Meet Hannah from indie label Sinbad and Sailor!

As part of Indie Pattern Month, The Curious Kiwi and I are interviewing some of the amazingly talented people who are behind some of the fantastic indie pattern labels.

First up, I’d like to introduce you to Hannah, the creator of Sinbad and Sailor.

Welcome, Hannah! I’m so glad you could join us, and I’m really looking forward to hearing more about your label. So, first up….

What inspired you to get into pattern designing?
I was inspired to design sewing patterns as I found it hard not only to get patterns which reflected the looks I was seeing on the catwalks and in the shops but also felt that the instructions and layouts of patterns had become very poor. I wanted to offer an alternative to people which created a positive experience and encouraged people to continue to sew.

Dove fitted T instructions

How would you describe your aesthetic?
Very London – modern and fresh with clean lines.

What do you consider your point of difference?
Sinbad and Sailor patterns are unique, they reflect shapes and styles from the catwalk made wearable for the modern woman.

Hannah’s pinboard

How similar are you designs and your own day-to-day wardrobe?
My style feeds into the designs definitely, my preference is for clean and modern lines which is what I seek out when looking at upcoming shapes and styles.

Kimono fabric cut for a Dove fitted T

Which is your favourite of the patterns you’ve designed?
I’m going to blow the trumpet of the upcoming O’Keeffe skirt pattern, it’s not released yet but I’ve been making up samples and I just love with the way the pleats come together at the front (such a satisfying part!) oh, and the asymmetric pocket.

If you could make that one for anyone at all, who would it be for, why, and what fabric would you make it in?
As a lover of bold prints and patterns I’ve been inspired by stage costumes of singers recently. Beth Jeans Houghton who plays with her band The Hooves of Destiny have a song called Atlas which has the lines “Dissecting the atlas for places we’ve been. Your list is longer but you’ve got more years on me” so I’d make her an O’Keeffe skirt using map print fabric to rock out in!

Map print fabric

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt since you started your pattern label?
Sinbad and Sailor is a solo venture for me and I’ve had overwhelming support from all my friends and the online sewing community. It’s really touching to have such encouragement not to mention seeing the patterns made up!!

Hannah’s workspace

Why did you choose that name for your label?
The name is based on East London cockney rhyming slang for tailor (Sinbad and Sailor = tailor) which I like as not only do I have family history in the area (I live a street along from where my Grandad grew up) but the area’s creative culture and scene really inspires the designs.

Favourite tools

How do you decide what to call your patterns?
Naming a pattern can be so hard. The next set of patterns are named after female artists with each pattern reflecting an element of the artists work. For example the O’Keeffe skirt has these beautiful pleats which echo the flower petals which Georgia O’Keeffe painted in extreme close up, pioneering a new style of painting in the process.

Sinbad and Sailor O’Keeffe Skirt

Thanks Hannah – it’s been great hearing about your inspirations! And I love where you got your label’s name from (I must admit I had been wondering what the story was behind it).

And that’s not all folks. Hannah is offering up a copy of her new (and very cute!) O’Keeffe skirt pattern as a giveaway! Want to be in to win? Just comment below and tell us – what fabric would you make up the O’Keeffe skirt in first?

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere, as long as you comment below and tell us your fabric choice. Entries will close at 11pm on Friday 21 June (NZ time), and Hannah and I will draw a winner on Saturday 22 June. (Side note: please make sure we have a way to contact you if you’re the winner.)

Can’t wait until then to try out the O’Keeffe pattern? It’s just been released today and you can buy it over here. 😉