It’s another edition of Good News in Sewing, where we celebrate news, conversations, opportunities and happenings in the sewing world that move the craft and the community in a more inclusive direction!
If you know of any happenings fitting this description, drop us an email at sewcialists@gmail.com.
Check out past Good News in Sewing posts here!
Visibility
Meet Makers of Color, started by Mac and MJ, is a new Instagram account to highlight sewists and knitters who identify at BIPOC by sharing profiles and examples of their incredible work! Check out their hashtag #MeetMakersofColor.
Sew Over 50, comprised of dressmakers and sewists aged over 50, is hosting the So 50 Visible challenge, which will celebrate and promote visibility for sewists over the age of 50 by challenging sewists of all ages to make and share a project made from a pattern that features an older (50+) model. Read the details on at @SewOver50 and follow the hashtag #So50Visible!
Tools
Measure Twice Cut Once has released a free sewing pattern for a
peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line cover, which may be useful for sewists (or their friends and family) who are undergoing chemotherapy, transfusions or IV fluid therapy, to help cover, protect and hold the line in place.
After months and months of beta testing, My Body Model has launched its Version 1.0 personalized croquis builder tool with increased accuracy, more tools, views, and layouts. Read about the updates here and follow My Body Model on Instagram to see how the sewing and making communities use these custom fashion sketch templates!
Sizing
The online sewing community has been abuzz with discussions about exclusive sizing, a lack of plus size representation and fatphobia in sewing. This passionate discussion played out on Instagram and on several blog posts emphasizing that sewing should be for everyone, encouraging pattern designers to expand their size ranges and include more images of plus size folks in their marketing materials. Head to the Curvy Sewing Collective for a great take on the conversation as well as a round-up of links to excellent blog and Instagram posts about the issue.
In related news, Helen’s Closet just released the first pattern, the Blackwood Cardigan, in her new size range, which spans sizes 0-30, and Helen has been incredibly transparent about the data she collected through her Curvy Sewing Survey and how she took it into consideration when developing this new size range.
There has also been surge of pattern companies making announcements about and collecting information about broadening their size ranges to be more inclusive. Some have clearly already been actively working on it, but others seem to have been influenced by the conversation mentioned above. I’m sure I’ve missed some (let me know in the comments!), but there have been statements from the following designers on the topic: Cashmerette, Closet Case Patterns, Sew Liberated, Straight Stitch Designs, Friday Pattern Company, In the Folds, Coco Wawa Crafts, Blueprints for Sewing, Paper Theory, Sew House Seven, Chalk and Notch, Alina Design Co, and Papercut Patterns.
In the same vein, several sewists (Thandi, Whitney and our own Sierra) came together to create the hashtag #SewMySize to promote transparency in body measurements and destigmatize the sharing of body measurements. Hundreds of sewists have since shared their numbers through the hashtag!
Fun
Laela Jeyne Patterns is hosting the Love Yourself Wardrobe Challenge during the month of February, with daily prompts intended to promote postive body image through sewing! See the prompts here and follow #LoveWardrobe2019 on Instagram.
Amy Nicole Studio is hosting The Year of Slow Sewing, which is a pretty flexible sewing challenge focused on slow sewing. It incorporates elements of sustainability like sewing from your stash or experimenting with scraps, but also on taking your time and focusing your sewing efforts by adding details, etc. Read more here and check out the hashtag #TheYearofSlowSewing on Instagram.
Sewing and Design School is hosting Sew April 2019, a sewing-themed daily post prompt challenge in April. Read the rules here and follow the hashtag #SewApril2019 on Instagram to join the fun!
Meg is a Sewcialists Editor living in Vermont, U.S., sewing garments prolifically, collecting too much fabric, blogging at Cookin’ and Craftin’ and ‘gramming at @cookinandcraftin.
Thank you Meg! I love these posts so much – it’s great to see change in action!
Leimomi from Scroop Patterns put up long post about why she offers an expanded size range.