Sew-organised-style

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.