One of the things we love most about our Catskill studio is that it's never just a factory. On any given Thursday afternoon when we have Open Studio, you'll find students at every stage of their sewing journey working alongside our team, learning how to make a garment from scratch.
Alex came to us with a sewing machine, a growing mending habit, and an ambitious first goal: to make a pair of trousers from the ground up. Over the course of a year of Saturdays with our co-founder Sergio Guadarrama, that goal became a high-waisted, eight-pocket trouser — and something bigger than a garment. We asked Alex to reflect on the experience, and what came back is one of the most thoughtful pieces we've read about why learning to make your own clothes changes your relationship to everything you wear.
We're proud to share it here, in Alex's own words. Read his story below and if you're interested in our Open Studio, please email us at shop@madexhudson.com.
For about a year, I climbed the stairs above Made X Hudson’s Catskill retail shop and stepped into their second floor factory to learn how to make pants. The space hums with soft light, an array of specialty industrial sewing and serging machines, and usually some soulful oldies playing in the background. At the back is a long cutting and pattern table with a flag above it that reads “It always seems impossible until it’s done”. It’s the kind of place where time slows down a bit. Where things are made carefully.
I came in almost every Saturday last year during their open studio hours and worked closely with Sergio Guadarrama, one of Made X’s co-founders and the mastermind behind the brand's ethos and stunning designs. At the beginning it was mostly just the two of us, listening to music, talking about astrology, and working through my pants pattern. As the months went on, the studio filled with all sorts of folks passing through with different projects. Curtains, tailored dresses, and full garments like mine. The spirit of the studio was kind and collaborative, and I found myself looking forward to it every week.
My interest in wanting to make clothes started a couple of years ago when I began regularly attending clothes mending workshops organized by Kaitlyn Murray of Apres L’amour, and the Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week. Like the Japanese concept of kintsugi, I fell in love with the mending process as its own kind of expressive detail. Pieces of clothing I had long forgotten about quickly became favorites again through small, hand-worked interventions.
Before I knew it I bought myself a sewing machine and mending projects gave way to alterations, and then to full reworks. The real ‘aha’ moment came when I rebuilt the degraded pockets of a pair of vintage Italian aviation trousers using a fabric that was particularly sentimental to me. Wearing them, I felt something new. Something I hadn’t really felt in my clothes or my “style” before. A sense of personal ownership. A sense of pride, even. A living narrative that touched something much deeper than just wanting to look good in my clothes.
Up until then, I had never really had a meaningful relationship with my style. Not that it was bad, just unconsidered. A mismatch of a few pieces I loved alongside fast fashion and thrift store finds that didn’t always play well together. Like a pantry full of artisanal grains and spices sitting next to Kraft Mac and Cheese. But just like with good, nourishing food, building a meaningful relationship requires perspective and intention. So, like any inquisitive millennial with a penchant for crafting, I decided the best way to understand my clothes was to learn how to make them from the ground up.
So why pants? Mostly naivety mixed with a bit of hubris. It’s often said that pants are one of the more difficult garments to make, but I figured if I could get through them and come out the other side still motivated, it would unlock a whole world of possibilities.
What I didn’t realize at the time is that the actual sewing part is relatively minimal compared to everything else. To make these pants, I had to learn how to take proper measurements, draft a pattern block, work with muslin to create and adjust proof garments, refine fit, cut patterns, select fabric, sew pockets, install a zipper, attach a waistband, topstitch, pin, press… the list goes on and on. And what I love about it is that each one of those steps opens into an entire world of knowledge. Sewing is infinitely expandable.
I ended up making a high-waisted, wide-leg, eight-pocket trouser inspired by a Hikerkind hiking pant I saw on Instagram. From there, it became a process of translating that reference into something that fit my body and my life. The pattern went through multiple iterations using muslin and drafting paper, starting from a base pattern block and evolving through decisions about rise, leg shape, and pocket placement.
I spent a surprising amount of time prototyping the shape and size of the pockets alone, making sure they could comfortably hold the daily objects of my life without things falling out or pressing awkwardly when I sat down. It’s a small detail, but those are the moments where the work really happens.
The most technically challenging parts were the welt pockets and the zipper. Both feel a bit like fabric origami - precise, methodical, and not very forgiving. Sergio had me practice both multiple times before we committed them to the final garment, but even then, it was nerve-wracking when it came time to actually do it.
What ended up feeling most like a level-up, though, were the finishing details. The difference between something feeling like a DIY project and a professional garment lives in those small moments. Getting consistent double topstitching with thick thread on a heavy hemp-cotton canvas. Reinforcing pocket anchors cleanly. These were things I had to quickly upskill on in order to maintain the quality I was aiming for.
I really couldn’t have done any of this on my own. Open studio with Sergio was not only fun, but essential. His expertise is vast, but what stood out most was the way he taught - with patience, clarity, and care. It’s rare to learn from someone so deeply passionate about what they do, and over the course of this experience Sergio was more than a teacher, he became a mentor and a friend.
There were many days I was frustrated or tired, days where I had to redo something I had spent hours on. And every time, Sergio would remind me, with a smile, that this is part of it. That this is the practice. Over time, that really sank in. Falling in love with the process, not just the outcome, this is the point.
After about a year, I finally finished the trousers. I went from knowing almost nothing to knowing just how much I still don’t know. At the final stitch, Sergio and I genuinely celebrated, and he rushed me to the fitting room to try them on. And, somewhat ironically, after a year of standing and working every weekend, my waist had shrunk by almost two inches. My perfectly tailored trousers were now too big. Which I actually love, because now the next lesson is learning how to adapt patterns across sizes. :)
All in all, I’m really proud of the journey. Of staying with something long enough to learn it. Of having fun in the process. Of feeling empowered by what I now know how to do. Of course It’s fun to wear the pants out and tell people I made them, but more than that, it’s reignited something in me. A desire to keep making things, to stay curious, to build a deeper relationship with the objects in my life.
If you have even the slightest interest in learning how to make garments, I’d recommend starting. You don’t have to begin with something as complex as I did. Something like an elastic-waist pant can be simple, quick to make, comfortable, and surprisingly stylish. And you don’t need much to get going. Just curiosity, and maybe a few ideas of what you want to make.
Everything else, you’ll figure out along the way. Remember, It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Biggest gratitude to Sergio for the patience, warmth, and support throughout this whole process, along with others in my community who had a hand directly or indirectly in helping bring this project to life. The amazing staff of Made X Hudson, Kaitlyn Murray, Griffen Cooper, Sam Zollman, Tenant, and Andrea Toscano. <3
