Why do we refrain from sharing the more mundane side of making on Instagram? Are some makes too boring for the grid? When we filter our feeds because we feel our makes are not interesting enough, do we inadvertently narrow the playing field? Maybe it’s time to embrace ‘boring’ sewing and share it with the world…
Continue reading ➞ The sewing we don’t share: challenging our own Instagram filter
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
A quest to use up every last bit of fabric in my stash over the course of lockdown has changed my sewing style: coveting new fabrics and patterns has been superseded by a heavy itinerary of mopping up. It may not last forever, but for now it’s a creative, sustainable and thoroughly enjoyable shift in pace…
Continue reading ➞ In pursuit of stash zero: sewing sustainably in lockdown
In this, the final instalment of the ‘sewjo in lockdown’ trio, I give my top tips on how to get that sewjo working: how to return to a creative state of being, what to do while you’re waiting for inspiration and, perhaps most importantly, how to take a break from the whole thing and feel good about it…
Continue reading ➞ Five more creativity tips to get that sewjo workin’
What happened to our sewjo? Lockdown has played with our desire to make in unexpected and sometimes unwanted ways. But it doesn’t have to be a sad story – it’s time to be kind to yourself and learn how, with a few gentle nudges, the mechanics of creativity will get you back on track in no time at all…
Continue reading ➞ Sewjo in lockdown – part two: creativity undercover
More time in the house, less time commuting, chasing our tails – it seems like the perfect time to capitalise on craft. So why are so many sewists experiencing an unexpected dip in sewjo? Where did the love go? And how do we keep the flickering flame of creativity alive when we’re just not feeling it?
Continue reading ➞ Sewjo in lockdown – part one: the vanishing act
I’m always bowled over by patterns that are deceptive in their simplicity: the sort of thing you think you could probably draft yourself but in reality there’s a hidden art to the design that would be hard to imitate. The Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit is a perfect example – so here are five reasons to show it some love…
Are you fast as the wind or slow and meticulous? French-seaming everything in sight or barely bothering with the pinking shears? Sewing style is often a mystery we don’t want to share, hidden in the guts of a garment, known only by the maker (or wearer), but through understanding our sewing style, we come to understand ourselves…
I’ve been sewing for so long I don’t remember that first moment of alchemy when you realise the clothes on your back are within your ken – you can figure them out, deconstruct them, reconstruct them, build them from scratch. Sewing is magic! If that isn’t enough, here are six great reasons to get sewing today…
The story of how we learn to sew is often tied to special relationships with others, particularly our mothers or grandmothers. I can’t remember exactly when I started, but I grew up surrounded by women who made stuff and it was my mum, who studied fashion in the late-1960s, who taught me how to sew my own clothes…
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