What is a Sew-along?

What is a sew-along?

A sew-along is a simple but magical concept! During a sew-along, lots of people all over the world agree to sew the same pattern at the same time. They share their progress at each stage, encourage each other and all celebrate at the end with their fabulous finished project. They are often organised by a designer or pattern company to encourage people to make their pattern, but there are also community-focussed sew-alongs which tend to focus on a theme rather than a single pattern.

Take a look at the Cashmerette website for past sew-alongs to get a taste for what you can expect! Here are some of our favourites:

Appleton dress sew-along
Upton dress & skirt sew-along
Concord t-shirt sew-along

Why should I try a sew-along?

There are so many reasons to take part in a sew-along, but the most important one is that it's just fun! It's lovely to set the intention to make something beautiful for yourself and then see it right the way through to the end, coming out the other side with a garment you're really proud of.

Sew-alongs are also a really brilliant way to step up your sewing skills. It can be daunting to try a pattern with a new-to-you technique but with a sew-along, you'll be tackling the project with lots of other people. Quite often, the designer or company running the sew-along will produce detailed tutorials to help you with any tricky bits, like this brilliant blog post about bodice-fitting which the Cashmerette team wrote as part of their Roseclair Dress sew-along.

If you're in a crafting rut, a sew-along could be just the thing you need to break out of it. During the sew-along you'll meet lots of new people with different ideas to spark your creativity. It's also great to have a deadline to motivate you to get finished.

Finally - lots of sew-alongs also feature discounts and prizes too, so if you love a bargain, keep an eye out!

How do I get the most out of a sew-along?

The most important thing is really to commit to the sew-along. Set yourself aside some time regularly to keep up with progress and to document and share your makes. Choose a sew-along where you really want to own and wear the finished object and this part will be easy!

It's also a good idea to be active online throughout the sew-along. These days, you'll find the most activity on instagram, with folks using hashtags to connect with each other. If you haven't used instagram this way, check out our guide to the best sewing hashtags to follow on instagram.

We love these pics of the Roseclair Dress shared on instagram by isaidaveale, kamali.obiagu and ohsewfearless.

Free Cashmerette Appleton Dress

Jenny Rushmore of Cashmerette is our featured Sewing Designer of the Month for October 2021. We'll be bringing you inspiration and advice from Jenny throughout the month.

All CraftWorld members can claim a 15% discount on Cashmerette products throughout the month.
CraftWorld Premium members can download a FREE copy of the Cashemerette Appleton Dress in sizes 0-32.