Hi everyone, Kate here, one of your Sewcialists Editors!
As you know if you’ve been following us for a while, a big focus of the Sewcialists is on inclusion and community. Our Who We Are series is all about amplifying the voices of sewists from all walks of life, and sharing how identity can impact sewing and participation in the online community.
The full list of topics we’ve covered as part of the #whoweare series is here! Most recently we’ve talked heard from LGBTQ sewists, those with pain / chronic illness, and plus-size sewing.
Today we are putting out a call for submissions for those in the following communities:
- Men Who Sew: Often sewing can feel like a very female-focused activity, but we don’t believe that this should be the case! If you identify as male and like to sew, would you tell about your experiences online and in real life as a male sewist? We’d love to hear your voice. (Here are some posts we have had previously from male sewists: a blazer, participating in Me Made May, sewing trunks,and this awesome comic-inspired shirt.)
- Body Positivity: Has sewing has helped to change your view of your own body and helped you be happier and more accepting of your figure? It doesn’t matter if you are thin or curvy, tall or petite, younger or older – there are many of us who have had body positivity issues, and your story could help inspire someone else! (Here are a small selection of related posts we’ve had before: intersectionality, lack of inclusiveness)
- Petite Sewists: Last fall we heard from sewists over 5’9″ (175cm), and now we’d like to hear from the shorter end of the spectrum! It you are 5’3″ (160cm) or under, we’d love to hear what adjustments do you make and what pattern lines work best for you! Does being short affect your sewing? (You can read about what tall sewists think here, here and here.
If you would like to share your perspective on one or more of these topics, please send 1-3 paragraphs to us at sewcialists@gmail.com! We’ll gather your contributions into thematic posts. Or, if you feel passionately about any of these topics and want to write a stand-alone post, please email us an outline of what you’d like to say.
In the mean time, we’d love to hear in the comments if one (or all) of these topics resonate with you! Sharing our unique experiences helps us grow stronger as a community, so all voices are welcome. We are always open to suggestions for what communities you’d like to hear from, so please let us know.
You can also join our community by participating in our quarterly sewing theme months – August’s Sew Style Hero month starts this week and you can take part by sewing something inspired by another sewists and tagging it #sewstylehero on Instagram!
Im 145cm tall! I learnt to take up and then sew my own pants as a teen and forget about buying maxi dresses! I could cut them in half and make a whole other dress out of the fabric! Altering clothes so I have legs is the usual!
I would love to know if/how shorter, larger sized women use dress forms. Since shoulder to bust is not adjustable, I have’t been able to find any form that will work. Thanks,
My body is one of those that adjusts a lot depending on the time of month. I usually have to have 2 sets of bras and underwear and some of my clothing can’t be worn at all times. Recently, my body has been fluctuating ALOT! I’m in my 30s, a typical time for a woman’s body to change in a noticable way. I recently had to get rid of a lot of stuff, including some of my makes. However, some of those makes I was able to adjust. I don’t serge or trim my seam allowances. I simply zig-zag on the edge. This allowed me to adjust my clothing to accomodate my changing figure. It made me feel so good! I also am new to my current bra size and couldn’t find a bra for less than $50 locally. I’m on a budget here! So, I ordered one. But, when I noticed it was delayed, I just made one! Problem solved!
I’m also very much into mid-century styles. I tend to stay in the 1938-1964 range, with a special affinity for the 50s since the style has always suited my hourglass/pear shaped body (remember, it fluctuates). Many vintage clothes don’t fit me, especially when it comes to my chunky upper arms and 34E sized breasts. But, I can use vintage patterns and fabric and make clothes on my 1952 sewing machine and still feel like I’m wearing vintage. Only, I’m not sad about the fact that I’m typically too big.
When our bodies are always changing and the local shops tell us “No…or pay up!” sewing can be such a blessing! ________________________________
Hi Susie, thanks for your comment. That’s interesting about the zigzagging – how well does it hold up in the washing machine? I tend to serge most of my seams because of washing fear but it is a pain to unpick when needed. I love how you are so specific about the styles that you like in terms of date range! I would also love to wear that kind of vintage but I am the opposite shape to you (mostly straight up and down) so I can’t get into the tiny waists. Never mind, as you say, sewing is a blessing and we can make whatever we want!
Hi Kate, it holds up just fine. I haven’t had any problems with it. I hated serging my seams and prefer this. Just do it a little bit away from the edge, not on/over the edge (my mistake with wording earlier). You also will need to experiment with different fabrics, as how close the zig-zags are depends on the type of fabric. I find thinner fabrics need a wider spacing, while those that fray easily need a closer spacing.
With a straighter body shape, if you’d like vintage, you could try out 1920s or late 1960s mod styles. Both tend to look great on your body type. I think a shirt waist dress 1940s style might look great on you too! One nice thing about sewing is you can adjust the pattern to fit you. However, there are some styles that if altered too much loose their appeal.
Also, what the girls of the past did, they padded themselves out to fit into the clothing with hip pads, girdles, bullet bras, shoulder pads, etc.
I’m 5’2.75″! (Still angry that I’m not as tall as my mother… She’s 5’3″). I’d love to write something up, if you still have space!
Hello Annabelle, I’m going through the email submissions at the moment – do you want to drop us an email with a 1-3 paragraphs with what you’d like to say about your sewing experiences?