About

STUDIO & STORE

You can find us at The Cloth Lab , Storgatan 26, 21142 Malmö Sweden. The Store is open Thursday/Friday/Saturday 12:00-16:00. 

ABOUT ZERO WASTE PATTERNS

A zero waste pattern is designed to eliminate waste by using every part of your fabric, a bit like a puzzle. Instead of working with large paper pattern pieces, this method uses small paper templates and clear instructions to draw your pattern pieces directly onto the fabric. This method works with different fabric widths, and the base pattern can be easily adjusted to make simple design changes yourself.

Many of our designs are available as sewing pattern's so you can make them yourself. Head to our shop to see more info on each pattern. 

OUR GARMENTS

We work exclusively with zero waste techniques, such as zero waste pattern cutting and re-purposing scrap fabrics and second hand textiles. All garments are designed and made in-house in our studio/store in Malmö Sweden. We use a mixture of carefully sourced natural fibres, predominantly organic cottons and European linens, as well as second hand and vintage fabrics. We have many classic pieces and Remake garments available off the rack, online and in-store, as well as more specialty pieces available as made to order. If you have questions about made to order or any customisations (such as sizes, fabric options, and lead times) please get in touch via info@birgittahelmersson.com

We have 2 brands in-store at The Cloth Lab. Birgitta Helmersson STUDIO and Helgrose.


ABOUT BIRGITTA

Birgitta Helmersson is a Swedish-Australian designer working with zero waste pattern cutting and circular design models. Her self titled brand was originally founded in Melbourne in 2013, and in 2018 she re-located to Malmö Sweden with her family, where she co-founded a second brand, HELGROSE, a unisex workwear inspired brand made using a zero waste production model. She also co-founded THE CLOTH LAB in 2025, a creative hub dedicated to sustainability, exploring upcycling, re-purposing, and zero-waste techniques, offering workshops, books, sewing patterns, fabrics, clothing, and home furnishings—all designed with the core philosophy of Making Without Waste.

Birgitta has over 20 years experience working as a designer, seamstress and pattern maker in both fashion, and costume for theatre. She is the author of Zero Waste Patterns  (Quadrille 2023) and co-author of Sewing with Scraps (Quadrille 2025).


Photo by Emli Bendixen for Zero Waste Patterns, 2023.