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Transcript: 

Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s interview with Andie Wells from Sew Pretty in Pink.

Hello, Andie. Thank you so much for coming on the show today.

Andie: Thank you so much for having me. I’m really excited about this.

Helen: We’re so excited, too. Can you please introduce yourself for our listeners?

Andie: Sure. My name is Andie Wells. Um, I am a self-taught, plus-size sewist, or fat sewist, depending on what term you prefer. I, actually, I live in Toronto, Ontario, up in Canada, but I’ve also lived in several provinces on the east coast of Canada, as well as several places in Ontario itself. And I also do improv comedy in my spare time, and I am a disabled sewist.

Helen: Wonderful. And we love to kick off the show, learning a little bit about our guest’s sewing journey, so can you tell us how and when you learned how to sew.

Andie: Sure. I started sewing in 2008. It’s actually a very cute story. Um, and I love telling it because it’s, sort of, like, the origin story with my partner Velvet, but I started sewing after a conversation with him, the very first conversation actually, where we were talking about Halloween costumes. And I got into a conversation where I was like, oh, there’s nothing available in my size, and I really wanted to be this. And then basically, like, over the course of the conversation, I just decided, hey. I’ll go and buy a sewing machine and, and then I made my very first costume that way. And, like sewing, me and my partner have been together ever since as well. So that was a great starting conversation and a great connection point with us too.

Helen: Oh, that’s so cute. So were you a couple at the time when you were having that discussion?

Andie: It was literally our first conversation. We actually, um, we connected over Facebook and, because he was running a Facebook group at the time where he basically got people to do snow angels of themselves and then share them just as a way of, like, interacting with winter weather that he didn’t really enjoy at the time

And, uh, and then he would donate to the Daily Bread Food Bank, which is the local food bank here in Toronto, based on how many people shared, and it’d be, like, $5 per, so he was just, sort of, getting engagement and then chatting with people who had joined the group as part of this snow angel fundraiser.

And he added me and I am not the type of person to add someone back who I don’t know and haven’t met in real life, but I did this time and it just worked out really well. Within two weeks, he flew me to Toronto, so it’s quite, it was quite the whirlwind.

Helen: Aw, that’s so romantic. I love that story.

Andie: It was adorable.

Caroline: Sounds like it was meant to be.

Andie: It was definitely meant to be. Like, I, I constantly think about it, and I’m like, wow. Like, if circumstances had been any different, I probably wouldn’t have pressed add, but, like, I saw his eyes, and I was like, oh my gosh, he’s so adorable.

Caroline: Oh, that is so sweet. And then that spurred you’re sewing, but I wanna learn a little bit more about what happened after that. How did your blog come into play? How did your sewing practice evolve over the years? Tell us more about that.

Andie: So in 2008, I just, sort of, went rogue, and I didn’t use a pattern at all. I didn’t really know about patterns. I mean, my mom is a sewist as well, but, uh, I steered clear of the sewing machine. When I was really young, she actually sewed over her finger with her sewing machine, and it made me terrified of sewing machines.

So I, I did a bunch of hand sewing as I was growing up and a bunch of things, like needlepoint, crossstitch, knitting, crocheting. I did all sorts of crafts, including, like, making my own dollhouse, but I never got a sewing machine until 2008. And then I, sort of, sewed for, sewed a couple of things here and there. Like, I sewed a bag after that.

And then I sewed another costume, which was a Alice in Wonderland costume. I was doing burlesque at the time. I have a long history of performing in any sort of way. And, uh, I just, I didn’t really get into it because I couldn’t find anything in my size. And it wasn’t until about, uh, 2013 when everything, sort of, changed.

And a little bit after that the Curvy Sewing Collective was created, and there were a lot more resources out there for fat sewists to be able to, like, actually use patterns and then also more resources about how to adapt patterns to your size and, and make modifications and stuff like that.

So around 2013, I started sewing even more. And from that point on, I basically just, just replaced every ready to wear aspect of my closet with hand sewn stuff. And I’ve never turned back.

Helen: Amazing. And you have a fantastic blog called Sew Pretty in Pink. And how long have you been writing that blog?

Andie: Since 2013. And I started pretty much at the same time because I was like, I just need a place to document this stuff. So I started in 2013 and I used the Pretty in Pink because my name is Andie, and Andie is also a character in Pretty in Pink, the 1980s movie with, uh, Molly Ringwald and, oh, I can’t remember his name.

Helen: Is it John Cusack in that?

Andie: Uh, no.

Caroline: I love that movie though.

Andie: It’s so good. Yeah.

Helen: I can picture his face.

Andie: I know. It’s Ducky. Ducky is his character name, and he’s fantastic. And then there’s, like, Andrew, um, Andrew and the Spader dude. Oh, man. Names are totally escaping me.

Helen: All of our listeners are gonna be yelling at their speakers.

Caroline: I’m looking, I’m looking it up. Pretty in Pink. Harry, uh, John Cryer was Ducky.

Andie: Yes. John Cryer. Exactly.

Helen: Yes.

Andie: Yeah. So I had, like, I had just watched it for, like, the four hundredth time, and I was creating my, my blog and I was like, aw, pretty in pink is perfect. And then I had to make a pun, of course.

Caroline: Of course.

Andie: Because puns are the best form of, of comedy, at least in my opinion.

Helen: Oh, yeah.

Andie: But, uh, yeah. So it’s been about seven years with it.

Helen: Amazing. And how has it evolved for you? Like, starting off sewing and working, you know, with the CSC? I know you’ve done some articles with them and taking all that inspiration from the community out there. How has your sewing evolved since 2013 to now?

Andie: So I would say I’ve definitely been focusing less on, uh, more typically feminine pieces of clothing, like dresses and stuff like that. And focusing more on, uh, pants and separates. Part of that has to do with me coming out in the last year as non-binary. So, uh, that has definitely changed a lot of my sewing because I realised that, you know, like, there are a lot of comfortable pant patterns out there. And I really hated pants before. Um, and I feel like I have a more gender affirmation with the kind of outfits that I’m putting together now versus then.

And I’d also say that over the time, my blog has definitely become more political leading. I’m definitely not shy about that. Like, I believe in equality, and I believe that, like, a lot of things need to change in this world and a lot of things can be changed by normal people like us.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, absolutely. And that definitely comes through in your work with @ChronicallySewn and @SewEnabled, which we’re gonna talk a little bit more about later on in the show. But before we get to that, I also wanted to ask you some, like, gratuitous sewing questions. Like, what is your favourite fabric to work with?

Andie: It’s probably cotton lycra. Cotton lycra. It’s just, like, you know, you can sew it up on your serger so, so quickly. Well, I mean, if you have a serger, or if you don’t, then it’s, it’s perfect for a sewing machine as well. It’s so easy to sew unlike fibres with, like, rayon content for knits.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: It’s just a lot more stable. And I just like the way that it, it feels when I’m wearing it. Part of my disability, kind of, gives me a bit of sensory processing issue. So when it comes to, like, itchy things or certain textures or something like that, then I, I cannot wear them. But cotton lycra is one of those where I’m like, I can wear this anytime.

Caroline: Yeah, I, I love cotton lycra as well. It’s such a great fabric, so breathable and soft. I also wonder if you have a favourite make of all time.

Andie: So I think my favourite make of all time would probably be my wedding dress. I used a McCall’s pattern for it and also used silk charmeuse for the first time. It’s a very, like, lightweight and shiny silk. And I got it from Dharma Trading, I believe, just a regular white, and I just love it. Like, it’s, every time I look back on those pictures, I’m, I’m really happy with it. It’s, has, sort of, a high-low hem, which to be honest was not intentional, but afterwards it was a design element

Helen: Amazing. It helps you walk down the aisle better, too.

Andie: Exactly, right. Yeah. It also showed off the, uh, the crinoline that I had underneath. So, like, I, you know, I like showing off elements like that.

Helen: Well, we already mentioned your husband Velvet at the top of the show, but do you ever sew for him or have you sewn for him?

Andie: I do. Um, I actually have a pair of shorts, Mel Shorts, the Seamwork Mel pattern. It’s actually not a shorts pattern. It’s just a joggers pattern. So I have a pair of those cut out for him. And I, I make him things like pants, costumes, underwear, although, you know, I’m not gonna post those on the internet, but, but, uh, yeah, so I, I make him a lot of stuff. I think that I would really like to get into more me-, more men’s wear styles, like more tailoring styles, just, uh, but it’s just been, like, the newest shiny that’s been preventing me from doing that.

Helen: Of course. We all know that feeling as sewists.

Andie: Exactly.

Helen: And we know that you like to sew bras and underwear and swimwear for yourself, as well. We recently did an episode about sewing undies, and we were wondering if you had any sewing undies tips that you wanted to share with our listeners.

Andie: Yeah. So I think, like, the thing is with undies, going slow when you’re applying things like the fold over elastic is really important, but honestly, like, batch cut and sew that stuff. Like, that is, you know, then you’re basically, like, at the end, you don’t just have one pair of underwear, you have four pairs of underwear, and then you can, like, every day you have, you know, like a shiny new thing to wear. And that’s, like, that’s such a, a huge thing for me because sewing just one pair of underwear, it doesn’t take that long, but, like, it’s a small piece, right?

And to me, it’s like, if I’m sitting in front of the, of the sewing machine, then I want to make sure that, you know, like, I’m maximising my time and my energy because I have very limited energy. So batch cutting and sewing with underwear, it’s always a really good idea and then break it down into smaller bits. So there will be days where I’ll just serge the seams and then the next day, you know, I’ll come back and maybe do the fold over elastic for, for one pair because it matches the colour that’s in my sewing machine at the moment. And then I’ll, you know, like, I’ll come back the next day and maybe work on another, so it’s not as overwhelming, but then at the end of it, you know, like, while you’re going through and doing it in small batches, you have, you know, like, more and more pairs at the end of it.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: Um, so I find that that’s really, really great. And then the other tip, which actually is part of the Muna and Broad, uh, Waratah Undies, I hope I’m pronouncing that right, is bar tacks on your fold over elastic. Like, on the ends, it helps prevent them from fraying, and it, like, just gives you a really great finish, and you can also have the end of it at the back, so you know where the back of your underwear is.

Helen: Oh, that’s smart. Now, do they recommend that you butt up the edges of your fold elastic and then bar tack or overlap and then bar tack?

Andie: They actually overlap and bar tack.

Helen: Okay.

Andie: I haven’t tried the butt up end part, but it actually sounds like it would be, kind of, interesting. I’m, I, kind of, wanna experiment with that.

Helen: I mean, to be fair, I haven’t tried it either. I was just curious. I was trying to visualise how it would work. Um, that’s a great tip. I like that. And is that your fave undies pattern of the moment, the Waratah ones?

Andie: 100%. I used to use a self-drafted one, which was really just, like, rubbed off of a ready to wear pattern that I had and then adapted for the fit issues that I had. But the Waratah Undies are so good, like they’re high-waisted and have really, really great coverage, but they’re also incredibly comfortable. Like, I, I don’t think I’ve ever been a fan of high-waisted underwear until these ones. So this has been, like, a complete difference for me.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. And that’s such a good tip with batch sewing about not necessarily batching all in one go. Like, I think when you think of batching, often for me, at least, I think, oh, that means I’m, kind of, marathon sewing this batch of, of undies, but you can really sew little bits at a time, but in batches and, and really get a lot done at the end. So, it’s a great tip. Thank you.

Andie: Yeah. And it’s a great tip, as well, for people who have limited energy, like, I mean, batch sewing isn’t necessarily about, you know, like, getting that assembly line down. It’s just about breaking it down into smaller bits. So, you know, like, you get it all cut out at once. You sew the seams all at once. And then, you know, you can focus in on one pair at a time for the fold over elastic or do several at a time.

Caroline: Mhm, mhm.

Helen: Yeah. Not having to switch gears so often.

Andie: Exactly. Yeah.

Caroline: And what is it that you love about sewing your own undergarments?

Andie: So for me, it’s, it’s that underwear and bras for, uh, fat people are really expensive and really ugly. Like, and I am not a person who really likes beige, and there’s a, there’s a heck of a lot of beige with, with underwear in, you know, like, in the fatter sizes. So it’s just, like, I, I hated, you know, I’ve been a 44HH for years now.

So for me, it’s like, not only are bras way more expensive, like I think the last time I bought a bra, it was $200, and it was red. So, you know, like, I, I spent extra money on a, on a bra that wasn’t beige, but it did not fit. Like, after a bit, it just basically, like, sort of, stopped fitting in certain spots and, you know, like, you know, when you get a bra and you’re just like, oh, this is just relaxing in a way that it just does not fit anymore and it’s not comfortable anymore.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: So with sewing my own bras, it meant that I could get them in pretty colours and, you know, I, I could put my own spin on them, and they, they fit exactly how I want them to.

Helen: That is amazing. I’m wondering if you have a favourite bra pattern that you wanna share with our listeners?

Andie: See that I do not. I would say that, well, most of the rest of the sewing community is getting there with, with fatter sizes that, um, bra and underwear sewing is something that really definitely needs more sizes. Um, so unfortunately I’ve literally never been able to find a bra that’s in my size that worked for me. I tried a few different ones. I tried the Classic Bra pattern from Pinup Patterns and I tried the Maya Bra from AFI, I believe.

And then I decided that the best way to tackle this would just be to draft my own. So the first one that I created was after the Classic Bra pattern, when I took the bra making class with Beverly Johnson. After that, I just decided to clone it a lonely bra that I really, really loved and was getting really raggedy looking. So I took it apart and then basically made a pattern off of that. And then for years I was adapting that.

And then, most recently, I started doing full self-drafting. So using the [Bare] Essentials: [Bras] by Jennifer [Lynne Matthews-]Fairbank[s], I believe her name is. Just starting from scratch based off of my measurements and then adapting it to the style that I wanted.

Helen: Wow. That is so cool. Do you self-draft other garments as well? Or are you just focused on bra drafting right now?

Andie: Mainly, bra drafting because I think that there’s so much out there, especially right now. I mean, like, there’s been so many more size extensions in the sewing community, but I will do a lot of pattern adaption.

So if there’s a specific costume that I wanna create, then I will adapt a pattern massively to, to the point where it’s not really recognizable as that pattern. And I’ll also self-draft skirts, but I mean, with skirts, it’s just, like, rectangles of fabric or circles. So, to me, it’s like, that’s, yes, technically self-drafting, but very easy.

Helen: Well, that’s very inspiring. I’m sure some of our listeners are gonna be interested in that book you mentioned, so we’ll put that in the show notes.

Andie: Yeah. It’s a really good book, especially, uh, third edition, which, uh, just came out in October.

Helen: Oh, cool.

Andie: Yeah, it has more of a plus-size lean to it, which is great.

Helen: Nice. Very cool. Well, you talk openly about being a disabled sewist and having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and we were hoping you could tell us a bit more about this disease.

Andie: Sure. It’s a genetic disease that is passed down through generations. It can also be a spontaneous genetic mutation, which is, uh, totally fair. I think that that’s my case. Um, and it is a connective tissue disease. So what Ehlers Danlos Syndrome basically does is it means that we create flawed collagen. So what is collagen? Collagen is exactly what creates the glue that holds us together. So, um, our skin, filled with collagen. I mean, we often hear about people getting collagen injections, you know, like, that’s, that’s one of the aspects of where we have collagen, but we actually have it throughout our entire body. So it’s in our, in our organs, it’s in our hair, it’s in our bones, although to a lesser degree, um, and it’s in our cartilage, our muscles, our everything, basically.

So when you have a flaw in collagen, basically that means that you have multisystemic issues, and it can present in any way with people who are diagnosed with it. Um, so it can present in, in totally different ways based on the person. For me, it means that I have frequent dislocations, that my joints are hypermobile, which means that they bend beyond the normal range so I can bend back a lot of things. That was great when I was a kid, not so great as an adult.

And it also, uh, for me, you can also have multisystemic issues. So for me, that presents in asthma, a large amount of allergies. I also have, uh, some sensory processing issues as well, cause autism and EDS go very well together.

There’s also autonomic responses where our heart or our, uh, cardiovascular system can respond differently. So basically there’s, there’s another comorbidity, which is a bad name for it, but that’s the medical term called POTS which basically, it means that when you stand up, you can cause yourself to faint.

There’s all sorts of, uh, multisystemic issues with EDS that it can cause. Also, migraines for me. Been having a lot of those lately. So there’s a lot of different aspects of, of EDS, which can have a major impact on your daily life. I use a cane. I definitely will transition to a wheelchair one day, or I might also have a walker in the meantime, but my joints will continue to, to have issues because they aren’t as stable as someone who doesn’t have EDS.

Helen: And how does this impact your sewing practice when you’re getting into your sewing projects? How do you handle having your disability and getting your sewing projects done?

Andie: So I do everything differently, to basically adapt to my pain levels and avoid dislocating my joints, because one of the major things about EDS is that as you dislocate more often, you cause, uh, your bones to basically, like, degenerate.

And it’s not that your bones are degenerating in themselves. It’s just that from injuries, you’re doing this to yourself. So just by existing, I’m constantly harming myself, which is, I mean, one of those, like, “whoa” factors to a lot of people is just, like, even just walking to, say, the bathroom is enough to harm me.

That makes it very important for me to do things very differently based on my abilities. So when it comes to sewing, I will manage it based on my energy levels. So if I happen to not have the energy for the day, sewing doesn’t happen. So, unfortunately, unlike a lot of other people who are in the sewing community, I don’t have a, a large amount of productive ability, at least not like I did in 2013 or, you know, even just five years ago.

And I also use different tools. So I’ll use things like surgical clamps in order to hold onto things like elastic, or I’ll use, you know, beeswax to condition the thread so that if I’m doing any sort of hand sewing, I just basically get rid of that resistance. I’ll also use leather thimbles and you know, like, those little slippy things, um, that help you grip needles and stuff like that. I basically, I avoid certain projects as well because of the, of the difficulty that I would have with them. So I’ll leave those for days where I have more “spoons” as we call it in the, in the, um, chronic illness community.

You know, it, it’s all about adaption and about making sure that, like, you’re conserving your energy, but also balancing that with actual, you know, things that you enjoy.

Caroline: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. And you really do your part in raising awareness about the disease that you have and talking about it openly online. And I wonder why you think it’s important to be open about chronic illness on your blog and on social media?

Andie: I think it’s important to talk about it because representation matters. And, you know, like, I, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people who are like, wow, you know, like, I didn’t know that before. And I think part of that is because people who are chronically ill are often very much in the background.

We’re, kind of, like, the missing people because we can’t participate as much as we would like to. So then a lot of people end up not remaining friends with us because we can’t participate. So, to me, it’s, it’s very important that people are aware that we exist and that people are aware of the types of challenges that we have and that we still want to be invited to things.

So, you know, and it, and it’s super, super important that we get rid of stigma surrounding chronic illness and disability that, you know, one of the main things is that, it’s really important for me to use my voice to help fight ableism. And ableism is, is just one of those things that can crop up anywhere. And so part of me talking about that has to do with, you know, making people aware of where we’re at, so that they can avoid making ableist comments to us.

Helen: Yeah. We’d love for you to expand a bit on that and talk with us about some examples of ableism in the sewing community and how, you know, we can be more inclusive of those living with chronic illnesses and disabilities in our community.

Andie: Sure. I think one of the main things that I see, especially in the sewing community is this concept of lazy sewing and you know, like, doing something differently because it’s an easier way of doing it, but not understanding that for people who are disabled, these lazy things are not lazy. They’re the only way.

So that’s a huge thing to me. And that’s something that, you know, like I talk about pretty often where it’s, like, you know, just stop using that term. It’s just a different way of doing it. There is no right way. It’s the way that you can do it. So, you know, stop using the term lazy because it’s, it focuses on this concept of productivity that I just think that we need to get rid of. Cause, I mean, that’s, that’s a whole complex conversation in itself.

The other thing that I noticed is that a lot of people focus on perfection. Whereas with disabled sewists, it’s more important to focus on what we can do. So if a seam happens to be a little bit wavy in a spot for, for top stitching, that’s a design element. It’s not, it’s not about, like, oh, I didn’t do this right. I didn’t do that right. It’s, this is, you know, something that I had decided that I wasn’t gonna go back and fix because it is not worth my time for a little tiny skip in the seam.

There also seems to be a focus on doing things exactly as the instructions say, and I think that that needs to stop as well because there’s, there’s a lot of room for adaptability within that. Instructions aren’t the end all and be all; they are a guideline. And I know that this is hard for you, Helen, when you create all of these fantastic instructions, but uh, sometimes the, like, methods just don’t work for me.

You know, like, uh, I came across one the other day where it was, where it suggested leaving a little bit of the side seam open in order to insert an elastic. And, for me, it’s a lot easier if I serge the elastic, like, the band on and then leave an opening there to put it in. And it’s just, like, that little difference that it’s, like, following the instructions to the T is not something that, you know, like, you need to do once, once you’ve learned what works for you and, and how you can change those things.

Helen: Yeah. No, it’s such a great point and don’t worry. I’m not offended. I really love when people interpret things differently. And that’s one of the reasons we focus so much on different hacks and adapting patterns for different situations, because it is fun, first of all, and there’s all sorts of different ways that you can, um, sew patterns and work with patterns, so I’m all for it.

Caroline: We also wanted to talk about accessibility on blogs and social media. And we’re wondering if there are things that community members and businesses should be doing to make their content and products more accessible.

Andie: I think there’s a lot that can be done for websites and stuff like that. Making sure that you’re putting in the alt text or the image descriptions. Both words are interchangeable there. So that also helps you with, that also helps your business, putting that in bumps up your search engine optimization. So it’s a win-win situation there.

I also think it’s really important to be mindful that there’s no “one size fits all” solution for disability, that somebody who has, you know, like, low vision is not going to have the same needs as somebody who has hearing impairment is not gonna have the same needs as somebody who has migraines.

So all of these things are about, you know, like, making sure that you are able to pivot very easily when somebody gives you feedback and also setting up a feedback process on your website so that people can contact you. And then, you know, include in that, if you need something to be adapted for you, for your disability, just contact me. So that’s a, that’s a huge thing that just shows how much of an ally you are to people with disabilities.

In sewing patterns, there’s a huge amount of stuff that could be done. Number one biggest pet peeve for me: don’t use pictures. Use line drawings. Um, I know that you do that, Helen, but when people use photographs, it’s so difficult to see those, like, the, what’s being done.

What steps are, what’s happening? What the, you know, what’s the wrong side? What’s the right side? And I think that a lot of people don’t understand the value of line drawings. On top of that, also giving image descriptions to those things. So that can either be in the instructions itself to show, like, this is what the picture does, or, you know, like, just putting it underneath as a caption.

Then, the other thing is, uh, in sewing patterns, layers, different colours. Don’t use the same colour or the same look for different lines of different sizes. I came across one pattern that did that and I, I threw it out cause I was just like, I can’t, I can’t deal with this. Like, every third line was a solid line.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Oh.

Andie: And, and it did me in. Um, then in terms of events and stuff like that, I would love to see people think about that from the beginning, so choosing accessible venues. I’ve definitely been in a situation where, you know, like I haven’t been able to stick around a place because it wasn’t accessible.

Also, having a place for people to sit down if they need to because I’ve also been in situations where I’ve looked around and I’ve been like, there are no chairs here. Goodbye. Cause I need to recoup, and I need that rest. So, yeah, like, there’s a lot of things that the sewing community could do. And I think that the most important point there is, that, always be open to feedback.

Um, so, like, listen to people when they say, you know, like, would you consider doing this in an accessible venue. Responding to that and, and being open to, to changing things or being open to next time saying, oh, okay, next time I will look for that accessible venue and make sure that you can get there, something like that. But I think that, you know, starting off with just being open to change is a huge thing.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. That’s a really good point. And I’m thinking, also, about community events, not only in person, but online. Like, have you noticed anything during online challenges or prompts that we’ve seen, you know, all the time happening on Instagram where you’re sharing X or doing Y, anything there that you wanna highlight?

Andie: Yeah, absolutely. So one of the, one of the reasons I created the #SlowProjectChallenge over on @ChronicallySewn was because of this focus on creating a thing at the end of a challenge, and that’s how you become eligible for it. So my request to people who are creating challenges is to think about what kind of alternatives could you have to a challenge that requires something to be completed.

Could you consider an honourable mention category where people have shared the hashtag, which helps you and helps your challenge get out there? So, like, you know, using that as a way of, you know, like, generating a prize for an honourable mention or setting up a giveaway in conjunction with the challenge so that people who, who can’t participate in the challenge have an opportunity to win something?

Anyways, cause I think one of the major things about challenges is that they usually happen in a very short amount of time. So they’re usually announced at the beginning of a month, and then they end at that end of the month, which can really derail someone with disabilities and chronic illness because they like to prepare for these things.

Like, I need to prepare for those in order to compete. So I don’t do a lot of challenges because of that reason, unless it’s something like a photo a day challenge, which I’ll do sporadically or something like #MeMadeMay, which is a lot easier for me to participate in. But in terms of something, like, you know, like, one of those month long challenges, I’m probably not going to be able to do it unless it fits with something that I had already planned and already had cut out.

Helen: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for those tips. I wanna cycle back to pattern design for a moment, um, asking for a friend, um, are there things that you wish, uh, pattern designers would consider when they’re designing garments and how can we create clothing and tutorials and options that work for more people?

Andie: Absolutely. So I think one of the major things that I would suggest to any pattern designer is when you’re creating your photography with the finished pattern and everything like that, think about showing it seated. Cause for wheelchair users, that’s a huge thing to see. And for people who are going to, you know, be seated a lot of the time, they would like to see things in that format.

The other thing is when you’re designing it, can your pattern be adaptive? So could you think of something that, like, could hack this pattern into an adaptive pattern? Like, I know that, Helen, you do a lot of, like, tutorials where you’re, like, put a button placket, but, like, that’s a huge thing for, for a disabled sewist who maybe, like, isn’t able to put it over top of them. Like, say for the York Pinafore, having a button placket or having a zipper there can be a lot easier for someone with shoulder issues.

So can your patterns be adaptive? Can people use them to create side zip versus a back zipper? Can you design for wheelchair users? So have you thought about how things look seated? Think about ways that you could be more inclusive with your models themselves. At the same time, try not to use them as tokens, which is, you know, like, a difficult thing to balance. Where a token in the disabled community is basically someone that you’re just having there as way of saying, hey, I’m an ally, but not actually doing the work.

So make sure that, like, if you are using disabled people in your, in your pattern images that you are also providing a lot more resources in the background, too. So, you know, like, you’re doing the work for that.

Caroline: Mhm, yeah. Thank you so much for highlighting all of those tips. We’ll definitely be mentioning some of those on social this week to make sure that the community has a direct line to all of your amazing advice. I also wonder if there are any brands or companies in the community that do a good job at supporting the disabled and chronically ill community of sewists. Are there any companies that you could mention that are doing a good job with that?

Andie: I think that Friday Pattern Company is doing a really good job with that. I also think that, like, your patterns are, are quite adaptable as well, Helen, and that, like, I mean, you’re a great voice anyway, so, but it’s not all about you.

Helen: I love to hear it. Thank you so much. That means, honestly, means so much to me. I appreciate that.

Andie: It really does, and I think that, like, also Cashmerette. Um, the ability to do layers, anything where you can do large format printing, as well as the smaller format printing, where you tape it all together, which is actually oddly my preference. Um, so I think that there are a lot of companies doing it right. I do think that there could be more representation.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: So recently there was a company that, uh, decided that they’d put a call out for disabled sewists and more diverse sewists that could be, you know, part of their pattern insiders or testers, basically. And they didn’t include people in wheelchairs, so it’s, it’s, kind of, like, well, you, you got there, but not quite.

Caroline: Mm, yeah.

Andie: Um, so that’s what I would like to see. Um, Friday Pattern Company, RAD Patterns, uh, Closet Case, quite a few of that, of the pattern companies are starting to get more disabled sewists in their imagery, which I think is great. Again, as long as they’re not being used as tokens.

Helen: That’s great advice.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And who is inspiring you right now in the disabled and chronically ill sewing communities, so we can all go follow them, too?

Andie: @PurpleSewingCloud, she’s fantastic. She’s also, uh, like, loves colour and, and, like, always creates these beautiful, beautiful creations. Then, um, there’s @MicheBeMason, uh, who is a wheelchair user, and @SiobhanSimper, also a wheelchair user, @SewDisabled, wheelchair user, also. Um, @SewPositivity, uh, has a walker. Then, there’s @WhatLydiaMade, who also has EDS, just like me, @Marie_StitchedUp and @TheCamdenStitch.

And I think that all of these sewists are fantastic at being advocates, as well, because they all speak up about it. So they, you know, like, they’ll talk about their conditions. Also, keeping in mind that, don’t ask prying questions about health.

Helen: Mhm.

Andie: It’s okay in this format I’ve approved it. But, uh, just don’t come into someone’s DM and be like, hey, what about this? Like, we don’t like those.

Helen: Yeah.

Andie: But, uh, I think that all, like, all of these sewists are fantastic and I, I, like, love following them. I love seeing what they make. I love seeing them talk about the challenges that they have, and they have also given me such great tips.

Helen: Oh, that’s awesome. We’re gonna put links to all of those people on our social this week, so that it’s easy for everyone to go follow along. Thank you for that. And we wanted to talk a bit about Sew Enabled, too, because you and a team have awesome makers recently launched Sew Enabled, and you’ve got a website, an Instagram profile that folks can follow along with. So can you tell us a bit about this new collective?

Andie: Absolutely. Um, I got involved actually at a later stage. So the main people who, who created this, um, cause I wanna make sure that they get all the credit are, uh, @What_Tasha_Made and then @Mrs_BS_Sews, and @MellyHopps. Um, so Mel, um, Tasha, and [Abi] are fantastic, and they founded Sew Enabled.

Um, I came a little bit later after things were, uh, sort of, decided after, uh, Mel contacted me and was like, could you promote us? And I was like, yes, 100%. In fact, how do I get involved? Because this is something that I have wanted for a really, really long time. And it’s just been a matter of finding people who also wanted it because you know, like, we have limited resources, so we need a little bit more of a collective experience here.

Mel was just basically like, yeah, join us. Um, basically, we are a collective of amateur sewists who, we feel really strongly about the sewing community and the fact that it needs to be more accessible for sewists with diverse needs. And what we plan on doing is having a pattern directory of people submitting patterns who, uh, have adapted them or find that they’re easily adaptable, as well as patterns that are specifically adaptive patterns.

So an adaptive pattern is something that is made with disabled people in mind. So something like, there’s a few patterns from RAD Patterns who are made specifically for people with wheelchairs, so it has, like, an open back. And then there’s G-tube patterns and stuff like that. So if you happen to have a G-tube, which is a tube that goes directly into your gastrointestinal system, then you know, like, these little pads help prevent it from getting irritated or falling out.

Basically, the other thing that we want to include is an accessible business directory. So how many fabric shops, haberdasheries, events, exhibitions are, you know, accessible, and that’s also user submitted. And then we will also have resources for accessible pattern adaptions. Sewists talking about, you know, like their experiences as, as a disabled sewist, or as a sewist with chronic illness, and this could be mental or physical. So it’s really just a one site fits, you know, like, we’re just trying to do as much as we can, so that it’s one stop shop for disabled and chronically ill sewists.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s so wonderful. And I wonder if any of our listeners wanted to submit sewing patterns or businesses, how can they do that?

Andie: So they can go to SewEnabled.co.uk or SewEnabled.com. Both work very well. And then they can click on the accessible pattern directory or the business directory. And then from there you can submit, uh, there is some criteria involved in submitting patterns and businesses that we’ve listed there, but the submission form is right there.

Caroline: That’s awesome. Thank you. We also wanted to talk about your IG account called @ChronicallySewn and ask you a little bit more about that. Why did you decide to create this account and what kind of content do you share over there?

Andie: So I decided to create it because there wasn’t really a place where sewists with chronic illnesses or disabilities could share things and we didn’t really have a hashtag at the time. Um, now we do it’s #ChronicallySewn.

There’s also a few other hashtags that I’ll talk about in a moment. I started it just as a way of really highlighting the many, many sewists out there who have disabilities and chronic illnesses that aren’t very visible to the rest of the community because there’s such a focus of production. Constantly, like, you know, like, updating Instagram and stuff like that. So this was my way of getting them more follows, more visibility.

And then, you know, it’s, it’s for anybody who identifies as chronically ill or disabled, and that again, can be mental or physical, and it could be both. With me, it’s both. And what content is shared there is, uh, I mean this year has been sort of difficult for me with sharing anything because I’ve had a, an influx of migraines, um, that makes screens very difficult. So my intention with that is to share tips and then also, uh, share from the specific sewists. So they’ll use the hashtag, and then I will repost, getting permission for it.

Caroline: Awesome. And then you, uh, mentioned earlier the #SlowProjectChallenge, and I really wanted to ask you a little bit more about that and kind of what it entails and what it’s all about.

Andie: So the #SlowProjectChallenge is a challenge that, uh, it’s over the space of a couple of months to three months. I think that last year I did two months, this year, I did three months, and there’s no requirement to finish. You just need to use the hashtag. Talk about it. You could even just talk about plans. You could show fabric. It doesn’t matter.

And then I’ve gathered a bunch of sponsors, and basically, at the end of the challenge, I’ll continue sharing what the sewists have made and then also people will get prizes. So it, it’s one of the few that don’t require something to be done. The other aspect of it is that it’s very important to me that it decenters productivity, and that’s why I say Slow Project Challenge.

So not getting things done, but moving forward in terms of projects. Um, so, you know, like, having a little bit more progress every time, but try not to focus on, I have to get it done. I have to get it done. Because it’s not about productivity, it’s about creativity, and it’s about participation.

And a lot of us in the chronic illness community often feel like we can’t participate because of that focus on productivity. So when I created it, it was very much about the, I have not been able to, um, participate in any challenge for several months, if not years now. And this was my way of saying, hey, I can create a challenge that can do that for everybody else. And, you know, I also participate, I just don’t get prizes. That’d be wrong, right?

Helen: Only a little. Yeah, it’s such a great challenge and encourages people to take things slower, too, which I think is a welcome change of pace for a lot of folks, um, just as far as our making practice goes to be a bit more intentional and just enjoy the process rather than the destination, as it were.

Andie: Exactly.

Helen: So that’s amazing. And you mentioned that you had some hashtags to share. Do you wanna share those with us now?

Andie: Yeah, so I already shared #ChronicallySewn. So then there’s also #DisabledSewing and #SewingDisabled, so you can reverse those. And then there’s the very important one #SewnShownSeated, which is very hard for me to say. So…

Helen: You’re… I’m not the only one.

Andie: #SewnShownSeated. So it’s, it’s a hashtag where sewists take pictures of themselves while they’re seated. And again, like, that’s just a huge, huge thing for wheelchair users to see.

Helen: Yeah. Yeah. That hashtag has really been growing over the past few months, and it’s wonderful to see, and it’s fun to participate in, too.

Andie: Yeah, it really is. I had such a fun time doing my first set, which was only just last month. Cause I, I don’t have a, in my other photography spot, I don’t have a chair, and I took some pictures outside, and I was like, oh, I’ll just do some seated. And then I was like, these look amazing. It, it gave me such a boost where I was like, okay, I like this. I’m doing it every time. So I’ve gotta get a chair upstairs.

Helen: Yeah, that’s awesome. And with the Sewn Shown Seated hashtag, is there certain angles that you find are more useful for people to see? Like, I’ve noticed people sharing front and side, um, what’s your take on how to position yourself ideally?

Andie: I mean, it, it’s all about what you feel comfortable about. And I think the thing is that, like, if you have intersections, you know, like you’re, you’re fat and you’re disabled, a lot of fat phobia does prevent us from showing certain angles. So not everybody feels comfortable with that, but I think in terms of, like, if you are willing to do it all, do it all, um, if you are able to do it all, of course.

I think that, like, side views are great. I also think that front on is great. And I think that even leaning back is good because there are some people who, who are in wheelchairs who actually need to be reclined because of the impact on their joints. You know, like, all of these things would help any sewist who is in the same spot.

Helen: Thank you. Yeah, those are great tips. And speaking of intersections, we know that you mentioned you identify as bisexual and gender queer, and we were wondering if you could tell us a bit more about how being non-binary intersects with being disabled as it relates to your sewing practice? Um, I know we talked about your style at the top of the show, but does anything else come to mind?

Andie: Yeah, absolutely. So with me, I am not able to, uh, to wear a binder because if I have any sort of compression across my, um, underbust, my ribs will dislocate, and that is not fun, let me tell you. It’s actually quite painful. So I think that, like, one of the things that a lot of queer community focus within non-binary styles is on bust-less styles. And I just can’t do that nor can I get, uh, surgery to get rid of my bust.

So I will never look as androgynous as someone else who doesn’t have as much of a bust as I do. So, for me, it’s, it’s really more focusing on styles that can easily be worn by male or female or non-binary people and just not focusing on the sex of a garment, like that’s, uh, you know, like, a whole other topic, but because we often have garment, you know, like patterns where it’s, it’s, like, advertised as just women. And it’s, like, but I can wear this, too.

But the main thing with non-binary and me specifically with, with disability is that there’s a lot of things that I cannot wear. So I can’t wear tight fits anymore because I get hives from, from compression, which, again, is not fun. And then, that binder is just not gonna happen. And a lot of, like, highly tailored looks where it’s constricting my joints or, you know, like, causing tightness in certain areas where I can’t move, then I can’t wear those.

So a lot of my style is based around accounting for that and making sure that I’m wearing, you know, like, loose fitting things and things that won’t irritate my skin. In terms of the bust issue, I just need to embrace it. You know, like, it, it’s just something that, you know, like, I can’t do anything about it because of my chronic illness, so I just gotta embrace it. And I’ve been finding that a lot of, like, the more boxy styles lately have really been gender affirming for me.

Helen: That’s wonderful.

Caroline: Yeah. That’s so great. And you mentioned just the idea of, kind of, taking gender out of pattern descriptions, and potentially trying to use, you know, less gendered language with their promotions of patterns and that kind of thing. And I wonder if, from your perspective, there are other ways that we can improve our community for queer sewists and any other changes that you’d like to see.

Andie: I mean, I’d love to see people stop addressing the entire group as ladies . And that’s mainly in, like, Facebook groups and within posts themselves where it’s like, hey girls, or hey ladies, because not everybody identifies as a woman. And there are a lot of male sewists out there, too, that feel pretty excluded from that group as well. So I’d love to see people use more gender neutral terms like sewists. Sewists is a great gender neutral term or, you know, folks. I love folks. It’s perfect.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: Um, I’d also, I would love to see people not just removing male and female or woman and men, uh, out of that, but maybe having a selection within something like a dress where there’s a no bust option cause I know that a lot of, you know, a lot of patterns have cup sizes and then there could be a pattern that has a flat top or a tutorial on how to remove the bust from your dress pattern so that it fits, you know, like a more androgynous bust versus my bust.

But, uh, you know, like, I think that thinking about different intersections would really help anybody within the sewing community. So how would my content be received by the queer community? How would my content be received by the disabled community? And how can I change that so that it is better received? And I think one of the most important things is that, in that, is that you also just are open to change.

And I think that there’s a lot of people out there who get very defensive when you ask for accommodation, and I’d like to see that stop. When you’re like, hey, can you use a more gender neutral term? And then you’re responded with, well, there’s mostly females in this group, and it’s like, okay, that may be true. But what I’m asking is that, you know, like, you use a more gender neutral term…

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: …so that the people who aren’t females can be included.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Absolutely.

Helen: It’s so true. Such good advice to just take a moment to accept that feedback and ruminate on it and reply thankfully and graciously because someone’s gone out of their way to try and help you to grow and to include more people, which is always the goal here in the sewing community. So, yeah.

Andie: Yeah, exactly. And that sort of feedback is never from a place of malice. Like, I mean, unless it’s, like, the 14th time that you’ve asked, but, but it’s always from a place of, I like you. So, you know, like, I want this community to be better, and this is my, my call in, it’s not a call out. It’s just a call in. And if you decide not to do that, I mean, I’ve, I’ve learned a bit about you, but ultimately, like, it’s about a place of, this is a community that we want to make better, so don’t get defensive about it.

Caroline: Yeah, absolutely. And, and we feel the same way. You know, we think that there’s definitely room for improvement in the community, and we hope that our listeners hearing you talk about this will help to amplify those things and, kind of, help pattern designers and businesses reflect on their actions and reflect on how, you know, what they say and do affects also is because everybody deserves to be included.

Before we wrap up, we did wanna touch on one last thing with you, which is fat sewing, because we know you also identify as fat or plus size. And I wonder what, um, or how sewing your own clothes has impacted your body image?

Andie: So, for me, I started sewing mainly because Canada doesn’t have a great plus size clothing industry, which I guess you probably know that.

Caroline: Mhm.

Andie: Basically, I was getting everything from the U.S. and incurring import fees for everything. It also meant that I was spending way more on clothes, and it’s not to say that sewing means that you’ll spend less on clothes. It could me-, mean, it could end up meaning that you spend more. So that’s, you know, that’s something to keep in mind, but it means that you’ll make something that fits you how you want it to fit you, not how some clothing designer was like, oh, people who are fat have large shoulders, so this is how we’re fitting them.

So I’d always be, kind of, unhappy with the fit. So when I started sewing, I was like, oh, clothes can fit me. It’s just that those clothes weren’t made for me and these clothes are. And that does amazing things to your confidence once you get past the fitting hump, which is a huge hump to get over. But, for me, sewing has made a huge difference in how I see myself and very much think that it’s increased my confidence. It’s increased, you know, my awareness of, of fat phobia.

Um, cause you know, like, I’m, I’m a mid fat, which, you know, in the fat community is, is, you know, like, there are small fats, mid fats, um, super fats and infini fats. So mid fat, kind of, covers the range of 22 to 24, I believe. And then you go up from there with super fats and infini fats. And we very much like these terms, much better than the O word, which is forbidden, um, which is a medical term and wrong, but sewing has done so much about how I view myself.

I also think that it’s made me more body neutral versus body positive. And I think the thing is that I just wear whatever I want to wear versus what I think is the beauty standard. So it’s, for me, it’s about comfort, and it’s about wearing a style that I really enjoy. And then also getting the fit that I need.

Caroline: Yes. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. And we also are so thankful that you’ve agreed to come on the show and talked to us about everything that we talked about today. We learned so much from you and we know our listeners will learn so much, as well, so thank you.

Andie: Thank you so much. I mean, I’ve, I’ve been such a fan of the show for a really long time, but it’s, like, I’m fan-girling over here or fan-nb-ing. There’s not really a fan equivalent to non-binary.

Helen: Well, we feel the same way about you, and it’s lovely to have you on. Thank you again for joining us.

Andie: Thank you.

Helen: Take care. Buh-bye.

Andie: Bye.

Caroline: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at BlackbirdFabrics.com and Helen at HelensClosetPatterns.com!

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful, BC, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at LoveToSewPodcast.com.

Caroline: If you’re loving the show and want to help us out, you can support us on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month, and you’ll get access to our bonus episode feed. Contribute $10 or more a month, and you will get a 50% discount code for both of our shops and a bonus mini episode. Go to patreon.com/LoveToSew for more info.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team Sam Humphrey and Melanie Brister. And thank you all so much for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

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