Welcome to the 2021 Autumn edition of the FreeSewing newsletter. Here’s what we have included for you:
- 🎉 Pattern releases fall 2021 (1-minute read - by Karen)
- ✏ Call for feedback: Hellgy’s user survey (1-minute read - by Karen, 5-minute survey by Hellgy)
- ✨ Version 3 roadmap (3-minute read - by joost)
- 🕵 Behind the seams: Anneke (5-minute read - by Anneke, An, and Eleonore)
- 👻 Halloween 🕷 costume 👽 ideas (1-minute read - by bobgeorgethe3rd and Lucian)
- 😋 We have a TikTok now! (1-minute read - by Lucian)
- 🎧 Sew over 50 podcast, double-dose with Wouter and Joost (1-minute read - by Karen, over an hour of podcast fun by Maria)
- 👕 Pattern Project (2-minute read - by joost)
We hope you enjoy it.
If not, mash that reply button and tell us what you’d like to read instead ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
🎉 Pattern releases fall 2021
A new pattern is out that’s perfect for fall, at least if you’re in the northern hemisphere.
The Yuri hoodie is based on the Hugo and Huey hoodie patterns, but it’s got something a little extra.
Or rather, it doesn’t. Yuri has no zippers!
Designed by Hellgy and coded by Biou, Yuri uses overlapping panels secured with buttons to keep you cozy and stylish.
✏ Call for feedback: FreeSewing user survey
FreeSewing rockstar Hellgy didn’t just release a new pattern this quarter, they also put together a FreeSewing user survey!
Their goal: find out what our users like or dislike and find easy or difficult, then use that information to help with the UX/UI design of the site.
Here’s where we need you! Do you have 5 minutes and want to help out FreeSewing? Fill out the FreeSewing user survey and let us know how you use the site and what your experience has been.
✨ Version 3 roadmap
It’s been a bit over 2 years since FreeSewing v2.0.0 came out. Since its release, we’ve been working on adding new designs as well as improving things big and small, and it’s fair to say that the v2.19 release that we’re currently preparing is leaps and bounds ahead of that 2.0 version from 2 years ago.
Still, there’s a number of things we’d like to do but we can’t. Or at least not without breaking a bunch of stuff, which we won’t because FreeSewing practices something called semantic versioning. That’s a fancy term that boils down to version numbers that looks like major.minor.patch. For example: 2.18.1.
The way it works is that for bugfixes, you increase the patch level. For new features, you increase the minor level. And the major number is only increased for so-called breaking changes.
Another way to look at it is that when you practice semantic versioning, you make a promise to your users: As long as you stick to the same major version, we won’t break your stuff. That is not super relevant for regular users of freesewing.org but is very important for people who are building on top of our software, and example of which you can read further down in this newsletter.
In practical terms, everything we have a ooh that would be nice but it would break things idea, we file it under maybe in the next major release. And after two years, we feel we’ve got enough of a grab-bag of ideas to start being serious about what we want to see in version 3.
To that extend, we have published the FreeSewing v3 roadmap. It is a list of all the things that we would like to see happen in the next major release. And it’s open for feedback, suggestions, and ideas. In other words, if there’s something you always wanted to see in FreeSewing, or if you’ve got some great ideas for us, now is the time to chime in. You can comment on the roadmap, or join us on Discord.
🕵 Behind the seams: Anneke
We’re happy to introduce you to another of FreeSewing’s contributors. She’s multi-talented, has green hair and the best sense of humour. Anneke was around before FreeSewing was even a thing. Without her, FreeSewing wouldn’t have a face … or should we say, skull?
How did you learn about FreeSewing?
“I met Joost at a blog meet-up, way back in the day. You know it was a long time ago because Joost still left the house and socialising was still allowed. Anyway, we started following each other and that’s how I found about his patterns-to-measurements project. It was still called MakeMyPattern at that time. Apart from my work as a seamstress and getting a second degree in animal care, I’m also an illustrator. At some point Joost asked me to design a logo for FreeSewing, and that’s how Skully happened.”
What else have you been up to as a contributor?
“Joost and I created a pattern together, Carlton and Carlita. They are two versions of the coat Benedict Cumberbatch wears in “Sherlock”. I also help out with translations, manage our Facebook group and test new patterns if they are something that I would wear.”
What drew you to sewing?
“I started sewing over ten years ago. My mother had no inspiration for a birthday present but she saw me messing around with some fabric and gave me a sewing machine. It all went downhill from there. I currently work as a seamstress parttime, doing mostly repairs and alterations. It’s very different from sewing from scratch, and interesting in its own way. I still sew for fun, too. I love how sewing gives me absolute control over my wardrobe. I’m no longer limited to what’s on offer in shops, I can wear whatever I want in the materials that I want. As someone who can get very sensitive to textures and fit, this is a huge advantage.”
What’s the hardest part of sewing to you?
“Finding the balance between doing something I enjoy and owning too many clothes. Sewing for others feels too much like work, so if I sew in my spare time, it’s always for me. But you do end up with a LOT of clothes, and that makes me feel guilty or wasteful sometimes. I try to see the giant wardrobe as a testimony to my learning process, and donate the things that are no longer worn so they get another chance. On a less serious note, I’m terrible at cleaning up after myself when I’m sewing. I’m a messy person and it’s a messy activity. What can you do?”
What would be your advise for starting sewists/sewistas?
“Be ambitious. You will learn a lot from projects that challenge you. It’s OK to start with very simple things just to learn how to use your machine, but don’t be afraid of zippers or buttons or collars. The internet is full of information and tutorials, and if you mess it up, learn from it and try again. I’m still proud of my own “milestone” projects that tought me new skills and pushed me forward. My first real coat, first pair of jeans, first underwire bra.”
Are you a dog or a cat person?
“I’m an animal person. All animals are good in my book. Except for mosquitos, they can go fuck themselves. Can I say that?” (You can, and you did.)
Where can we find you on social media?
You can find my (relatively quiet) blog at www.annekecaramin.com or my Instagram at @annekecaramin.
👻 Halloween 🕷 costume 👽 ideas
With Halloween just four weeks away, we’ve got something special lined up for you: Lucian and bobgeorgethe3rd are putting the finishing touches on a list of ideas for awesome costumes to sew. And — best of all — you can make all of them from FreeSewing patterns!
The ideas range all the way from recreating a Victorian-esque look with extravagant sleeves, to embodying the role of Spongebob.
There’s plenty of options, for all ages, so keep on eye on our blog for spooky updates as Halloween draws closer.
😋 We have a TikTok now!
You may have noticed that our Instagram account has been posting a lot more lately. True! But that’s not the only social media work done; we have a TikTok account now! You can find it under @freesewing_org, which is the name all of our social accounts carry. Who knows what the future holds… 👀
🎧 Sew over 50 podcast, double-dose with Wouter and Joost
FreeSewing’s very own Wouter (you may remember him from the interview in the first FreeSewing newsletter) has been interviewed for the Sew Over 50 podcast! Tune in to learn about how Wouter got into sewing, the projects that intrigue him, his advice for new sewists, and his work with FreeSewing!
And just under the wire for this newsletter, Joost has also been recently interviewed by Sew Organised Style, sharing how FreeSewing came to be, how you can get involved, and what brought Joost to sewing in the first place! Plus bonus thoughts on finding the perfect shoes.
Find out more on the Sew Organised Style page, and listen to Wouter’s podcast here and Joost’s podcast here, or look for Sew Organised Style on your favorite podcast app.
👕 Pattern project
To be clear: This is not an ad. But I do want to talk about a new clothing company based in the UK named Pattern Project. They describe themselves on their website as:
Pattern Project is a South London micro-factory. We make clean, urban, local manufacturing of clothing possible and cost-effective. We produce clothing after it is sold in a matter of days.
We sell Sew-It-Yourself Kits and Ready-To-Wear clothes. The kits contain precut and annotated fabric are easy to make and take less time than regular sewing.
The reason I’m writing about them in our newsletter can’t be glanced from their website, nor will you read about it in the press. But behind the scenes of this micro-factory, FreeSewing churns out the patterns for the laser machines that cut the fabric.
It feels significant somehow to cross that threshold from nice hobby website you’ve got there into a place where FreeSewing is a project on which other build their business, and in a very tangible way, their livelihood.
I don’t even know if the achievement this unlocks carries a name. But I wanted to share it and thank all our contributors and patrons for their support without which we would have never gotten this far.