Motherhood + Making by Needles

5 Homemade vs Handmade vs Heirloom _ Motherhood + Making _ Heirloom Series

This week I wanted to spend a little time discussing the differences between homemade, handmade, and heirloom sewing. There is something raw about homemade sewing, it is with intention that we move from that novelty to handmade and even heirloom sewing. Join me as I share my thoughts on sewing as well as a fun story that I am bringing to you from our family's tradition of taking a picture in a little lightweight baby gown. 

4. Motherhood + Making_ What fabrics qualify as heirloom_ Heirloom sewing series

Welcome back to the podcast. This is episode 4 of Motherhood in Making. Today I am going to be continuing our conversation on the heirloom sewing series.
Today's episode is called "What Fabrics Qualify as Heirloom?"
Hi there, I'm Whitney. You're listening to Needles, Motherhood and Making. I'm a professional seamstress, embroiderer, and recently I've added long arm quilting to my needles arsenal. Most importantly, I'm a wife and a mother to three amazing little humans. This podcast lives at the intersection of motherhood and making. Today I'm going to be talking about fabric, not trends or what's popular this season, but what actually lasts and what qualifies as heirloom when it comes to clothing, specifically children's clothing, because that is what I am sewing most often. Children don't need clothing to look good just on the hanger. They need clothes that keep up with their lifestyle.
Children are active and should be active. Children are very often unscripted. ⁓ is that only my children? Okay. I have three amazing little humans at home they are 12, eight and four. And I have the privilege of sharing this life with them. I have two older little girls and a spunky little boy and they are every bit.
unscripted and because I make a lot of their clothing they look good while living life. Believe me, not everything in their closet is handmade. However, I am able to get some quality mom-made clothes on them from time to time. let's discuss what makes some fabric
qualify as heirloom and what fabrics don't. Fabrics that we want to label as heirloom must meet the following criteria. High natural fiber composition, durability, and timeless. High quality natural fibers like cottons, linen, silks, which now I'm realizing that I have forgotten to mention in my last episode.
Mainly because I actually don't use silk, but I can envision several projects such as receiving blankets, baptism gowns, and even bonnets being made using beautiful silks. I might actually have to try some.
And it's not a criteria, but often heirloom fabric tends to lean toward the timeless color palette, such as white, cream, or soft pastels,
and are frequently embellished with lace, embroidery, or smocking. Children are often crawling, climbing, spinning, washing their hands a hundred times. Well, should be anyway. So fabric has to be more than just pretty. It has to be willing, willing to be washed often, be stretched and pulled, be slept in, be mended. And I mentioned in my last episode,
that repairs are part of making garments. It teaches our children that their clothes matter and are worth the investment to mend. If a fabric can't survive childhood, then it doesn't belong in a child's wardrobe. Here's why natural fibers always win, hands down, every single time. Natural fibers last because they age well.
And when these natural fibers are woven together, they create a fabric that is durable and long suffering. Cotton, linen, wool, silks soften over time and they relax instead of resisting movement and breathe with the body. fabric content matters because it allows our skin to breathe.
and that our children can often tell the difference and their behavior is a response of what fabric we're putting on them. Their response to the clothing is visible in how they play and move. Allow me to elaborate. I find this really interesting because a healthy body has a frequency of 100 hertz.
match the body's frequency of 100 hertz.
while linen and wool are considered to be super fabrics and resonate at a staggering 5,000 Hertz frequency. These fibers are considered to be live. Is that not incredible? So what is considered dead fabric? Is there a dead fabric? Okay, if you listen to my third episode, I touched on this briefly.
but I'm going to bring it up again because I believe that it is imperative to your physical health and your children's health. Truly. synthetic materials such as polyester, rayon, and nylon only read between 0 and 15 Hertz frequency. Blah.
Knowing that fact may help you understand why you or your children feel drained of energy while wearing these types of fabrics, They are considered dead fabric according to Dr. Heidi Yellen regarding her bio-energetic
Frequency study conducted way back in 2003. Unfortunately, so many fast fashion garments are made from dead fibers because it's inexpensive to make and readily available. Organic materials have to be grown.
And where is the time for that in fast fashion? Synthetic fibers often look good at first, but they don't improve with wear. They pile, they trap heat, and they hold smells. You know the smells I'm referring to. The kind that you can't get out of your clothes, wash after wash. And...
Tell me why we are investing money and energy in synthetic materials instead of investing in live organic natural composition fabric that live and breathe and work with us. The longevity of a garment is how it behaves after the 10th wash, not from its first wear.
Another quality of heirloom fabric that should not be overlooked is its weight. Too light, it thins quickly, too heavy, and it restricts movement. That's why it's important to plan ahead and know the person that is going to be wearing the garment. I mentioned that I have an eight-year-old who is a tree climber. She's a jumper and a twirler. Therefore, I have to make dresses with a heavier cotton to match her energy.
My son is the exact same way, always on the move and I wouldn't change it. Now my oldest, however, she's my bookworm and she does play hard
but she mostly wants to be relaxing in her swing or in her tree house with her nose stuck in a book. I also won't change her.
So her clothes can be made with a lighter weight cotton or linen. However, because I plan on passing her clothes down, I tend to use heavier weight fabrics to keep up with my middle kid.
Keep future hands in mind when planning your garments. It'll save you so much headache and heartache. Furthermore,
maybe even plan for a tuck here and a pin tuck there because children grow. furthermore, whenever choosing heirloom quality fabrics with the intention to sew children's clothing, the fabric needs to be tightly woven.
but soft while maintaining its flexibility without being flimsy. A good quality fabric feels honest in your hands. It doesn't need to stretch in order to move. It moves because it's well structured. In this episode, I'm not diving into trends and patterns, but
I do want to talk about color, print, and forgiveness. Heirloom quality fabric is forgiving. And here's what I mean. Small prints hide wear. That's why we see so many dainty, ditzy florals and woven textures disguised fading and natural dyes age gently, whereas their counterpart ages loudly.
Like I said, you'll see the piles, you'll see holes and tears and maybe snags that can't be mended. choosing a color or printed fabric that forgives stains and repairs well is an act of forgiveness for yourself and for your
 
Historically, soft pastels such as pink, blue, and yellow were often used for sewing baby clothing because they were simple and later could be easily embellished. White is beautiful. And arguably the most classic color when it comes to heirloom.
But let's be honest, it's hard to stay perfectly white and that's okay. Just know that going into it. I actually offer a beautiful white vintage style pinafore and it checks all the boxes to be classified as heirloom. The pinafore is 100 % cotton, medium weight for durability and it's timeless. It is the perfect pairing.
for a little girl's outerwear.
Labels tell you fabric content, but your hands tell you the truth about that content. Before you buy and before you cut, stretch the fabric, pull gently, imagine it being worn and washed and repaired. If it already feels tired, it will be.
Longevity truly starts with your choice of fabric.
Choosing fabric for a child's clothing is choosing how you want childhood to feel. Soft, free, durable, and so incredibly loved. Trends fade, fabric remembers.
you for being here today, for choosing thoughtfully and for choosing materials that grow with your child. If this episode resonated with you, I would love for you to share it with another maker or mother. Thank you for joining me at the intersection of motherhood and making. I'm Whitney and I'll be back next Thursday with another episode. And I'm going to further our discussion on handmade versus heirloom.
Until next time, keep choosing what lasts and making things worth
 

3. Motherhood + Making _ What makes it heirloom quality? _ Heirloom Series

In this episode I am diving into what makes something heirloom quality? And, how an item gets labeled "heirloom".
It is all about intention and planning!
Thank you for joining me today.

2. Slowing down _ Motherhood + Making _ Heirloom Series

As someone who loves heirloom garments and I invite you to listen to this thoughtful podcast about slowing down in life and in sewing.   
Ever noticed that when we rush, our creations—and even our lives—start to fall apart? I used to sew late at night, skip pressing, rush seams... and the result? Puckered garments, tears, and stressed nerves. Turns out, quality really is quiet and slow. It’s in the details—pressing seams properly, changing needles, taking time to enjoy the process.
How does all of this fit into Heirloom? It is all in being intentional. 

1. Motherhood + Making: Introducing Whitney and the Podcast

Hello and welcome to the introductory podcast for Motherhood + Making. If you enjoy making and being a mother, then you are in the right spot! So glad you are here!