MCH2022

Tired of clothing stores not having your size, or that you're stuck in between sizes? So was Joost de Cock, he didn't - and doesn't - like how clothing stores base their clothing sizes on an imaginary average person; every person has a different body. That got him to found FreeSewing: the open-source platform that translates custom measurements into well-fitting sewing patterns with code.

The platform is working towards becoming the Wikipedia of sewing patterns, with new patterns being released every few months, plus a bunch of guides on how to sew. The platform also provides guides for designers and developers, to transform patterns into code.

This system based on code allows not only for custom measurements, but also for tweaking the pattern (e.g. longer sleeves, or a crop top) and recycling parts of one pattern into another - whereas a traditional sewing pattern is based on the measurements of a perfect mannequin, which is then graded up and down for different body types, which is known to have many downsides.

This talk will not be held by founder Joost de Cock himself, but by an enthusiastic contributor. He will gladly go more in depth on how the code works, common pitfalls, the motivation behind it and how it helps against the rise of fast fashion - maybe encouraging some to pick up sewing themselves?