Gabby Brown: Plus-Size Patternmaking

Maria catches up with Gabby Brown, now an author. Gabby Brown wrote the technical articles for Sewcialists from 2020 and Gabby recorded 10 podcasts about fitting clothes with Maria in those early days. Gabby and Leila Kelleher met through Sewcialists and this year sees them publishing their first pattern making reference for the fashion industry, design students and sewing people: Plus-Size Patternmaking for Womenswear. Bloomsbury publishing and Blackbird Fabrics are some of the organisations that have provided amazing support for Plus Size Pattern Making for Womenswear. In this episode Gabby and Maria discuss using this new reference for various CLO3D design options, fashion industry references and guides as well as teaching packs to support pattern makers to draft great designs for large bodies. The terminology used is very respectful and inclusive including the body references designers will benefit from when they start to create garments for larger bodies than their current fashion fit models. The amount of design schools that will really benefit from Plus-Size Patternmaking for Womenswear is huge so fingers crossed, this knowledge rich reference will be adopted in future curriculum. Congratulations Gabby and Leila. Hoping to see more from you both soon. SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism. Make sure you use #listenShareSewOver50 on the pictures when you post on Instagram. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account https://www.patreon.com/seworganisedstylepodcast. Every podcast is free. Or pop your support to Paypal '[email protected]' Sound with permission of Kaneef on YouTube #plussize #plussizemodel #largerbodies #patternmaking Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LilypaDesigns is run by Lily Fong—designer, pattern maker, and proud bra nerd with a master’s in education and over 30 years of sewing experience. Her patterns are all about wearing comfy bras. LilypaDesigns Once a middle school algebra teacher, Lily now helps people sew bras that actually fit—especially if you’ve got a full bust, a small band, or a body that’s never quite matched “standard” sizing. Her patterns use a body-aware system built on real breast measurements—not just full bust minus underbust—and the unique shape of each person’s breast root. Think of it like grading a dress across bust, waist, and hip... only this time, it’s for your bra. With choose-your-own-adventure-style instructions, inclusive sizing, and plenty of teaching along the way, LilypaDesigns helps sewists build skills, confidence, and bras that feel as good as they fit. Lily’s work has been featured in Threads, Sew News, The Pattern Pages, Bra Sewing Bee, and several sewing podcasts. Through her patterns, blog, online courses, and community, she’s helped thousands of sewists find support in every sense of the wor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leesa Simpson is a lifelong maker, business builder and a creative soul with fabric running through her veins. Her current obsession of quilted sneakers started in 2025. It was love at first stitch! Fabric, colour, comfort, and creativity all rolled into one. Sneaker Stitch was born. Sneaker Stitch Australia | Sew Your Own Sneakers Kits + Classes Any orders placed with Leesa from March 3 to March 10, use the Free Shipping Offer - use the code FREESHIPSOS at checkout. She only ships within Australia at the moment. Sneaker Stitch Australia | Sew Your Own Sneakers Kits + Classes For the past year, Leesa has poured everything into creating the ultimate DIY sneaker kits — complete with high-quality tools and step-by-step guides, all designed around Aussie products and sensibilities. Because if you know Leesa, she never does things by halves. As Leesa says 'Let's make something amazing — one stitch at a time. Sew your own sneakers. Walk your own path.' She created Sewing Adventures in Brisbane and this local sewing school ran for over 7 years and sadly closed in 2025. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ida Victoria is a Norwegian independent sewing‑pattern designer known for creating modern, easy‑to‑follow patterns for makers of all skill levels. She's one of Norway's best designers and online retailers. Based in Jessheim, Ida designs garments for children and adults, focusing on comfort, practicality and clean Scandinavian style. Her patterns are available as both PDF and printed formats, with many translated into English for an international audience. Under IdaVictoria.no she also offers courses, sewing supplies and curated fabrics. She has built a strong creative community by sharing tutorials, inspiration and behind‑the‑scenes content, making her a well‑loved figure in Norway's growing sewing and DIY culture. You can buy Ida Victoria's sewing patterns from several official sources: Her official website She offers information and links to both English and Norwegian patterns on her site. idavictoria.com Her Etsy shop (English PDF patterns) This is the main place to buy her digital patterns in English. Etsy UK shop: idavictoria Etsy global shop: idavictoria Norwegian site for Norwegian-language patterns For paper and PDF patterns in Norwegian, visit: idavictoria.no/english 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Irina McKenzie is today's podcast guest. Irina and Erin are the fab faces behind Fabcycle! The account FABCYCLE (@fabcyclevan) developed as a Vancouver-based social enterprise focused on reducing textile waste by connecting apparel industry deadstock with makers, creators, and people who sew. Founded in February 2019, this initiative evolved from a waste reduction mission into a community hub for sustainable fashion. FABCYCLE is a collection service of textile waste that you can support both online and in person. Fabcycle works directly with local apparel manufacturers like factories, fashion designers and schools to collect the scraps, off-cuts, deadstock and ends of rolls that are left during the apparel production process and reuse or recycle what they cannot use. They are located in the Sun Wah Centre. Address: From Elevator to your LEFT Sun Wah Building / BC Artscape, 268 Keefer St 4th Floor, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5, Canada You'll find their app Sewjo wherever you download your mobile apps. 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. SewOver50 focusses on the sewing talent each person shares on social media and provides recognition of their willingness to share their skills whether a beginner or experienced sewist. Be a SewOver50 Champion and repost each post in your stories. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nicole Nehrig is a clinical and research psychologist based in Brooklyn, New York, with a deep passion for knitting and textile arts. She holds a PhD in clinical psychology and is the author of the book With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories. Her book explored how women through history overcame their life changes with their textile works. You can follow her on Instagram at @nicolenehrig also on her website With Her Own Hands - Nicole Nehrig and you can find her on Revelry under Nerdy knitting. In 12 months Nicole knitted 12 adult sized sweaters. She's met a few knitting friends through her love of knitting. One of her knitting friends that she mentions, has shown Nicole how to sew. Her book explored how women through history overcame their life changes with their textile works. Many thanks to WW Norton & Company for allowing me to bring Nicole to you. Book design by Anna Knighton. Photo by Kade Alpers Photography. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Digital Pattern Library is Alexandra's sewing community resource for us to use. Alexandra lives in Cardiff, Wales and she's trained in the fashion industry. Once she was working in couture designer houses, the amount of waste at that level and in high street brands made her rethink her priorities. Thankfully she found us in the sewing community when she began to develop sewing patterns. Now Alexandra mainly works with sewists in providing them with skill building opportunities and resources, rather than produce fast sewing patterns. Head to Alexandra's YouTube account now https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@digitalpatternlibrary⁩ Or her website https://digitalpatternlibrary.com/the-dpl-atelier In 2026, podcast viewers and listeners get a special discount! The fee to join the 3 day challenge is waived when you use the code 'SOSPodcast. https://digitalpatternlibrary.com/design-challenge and you can also get 10% off your first month inside The DPL Atelier https://digitalpatternlibrary.com/the-dpl-atelier The 3 day Design challenge is schedule for 6 January, in May and in September! 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jane Milburn OAM is TextileBeat on Instagram. She's a sustainability consultant, Slow Clothing pioneer, TEDx speaker, Churchill Fellow, upcycler and agricultural scientist. Jane has authored Slow Clothing and The Process of Mending - a recipe book. Clothing accounts for up to 10 percent of our environmental footprint and everyday practices that extend the lifespan of clothes – caring, repairing, rewearing, restyling, upcycling – can reduce its ecological impact and create independence from fast-fashion cycles. Mary V Morton and Jeanna Wigger, the authors of Stitch it Don't Ditch it, suggested Jane as a podcast guest and I'm so honoured Jane recorded this podcast with me last month. Listen to hear how Jane is linked to SewOver50! Grab a cuppa and enjoy Jane discuss how we can use our existing materials for longer. Sew Organised Style features people who freely support the sewing community. You're welcome to be a podcast guest by contacting us via DM on Instagram. 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amanda.Stitches on Instagram is both today's podcast guest and guest editor on SewOver50 Her standout roberts.woods drafters grid dress at Perth Frocktails this year took our breath away and we had to invite Amanda to tell us all about this dress. As Amanda said 'the #draftersgriddress has been many months in the making, planning started early this year with the sourcing of vintage tablecloths - not just any cloths, but ones that had similar pink tones & were the same shade of white. Several were ordered online, only to find when they arrived they weren't suitable - I've got a few set aside for future projects. From the 6 tablecloths I cut 172!! pattern pieces - ordinarily the multiple identical pieces can be cut in bulk - however I couldn't do this without compromising the placement of the embroidery - many hours of planning, pinning & checking before I started to cut. Quilters will be familiar with fussy-cutting and there was certainly lots of that. The construction & sewing of the dress isn't difficult, & I enjoyed the slow sew & watching my vision come to life.' When Amanda went back to sewing once her children were getting older, she began to pattern test for Pattern Emporium. You may have seen Amanda on their website. Many thanks to Kate at Pattern Emporium for allowing us to mention her patterns and use her logo and image in the video version of this 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's not everyday you find an English woman in New Zealand who specialises in sewing kilts. Leanne Munro sewed 15 kilts in less than 12 months as part of her kilt making training. Yes she quilts but her passion is kilt making. Just ask the locals in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Her skills include not just sewing kilts but also recreating better kilts from existing kilts. Leanne has a lot of knowledge about sewing kilts and she's more than happy to answer any questions about making a kilt. We both shared some of our knowledge of X marks the Scot. https://www.xmarksthescot.com/ The online kilt making forum has so many kiltmakers with the latest kilt making ideas. The kilt making book: Learn How to Make a Kilt | Deansboro, NY | The Art of Kiltmaking The two main companies i order tartan from are Lochcarron and House of Edgar. https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/ https://www.houseofedgar.com/ Her kiltmaking instagram is kilt&cloth https://www.instagram.com/kiltandcloth?igsh=MWlnejNxaXI3MjFpYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr You'll find Leanne on her personal account kiltsnquilts https://www.instagram.com/kiltsnquilts?igsh=MXBhcXFvdjZ5NmpqYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr SewOver50 intersects with all communities. SewOver50 where we are so over ageism. Make sure you listen to your SewOver50 friends in our SewOver50 podcast archive. Sew Organised Style features people who freely support the sewing community. You're welcome to be a podcast guest by contacting us via DM on Instagram. If you are able, consider supporting this podcast through our patreon account https://www.patreon.com/seworganisedstylepodcast. Every podcast is free. Or pop your support to Paypal '[email protected]' Sound with permission of Kaneef on YouTube Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.