Amid a sea of black puffer jackets, I'm wearing a mustard wool coat on my walk around the lake. It's cosy and conceals a ditzy floral lining.
When people say, "I love your coat" I reply, "Thanks, I made it".
Sewing my own clothes gives me an immense feeling of satisfaction. I retreat to my sewing space, safe in the knowledge that if I cut this fabric and stitch it like that it will turn a two-dimensional object into a wearable garment that fits my body and my personality.
In online communities and real-life ones, people are discovering the joy of sewing every day. The community is a bright spot of encouragement and inspiration amid a world that is increasingly dark and divided.
From home sewing to 52k followers
Daisy Braid, aka DIY Daisy, has been putting her particular bubbly brand of do-it-yourself sewing tutorials on her blog and Instagram account since 2016 when she was working in New Zealand for The Fabric Store. She's now amassed more than 52,000 followers on Instagram.
"Originally, it was a joke. My coworker and I had said, 'How funny would it be if we became sewing bloggers?'" she says.
"So I started DIY Daisy and I was like, Okay, I'm just going to share what I've made with other people, because that's what everyone else does in the community. It's, like, really fun and you can make friends and you can learn."
She started posting tutorials of her creations and it wasn't long before people started making and sharing them.
Braid was working as an English teacher in Japan when the pandemic hit in 2020. She hastily packed her bags and was back home in Brisbane within three days.
With the country mostly locked down, there weren't many job opportunities, so she poured her time into creating tutorials for her website.
"I had a machine. I had fabric. If I needed anything else I could just order it from online [stores]. And that was the time when everyone was really being a great community in the sewing community, connecting and doing live [videos]."
Beginner friendly
Her creations are vibrant and beginner-friendly, featuring elastic waist and necklines, simple gathers, ruffles and puffy sleeves. She opts for woven fabrics in natural fibres - think Liberty print cotton lawn and linen in eye-popping hues of blue, pink, mustard and green.
"I love colour and I want to always be colourful - I want people to associate with being this colourful person... But I can't find the clothes that I want made ethically or sustainably, so by making them myself I can dress how I want to express myself and I can feel exactly how I want to be."
Her Instagram account caught the eye of an editor at Hardie Grant, and now her very first book has been published, called Sew it Yourself.
The colourful book guides readers through how to start sewing, from gathering the right tools and supplies through to key machine sewing techniques and seam finishes.
It also has 20 projects that don't need a pattern, from a simple tote bag to a fabulous ruffle dress.
"It's encouraging people to just try and if it screws up, that's okay. Try again and do it a different way," she says.
"The whole process has been scary but exciting and gratifying ... I just had someone before say, 'your tutorials are the first ones I ever used when I was learning and I found them so accessible as a beginner as an introduction', and I was like, yes, that's what I want."
Forging friendships in the capital
The online world of home sewing often sparks friendships, with people sharing their makes and asking for advice. And sometimes, friendships forged in the digital world translate into the real world.
Just ask Canberra sewist Amanda Paroz. She got hooked on sewing in 2011 when she made her own wedding dress with the help of a friend - and many cups of tea.
"It was quite a simple 1950s tea-length number and I had a crinoline," she says.
"It was just a delight and I learned so much and I drank so much tea. It got me really excited about sewing."
Paroz followed her husband to the capital in her late 20s, and found it hard to break into the tight-knit friendship circles.
"I spent so much time trying everything. I went to French classes. Then I signed up and did adult ballet. I played roller derby.
"Something about sewing just helped me find my people, helped me when I was feeling really homesick," she says.
She started a small sewing circle with six people in a shop in Phillip. Soon the word got out and more and more people wanted to join, so she scouted a new northside venue for monthly sewing sessions.
Now dozens of people bring their machines to Downer Community Centre for meet-ups to work on their projects.
"There's often this misconception that nobody sews anymore, or it's like fussy people who are just anti-social and that's not the way of it at all," she says.
"I think there's often an idea that crafts as leisure activities can be undervalued."
Paroz says people value having a dedicated time and place for their hobby - away from household and work demands - and to bond with like-minded people.
"There are an amazing range of garment sewers, and quilters and people who do all kinds of different projects. And I would have to say most of my closest friends in Canberra, I've met through the sewing community, which is fantastic," she says.
For beginner sewers in Canberra, Paroz suggests signing up for a short course at CIT or at a specialist sewing shop.
A cluster of these have sprung up in Canberra, including The Stitching Room and Weft and Warp in Phillip, The Sewing Shoppe in Fyshwick and Makerie in Gungahlin.
In the online world, the #CanberraSews hashtag will point you to makers on Instagram while the Canberra Sewing Crew Facebook group is the place to go for inspiration and advice.
"We've got some little helpful saved posts with information on great fabric stores and patterns and machine recommendations. Plus we've got hundreds of members that you can ask questions and people are happy to help," Paroz says.
Besides finding her community, sewing has helped Paroz explore new styles that would be intimidating in a ready-to-wear clothing store.
"It's really helped me to view my body in a very different way," she says.
"So rather than worrying about a number attached to it, or how things change, I'm able to see it as just a series of measurements... I think a really powerful and empowering thing for me."
Like me, Paroz has a penchant for colourful outerwear.
"I love you, Canberra! But we often wear a lot of monochrome in winter so I especially pride myself [on] colourful coats," she says.
"I've just made a big, long lilac winter coat that every time I have worn so far, folks will stop me and ask me where I got it."
Tips for beginners
- Don't buy expensive fabric for your first projects. Daisy recommends op shopping for second-hand bed sheets before cutting into expensive materials.
- Start with simple patterns, such as a gathered rectangle skirt or a simple tote bag.
- Accept that you're going to make mistakes and make friends with your unpicker.
- Keep fabric scraps for patchwork projects, pocket linings or to make accessories.
- Take a sewing course at a sewing shop or CIT.
- Search online for video tutorials if you get stuck.
- Join the Canberra Sewing Crew Facebook page to ask questions and share your makes.
Soak up knowledge and inspiration
Look to people who've done it all before! Here are some Canberra sewists to follow on Instagram:
We pinned down Canberra's talent for a Q&A...
Jane Miao
- Occupation? Actuary
- How long have you been sewing? About 18 months
- How did you learn to sew? I learnt to sew during lockdown via YouTube videos and sewing books borrowed from the library. As with a lot of people, it started with making masks but quickly became an all consuming obsession.
- Why do you love to sew? I love the creative process of finding the right fabrics for the right pattern and my new-found ability to make a real, tangible piece of clothing. I'm often incredibly proud of my garments because I know how much time and effort has gone into it. There's always something new to learn and I find it a great stress reliever (most of the time!).
- What's your favourite garment? I recently made my husband a wool peacoat for the Canberra winter. It's a very sensible grey wool melton on the outside but has a leaping tiger lining on the inside which he loves showing off.
Kate Hreszczuk
- What is your occupation? Public Servant
- How long have you been sewing? My mum taught me when I was a child, however I didn't have the patience then. I returned to sewing about 14 years ago.
- How did you learn to sew? My mum taught me the basics, and then in my 20s I did a series of lessons at a local Canberra sewing shop. After that, it has been practice, and self directed learning via YouTube, sewing blogs, Indie pattern designers and the Instagram sewing community.
- Why do you love to sew? I love sewing because it is a creative outlet, where I can create clothing that I like, out of fabric and prints of my own choosing. Sewing means that I am always learning new skills and techniques, and as a recovering perfectionist, it has helped me to accept mistakes!
- What's your favourite garment? My current favourite garment is a short sleeved woven top. It might look like a simple top, however it is one of a kind, as I shibori dyed different pieces of fabric and pieced them together. For me, it represents sewing in its simplest form, being able to create something unique, for me.
Amanda Paroz
- What is your occupation? Parliamentary Educator
- How long have you been sewing? 10 years
- How did you learn to sew? After learning to sew as a teenager (thanks, Mum!) I started again to help my friend sew my wedding dress.
- Why do you love to sew? My mind quietens down when I sew so it feels like a meditation. Plus I get an amazing outfit at the end!
- What's your favourite garment? My lilac overcoat with silk lining. It's going to get a lot of wear this winter!
