Well… here we are at the end of the week. Needles threaded, unthreaded, re-threaded… plans followed, plans abandoned, and (hopefully) a few beautiful things brought to life along the way. On Monday, @Valerie The French Sewing Bee , @Jan Appleton , @Debra Verrall , @Jane Harbison , @Nancy Poekert , @Christy Steiger you all told me what was on your table (or not sewing on your table), now let's hear how it actually went. Not the perfect version. The real version. ⟶ What did you manage to start? ⟶ What actually moved forward (even a little)? ⟶ What’s still sitting there… waiting for you? ⟶ What surprised you this week? (a win, a problem, a “why did I do it like that?” moment 😄) This isn’t about ticking everything off. It’s about staying connected to your work, and to each other. I’ll be going through and celebrating with you properly, so don’t be shy with the details. Photos, progress, chaos… all of it is welcome here, we're here to learn & evolve. 🖤 Claire Amelia Now tell me, how did your week at the table really go? ⬇️

Hey sewers, Happy Monday 🪡 Week 1 is the 17th Century — a world built on structure, layers, and foundations. Before the gown, there was what sat underneath. Stays, shifts, petticoats — the unseen work that creates the shape. It’s a very intentional way of making… and it does make you think about how we approach our own work now. So for today: ⟶ What draws your eye from this era? ⟶ Have you ever made (or wanted to make) structured underpinnings? ⟶ Do you think about what sits under your garments? Feel free to share any references or pieces you love on the Studio Wall, I’d love to see what you’re looking at. 🖤 Claire

May is here… and we’re stepping into something special. For the next four weeks, we’re moving through centuries of dress, not as historians, and not as beginners…but as makers looking deeper into our craft. From 17th century structure to the shifting elegance of the 1910s,this month is about understanding what came before us, and recognising just how much of it still lives in the work we do today. 🗓 The journey through May: We’ll move week by week through four distinct eras: - Week 1 — 17th Century Structure, stays, and extraordinary foundations - Week 2 — 18th Century Panniers, silk, and theatrical construction - Week 3 — Victorian Era Silhouette, corsetry, and industrial dressmaking - Week 4 — 1910s The softening of structure and the edge of modern dress (My favourite era eeekkkk) Each week, we’ll open conversations, share resources, and explore what these eras ask of us as makers. 🪡 Before we begin… Historical costume has a way of doing something quite particular. It slows you down. It sharpens your eye. It asks more of your hands. And often… it reminds you why you started sewing in the first place. It reminds us of where our craft has come from.. 💬 Let’s open the month properly: I’d love to hear where you stand with historical work: - Have you ever made anything historically inspired, or fully accurate? - Is there an era you feel drawn to (or completely intimidated by)? - Do you approach historical costume for accuracy, artistry, or inspiration? - Or is this a part of sewing you’ve never explored… yet? Wherever you are, you’re welcome in this conversation. 🧭 A note from me You don’t need to “know” historical costume to be part of this month. This isn’t about getting everything right. It's about noticing, questioning, and expanding your understanding of making. If your sewing has ever felt a little… flat, this kind of exploration tends to shift things in ways you don’t expect. I’ll be here through the month, as always, not to teach, but to help guide when things get stuck.

Whilst I'm sewing, my eldest daughter is making an avocado cushion. She's mentioned her stuffing, and my brain just could not remember what it was called!! Just shows, if we don't use a material, haberdashery item, sewing style or discipline for some time, we can forget .. I've made props, costumes, pillow and much more with wadding. So, what do you call it? Drop your answers in comments, let's see f it has a different name in different countries 👇 This is what the group is about, remembering, learning, educating, nurturing our love around sewing 🪡

Good morning, sewers! 🖤 Midweek, and I have a job for you. I'm building our collective Little Black Book, and we need your best-kept secrets. You know the ones. The supplier you almost don't want to share because you love having them to yourself. The online shop you bookmark on every device. The haberdashery you'd genuinely travel for. The place that always has *that* fabric when nowhere else does. I want them all. Here's what to drop in the comments: 🔗 Supplier name (and link if you have it) 📍 Where they're based — UK, EU, international, online only? ⭐ One line on why you love them — quality, price, unusual stock, exceptional service, all of the above? It can be fabric, lining, interfacing, boning, trimmings, millinery wire, buttons, thread, notions — anything that makes your work better. Niche and mainstream both welcome. If they deserve to be known, put them here. ———————————————————————————— And speaking of things worth knowing about… I'm announcing a discipline and subject focus for the whole of May, something we're going to sink our teeth into together as a community. 🪡 But first, I want to hear from YOU. Is there something you've been longing to learn more about, explore deeper or finally get your head around? A technique, a discipline, a construction challenge? Drop it below alongside your supplier recommendation, or just shout it out on its own. I'm listening, and your answers might just shape what's coming… 👀 Now, who are you sending us to first for the Little Black Book? ⬇️