We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meg McElwee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meg below.

Alright, Meg thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I grew up in rural northern California where my “playmates” were often a combination of the surrounding pine forest, a good book, and abundant craft supplies.

My parents gifted me with a very “slow” childhood. My summers were not spent at camps, where fun activities are jam packed into a week. My after school evenings weren’t spent in lessons. Instead, I had a lot of time to be bored – though I rarely was.

My mom trusted me to draw, paint, sculpt, and sew whenever I wanted. She didn’t hop in and show me the “right” way of doing things. She let me experiment. She let me make mistakes. She let me develop my own style. And she was always so excited when I made something.

To this day, I believe that creativity flows best when I slow down. When I open myself to feeling bored. When I put down my phone, and give my brain the space to process in quiet.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an artist, sewist, writer, and slow fashion advocate who founded Sew Liberated in 2007, combining my background in philosophy and education with a deep passion for mindful making. What began in a small adobe house in rural Mexico—where I discovered the transformative power of creating my own clothes—has grown into one of the most respected indie sewing companies in the crafting renaissance.

Through thoughtfully engineered patterns and innovative courses like The Mindful Wardrobe Project, I helps makers discover both technical mastery and creative confidence. My work celebrates a different way of thinking about clothes—one that values slow process over fast fashion, creative expression over consumption, and the joy of making over the pressure to produce.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Sew Liberated is a rebel brand. It was created as an escape hatch for creative folks who are tired of being manipulated by fast fashion brands to buy, buy, buy.

I want to liberate women from the misleading promise that you can “buy” confidence and happiness.

Fast fashion is producing clothing at breakneck speed – clothes that might not last more than a few “wears,” clothes that don’t often fit correctly, and clothes that are made by people who are often paid poverty wages.

I DO think we can MAKE confidence (and satisfaction) with our own hands, though. Sew Liberated exists so that women can learn to make clothes that are tailor-fit to their own beautiful, unique bodies, in their own style – so they can feel empowered in their artistic skills AND feel beautiful wearing the clothes they make.

Sewing your own wardrobe – slowly – disrupts the control that the profit-driven fashion industry has on our psyches.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

This one’s easy, especially here in the US: health care for all and a good social safety net. It’s hard for creatives to take risks – a necessary step in the creative process – with a paltry safety net.

I often find myself wondering what it would be like to be an artist in Finland, where artists can receive a modest salary from the government. What an idea – to be free to create what you are moved to create – without the worry of appealing to market forces.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sewliberated.com
• Instagram: @sewliberated
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SewLiberated

Image Credits

Patrick McElwee