Tara — Paper Theory

Hi, I'm Tara, the designer and founder of Paper Theory Patterns. I have a long background working as a patternmaker in the Fashion industry in London and consider London my second home. I have recently returned to the town I grew up in - Dunedin, New Zealand with my partner Dimitri, our daughter and my grumpy cat. When I'm not working I spend the remainder of my time either in our vegetable patch, renovating our new old home, or I’m at the beach.

I found my way to the sewing machine as a solution for my sartorial problems rather than as a hobby. I was obsessed with pop culture magazines, mostly fashion and music magazines and I would spend hours clipping outfits, adverts, logos and ideas I liked. But growing up in a small town there weren't a lot of clothing options for teenagers and off the rack clothing just never fit me well. I started off refashioning second hand clothes when I was around 13 or 14, adding trims, inserts and patches etc then as the years progressed I moved on to making full garments and eventually doing a degree in fashion design. Making things that perfectly suit my taste and fit my body is still the reason I sew today.

I started Paper Theory because I had become overwhelmed by the rampant capitalism and over consumption I witnessed after years of working in the fashion industry and wanted to create an alternative solution for people to be able to dress, define and express themselves. Paper Theory was a way to share my modern, simple sewing patterns that are easy for anyone to use, regardless of their sewing experience. I believe in creating designs that are versatile and timeless, so you can make pieces that you'll want to wear again and again. Sustainability is also at the heart of what I do—I'm always looking for ways to reduce waste and encourage mindful making. Through Paper Theory, I hope to inspire others to create their own beautiful, thoughtful wardrobes.

The unlimited capacity for self expression that sewing can give you brings me great joy! Sewing is such a powerful tool because it breaks you free from the constraints of commercial clothing. You're no longer stuck with whatever the fashion industry decides is in style or the limited shapes and sizes on the rack. Instead, you can craft garments that are made to fit your body, your taste, and no one else’s. It’s about taking control of your wardrobe and rejecting the one-size-fits-all mentality. With sewing, you get to create pieces that reflect your individuality, letting you wear exactly what you want, how you want it, without conforming to anyone else's rules.

I’m very close to releasing my first new pattern for the year - it's a pinafore that works equally well on its own as a summer dress, but also layers well for trans seasonal dressing. Keep your eyes peeled for the Ray Pinafore dress.

My biggest sewing success is making my living working in the fashion industry. I only just scraped through my first year at fashion school and I wasn't accepted into the second year of the degree programme. My teacher told me not to waste my time because I would never make it in fashion. Instead of listening to her, I moved cities to enrol in a different Fashion school where I excelled and graduated top of the class - and went on to have a very successful and fulfilling career in Fashion. Grit and resilience are important but I think finding “your people” is even more important. The saying “Don't blame the plant; tend to the soil” comes to mind here.

There's too many to share - But what I have learnt from my mirriad of flops is that every new fabric comes with its own challenges and specific techniques. Craft is always a learning experience and the only way you can know how to handle a new fabric or sewing technique is to get in there and get on with it. Trial and error is part of the skill building - don't shy away from it or feel bad if things don't work the first time.

I don't tend to use a lot of sewing tools, I had a very strict teacher at Fashion School who banned the use of pins in the sewing room (in an attempt to teach us how machinists work on the factory line I suppose?) and to this day I still don't use pins or many other tools.

1. I have been using the same pair of fabric scissors for over 20 years.They are my most important tool and I really appreciate and treasure good scissors.
2. A good Tape measure. I have hundreds of them and I have one stashed in the pocket of every handbag and jacket I own. You'll also find a tape measure in almost every draw of the house and in my car. I need it less so for sewing but constantly for pattern making. I also do a lot of diy and vintage furniture hunting, so I'm always measuring picture frames or bits and pieces when I'm passing through town .
3. A good sewing machine needle selection - it really makes a difference to switch to the appropriate needle for different fabrics and to keep a check on how blunt your needles are getting - dont sew with a blunt needle!
4. I have a very small and simple 15cm metal ruler that I like to use a lot when I'm pressing, I can iron straight over it to crease my hem depths etc.
5. I love my little Kai snips. I use them to unpick seams instead of a seam ripper, cut threads etc. I have to wear them on a string around my neck when I'm sewing, otherwise I spend all my time looking for the snips I put down a second ago.

It's probably my Indigo Rudy and Jude Utility jeans. It might sound strange that it's not something I made myself, but I made a pledge in 2017 not to buy a single new piece of clothing for a whole year - It ended up being 3 years before I actually needed to buy something (not including socks or my cycling gear because I don't make these myself) so it was a real treat to buy myself something new and I really appreciate these jeans and still wear them constantly even though they’re incredibly faded now.

Look after your sewing machine, keep it clean, oil it, get it serviced occasionally and try not to bump it around too much. This will help you avoid many of those mysterious annoying sewing problems like breaking thread and constantly having to fight bad tension. Looking after your sewing machine will save you hours in troubleshooting.

Often a lot of us are single business operators - A big social media following does not necessarily equate to a big brand. We’re not good at everything but we’re trying our best!

I am heavily inspired by the workshop wardrobes of the most prominent female painters, sculptors, writers and crafters of our time. I also like utilitarian clothing and the dry textures of heavy canvas and cotton. I find the most recurring theme on my mood board is pictures of older female artists while they’re at work, women like Georgia O'Keeffe, Helen Frankenthaler, Barbara Hepworth or Patti Smith. The idea of living a long life, full of unfiltered self expression really inspires me.

I'm all about the linens - The Fabric Store has by far the widest selection of colours and shades of linen.Linen is usually my go to fabric as it works well for all of my patterns.

1. Plain weave linen - Cardamom - Easily my most favourite fabric in the shop. I’ve made 3 garments out of this already and I have a few metres stashed away for the future.
2. Organic Linen - Navy - This is the perfect deep shade of navy that can be dressed up or down. I’ve made 2 dresses and a top out of this over the years.
3. Heavyweight Linen - Navy - If it's not already obvious, I am a real fan of navy. I love the heavy weight for more structured garments and I made a pair of trousers out of this last week with a matching LP Pullover.
4. Gingham Linen - The bold and the smaller check. I’ve used both the navy and the canary colour recently. I love that you can play with the two different sized ginghams, I like to use the smaller gingham for pockets and facings and the bigger gingham for the main fabric. The fact they also come with the matching bias binding is so helpful!
5. ZQ Premium Merino - Perfect for all my base layers and basics. We need to layer a lot down in Dunedin. Usually I buy this in black.

Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard is a must read for people who are interested in the intersection of sustainability and entrepreneurship. This book was like a bible for me in my early days of business.

'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer has been my most favourite read in the last few years.

'The Body Keeps the Score' by Bessel van der Kolk was also impactful for me.

'Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee' is not sewing related but is probably my most regularly visited podcast.