Solutions For Sweaty Sewists

Hi! We’re Anna (she/her) and Mallory (she/her), two disabled sewists and students who are excited to be sharing an initiative that we’ve started in the sewing community. 

Sewists have a wealth of knowledge about clothes we sew, and a lot of that community-specific information is shared in Instagram hashtags. For example, hashtags like #FatSewingClub or #SewingTall, help sewists share details about how to fit patterns for different bodies. As disabled sewists, there are plenty of hashtags we use to connect with other disabled creators, including, but not limited to: #ChronicallySewn, #SewnShownSeated and #DisabledSewist. However, we noticed a missing conversation in the sewing community about temperature dysregulation as well as chronic illness and disability. 

Without space to talk about it, both of us had been making accommodations for temperature dysregulation in our individual sewing practices, but couldn’t find any information about others who were doing the same. Through our initial conversations and research, we recognized that temperature dysregulation can stem from a variety of causes (i.e chronic illness, menopause, medication side-effects, changes in weather/climate, acute onset of illness, etc.), and were aware of how individual this experience is. We wanted to make something that was specific to being sweaty, regardless of the cause that had referenceable temperature regulation solutions. 

Through conversation and brainstorming, we landed on creating both a review template and a hashtag:#SolutionsForSweatySewists to share some common information about both patterns and fabrics. We hoped that through this hashtag and our initiative, people could refer to both to discover patterns and fabric that are sweat friendly (or the opposite!).

Now that the hashtag has been live for five months, we have learned a ton from the community through the hashtag! Here are the top five things we’ve learned from the #SweatySewist community.  

1. We love natural fibers

They're breathable, and often quite sweat friendly! Perfect for garments that provide layering options, and can often be transferable and wearable between multiple seasons. They offer a wide range of options in terms of choosing sewing patterns/garments to make, not to mention their sustainable properties!

2. Look for a lowered armscye

The higher the armscye, the sweatier we get, due to fabric being concentrated in a high-motion area. Therefore, the lower the armscye, the better. Although, it’s worth mentioning that swimming in fabric isn’t ideal either. There’s a balance- just like with all things! Some of our favorite patterns that get this balance just right are the Raida blouse by Madswisk, the Tyra Tee by Just Patterns and the Genra shirt/dress by Daughter Judy Patterns.

3. Having a tight layer underneath looser layers can help with temperature regulation 

This provides options to remove a layer if becoming too sweaty. We’ve found that having this extra layer also gives us a sense of reassurance- because one of the worst parts of temperature dysregulation is feeling a sense of confinement with your clothes. This is definitely something we look to avoid. Luckily, sewing permits us to have free range in terms of what we make and choose to wear. 

4. Space at the chest and back matter more than you might think

Being able to have some room to breathe either at the front of the garment or the back can be really supportive. Patterns like the Hallon Dress by Paradise Patterns, which has a low back but a relatively high neck, was one of the favorite patterns. A pattern doesn’t need to be low cut in both places to be good for sweaty sewists!

5. With the right garment, you don’t need to fear the bright fabric!

A garment is a combination of the pattern, any modifications a sewist makes, and the fabric that’s used to create it. As a sweaty sewist, it’s helpful to consider the balance between these things. Want to make something in a fabric you are sure isn’t going to show sweat? Try a breezy top with a low armscye! Want to make a high armscye garment that you’re not going to get sweaty in? Make it in a natural fiber and a color/pattern that won’t show as much. Finding this right balance comes with experience, but in time and through thoughtful reflection, we’ve been able to figure out what works for us, and we’re confident you will too!

We have loved getting to facilitate this community space and we can’t wait to see what we learn in the next 5 months from you all! If you’d like to share a review please remember to use the #SolutionsForSweatySewists hashtag and the review template in our bios - @loretta.makes.things and @mallory_made_creations . We’ve also compiled a resource post all about our initiative, which can be found here: Solutions For Sweaty Sewists . 

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