Making clothes is a lot of fun, but what should we do with our makes when they don’t work out? Will your local charity shop or thrift store sell them on or send them off to be scrapped? Grinlow Studio busts a few sewing urban myths and delivers the lowdown on how to donate your unwanted creations…
Continue reading ➞ Can you send homemade clothing to the charity shop?
Can we resolve the conflict between our creative passion and the waste it produces? The final instalment in this series on sustainable sewing explores some of the ways we can promote greater sustainability in our sewing practice…
Continue reading ➞ Sustainable sewing, part three: ways forward
In part two in this short series, we move beyond the confessional and into the murky world of eco mud slinging. Should we be penalising individuals for what they sew, or is it time to look at the bigger picture?
Continue reading ➞ Sustainable sewing, part two: accountability
Sewing can feel like magic – paying creative dividends in wellbeing and self-sufficiency – but is it really sustainable? Kicking off with a confessional, this short series explores our sewing habits and how the drive towards sustainability can sometimes turn out to be anything but…
Continue reading ➞ Sustainable sewing, part one: magic or myth?
Sewing coats is hugely satisfying, but the expense of coating fabrics, linings and interfacings – not to mention patterns and notions – can seem off-putting. Is it possible to sew a decent winter coat for less than you’d pay on the high street? Read on to find out…
If you’re looking for the perfect coat, why not try a vintage pattern? Whatever the season, there’s a vintage sewing pattern to inspire you. Whether you use the designs as a launch pad for your own bespoke piece, or follow faithfully for some of the best sewing instructions in town, you won’t regret diving into the sewing pattern archives for inspiration…
Following on from my last post on the joys of sewing for your nether regions and rediscovering the magic of sewing the things you usually buy from a shop, here are my top tips for getting started making – and using – your own menstrual pads…
I’m just going to come right out and say it: I made sanitary towels. And do you know what? The process delighted me as much as, if not more than, sewing a pretty dress. Making things from scratch you previously considered impossible to make from scratch – the things that fall into the category of ‘I buy them’ – is a uniquely satisfying proposition. So read on (if you dare!) to find out why our ‘unmentionables’ might be just the ticket for sewjo joy…
Continue reading ➞ Sewing for your nether regions: new thrills for the jaded sewist
A recent inundation of sewing notions led to a weekend of gleeful sorting. Through buttons and braids I found myself reminiscing about my gran, the woman who taught me how to knit and inspired me to see heaven in a single polyester button…
Continue reading ➞ Sewing relations: communing through the medium of buttons
It’s time to look beyond the seductive facade of the Instagram sewing studio. If you don’t have a designated space, let alone your own room, or you worry you can’t even afford to get started, read on – with a bit of thrift and creativity you can begin your journey towards a dream sewing space today…
Continue reading ➞ Studio debunk: five mantras to save money on your sewing space
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