The aim of this podcast is to raise awareness of sewists in New Zealand and Australia. On this page we’ll focus on sewists from New Zealand.

16 July 2024	Maxine Dunn
30 May 2022	Anna Bowron
17 May 2022	Judy’s Op shopping rules
19 April 2022	Judy of Judywillimentross
10 February 2022	Jeanette Hayes
19 August 2021	PK is NZ film girl
1 July 2021	Jeanette of sew.irons

Maxine Dunn

Tuesday 16 July 2024: You’ll find Maxine on Instagram at @dunncorner.

It’s lovely to interview a SewOver50 follower from New Zealand. Maxine lives in Whakataū, Nelson, NZ.

You’ll hear how Maxine enjoys sewing her own clothes and being inspired by other Instagram sewists. That includes you because you follow her account.

Maxine shares her sewing journey and current experience now that she’s retired and busy sewing as well as learning new crafts.

Make sure you pop into Maxine’s Instagram account to find out what she’s been up to recently.

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.

Judy of judywillimentross

Tuesday 17 May 2022: Judy talks about her Op shopping rules.

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.

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 Chalk & Notch, 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.

It’s great to see Jeanette on the grid for these sewing companies

PK is New Zealand film girl

Thursday 19 August 2021: PK of NZfilmgirl is today’s Sewover50 podcast guest.

PK begins with the tale of her iron dream come true and then we start chatting about the Croatian shirt.

She has written 2 guest posts for Sewover50 since making the Croatian Shirt

Labels and timestamping your makes is a detail PK is passionate about.

PK adds a time stamp to every garment. This is done in the basic monogramming function of the sewing machine. She uses the same formula for everything: pattern name/# – size – month/year.

She suggests you plan ahead to add time stamps so they are hidden on the inside: back yoke of shirt, inner pocket, coat facing, button placket, even on a French seam. Use a different colour thread so it is visible.

When it comes to labels, PK is a big fan of adding labels and she has her labels that she puts on everything. Then she might add in a side seam, or back neckline, and always on jeans. But…. It is easy to go overboard on labels. Sometimes less is more. Plan ahead where you want them placed as they will be added at different stages of construction.

Monogramming your makes is another aspect of making clothes that PK shares.

She loves adding stylised monogram to shirts, jeans, coats…anything! Sometimes large, sometimes not. It’s fun to add a contrast colour to make the monogram a design feature. No treading lightly!!

In case you were wondering, here’s a photo of her cutting table.

Jeanette Irons

Thursday 1 July 2021: Jeanette Irons of sew.irons, gives us some valuable advice about how to replace your ready to wear clothes with clothes you want to sew.

Jeanette continues to replace her existing ready to wear clothes with clothes that suit her body and need for comfortable clothes. This Frankie baseball tee has been made 8 times.

Jeanette knows her perception of what clothes should look like after being inspired by Sewover50 followers. She sees people who ‘look like her’ and that’s what now motivates her to sew clothes.

You can find Jeanette on her blog, on instagram and at Minerva too.