BTS with The Sewing Collective
I first discovered The Sewing Collective while manning a stall at one of the past Port Kembla markets. Olivia Gobran happened to have the same idea and was also manning a stall, under the business name Bitch Can Stitch. In an instant, I was taken by her positivity and friendly demeanour, and the excitement of connecting with another passionate and self-taught sewer was palpable (for both of us I think). She was there to sell and showcase her handmade clothes—of which she documents the construction on Instagram. Eventually, under the name The Sewing Collective, her content expanded into not only documenting her sewing journey, but testing patterns, leading tutorials and hosting ‘Sewing Socials’ in her own flash sewing studio in Wollongong.
Olivia has a loyal client base and is continuing to bring the joy and skill of sewing to all of us, by making it accessible for all those people that say ‘I really want to learn to sew, I just don’t know where to start!’ Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, Olivia has something on offer at The Sewing Collective for you.
I got to talk with Olivia late last year. Since then, she’s made the daunting yet brilliant decision to pack up her life and move overseas for a while. Of course, there’s so much more in store for TSC. Although they’re putting a pause on the lease of their space, they aren’t putting a pause on their tutorials, patterns and sewing content—some of many reasons to follow the team on Instagram!
WANDERER: What is The Sewing Collective?
TSC: We are a small sewing business and community based in Wollongong, NSW offering sewing workshops, classes, socials and now retail fabric and craft!
When did you start the Collective and why?
I officially launched TSC the beginning of this year (2024), but before that was running monthly sewing socials just through my personal sewing Instagram, through the second half of 2023.
TSC has been more of a side project for you outside of your primary career, right? What do you do for work?
Yes, TSC is more of a side project for me! I’m a full time Ecologist and work for a small Ecological Consulting company based in North Wollongong. I love my job very much. It’s very fun and involves a lot of fieldwork looking at flora and fauna, and a bit of tree climbing when I’m lucky.
Is it challenging trying to balance your work life and this project?
At times, yes! Most of the work for the TSC can be done outside of work hours, for example almost all our events are after hours or on weekends. I’m very lucky to have a flexible and encouraging boss and team for when I have the occasional event during work hours or slightly overlapping with work hours. But at the moment I’m pretty much either working my full-time job or doing TSC stuff whether it be actually running the events or doing admin, event planning etc. But I love it, so I don’t mind!
When did you start sewing?
I learnt how to sew in high school but didn’t really get into it properly until 2019. I was living alone in Wollongong whilst studying my biology degree and wanted to find more hobbies. It occurred to me I should start properly sewing and trying to learn how to sew my own clothes. I borrowed my Mum’s sewing machine which she wasn’t using and just started. This was the end of 2019 and a few months later we plunged into lockdown, so then I was just obsessed.
Did you see yourself in this role and plan for it? It seems like it almost unfolded unexpectedly.
Yes, it did unfold unexpectedly for sure, so it definitely wasn’t very planned! When I started doing the sewing socials it opened up all these ideas for me for other things I could potentially do, sewing wise. I loved connecting with people about sewing so much, I wanted more! When I was toying with the idea of doing workshops or classes (at the end of 2023) I got a random DM from someone who works for Wollongong Youth Services asking if I would help facilitate their Youth in Fashion program. This opportunity definitely kickstarted TSC as it gave me the confidence and money to set myself up for workshops and classes. After that, everything has just been falling into place and I’ve been going with the flow.
Do you have a larger team or is it more so just yourself running the show?
I do have some very amazing people helping me! It was myself and my sister Juliet who got TSC off the ground. I probably sent her 50 voice memos with all my ideas and she was able to create amazing branding and a website for me. I bounce a lot of ideas off her and we are constantly chatting and meeting to plan out our events. My other sister Beth has recently come on as a teacher! She has been mainly teaching kids and teen workshops but is expanding into adult ones. I also have another lady, Bri, who has taught some kids workshops and will be doing more next year. Then my friend Aimee helps with our Meta marketing, which is so appreciated because I have no idea how that stuff works. I run almost all the events and do all the physical prep such as getting fabric and patterns ready, sending out emails, and posting on socials.
What has been the most positive part of this journey for you?
Having people find us and tell us they’ve been looking for a sewing community, or they’ve always wanted to learn how to sew, and then gained so much from our events—that has been the most positive part for sure. I love connecting with people through sewing, it really leaves me so energised and fills my cup.
What is your aim with TSC and where do you see its future?
I want to create a space and community where people who love sewing can connect with likeminded sewists, and where people who want to get into sewing can learn in a supportive and inclusive environment. I think sewing and making your own clothes is such an amazing skill and is so empowering in so many ways. It allows you to be more sustainable with clothing, make clothes that fit your body, and be creative with fashion.
The future for TSC is continuing to go with the flow and see where that takes us. I have just moved spaces and opened a little shop front. This has been a super exciting development and one that I hope continues to grow. We sell beautiful fabrics, notions and crafty things and are currently open sporadically and during our events, but will hopefully be able to open more as time goes on. In 2025 we are planning on bringing out our own range of sewing patterns and online classes/workshops.
What has the journey been like for you so far? Has it been a slow process, have you been doubtful at all, or has it all been rewarding and positive?
It has been exciting, fast, and at times overwhelming. It feels like everything has happened so quickly, which is cool, but also scary. Like all of a sudden, I’m running workshops and teaching sewing and a part of my brain is saying ‘Woah how did that happen,’ but again, I’m just trying to roll with it. It has mostly been incredibly rewarding and positive, but of course there have been times where doubt has crept in. Sometimes events sell out quite quickly and sometimes we don’t sell a single ticket, but that is just the ebbs and flows of a new, small business. It’s hard not to let doubt take over in those times but I just have to constantly remind myself that it is normal, and we are still so new! In those times of doubt, I bring my focus back to the many people who are supporting us, booking into our events, giving amazing feedback and generally just being awesome. It feels like a huge privilege to connect with these people and give them a space to connect with others.
Who are some other seamstresses or small business owners who inspire/influence you?
So, so, so many!!Some seamstresses and small business owners who inspire me constantly with my own sewing and TSC include The Essentials Club, Soften Studio, The Sewing Club, @_ellestitch, @bcreates_, @gabby_sews and @unpicked.studio. They are all doing and making amazing things!
