Sew Liberated began in a drafty adobe house on a street without a name in rural northern Mexico. The year was 2006, and Meg McElwee was working as a Montessori teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. With spotty connections to the outside world, Meg spent much of her time honing her sewing and pattern drafting skills. Eventually, she started a blog and began selling patterns based on her designs. Sew Liberated was one of the first indie pattern companies to emerge from the crafting renaissance, and hopes to remain a friendly and fashion-forward presence in the sewing community.
Over the years, Sew Liberated has evolved to focus on slow fashion, sustainability, and mentoring makers to look at their sewing as a practice of self-care. We believe that the act of making one’s own clothes can be transformative, personally and on a global scale, when done through the lens of sustainable fashion.
We have a series of online courses. The Mindful Wardrobe Project helps people heal their relationship with clothing and style, and adopt a healthy slow fashion practice. The Creative Hinterland teaches sewists how to level up their skills and dive into pattern drafting. And our Learn to Sew course path takes you from novice to expert sewists, all while you make beautiful garments.
Meet the Sew Liberated team
Meg McElwee – Founder and Designer
Meg is a writer, artist, sewist, and slow fashion advocate who founded Sew Liberated back in 2007. Three kids and countless sewing projects later, she still loves what she does and hesitates to call it a “job.” It’s more of a passion project, truly.
When she’s not sketching out ideas or making plans for Sew Liberated, she loves trail running, Barre3, knitting, and making music with her family.
Go-to outfit: Stasia Dress + stompy boots.
Some day I want to: enjoy the present moment as much as my dog.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: chatting with my partner and best friend, Patrick.
You’d be surprised to know that: I am obsessed with sparkling water. It’s like a party in my mouth! My kids make fun of me for it.
Patrick McElwee – CTO, etc.
Patrick wears many hats around Sew Liberated, from software engineer to writer, Instagram husband to comedian. When he isn’t working, he’s cooking, dancing, or waxing poetic about math, music and history. He’s fortunate to work alongside his two best friends: his wife and his little brother.
Go-to outfit: whatever is easy to grab and matches the weather.
Some day I want to: bring to fruition my stealth plan to replace Meg as the face of Sew Liberated.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: playing in the surf all day and dancing all night.
You’d be surprised to know that: I don’t know how to sew. (Yet?)
Meredith Luby – Community Manager
Meredith works to build connections, support makers, and sow the seeds of creative living on social media, in our online course communities, and through our blog, newsletter, and other media. When she’s not writing or taking photos for Sew Liberated, she can usually be found knitting, baking bread, or trying to convince Meg to watch her favorite TV shows.
Go-to outfit: When it’s cold jeans and a handknit sweater. When it’s warm my Estuary Skirt and a favorite tee.
Some day I want to: Hold a puffin.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: Relaxing with friends while crafting. Or sleeping.
You’d be surprised to know that: I love women’s sports, especially soccer and tennis.
Judith Henrikson – Patternmaker + Fitting Wizard
Judith’s love for making spans from Fitting Specialist, pattern development, and teaching pattern making skills at Sew Liberated all the way to crafting with her daughters around the table at home to planning next year’s vegetable garden. You’ll find her with a cup of coffee and some cozy socks, sewing up a storm or splashing watercolours about, ideas flying.
Go-to outfit: Arenite pants + cozy top + dramatic earrings. No shoes in the summer, wool socks and boots in the winter!
Some day I want to: learn to build furniture.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: rambling by the lake with my family in early Fall.
You’d be surprised to know that: I first heard about continental knitting from reading Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books. I’ve read alllll of her mysteries, and now I’m learning to knit, too!
David McElwee – Logistics + Customer Service
When David isn’t editing videos, coordinating pattern printing, or helping out customers for Sew Liberated, he’s auditioning for acting jobs and drinking tea out of dainty teacups with his wife in Brooklyn. He’s a proud uncle, an unashamed theater geek, and a pretty mediocre basketball player despite being rather tall.
Go-to outfit: Jeans and a t-shirt (Although, I love an excuse to get really dressy.)
Some day I want to: Make my very own jeans and t-shirt!
The thing I’d always rather be doing: Acting in a new play by an amazing writer.
You’d be surprised to know that: Meg taught me to ski when I was 12.
Saremy Duffy – Fit Specialist
Saremy is an expert sewist and a fitting specialist here at Sew Liberated. If you have sent us an email you may have gotten a very helpful reply from Saremy. She provides support in our Learn to Sew course groups, bringing her signature blend of wit and know-how. She also does live sew-alongs on our YouTube channel, as well as her channel SewSewLive.
Go-to outfit: A dress! I like a one-piece comfy thing to wear that I can throw on most of the year. When it’s too cold, I wear jeans, a button-up and a hand knit sweater.
Some day I want to: Be a part of a town community again with friends and family!
The thing I’d always rather be doing: Sewing or Pattern Drafting. I’ve never stopped enjoying either. I love how infinite they both are and I still learn new things. I’m not a space nerd, but I’d love to sew something that went to space! (But let the sewing space nerds have their chance before me!)
You’d be surprised to know that: I became a gamer in my 40’s. I moved someplace so warm that I needed to stop knitting so much and I like to keep my hands busy. I love being a part of the story and it’s the only place in my life I completely disconnect and relax. I like both single player and multi-player games.
My favorite game has always been The Last of Us (both of them) and you’ll be even more shocked to know I’ve been playing Fortnite since the day it came out. Don’t knock it til you try it! (Although sometimes I wish I could consult for the details on clothes-it’s apparent not enough game developers understand clothing).
Shaerie Mead – Learn to Sew Teacher/Sample Sewist/Pattern Drafter
Shaerie help out at Sew Liberated by writing & teaching online classes, fitting & sewing samples and testing & drafting patterns. She loves to see what everyone will be working on next. Shaerie also designs and dyes clothes for my own company and drafts patterns for a few other small businesses – in between traveling and running around after her kid!
Go-to outfit: My favorite comfy outfit is a self-drafted tee and cropped linen pants. I’m frequently making a mess in my studio so it’s usually well-loved pieces that can get splattered with dye! For dressing up, I have a few Hinterland Dresses that fit perfectly.
Some day I want to: Learn how to use audio editing software so I can narrate books.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: Reading and drinking tea with kid and cats on the couch. Hands down.
You’d be surprised to know that: The only personal sewing I do anymore is costumes & cosplays for myself and my kid. He’s full of ideas (and requests)!
River Takada – Sample maker and tester
River Takada is a Japanese American mixed media artist. At Sew Liberated, River makes samples and occasionally tests patterns. When River isn’t sewing samples for Sew Liberated, she’s putting together charcuterie boards, cuddling with her cat, or listening to audiobooks. River enjoys sewing for herself and her business, RIVTAK handmade, focusing on using pre-loved and rescued materials in all of her projects.
See her work online: www.rivtak.com & @rivtak on Instagram. Follow her cat @uzum.fluff.
Go-to outfit: Fall/Winter: cropped jeans, comfy boots and a thrifted sweater; Spring/Summer: handmade cotton dresses like the Stasia or Hinterland.
Someday I want to: Read a Haruki Murakami book in Japanese! I already speak Japanese, but I have lots of vocabulary to learn to be able to do this.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: Winter: eating soup, Summer: swimming
You’d be surprised to know that: I do all my production sewing studio in a rented storage unit! After years of working from home with a long haired cat, hopping around fancy co-working studio spaces and being distracted by 1 million things, I found that being secluded in a windowless storage unit with no wifi is the perfect place to get production sewing done! I still sew at home for personal projects.
Sophia Kiser – Learn to Sew Your Clothes student
Sophia is the student in our Learn to Sew online course series! When she isn’t geeking out over fabrics, she is a Ph.D. student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives in Durham with her husband Jake and her son Rohan.
Go-to outfit: sundress and flip flops (you can take the girl out of California…)
Some day I want to: write a book and dye my hair fuchsia.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: graphic design on Canva or having a weekday dinner party with friends.
You’d be surprised to know that: despite being on camera, I’m actually an introvert 🙂
Lune – Owner of ALL the fabric
Lune is in charge of getting her fur all over everything. She also keeps the Sew Liberated dog, Mika, in check. When she’s not laying on fabric that needs to be cut, she is listening from the other room for any indication that fabric is about to be cut.
Go-to outfit: anything my humans wear that’s black, obviously. I like making my mark.
Some day I want to: find the perfect sunny spot on top of fabric.
The thing I’d always rather be doing: laying on fabric.
You’d be surprised to know that: I have a twin sister who lives upstairs because she’s too lazy to come downstairs.
We are also fortunate to work with Stacey East for pattern grading, and Alicia Carvalho for graphic design.
As a team, we are committed to building a better world, with a decent life for all people, and a livable planet. We support racial justice, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. We believe in the full humanity and dignity of all people, regardless of identity, ability, religion, or ethnicity.
Sew Liberated contributes to Climate Justice Alliance and Partners in Health.
Have a question? We have a handy form you can use to contact us.
You can learn more about Meg here, and also by listening to the Love to Sew podcast that features her and The Mindful Wardrobe Project.
Have a question?
Trouble with your order or with accessing your downloads? Send an email to orders@sewliberated.com. For sewing-related questions, please contact Judith and Saremy at support@sewliberated.com. We’re more than happy to help!