So what’s new in the sewing community? Here’s a monthly round-up of some news of what’s happening in the vibrant sewing community across the globe!

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has for the umpteenth time extended a kind gesture to one of his Social Media followers who asked him for a favour.

The Napoli striker, who frequently posts funny memes across his Social Media handles, was asked for assistance by a follower, @mfclothingceo, to help purchase an electric sewing machine, with the picture of the equipment attached to the request.

When I learned my hobby could be used to reduce my environmental footprint, sewing became my favorite pastime.

A few months after I received a sewing machine for my 13th birthday, I wore my first homemade outfit to school. It was an ill-fitting, bright yellow tank top and skirt set, and I was ecstatic to show it off. Despite the outfit’s many flaws, I got countless compliments on it. The joy I felt making something wearable with my own hands spurred me to develop my sewing skills even further.

Courtesy of Audrey La Jeunesse

Throughout middle school, I sewed a myriad of clothes and accessories. I even briefly sold items to my classmates to make some money. I still see some of the scrunchies I sold in 7th grade on ponytails in the halls of my high school today.

Sewing patterns are meant to be trashed — or not

Lara A. Greene keeps her antique sewing patterns in plastic tubs, stashed in the first-floor workshop of her old Victorian home so she can throw them out the window if her house goes up in flames. Greene has collected at least 10,000 patterns — possibly 20,000 — since the 1990s. And like other collectors, she is paranoid about losing them: to fire, flood, and mice or simply the indifference of people whose first instinct would be to toss them in the trash.

In 1994, Greene was a 24-year-old stitcher at the New York City Opera when she was brought along to visit Betty Williams, a costume designer and researcher with a large antique pattern collection. Old patterns are used as references by costume designers, especially when working on period pieces, and seeing Williams’ collection was formative for Greene. It began a decades-long hunt as she searched for the oldest possible examples to add to her personal archive.

For Amma, sewing is more than just a source of earning, it's her way of living and worshipping Lord Krishna. The 91-year-old belongs to a small place in Kerala's Thrissur. Anuncios Sewing machines are one of the first mechanical consumer goods that were produced on a large scale and sold to the world. One of the oldest and best sewing machine brands in India, Usha International has played an important role in Amma's life. They both have experienced and lived the changes of time.

Amma's compassion for sewing for years is her way of expressing herself to the world. Starting as a hobby, she grew up working on the classic black machines of the ages. She now specialises in making 'Thirudada' and 'Njeri' (special clothing for deities/ elephants) and offering them to temples for prayers. "Sewing and Krishna are a part of my life. I make 'Thirudada' and 'Njeri,' it's my way of devotion to my Lord and passion for sewing," Amma said while speaking to The Logical Indian.

Marrley Brown regularly makes about 10 quilts a month for newborns at the Front Royal Pregnancy Center, but over the last couple weeks she took on one of her biggest quilting projects ever.

Inspired when she read about the need for donations to send to Ukraine, the 78-year-old Front Royal resident decided to make several more quilts in a hurry.

“In two weeks I made about 30 quilts … and they’re beautiful,” she said, “and it was mostly from my stash at home.”

A self-professed perfectionist, Brown said she decided to make the quilts from partially finished quilts she had abandoned in the past because at the time they weren’t living up to her expectations.

“I’m an award-winning quilter, and I do perfect work,” she said.

But also unable to bring herself to throw away the unfinished projects, she held onto them for a proverbial rainy day, and that day has come.

Each quilt bound for Ukraine has a different design, but many offer similar colors and patterns, she said.

We hope you enjoyed this round up of what’s new in the sewing community!

Do you have any other local stories/news that you came across that would be worthy of sharing with our sewing community? Share it with us on ritika@madamsew.com