Stylehacking with Karoline Dahrling Hughes

I am so excited to share this peek behind the scenes of my new book StyleHacking published here by C&T in November 2021.

I love creating and sewing, and it was so awesome to write a book and use up some of my amazing fabric stash.

It is a book perfect for seeing beginners or just those who prefer to create garments with more freedom than standard paper patterns. The concept is to take 5 basic pieces (tank top, t-shirt, sweater, trousers, and leggings) from your closet to make templates from which you can create an endless variety of garments. No confusing paper patterns, no difficult measuring, just stress-free creating.

I am lucky enough to have a great studio at home to work in. It is always messy, but I love it.

Ever since I began sewing at 13 this is the method I have preferred. Even in design school when I was taught the tools of the trade, I still went back to my own way whenever the classes ended. I just love finding the fabric and discovering what it can be made into by tracing a garment I already have. And in this day and age, where everybody is busy, it just makes it easier to still have time to create something pretty and comfortable. And from the workshops I do, I know that even experienced sewists can take something useful from my classes, whether it is a new idea to save time on something, or a technique they had not though of using in that particular way.

A big sewing project like writing a book makes a messy floor.

I have worked on the idea for this book for a couple of years, even though the first seeds to the thought probably already was planted in my early twenties after design school.

Before pitching the book to C&T I had a mini shoot to show some of the styles. I love being behind the camera and that creative process.

I loved sewing and made so many cool things, and my friends would ask me how I had the time and skills to do it. So I told them about my method and how they could also do it. Because everybody can sew awesome things with the StyleHacking technique, and I dreamt of making a book to inspire and teach others about it. And now it is finally here.

After signing the contract for the book I did a lot more designing and sewing, and I did a proper photoshoot. A lot of my friends and family helped out as models, and it was fun to be the photographer for real.

The StyleHacking book and method also embraces something that I find very important - The aspect of just beginning, trying, giving it a go and enjoying the process even though it might not be perfect. I love the stressless aspect of making and creating so much, and I love how it opens the minds and hearts of those who try it. Nothing is better than watching a beginner who did not think they were able to sew anything actually make something they can wear and feel proud of.

I try to share inspirational DIYS, ideas and methods on both my Skandimama blog, on Instagram, and on my YouTube channel.

And once you get the hang of the technique there are endless possibilities to create. Then you can alter styles, invent new way of combing them, and make pretty much anything on your sewing machine.

I also love quilting or finding them in thrift shops and using them for cool projects, like this coat.

I really suffer from having a popcorn brain with nonstop ideas popping up. Recently I started a podcast about exactly that. It is called the Popcorn Brain Creative Podcast.

Shop Stylehacking, Sew a Creative Wardrobe