the.com/sewing circle

means A group of people who gather ostensibly to sew or do needlework but who function at least as much as a social network for trading news and opinions about everyone not present.

from Literal in origin: sewing circles were real, common gatherings — especially among women in the 18th and 19th centuries — organized around shared needlework, quilting, or mending, often for charitable or church purposes. The phrase drifted toward its gossipy, metaphorical sense because these long, hands-busy, hours-together meetings were, unsurprisingly, prime conditions for conversation and local news to circulate. By the 20th century 'sewing circle' had become a stock phrase for any tight social group known for chatting and gossip, needles optional.