Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

4d ago

Whether or not you plan to participate in the Winter of Care and Repair challenge, we all have items we’re responsible for maintaining. Although, if you’re anything like me, there might be things you don’t even notice that are well within your control to improve, and will make your life better as a result. In this episode, we hear from a bunch of amazing CYT Patrons about what items they intend to fix over the coming season and how they plan to do it, to provide inspiration for the rest of us. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Image source: Kwon Junho via Unsplash Access and download the FREE WOCAR tracker sheet . The Winter of Care and Repair challenge was invented by Jeanna Wigger. Jeanna can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack which includes this explainer about WOCAR. Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna: Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise Ep. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger Find and order Jeanna’s book written with Mary Morton, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’ . Watch the tutorial by Arkdefo for the reusable party hats that Mary Morton mentioned. Addams Family Stitches by Yonah and Rebecca:

Dec 8

PSA: The Winter of Care and Repair challenge is kicking off on 21st December! I used its imminence as an excuse to talk to the challenge’s creator, mending expert and author Jeanna Wigger, about the wider impact participating has had for her. Jeanna tells me how it’s helped her shift her consumption habits, challenge her perfectionism and reframe her ideas around productivity. Maybe it will do something similar for you! Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Access and download the FREE WOCAR tracker sheet . Photo credit: Elaine Pieczonka. Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack which includes this explainer about WOCAR. Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna: Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise Ep. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger Find and order Jeanna and Mary’s book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’ : Katrina Rodabaugh , author of ‘ Mending Matters ’, played a key role in Jeanna’s mending journey. Jeanna’s men(D)iagram ! Click through to read her explanation.

Dec 1

We all experience shifts in our personal style. Usually, those shifts are gradual, but occasionally they can happen rapidly. My friend, freelance musician and singer, Lindsay Ashworth Fraser and I are both at a style crossroads ourselves. In this episode, we talk about where we’ve found ourselves stylistically, what brought us here, what’s next and how to ethically pass on the items that are no longer serving us. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Lindsay Ashworth Fraser can be found @lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram. You might have heard Lindsay in the previous episodes: Ep. #180: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 1 Ep. #181: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 2 Check out the episode of Love to Sew podcast that got Lindsay thinking about the three-word method of definition your personal style: Ep. #108: Create your Dream Wardrobe by Love to Sew podcast The green jumpsuit Lindsay wore to the cinema to watch Wicked with her choir: A pattern that was a key turning point in a previous style shift I had was the Luna Pants pattern by Made by Rae :

Nov 24

Is there any point in trying to sew more sustainably for kids when they’re just going to grow out of their clothes in five minutes? Of course there is! And there are a TON of ways to do it. From pattern and fabric selection, to ensuring durability and repairability, in this solo episode we cover ways to create clothes that the kids you’re sewing for will love to wear, for as long as possible. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Check out related episodes: Ep. #11: Sewing Vs Kids Ep. #33: Encouraging Kids to Sew Ep. #75: Go Recreate with Linnea Larsson Ep. #122: Zero Waste Sewing for Kids with Liz Elliot Apple Tree Pattern Co. has a ton of ‘Grow With Me’ styles, including this cool Dolman hoodie pattern: Check out the ‘outgrown’ extend system by Columbia clothing company: Buttonhole elastic is great for making adjustable waistbands: My son’s ‘Pig from Bunny Vs Monkey’ World Book Day costume with leggings that he now uses as PJ bottoms: The ‘Looshkin’ costume that became a regular sweatshirt when the white tummy was removed: No shame in buying a ready made patch to make a garment more wearable to a child!

Nov 17

Does shopping for natural fibres and more sustainable fabrics mean that you’re limited to solid colours in muted tones? Do you have to ignore your love of vibrant colour and bold prints? My guest today would answer “NO!” to both these questions. Tanya Brooman from Bornella Fabrics tells me about the sustainability ethos that underpins her fabric business, and what most frustrates her about the fabric industry today. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Tanya Brooman is the owner of Bornella Fabrics. You can also follow them on Instagram @bornellafabrics . Tanya appeared in the previous episodes: Ep. #110: Knitting & Stitching Show 2023 Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024 Ep. #202: London Fabric Swap 2025 Tanya has a useful webpage on ‘Sustainable Fabric Lowdown’ . If developments in fabric production interest you, check out this episode: Ep. #50: The Future of Fabrics

Nov 10

Guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, is talking to author Natalie Fergie about Natalie’s incredible historical novel, The Sewing Machine. Based on real, historical events that took place at the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Scotland, the novel follows two families: one belonging to a worker at the factory who went on strike, the other belonging to the owner of one of the sewing machines that the striker helped make. If you’re interested in sewing as a lens through which to look at social history, then you’re going to find this conversation fascinating. Natalie and Kat also geek out over vintage sewing machines and their sizable collections! Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews . Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT: Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1 Ep. #201: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 2 Learn more about author Natalie Fergie and her books: The Sewing Machine and 25 Library Terrace : Watch the silent film ‘Birth of a Sewing Machine’ from 1934. Look up the model and age of vintage sewing machines via the International Sewing Machine Collectors’ Society website .

Oct 27

As a garment sewer conscious of waste, you know how quickly fabric scraps leftover from your projects can build up. But imagine you run an entire clothing brand range committed to saving and using up every piece of scrap. Designers Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose tell me about their brand, Helgrose, that operates in precisely this way. Plus, they’ve just written an awesome new book that shares the main three methods they use for turning fabric scraps into desirable, wearable pieces, so you can do the same at home. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose design and make clothing and accessories for their joint brand, Helgrose . Birgitta is, of course, best known in the sewing community for her Zero Waste sewing patterns . Listen to Birgitta’s previous episodes: Ep. #54: A Journey to Zero Waste with Birgitta Helmersson Ep. #55: The Challenges of Zero Waste Design with Birgitta Helmersson Ep. #98: Zero Waste Patterns Book with Birgitta Helmersson Birgitta and Sam have written a new book, ‘Sewing with Scraps’ , buy it online here . This is Birgitta’s second book, her first is ‘Zero Waste Patterns’ . Zero Waste pattern designer, Liz Haywood , has an excellent blog where she often reviews ZW sewing patterns created by other designers. Check out the amazing sofa they recovered using fabric scraps: The Cloth Lab is Birgitta and Sam’s creative hub where they host workshops. As well as Liz Haywood, Birgitta is also a fan of ZW clothing design company, Decode . Birgitta and Sam love both Sway based in LA (including their community dye bath ) Studio 234+ in Malmö. Other CYT episodes about scraps: Ep. #4: My 5 Favourite Scrap Projects Ep. #103: Swimming in a Sea of Scraps with Meg Grandstaff Ep. #116: Improv Scrap Play with Sherri Lynn Wood Ep. #127: Scrap Strategies, Part 1 Ep. #128: Scrap Strategies, Part 2

Oct 20

Do you fancy coming with me on a little vicarious trip to a fabric swap? A couple of weeks ago I attended the London fabric swap organised by Yvette from Stash Hub app and Tanya from Bornella fabrics. I recorded a bunch of little conversations with both of them and lots of the attendees, so you can get the skinny on what it was like to organise the event and to attend and swap sewing supplies there. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Organised by Tanya from Bornella Fabrics and Yvette from Stash Hub App : Listen to previous episodes about fabric swaps: Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024 Ep. #182: How to Organise a Fabric Swap with Nike Baruwa Here my previous conversation with attendee Mel Keane: Ep. #152: Sewing for Stillness and Community with Mel Keane The fabric swap organised by Surrey Sews ( @surreysews on Instagram) is taking place on 8th November.