Today is International Women’s Day and I wanted to write something to honour and celebrate all the amazing women that I’ve supported to learn to sew. They also support me, lift me up and make me better at what I do.
I open my heart and my (virtual) studio to you and you come and you learn and we share and we laugh. And we all grow our skills.
Friendships are formed as we support and encourage each other.
Love is woven into the ethos of Bagladybird – Learn to Sew and the new Love & Stitches Club (which is coming very soon). I create open and welcoming spaces where everyone can feel safe to be their true self and join a community with a common interest.
I encourage women to love and accept themselves as they are right now. Whether that be their skill level or their human shape. Accept the imperfections and treat themselves with kindness and words of gentle encouragement.
Accepting yourself just as you are and learning to love yourself can be a rebellion. A rebellion against all the images and influences that are around us in the media.
Learning that the clothes/patterns can change to fit your body. That you don’t need to change your body to fit the clothes can be revolutionary.
However, we are in a privileged position to be able to so.
This year the theme for International Women’s Day is Choose to Challenge.
There are many women in situations and places around the world that are not able to be their true selves. Not supported to get an education. Taken to be a child bride.
Watch this powerful video to encourage you to Choose to Challenge
“A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.”
International Women’s Day 2021
Wishing everyone an amazing day, I hope that this article encourages you to call out inequality and help create the change we want to see in the world.
Love & Stitches
Alison xx
