Late-December News from the Sewiverse!

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News from the Sewiverse is all our latest news and finds: indie pattern launches, podcast episodes, interesting articles, and all the goings on in the sewing universe! In this edition:

Colette's final pattern of the year, the perfect for the holidays Phoebe Dress
Paprika Patterns releases the funky Zircon Sweater & Dress
Blueprints for Sewing has a free pattern for the super cute Townhouse tote bag
Cloud 9 Fabrics is shipping Lisa Congdon's Kindred (and is making organic cotton knits!)
Highlights from the sewing podcasts and blogs

Colette Phoebe Dress

Colette released their third and final pattern of the year, the Phoebe Dress. It looks like an instant hit to me - so versatile as far as season, style, and fabric - a real classic. The samples for the pattern release were mostly very winter/holiday-friendly, but I'm really enamored with the denim version and could see that being a great year-round staple. And I have to mention Jaime from Fancy Tiger Crafts' Pendleton wool plaid Phoebe, it could not be a more perfect holiday dress!

Paprika Patterns Zircon Sweater & Dress

France-based Dutch pattern maker Lisa of Paprika Patterns released their fourth pattern, a very retro inspired sweatshirt and dress pattern called the Zircon Sweater/Dress. The name could not be more appropriate for this fun, space inspired sweater and dress pattern!

Blueprints for Sewing free Townhouse tote pattern

In early December, Taylor from Blueprints for Sewing released an extremely charming free pattern for a tote bag shaped like a house! Need I say more? You can download it for free on the Townhouse pattern page - I think Taylor is the first to try out our "free PDF pattern" file functionality! (If you have a free PDF pattern that you want to host on Textillia, try it out!) This is a great pattern for any age - who doesn't want to carry around their books or lunch in a little handmade house!?

Cloud 9: Lisa Congdon's Kindred and upcoming organic cotton knits

Cloud9 Fabrics' new organic quilting cotton collection by Lisa Congdon, called Kindred is finally shipping to stores! I'm a big fan of Lisa's art and love the Scandinavian inspired hand drawn organic quality of her designs so much!

And, if it hasn't already, sometime very soon Cloud9's new line of yarn-dyed organic cotton knits in a variety of stripes should also start to show up in shops! Very excited to have some more easily accessible organic knits, as they can still be a little tricky to come by!

Podcast highlights

Episode 30 of Meighan O'Toole's "What's your story?" podcast features, as Meighan aptly calls them, "veteran sewing bloggers" Abby Glassenberg of While She Naps and Kristin Link of Sew Mama Sew. They talk about building community and how they founded the wonderful new professional resource for crafty business people, the Craft Industry Alliance.
Episode 38 of Sandi Sawa Hazlewood's "Crafty Planner" podcast (actually from late November, I'm a little behind on my podcasts!) is an interview with the beloved fabric designer and sewist extraordinaire, Anna Maria Horner. They talk about her childhood and life, and how she's developed such a fulfilling and multifaceted career.
Episode 63 of Abby Glassenberg's "While She Naps" features Cashmerette's Jenny Rushmore. They talk inclusive, body-positive sewing, and the process of developing the professional skills needed to run a sewing pattern company.
Episode 175 of Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood's "CraftSanity" podcast (which I think you can only actually listen to via iTunes) is all about one of my long time favorite textile designers, Lotta Jansdotter. They talk about how she's created a career that supports her way of life, and about her new clothing and accessory pattern book "Everyday Style", which is a collaboration with Alexia Marcelle Abegg of Green Bee Patterns and Cotton+Steel fabrics.

And a post script on one of last month's recommendations: after Abby Glassenberg interviewed quilter Luke Haynes, some of what he said sparked a renewed conversation about male quilters, feminism, art vs. craft, and all that good stuff. Luke addressed some of the questions and criticisms on his blog, which led to a feminist critique of the situation by Stephanie Boon of Dawn Chorus Studio. I highly recommend reading Stephanie's post, as it dug a lot deeper into the issues at hand. (The comments on the latter two are also an interesting dive down that rabbit hole.) Some people seem to think it's making a mountain out of a molehill, but I feel like this is an important topic to stay conscious of and talk about in an open and constructive way. I wish gender in craft was a non-issue, but it's pretty obvious that we've got a long way to go before these conversations aren't necessary anymore.

On the sewing blogs

Sara Lawson gives her roundup of reflections and predictions for the sewing world on the Sew Mama Sew blog. Have to agree 100% on Sarai of Colette and Seamwork bringing her A-game this year!
This is from back in the fall, but a great piece on the Colette blog on why indies matter.
Very a pro pos for Bruno and I (though we started Textillia together), I loved reading this Craft Industry Alliance article on what it's like when your spouse joins your creative business. It features Jen and Jon from Grainline Studio and Liesl and Todd Gibson from Oliver+S/Liesl+Co./Lisette/Straight Stitch Society, and was a great peek into how a few other crafty business couples make it work, working together.
A beautiful post on Seamwork Magazine about one of the last remaining lace manufacturers.
Amazing ingenuity turning plastic bags into beautiful new woven textiles on the Crafts from the Cwtch blog.
And finally a great little tour of Megan Nielsen's home studio and how she makes a small space work for her.

That's it until 2016 folks, thanks for joining in on the fun!