Australia Sews Podcast

Today on the podcast we have not one but four very special guests. Ronda, Samantha, Amy and Jane are all plus-size sewists from Australia but their stories are very different. You’ll hear why they got into sewing, some of the challenges they face as a plus-size sewist and how sewing has changed the way they think about their body. About: The Australia Sews Podcast celebrates the Australian home sewing community and shares stories from everyday sewers transforming their lives and their...

Simon took up sewing in his 50s after getting a sewing machine as a Christmas present in 2019. Simon knew virtually nothing about sewing or how sewing patterns worked. But over time he’s learned a thing or two and today Simon loves sewing dresses for his wife Lizzy and lots of bright, collared shirts for himself. You can follow Simon on Instagram at @madebysilverfox. Access show notes here. About: The Australia Sews Podcast celebrates the Australian home sewing community and shares stories...

Nerida Hansen is the owner and creative director of Nerida Hansen Fabrics and makes the world a more colourful place for home sewists to play in. Nerida works with surface designers and other types of artists to turn their unique designs into fabric, homewares and other products but it’s fabric where Nerida’s heart sings. She loves seeing what home sewists make with her curated fabrics and has some big plans in 2023. You can follow Nerida Hansen Fabrics on Instagram at @neridahansenfabrics....

Julia Mulcair owns the online fabric store Pitt Trading which sells deadstock designer fabrics, European imports, patterns and sewing kits. She’s also a massive fan of making lingerie and loves sharing her passion with others through her other business, The Lingerie Society. Julia creates bra and undie sewing kits and patterns, makes sew-along YouTube videos, holds sewing retreats, gets experts in to run lingerie classes - basically anything to do with lingerie, she’s into it! You can follow...

Marty Collings got into sewing in 2016 through an interest in steam punk fashion. He now sews everyday clothes for himself and his lovely wife, Carol. Marty loves being creative and has a lot of fun with his sewing hobby. We talk about all the things he’s discovered and learned so far. You can follow Marty on Instagram at @martysewing. Access show notes here. About: The Australia Sews Podcast celebrates the Australian home sewing community and shares stories from everyday sewers...

A few years ago Shelley took a course in surface design for fun and started playing with designing fabric. Little did she realise at the time that people would be interested in buying her fabric. This was the start of Molly Molly Fabric. In this episode we talk about designing fabric and clothing labels, drafting your own body blocks and Shelley’s bright and fun clothing style. And if you’ve ever felt like an imposter or are looking for a creative outlet which is very different from your day...

Imagine picking up your life and moving to another country. That’s exactly what Annie Stafford recently did. She packed up all her sewing gear, hopped on a plane from New Zealand and made Australia her new home. In this episode Annie and I talk about the big move to Australia of course, attending Melbourne Frocktails, expanding her pattern line Ford Wardrobe and possibly even starting a YouTube channel to help people build their sewing confidence. Oh and we also talk about her hilarious...

You may know Jess as @fat.bobbin.girl on Instagram or as one half of the pattern business Muna and Broad or you may have read her blog Broad in the Seams. In this episode Jess talks about specialising in patterns for plus-size sewists, her experimentation with block colours and her casual yet fancy style. And if you’ve never died a death between the thighs before then you haven’t lived my friends! Access show notes here. About: The Australia Sews Podcast celebrates the Australian home...

As a small person living in a tall world, Sarah McKay has a great story to share about finally being able to wear clothes that fit her properly. She also wanted to get away from fast fashion so learning how to sew meant she was able to achieve both of these goals. We talk about Indie patterns she’s tried, the sewing community and what it was like attending Camp Stitch with a bunch of other Aussie sewists. Yes, it was everything you are thinking right now and then some! You can follow Sarah's...

Today's special guest is Claudia Higgins. Claudia is a fellow Sydney home sewist who has only recently discovered the joys of upcycling. Claudia is currently embarking on a mid-career pivot as a high school teacher specialising in textiles. Her Instagram name is ‘Claudia makes pretty things’ and she’s not afraid to own the fact that she likes making and wearing pretty things. You can follow Claudia's sewing journey @claudiamakesprettythings on Instagram. Access show notes here. About: The...

Lauren and Erin Ritchie, better known as Two Sewing Sisters, are sisters from Melbourne who love sewing together. Yes, they’re sewing buddies! They live together, sew together, sew each other’s clothes and bounce off each other for creative ideas on what to sew next. It usually comes as a vision. Sometimes quite an ambitious one. But the end result is just breathtaking. After listening to Lauren and Erin, I think you’ll be inspired to give a special occasion dress a crack. You can find out...

Janelle Duff from Rosery Apparel has captured the attention of sewers all around the world through her many creative talents like turning a vintage bed sheet into a stunning everyday dress. We chat about so many things, from her pattern line to her videos, her passion for ethical and sustainable sewing and her unique style. You can find more about Janelle - and everything she does - at roseryapparel.com. Access show notes here. About: The Australia Sews Podcast celebrates the Australian...

My guest today is Sarah Lindo. Sewing is Sarah's outlet. It’s a way to be creative, to be generous to others and to make people feel special, even people she doesn’t know! In this episode Sarah talks about moving house again and again with all her sewing stuff and how winning ‘Champion of Machine Sewing’ at the Townsville Show last year was a defining moment. Sarah also talks about sewing with a rare eye disease and how she’s finding ways to adapt so she can keep doing what she loves. You...

My guest today is Amanda Adams. Amanda is the founder of the getting to know you sewing challenge #bpSewvember. If you don’t know what that is, we’ll be talking about it along with some of her latest makes, how her personal style has evolved and why her plant always seems to want to steal the limelight in her photoshoots. And for the dog lovers out there, yes we will be talking about the loves of her life! You can find Amanda on Instagram at Bimble and Pimble. I also highly recommend you...

My guest today is Daisy Braid, also known as DIY Daisy. You might know her as this cool chick on Instagram who brightens people’s day with her colourful makes and hilarious twin videos. And if you’re new to DIY Daisy then you’re in for a treat. We talk about her style, her massive destash, what inspires her creativity and the release of her first published sewing book launching in June. You can find out more about Daisy at her website diydaisy.com or on Instagram at _diydaisy Access show...

My guest today is Linda Thorne from the Instagram handle @dressedbysewandsew. Do you love dresses? Linda loves making dresses. In fact, she wears a me-made dress pretty much every day. Even at home on a no make-up Sunday, Linda will wear one of her beautiful floral dresses and never feels overdressed. In her Instagram bio, Linda says she’s a librarian, a tutu maker and a creator of a me-made wardrobe, mostly dresses of course. We talk all about that and more such as why she converted to PDF...

My name is Louise and this is the Australia Sews Podcast. This podcast celebrates the Australian home sewing community and shares stories from everyday sewers transforming their lives and their wardrobes. I’m curious about the Instagram photos we see. What went into making those clothes and what things did people discover along the way? I’m also interested in everyday sewing chat - what people are working on right now, what’s in their stash, how their style has evolved and we’ll even play...