An online day of sewing inspiration.   One fee gives you access to all 7  presenters.  Every presentation is recorded and will be available for viewing for 6 months after the event.  Register on our EVENTS page.

Learn more about each presenter and what he/she will be talking about...

Ali Giles-Damjanovska

Presentation - Weaving the cloth I sew

About the Presenter - Ali is a bespoke hand weaver, sewist and knitter working from her home studio on the South Coast of NSW.  Ali weaves cloth from which she sews tailored and classic garments, as well as menswear, scarves and shawls.

Ali studied clothing construction and fashion design at the Melbourne College of Textiles before working in the haute couture industry in Melbourne and Perth. After retiring from a second career as a school teacher, Ali returned to her love of cloth and sewing. Pre-Covid, Ali studied weaving under Liz Clana for three years and is the current president of the Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild of NSW. Ali is also a member of the Complex Weavers (International) and the AICCM (Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material - Textiles). Ali’s first love is ethnic design and technique, and the domestic culture of textiles.

Website - www.alisongiles.com/

Jane McDonald - BeBe Bold

Presentation - Sashiko Made Easy

Jane will talk begin by talking about the history of sashiko including kogin, hitomezashi (one stitch sashiko) and Moyozashi. She will also show samples of the different techniques including how sashiko is used in boro and how these techniques can be incorporated into clothing, quilts, bags etc.

This presentation will also include a demonstration on how to transfer various patterns onto fabric and the methods used for stitching the different Sashiko techniques.

About the Presenter - Jane developed a strong interest in quilt-making after moving from the UK to Australia in the mid 1980s, where she settled in the Northern Rivers region of NSW with her family. She started her textiles business, BeBe Bold, from her studio over 15 years ago. From those early stages of teaching at the studio, she now participates with BeBe Bold in major textile events and is invited to teach around Australia. BeBe Bold continues to develop, with the opening of a second studio in France offering a strong online presence overseas whilst also participating at textile events in Europe and the UK.

BeBe Bold offers a wide range of Japanese textiles including yarn-dyed and traditional fabrics, sashiko, kogin and embroidery. Jane especially loves working with, and teaching different forms of sashiko, including kogin and hitomezashi (one-stitch sashiko). She is especially fond of hitomezashi for its combination of weaving and stitching techniques as she finds the repetitive design very relaxing and meditative.

Whilst expanding BeBe Bold’s outlook, Jane remains dedicated to offering the latest in contemporary Japanese textiles through a respect for traditional craft methods.

Website - www.bebebold.com
Instagram - www.instagram.com/bebebold/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/bebeboldjapanesetextiles

Pete Trimble - Pete Sews

Presentation - Come on a jacket tailoring trip with Pete

Your jackets and coats are made to fit a model in a workroom and probably not you. Come on a trip with Pet, discovering how you can tailor your own jacket to fit you perfectly. Pete will share tips on how to decide on the best fit and how to mark it up. He will then show you how to turn your jacket inside out, complete the sewing and press it back into what will basically be a new jacket.

Website - petesews.com.au/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/petesews/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/petesew

Jane Milbourn - Textile Beat

Presentation - Towards Sustainable Dressing
This will be a live Zoom presentation

A PowerPoint presentation about clothing culture in a climate-changing world and 10 ways we can reduce our material footprint; think, natural, quality, local, few, care, make, revive, adapt, and salvage.

About the presenter - Jane is a natural-fibre champion, author of Slow Clothing: finding meaning in what we wear, and a 2019 Churchill Fellow investigating ways that hands-on upcycling can help reduce textile waste and enhance wellbeing. Jane holds agricultural science and leadership qualifications that she applied to a career in rural journalism and advocacy before becoming concerned about fashion excess and the rise of synthetic fibres. This led her to set up Textile Beat in 2013 as a platform for conversations about ethical and creative ways of wearing and caring for clothes in a climate-changing world. Jane is a life-long slow fashion practitioner who inspires others to explore creative upcycling and make, mend, adapt, refashion and repurpose garments already in circulation. When the global pandemic deferred her Churchill Fellowship study tour, Jane adapted by doing a permaculture design course that affirmed her focus on natural fibres and living simply.

Website - www.textilebeat.com

Katrina Hadjimichael

Presentation - Introduction to English Paper Piecing

Katrina will give a history of the English paper piecing technique of joining fabric shapes together to form larger pieces and for applique embellishment.  Examples of antique pieces will be shown and described. She will present a needle book project with EPP embellishment.  All aspects of creating the EPP will be demonstrated including choosing fabrics, fussy cutting, using templates, covering papers, joining pieces, preparation of joined pieces and hand applique techniques.  She will also talk about the equipment used.

Samantha Waude - Purple Cloud Sewing

Presentation - Planning and Pacing Your Sewing Projects

The presentation will be split into two parts.  The first will cover how to plan sewing projects and things you can do that are sewing-related for when you are maybe low on energy or in pain.

The second will be around pacing and looking in-depth into the things we can do whilst we are sewing to reduce strain on our bodies and minds. This will include how to break down patterns to batch sew our projects.

About the presenter - Samantha is a sewist, living in the UK, who likes to quilt and sew garments.  She has been sewing for several years and started as part of rehabilitation for a brain injury.  She is  passionate about sewing but just as passionate about making sewing and crafts more accessible for everyone.

Blog - purplesewingcloud.wordpress.com/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/purplesewingcloud/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/purplesewingcloud/
Pinterest -www.pinterest.com.au/purplesewingcloud/

Rhodes Fashion Sewists

Presentation - Charity Sewing

What started as a need to fund their new group premises became an activity that gives this group the ability to use their fabric stash and sewing skills, as well as the satisfaction of knowing they make a difference to the lives of people who have been displaced from the homes.

Angelika Splittgerber (or Gel) and Carol Liston, with behind-the-scenes help from Wilhemina, provide the background to why charity sewing was something they had to do, through to  something they now choose to do.

Carol discusses the way they have explored different ways to contribute to the local community.  Gel talks about how to find a cause that suits your sewing group members. Lots of preparation and consultation are some keys to successful charity sewing.

Carol then tells us about the importance of their simple charity sewing projects  and how they have meant so much for their current charity partner Dandelion. 

About the group - Rhodes Fashion Sewing group is one of the many Australian Sewing Guild groups.  They have been meeting for many years and have skilled sewists from different backgrounds and parts of Sydney.  At times, other Guild members join their monthly meetings to take part in sewing classes from experts that help further their sewing skills.

A Covid-safe sewing day.  Listen to, and interact with, 14 presenters on a wide range of topics. One fee gives you access to all presenters.  Every presentation is recorded and will be available for viewing for 6 months after the event.  Register on our EVENTS page.

Learn more about each presenter and what he/she will be talking about...

Two Sewing Sisters - Lauren & Erin Ritchie

Lauren and Erin have a passion for dressing and making new garments for special occasions.  Growing up in regional Victoria, Erin and Lauren spent hours in their Nan’s sewing room: cutting out patterns, sewing, and playing dress ups in the hundreds of dresses Nan made for their family.

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In-House Patterns - Alexandra Morgan

Three Ways to Determine Your Cup Size

The Armhole/Sleeve Connection: How to Determine Sleeve Fit Before You Sew

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Pete Sews - Pete Trimble

Pete will show the process of creating a Bespoke Heirloom - a garment that incorporates an existing sentimental item.  He will explain how the concept develops with the client and how he works to design and create this truly special, sentimental garment. Some of the sewing will be shown along with design and finishing techniques. 

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Pattern Union - Sarah Pondevie

Sarah and Sue Stoney will talking about fit issues for home sewists and how Sarah tries to resolve them as a designer.  

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Linda's Lingerie - Linda Jobson
Perfect Again - Julie Brand

Bras are meant to support your shape and size. Getting the right bras is a faster and more accurate process with Linda’s years of experience.

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Draft  T Studio - Trish Hargrave

Create Custom Fit Block Patterns in Minutes

The presentation will provide an introduction to The Pattern Drafter ruler with a brief tour of the features of the ruler, the use of simple measurements and a demonstration of the drawing of a front dress block.

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Brooke McHiggins

Sewing Vintage, Retro and Repro - A Look at Modern Vintage Sewing

Vintage is for everyone! Brooke's presentation will focus on giving people confidence in tackling vintage patterns and playing with elements of retro style. 

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Sew Into Overlocking - Kate Marra

Kate's presentation will give an in depth look at a variety of overlocking stitches, how to achieve them and where to use them.  There will be lots of samples to inspire you to extend your overlocking repertoire.

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Alice Irvine

How to hack! Principles of customising sewing patterns

This will be a presentation guiding viewers through the principles of hacking.  Lots of sewists have ideas for slightly altering a pattern but find the thought of it too daunting to try, while others just don’t realise the potential hidden within many designs!

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Jennifer Mancuso

Jennifer presents useful and universal tips and tricks to defining your style. 

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Liz Haywood

Exploring Zero Waste Patterns

What is a zero waste pattern?
What's so great about zero waste patterns?
How do we design this way?

Read more...

Sew Organised Style Podcasts - Maria Theoharous

With the pandemic forcing us, in many countries, to self-isolate at home, Maria’s  podcast became a way to keep people engaged.

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Pam Holland

My Life Journals in Textiles

A textile blueprint as a career for the past 60 years has imparted a lifetime appreciation of fabrics.  Pam began her career as a photographer and fashion designer.  

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Purple Sewing Cloud - Samantha

Sewing with disabilities/chronic health

Samantha will give insights into sewing with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions, and some of the tools and techniques she uses.  

Read more...

The latest AUSSEW-Along has members making a pleated skirt.  We got off to a flying start in July but ran into a big obstacle called Covid-19.  The pleater of choice - Specialty Pleaters - had to close shop due to the lockdown in Victoria.  Thankfully, Rado Pleating in Sydney has come to the rescue and we are now back on track.

This video gives a fascinating insight into the pleating process.

Megan Nielsen (ASG Industry Partner) shares her love of the sewing community in a blog series celebrating 10 amazing makers.

Earlier this year, before our way of life was turned a little upside down, I was lucky enough to make a long-held dream come to life. We held a two-day photoshoot– to celebrate the sewing community and encourage involvement in person and online.

Though we’ve been physically distant in the past few months this is not the time to pull away from our communities. More than ever we need to be connected and involved as much as we can. We need to be showing care and consideration for each other.

I love the sewing community. This special corner of the world is so full of love and encouragement and mutual respect. The sewing community changed the course of my life and has personally brought me so much joy and fulfilment and introduced me to so many dear friends. Where would I be without all of you?

Creating this blog series of incredible makers is my celebration of community and my call to engage more than ever with each other online, through social media, video chats, messages, packages dropped at doors and random deliveries – any way we can.

     

Let’s build each other up! Let’s shout encouragement and love from our rooftops! I’ve seen so many hashtags on social media shared to encourage sewing community connection on Instagram – jump on board and do it! Reach out and make new friends! Let’s make awesome things and show each other!

We have profiles of 10 amazing people from my local sewing community on our blog, giving you a little insight into their sewing worlds and lives. They very graciously agreed to be part of this special project and I’m so proud and excited to introduce them to you all, not to mention show you their incredible outfits!

This project has a very special place in our hearts and I hope you enjoy this community series as much as we have enjoyed creating it!!

Megan Nielsen

Photographer: Bronnie Joel

Sneaking in just before the ban on social gathering, ASG members met for the semi-annual NSW Industry Day. 

Saturday, March 14^th dawned cool and faintly miserable in Sydney.  Inside the Blueberry Hill conference room at Canterbury Leagues Club, the atmosphere was anything but cool and definitely not miserable.

Attendance at the Autumn 2020 Industry Day was much reduced, in line with the increasing health crisis.  But all that was forgotten as we were taken into the world of costuming by Rebecca Ritchie, head of wardrobe at Opera Australia.  Rebecca was an engaging speaker and as some attendees said, “we could have listened to her all day”. 

Rebecca spoke of how costumes are constructed and made to be true to the designer’s vision, reasonably wearable, and with meaning for the audience.  She had many examples of considering who else will be wearing the costume i.e. someone larger or smaller than the first singer, and how money can be saved in one part of the costume to be spent up big on another part.

The visual story-telling was wonderfully illustrated by Rebecca showing us how, to indicate just what the character is giving up to marry a very poor man, her extravagant ensemble is slowly dismantled over the course of one aria, until she is, at last, standing in just her chemise.  The success of this process is hugely dependent on the other members of the cast. One bow that knots itself and won’t come undone is a potential disaster.  Scissors are held at the ready.

Attendees then enjoyed the three workshops available for both a morning and afternoon session.

Laura Walsh from Bobbin & Ink brought sewing decidedly into the 21^st Century with information on sewing with conductive threads and materials.  Conductive Thread is ideal for introducing electronics into textiles projects. The thread looks and behaves like conventional sewing thread with the added bonus of being conductive, allowing the thread to be used in the place of wires, with conventional electronics.  Laura explained, to much merriment and excitement, how to start experimenting with light-up elements and other electrical components.  Attendees came away with much enthusiasm to produce garments to wow their grandchildren.

Maria from Digital Fabrics very generously brought along her printing press and everyone who attended her workshop went home with a small sample.  It was very interesting that the colours on the master pattern were very strong, while the final product was much less intense.  It was inspiring to know just how much can be done with digital printing – not just fabric for garments.

In a quieter mode Kazue Kawauchi delighted with her line of soft toy patterns  Piccolino Patterns.  Kazue chose the Industry Day to launch her new addition to the Piccolino family, Forest Friends Mouse & Rabbit.  Small figurines but endlessly cute – something to sew for family members not quite ready for techno threads.

For our regular “Show &Tell” session, there were 3 gift vouchers to be won, thanks to the generosity of The Fabric Store in Surry Hills.  It was such a joy to hear the stories behind the garments – the sewing journey.  The focus was not on the quality of the sewing, but on the journey.

Many thanks to Pitt Trading and Larraine Jenkins for providing some shopping opportunities.  Unfortunately, Dearne Natoli from Booby Traps was unable to attend as it was her 20^th Wedding Anniversary and she thought she really should spend the day with her husband.  Achieve Australia were also unable to be with us because of the health crisis.  Next time.

Thank you to everyone who sent their regrets – your kind words and well wishes were very much appreciated.  We are now starting to organise our Spring 2020 Industry Day.  Date to be confirmed.  Hope to see you all there.

I had the pleasure of liaising with the Wig Service Coordinator at the Cancer Council WA, Maryanne Van Dal who was able to source some fabric and threads for our event. Altogether we made a total of 75 caps and wraps from 41 metres of gorgeous bamboo jersey. A few of us spent some time cutting out our selected patterns ready to sew up on the day, which in itself was quite a fun game of group Tetris as we got the most out of the fabric. Using three patterns for the specifically drafted event, we started with a short intro session and then our 25 sewists got down to business to produce these beautifully handmade products which were delivered back to the Cancer Council Wig Service based at Millroy Lodge. When I dropped them off, our Woolies green bag full of hats and scarves looked unassuming but it was heartening to know we did something good for the people in our community.        Being able to sew these items for the Cancer Council felt like a huge gift, not so much for the recipients but for me. In my professional life I am a Cancer Nurse and every day I speak with people who experience hair loss due to cancer treatment. It is always a difficult conversation to have because hair loss is the thing that will, without doubt, make someone look sick. As my fellow sewists worked away I couldn’t help but be moved by the relief that these handmade products would provide. Not only was it a joy to sew with some beautiful fabric but to make something that would make another person feel beautiful when wearing them, or at the very least comfortable, in an ocean of discomfort. I also got to form a closer relationship with the beautiful staff and volunteers of the Cancer Council of WA and to experience the amazing facilities at Millroy Lodge, the home away from home for our country patients. I never thought my sewing and professional life would collide but when it did, it enriched both. The Cancer Council is an entirely donation funded organisation who provide support services for those affected by cancer. If you or your sewing group are interested in continuing our work sewing for the Cancer Council please contact the Cancer Council Wig Service in your state on 13 11 20. by Kylie Peel ASG member, WA

This piece has been something of a UFO – a long time in the making, with lapses in attention. The long hot summer is over here in Italy, the last sewing project was finished a few weeks back, and now the sewing machines, gadgets, pins, scissors etc have been put away for the last time here. Now I will complete these musings.

We have been coming to Umbria every northern summer now for six years, when after daydreaming for years about the possibility, we bought an apartment in the medieval hilltop town of Todi.

The idea was to come for sojourns in spring and/or autumn and rent the property out in between. However, after spending some four months here over that first summer, organizing renovations – plumbers, electricians, tilers, painters etc – coming for the whole summer each year has become a habit.

I now have most of the necessary gadgets and tools assembled – either bought online or on excursions to Rome, or further afield in UK, France etc. And, of course, a very respectable fabric stash now nestles in containers under one of the guest beds. After a couple of years here I tracked down a very helpful man near Perugia – a 30 min drive away – who serviced both machines, with excellent results.

My sewing room (aka the guest room) doesn’t have the divine vistas of the sitting room and main bedroom, but it does look out on a neighbour’s vegie patch and part of the 1,500-year-old Roman wall still standing in parts around the city. Further down the hill is the younger medieval wall that circles the city, defining the Centro Storico.

Depending on which way I set up the ironing board, I can still gaze out through our bedroom window with magnificent views of the Umbrian countryside, and Apennine Mountains. If I am doing hand sewing, there is a comfortable armchair in the sitting room, with even more expansive views through the floor length windows there.

It is a view I never tire of, and at different times of the day and year, whether sunny, cloudy or lit up with a classic Umbrian thunder and lightning show, it is always stunning. Add to that the spectacle for ten days in July of the hot air balloonists literally coming over our balcony as we have our breakfast.

This summer’s completed projects include a black linen jacket for the husband, a viscose crepe dress (Max Mara black with white carnations fabric sourced from Marci Tilton online), a black striped linen dress – all of which were cut out in Perth for assembly in Italy. But how did I manage to plan three black garments?

Then there was the beautiful piece of Italian black patterned silk crepe that Lottie, a Swedish friend with a house here, showed me. It was a gift to her 25 years ago and she was looking for a style and a dressmaker in town. From my wardrobe and onsite collection of patterns a style was selected and, while Lottie did layout, cutting and pinning, I agreed to run that one up too. She was delighted with the result and looked fab in it when we all went out to dinner.

During June, with the BBC live on my new smart TV, I settled down to watch Wimbledon, while doing the hand sewing on my Chanel-style jacket - again a project commenced in Perth. A subsequent trip to Rome and a visit to an amazing passementerie produced a wonderful trim for the edges and pockets, along with chain for inside the hemline. The jacket was completed by end of August and made its debut at the opera in our lovely theatre.

A couple of pieces of linen became dresses, but a couple more will make the return trip to Perth unmade.

After sorting what stays and what comes home, the packing is now all but done. In a few days we leave for Dubai and then a two-week adventure in Uzbekistan…. I’m already thinking silk...There is always room in the luggage for some special piece of fabric, or shoes…

Sandra Moran
ASG member, WA

ASG Industry Partner Anita McAdam (Studio Faro) shares her sewing journey.  Take advantage of the special discount for ASG members on upcoming workshops in May and July 2020.

A little about me:

I've always had an urge to create, a need to make something, and use my hands.  My grandmother had the greatest influence on my final choice to become a designer/patternmaker.  She lost her husband when her boys were teenagers but managed to put them through university by working as an office manager by day, and dressmaking on weekends and evenings.

When I was growing up my Dad was frugal with his money, but if you made something useful with your hands he'd support you. The moment I finished with a piece of fabric there was a little bit of money for my next project.

Originally from Brisbane, I spent several years working before deciding to go to college to train as a fashion designer.  I then made the obligatory overseas adventure through Africa and Europe.  It was the most wonderful opportunity to live and learn.

In short, I spent 5 years as a freelance designer in London, and then ten years as a senior lecturer at the Manchester Metropolitan University of Manchester.  Those fifteen years were an amazing learning experience for me on so many levels.  

In 2000 I returned to Australia and put all those skills and experience to work.  I decided to combine my freelancing experience and teaching skills to set up a design studio in Sydney’s, Inner West.  Over seventeen years I cut a lot of industry patterns and taught many, many design and pattern making students.  I know how fortunate I am to have spent much of my life doing something I love.  And I hope to continue doing so for the rest of my life.

Almost three years ago, my partner and I decided to move our home from the city to the country.  And that has turned out to be the best move ever.  Coolamon is a wonderful small town, 30 minutes out of Wagga Wagga. 

We’ve both fallen in love with this beautiful town.  It’s so well kept and clean and peaceful, and the locals are so welcoming.  What’s not to love!

Anyway, back to the present…

When learning to live in a country town, in rural NSW, it’s important to look around yourself and shift perspective.  The question being:  How do my skills and abilities fit into this new environment?

So, three years down the line and finally I’m finding my feet.  Country people already do a lot of their own sewing.  Out of necessity, they always have.  And the younger generation are now learning that the skills their mothers and grandmothers have are valuable, and will open the door to creativity and the ability to make their own style.

The most popular of my classes are pattern fittings and sewing classes.  For those that can already sew they come to the classes for help with fitting their sewing patterns.  For the younger ones, they come to learn how to use their sewing machines and begin their first sewing project.

Meet Kate Marra, an ASG Industry Partner

I have always loved sewing and creating, garment construction being my main focus. I find overlockers to be an amazing piece of machinery and love stretching the boundaries with what you can do with them.

In the last two and a half years my career has taken a different direction. I had been a sales representative for quilting products. In January 2018, a store asked me to teach a ‘get to know your overlocker class’ and from that my little business Sew into Overlocking was born. For 12 months I worked full time as a sales rep and teaching on weekends.

In May 2019 I decided to throw myself into teaching. The response from the classes has been amazing and I really love watching sewists leave the class happy and confident about their overlockers. In 2019 my Saturdays were fully booked and most Sundays booked as well. Now I am available to teach mid-week and am taking bookings for 2020.

I love teaching and inspiring others to use their overlockers and I can work with any brand. Currently I have three courses I teach, with new projects I’m developing.

• Learning to Love your Overlocker (a 24-page workbook which covers understanding tension, techniques like sewing corners, circles, stabilizing shoulders, gathering, how to stitch and turn straps and many rolled hem techniques)
• Flatlocking – Extension one (an extra 10 pages to the Learning to Love course, all about flatlocking, moving into the world of decorative threads, blind hemming, and constructing a notebook cover using the techniques learnt)
• Coverstitch – Sew much more than just a hem (a workbook designed to help you understand your coverstitch machine and get the most from it, even decorative uses)

I am currently teaching in various stores in Melbourne, and country Victoria, Albury, Canberra and Queensland in October. I am proud to be an industry partner with the ASG and would love to work with Guild groups more. There is more information on my Facebook and Instagram pages. I can be contacted through those pages or at sewintooverlocking@gmail.com

Meet Robyn Bauer, from Robyn's Learn to Sew Studio in Cairns

Robyn is a valued Industry Partner and she shares her story with us.

I was guided and encouraged in my love of sewing from a very early age.  The more interest I showed, the more willing others were to encourage and assist me in my endeavours.  I wanted to be a teacher when I was at primary school but that wasn’t to be, so I followed my passion which is sewing.

My introduction to a sewing machine was in Year 4.  We were set a project of hand stitching a cushion with the final goal, using the sewing machine. I was hooked, completing the terms assessment in a week.

At 15, I worked sewing caftans and wrap skirts. I moved on to covering cushions and bed ends, then covering lounges in local naval vessels.

I joined Bernina club and purchased an overlocker which opened up the window for me to teach applique.

A family tragedy led me to seek a confidence boost by assisting a designer and learning new skills with fit and pattern making.

I went to TAFE and joined the Australian Sewing Guild, which has given me so much in knowledge growth. The friendship from like-minded people and camaraderie is second to none.

Some memorable moments for me were meeting and hosting Connie Crawford in Cairns, and being part of the team which hosted the 2016 ASG Convention.

I look back at the goal I had as an 8-year old, wishing to be a teacher. I have achieved that, but not in the way I thought, with black board and chalk.  Instead, but much better, teaching with thread, fabric and the interwoven love of sewing and sharing that skill.

www.sewingstudio.com.au