To SEW is to SEE!🪡

As we approach Christmas and the end of 2024 I feel myself resisting the ‘buy more stuff’ messages all over the place and it strengthens my resolve to focus on ‘experience’ as opposed to ‘stuff’

I’ve just watched Buy Now - The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix, prepare yourself for images of our clothes washing up on the shores in Ghana. This has to stop - NOW.

My mission at DOLLY is to encourage profound respect and dignity for all and when it comes to the fashion industry this is THE most intrinsic message when so many people are being exploited.

I believe that when you can sew you can see - my predictive text is already switching sew to see. It knows!

Thread a needle (not that easy!) Wrap the end of the thread around your finger and tie a knot, my mum showed me how and I showed my kids. Take a shirt with a button missing and start to push the needle in and out of the cloth until the button is secure. Put the shirt back on - a simple but immensely powerful act and you’re 3 steps closer to saving the planet.

1. You’ve taken a moment to experience what it takes to hand make clothes - yes ALL clothes are entirely hand made!

2. You’ve made an emotional connection with your shirt, an ‘I made it’ moment of pride.

3. You’ve put your phone down for a while and engaged in a meditative moment of creativity and become absorbed in making just for a while.

And here’s the biggy- you’re going to think twice before you throw it ‘away’ - and by the way there’s no ‘away’, away is somewhere else on the planet. And you’re going to think twice about buying another shirt at fast fashion prices because you’ll realise someone is being exploited at that price.

A revolutionary act just by sewing a button - predictive text says ‘seeing’ a button! Told you!

With this at the centre of every move I make at DOLLY we are gearing up to offer every which way to get you sewing in 2025.

We’ll teach you - no matter what you already do or don’t know!

Or sew at home with one of our kits, designed to get you to the best bit - sewing, obvs! - the fastest! They’re pre-cut from deadstock so we’re using up leftover cloth and there’s no waste your end! And with the free video tutorial helping you to sew along with me I’m virtually holding your hand all the way to fashion revolutionary status.

Join us in 2025 to sew for good!🪡