I’ve complained before about the lack of decent plus size maternity wear available. I’ve made some suggestions for how to live with and adapt high street and online retailers’ regular ranges for maternity. I even tentatively suggested you convert a comfy bra into a nursing bra if you couldn’t find one suitable. But I was utterly delighted to discover the Plus Size Sewing For EVERY Body group on Facebook recently! A whole sewing community on Facebook, sharing tips and adapting and sharing patterns for bigger bodies. Love it!
I couldn’t wait to let you know about it, and so here’s its founder, Rebecca, to tell you more.
Our Plus Size Sewing Community
I run a Facebook sewing group for plus-size sewists and people who sew for plus-size family and friends. It can be very difficult to find sewing patterns if you’re larger than a UK 26, and because of the way bodies are, it’s very common to have one measurement, like your waist, be outside the pattern even if your bust and hips fit into it. It’s also common for patterns to be designed for a B cup bust, sometimes a D cup in the larger sizes, when real busts come in many different sizes.
Learning to sew can be very liberating because you can express yourself and wear exactly what you want to wear and even make adjustments to designs you love to accommodate breastfeeding or pregnancy, but learning to sew your own clothes when you’re plus-size can take a lot more effort and perseverance than when you’re thinner. That’s why in my group I share everything I can to enable other plus-size sewists to grow.
Plus Size Maternity Wear and more!
I share size-inclusive designers, new patterns, tester calls for extended size ranges for patterns, and breastfeeding and maternity hacks for patterns that go beyond high street maternity wear. Want to make yourself a maternity bra that accommodates two different sized breasts? Or sew a gender neutral hoodie with breastfeeding access? I can help.
I also share resources for learning to fit the clothes you sew to your changing body, and sewing patterns for plus-size children, which are as rare as hen’s teeth! So if your child is heavy for their age, but average height, you can find a pattern designed to fit them without having to blend sizes. If you’ve been told that your body shape is ‘difficult’, or if you have trouble finding clothes on the high street that fit you well all over, I can recommend pattern companies that offer custom sizing with no upper size limit.
Our ethos
The group’s ethos is to be a safe and welcoming space to all plus-size people who sew or want to learn to sew their own clothes. It’s a non-judgemental place where we aim for body neutrality. All bodies are good bodies, and the numbers on the measuring tape are necessary only because they help us to sew garments that fit our amazing bodies brilliantly.
Come join us and start your sewing journey. Look for the pin cushion banner image –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4073333856124965
Thanks Rebecca! Bring on the Plus-Size Maternity Wear Sew-It-Yourself Revolution!!