Sewcialists are a sewing blog for everyone and in 2021 Tuesdays were Sewcialists podcasts until Sewcialists closes down at the end of June. The hard working editors behind Sewcialists are running the last theme month in May 2021. The 2020 Sewcialists podcasts featured Australian editor, Chloe Read where she updated us about the challenges that took place at the time. Sew Organised Style has been proud to support their work and their wonderful guests on most Tuesdays.

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Shoulder fitting podcasts

Tuesday 13 July 2021: Gabby has now written 3 in-depth shoulder fitting blog posts on Sewcialists for the sewing community that she discussed in more details on the podcast.

Tuesday 22 June 2021: Gabby researched across the sewing knowledge both online and in publications and published three shoulder posts for Sewcialists.

This first podcast focusses on good resources to better understand the effect of shoulder slope. You can read all the details on Gabby’s ‘The Great Shoulder Adjustment Digest part 1‘.

The second podcast on shoulder fitting, Gabby discusses more detail about shoulder adjustments for better fitting garments. To prepare for this podcast, make sure you read Gabby’s part 2 on understanding measurements as well as part 3 on Raglans, shoulder girth etcetera.

Meet Leila Keleher

Tuesday 8 June 2021: Leila is our final ‘all butts welcome podcast for Sewcialists. Leila discusses pants fitting and tells us about the Muna and Broad jeans pattern that has 2 butt shapes to choose from.

Leila echos that Sarah and Rae about pants fitting. It takes time and patience.

Meet Rae Cumbie

Tuesday 25 May 2021: Speaking about derrieres is the focus of Rae Cumbie’s podcast for Sewcialists this month. Our theme month is All Butts Welcome and getting a great butt fitting pants is what Rae can help anyone with.

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Taking the time to set us a pants test that has all the information about getting a better fitting derriere is an investment in your time for future pants you really want to sew now.

Rae has released a new blog post about improving on your pants pattern.

Rae has written quite a few pants blog posts
Starting on your pants journey
Grainlines on pant patterns are so important
Fabric for fitting pants
A tale of two new pants
Pants for a changed body
Missteps on the eureka pants pattern

Until 31 May 2021, Rae is offering a 15% off digital pattern for the Eureka pants pattern using coupon code ALLBUTTSWELCOME

As you can see her Eureka pants pattern has 3 butt shapes in one pattern and thankfully it’s now available as a pdf so you can grab it and have it available to you when you purchase it.

The key take away for listeners is to establish your crotch shape for your comfort using horizontal and vertical balance lines. This grid provides a systematic way to resolve your rear pants fit.

Meet Sarah Veblen – ‘all butts welcome’

Tuesday 11 May 2021: You can find Sarah through her website Sarah Veblen Clothing Originals. On her website you can find a variety of classes taught by Sarah. Sarah Veblen is our first Sewcialists podcast for ‘all butts welcome’ theme.

Sarah talks about using horizontal balance lines on garments for a better fit. Sarah has written about this in her article about How to make a mock-up.

Making a mock up pants pattern with both the grainlines and horizontal balance lines will help you identify where the pattern needs adjusting for a better fit.

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The horizontal balance lines (hbl) will show if the centre back seam needs more or less length.

Sarah recommends drawing 3 hbls on the pants mock up. The first across the widest part of your buttock and then two more hbls. One hbl 5 cm above the first hbl and one 5cm below the first hbl.

The grainlines will show where you need more or less fullness. When the grainlines start to angle across the body, that tells you the crotch needs to be scooped! Pinning the crotch curve allows you to see how much scoop is needed to straighten the grainlines.

Changes to the centre back seam can affect the front of the pants.

Sarah talks indepth about crotch lengths required for a good fit and ensure you have the correct proportions.

When Sarah talks about walking a pattern, this is the process of matching up stitching lines of each seam, to determine if the seams will line up correctly when sewn in fabric. You’re checking the seam lines are the same length
In some cases the stitching lines will be exactly the same length, which is straightforward matching: centre front and centre back seams are almost always the same length.

You can find Sarah on her website where her classes are listed with her resources.

Roundtable with Susan Khalje & Gabby Brown

Tuesday 27 April 2021: Susan Khalje and Gabby Brown discuss sewing skill development from their industries for sewists to assess how they want to develop their sewing skills and practice.

Meet Megan Green – The Green Violet

Tuesday 13 April 2021: Megan Green has been blogging about her sewing since 2009 and recently she updated her list of sewing pattern companies that cater to plus sized sewists.

You’ll find Megan on her blog and on instagram

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Megan is a hydrologist by day, but spends most of her free time in the sewing room trying to create the perfect handmade wardrobe. She learned to sew from her mother (who learned to sew from her mother), but didn’t start sewing in earnest until 2012, shortly after she moved to New Mexico and found her plus size shopping options severely limited. 

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At that point she began sewing nearly all of her clothing and never looked back. As a self-described fitting nerd, she teaches classes in northern New Mexico, with the intent of helping folks of every size make beautiful fitting and comfortable clothing. She is currently working towards a Certificate in Fashion Design and has completed coursework in pattern drafting.

When she is not sewing, she can be found endlessly redecorating her mid-century home, hanging out with her tiny pack of tiny dogs, skiing or rafting (depending on the season), and seeking out the best hot springs in the Southwestern US.

Meet Samantha Waude – Purple Sewing Cloud

Tuesday 30 March 2021: Samantha Waude or Purple Sewing Cloud shares her sewing accessibility solutions that work for her as well as some vital research she is about to share with us all.

Since Samantha started talking about her chronic illnesses online, she has been able to find ways to make sewing more accessible for her.

When you sew your own clothes you can fall into the sewing vortex and this brings Samantha grief and pain in the days after sewing for too long.

When Samantha realised she needed a sewing machine that would work for her physical limitations, she found it difficult to find any information about the accessible aspects of sewing machines available to home sewers. In this podcast you’ll hear how Samantha’s search for accessible information was embraced by many sewing businesses.

It’s important to show what your makes look like seated and using the hashtag #shownsewnseated is one that everyone can use.

You’ll find Samantha on Instagram, Minvera, and on her blog.

Meet Abi of Sew Enabled

Tuesday 16 March 2021: Abi is talking about accessibility and the Sew Enabled community.

Sewcialists podcast featuring Abi of Sewenabled for accessibility theme months.

Abi lives in Hampshire with her husband and two dogs. She has been sewing since 2014, and tries to make all her own clothes. She also knits, and partakes of other textile-based crafts.

Abi has ME, tenosynovitis, asthma, and is neurodivergent. She started Sew Enabled because she realised that there weren’t easy resources available for people with all kinds of disabilities to find accessible sewing shops, websites, and patterns that could easily be adapted.

Sew Enabled is an online community working to share accessibility needs and they’ve published their first blog post about Textile textures by Jennifer of Jersey Cat Fabrics. There’s more research underway and you’ll be able to read these posts as they are published on their blog.

The next blog post to come is being developed by Samantha of the Purple Sewing Cloud. Samantha will talk about her accessibility work in the next Sewcialists podcast. You can see the details of Samantha’s accessibility work at the Australian Sewing Guild’s first online Autumn Sewing Celebration on 27 March 2021.

Abi talks about accessibility for fabric descriptions, accessibility in stores, sewing machine features and pattern design accessibility. Pattern testing with people who have accessibility needs is a good way to start and Sew Enabled can assist pattern designers find testers for them. It’s a win/win way to develop great patterns with accessible features for so many more sewists.

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They have 4 team members – Andie Wells, Melissa Mora, Tasha and Abi. If you want to join their community for support or to help their work, go to their contact us page today. Make sure you follow their Sew Enabled Instagram account. The Sew Enabled team are actively looking for people to contribute about their accessibility needs so get in touch with them today. Have you made any changes to make sewing more accessible for yourself or for others? What adaptions have you made to make sewing more accessible?

Make sure you go to the Sewcialists blog to read the accessibility articles and guest post we’re developing for March and April 2021.

Meet Brianna Ooms

Tuesday 2 March 2021: Brianna is a Sewcialists team member and she’s sharing her sewing accessible life to kick off the March and April theme for Sewcialists.

Here is Brianna’s story.

What physiological conditions influence/impact your sewing?

I have fibromyalgia and ADHD.

Fibromyalgia is a nerve disorder where the brain can’t always tell the difference between painful and nonpainful signals. For me the result is high levels of musculoskeletal pain throughout my body, as well as a lot of fatigue, and difficulties with sleep and memory and sometimes other basic functions. Basically due to trauma, my nervous system is on vigilant high alert. In trying to protect my brain and body, my nerves categorize most stimuli as a threat, usually triggering some sort of compounding pain response.
From Mayoclinic: Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.Symptoms often begin after an event, such as physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

ADHD is a type of neurodivergence. Adults with ADHD are often characterized as inattentive, impulsive and unreliable. However, ADHD is also associated with out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem solving. I love the ADHD aspects of how my brain works. It’s different, and that difference is often perceived as underperformance or lack of skill. I have comorbiditive ADHD, meaning I have both the inattentive and hyperactive forms (though for me the hyperactivity presents itself in my mind rather than in my body, as well as hyperfocus). So yes, I often need help with prioritization, time management and remembering to eat, but I’m also wonderfully creative. I think my ADHD is intrinsically tied to my creativity and identity.

From Mayoclinic: Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Adult ADHD can lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other problems.

Though it’s called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until the person is an adult. Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children. In adults, hyperactivity may decrease, but struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness and difficulty paying attention may continue.

How does your condition impact your sewing? (Negative? Positive?)

Neither of my conditions directly impact my sewing, but as we always talk about at Sewcialists, our sewing practice is always influenced by who we are and the things that shape us. My sewing is almost always at odds with my pain and energy levels. Ironing and cutting are often particularly painful. I think it’s really my ADHD and the unrelenting drive to create that keeps me sewing.

What accommodations do you make to make sewing more accessible for you?

• Work with timers to care for my body when my ADHD hyperfocus wants to take over. I won’t commit to stopping when the timer goes off, but I try to honestly assess how I’m feeling and make the call from there. It also helps me remember to pee, drink water and stretch.
• Wrapped my magnetic pin cushion in fabric because the sound of the pins clinking together hurts my head.
• Only using patterns with built-in FBAs. My energy is so limited, I’m not going to spend it doing something I hate when I can use a pattern that already has it done for me.
• Reimagine pattern construction to better fit my time/pain/energy capacities.
• Swatch services to feel fabrics

What needs remain unmet?

Cutting projects is quite difficult.

Are there tangible ways sewing business and/or the sewing community could improve?

I’ve loved seeing the sewing community warming up to accessibility. I think huge shout outs are needed for Andie of @SewPrettyInPink, Sam of @PurpleSewingCloud and Gina of @SewDisabled among many others. And of course the businesses that have started including us in representation. I still think there’s a long way to go for disabled and neurodivergent folks to be considered valued members of the sewing community.

In general, I’d like to see more education on ableism. Specifically I’d like to see patterns in extended sizes with bust options. I just feel like grading and FBAs are unacceptable time barriers for people with disabilities. Also, as we look toward a post-covid world, I’d like extra sensitivity around those of us who come out of lockdown slower, if at all. When sewing events start back up, please include accessibility information about the event, It doesn’t have to be perfectly accessible for everyone (that doesn’t exist), but by communicating what is available, organizers are letting us know that they’re considering us and that they’re likely more open to making accommodations.

Are there things (big or small) that sewing businesses already do that make sewing easier for you?

Absolutely!

• I’ve already mentioned bust cups on patterns. (Yes I will die on this hill.)
• I love when online fabric stores offer swatch services. Since I’m so sensitive, fabric feel is extra important for me.
• Pattern companies that present instructions in more than one way, so I can figure what modifications are going to work best for my brain. The more photos/illustrations, the better. Extra bonus when they do technique videos or sew-alongs!
• Patterns with clearly differentiated size lines. Sometimes if they’re too similar looking, it can trigger headaches or migraines.

What aspects of sewing bring joy?

Creating and curating my wardrobe has become so important to me. Sewing is the means to the end of presenting myself in the most accurate reflection of who I am. I always can tell if a make was a success or not if I feel more like myself when I wear it. The dream is to have all my clothes affirm me in that way. It makes such a difference on bad pain days to put on something that I made that fits both my body and my expression.

So for me, it’s really in the planning and the wearing that I find the most joy. My colour-coded, mile-long list of sewing plans is evidence of how much I love thinking through how patterns and fabrics go together and how they could represent me in my wardrobe.

What aspects don’t? Is it related to accessibility and/or the limitations of your condition?

Basically everything between planning and wearing…I’ve come to terms with the fact that I don’t really like sewing. (Though there are certain techniques that I find really satisfying.) It’s definitely in part due to the hurdle of pain and energy management, compounded with some ADHD frustration about having to take breaks and everything generally taking too long.

Does your condition influence what you make? (Prioritizing elastic waist for weight fluctuation, etc)

Definitely! My ADHD basically says I need to keep it simple. Spending too long on a project can cause me to lose interest. It helps to have a proposed timeline, but it also means not taking on advanced projects with couture techniques. There’s also adjustments I make for my sensory issues. I almost never use back zips because they hurt my spine when seated. I sometimes have trouble breathing due to anxiety and the muscle tightness across my back and ribs, so I often add extra ease to that area to try to prevent that from being unnecessarily triggered. Lastly, I almost always go for an elastic waist or a waistless option. It’s the best way for me to be mindful about my making to try to wear garments season after season.

Sewing and fitting for drag

Tuesday 16 February 2021: Gabby Brown interviewed Wayne Laberda and Maxi, where Wayne talked about sewing for drag and then Maxi did a show and tell with the outfits Wayne made her.

Head over the Sewcialists to see both Wayne’s video interview and then the video where Maxi shares her closet highlights with Gabby.

Wayne Laberda is an experienced apparel designer in the ready-to-wear manufacturing industry and has additionally worked in fabric development, trend research, color and print, as well as performing as Maxi. Wayne creates all of Maxi’s performance outfits, and all of her body modification accessories. As Maxi said, ‘Separates aren’t just for real girls.’

Wayne also said a couple of his favourites, ‘Tight is not always right’ and ‘Pull lines point to the fit area.’

Maxi loves Swarovski rhinestones and glass rhinestones. Parchment paper and cue tips are handy for embellishing her garments. Her garments have to look special and be layered for her stage acts. Corsets are her favourite garment. Linings don’t work for costumes because they make you sweat and are hard to wear on stage.

When making clothes for Maxi, Wayne prewashes the fabric and chooses cleanable fabric. One issue he does consider is are Maxi’s clothes transportable. Maxi loves wrinkle free and yes, polyester is Maxi’s favourite fibre.

Tips to make a garment special. 1: Rhinestones and more rhinestones make a garment special. 2: A good fitting garment elevates any outfit.

Fit tips from Wayne you can use to help make your garments fit better: Phone a friend and get their help. Wear your garment a little bit to realise where the fit or feel doesn’t right. Style your garment to see how it looks.

Denise Archer is in the house

Sewcialists podcast with Denise Archer Tuesday 2 February 2021: ‘Get outside of your head and into your hands’ is Denise’s motto. Crafting through stressful times.

Here’s a link to the recycled orchestra Denise talked about.

The People’s Sewing Army is a collective of sewists who feel compelled to repurpose their scrap fabrics and donate it to individuals and organisations in need. So it’s by the people for the people. Their mission is very simple: ‘We use our sewing scraps for good causes.’

The main value they have is ‘we love our planet and the people on it’.

They use their sewing scraps for people. The first step is to join. The second step is to act. The second step is one that you can partake in if you have the scrap fabric to do so.

Their projects take a lot of planning and time so they’re not able to participate in emergencies.

Here are some compelling facts about the People’s Sewing Army. The number of items and weight of what volunteers is shared with Denise.

So far 548 items have been created by the People’s Sewing Army that have inspired and loved another person. This is 548 acts of caring through using scrap fabrics.

28 kilos or 61 pounds of fabrics scraps have been used and not added to landfill.

How would you measure the real effect of these acts of love?

Denise Archer can be found at @pin.prrrick or at @thepeoplessewingarmy or editing the @thefriedeagle

Liz Haywood for zero waste sewing

Tuesday 19 January 2021: Today’s podcast is the second Sewcialists podcast for 2021 featuring Liz Haywood, the Australian author of Zero Waste Sewing for the first of 2 podcasts for the first Sewcialists theme month – Zero Waste Sewing.

Zero waste sewing is the first Sewcialists theme month for 2021 running in February and it’s quite fitting as many people tend to use the new year to rethink their sewing goals. This Sewcialists podcast is one of 2 Zero Waste Sewing podcasts we have developed to support your take up the Zero waste sewing challenge with us at Sewcialists.

So what’s zero waste sewing? In short, it’s making use of every bit of fabric in your project. It is good for the environment, and good for the wallet too!

In this Sewcialists podcast you’ll hear from a local Aussie Liz Haywood, the author of her latest book Zero Waste Sewing.

Here are the 3 easy ways you can join our Zero Waste sewing month:

1. Sew a Zero Waste pattern
2. Make a low waste garment
3. Make a scrapbusting project.

When you do, use the hashtag, #sewcialistszerowaste so we can see what you’ve achieved and you’d like to be included in the end of month round-up.

Liz Haywood’s Zero Waste Sewing book was a recipient of a 2020 NYC Big Book Award in the craft/hobby category. 

Gillian Whitcombe!

Tuesday 4 January 2021: Gillian Whitcombe launches Sewcialists podcasts and talks about the 2 key goals for Sewcialists this year. You really should read Gillian’s blog post and make your support and ideas known.

Sewcialists podcasts will be published every 2 weeks to support the Sewcialists blog posts. Make sure you add your diversity voice to Sewcialists by contacting them on their Instagram account or on the Sewcialists blog.

Chloe Read Sewcialists update

Tuesday 22 December 2020: Chloe Read is back updating us on Gabby Brown’s 30th blog post and her amazing contribution to the Sewcialists. There are some new editors on the team including Sue Stoney from Perth. We also hear more about the end of year series called the Top 5!

Gabby Brown – ‘good information’

Tuesday 15 December 2020: You know you’ll always read good information and knowledgeable posts with Gabby Brown of Sewcialists.

Gabby has now written 30 blog posts where she’s shared her textile industry knowledge on Sewcialists. Her latest post encourages you to ‘always be questioning’ (ABQ).

What’s prompted her is that information that is shared isn’t necessarily good information. It may not even be useful information. As we head into a new year and say good bye to this year’s challenges, Gabby provides us with some reliable patternmaking books and places to go to learning sewing techniques that work.

Meet Renee Samuels

Tuesday 1 December 2020: Renee Samuels or Miss Celie’s Pants is today’s volunteer Sewcialists editor on Sewcialists Tuesday podcast.

If you don’t aleady know the story behind Renee’s online name, have a listen in and hear how she chose Miss Celie’s Pants. Many people know Renee through her sewing blog. She’s been blogging her sewing journey since 2008!

Renee’s love of Baltimore is infectious.

Renee’s grandmother sewed and her Grandfather was a tailor back in Grenada. When she asked her mother that she wanted to sew her own clothes after sewing commercial patterns in Germany, one of their church friends taught Renee how to sew.

Did you first meet Renee through Pattern Review? She’s been a member since 2002 and has been a moderator for Pattern Review as well.

Sewcialists are a recent find for Renee. Renee is an experienced maker who is willing to provide information to other makers who rely on their fellow makers for good advice.

Renee encourages people to follow the Sewcialists especially if you want to hear voices different to the voices you often hear in the sewing community.

Gabby Brown – fitting for yourself

Tuesday 24 November 2020: Gabby talks about fitting for yourself and the checklist she uses as she goes.

1. Know what you’re looking for. 2: Have your checklist. 3: Write everything down accurately so you can make those corrections. These are just a few of the suggestions that Gabby talks about.

You can read the Fit Model post Gabby wrote for the Sewcialists. There are many posts Gabby has written for Sewcialists this year that you should refer too.

When you put the garment on you can check the fit of each part of the garment and make notes about where you need to work on the pattern for a better fit. As you’re dressing, the unusual sizing or construction issues.

Make sure you check the garment again for any fit issues. There’s more from Gabby so listen in.

Tuesday 17 November 2020: The Sewcialists have a couple of new volunteer editors. Christopher is one of the new volunteer editor team members. He researches cell biology.

‘Hey y’all! My name’s Chris and I currently live in San Diego, California. 

I’ve been sewing for about 2 years, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it! I primarily started with menswear, but now I just make whatever I feel like.

Currently, I’m attempting to work with lace and learning what it means to create for others. So far, sewing has been a great resource for me to take the time and reflect on myself and the world around me. Oftentimes, it brings up more questions than not. What clothes make me the happiest (more masculine, more feminine, a bit of both)? How can I use sewing as medium to express my views as a queer Chicanx person in a world that doesn’t seem to care about the lives of BIPOCs? 

While I can’t say I’ve found the answers for myself just yet, I invite you to join me in cultivating a more inclusive environment! While here at the Sewcialists, I hope to be able to give back to the sewing community that’s helped me continue to grow so much. You can also find me on Instagram @imthatbrujastitch.’

The first sewing podcasts Chris listened to were Love to Sew podcast and Stitch Please by Black Women Stitch. The politics of sewing was what Chris learnt about through Stitch Please.

Tuesday 10 November 2020: Gabby makes the topic of grading patterns so much more real as she discusses the grading basis and background of standard body measurements. ASTM body measurement standards are the basis for pattern grading.

Have you heard of ‘jump grading‘? Gabby talks about grading issues for both the home sewist and for independent pattern designers. You’ll have a few ‘a ha’ moments as you hear Gabby share her knowledge with you in this podcast.

An easy checklist is to 1: understand your measurements. 2: understand your measurements; and 3: understand your measurements.

There will be more about grading patterns in podcasts to come.

Tuesday 3 November 2020: Gabby is back discussing her research of pdf patterns and her subsequent Wishlist articles she has posted on Sewcialists blog with suggestions from the sewing community.

Dear Gabby originally asked for PDF pattern community feedback and gave us her pdf pattern wish list. Gabby then wrote a follow up post with the community feedback she received about PDF patterns. The sewing community wrote in about their particular experiences with PDF patterns in addition to those Gabby and many other sewists had experienced.

In this podcast Gabby talks through her Wishlist for a better PDF pattern experience. PDF patterns are the Wild West of sewing patterns.

PDF pattern Wishlist – not printing in colour; minimise paper waste; minimise cutting and taping; offer copyshop format printing; are there different size layers you can turn on and off as you need various sizes. More thought and work by designers with PDF patterns will make using PDF patterns are better experience. Take a listen and you’ll hear the full discussion with Gabby.

Here’s the link to Tissuni patterns.

Tuesday 27 October 2020: Chloe talks about 3 more posts that have come from the sewing community. Alibobs has written about how she has sewn for the various stages of her breast cancer journey. Gillian has written an inspiring post about tees for next months sewing challenge. On Friday there’s another Textile of the World you should read.

Tuesday 20 October 2020: There is so much to catch up on with Chloe this week. Textiles of the World is running and the posts are well researched. The November midi-challenge (10 days) has been set with prepping posts to help you find that favourite tee pattern.

You’ll also see a lovely post checking in with those of you who have used #sewtheprecious.

Keep an eye out for the series about the Social Justice Academy – stories initiated by Emilia.

You’ll also see a lovely post checking in with those of you who have used #sewtheprecious.

Tuesday 6 October 2020: Chloe Read is back to update us about this month’s Textiles of the World posts you should read and maybe contribute to. Chloe also discusses how you can also have your say in the November theme month.

Tuesday 22 September 2020: Gabby Brown (Dear Gabby) is back discussing gender neutral sewing terminology. This discussion is an extension of the initial discussion with Emilia last month.

Tuesday 15 September 2020: Gabby Brown is the fit specialist in the Sewcialists team. When there’s a fitting question from the sewing community, Gabby will research the question to provide the various answers.

Gabby is a technical fashion designer, fit specialist, and prolific googler. She lives in Denver, raises tiny littles, reads, embroiders, makes, experiments, fails, learns, tries again. See her on instagram @ladygrift.

In her first podcast Gabby gives us her sewing industry background and we then discuss true fit and aesthetics aspects when preparing your own clothes. Home sewers have a super power that ready to wear (rtw) doesn’t. Our super power is we have the skills to make our clothes fit our needs and lifestyles. It’s that simple and on Sewcialists, Gabby provides the research and resources to manage your sewing conundrums.

Tuesday, 8 September 2020: Donna Bowman is conducting research into making masks. Her research is global and inclusive, as you’ll hear on her podcast for this week’s Sewcialists Tuesday episode. Here’s a link to Donna’s mask making research and this is a link to Donna’s profile. Get involved and be part of her research.

Tuesday 1 September 2020: In Part 2, Emilia tells us their view on sewing pattern terminology that is gender non-conforming. Emilia shares their tips on where to find sewing patterns that suit your gender identity.

Friday 28 August 2020: Chloe Read filed her first solo podcast to talk about ‘All Chests Welcome’ theme month. There were many planned blog posts but through engagement with the sewing community on Instagram, more thought provoking topics were discovered. Make sure you go to Sewcialists to stay up to date with these blog posts that have been published and those that are about to hit the press.

Tuesday 25 August 2020: In part 1 of Emilia’s podcast there are so many topics they can cover and we focus on their journey before they started living their truth. At the end of our recording Emilia called part 1, ‘Getting your pronouns right’.

Binders are a small thing you can make to help overcome dysphoria that impedes you to function.

Tuesday 18 August 2020: In part 2, Anne discusses the issues around masks and ppe as this is now an issue we’re facing in many Australian states. The initial blog post published in April was about what it’s like sewing masks and making PPE was definitely a moment in time when our Northern hemisphere sewists were making masks by the hundreds. The mask making requirements in Australia and New Zealand have been required of us as we’re being required to wear masks since July.

Anne discusses how sewists were feeling when they starting to sew masks and scrubs as they were dealing with protecting the community in their countries. You should read this post because the editorial team discussed their approach to making masks at that point in time.

Hopefully you can also contribute to the post where Donna is researching mask making. Why not help with her research by contributing to the research survey.

Another great post on masks was published in April – A Scientist’s thoughts on DIY masks. This is still an informative post for makers of masks. This post is not medical advice. Always defer to information from the health authorities, and make an informed decision that is right for you.

Tuesday 11 August 2020: Anne Blayney is the lead copy-editor behind the Sewcialists team. Make sure you have a read of their latest ‘About us’ post featuring the Copy-editing team.

Yes, Anne or Anniebeeknits, is more of a knitter than a sewist yet she volunteers her time for the Sewcialists.

Tuesday 4 August 2020: On the Sewcialists ‘Who we are’ series, Whitney wrote about her historical sewing journey and the challenges she has faced. Whitney sews historical clothing and she researches the significance of these pieces as well as the techniques and styling used.

Tuesday 28 July: Claire Emerson recently wrote about her apprentice tailor experience for Sewcialists as part of their Who we are series. Claire is a qualified Saville Row tailor now for 14 years and when she started, she had never threaded a sewing machine.

The apprentice journey is long and you build your skills up with practice and under the guidance of an experienced tailor like Claire. As an apprentice, you learn the techniques of your particular tailor and in reality, the skills you learn have been developed over generations. It’s a worthwhile skill to dedicate your life to.

Tuesday 21 July 2020: Chloe Read is back to update us on the Vintage Sewing series that has come about because of the call out for the Who we are series. Get ready for the August theme month – All chest welcome. You’ll also be pleased to know Sewcialists have a comment policy that ensure sharing sewing journeys are managed safely on Sewcialists social media.

Tuesday 14 July 2020: Monserratt Lopez wrote her story – Fat, mindful and happier than ever – June. Monserratt’s story was a follow up story to Gillian’s story – Sewing tips for gaining weight series.

She’s learnt about sewing for her body from the Curvy Sewing Collective. Monserratt can take a pattern and grade it to suit her body and it’s thanks for the resources on the Curvy Sewing Collective that she’s be able to get her sewing skills honed to do this.

Tuesday 30 June 2020: Chloe announces the next theme month coming up in August. You’ll love the exclusiveness of this next theme month. She also discusses how supportive the Sewcialists team is behind the scenes. Thanks to all the contributors that put their hand us for the Vintage blog posts.

Tuesday 23 June 2020: Chloe discusses the various responses from the sewing community about the blog post ‘How do you motivate yourself when you lose your sewjo?’ There a call out for contributions from the sewing community about their ‘vintage collections‘. Have a read of this story for the full details before you email sewcialists. Their ‘who we are’ series is fascinating. There will be a blog post about the copy writing team behind the Sewcialists. They do so much work to make each blog post readable for the whole community.

Tuesday 16 June 2020: 1,941 people attended Sewing Weekender online last week. They came from 37 countries. 23,610UK pounds were raised for NHS Charities Together, Mind Charity, Black Lives Matter and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Charlotte, Kate and Rachel of the Fold Line, took their local Sewing Weekender and made it available to everyone who wanted to be part of this sewing get-together. Chloe also updates us on the way Sewcialists is growing their sewing community engagement to continue to be inclusive. Buttonholes and zippers is published as part of their ‘Ask the Sewcialists’ series. Shannon also known as @rare.device on Instagram and the founder of the @sewqueer community posted about Queer Sewing and rethinking the future.

Tuesday 9 June 2020: Chloe updates us on Gillian’s celebrations of the relaunch of Sewcialists 3 years ago. Did you know that for the first year of Sewcialists, Gillian ran this group on her own. Jacinta wrote a great article about spending your money where it counts. Her minority and ally spreadsheet provides over 350 businesses in the sewing community that support black lives matter. Monseratt Lopez writes her story ‘Fat, mindful and happy’ as part of their series on sewing for a changing body. Carolyn of Diary of a sewing fanatic updates her article about Making while black in white crafting spaces. The Interview with Michelle Morris of Sewn Magazine is reshared.

Tuesday 2 June 2020: This week we discuss some of the posts that caused some discussion and how there will be future posts about what’s happening in the community right now. Also Charlotte launches the details about Sewing Weekender. Make sure you take the TNT poll, written by Chloe Read. Say hello to the Fat Sewing Club, from Fatbobbingirl. Reshared: My crafting, like my feminism is intersectional by jasikaistrycurious Gillian celebrates 3 years since the Sewcialists relaunched.

Tuesday 26 May 2020: Not only does Chloe updates us on their 3 blog posts this week, but we have a robust discussion on using the word ‘flattering’. Make sure you read their revisit of denim by Kerry. Here’s a link to the TNT poll by Chloe. There’s an update about sustainable sewing by Kate.

Wednesday 20 May 2020: Here’s the regular weekly blog post update from Chloe Read, the Australian editor of Sewcialists. This is a bumper blog post week to come. Gillian writes about previous Tribute month and Sew Style Hero themes. Sew Brave is a great blog post by Emery Allard Smith. Charlotte writes about Me Made May.

Tuesday 19 May 2020: There was so much feedback last week on their questions of the day that today’s podcast Chloe Read tells us what happened. Tomorrow’s podcast will cover the bumper number of blog posts going up this week.

Tuesday 12 May 2020: This week Chloe Read is managing the Sewcialists instagram account. Have you wondered what it would be like to be a female apprentice at a Saville Row tailor? They’ve reloaded their #menswearforeveryone theme month. Stay up to date with Kerry’s post about their previous Giving challange theme month as well.

This week Chloe is running their instagram account so you should follow #sewcialistsquestionsoftheday and give her your views. There’s a new question everyday this week.

Tuesday 5 May 2020: This week Chloe Read updates us about their blog posts about previous theme months and a very interesting post about sewing for Carnival with an interesting side note about being Shadow banded on Instagram. Chloe wrote and revisited this article on using stripes – Are stripes the most versatile print. There’s an updated blog post about their previous sew over and under theme month.

Tuesday 28 April 2020: Keep an eye out for the coming theme month post on Friday. We do delve into last week’s blog post by Gillian about sewing tips for gaining weight. From your feedback, this series will continue to be developed by bloggers like yourselves. Join into their sewing conversations. Sewcialists are having another look at their theme months in May. Here’s the link to Eleonora’s article about her #stayhome and sew in Italy right now. There are two views about sewing for protection to read by Joanne and Jami.

Tuesday 21 April 2020: Chloe discussed the feedback generated from last week’s PPE blog post. The comments were quite extensive and demonstrated the kindness and thoughtfulness within the sewing community for those of use sewing for the community as we continue to face covid-19. Did you contribute to the sewing secrets discussion? This week’s posts cover how Sonja and Lauren after studying sewing at university changed their sewing practices. Gillian posts her sewing strategies to accommodate gaining weight. Next Chloe’s latest blog post update us on their May initiatives.

Tuesday 14 April 2020: This week keep an eye out for a new pattern line with Leila from Muna and Broad patterns; the latest community call out (your sewing secrets); global research on masks and an award winning Kimono maker.

Tuesday 7 April 2020: Chloe Read, their Aussie representative gives us an insider view on how this sewing group operates. The nuts and bolts behind their ongoing work is due to their dedication to the sewing community

Tuesday 31 March 2020: We meet Chloe Read, their Australian editor of the Sewcialists editing team.