July 2024
New patterns, 2 years of Long Covid, zero waste news, and some links you'll enjoy
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to the July newsletter, and a special hello to new subscribers.
If May was the month of clearing out the sewing UFOs (highly recommend!), then June has been the month of finishing off sewing patterns. I have TWO new sewing patterns to present; please enjoy 25% off both.
The first is the low waste sunhat, which has an option for a bucket hat brim, so it’s really two hats in one. It has a video sew-a-long to go with it, as the pattern pieces are very unusual shapes - probably the craziest looking pieces I’ve ever made. It fits head sizes 54-56-58-60-62cm, so if you have a big head and struggle to find hats, this could be it. Read more about this pattern here, and order here.
The second pattern is the Optimatium dress, a zero waste pattern which was in Tauko magazine last year. The copyright has now reverted to me, and it’s been re-graded to an extended size range. Read more here, and order here. Click here for 5 ways to style this dress.
In zero waste news….
Are you doing Plastic Free July? Zero Waste Chef has a zoom meetup for a produce bag sewing bee, and she also has some great tips for organising your own sewing bee. The meet up is on 19th July. Read more and register here. (Sorry Aussies, it’s in the wee small hours of the 20th.)
Read about a new fibre made from plastic cups and ocean plastic, made in the USA.
Nisa is an active wear brand in New Zealand, and their 2024 active wear collection is all zero waste. Bravo! Read about their zero waste journey here. They got started with zero waste after attending a zero waste masterclass run by Emma La Rocca of Emroce swimwear, the world’s first and only zero waste swimwear brand. Emma has an ONLINE workshop coming up on August 12th, open to students, teachers, large/small businesses and individuals, and at a very reasonable NZ$40. These opportunities don’t come up often. Read more and register here.
Some beautiful pleated tops and dresses have been completed using the pattern in the A Year of Zero Waste Sewing book. The pattern is still available as a zine for only AU$5 (+tax). This unusual pleating technique is very effective in stripes.
Coming soon! A zero waste hat which I’m not sure what to call so I’m naming it ZW Warm Hat. What do you call these in your country? Beanie? Watch cap? Toque? Ski hat?
Long Covid, 2 years on
June 11th marked two years of Long Covid. Leading up to the anniversary, I found myself feeling quite flat and teary - was I grieving my old self and life? It feels like I’ve aged 24 years in the past 24 months.
I’ve been mostly housebound since getting some sort reinfection last September which put me back to square one; I’ve left the property only eight times. 2024 was officially declared The Year of the Hermit, and recovery is moving at a glacially slow pace. It maddens me to pass up cool opportunities for things which I know I’m physically incapable of. I sometimes feel like a fraud because my online life is so different to my actual life, but keeping up writing things such as this newsletter has been helping my brain recover.
Long Covid is a different disease for every person, and treatments work differently for everyone. There are 200+ possible symptoms. Symptoms come and go, and new ones appear. Most sufferers are far more knowledgeable about it than doctors.
Do you know someone with Long Covid? Probably they look okay and sound normal, but don’t be fooled! You’ll rarely see them at other times. Here are some things you can do to be a supportive friend:
Stay in touch! Long Covid is boring and lonely. Feel free to share news of what you’re doing lately.
Suggest audiobooks and podcasts they might enjoy.
Add them to your prayers.
Prepare a dinner occasionally and bring it around (but check first - Covid can wreck your gut and they might be on a restricted diet).
See if their dog needs walking.
Phone before visiting. Please don’t visit if you’re sick or have been around sick people, even if it’s just a sniffle. If visiting, see if they need anything collected at the shops on your way.
If there’s an event they’re coming to, outdoors is preferable. Make it easy for them to sit or lie down (eg recliner, sun lounger, picnic rug with pillows) - their energy will last much longer. Ideally have a quiet dark bedroom available so they can periodically go and recharge.
Friends, the way to get Long Covid is to get Covid - please do everything you can to avoid it.
Some things you might enjoy
Weaving on a narrow loom: what happens when you don't have enough fabric? (Youtube 20:39min)
Ply magazine, the magazine for spinners, has launched a kickstarter campaign for a new weaving magazine called Weft.
On the subject of magazines, an article by Making Stories magazine on what it means to be an indie knitting magazine in this tough economic climate.
There's an upcoming documentary on the life of Diane von Furstenberg. Here's DVF and the film maker being interviewed about it. (YouTube, 9mins)
The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) was invited to make a submission for the inquiry on procurement practices of government agencies in NSW and its impact on social development. They are calling on the government to prioritise local providers for government uniform contracts.
Behind the scenes: creating the amazing costumes for Dune 2. (YouTube 7:40min) It’s not all earthy-coloured cheescloth!
85 year old Sheila Mason received an MBE in the King's birthday honours for her services to the textile industry. Her family's business is the last working lace mill in the UK. Here’s a very short look around their mill (Instagram).
On the blog lately
A roundup of the past month’s blog posts from my website, lizhaywood.com.au.
Feel free to subscribe to my blog for weekly posts direct to your inbox, however, if you don’t need more emails in your life, I always do a roundup here.
Wrapping up Me-Made-May 2024, the eighth time I’ve done this challenge.
Mending Moments: the lost beret, where a moth eaten beret’s repairs made it look better than new.
Introducing the low waste sunhat (and bucket hat) pattern.
Introducing the Optimatium dress pattern.
5 Ways to wear the Optimatium dress - it turned out to be far more versatile that I’d thought.
From the blog archives
My attempt at using “The Dexter” (The whaaat? You’ll have to read to find out!)
Cheers!
Liz x
Thank you for sharing so many great links and your experience with long covid. I've been living with chronic migraine for about 3 years now and it's been one of the hardest periods of my life. I think it's really hard to understand chronic illness or pain until you've lived with it. And it's doubly frustrating when there's no clear path to healing. All that is to say, I sympathize with you and understand how hard it is to live with chronic illness. Sending healing vibes your way!
Very sorry to hear of your struggles with long covid. It is no joke. But if it's any help to you at all, I always enjoy reading your newsletter and blog, and have also read your latest book about sewing -- very helpful even to an old convent-taught sewist like me! I do hope that life gets better for you as spring draws close.