we attended was with a blogger, and he discussed how important blogging and social media were for any potential business you would have in the fashion world, post graduation. (Keep in mind, this was back in 2010.. Yah, I'm dating myself a bit.) Can you guess how I responded to this particular talk?

I didn't take a single note, ask a single question, or participate in any way because I felt that I would never have any kind of future with blogging. Because I was going into the fashion industry, not the blogging industry. Cool?

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent first step! Grab your free, printable worksheet below and start learning how to sew your own clothes today.)

Welcome to The Flora Modiste: A new creative sewing blog

So, a decade later. And here I am! With my very own sewing blog, and my very own business.

A business where I (oh so lovingly) draft custom sewing patterns that are ideal sewing projects for beginners.. But are also an excellent challenge for the more experienced seamstress. A business that promotes the ability to be able to sew your own clothes, rather than just buying every single piece in your wardrobe from a shop. And (surprise!) blogging and fashion can work together. And it's actually my real dream. Who would have thought?

So yes--I feel a lot like that guy from the commercial.

It's kind of like a big slap to the face--But in the absolute best way possible. It makes you realize that you really don't know it all, that no matter what you think your path is, it can change in an instant. With one conversation, one job, one experience. And I absolutely love it. (You know, after I got over the shock that my dream wasn't actually my dream. After I got over the terror of not knowing what I was going to do with my life.)

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent first step! Grab your free, printable worksheet below and start learning how to sew your own clothes today.)

Finally, I'm past all of that and I'm here. I'm here to promote independence, to promote becoming a stronger individual by learning a skill that seems to be dying in this modern age. Above all, I'm here to create beautiful, unique patterns that can teach you how to sew anything your heart has ever desired or your beautiful brain has ever dreamed of.

All while using sewing projects that are perfect for beginners and the experienced seamstress alike. I'm here to prove that you can sew your own clothes and create an incredible wardrobe.. All while lessening your impact on this beautiful world of ours. And that it doesn't HAVE to be complicated.

So. If you're the girl that has been dying to learn how to sew, but has had no earthly idea where to start.. Then you have found the right sewing blog. Because it's actually pretty badass & empowering being able to sew your own clothing. And I want to take you there!

Join me in this journey--I truly think it's going to be the start of something great.

(Not sure where to start when it comes to sewing? Building your own sewing kit is an excellent first step! Grab your free, printable worksheet below and start learning how to sew your own clothes today.)