With the release of the Holly Jumpsuit, another pattern is thrust into the wild to re-spawn into (hopefully!) an abundance of new creations and once again we couldn’t have done it without the help and advice of our pattern testers. An army of sewing and DIY bloggers in a uniform of handmade garments intent on ensuring you, their fellow stitching comrades, receive the best possible product for your hard earned stash fund/beer tokens/moolah. We thought it was high time you met these fantastic and talented women who not only give their feedback on the written instructions and the way the pattern sews up, but have also uncovered many hidden problems with grading and fit, confusing diagrams and shown us new and easier construction techniques to share with you. Each of our team has a different approach to sewing and a variety of backgrounds and shapes means everyone brings something new to the party. Basically they are awesome and their guidance, support and encouragement is invaluable to us as a business but also as fellow sewists trying to give you guys a pattern you really love.
So let's meet the lovely ladies....
Andrea, like so many of us, is an internet-taught seamstress. A keen puzzler (Sudoku, jigsaws etc.) she loves the technical side of sewing and the construction process of piecing garments together.
foursquarewalls.blogspot.co.uk
@foursquarewalls
Germany based Annette is an avid world wanderer with a deep rooted love for all things sewing, living by the motto "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself”.
nettevivante.blogspot.co.uk
Passionate environmentalist and die hard Elvis fan Clare has been sewing for ten years and has just added teaching to her repertoire.
www.sewdixielou.com
@Clarebel79
@clareyszabo
Sewing up a storm since the grand old age of 10, Texan pattern designer Dixie started her blog in 2008 and is always challenging herself to learn new skills - currently on the agenda: historical costuming.
dixiediy.blogspot.co.uk
@dixiediy
@dixiediy
A cheerleader for the DIY lifestyle, Yorkshire lass Emily is a true lover of clean lines and classic shapes when it comes to her handmade wardrobe.
Fellow Londoner Fiona works in the wonderful world of theatre as a costume supervisor where she is responsible for making the designer’s ideas become a reality - she was also the first UK member of the Mood Sewing Network
Heather Lou is a trendsetting Canadian sewing blogger who has recently taken the plunge into sewing pattern design full time with outstanding and instant success.
Ina is a trained seamstress and clothing technician from Berlin who has just launched a fantastic online pattern designing tool as well as having her own line of downloadable sewing patterns.
pattydoo.de
@pattydooBlog
West London based Janene has been sewing from a very young age, putting her skills to work as a little girl by stitching pocket linings for her tailor mum for pocket money. She can now be found whipping up garments in her signature, feminine, vintage style.
Jen is a proud New Zealander, vintage fanatic and fellow indie pattern designer. An advocate of rule bending she encourages sewists to try out their own techniques “There are plenty of people out there who will tell you that you can't do it your way (you have to do it the right way) but don't listen, it's your sewing project after all”.
British born American living Jenny makes up one half of the Cashmerette’s as well as being a founder of the fabulous Curvy Collective after learning to sew in 2010.
French graphic designer Julie probably the most extensive handmade wardrobe we’ve ever seen all in her typically Parisian chic style.
Kathryn has been blogging for 3 years, writing about London living, sewing projects, museum musings and Clarks shoes with her classically British wit.
Kelli has been sewing since she can remember and after moving to New York City she increased her expertise even further by taking professional pattern classes allowing her to begin her own sewing pattern line this year.
Stitching up a storm at designer Elizabeth Suzann’s, Lauren, aka Lladybird, is the one and only pick-up truck driving, blue-haired beauty from Nashville, TN.
Lizzy is one of our fabulous ladies from down under, a former craft magazine editor with a passion for all kinds of making.
Oonaballoona - or Marcy as she’s known in the real world - is a lady who needs no introduction. The most vivacious and cocktail loving member of the Mood Sewing Network, Oona is without a doubt, our generation’s Iris Apfel.
Almost always spotted in adorable handmade vintage style dresses and immaculately applied eyeliner, Marie is a guest blogger for both Craftsy and the Minerva Craft Blogger Network.
Texan novelist and Curvy Collective champion Mary started her love affair with sewing just 4 years ago and her dress obsession means she hasn’t stopped since.
Natasha, also known in the sewing crowd as Natty Jane, is a California girl whose wonderful sewing projects have been shared time and time again over the internet and whose work has even been published in the BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook.
Brazilian-born Rachel is best known for her love of bright, bold prints and classically tailored silhouettes. Her blog is packed full of pattern reviews, fitting advice and styling tips.
Reana Louise is an Australian blogger and current nomad world explorer with a “ravenous appetite for travel, food, and bonfires”.
“Woman of the cloth”, WI member and Brighton party girl Rehanon has one colourful handmade wardrobe and lifestyle which takes her from marathon running to fizz sipping.
@mink_deville
Never to be seen in anything less than a handmade dress, Irish born
Roisin is the UK ambassador of the novelty print.
Relative sewing newcomer and “recovering academic”
Sarah started sewing during her PhD and is now a proud proprietor of her very own Boston haberdashery “where sewing is foxy”.
NYC girl Sonja aka
Ginger works in film and television, sews “obsessively” and has a penchant for bold graphic prints.
Sewing teacher
Zoe is a Brighton based customising queen and the genius inventor of the sewing phenomenon that is Me-Made-May.
@sozoblog
Zoe is a marketing/PR pro at a tech company by day and avid sewist and knitter by night hailing all the way from Melbourne.
zosews.com
Comments on this post (4)
I didn’t actually test this one, but now I’m looking forward to stalking all these blogs to see their jumpsuits! :)
— gingermakes
I already follow half of these wonderful ladies, but now I have a couple more blogs I need to read!
— Birgit
Wow what a treasure trove of a list! Yes, lots of reading to do for sure. Newbie sewist here- if you ever need to test a pattern on a beginner- would love to help and give feedback!
— Juanita Vega DeJoseph
Thank you for introducing us to so many brilliant sewing blogs. I’ve got so much to read this weekend now :)
— Gemma