It's our privilege to introduce you to creative duo Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose on Friends of TFS this week! Makers seeking modern zero waste sewing patterns, will no doubt be aware of Birgitta's incredible pattern range and tutorials. The ethics embedded in her make-without-waste philosophy are a constant inspiration for our TFS team, and we're thrilled to now be stocking both Birgitta's zero waste patterns in PDF form online, and the duo's brand new book 'Sewing With Scraps'. Based in Sweden, Birgitta and partner Sam Grose share a deep love for material sensitivity and the design freedom that evolves from play. Read on as we chat to Birgitta and Sam about their partnership, sewing journey, hobbies, and projects past and present!
Hello Birgitta & Sam, please give a brief introduction of yourself to our readers!
Birgitta - Sam and I are both from Australia and we met while living in a share house in Melbourne 15 years ago. Since then we have had gone on to have all sorts of adventures together, including moving countries, having 2 kids, and also running a business! We are now based in Sweden (which is where my dad is from) and run The Cloth Lab together, a space where we explore ideas around our core philosophy Making Without Waste. We hold workshops, make and sell clothing through our two in-house brands, Helgrose and Birgitta Helmersson STUDIO, and also develop sewing patterns and books.
Tell us a little about your individual sewing journeys and your philosophy of making - what led you to sewing, why do you sew, how long have you been sewing for etc.
Birgitta – I started sewing when I was around 12 and have always wanted to make clothes and have my own business one day. I was initially self taught and then when I was around 17 I started taking some pattern making classes which changed everything for me as it gave me the confidence to really start experimenting with fabrics and shapes. I don’t have any formal qualification, although I started a degree in fine arts (textiles based), but dropped out of after one year to work as a full time tailor in an alterations shop! I learnt everything through my own explorations and on the job experience.
Over the years I have worked as a designer, seamstress and pattern maker in fashion and costume, mainly for small local businesses while I was based in Melbourne. My interest in textile waste started quite early on in my career when I started to notice how many fabric offcuts were left behind during the sampling and manufacturing process and this really sparked my interest in zero waste pattern cutting. I eventually started my own label in 2013 started exploring zero waste pattern cutting and re-purposing remnants and second hand fabrics into my designs. Over the years my business has evolved and taken on many forms, it has moved countries, Sam joined, and we have had many new additions (such as sewing patterns and workshops).
Birgitta says "In many ways I think I always just wanted my own business as a way to independently play and experiment with different ideas, sometimes it feels a bit messy and we seem to often bounce from one idea to another, but I also like that we don’t feel we need to stick to just one thing!"
Sam - For me, my sewing journey started late. I remember my mum would sew clothes for us kids when we were young, but it was always just something she did and never anything I was introduced to or really even thought about.
As an adult in my late twenties early thirties I started spending time hanging out in Birgitta’s studio and that eventually led to me sitting behind the machines fiddling around and testing out making things with offcuts and scrap fabrics.
One day on a whim I patched together a cape for our daughter, lining it with this kitschy floral cotton (purchased from The Fabric Store on Brunswick Street funnily enough) and then binding it around the edges. It was a bit of a click moment for me and I realised hold on, I can make cool stuff with this sewing game. From there I started training under Birgitta and it just continued slowly to where we are today.
Sam says "My making and design philosophy is: Don’t overthink things, keep it simple and go with your gut. We have a saying in our studio which I really hold true, it goes: “Just make it work and remember mistakes and what comes from them are generally the most interesting and beautiful parts of your process and final product”. 
Tell us the story of your favourite wardrobe item
Sam - I can't pick a favourite but one item I love deeply is a coat B made for me around 2014. It is made from a beautiful, thick old wool tartan blanket and lined with denim. At the time I was really obsessed with the coat that Willem Dafoe’s character wore in The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was custom made by Prada for the movie and had an incredible secret pocket for a whiskey flask. B knew how much I loved that coat and secret pocket so designed my wool coat to look similar and have the exact same secret pocket. I'm still excited every year when Autumn comes and I’m able to wear that coat again. 
Birgitta - I have 2 favourite wardrobe items at the moment, a navy patchwork Tee I made recently from 3 old worn t-shirts where I layered the fabrics and zig zagged them together with a contrast white stitching. And also a pair of black cotton twill Helgrose Comfort Pants I've had for around 4 years which I just started needing to patch a little here and there. Both items I literally wear to death, often together, and now I’m trying to see how long I can make them last. I've become all about visible mending lately (even more than normal if thats even possible).
"I love the idea of these pieces being literally covered in hand stitch mending and patches in 10 years and me still wearing them all the time."
How long have you been working together as a team, and what led you to this collaboration?
Sam - We started working together in this iteration when we moved to Sweden back at the beginning of 2018. I had been working as a chef for many many years and at that stage was burnt out and exploring other paths. I was really inspired by what Birgitta was doing and having always had an interest in clothing, making and aesthetics I begged, pleaded and maybe even slightly railroaded B into starting our joint project/label Helgrose.
Birgitta - Haha yes that might be slightly true, but Sam has always been very creative and was always dabbling in different things (like making jewellery, growing mushrooms, and constantly coming up with random new business ideas!) so we fit well together! 
Tell us about this beautiful new book, Sewing With Scraps! How did it come about, the ethos behind it, what you hope it offers readers etc.
Birgitta - Sewing with Scraps started with the ‘scrap box’, the ever growing collection of fabric offcuts and remnants that we all tend to save religiously, but that we find very hard to find a use for. We wanted the scraps to be the highlight, the main character, and encourage people to look in their scrap box before buying new. The book is divided into three “methods”, STRIPS, PATCHWORK and COLLAGE and once you learn these you can then work through 15 sewing projects using these different ideas. It includes 3 PDF sewing patterns from some of our favourite Helgrose designs that you can use, but the idea is that the methods can be used with any pattern. The book contains a lot of ideas that Sam and I have explored over the years and I have to say that working on the book really renewed my love for more art based approaches to working with textiles, which is really where I started all those years ago. As much as I love working with zero waste patterns, the development is very technical and mathematical and so sometimes I can get very lost into this side of things. But with Sewing with Scraps we could really just explore and test ideas in such a playful way, it was a lot of fun and very different to my first book!
Sam - For me this book was such a happy happening. I didn’t ever think I would write a book but after the success of Birgitta’s first book the publishers approached her about a second. She was not ready to write another zero waste patterns book but they were aware of our joint project and asked if we would want to do something together based on our Helgrose brand, where we have always explored re-purposing textiles to make new garments. So we pitched the idea for Sewing with Scraps and the rest is history as they say. For me the hope is that the book gives the reader practical tips on sewing garments with scraps but more broadly I hope that it inspires readers to get more creative and come up with there own ways of using left over fabrics and offcuts that works for them.
The Sewing With Scraps book is available to purchase in stores and online here! You can also shop Birgitta's range of zero waste PDF sewing patterns online with us too. Weehoo!
Describe the space you use for sewing and creating, in 5 words
Sam - Beautiful space… Need more space!
Birgitta - Agreed...we are bursting out of our little space! But I would add warm, cosy, inviting, textures, messy (just a little).
What kinds of fabrics do you prefer to work with?
Sam - I like to work best with a nice chunky structured cotton drill that doesn’t slip or stretch:)
Birgitta - I like to mostly work with cotton and linen fabrics, but I also occasionally will use wool. I love relatively sturdy fabrics and also a good check fabric!
We've tried a couple of your zero waste sewing patterns here at TFS HQ and they are fabulous! Can you describe what the concept of zero-waste pattern making means to you, and perhaps offer a simple beginner project idea for someone just starting out in their zero-waste making journey?
Birgitta - Thats so cool to hear you have tried some of my patterns! Zero waste pattern making is a way of designing clothing so that the pattern pieces fit strategically onto the fabric you are using so that you use everything, leaving no waste. Although zero waste patterns seem to be having their moment right now, they are in fact nothing new, when we still wove fabrics by hand many garments all over the world were made using this method. When resources were scarce and textiles took a long time to make they were considered very valuable and we would not have wanted to throw away 20%! There was a time when we took more care to design clothing based on the widths and fabric types we had available to us, and I think learning about zero waste patterns is such a great way to be reminded of this, to be more considerate and careful with the fabrics you are using. Even if you don’t use zero waste patterns for everything it is a great way to start thinking differently about conventional patterns too in order to be more resourceful.
For beginners I recommend trying something super simple first, there are lots of free resources online now that you can search for. I also have a free tutorial on my site, The Tent Top, which is quite good for beginners, its from a few years ago now but its good to just understand the concept of a very simple zero waste pattern and get your head around how they work. And how’s this for a bit of cross promotion, I actually did this project while we were back in Melbourne a few years ago and bought the fabric from The Fabric Store in Melbourne! Also my book Zero Waste Patterns is very pedagogical and great for beginners, particularly if you start with one of the simpler pattern blocks, for example the Tee, Skirt or Pant.
I often find that the main struggle for many in the beginning is drawing the pattern directly on your fabric (no paper patterns) but honestly once you overcome this it is seriously so easy and very creative! Just follow the instructions step by step and it will work out great! Also interestingly many total newbie sewing beginners find it easier than more experienced makers, and I think this might be because you don’t have a preconceived idea of how you should cut out and make a garment. I have had so many people reach out to me to say they learnt to sew from my book, which makes me so so happy!
What are your top 5 sewing most-used tools?
Birgitta -
1. My Japanese fabric scissors and thread snips (Shozaburo brand).
2: Large right angle ruler I bought from Mrecht in Melbourne over 15 years ago, perfect for working with zero waste patterns.
3. Pilot Frixion pen for marking on fabrics (but be aware sometimes they can leave a shadow line or come back with cold temperatures!).
4: Pacer pencils (no particular brand, we always loose them so ill take anything I can find!).
5: Pins, I like glass pearl head pins so they are easy to see and so they don’t melt if you accidentally iron over them!
Sam - Definitely the quick unpick lol, then my left handed scissors, measuring tape, glass head pins and the juki industrial straight stitch.
What is it about sewing that brings you joy?
Sam - I like and have always been drawn to processes. Taking something that is one thing, in the case of sewing a length of fabric, then turning it into something else, such as a garment. That gives me joy. Also that flow state you can hit when you are patching a piece of fabric together or cutting a garment or sewing something is pretty magic.
Birgitta - I have always loved making things for myself, and I think there is something very liberating in being able to make your own clothes. I also really enjoy hand sewing and mending which can be very calming and meditative.
Do you have any special sewing tips you’d like to share? Perhaps a little-known tip that you’ve learned from someone wise, or something special you’ve picked up yourselves along the way...
Sam - Mine isn’t so much a sewing-specific tip as it is a motto I’ve been holding onto that I think is the ethos of our book and our current practice: “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just go for it. Be ready to learn, be curious and try to see things with a fresh light.” This mindset helps me not only with our practice but with life in general.
It’s also something I see play out in the studio all the time. We have so many people coming through for internships and apprenticeships, and I’m constantly reminded of how much learning goes both ways. It’s funny, they come to us to learn (mostly from Birgitta), but we always end up learning from them too. I think it’s because when you’ve been doing something for a while, it’s easy to get stuck in your own ways. Fresh eyes bring curiosity and new perspectives and new ways of doing things.
Birgitta - I totally agree with Sam. Since we started holding out Textile Play workshops at The Cloth Lab it has been so fun to see people come out of their shells and test things out that they were a little afraid of before. Everyone is worried about making things perfect and I think its important to give yourself the space to just have fun and learn by doing! We have been making what Sam has affectionately named ‘chaos pouches’ based on the Terrazzo clutch in our book, where you make a small pouch using all the tiny little left over scraps that are hard to find a use for. It is so fun to see what everyone comes up with and for beginners it is an especially great way to build your confidence with sewing! 
Is there anything you wish you knew about sewing before you started?
Sam - It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Where do you find motivation and inspiration?
Sam - I’m motivated by a fear of being old and regretful. I'm inspired by Nature, the creativity that bursts from our two children and the possibilities that exist if your let your imagination guide you without to strong of an attachment to the end result.
Birgitta - When it comes to making new things I am always inspired first and foremost by the fabrics I am working with, especially with zero waste patterns you always design simultaneously with the fabric and work within its parameters. I love imagining new silhouettes and find my way through the process, I’m very process based. I don’t really follow ‘fashion’ so much so I’m pretty out of touch with whats’ going on in that world to be honest! At the moment I am super interested in exploring arts and culture based grass roots initiatives, particularly when it comes to textiles, craft, and diy culture.
Are there any other hobbies or activities you enjoy besides sewing?
Sam - I like to take photos, cook food for the people I love, drink wine with the people I love, ride my bike, craft with our kids, grow tomatoes in the summer, learn and perfect my Swedish language skills and walk in parks and at the beach.
Birgitta - My life is really just textiles...which maybe is not healthy haha, but other than that I read a lot and love spending time with my family and friends with good food and a nice glass of wine.
If we were visiting Malmö Sweden for a day, what would you recommend we do and see!
Sam - I would suggest you start with breakfast and coffee at Ruths then mossie on up to Konsthallen (art gallery) and see what ever exhibiting there as it is always amazing, and free. I would then suggest you go have lunch at Marvin. After lunch you should come visit us at the cloth lab followed by a visit to Malmö modern museum then finish with dinner at PinkHead noodle bar.
Birgitta - I would also add that Moderna Museet is also a great place to visit, and also Form Design Centre (also free) which always has a lot of great exhibitions around textiles, architecture and craft. If you are visiting with kids you should also check out Folkets Park (The Peoples Park) it is an amazing park for families, and is super fun to walk around in and hang out at any time of year.
Are there any favourite books, podcasts or blogs that you’d love to share?
Birgitta - Some books I have read lately are Worn by Sofie Thanhauser, a really interesting look into the history of textiles and clothing and shows how the stories behind them connect to everything from the environment and labour to culture and the way we live today. Also We Are The Middle Of Forever, by Dahr Jamail and Stan Rushworth, a collection of conversations with first nations peoples of North America offering their perspectives on climate change, cultural survival, and the future of Earth. And recently I watched a super great lecture by Simon Haas, one half of the artist duo the Haas brothers, called Merging Fantasy - it was very inspiring and I highly recommend it!
Sam - We also love the podcast Check your Thread, and had the pleasure of being interviewed by Zoe the other day for her latest episode, check it out!
A very warm thank you to Birgitta and Sam for chatting with us this week, we're looking forward to trying our hand at projects from Sewing With Scraps over summer! We hope you've enjoyed this Friends of TFS interview, head over and follow Sam and Birgitta's work at @birgittahelmersson and be sure to check out their Malmö recommendations if you are planning to visit!