Meet the Collective: Mary D.

Hello, lovelies! I’m a writer, women’s health specialist, and recent transplant to the small city of Waco, TX. There, I live with my bearded academic husband, our giant puppy, and the biggest stash of floral fabrics this side of the Mississippi. Since 2011, I’ve blogged about swishy dresses and the social politics of sewing at Idle Fancy.

My mother and grandmother taught me how to sew as a child , but it didn’t take seriously until my early twenties. After fruitlessly searching for an elegant, retro dress for a friend’s wedding, I decided to sew one myself. That project was, of course, an utter disaster. It turns out silk taffeta and “advanced” Vogue patterns aren’t kind to semi-beginner sewists! Who knew? Still, the allure of making beautiful clothes that would actually fit my body remained. I chose a kinder pattern, armed myself with intensive lessons from a sewing goddess, and set about conquering my new favorite hobby.

Needless to say, it’s now an obsession! My sewing is driven by the classic silhouettes of the early 1960’s and a belief that gorgeous fabric makes any piece special. Much to the chagrin of my small sewing room, I’m on a never-ending quest for vintage buttons, helpful sewing manuals, and Liberty of London fabrics. With an exaggerated hourglass shape (46-34-46, at last measure), I’ve also learned my way around an FBA and other specialized fitting techniques. I could talk for hours about the ins-and-outs of dart rotation.

If you’re looking for fitting expertise, a fun party dress, or chatter about the larger implications of our craft, I’m your girl! Also, there’s a good chance that I own every shirt dress pattern in existence. If I checked my medical books, there’s probably a button-obsession disorder and a picture of yours truly. My current true pattern love is McCalls 6696, that most classic of button-down dresses.

When I’m not sewing or writing, you can find me baking French pastries or binge-watching Veronica Mars with my beloved. Though my dear Sam does most of the “real” cooking, I make killer fruit pies, gingersnaps, and croissants. I’ve yet to master macarons, but give me time!

Entertainment-wise, Miss Mars is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m an ardent lover of mysteries and period dramas, both on screen and in literature. For TV, this means I’m a big fan of Orphan Black, Sherlock, North & South, and any Jane Austen adaptation, while a small selection of my favorite authors include Elizabeth Peters, Lauren Willig, Julia Quinn, Raymond Chandler, and Daphne de Maurier.

Along with the other members of the Collective, I am also quite passionate about plus-sized advocacy in the sewing community. So many of us, myself included, began sewing as an attempt to get away from the narrow-minded, poorly fitting world of ready-to-wear fashion. With limited sizing and more complicated fitting needs, however, sewing can be just as disheartening for plus-sized beginners. Without the same visibility as straight-size sewists, plus-sized women are increasingly shut out from pattern sizing and marketing. At the end of the day, it’s my opinion that the more fabulous, curvy women who blog and share their creations, the more our needs will be met.

Jenny and I started the Curvy Sewing Collective as a way to encourage plus-sized sewing and blogging, by joining forces with our favorite curvy sewists and creating a community of like-minded women. Here at the CSC, I hope you’ll find all the knowledge and inspiration you need, to conquer your own sewing goals! Happy sewing, my dears!