Creative Threads
Tessuti’s story began in 1992, when Colette loaded her hatchback with beautiful fabrics from her mum Silva’s fashion label and held a one-day sale in a vacant Sydney shop. By lunchtime, every metre had sold.
Coming from three generations of dressmakers and manufacturers, Colette has fabric, fit and making in her bones – and Silva is still part of the business today. In this edition of Creative Threads, we chat with Colette about the journey from fabric to pattern design, what inspires her work, and why thoughtful, wearable sewing patterns have such lasting appeal.
Based in Sydney, Australia
Known forWell drafted timeless patterns, with clear and concise instructions
Instagram: @tessutifabrics
“Always listen to your instincts. Those instincts led me and the business to where we are today.”
— Colette from Tessuti
How did your sewing journey begin?
Through Mum! Silva has worked in the clothing industry my entire life and was always sewing her clothes and our childhood clothes. A sewing machine was a permanent fixture in our home life and I picked it up by watching her and having her teach me when I was old (and patient!) enough to listen and learn. In my early twenties I studied fashion design at a college here in Sydney, then worked with Mum at her fashion label, which eventually led me to start Tessuti Fabrics in 1992.
What first sparked your interest in creating patterns for other people to sew?
Around 2009, I dipped my toe into the pattern world by releasing a free (now out of print) pattern. It was a very basic style with very basic instructions, but the success of that piqued my interest and I realised that selling patterns was a natural supplement to selling fabrics. Mum retired from her clothing business in 2010 and wasn't nearly ready to stop working, so it felt like the perfect opportunity for her to join the business and help us develop more Tessuti patterns. She has so much incredible industry and drafting knowledge, plus a vast collection of pattern designs, some of which we now have in our own Tessuti pattern range. She's nearly 86 now so we release patterns at a much slower pace than we have in previous years. The fabric side of the business occupies most of my working time which means that we work on the patterns only when we are able to do so, but we really love the process of creating something together, and doing it with Mum makes it extra special.
What does your design process look like from first idea to finished pattern?
Once we've settled on a design, we draft an initial pattern. To get the fit right, we'll toile as many times as we need to and then the pattern is graded by hand. We then make a cardboard pattern in each size, which I'll trace out for the final pattern sheets. Silva and I work on putting together the sewing instructions which are then edited and proof read, usually several times over, until they're ready for print.
How do you approach fit across different sizes?
We pattern grade by hand, and according to the style and fit of the pattern we either grade in the standard grade per size range or for our more relaxed styles (eg. Richmond Coat, Lisbon Jacket, Myka Top etc) we grade in size bands 0-4 with a different grade method. Our priority is always to create a well fitting and well drafted garment for each and every size in the range we offer.
What makes a truly great sewing pattern in your opinion?
A well drafted pattern, clear and concise instructions that result in a well made garment, versatility and a timeless design. We love that so many of our 5-10+ year old patterns remain as popular today as the day they were released.
What are the most common challenges home sewists face - and how do you design to support them?
I can't speak on behalf of all home sewists but I can tell you what matters to both us and our customers. Our patterns are designed to be uncomplicated so that one can make a pattern without tricky fitting or complex instructions. Most of our styles are relaxed which is where both our style preference and drafting knowledge lies. There's an enormous amount of satisfaction that comes from making a hand made garment that you reach for time and time again, and that's always in the back of our mind when we're designing patterns. It inspires you to keep sewing and hone your skills. The other challenge is learning how important it is to select the right fabric for your sewing patterns and sewing level, as this is a very important part of the sewing process. Also, accepting that sewing failures lead to sewing success
What inspires your designs?
The starting point can vary. Sometimes we're inspired by a contemporary trend or a particular style that we'd like to add to our personal wardrobes. Also, often a fabric or fabric collection will inspire a pattern design. As an example, our boiled wool patterns came about after we started stocking boiled wools.
What does your typical day look like?
My typical day is answering emails, placing orders with our fabric suppliers, sourcing new fabrics, uploading fabrics onto our website as well as working on the Tessuti Patterns side of the business. There are never enough hours in the day!
What advice would you give to your younger creative self?
Always listen to your instincts. Those instincts led me and the business to where we are today.
What is next for you?
More of the same, as above. I love my job and being able to work with my family, the wonderful Tessuti team, as well as all our suppliers and pattern stockists. You can follow Tessuti on Instagram @tessutifabrics and see Tessuti patterns on our website here.
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Creative Threads is our interview series celebrating the people behind the makes — from designers and makers to creative business owners and inspiring members of the wider sewing community. In each feature, we take a closer look at what inspires them, how they got started, and the small details that shape their creative life.
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