The birth of Seated Sewing

Seated Sewing is the home of the Inclusive Seamstress, it has been 14 years in the making and was born out of a life-changing event that affected our founder, Kat.

In 2006 complications of misdiagnosed Cauda Equina resulted in emergency spinal surgery which left Kat suddenly disabled and wheelchair-bound. Kat had tirelessly worked as an auxiliary nurse on hospital wards or in people’s own homes, so it was a devastating blow. She was also on a career break as she had just become a new mum but suddenly found herself in hospital for 8 months, missing most of her son’s firsts! Being on the other side of the uniform was a hard transition to make, even now when Kat is in hospital as she gets closer to being discharged, she can be found helping the sicker patients in the bay!

Kat now calls herself a “professional patient” as she is in and out of hospital several times a year. She has had numerous surgeries and is a proud user of many different medical devices such as a suprapubic catheter and a colostomy to name a few. Life was further complicated when Kat’s son was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD in 2012. In 2017 Shadow, their Autism Assistance Dog joined the family and made a huge difference to their lives, which has given rise to our pet range of products!

This has led to a wealth of lived physical and neurodevelopmental experiences, which at times ended in frustration. Why weren’t products customised or designed to be inclusive for all people? Especially since learning that those who have disabilities account for 20% of consumers!

Voila! Seated Sewing was born! A homegrown business where the designer “got it” when it came to adaptive products and accessories. Kat knows first-hand some of the complicating factors of disability that needed a solution. All our products have been designed and road-tested by Kat, and we actively encourage feedback from clients to refine what we offer.

We are proud to say all our products are born from finding a solution to support those with disabilities. Our sewn products are handcrafted and often customised to the needs of our clients, be it a peg skin protector, weighed blanket or patient pamper hamper. We have lots of exciting products in the pipeline but are always open to fresh ideas so please feel free to get in touch.