What would it be like if we could enjoy complete freedom within our sewing lives? Free from the shoulds and shouldn’ts, the fears and even past experiences? My guest, Tony Rea, tells us how this mindset took him from sewing newbie to top-three-finalist of sewing’s most famous competition: The Great British Sewing Bee. Plus, Tony shares his formula for sewing more sustainably (spoiler alert: it involves a lot of thrifted duvet covers…).
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Find out more about Tony on his website, and see his latest projects on Instagram @tonyr.maker.
Tony’s Etsy shop is stocked with handmade cycling caps in fun prints.
This Postman Pat shirt was clearly inevitable:
If you find yourself in Plymouth, swing by the Plymouth Scrapstore.
Tony made a Fabric Godmother Peony dress for his wife to attend Christmas events in.
Tony first encountered zero waste sewing patterns during the pattern challenge on GBSB:
Tony adapted Birgitta Helmersson’s ZW Block Pants and ZW Workwear Jacket patterns for his style and frame.
Image source: Birgitta Helmersson.
Tony wore a denim ‘suit’ created using these patterns which he modelled on the runway at the Knitting & Stitching show in London, October 2023.
Tony recently embarked upon the Studio Trouser Low Waste pattern by Norwegian brand, Indigo Indigo (@indigoindigo.no on IG).
#50: The Future of Fabrics
#49: Sewing as Art and Political Action with Shams el-Din Rogers
#48: How to Knit More Sustainably with Saskia de Feijter
#47: Introduction to Patching
#46: DIY Drafting and Inclusive Sewing with Daisy Braid
#45: The Art of Rescue with Noah Hirsch
#44: Me-Made-May and Beyond
#43: Communication & Conscious Choices with Kate Ng
#42: Highest Possible Level of Use with Shelly Sommer
#41: Using Sewing Patterns More Sustainably
#40: Experimend with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald
#39: Modern Mending with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald
#38: Pledge and Participants #2 with Amy and Judith
#37: Pledge and Participants #1 with Rebecca and Meg
#36: What is Me-Made-May?
#35: Mask Making with Sophie Passmore
#34: Ethical Fabric Sourcing with Charlie Bradley Ross
#33 Encouraging Kids to Sew
#32: Textile Activism with Shams el-Din Rogers
#31: Exploring Zero Waste Design with Liz Haywood
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