Simplicity McCalls UK and Sew Over It have now actively collaborated with SewOver50, since this community started in August 2018.
If you are able, become a Patreon supporter to keep developing Sewover50 podcasts published at least every Tuesday, for free. There are over 180 SewOver50 podcasts!
Sandy’s Instagram tech podcasts
Thursday 9 April 2020: Sandy discusses the basics of using hashtags on Instagram.
Thursday 16 April 2020: Sandy provides more useful information about hashtags on Instagram.
Click on the links in the table below to listen to the latest SewOver50 podcasts. Stories for each podcast are below this table.
Previous SewOver50 podcasts are on the original blog post.
Latest SewOver50 podcast links
Jody Halliday
Tuesday 17 October 2023: Jody Halliday upcycles because there’s really no need to create new clothes from fresh fabric.
The British Fashion Council tells us there are enough garments already on planet Earth to clothe the next six generations of humanity.
The fabulous coat you can see above is the coat Jody created for her son to wear at Burning Man 2023. As Jody says, ‘Burning Man 2023 – what an adventure! While I was prepared for what I would be seeing, I wasn’t prepared for the vastness of it – a pentagon shaped piece of desert property 3000 ft above sea level measuring 6 miles top to bottom and 5 miles across with acres and acres of artwork and a gridded city of, by one count, close to 100,000 people.’
‘Black Rock City is formed every year by like minded individuals who want to get away and explore the edges of their lives. When I asked what brought them back each year, “community” was an often heard response. As I reflected on that I realized how fortunate I am to be a part of a community year round that I don’t have any desire to escape from.
Many of the participants are professionals-firefighters/ nurses/ landscape architects/ software designers/ mortgage bankers and business people who gather to spend a week where they can let loose and party and costume themselves in some pretty outrageous kit that would have no place in their daily lives.’
‘I invite you to join me in using upcycled, existing materials as you continue your sewing journey.’
Cassie of Primrose Dawn Designs
Tuesday 26 September 2023: Cassie designed a breast form sewing pattern for her sister-in-law.
As Cassie notes on her website: ‘Primrose Dawn provides feminine but practical PDF sewing patterns in a wide range of sizes to create custom lingerie at home. Form, function, beauty and comfort are all areas of focus for each pattern we create for you. Our digital patterns come in a variety of styles, including underwired and wireless bras, underwear from briefs to thongs, and post-mastectomy specialty items for people with breast cancer.’
Cassie had previously worked with Tina Bricolagedk (@bricolagedk) • Instagram photos and videos who we know is an advocate for sewing patterns that meet the needs of people living with the affects of cancer treatments.
You’ll find the blog post about the tester round up of the Val Breast form insightful.
You’ll find previous breast cancer series podcasts on the podcast website at Breast cancer series – Sew organised style podcast
There are so many great resources on Cassie’s website at Home (primrosedawn.com)
All of her lingerie sewing patterns are accessible All Lingerie Sewing Patterns (primrosedawn.com)
Alma – The Big SewOff
Friday 18 August 2023: Alma discusses all the details for this year’s Big SewOff.
The Big Sew Off is coming back in September 2023. After the success of last year’s sewing marathon which raised £10k for mental health charity Mind, we’re going to do it all again! The Sew Over It team will be sewing for 24-hours non-stop, along with other exciting sewing businesses and personalities. The Big Sew Off this year will be hosted by the wonderful New Craft House in East London!
Ooobop for The Big SewOff
Tuesday 15 August 2023: Janene – ooobop on Instagram – will be participating from her home sewing studio for this year’s Big SewOff.
Last year Janene was in awe of the sewing efforts by the Sew Over It team during their 24 hour sewing marathon to raise funds for Mind Charity.
This year Janene is road testing her patterns to see how many well-made garments she can sew for charity in a 24 hour period.
What are you doing to support this sewing charity event?
As she stated on her Instagram account, she’s proud to be taking part in @thebigsewoff this year. A fantastic Sewathon event hosted by @sewoveritlondon where she will be doing her best to sew throughout an entire 24 hour period.
More to come over the next few weeks and any tips on staying awake and focused for 24 hours much appreciated by Janene and the team that will be taking part in @thebigsewoff!
CathySewsStuff
Tuesday 1 August 2023: Cathy of CathySewsStuff on Instagram gives us an insight into her sewing and local stitchers club SouthSea Sewn.
Recently Cathy culled her clothes (donated to a clothes swap) and is curating styles to make sure they meet her needs and allows her to sew to her heart’s content.
She discusses the influence SewOver50 followers have on her clothing/pattern decision making.
Here’s a note to you from Cathy:
As well as CathySewsStuff on Instagram, you can find me SouthSea Sewn. This is the name of mine and Karen’s @thedistractedsewist stitch club founded not long after lockdown. We meet once a month in a gorgeous creative space, full of sculptures and art on the walls. We welcome all stitchers: sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, felting, etc. The aim is to connect people of like minds, have a lovely time, and also to help people that might be stuck on a project.
The latest meet up included the second part of our bucket hat sewalong!
Make sure you follow SouthSea Sewn to enjoy the bucket hats the group has made in between chatting and having tea/cake.
Stephanie Merrill
Tuesday 25 July 2023: Stephanie is known at @thestituationroom on Instagram.
When you learn a new sewing technique, do you share it? Stephanie does. As she learns new techniques or figures out what that ‘darn’ tool is, she’ll show you on her Instagram account.
You’ll have to listen to Stephanie to find out what the Institute of Nerd Studies refers to. Then you’ll learn how The Stitchuation Room came about.
Stephanie was recommended as a podcast guest by our previous podcast guests, Nancy of @Iusedtobeacurtain.
What is your holy grail of sewing?
Is it a pattern that works well with the fabric you’ve chosen or getting involved with sewing challenges or even projects that stretch your sewing skills?
SewMuchToDesign Lou Sheffer, has had a positive influence on Stephanie’s future sewing goals.
All these questions and more are answered by Stephanie on her very first podcast. She’s a true professional at discussing sewing. Aren’t you?
Louise is Demure Designs
Tuesday 11 July 2023: You’ll find all of Louise’s latest couture works on her Instagram account – Demure Designs
Louise shared one of her couture techniques and then kindly was a guest editor or guest reel for SewOver50.
Tuesday 18 July 2023: This week is the full explanation of pattern matching by Louise with her tips to start off successfully.
In early June Louise started to share how to pattern match a geometric print knit fabric on a block dress pattern.
This morphed into a technique that only required a centre back seam.
‘My solution here …. I turned the side seams into darts! 💚 The only seam I needed to match was the centre back!’
I suggest you go to Louise’s Instagram account to see how the seams match.
One Wild Pixie
Tuesday 3 July 2023: Pam is OneWildPixie on Instagram.
In her own story, you’ll hear about her on screen and off screen persona.
She sews the clothes that suit her lifestyle. Check out how Pam and others on this SewOver50 post have changed their style to suit their lifestyle.
Blanket coats
Tuesday 27 June 2023: This episode Sheila shares the international research she did through the SewOver50 network.
Many thanks for Judith Rosalind, Dawna of Spoolriver and Elke of Sewthreadbear for their local blanket history knowledge.
Update: Diane of Style Falcon Patterns has provided this link about the Hudson Bay point blankets. Thank you for providing this information Diane.
Tuesday 20 June 2023: Sheila takes us through her blanket coat research over 2 episodes.
National Wool Museum was a source of her research.
Katie Makes a dress used blankets as coat fabric.
Mending Mayhem followers and Morrissews are great people to follow to learn various mending techniques.
Listen to Sheila’s report about the information Alf Newby of Albany Mills in Western Australia wrote about the dyeing he did of the woollen yarns. He started working in the mill at the age of 14 and by 40 years old, he was the principal dyer.
#SewOver50June
14 June 2023: Instagram is making it harder to in you.
Instagram has now removed the “recent” # search. Perhaps you have noticed that the tags are no longer in chronological order.
Our strength has been getting to know our community through checking the tag daily.
Without being able to see your most recent sewing under #SewOver50 it is quite infuriating. @Instagram is not receptive to the outcry so we are instigating a NEW plan to find you.
🙌🙌🙌
Cris Wood
Tuesday 6 May 2023: Cris Wood was kind enough to give us her time to talk about what is involved in getting models who look like they are over 50 years old for a small patternline.
In the research conducted by SewOver50, statistics in 2022 showed there are few companies that represent sewists over 50 on their pattern company grids and on their pattern covers.
Cris has been in contact with Sandy of SewOver50 to source local models that could be ‘over 50’ models for Cris Wood Sews patterns.
Cris originally worked in a number of sewing jobs and in 2020 she was forced to stop working and had to come up with another way of earning an income.
Part 2 13 June 2023: Cris focusses on different body types, different ages and different skill levels in her tester group.
Cris also talks about how she’s super helpful with everyone who uses her patterns.
Anna Bowron
Tuesday 30 May 2023: Anna (@Sew.spanner) is building her new work wardrobe based on black trousers she recently made.
While we’re all heading into the next season where we live, Anna talks about her wardrobe building to suit the new job she has taken.
How do you build your capsule wardrobe? Do you base your sewing on one garment or on something else entirely?
Anna also buys her fabrics from her local Fabricabrac sale. Monies from sales of these events go to local hospice.
What type of dresses would you make for a trip overseas? Have a listen to what Anna has in mind.
Jill Gonzalez
Tuesday 23 May 2023: Jill or Sewingsensation has sewn all her life but took sewing up again during covid lockdown.
Jill shares the new skills she learns through her Instagram account.
In the lead up to her daughter’s wedding in December, Jill has decided to make her dress using silk fabric. The lessons she is currently learning is what she shares through her Instagram account.
Jill is making the robes for the bridal party and in doing so, she has discovered the highs and lows of using the ruffler foot.
Most of what Jill has shared is what she has learnt from fellow sewists on Instagram.
We did have a good chat about NASA at the start of the podcast.
Mijam Gielen
15 May 2023: Mirjam provides her backstory so you can find out what you’ll experience in her workshop at Making Zen Online Retreat.
Mirjam learnt all her crafts from the women in her family. At the age of 3, Mirjam had a needle in her hands to sew. Her textiles specialty is organic embroidery.
Last Making Zen, Mirjam ran a workshop about the honeycomb stitch – a variation on the blanket stitch. This time her workshop is about the stacked running stitch.
You’ll hear how Mirjam has loved being a participant in the October 2022 Making Zen Online Retreat.
Go to Mirjam’s Instagram account to find her wealth of information and workshops.
Liz Kettle
9 May 2023: Liz Kettle developed the ‘stitch meditation process’ through a personal need she had.
You’ll hear from Liz how following the process fuels your creativity.
We’re human beings, not human doings. You’ll hear what Liz means with this phrase.
Liz Haywood
Tuesday 2 May 2023: Liz Haywood is running a workshop to create closures that are compostable and/or use resources you have where you live at the Making Zen Online Retreat from 15 to 19 May.
Liz is a local Australian who authored Zero Waste Sewing and The Dressmaker’s Companion Liz also talks about her latest A Year of Zero Waste Sewing ezines.
You can find Liz’s website at The Craft of Clothes – a sewing and fashion blog (lizhaywood.com.au)
Her Instagram account is The Craft of Clothes – a sewing and fashion blog (lizhaywood.com.au)
Sewover50 research
Saturday 29 April 2023: Judith Staley with a team of 4 SewOver50 followers conducted research of pattern companies from 1 January to 31 December 2022 to identify the visibility of older sewists. This research helps to show if the SewOver50 account and the community has made a difference since 2018.
When SewOver50 commenced in August 2018 Judith started the SewOver50 account and was then ably teamed with Sandy, there were 300 followers of the account in that first month. Today there are over 46,000 followers. That’s more followers than many pattern companies have on Instagram.
In 2018 Judith felt underrepresented by sewing companies and in the media. Many sewists were feeling the same at the time and many still do. However the Sewcialists put out a call to kickstart underrepresented groups in the online sewing community.
That’s when Judith put up her hand to lead the way for older sewists to become more visible online and through pattern companies.
What wasn’t available at that time was any data or research to show how underrepresented older sewists were in the community.
After working tirelessly to raise the visibility of older sewists, Judith was assisted by a team of 4 sewists from the sewing community to show what the visibility is of older sewists was in 2022.
Jayne Emerson
Tuesday 25 April 2023: Jayne will be running a workshop that focuses on play with textiles at the Making Zen Online Retreat from 15 to 19 May.
Jayne completed a B tech in fashion design, then completed a multi media textiles degree and finally completed a Masters at Central St Martins. She also has an MA in Print.
Sustainability plays a big role in her textiles work as does the element of play in her workshops.
Meredith Woolnough
Tuesday 18 April 2023: Meredith is back to run another great workshop at Making Zen Online Retreat.
In the previous workshop Meredith ran at Making Zen, participants used her freeform sewing machine technique for a way to use threads and water soluble fabric. This year, Meredith will share her preparation process with participants.
Meredith began her work during her Fine Arts degree in 2006 and participants will take away another skill to use on their own projects from the latest Making Zen Online Retreat.
Yasmeen – Sand and Stars
Tuesday 11 April 2023: Yasmeen Branton of Sand and Stars helps people learn to do needle turn hand applique.
Yasmeen is running a needle turn hand applique design development workshop at Making Zen Online Retreat – 15 to 19 May 2023. Her aim is to help people find their confidence and creativity through needle turn hand applique.
After completing her art college textiles specialty, Yasmeen took a few years off before she went to the Royal School of Needlework. She did a foundation degree in hand embroidery and she really enjoyed using traditional skills to create beautiful projects.
She was then able to work in costume departments in film and tv where Yasmeen was required to repeat embroidery over and over again for up to 5 of the same pieces of costumes.
As Yasmeen says, ‘It’s the perfectly imperfect that will make it truly yours.’
Rosie is Artworkerprojects
Tuesday 28 March 2023: “The act of sewing is a process of emotional repair’ is a term Rosie Perl discusses towards the end of this podcast. This is a term quoted from Louise Bourgeois.
She’s also now learning to adjust patterns to suit her body shape with her good friend Donna.
You can hear the joys that sewing brings Rosie in this podcast.
Her husband is now hooked on restoring pre-loved vintage sewing machines too.
Lots of great stories from a wonderful textile artist and Sydney local.
Safety on the Gram with Diane of Style Falcon patterns
Tuesday 21 March 2023: Diane of Style Falcon patterns is here to pass on some easy ways to keep both your online accounts and those of your family and friends safe.
Anakiequilter
Tuesday 7 March 2023: Ronda Hazell is Anakiequilter and we’re bringing her story to you in 2 episodes this time.
Ronda’s story is more than just sewing. In this episode Ronda talks about how she’s kept herself occupied and creative at times when she was working in Tasmania during her engineering studies.
Her mother allowed Ronda to take her sewing machine with her during the Summer break.
Ronda’s grandmother bought Ronda her first sewing machine as a wedding gift.
14 March 2023: This week Ronda talks about the good work SewOver50 does and the amazing indie pattern companies that help raise the image of older sewists.
There are some great Indie pattern companies that are focussing on raising awareness of mature sewists like Lindy of Stokx patterns.
Duane @mainelymenswear
Tuesday 21 February 2023: In this second episode, Duane talks about his maker background and how this has brought him to The Tailoring Academy. Make sure you listen to the first episode on 14 February (last week).
Tuesday 14 February 2023: Duane tells us the story about why he’s currently at The Tailoring Academy in the UK right now.
The Tailoring Academy course Duane is working through started in September 2022 and is 10 months in total. As he says, they started with only a few body measurements.
Many people who have been following Duane for years will remember his kilt sewing work. He called this fabulous tartan – Loud McLeod.
In this episode Duane mentions a few of his sewing friends in particular Kyle and SewAndrew.
Duane discusses what the Tailoring Academy is doing to cater for international students. You’ll hear how much Duane is loving this very intense live in academy experience.
The next episode on 21 February 2023, Duane will discuss his background and then provide us with more insights about his experience living in the UK while learning bespoke tailoring techniques.
Ros
Tuesday 7 February 2023: Ros is a SewOver50 follower who lives in Edinburgh and has taken up sewing again in the last 2 years.
The fab shirt above was made from tea towels that were in Ros’s mother’s belongings. This is Jack, her son, proudly wearing this shirt, full of memories from these tea towels purchased on various family holidays.
Ros talks about how she is providing her sewing skills to the community. One of her favourite sewing projects is finding tops from Op shops and attaching a skirt to these tops. Stitching a skirt to a thrifted top is easy and takes a couple hours to do.
The outfit Ros and her son Jack designed last year for Shelter Fashion for Social Change Award @sheltershopsscotland was on display in the actual V&A Dundee in November 2022.
Ros mentioned how proud was to have collaborated with @jack_stamp_art who designed the outfit and @finlaygjewellery who designed and made the fabulous necklace. The whole outfit was made from old sheets and tea towels. Their outfit became part of Scotland’s Fashion Festival 2022 @ScotReDesign
You can understand why Ros was proud to be shortlisted for Shelter Fashion for Social Change Award @sheltershopsscotland
Mel of Puddingandpeas
Tuesday 31 January 2023: Mel is Puddingandpeas on Instagram. Mel came to Australia in 2003 from the North West of England.
Vintage sewing is Mel’s main love and she discusses why that is and how sewing key pieces of clothes makes her sewing sustainable for her.
When you have a look at Mel’s Instagram feed, you’ll see how vintage inspired sewing fills her grid and brings her joy.
Do you love wearing 70s styles? Mel did early on because they fit her really well.
We also share our love for shopping at The Sewing Basket, run by Achieve.
Do you love pudding, peas, chips and gravy too?
What keeps Mel sewing is that sewing is just for her and she can make mistakes.
You can hear how Mel has achieved her Me-Made-May goals and her love for Gertie’s patterns.
Sigrid Sews
Tuesday 17 January 2023: Sigrid sews and knits and you may have been following her blog for many years.
In 2022 Sigrid’s Instagram account was copied as a fake account by scammers. This has happened and keeps happening to many SewOver50 followers.
There was a spate of fake Instagram accounts that were created prior to the holiday season in 2022.
In today’s podcast Sigrid talks through what happened to her on Instagram and how the SewOver50 community helped her reach out to Instagram to have the fake account removed.
Be aware that fake accounts are created and the criminals behind these accounts prey on the followers of these accounts. If you are approached by what seems to be a fake account, let the actual person know and then report the fake account to Instagram and then block it, for your safety and for the safety of your sewing friends.
When reporting fake accounts on Instagram, if the fake account uses your name/handle/photos, this is a copyright infringement. Report the fake account for copyright infringement to Instagram as well as the fake account as a scam.
What you may find that the fake account will change the photos and the avatar used as Instagram is working on investigating the reported account. Keep reporting any fake accounts to Instagram if the account continues to exists for over a week and take screen shots of the changed made to the fake account so you can let your followers know about the fake account.
An action to always take is to let your followers know there is a fake account and to also change your password.
You can follow Sigrid on her Blog on Pinterest on Etsy and on Instagram.
TJ Lee
Tuesday10 January 2023: TJ Lee is a regular client of Sewn Adaptive – Lynn and Alex – and he’s given his time to talk about how the work that Lynn and Alex do keeps him wearing the clothes he loves.
As a sewist, we have the skills to tailor and tweak clothes for ourselves and our loved ones.
The work Lynn and Alex have been doing on Instagram that shows how they adapt clothing for people who need their clothes adapted is really appreciated by their clients. TJ is one of their regular clients and this is his story.
He was born and raised in California and TJ was in the dance scene and is now helping dancers with his OT skills. Being able to wear the fashion he wants to wear is made accessible for him through the tailoring Lynn and Alex do for him.
On Instagram there are so many great tutorials that we can access and learn from so we can make these adaptions for people in our communities too.
Here’s a link to the work that Stephanie Thomas does for disability style. This article tells the story of her work. Mindy from Gamut is the other reference TJ mentions for disability fashion.
Here’s a link to the jacket Alex and Lynn adapted a jacket TJ saw in New York. This adaption allows you to hang the jacket on you when you’re not wearing it. This is a great tutorial that any sewist can do!
Make sure you take a look at the original Sewn Adaptive podcast post featuring Lynn and Alex too.
The Seamsters Apprentice
Tuesday 20 December 2022: Adam is The Seamsters Apprentice on Instagram. He decided to sew one day when the curtains in his study just happened to break.
Once Adam made the curtains in his home study 6 years ago, he became fascinated by sewing machines and sewing. Well, he tells a story about his first fascination with sewing machine as a 5 year old.
The first garment Adam made was a simple tshirt.
In the early days, sewing was a shared hobby with his late sister Sarah when she founded Dragon Café The Dragon Cafe is the project flagship of the Mental Fight Club. Sewing keeps the memory of his sister with him as Adam sews his projects for himself, his family and his friends.
Adam is an Emeritus Professor of Maths so we discussed how numbers can have an emotional meaning to people especially in the sewing and crafting community.
When Adam initially retired at 60, his plans where to run, hike and be more active in the great outdoors.
You should have a look at the shirts he has made for his colleague and friend James as well as for himself using Ankara prints. They are a pattern matcher’s dream project.
Adam describes sewing to the men he knows in this way – ‘This is engineering with really complicated structural materials.’
SewAndrew
Tuesday 13 December 2022: Andrew is SewAndrew and he has a history of learning skills and then teaching them to his local community. This includes his teaching sewing to the local community.
He’s a hairdresser by trade and was a professional dancer and with both of these talents, Andrew gives back to the community by teaching.
Here’s where you can find more about Eco Life Eastbourne where Andrew has been running in person sewing classes for the community.
Eloise is one of his loves that he sews for on a regular basis and you can see why from these photos.
Andrew’s first real sewing project was a waistcoat that he sewed with a costume designer who guided his sewing. He’s not looked back since that time.
Here’s a link to l’elegance shirt sewing pattern and other mens sewing pattern by Patrons Le BG or find their patterns at their dealers. There are many men’s sewing patterns at Ma Petite Mercerie.
The two pattern books Andrew mentioned as great mens sewing pattern resources were:
The Gentlemen’s wardrobe by Vanessa Mooncie
Men’s clothes for all occasions by Toshio Kaneko
Andrew makes a good point that if you are using patterns from the same company, after making your body adjustments to your first pattern, as you use more of these patterns the adjustments you made to subsequent patterns are the same as your first pattern. Easy.
Andrew states that his best achievement is really the last project he’s made because it has your best skills in it.
Miriam
Tuesday 6 December 2022: Miriam has been helping Ruth Collins get the word out about top down center out method and it’s easy to understand why when you hear Miriam’s sewing story.
Miriam was encouraged to sew through 4H programs.
Miriam has a phD in English and she immediately realised Ruth is a scientist by how Ruth was communicating about Top Down Center Out method. She tells us about her experience of using a dress form to get good fitting clothes but this meant Miriam had to make the dress form fit her body shape.
You’ll hear how Miriam describes Top Down Center Out method as ‘body agnostic’.
With her friend Anne Marie, they have been helping Ruth to show how anyone can use Top Down Center Out method and get pants that fit.
A key point that Miriam raises is that sewists need to keep in mind the intended fit every designer builds into the patterns we are using when we are working on sewing clothes that fit.
As Miriam says, this is one method we can use to fit pants and if you feel this method doesn’t work for you there are a few other ways to make pants fit perfectly. As a sewist, we now have a bigger choice of pants fitting method at our disposal.
Marja-Liisa
Tuesday 29 November 2022: When you look a Marja-Liisa’s Instagram feed, you’ll not know she has only been sewing her own clothes or the last 2 and a half years.
In 2019 Marja-Lisa found The Avid Seamstress patterns at Liberty in London and that is when she began to think about sewing her own clothes. At the start of the first lockdown, and after watching a few episodes of the Great British Sewing Bee, she decided to try sewing clothes.
When Marja-Lisa first tried to sew her first dress, she used a very old bedsheet to learn the construction process involved before she cut into her Liberty of London fabric.
Having instructions that help you develop your skills like she experienced with The Avid Seamstress patterns really motivated Marja-Lisa to sew and continue to build her sewing skills.
Marja-Lisa finds that she’s learnt so much about Instagram and sewing by following the SewOver50 account.
Make sure you listen to how Marja-Lisa developed her online name!
Since she started following SewOver50 she has helped out Judith and Sandy of SewOver50 and managed a guest post on Instagram.
Ruthie is Sewmanystitches
Tuesday 22 November 2022: Ruthie or Sewmanyflowers, is well known for her sewing floral fabrics.
Ruthie loves making clothes with floral prints to create her happy wardrobe.
There’s a lovely story behind the dress Ruthie made using the large panel print from Julia Allison Cost fabrics.
Ruthie makes many dresses but she also loves making and wearing coats and capes.
She is now venturing into working with solid fabrics and making them more happy by adding tucks for the fabrics, inserting lace and sewing applique to these fabrics.
One of her many Pontoon dresses, below is the Pontoon dress made with the taupe fabric Ruthie talked about in this podcast.
If you’ve not used florals before, Ruthie has some advice for new to sewing with floral sewists. Find you floral!
Florals are the basis of Ruthie’s clothes and they make her happy.
Northinstitches
Tuesday 15 November 2022: Margaret and her daughter Kat share their sewing interests and also attended the SewOver50 frocktail event in Edinburgh in September.
This podcast was recorded with both Margaret and Kat in their home and they both thoroughly enjoy frocktails and meeting in real life all the people who you chat to on Instagram in the SewOver50 community.
Both Margaret and Kat attend sewing days as SewToon in Newcastle, Toon is a dialect version of Town because that’s how Geordies pronounce the word. Lynne and Linda who were sewing friends on the podcast who also attend SewToon. SewToon is organised by Lynne’s daughter Tamlyn. Here’s a link to Lynne and Linda’s podcast blog post.
When Margaret learned to sew, she was taught at home and at school how to sew. There was no internet or YouTube videos to learn sewing skills. Kat was able to learn to sew through YouTube tutorials and then pass on those sewing skills to Margaret.
Margaret did benefit from the learn to sew patterns Simplicity published back when she was learning to sew.
Katherine learned to sew later. You’ll love listening to Kat’s ‘school skirt project’ story.
Margaret came back to sewing in 2013 and Kat taught Margaret techniques she has never learned.
Make sure you have a cuppa and sit down to listen to their stories because they will draw you into to how they work together so well. A really strong mother and daughter sewing duo.
Margaret and Kat also discuss how they keep their Instagram accounts safe. Margaret also discusses how she keeps a record of her patterns but those notes won’t be on her blog anymore.
Elke is Sewthreadbear
Tuesday 8 November 2022: Elke does have an actual thread bear, hence her Instagram name sewthreadbear. She tells us the how close to her heart this bear is to her.
While Elke can’t remember who taught her to sew, she has always sewn and in a way was influenced by her 2 aunts on her father’s side. Her aunts had a knitting machine and they created the most beautiful knitted garments.
What Elke did realise that using a knitting machine would mean she would need lots of storage space for all the wool yarns used, as she saw from her aunts.
Elke is a SewOver50 follower who was able to attend SewOver50 Frocktails in September.
Elke talks about how as a sewist, we get caught in the perfection of the pattern we’re using. She has learnt that if the garment looks good from 3′ away, you’ve done a great job.
She has sewn some amazing garments using Julia Allison Cost fabrics too.
Love for Lismore heART space
Tuesday 1 November 2022: Rebecca Ryan and Jodi Dynan are co founders of Love for Lismore HeART Space. Rebecca and Susan Goodwin of Measure Twice Cut Once patterns talk about their experiences with these floods and how people can help this area rebuild their communities.
In the months after catastrophic flooding decimated parts of the northern rivers, including the heart of the region, Lismore, heart banners have been spreading through the region to bring hope, love and a sense of solidarity to our community.
Behind the scenes we have been working to replenish lost craft supplies, collecting and distributing gifts and using crafts as a way to heal all of our hearts. The Love for Lismore group has distributed over 1,200 heart banners, made and handed out over 1,100 mini heart flags at the Our Healing Hearts Lantern parade in June, created large scale banners for the stages at One From The Heart and other music festivals and fund-raisers and sparked heart based side projects including hot water bottle covers and pet coats to help the community through this cold winter.
We have been able to achieve so much together, with the help of donations, and now we are ready to stretch our wings and settle into a space to bring even more of this to life.
The HeART space will be a place to sew and craft, to donate heart banners and craft supplies or hand made gifts, to pick up much needed craft supplies at no cost or a heart banner for your home or business, a space to create, craft and heal together.
We have found a location in Lismore and in order to keep the Love For Lismore HeART Space running we need to ensure we can pay the rent and bills and will need your help to do so. All donations will help keep this brand new community space operating.
Have a look at some of the ways you can help this community as they rebuild their lives:
- Like the Love for Lismore heart space facebook page
- Funding for Love for Lismore heart space via Go Fund me page
- Send art and craft supplies to Love for Lismore heart space – ‘Shop 2 119 Magellan Street, Lismore NSW 2480’
- Make heart banners and join the Love for Lismore and surrounds facebook page.
Stay in contact with Love for Lismore Heart Space via their Facebook page. They need your support.
Susan also mentions Sofia’s kitchen where she prepares meals for locals everyday. Make sure you subscribe to Susan’s sewing YouTube channel. Taking the scary out of sewing is her focus for new sewists.
Stacey Taylor is The Crooked Hem
Tuesday 25 October 2022: Stacey Taylor known as The Crooked Hem on Instagram, has developed a series of free YouTube videos to help sewists use the Top Down Centre Out method, developed by Ruth Collins ithacamaven on Instagram.
Ruth Collins was on the podcast in August and discussed the 5 steps within the Top Down Centre Out pants fitting method.
Stacey has developed this series of Top Down Centre Out videos in consultation with Ruth so these free resources are always available and up to date.
Stacey is a trained molecular biologist, and this engrained discipline leads her to always document her work, cite my sources, and encourage open discourse. Stacey left the lab years ago but took these principles with her to other parts of her life, including her sewing practice.
She shares her work here with everyone openly in the hope that it might inspire others or helps people along their sewing journey.
When Stacey is not at her sewing machine, she’s in her garden or hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband. Stacey has a Ph.D. in cancer biology, and she has worked as a scientist, teacher, and a technical writer. Today she is a product manager in the cancer diagnostics industry.
Morag_cj
Tuesday 18 October 2022: Morag_cg is a SewOver50 follower and lives in Glasgow.
If you watched the posts and stories for SewOver50 Frocktails in September, you would have seen her have a splendid weekend in Edinburgh.
Morag has been sewing since she can remember and has the knack for working with paper and then developing her sewing project. She is mindful of the fabric she uses and you’ll hear about her cashmere remnant purchases from Nomad_slt. Nomad SLT rescues cashmere and wool fabrics for reselling.
As there are five men in her family, Morag is skilled at sewing shirts. Her favourite pattern is Thread Theory Fairfield shirt. She made a toile for all five of her family and tweaked the pattern for their shapes. They were all in the medium size for this pattern, but Morag found the Thread Theory resources for fitting mens shirts was invaluable as she realised they all had fitting needs to create a shirt that fits each of them perfectly!
Anna Waters
Tuesday 4 October 2022: Anna or AnnaPikaDIY is based in France and grew up in Germany. She went back to sewing after her son was born.
Zero waste patterns Anna has used include Liz Haywood, Milan_Avjc, Process of Sewing and Birgitta Helmersson. Milan is part of the Zero Waste Design Online collective. Have a listen to Liz’s podcast.
Thanks to Gabriele KissnTuss who asked to have Anna as a guest on the podcast for SewOver50.
#sewingcpd2022
Tuesday 27 September 2022: Make sure you keep an eye out for #sewingcpd2022 on the Curvy Pattern Database Instagram account.
Use #sewingcpd when you sew a pattern from the Curvy Pattern Database in October and be in the running for one of 15 prizes. The top prize is US based – a Babylock sewing machine.
2021 was the first year #sewingcpd was run with over 40 prizes given away. That’s a lot of prizes for Sarah to manage on her own. There are now 133 designers in the database. Many of these designers will work with customers to grade out their patterns and work with you to ensure the pattern works for you as well.
As Sarah said, over 400 patterns are published each year now. Patterns need to be ‘one-click away’. Patterns in books, magazines, in collections and in subscriptions are not easy to find and won’t be on the Curvy Pattern Database.
Days for girls
Tuesday 20 September 2022: Mary Connolly-Gale is the Chief Operating Officer of Days for Girls Australia. Days for Girls is an international organisation who’s mission is to shatter the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation for improved health, education and livelihoods.
This podcast was a suggestion by Monica, a patron of the podcast. Thank you Monica.
Days for Girls Australia is a registered Australian not for profit and is a Country Affiliate with Days for Girls International. Volunteers across Australia mobilize to increase access to menstrual products and vital health information for women and girls around the world.
SO50LIVE
Tuesday 13 September 2022: Have you enjoyed seeing Byrd and Molly run So50Live for the Sewover50 community during the northern hemisphere Summer months? That’s Byrd of Yogabyrdsews and Molly of Mike and Molly’s House on Instagram. Byrd and Molly are today’s SewOver50 podcast guests.
Both Molly and Byrd were wanting to do the work to have more discussions on SewOver50. They approached Judith and Sandy separately earlier this year and now they’ve created an engaging platform for SewOver50 on Instagram.
They had roles at the start and now they have a great rhythm working together and making their guests feel comfortable in their So50LIVE interviews on Instagram.
Every recording can be watched from the SewOver50 Instagram account if you miss it live.
In addition to meeting sewists, SO50Live will provide a front row seat to upcoming sewing challenges, Sew Organised Style podcasts and other current sewing news and tips.
Wis_g part 2
Tuesday 6 September 2022: This is part 2 of Wis’s interview in May.
It’s a few weeks away from SewOver50’s Frocktails event in Edinburgh this month and hearing Wis talk about her love for sewing is a great way to lead into this international event.
When Wis came back to sewing, getting used to sewing patterns with seam allowances, when they were not included before, she had to read pattern instructions in a lot more detail.
Her wish is that every designer puts the seam allowances on every pattern piece. You know what it’s like when you’re working on a collar or facing and this pattern piece has much smaller seam allowances than the rest of the pattern pieces. Very tricky!
Wis recommends you have to measure all the time as you sew and have a clear head too. She also recommends you test the pattern before using the fabric you want to make your final garment out of. This is a practice Wis does with each project. She checks that the side seams match with the paper pattern.
Wis suggests you take your time, measure all your pattern pieces and fabrics every time will give you are good results.
Her ongoing adjustments are to lengthen the bodice of her garments because she is tall.
Wis follows SewOver50 and she says there are many great garments she sees from SewOver50 followers, all the time. The online sewing challenges also inspires Wis to sew. Wis is often in awe of the creations she sees from SewOver50 followers.
By taking pattern drafting classes, Wis is now building up her range of block patterns that fit her body and her design aesthetic.
Ruth Collins – Top Down Center Out method
Tuesday 30 August 2022: Ruth Collins is better known as Ithacamaven on Instagram and she created the Top Down Centre Out method to fit pants/trousers.
Ruth posts all the details about the Top Down Centre Out method on her Instagram account including updates about this method as she refines it.
Ruth discusses the basis of the Top Down Center Out method and what this method was designed to sewists achieve on their own.
At about the 10 minute mark, Ruth discusses the 5 steps of her Top Down Centre Out method.
Towards the end of the podcast, Ruth discusses how this pants fitting method caters the body curves and people’s fit preferences.
Ruth does discuss how making pants fit is also a part of ensuring you keep the style of the pants as well. Different styles will have shaping to keep within the pants you’re working on.
Ruth’s first article was published in Threads Magazine issue #218 and Stacey of @thecrookedhem is publishing a series of videos on her YouTube channel.
Marcia Lois Riddington returns
23 August 2022: Marcia is back to update us about her sewing and crafting life.
Since Marcia was the first SewOver50 follower on the podcast in 2020, she has enjoyed exploring her sewing skills and clothing style.
MendMarch had a very positive effect on Marcia this year and she now looks forward to visible mending in her daily life.
Like many sewists, she has to do some sewing everyday to relax her.
She has always embroidered and Marcia now builds embroidery into many of her makes.
Sewn Adaptive
Left to right – Lynne, Kanya (client) and Alex
Tuesday 16 August 2022: Sewn Adaptive is an educational platform for tailors and existing/new sewists to learn alteration techniques to adapt fashion to make it more accessible to all parts of the community.
Lynn Brannelly Costume Designs of @lws_lynnwardrobesews and Alexander Andronescu Fashion designer of @AlexofArabia are the co-founders of Sewn Adaptive.
In this recording, you’ll hear what motivates them to use their industry experience to help adapt clothes for all parts of the community. They’re sharing their knowledge with us through their videos on their Instagram account Sewnadaptive.
Home sewists and new sewists can learn adaptation techniques they can do for themselves or for their loved ones with a few sewing notions.
Runway of Dreams 2022: When you watch Runway of Dreams, the fashion and clothing looks like fashion and clothing. Lynn points out that you might not see the adaptions made to these clothes at all but the alterations were made for the wearer’s needs. The adaptions are tasteful, proportional and stylish.
Sewn Adaptive is an educational platform for tailors and existing/new sewists to learn alteration techniques to make fashion more accessible. Home sewists and new sewists can learn alteration techniques they can do for themselves or for their loved ones with a few sewing notions.
Alex talks about using Velcro patches for button down shirts to assist people with dexterity challenges. He also emphasises the importance of using the right terminology like ‘upper limb difference’ to describe a hand that has fingers missing, as an example.
Lynn discusses how the adaptions they demonstrate on Instagram can be made by manufacturers and sewists alike.
Replacing buttons with Velcro patches and snaps are closures on like shirts and pants. Alex discusses how there are so many types of velcro fastenings and how easy they are to buy.
Proportional adaptation to fashion are features on Sewn Adaptive. Anyone can make these adaptions. The techniques are simple and you can make the right adaptions by finding out from the wearer what they want to achieve to make clothes fit them stylishly.
Making changes to clothes so they don’t look altered is what you’ll continue to see on Sewn Adaptive. People should be able to wear the brands they want to wear and not look like their clothes have been altered for them. Oscar (pictured above) wears his sweater that fits him perfectly now.
Lynn and Alex continue to add alteration ideas on Sewn Adaptive regularly for manufacturers and sewists to make fashion be more accessible. They also receive ideas from the community about the adaptions they use to make clothes fit either themselves or their loved ones.
Patching techniques are used reinforce jeans for less wear and tear by wearers who have a prosthesis. Patching options are shown on Sewn Adaptive.
Lynn and Alex discuss examples of adaptions for limbs that have varied widths as well as adaptions on trousers and tops for people who use wheelchairs.
Lynn discusses how they would like to work with sewing machine companies that have machines that are accessible. Alex discusses developing alteration accreditation for a more reliable alteration/adaptive experience.
Making alterations and clothing adaptions that make clothes look tailored for all people is the goal that Sewn Adaptive is teaching people one IG video at a time. It’s all about the comfort of the customers and giving everyone the ability to wear brand labels that suit their bodies.
Diane – Style Falcon patterns
Tuesday 9 August 2022: Diane of Style Falcon patterns creates patterns using a mature fit model for the basis of her patterns.
How Diane found a suitable fit model and why she established the name Style Falcon are some of the topics Diane discusses in her first podcast for SewOver50.
We do discuss falcon as there are many associations of birds and women that are negative. Falcons are strong and have many of the positive connotations Diane wanted to reflect for women.
Diane also discusses the team she has to bring Style Falcon patterns to us with the adjustments we make for our ageing bodies built into every pattern she launches.
Diane has been sewing most of her life and she learnt to sew through her grandmother.
Stay up to date with all the patterns Diane is working on by following her on Instagram and bookmarking her sewing pattern website at Stylefalcon.net
Camilla and Sweden sewing community
Tuesday 2 August 2022: Camilla has kept her promise and is back to tell use about the sewing community in Sweden.
Please excuse us as Camilla describes her love for wombats, an Australian native animal. She’s very passionate about sewing and wombats.
You’ll see how social media and the internet has influenced the current trends in the local sewing community of Sweden.
Lindy of Stokx Patterns
Tuesday 26 July 2022: In March Lindy wrote about the Missing Measurement Chart on her website and updated it on 17 July.
Choosing patterns to fit your body is full of emotions and Lindy provides some more objective ways to get a pattern that fits you.
Carmen Bouchard @carmencitablog
Tuesday 19 July 2022: Today we continue to hear Carmen talk about sewing and what she learnt from her experience of being on the French Sewing Bee.
Carmen has given back to the sewing community through the books she has published and teaching on Artesan online learning platform. Here’s the link to Artesane
Tuesday 12 July 2022: Carmen has been sewing since she was 5 years old. In 2014, Carmen won the Great French Sewing Bee Season 1 – Cousu Main.
Carmen was taught to sew using a pattern at the age of 12. As she said, she follows pattern instructions to the letter, even if the instructions are not comprehensive.
Carmen Bouchard is a Canadian expat living in Brittany, France. She started sewing at the age of 5 and at 12 years old, her neighbour taught Carmen to sew by following pattern – Vogue patterns.
Carmen has been teaching and is a spokesperson for Fiskars and Janome in France. Carmen will never skimp on tools or notions. Here’s the link to Artesane, the French Craftsy-like platform. Have a look at Carmen’s online course.
Lou of @sewmuchtodesign
Tuesday 5 July 2022: Lou is back to discuss her sewing life on this podcast. Lou has been a guest editor twice now and she gives people an idea of how easy it is to give back to the SewOver50 community.
Congratulations on your recent retirement Lou.
Her coat making is something you need to take a close look at on her Instagram account. Coats and jackets are a great way to think outside the box and you can create ‘one of a kind’ pieces.
As Lou says, you have to feel the fabric you’re about to use.
Coats and jackets are that perfect third piece of a pulled together outfit. Lou provides some good advice for new sewists that are about to make their first coat or jacket.
Lou tells us #mymakesforthemonth is almost 2 years strong and offers over $5,000 of prizes.
On a personal note, thank you Lou for sharing how your Mom influenced you to sew.
Lu-Anne of Luannesewcializes
Tuesday 29 June 2022: Lu-Anne talks about how she’s now creating clothes when she never thought that she would do this.
Lu-Anne is also passionate about using fabric that tells a story and you’ll see examples of these on her Instagram account. You should follow Lu-Anne on Instagram to see how creating clothes creates moments and feelings for the people she loves.
Lu-Anne is now included in the CanadaSews group. Lu-Anne is also a fan of Julia Allison Cost and her amazing fabrics.
Lu-Anne first started to sew as an offshoot from her weaving creations she did when she attended the Arts School in Banff, Canada.
For a person who said they would never quilt, Luanne is adding quilting to her sewing skills and this has absolutely been a game changer for her.
For many years, Lu-Anne used to think that social media was something to stay away from. When she started to follow @sewover50 on her private account, she saw how positive and embracing the online community was and about a year ago, Lu-Anne created a public account and publicly thanked the sewing community for helping her decide to create this new account.
Lu-Anne embraces the ‘much’. Have a listen to what embracing the ‘much’ is all about.
Bernadette of littlemissdressco
Tuesday 21 June 2022: Bernadette @littlemissdressco is new to reels but she’s managed to create on to teach people how to cover buttons and with great success too.
She’s a long time buyer of fabric and when she sewed and sold clothes online, Bernadette also started to teach people to sew. The teaching she did really took off. So much so, she was also sewed on television and worked for quite a few sewing machine companies.
Bernadette still has a core group of sewing students that sew together and socialise outside of their sewing sessions. They are a group of sewing friends now.
Bernadette Wainwright little miss dress co on Facebook and most often at littlemissdressco on Instagram.
She has sewn not just for her family but also for tv shows and also most recently for Gay Pride month in the UK. Bernadette sews for Stuart Hillard, who was on series 1 of the Great British Sewing Bee.
You really should go to Bernadette’s Instagram account to see all the amazing work she’s created for herself, for her husband and for Gay Pride Month.
Her advice to new sewists is to ‘start small and gradually build your skills.’
Lou of Sewmuchtodesign
Tuesday 14 June 2022: Lou Sheffer of sewmuchtodesign discusses the recent Instagram ploy where she almost lost her Instagram account on today’s SewOver50 podcast.
You know Lou of Sewmuchtodesign because she’s a SewOver50 follower and the organiser of #MyMakesForTheMonth Challenge.
In this podcast Lou shares her recent experience where her Instagram account was hacked and the good news is, she was able to get her account back with help from SewOver50’s Sandy and Judith. Lou also shares handy tips about keeping your account safe that she’s learned through this upsetting experience.
Lou shares her experience and some ways to protect your instagram account when she was faced with a message to say ‘you’ve been logged out’. She describes how you can navigate your way through Instagram to reclaim your Instagram account from online theft.
Do you have a public and a private Instagram account?
If your Instagram account keeps saying ‘you’ve been logged out’ gather your wits about you and follow the series of Instagram prompts to help you claim back your account.
You’ll hear how Sandy from SewOver50 helped Lou navigate her way through Instagram to claim back her account.
Having a ‘back up’ Instagram account helped Lou contact SewOver50 for assistance. Lou now has back up codes and two factor authentication for her accounts.
Make sure you check the contact details listed in your Instagram accounts are your email and phone numbers listed.
When you receive communication about your Instagram account, it will come from Meta, the company that runs Facebook and Instagram.
Once you are provided with a verification code from Meta, take it one step at a time and you may have to try a few times to get into your account. Stay calm.
Lou then talks about the verification codes and the actions she took to make her Instagram account more secure. Lou also uses WhatsApp for account verification rather than verification through her mobile/cell phone number.
Helpful tips from Lou include sending voice memos to your friends or asking specific questions only they would know when you’ve trying to help them through an online problem verifies that you are who you say you are. No one can imitate you.
Go with your gut if you feel that someone who’s contacting you is not the real person you know.
Go into settings and into your login and see what is in your account as well as the location that your account has been logged into.
Wis_g
Thursday 26 May 2022: Wis is Wis_g on Instagram. She tells us about how she chose ‘what i sew’ as this phrase uses the first letters of her name Wis. Clever right?
Do you also think about should you still blog or not? Wis has also thought about the same issues as she also has a blog where she has posted the information about the clothes she has made.
Wis talks about how she feels about sewing and being a part of the SewOver50 community. Since SewOver50 started in August 2018, she has felt very safe within this community lead by Judith and Sandy.
Lindy and SewOver50
4 May 2022: Lindy is back and tells a few stories about how SewOver50 followers are using her patterns to make amazing clothes from the fabrics that they love to wear.
Lindy highly regards SewOver50 sewists and how they create such amazing clothes they wear again and again once she releases her new patterns.
She knows everyone’s name and Lindy gets so much joy from seeing how everyone uses her patterns for their own purposes. That’s the joy of being an indie pattern designer.
Have you been following #stokxinthewild yet? There are now over 200 posts now, since we recorded this podcast.
The Hacker top is one to look out for.
Wis_g for The Sewing Weekender 2022
Saturday 21 May 2022: Wis lives in Gent, is a SewOver50 follower and she attended the in-house (2019) and online Sewing Weekender (2020) events.
This is a special podcast created as part of the 2022 Saturday lineup at The Sewing Weekender 2022.
Judy’s Op shopping rules
Tuesday 17 May 2022: Judy talks about her Op shopping rules.
Camilla in Sweden is back
Thursday 12 May 2022: Camilla is back to discuss the influences on her sewing and how she wants to inspire people to sew.
Rules inhibit her design ideas and she encourages new sewists to just try sewing. It’s only fabric.
You’ll understand why this wombat is pictured here for Camilla’s second podcast, once you hear her chat.
The Big Sew Off
Tuesday 10 May 2022: Alma of Sew Over It talks about The Big Sew Off – a 24 hour sewing marathon on 12 May 2022 to raise money for Mind in the UK.
This inaugural 24-hour sewathon has so far raised £7,070 for Mind.
Who’s involved so far? By Hand London, Guthrie and Ghani, Kate from the Foldline and Sew Essential plus some Great British Sewing Bee including Rumana (@thelittlepomigranate) and last year’s winner Serena (@sernasews_)
Here’s how to find out more about The Big Sew Off.
The Big Sew Off website: https://thebigsewoff.com/
Justgiving donate page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bigsewoff
How to get involved: https://thebigsewoff.com/fundraise-with-us/
Sew Over It YouTube channel where The Big Sew Off will be live streamed from 10am Thursday 12th May to 10am Friday 13th May: https://www.youtube.com/user/SewOverIt
Steven’s encore podcast
Thursday 5 May 2022: Steven is back for an encore podcast.
He talks about what motivates his sewing. This includes who his sewing idols are as well.
This is the project Steven is most proud of and will wear when the weather is cool enough
You’ll get an insider look at Steven’s sewing life by listening to this encore podcast.
He enjoys wearing earthy tones too.
Threaded Together AZ
Tuesday 3 May 2022: Sierra of Threaded Together talks about the programs run for the local community and developed from community needs.
Threaded Together is about inspiring creativity and connection through textile arts programs that partner with participants to nurture inclusive communities, cultivate agency, and provide employment pathways for people who have faced institutional injustice.
Sewing squad, Create + Connect and the STEP program are the program created by Threaded Together based on the wants of their community.
You can hear their back story on Punkfrockers episode 35 in October 2021.
Threaded Together has a facebook page, a website and their Instagram account. Sierra manages their social media accounts.
Sewing Machine Magic
Thursday 28 April 2022: Elle Yang and Suzan Okae talk about Sewing Machine Magic, a program run within the programs run by Love Binti in Uganda.
Love Binti presented their programs at this year’s Commission into the Status of Women 66 run virtually by the United Nations Women UK group. The sewing machines used to get Sewing Machine Magic started were initially funded through donations from Zonta International in Taiwan.
Elle tells how Sewing Machine Magic was initiated after she learned of the disadvantages girls had through lack of sanitary pads in their communities. Once girls started their menstrual cycles, they were unable to attend school during their periods and then they were unable to continue their education.
Fund raising for the programs run by Love Binti are needed to help run their local programs to help the local communities raise their living standards. They’re currently fund raising for sewing pads now.
About Love Binti: Love Binti from Swahili means the caring and loving of a girl.
Love Binti exists to care for women in rural areas in Africa and improve their living and health conditions. By upgrading infrastructure and providing vocational training, Love Binti helps women improve their work skills and get out of poverty. Love Binti believes that women are the cornerstone of change. The transformation of a woman’s life can lead to the reversal of a family and even a community.
You can learn more about Love Binti through their website and on Instagram.
Making fuller bust adjustments
Tuesday 26 April 2021: Lindsie Rank is back to update us on her latest bust adjustment learnings, as she navigates making clothes for her pregnancy and nursing needs.
There are plenty of resources for increasing bust sizes by 2 inches/5cm. Lindsie currently needs to increase bust size by 7 inches/ 18cm and this might change during her pregnancy and nursing stage. She shares these details on the Sew Busty website.
As you can see below, she is already working on her nursing patterns.
Why not head over to her Sew Busty pattern review for all the details as well as the blog post about the Chalk and Notch Fringe dress pictured below.
Molly of MikeandMollyshouse
Thursday 21 April 2022: Molly of Mikeandmollyshouse, unlike Teresa desewtropia, doesn’t enjoy making Halloween costumes.
Mike and Molly still share their IG account but it’s basically run by Molly, and you’ll see all the videos about her sewing and the house they are renovating.
From 2008 to 2011 we had a blog called Mike and Molly’s House where we shared how we were tackled our overwhelming credit card debt and shared all of our maker-ry things that we were doing.
In 2019 I decided to do more garment sewing and discovered the sewing community which also included the Sew over 50 account. It’s a community that really pushed me to improve my skills as a Sewist especially with garments.
Instagram is a sketchbook for me to put my ideas out there often times they are spontaneous to the point that in the morning I don’t have a clue what I’m doing but as the day progresses, I am creating stories with an arch. Often they include my cat, grandson or a particular part of our current house renovation.
I have psoriatic arthritis that leaves me with chronic pain. Sewing has served as an activity that I can do even on really bad days. More about this in the next podcast with Molly.
Judy of Judywillimentross
Tuesday 19 April 2022: Judy @judywillimentross is well known for her epic dress and now her hexi coat.
She discusses her father’s influence to recycle resources and her role at Glowing Sky, as the company also has Judy’s values regarding resources.
Have a listen to the markers Judy sewed in the epic dress, she commenced sewing on the first day of lock down in New Zealand in 2020.
There were quite a few wee highlights Judy talks about in this podcast about the epic dress and her latest hexi coat. One wee highlight was Judy’s epic dress was in the top 9 for SewOver50 in 2021, next to Esme of Great British Sewing Bee. That really is an impressive accomplishment.
Keep an eye out for Judy’s next podcast where she runs through her op shopping rules. You’ll learn how Judy’s garment choices are guided by not adding to landfill but also ensuring clothes that are needed in the community, stay in circulation.
Clive for #boyssewtoo
Thursday 14 April 2022: Clive of @Bruderfuldesign has been developing #boyssewtoo movement and he discusses this for SewOver50.
Boys Sew Too! was born out of the shared experience for the love and passion of sewing. Many boys and men are discouraged from sewing as ‘boys don’t sew’. That was the message Clive’s husband Mark received from a teacher at school. This is something they bonded over with a fellow male sewer they had the privilege to know called Rob Dawson. Rob touched many lives in the sewing world and Clive and Rob finally got to meet on the catwalk at the Stitch Festival in London. Sadly Rob passed away very suddenly, just two weeks after that show. The Boys Sew Too! movement was set up and dedicated to Rob so the word can be spread that boys and men really do sew.
Rob was an inspirational person who always motivated others in community sewing groups. He encouraged others to do their best and Rob would champion your makes regardless of skill and ability.
Rob was told that ‘boys don’t sew’ as a kid. He ignored them and sewed anyway.
#boyssewtoo is here to do just that – to encourage, support and spread the news that sewing is a life skill for all and that means boys too! Within the pages of Clive’s website they are building the support, guidance and tools you need to love this beautiful craft.
Boys Sew Too! is a message to those out there who may feel scared or judged for wanting to sew because they’re boys. Sewing is for all.
Lisa is gizagiza.gorogoro
Tuesday 12 April 2020: Lisa of gizagiza.gorogoro dusted off her sewing machine in March, 2020 to make masks. Together with her children, they sewed and donated over 6000 masks through the Million Mask Challenge.
Sewing gave Lisa a sense of purpose and she discovered how meditative sewing could be. She says that she doesn’t think she would have started sewing clothes if it wasn’t for COVID lockdowns and the need for ppe.
Lisa said ‘When I was little my mom had this awesome set of heavy pinking shears. She called them “giza giza hasami” or zig zag scissors. So Giza Giza means zig zag in Japanese. Goro goro is Japanese onomatopeia for the sound that rocks make when they are rolling. (not stones or pebbles.. that’s koro koro). My industrial Juki machine makes this sound due to its old clutch motor. Goro goro is also modern japanese slang for “chilling at home” because you are kind of rolling around the house. So I like to think of myself chilling at home, firing up my rumbling Juki and sewing up some zig zag seams.’
Lisa tells us about how she’s lucky to live close to Remainders in Pasadena. This is where Lisa sources the wool fabrics she loves sewing the most.
Make sure you listen to Lisa talk about this quilt.
Since Lisa turned 50, she felt comfortable showing her face in photos of her make. The SewOver50 community gave her this confidence to be brave and show her face on Instagram.
As Lisa says – It’s not too late and you’re not too old.
Lindy of Stokxpatterns
Thursday 7 April 2022: Lindy of Stokx patterns has been a big supporter of SewOver50 followers.
Gabriele of Kissntuss discovered Lindy when Lindy first started her business. What you’ll hear is the support Gabriele and Julie of consistentlydifferentdesigns have provided Lindy to keep producing sewing patterns that are different to mainstream patterns. You’ll hear both Gabriele and Julie talk about their first coat twinning experience in their podcasts.
Lindy is an Australian living in Berlin Germany, developing clothes and sewing patterns for us to enjoy making.
Stokx In The Wild on Instagram is going from strength to strength with sewists showing how they’re enjoying using Stokx patterns in their lives.
Janine of Janineerm
Tuesday 5 April 2022: Janine or Janineerm has been helping Judith and Sandy with guest SewOver50 posts for many years now.
Janine or @janineerm is a very busy sewist and has been a guest editor for SewOver50. Janine is one of those people who if you need help, she will volunteer her time to you.
In this podcast, she describes the steps she takes to be a guest editor. We discuss what guest editors need to provide and really, Janine has enjoyed being a guest editor for SewOver50 for a very long time.
You’ll hear how Janine did not know Instagram at all when she first began volunteering with SewOver50.
Byrd of Yogabyrdsews
Thursday 31 March 2022: Byrd or Yogabyrdsews is a new sewists and part of the SewOver50 community.
Byrd watched her mother contribute to the community through the PTA, through school activities, in political activities and even until her passing, she would collect bread for nursing homes.
Byrd has worked in social services and now in retirement she uses her sewing to help her sorority assist a school and nursing homes by sewing customised bags for residents on as a birthday gift.
In retirement, Byrd contributes to the whole community and not just through her sewing.
Remember that Byrd has been sewing for less than 2 years. She was terrified of sewing patterns so she drafted her own pyjama pattern and made them for everyone in her household.
Camilla @frkc.lindberg
Tuesday 29 March 2022: Camilla frkc.lindberg on Instagram sews for men and is a SewOver50 follower on Instagram
From her youth, Camilla has sewn and she became a career tailor. You’ll hear how sewing for her family is an expression of her love for them. They show their love for Camilla by requesting she make them clothes. You will enjoy hearing about her first project recycling her mother’s newly bought jeans, when Camilla was a teenager.
Camilla lives in Sweden and she has many local shops where she can source fabric and patterns from local designers. One of her favourite designers is Ann Ringstrad.
Camilla treasures the work Judith and Sandy do to recognise older sewists on Instagram. As Camilla says, SewOver50 makes older sewists visible.
You’ll hear more from Camilla in the coming months as we explore the sewing available in Sweden.
Steven @arealheller
Thursday 24 March 2022: Steven or @arealheller been sewing for 3 years and he found SewOver50 through people he was following on Instagram.
Steven tells us he is in Sewover60 and he should be in Sewover70 as well.
He had always wanted to sew and once Steven retired he discovered tailoring was a skill his grandfathers had. Three of his grandparents were tailors. All four of his grandparents migrated to the States as refugees from Russia and Poland.
Steven decided to make his own indie designed bowling shirts when the store he used to buy them ready made, closed down. His 3 year sewing journey is now an obsession.
- Wardrobe by me patterns – mens patterns
- Twig and tale patterns – childrens and mens patterns
- Green pepper patterns – lined hooded raincoat
- Thread theory patterns
- Sew Kwik
- Burda
- Sew Easy
New sewists should learn to sew yoke using the burrito technique.
A bra sewing chat with Helga and Nicole
Tuesday 22 March 2022: Helga and Nicole chat about bra sewing.
This was an unplanned podcast where we were discussing how to get started when you’re thinking about sewing your very own bra.
Alison of Alibobs_sews
Thursday 17 March 2022: Alison Alibobs_sews says the SewOver50 Instagram tip posts are quite useful to her. She’s not over 50 and Alison is a great friend to many sewists online.
Alison had her personal embroidery story published in Threads Magazine issue 212. Alison wrote how doing embroidery on the sofa when Alison was diagnosed with breast cancer, as her mother also also done had breast cancer when Alison was 4 years old.
Alison created embroidered flowers in a vase and did blackwork embroidery to reflect a pixelated portrait.
Teresa of desewtropia
Tuesday 15 March 2022: Teresa @desewtropia has developed a listing of Etsy craft sellers who are based in the Ukraine after a recent all call out from Anita daydreamsofquilts
Teresa @desewtropia created a list of over 80 Etsy digital craft sellers based in Ukraine after Anita of @daydreamsofquilts put out a call to support craft sellers directly. Etsy has removed the sellers fees from these businesses as well.
Teresa has web development skills and she’s created this listing and a website hosting this list. Links to the Ukrainian Etsy sellers at Teresa’s website at www.teresahardy.com/ukraine.
From Teresa “Oh, and also we made it so that all the code is open source – so it’s free and available for anyone who wants to use it – you need to be a little nerdy, of course, but it’s there and if someone wants to use it to make a collection of other ways to help people in Ukraine, I’d be thrilled to know about it.’
She will keep updating this list as people let her know about Ukraine craft businesses and the list will be available indefinitely.
We also learn about Teresa’s sewing life. Her personal Instagram if anyone’s interested in life in the Andes at the equator is @unpaintedhuffheins (As Teresa says, ‘Yeah, I don’t make my usernames easy do I?’)
Pam of Sewnonthemap
10 March 2022: Sewnonthemap is Pam’s Instagram handle and she’s today’s SewOver50 podcast guest.
She has a fabric stash that reflects the countries she has lived in over the years
Pam will tell you that sewing is just one of her passions.
Sewing friends – Helga and Nicole
Tuesday 8 March 2022: Do you want to know what Helga and Nicole are working on next? Have a listen to part 2 of their friends podcast.
Thursday 3 March 2022: Helga of Salixsews and Nicole of Septemberfaden are sewing friends both online through SewOver50 and locally in Augsburg, Germany.
Robyn
Tuesday 1 March 2022: Robyn is fourpatchtextiles on Instagram and she’s many things including a SewOver50 follower and visible mending advocate.
Robyn is a retired engineer however she’s as mindful of her resources now as she has ever been. From her first efforts as a young child sewing with scraps and using a stapler to sew seams together, Robyn continues to share her pattern cutting knowledge with her fellow sewists all over the world…on Instagram.
She focusses on slow fashion and good fit. Her mindful use of fabrics means she uses jersey scraps to create her iconic sock monkeys. They tend to run her Instagram account.
By following Tricia of Morrissews and Wendy whendy7, she found people who looked like her in the sewing world when she started to follow the SewOver50 hashtag.
Now SewOver50 and Mending Mayhem are her go-to information sources about Instagram.
You can follow Robyn on her blog and on Instagram.
Dawna
Thursday 24 February 2022: @spoolriversewing is how we all know and admire Dawna’s sewing skills and she’s now a SewOver50 podcast guest as well.
Dawna is a rivertown gal from St Paul, Minnesota, situated on the Mississippi River. She lives a stone’s throw away from the banks of this mighty river and she walks by it every day. Dawna is an English major and at university she read ‘Spoonriver Anthology’ which is a collection of poems about rural life in America. It’s essentially a tapestry of life and her sewing life is definitely a tapestry of her life as well.
You can find Dawn on her blog and on instagram.
Dawna has a very long sewing career and her daughters have also attended sewing camp. You’ll love listening to her sewing reflections.
Tracy Davis
Tuesday 22 February 2022: Tracy’s sewing style reflects her Instagram name sewing4therapy.
Vintage Tina
Thursday 17 February 2022: Tina Watts has now created the Vintage clothes she enjoys wearing.
Her instagram account provides her with the file of the clothes she can choose from, in true vintage style.
Yolanda Woodland
Tuesday 15 February 2022: Yolanda gives her time to test patterns for sewing companies.
Jeanette Hayes
Thursday 10 February 2022: Jeanette or netty.hayes.sews on Instagram is a New Zealand sewist and a SewOver50 follower.
Jeanette has recently come back to sewing and she’s collaborated with Chalk and Notch patterns, Friday Pattern Company, True Bias, Minerva and Fabric Godmother.
Fabric Godmother said they Jeanette’s profile through #sewover50.
Jeanette wrote a blog for Friday Pattern Company about this square neck hack.
Nikki Sinclair
Tuesday 8 February 2022: Nikki Sinclair is a stylist who sews and inspires her fellow SewOver50 friends.
Nikki Sinclair is joined by her biggest fan, Clayton
You can find Nikki’s styling work at her website.
Sarah Pondevie
Thursday 3 February 2022: Sarah has been focussing on using her existing resources to focus on visible mending. With her pattern developments, she amassed a lot of fabrics and resources that were no longer useful to her but when she went to take them to the local thrift store, the response from the store was a wake up call to her regarding textile waste.Sarah discusses her journey into visible mending
In this podcast Sarah discusses how she’s focussing on visible mending techniques and helping local people develop their own visible mending skills in Perth.
Sarah’s sewing pattern development is on hiatus right now as she focusses her energies on visible mending and painting.
This is a story about how one indie pattern designer is using her sewing skills to be more mindful about how she uses textiles and slowing the sewing process down.
Angie Hinksman
Wednesday 2 February 2022: Angie gives us the inside details of her time recording on Kirsty’s Handmade Christmas.
Angie makes dolls and toys and she discusses this in more detail. As well as her love of the Marvellous Miss Maisel tv series and clothes.
Tuesday 1 February 2021: Angie Hinksman has had a few amazing opportunities offered to her since last year and she talks about them in this podcast.
Yes. She’s taken these opportunities and is enjoying herself and is feeling happy again.
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