Sew Over 50 challenge update.

Well what an amazing start the challenge has got off too!

I think the reception has so far exceeded anything Judith and I had hoped for-many of you have embraced the concept we’ve created and are looking with enthusiasm (and frustration too) for patterns featuring an older or more age-appropriate model.

It also means that lots of you have made suggestions for pattern companies from all over the world that we haven’t encountered before so that the list has now got quite a bit longer. We’ve had more offers of prizes too!

Rather than edit the first blog constantly I’ve created a further list here with links to all the extra companies for you. This is still unlikely to be a definitive list though. I’ve gone through every suggestion that we’ve been given up to this point but I haven’t necessarily shared them because sometimes I’ve felt they don’t meet our criteria sufficiently and (heaven forbid) they may just see us as a free marketing opportunity.

New additions are (in no particular order)

The Sewing Revival-all the women’s patterns are eligible.

Thread Theory-several men’s patterns which got missed off the original list by accident.

Handmade by Carolyn-Perth dress

b-patterns-a German brand

Mother Grimm-Lammas Tide dress

Ottobre subscription magazine-various issues

Love Notions-Forte top

Wardrobe By Me-Asta dress and possibly a couple of others

Tunic Bible

Knipmode-a Dutch magazine so you’ll have to search and use your own judgment

Burdastyle magazine

Stof & Still-various designs in the magazine

Sew Different-various

Naughty Bobbin-all styles

Great British Sewing Bee TV series books-we think, not sure though

Odacier-Thea Rachelle top (possibly)

Winter Wear patterns-Fashionista jacket and Double Take Tee

Sew Different-several suitable patterns

Judith created both of the collages you see here so that means I don’t know which patterns are which. I suggest you go over to the Instagram account and if you tap on the image all of the companies will be tagged so you should hopefully find the company that way.

Liesl+Co, Maria Denmark and Ann Normandy all feature slightly more mature models but we either know or don’t think they are quite in the 45-50 bracket yet. Still, definitely in the right direction and representing us much better, the patterns are cut for a more mature figure too which is so helpful. Ann Normandy has generously offered a prize anyway.

You have been sharing plenty of photos on Instagram using the hashtag #so50Visible telling us of your plans, and realising the frustrations of finding patterns which represents our age group properly. I was recommended to look at one pattern company (which I won’t name) where I discovered at least two patterns which were modelled by a woman of no more than 30 wearing an outfit and shoes which was clearly designed for a woman about three times her age! talk about Granny clothes, poor girl, and why would that induce a woman of mature years and very conservative tastes want to say “hey, that’s exactly the way I’m going to look when I make those garments”, I’m guessing it won’t.

Which brings me to another point-sometimes it’s gone too far the other way, pattern companies think older sewers want boring, sensible clothes all the time. We don’t!! What many of us have realised is that we are, indeed have to be, capable of looking beyond the face (and figure?) of the model on the envelope all the time in order to visualise the finished garment. This is when accurate line drawings are vital to be able to assess the ‘bones’ of the garment and know whether it will work for us.

Two areas which have been under discussion (separately) in recent weeks (and I’m not going to attempt to address all of it here) is people of colour who sew and larger sizes. In the process of going laboriously through these pattern companies I have seen that there is a modest use of POC as models, but very very few larger models. However many of these companies do sell patterns which go up in some cases to very large sizes, and which are modelled, I’m presuming by their testers, but these are only used in website images.

If you follow the hashtag you can keep up with everybody’s posts, Judith regularly shares them too on the @sewover50 account, the more often you ‘like’ a post the most often the algorithm will push the account up your feed, or you can set the post notifications to alert you whenever there’s a new post. There are now additional prizes which will be allocated completely at random at the end which are from The Sewing Revival, Designer Stitch, The Thrifty Stitcher, Winter Wear Designs and Ann Normandy.

So that’s my little update for you, another rabbit hole to fall down, or maybe you’re already on the case with a new pattern? Remember that you don’t have to share a new garment if you’ve already made something which qualifies, we want to see everything. Judith and I aren’t naive because we realise we are giving pattern companies free publicity at the moment and disappointingly a few of them haven’t acknowledged the challenge is even happening. There may be good reasons for this, or maybe they still think they don’t need to work to attract our area of the market? Remember #NoLikeNoMention!

I think as a by-product of the challenge many of you are also finding inspiring new accounts to follow on Instagram, it’s really lovely to know that there are so many of us sewing away in our various parts of the world. Dressmaking can be a solitary activity and speaking personally it makes me feel more connected by a shared activity. We want Sew Over 50 to be a positive and supportive space where we can share and chat and get advice whenever we need it.

Thank you for joining in and keep those makes coming!