Stitch it, Don't ditch it

Jeanna Wigger and Mary V Morton are the authors of Stitch it, Don’t Ditch It. Mary direct messaged Jeanna when Mary heard Jeanna on Check Your Thread podcast. They teamed up and wrote this really helpful book about mending via hand sewing. As a sewist, you would assume mending clothes is the focus of this book.  What Mary and Jeanna have created is a resource for anyone to mend not just clothing but any textile or object they want to give a second or third life to. Stitch It provides all basic hand sewing skills and mending techniques to repair garments by hand. Skills are presented with instructions for both left- and right-handed menders, with accessible line drawings accompanying each skill. The book includes indispensable explanations of fabric types and construction, to guide readers in learning about their clothes, and how those factors influence each repair. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

Ronda Hazell's story started in June 2024 when an echocardiogram showed she had a dilated ascending aorta (a dilation is a bulge where the diameter of the aorta gets bigger when it is more than 1.5 times normal size it is called an aneurysm). This is a life-threatening medical condition because larger aneurysms can rupture or dissect. Aortic disease is linked to problems with the aortic valve of the heart. Ronda has regular check-ups with a cardiologist to monitor her heart and aneurysm size. Finding good medical help was difficult but it is there.  Having the issues she's been facing discussed will help more of women find good medical diagnosis and help.  Heart disease for women is different. SewDoItForHeart25 is a way to showcase people in the sewing community who integrate hearts into their projects to raise awareness that heart disease for women exists and is different. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube.   SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.        

Christine is Sewing and the City. Her current life in Valencia Spain allows Christine to reuse existing linens with great embroidery for making garments. She was introduced to SewOver50 by Suzy because of their connection in Spain. This year Christine is using her fashion training to run Fit Clinics and she constantly creates new sewing patterns when she's not getting inspiration from others in the sewing and fashion community. Christine is found via her website, on Instagram and on YouTube. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube.   SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

Lou and Lynn organise Coastal Sewcial. They met through a local sewcial called Sew-Toon. Tamlyn who runs Sew-Toon helped Lou and Lynn borrow some equipment when they first started Coastal Sewcial. Coastal Sewcial is run onsite at a charity and the bonus for the sewists is there is an onsite cafe there as well. The location is by the sea hence the 'coastal' part of their group's name. If you're thinking about setting up a sewing sewcial in your area, you can listen or watch Lou and Lynn as they discuss what they're done to create this group. Shout out to Judy Williment-Ross. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

Claire-Louise Hardie shares her clothes cloning experience in her latest book - Clone Your Clothes. Claire-Louise is a career costumer. All the images Claire-Louise refers to are on the podcast website and on the YouTube version of this podcast. Creating clothes for productions means she is constantly ensuring costumes are created for productions in multiples and to last the production run. This means she constantly created clothes by cloning style for the purposes of each production.  Claire-Louise was the Sewing Producer for the first 4 series of The Great British Sewing Bee. In 2015 Claire-Louise went to the London College of Fashion and to complete her Masters in Pattern Technology and Garment Technology.  One of her group assignments was to create a toile of a Balanciaga garment so she used her years of training to create this toile that was then part of the exhibit!  In Cloning Your Clothes, Claire-Louise shares her technical knowledge and provides us with 3 methods to clone those clothes that we love but can't find in the shops anymore. All the video links and materials Claire-Louise mentions are on the podcast website. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

Sew Like Dotty returns this week with ideas about starting your own sewing group. I’m thrilled to welcome back Alison Martin, the heart and hands behind Sew Like Dotty, for the second episode in our series! Alison is a beloved figure in the sewing world – a SewOverIt Pattern Insider, YouTuber, and the creator of the inspiring A Gift to November Challenge. In this episode, Alison dives deeper into her journey, shares fresh ideas for starting your own sewing group, and talks about the joy of building community through creativity.  Whether you're looking to connect with fellow sewists or spark your own local meet-up, Alison’s insights are full of warmth and practical wisdom. 🎁 Don’t miss her tips on handmade gifting through A Gift to November challenge, community sewing, and what it means to be part of the SewOverIt insider circle. 🧷  Subscribe, like, and join us as we celebrate the power of sewing to bring people together! If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube.   SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

Welcome to Part 1 of our inspiring conversation with Alison Martin, the creative force behind Sew Like Dotty and the Sew Virtual community. 🌸 Over the past four years, Alison has grown Sew Like Dotty into a safe and fun online space for sewists. She also manages an encouraging and thriving Facebook group, which she now focuses on full-time after retiring earlier this year. Alison’s passion for sewing was sparked by her mother and the garment industry in her hometown. With her deep-rooted skills and love for community building, she co-founded A Stitch in Tyne with two sewing friends—a local initiative that brings sewists together in the Tyne area for real-life meetups and creative collaboration. 👗 In this episode, we explore: The origins of Sew Like Dotty Alison’s journey from hobbyist to community leader How Sew Virtual and A Stitch in Tyne are connecting sewists online and offline 💬 Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where Alison shares the exciting sewing challenges she’s hosted for the community! 🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to catch the next episode! If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube.   SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.  

In this episode with Melanie Keane, she gives us an insightful chat about how running the sewing groups for refugees has impacted her personally. In the 18 months after beginning sewing Melanie was asked 'Do I know anyone who can sew...? 2 weeks later she arrived at the refugee centre with 2 old sewing machines and some donated fabric.  4 months later Melanie had 3 volunteers working with her, 8 fairly decent sewing machines and 15 women in the mixed nationality group. The women were voracious in their making and desperate to sew for their families, repair clothes and just escape from their pitiful circumstances for just a few hours. Families had lived in the oppressive centre for over a year feeling hopeless and depressed. Sewing lifted their spirits, formed new relationships across the different cultures and allowed the women to feel like they were nurturing their families again.  Each week Melanie needed 25 metres of fabric and so she reached out to the sewing community, whose generosity astounded her.  She ran the project for 15 months until the centre suddenly closed. In this episode Melanie discusses how this impacted her and how she went on to set up another group for vulnerable women at The Lighthouse in Woking, Surrey. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive. Use LH7KWCRS to get one month of Stash Hub plus for free, which means you have unlimited uploads and can add more photos to their records. You don’t have to enter your payment details to use it. At the end of the month you’ll revert to the free version of Stash Hub and you won’t lose anything you’ve already uploaded.  Thanks Stash Hub!    

Melanie Keane’s sewing journey is very community driven. This is a two-part series and Melanie began sewing 9 years ago through quilting. In 2020 Melanie and her family sewed over 100 pairs of scrubs for frontline workers, transforming sewing into a meaningful family activity. This experience deepened her connection to the craft and led her to explore garment and bag making, where she found joy in blending functionality with artistic expression. Beyond her personal projects, Melanie’s dedication to sewing extended into community service. By fundraising for sewing machines and supplies, she empowered refugee women with a creative outlet and a sense of purpose. For many, this initiative became a path to healing and self-confidence. Melanie’s sewing journey illustrates how sewing can be more than a skill—it can be a tool for reusing textiles, social connection, and something to look forward to each day. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Use LH7KWCRS to get one month of Stash Hub plus for free, which means you have unlimited uploads and can add more photos to their records. You don’t have to enter your payment details to use it. At the end of the month you’ll revert to the free version of Stash Hub and you won’t lose anything you’ve already uploaded. Thanks Stash Hub! Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.

Micah Clasper-Torch is a Los Angeles-based artist, designer, and educator helping to lead the modern revival of punch needle rug hooking. With a background in fashion design from The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, Micah blends fine art, heritage craft, and wearable design to create one-of-a-kind textile pieces that range from coats and accessories to wall hangings and soft sculpture. In 2019 Micah was formally trained as an Oxford Punch Needle Instructor at the Oxford Rug Hooking School in Vermont, and in 2020 she launched Punch Needle World, an online community, shop and educational platform dedicated to uplifting the craft and its history, and making high quality supplies and training accessible around the world.   Her debut book, Punch Needle Fashion, comes out next month, in June 2025 from Quadrille and brings punch needle into the world of contemporary fashion through 15 original projects and a beautifully photographed exploration of the medium. Punch Needle Fashion pre-order link Web: www.micahclasper-torch.com IG: @claspertorch & @punchneedle.world If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account. There are 3 new tiers to choose from to support SewOver50's only podcast. Every podcast is free and the archive is gradually being uploaded on to the podcast YouTube channel. Sound with permission by Kaneef on YouTube. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism.  Our focus is the sewing talent each person shares on social media and providing recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive.