Sarah aka Cali Faye

How did you get into sewing?  Had you ever thought it could become your profession?

I started sewing when I was nine or ten.  My grandma handed me two 2”x 2” fabric scraps, right side facing, with a line drawn ¼” from one of the edges.  She threaded a needle for me and told me to stitch them together along the line.  I spent two years hand stitching 2x2’s together to make a quilt. 

Building that quilt gave me an outlet for my creativity.  It felt good to be in my own mind, working towards a real goal, and finally accomplishing something that was tangible.

Since then I haven’t really stopped.  I can’t remember a day that I didn’t create something with my own two hands.  

I think I knew at a really young age that I wanted to design clothing as a career.  I didn’t have a path laid out for me that pointed to a life of absolute fashion and design.  But designing clothes makes me happy and I spend a considerably amount of effort in search of absolute joy!

How do you get inspired?

Every pattern comes to me in a different way.  

I had a dream about the Simply Chic Dress.  I woke up, and drafted it the same day.

At one point I really wanted to make a romper that didn’t have a left and right pant piece.  Having separate sides creates that crack down the middle of the garment and I just couldn’t handle seeing kids in standard rompers anymore.  So because the Marina Romper.

Sometimes I’ll be walking through the crowded streets of Singapore and I’ll see a seam on a dress or a shirt and it will just make sense.  From there I can’t stop thinking about how I could incorporate that feature in a design.  This is how the Gardenia Dress came about.  The chest panel pieces are just so much fun to work with and they were completely inspired by someone I don’t even know, wearing a gorgeously built tank top. 

How does a pattern creation process work?

Initially, I get on my computer with my enormous book of measurements and ratios I’ve collected over the past 4 years.  From the measurements, which are unique to Cali Faye Collection, I draft a sloper in my daughter, Cali’s size. 

I tile my pieces, and print out the first draft.  I make a muslin and have Cali try it on.  She is paid for her dutiful work but it doesn’t always mean she is happy to participate.   

From there I make adjustments.  Most of the time I can get a the fit I’m looking for on the second or third draft.

When I’ve got the fit I draft the other sizes and create the garment in those sizes as well.  It’s a lot of sewing and it’s a lot of fabric, but it gives me a fantastic idea of the best way to build the garment and of course allows me to check my work.

Then I build the tutorial which I need to then edit.  Then I edit.   Then I edit again, and again and again and again.  I edit A LOT!

When I feel it’s ready I take Cali out for a Mommy Cali day in the city and we explore and take pictures of her in the dress, or blouse or whichever piece I’ve just come out with.

At that point I introduce the pattern to my Facebook followers and dip into the incredibly talented world of at home seamstresses for testing. 

When testing is complete and the pattern is ready I offer it to the public and I wait. 

I usually wait for three days before I start getting emails which include the most gorgeous photo’s of my customers children in the clothing they’ve made.  It makes me feel incredibly honored that I was able to share my passion with someone and they turned it into happiness.

From start to finish it takes me on average 150 hours to complete one pattern and tutorial.

Do you have a signature, feature or something that tells that piece is made by Cali Faye Collection?

There is not any one particular feature that is used throughout each design, but what I do take great pride in is how the garments are finished on the inside.

I don’t assume that everyone has a professional grade overlocker to finish off raw edges on the inside of their hand made garments.  I do my absolute best to try an eliminate all the raw edges throughout the entire collection.  I work hard present the information regarding how to accomplish this as well.

If there was one thing I would be thrilled to be known for it would be the quality of the finished garments on both the outside as well as the inside. 

What pattern do you like the most from all the ones you’ve created so far? What other shops or patterns you like?

My favorite Cali Faye Collection pattern is the Scene VI Dress.  It’s dreamy, and elegant, but at the same time my daughter wears it to the playground. 

It was a labor of love getting those triangle top pieces to come together perfectly, but when they did it just wowed me!

Here’s a hint to how I named it the Scene VI Dress.  It’s my favorite quote from Act II, Scene VI of Romeo and Juliet.

My favorite pattern designers are Sarah of Pattern Runway.  Her Gathered Sundress is amazing, and I’ve personally made seven Gathered Skirts from her free pattern The Gathered Skirt. 

I also love Kristiann’s creative energy at Victory Patterns.  All her gorgeous work is stunning.   

Do you currently have patterns that soon will be revealed?

I always have something in the works.  But, right now I’ve got a women’s blousy, maxi dress I’ve been working on for the past week.  I’ve been through two drafts and I’m convinced my entire closet will soon be all maxi dresses from Cali Faye Collection.