Creative conversation with Roxane @roxane_miora

Roxane is part of my team of testers for the customizable patterns . Her dresses are all more beautiful than the others. She shares her sewing onher blog and Instagram account with always very beautiful photos. She has just launched her eco-friendly fabric brand, Saeta Studio . I wanted to find out more about her creations and her relationship with sewing, thank you to her for answering my questions!

Who are you and what brought you to sewing?

My name is Roxane, I'm 25 years old, Breton by adoption and passionate about sewing for 3-4 years now. It was my mother and my grandmother who taught me how to use a machine when I was a teenager, without me really getting into it at that time (meticulousness and patience weren't really my thing). I still took my mother's old Singer to Rennes when I left for my studies, but it was only at the end of my master's degree that I decided to touch it: a revelation! For me who works in a not at all creative environment (aka management IT), it was really the opportunity to express all the creativity I had in me and to practice a manual activity that I liked. It is then thanks to all the independent pattern designers who offer great booklets and great tutorials that I have progressed enormously in 3 years!

a dress sewn a year and a half ago and that I still love wearing

You have just created your own business in the sewing sector. Can you tell us more about it?

Since I started sewing, I have evolved a lot in my consumption of fabrics, the pieces I sew, my relationship with fashion, etc. I reached a point where I realized that my sewing practice and my values ​​were no longer in phase (fabric that accumulates in the closet, unthought-out and therefore unworn sewing, little questioning of materials...). By changing this consumption, I already wanted to use materials that were less harmful to humans and the environment than viscose or polyester (to name the worst), but while searching I realized that there were few nice patterns and materials that were made in France (I also didn't want cotton to have traveled around the Earth 4 times from the cotton plantation to my machine...)

So I created Saeta Studio at the beginning of 2021 to offer organic cotton fabrics AND made in France with adult patterns (and a few plain ones). My printer, located in Ile de France, is GOTS certified throughout its production chain, so it is fabric that respects the environment at each stage of production, but also respects people since GOTS certification ensures compliance with labor law, good working conditions and pay.
My favorite material is organic cotton crepe. It's a material that I recently discovered and that I love because it's an excellent responsible alternative to polyester crepe or viscose: it's a soft and pleasant fabric to wear with a nice drape.

Saeta Studio fabrics

What is your creative process: are you a go-getter or a thinker?

Now I am rather thoughtful (this was not the case at the beginning!). I work more by piece than from a pattern or fabric. For example, at the moment I want to sew myself a denim jumpsuit. I am thinking about which pattern to use and then I could think about the fabric and order only the necessary footage. I usually let the project mature in my head for a few weeks before starting. So I generally have the project in mind when I order. Sometimes I fall in love with a fabric but I always think about several ways to sew it before buying it (at least to know the footage!)
On the other hand, I still have little periods where I'm really fed up with thinking too much (finding THE pattern for the sublime fabric that's sleeping in my closet...) and I rush headlong because damn, I'm fed up with not sewing this fabric!

Do you practice other creative hobbies? Or do you want to try other hobbies besides sewing?

I tried a few other manual activities like embroidery or knitting but embroidery requires too much attention to detail and knitting too much time (it took me a year to knit a small blanket!). I also started making polymer clay jewelry and I love it! I also do a bit of drawing. I like to try new creative activities often but sewing will always remain number 1 in my heart.

A hack of Atelier Charlotte Auzou dresses

What is the creation you are most proud of?

I think this is the one and only pair of jeans I've ever sewn: Megan Nielsen's Dawn jeans. Pants are usually a challenge for me because they take time, adjustments, you have to make a toile, etc. So sewing a pair of jeans from scratch (and that fit me well!) was really an accomplishment!

The famous Jean!

And on the contrary, can you tell us about your worst creative failure?

I have trouble remembering my failures, I forget them rather quickly in general. But I remember one time, when I was starting out, I bought a superb floral viscose from Pretty Mercerie, and I wanted to sew a blouse with it (well above my level at the time!). On top of that, I used a thread that was too thick (special for topstitching I think) while my viscose was very fine, I made marks with yellow chalk that got into the seams and turned all my threads yellow. In short, a big big flop, nothing was going right!

What are your favorite DIY addresses?

Saeta Studio of course! Otherwise, I have drastically reduced my fabric consumption so I don't buy much anymore and I'm not very loyal. I discovered an online haberdashery that opened recently and that offers a wide selection of responsible fabrics. It's called La Cousine and it quickly became my favorite address!
On the pattern side, I already have a large library so I try most of the time to start with the ones I already have. As a designer, I have everything, French, American, Australian... I have independent patterns and magazines, books... If there is a brand that I recommend every time, it is Ivanne Soufflet which offers few patterns but which are infinitely adaptable and which offers an ultra-complete booklet!

The creation of a Le Pigeon Coq box which allows you to make your own leather bag.

Which Instagram accounts inspire you?

A lot and at the same time a little! I follow a lot of accounts (way too many). I often find myself drowned in everything I see, everything goes so fast on this network, we love a model then the next second we move on to something else and we have already forgotten it. I try to take a step back on this network and finally my inspirations come from many different places on the Internet as in "real" life.

If you were a material?

Cotton crepe, my new favorite material

Fabric shopping online or in store?

online to have time to look at all the features!

If you were a boss?

The customizable dresses Atelier Charlotte Auzou of course! I must have about ten of them!

Paper or PDF format?

PDF at first but I'm slowly and surely moving towards paper

If you were a technique?

Topstitching and understitching (I loooove doing it!).

A little piece of my Atelier Charlotte Auzou dress collection, summer version ;)

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Thank you Roxane!
Head over to Instagram to follow her sewing adventures @roxane_miora @saeta_studio .