Sew & So...

From a childhood surrounded by fabric and family to leading a team of talented sewists at Disney, Mary Lou Cox has stitched together a remarkable career in the entertainment industry. As Area Manager of the Creative Workroom at Disney, Mary Lou oversees the creation of magical garments and specialty pieces that help bring unforgettable guest experiences to life.

Born in Mexico and raised in California from six months old, Mary Lou grew up in a large family of sewists. Her grandparents owned a store in Tampico, and her mother lovingly made her school clothes. By age 10, Mary Lou was sewing herself. That early foundation launched a 25-year career in entertainment costuming, global factory visits across Asia and the U.S., and teaching fashion design at LA Trade Tech. Passionate about patternmaking, specialty techniques, and mentoring the next generation, Mary Lou continues to blend craftsmanship, creativity, and heart in everything she does.

(1:29) How did Mary Lou learn to sew and who influenced her?

(2:18) Mary Lou recounts her career path and how she ended up working at Disney.

(4:13) She talks about what she and her team of sewists create every day.

(4:52) Mary Lou shares examples of how these creations bring joy to Disney guests.

(6:04) What about the work she does with Dancing With the Stars?

(6:33) How is sewing for entertainment different than everyday sewing?

(8:13) What changes has she seen in the industry in the last 25 years?

(9:25) She shares the story of Kayla and Briar Rose. And making Teddy Bears.

(12:20) She loves to make patterns and teach sewing techniques. She explains why.

(15:44) Mary Lou shares special stories of her many travels.

(19:51) What about the memorable people she’s met? Crab Hearts and elephant orphanages. 

(23:30) What were her very favorite specialty classes? How about quilting, bra making and tutu making?!

(28:35) What does she do in her spare time?

(30:53) What’s next for her and what’s her dream?

(32:48) Is there a question we didn’t ask?

(35:15) Want to reach out to Mary Lou? You can at Instagram @sewingwildflowers

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Our guest today is Melanie Jasmine a costume designer and makeup artist based in Texas.
With more than 10 years of experience in sewing and design, she began her involvement in the cosplay community at age 15. Within the community she hosts panels and crafting sessions, judges cosplay contests and is a brand ambassador. She represents a newer generation of professional cosplayers who combine costume design, performance, makeup artistry, and branded content creation into dynamic character work. In addition to sewing and fabrication, she is known for using advanced makeup techniques to complete fully immersive transformations.
She has worked with a variety of brands, such as Lootcrate, 20th Century Fox, Dreamhack, AVC Entertainment, Anime Expo, Dallas Fuel, Hulu, Coca Cola, and Blizzard Entertainment; creating promotional content and organizing meetups. She also shares insight into how brand partnerships differ from competition builds, what she looks for when judging contests, and how the cosplay industry has evolved over the years.
Her work has won numerous awards and when not busy creating, she can be found doing guest appearances around the country.
 
(1:53) How did Melanie learn to sew and who were her influencers?
(4:10) What was Melanie like as a little girl before cosplay?
(5:28) What brought her to the United States?
(8:30) What drew Melanie to costume making and what was the first costume she ever made?
(10:00) How did her early years in cosplay affect what she does today?
(11:47) How does her work on makeup and costuming influence each other?
(14:23) What are some of the tools and materials that are important to her?
(17:00) Melanie explains how working with brands and collaborations is different than other projects.
(22:51) What does she look for when judging competitions?
(26:44) What changes has she seen over her involvement in cosplay.
(30:10) What skills do sewists and quilters have that will help them get started I cosplay?
(32:56) Where does she find her inspiration?
(34:10) What’s next for her and what’s her dream?
(35:26)Is there a question we didn’t ask?
(35:42) You can reach her at her email [email protected] and on Instagram.@mjasminedesign

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Our guest today is Maelynn Wood, quilt pattern designer and owner of Mae Just Sew. Born and raised in Maine and now a West Coast transplant, Maelynn draws deep inspiration from the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest—a place that mirrors her design style: grounded, thoughtful, and quietly modern. She learned to hand sew in a high school home-ec class and honestly can’t remember a time when a needle and thread weren’t close at hand. Although she began quilting seriously in 2021, Maelynn has quickly become known for patterns that blend traditional techniques with a fresh, approachable aesthetic designed to welcome quilters of all skill levels.
When she’s not designing, Maelynn is raising two kids with her husband Ben, gardening, reading the classics, sipping lattes, traveling with her family—and occasionally sharing the spotlight with her pup, Butter, who makes frequent appearances on Instagram.
When not quilting, she can be found in her vegetable garden, her rose garden, reading the classics of slipping a latte. AND…she loves to travel!
 
(1:40) How did Maelynn learn to sew?
(2:40) Who were the women who taught her to sew and what kind of influences did they have? Hear about the square dancers!
(4:00) Hear about a deeply fond memory Maelynn has of spending time with her grandmother.
(6:35) As an expectant mom she sewed a lot for each child. She shares why this was so very important to her.
(11:34) in 2021 she began to quilt…why?
(15:23) Maelynn decided to take a pattern writing class…why?
(19:44) She used to call quilting “the dark side”? Why and what’s changed for her now?!
(22:59) Learn why she named her company Mae Just Sew.
(24:12) What did her life look like prior to Mae Just Sew?
(27:59) Learn the three reasons why Maelynn quilts.
(31:14) There are many things she loves to do when not sewing…one of the biggest is travelling with her family. She tells of some of her favorite adventures.
(35:30) How have her adventures influenced her work?
(36:54) What’s next and what’s her dream?
(38:29) What didn’t I ask? Get ready for a little…no, a LOT of encouragement!
(41:50 ) You can reach out to Maelynn at www.maejustsew.com, #mae.just.sew on Instagram

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Our guest today is the incomparable Kenneth D. King, returning to the Sew & So Podcast after first joining us on Episode 72.Kenneth is a New York–based haute couturier renowned for his mastery of evening wear, couture technique, and design education.
Born and raised in Salinas, Kansas, and later moving to Oklahoma, Kenneth’s path to fashion excellence led him to earn a degree in fashion merchandising from Central State University and to study patternmaking in San Francisco under Paris-trained Simmin Sethna. His extraordinary career includes selling to elite boutiques such as Maxfield, Wilkes Bashford, and Ultimo, designing for icons like Geena Davis, Cloris Leachman, Bernie Taupin, and Elton John, and having his work featured on red carpets, music videos, and television commercials.
Kenneth’s creations now reside in the permanent collections of the De Young Museum, LACMA, The Oakland Museum, and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. In addition to designing, he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of New York, a Contributing Editor for Threads Magazine, an instructor for Craftsy and Burda, and the author of multiple acclaimed books on couture sewing techniques.
In this episode, Kenneth joins us to discuss his newest book, Doll Couture – The Red-Carpet Edition, his inspirations, collaborations, and what continues to drive his creativity today.
 
(3:35) Kenneth reminds us how he learned to so and who influenced him.
(4:40) He tells about his grandmother and her influence on him.
(5:20) He talks about why people are forced to create in a certain style and what can be done to more out of this mold.
(7:53) He talks about his new inspirations and gives us a history lesson on new York’s Ladies’ Mile.
(10:26) Learn about Kenneth’s collaborations
(11:40) What was it like for Kenneth to work with his husband Andrew?
(14:23) What’s new with Kenneth?
(16:07) Learn about Kenneth’s new book Doll Couture – The Red-Carpet Edition.
(18:15) How is this new book different from the first one?
(21:00) Learn about the book’s Easter Eggs
(21:15) What Red Carpet moments inspired his character’s designs?
(22:33) Does working on a small-scale change how he thinks about proportions and other considerations?
(24:05) What items from doll sized couture will help those creating full-sized garments?
(25:20) How long did it take Kenneth to complete his book?
(27:06) There was an untraditional path to publishing Kenneth’s books…he shares this with us.
(31:48) What’s it like when he is finally handed his first copy of a new book?
(33:40) Kenneth recounts the story of his relationship with Elton John and the hats he created for him.
(36:00) What’s next for Kenneth?
(37:34) What’s his dream? And, how can you help?!
(38:10)What question didn’t we ask that he wished we had asked?
(38:33) Reach out to Kenneth at [email protected]

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.

Our guest today is Trixi Symonds, the founder of Sew a Softie, a global initiative that encourages adults—especially parents, teachers, and community leaders—to teach children how to sew. As Sew a Softie celebrates 10 years in 2026, the movement has grown into an international creative community that has helped tens of thousands of kids discover the joy of making something with their own hands.
Trixi is a former primary school teacher who has spent more than three decades introducing children to sewing through classrooms, workshops, books, and softie patterns designed specifically for young makers. Through Sew a Softie, she created a simple, welcoming way for families and educators to pass on sewing skills while building confidence, creativity, and problem-solving in kids.
Her work has been featured in Simply Sewing Magazine, Country Living, Homespun, Handmade, Casa Creativa, Patchwork & Quilting, and major publications including The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Chicago Tribune, Parade, and Uppercase Magazine. Trixi has also designed softie characters for the Ugly Dolls Movie and the beloved children’s book series Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas, bringing her playful designs to an even wider audience.
She has taught and led workshops in Kyoto, Amsterdam, Melbourne, and throughout her home city of Sydney, Australia, and she continues to inspire families around the world through Sew a Softie’s annual Global Kids Sewing Party, books, and online community.
Today, Trixi joins us to talk about how Sew a Softie began, what she’s learned from kids over the years, and why teaching children to sew is really about much more than just fabric and thread
(1:56) How did Trixi Learn to Sew?
(3:34) Why did Trixi’s family relocate all the way to Australia
(4:16) Who influenced Trixi’s  sewing?            
(7:05) Sew-A-Softie turns 10 this year. What was the moment that it clicked for her to start this movement? And what’s a Zenki?
(12:48) What inspires Trixi’s Softie designs?
(14:37) Trixi shares a few stories about people in the Sew A Softie program
(16:58) What’s the Global Kids Sewing Party and how did it come to be?
(22:13) How many softies have been created over the years?
(23:10) What surprises her most about Sew & Softie?
(24:05) What have the kids taught her over the years?
(26:23) How does living in Sydney, Australia influence her and her work?
(26:30) Trixi talks about her new book Sew A So Softie Workbook #3.
(26:10) when not sewing or teaching, how does Trixi like to spend her time?
(29:40) What’s next for her and what’s her dream?
(30:12 ) Is there a question we didn’t ask?
(30:35) Want to reach out to Trixi? You can find her at [email protected], Instagram and Facebook

Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today’s and all of our Guests.