Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #149: Replay – Harvesting Materials with Eliu Hernandez | 26 Aug 2024 | ||
This week’s episode provides a window into the ideas and processes of quilt artist Eliu Hernandez. Much of Eliu’s practice focuses on the reuse of existing materials, and he’s taken this further than you might previously have thought possible! I loved nerding out about denim with him, and even if denim isn’t your jam, this conversation may help you take reusing garments to a whole new level. We also discuss the portability of hand stitching and unpicking, crafting as a new parent, and consider the likelihood of a pair of jeans having been worn to rob a bank! Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Eliu via his IG account @madeorremade. Eliu has made a series of quilts entitled ‘Waist Not’, which are made almost entirely from reclaimed materials, including the backing and thread used for quilting (see below). ‘Cutting Up Jeans’ is a fabulous little zine that Eliu made in collaboration with quilt artist Zak Foster. Find out more about Zak Foster. Eliu is friends with fellow quilt artist, Heidi Parkes. Listen to my subsequent episodes with Heidi:
Eliu makes use of the reclaimed zips from deconstructed jeans by making these wonderful, and very useful, zippered pouches (see below): A selection of Eliu’s reclaimed, handmade, leather thimbles: | |||
| #148: Replay – Mending Workshops with Carla & Meg / Community Glue | 19 Aug 2024 | ||
We can all agree that mending items when they break to keep them in use out of landfill for longer is important. Repair cafes and organisations have been popping up across the globe to help facilitate keeping stuff in use for longer. But how much do you know about the inner workings of these groups and how they operate? And how much fun is it to volunteer for them, or even start one from scratch? My third replay episode of the summer is my conversation with Carla Bruni and Meg Grandstaff from Community Glue Workshop in Chicago. It’s a fascinating sneaky peek, as well as informative discussion, with Community Glue’s founder Carla and resident textiles mender Meg. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Check out the Community Glue Workshop website and follow them on Instagram (@communityglue). Photos from some of the Community Glue Workshops can be enjoyed in the show notes from the original episode. Listen to my subsequent conversation with Meg: You can follow Meg’s sewing and knitting endeavours, as well as learn more about #scrapbustingseptember via IG @the_grand_stash. | |||
| #139: Behind the Scenes of Podcast Making with Maria Theoharous | 14 Jun 2024 | ||
This is the second part of my conversation with Maria Theoharous in advance of our feed swap next week. In this part we find out just how organised IS the maker of the Sew Organised Style podcast?! Plus we share which of our previous guests have surprised us and how… Support the podcast over on Patreon! This is the second instalment of a two-part conversation. Listen to the first part: Maria Theoharous makes the Sew Organised Style podcast. Follow Maria on Instagram (@velosews). Days for Girls is an organisation that attempts to eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation. I worked out my manifesto with my friend and former coach, Kim Witten, and encouraged others to do the same in Ep. # 71: Making Personal Manifestos with Kim Witten. Maria was deeply moved when Denise Archer relayed her experience of living with breast cancer and the after effects. Birgitta Helmersson surprised me with an Australian accent when we met up to record:
The input of the CYT listeners to create the Scrap Strategies episodes have had a direct impact on my sewing. One day I would love to record a conversation with Zero Waste Daniel! | |||
| #48: How to Knit More Sustainably with Saskia de Feijter | 27 Jun 2022 | ||
Episode 48 gets stuck into the sizable ‘sister’ topic of how to knit more sustainably! I had the pleasure of talking to knitting podcaster, community leader, marketing expert and former yarn-shop owner, Saskia de Feijter from Ja, Wol and A Smaller Life podcast as the second part of our recent podcast swap. She explained to me how as a beginner knitter, I could approach knitting from a more sustainable angle. Then we dug into the similarities between our respective crafts and communities, and also the differences (spoiler: there aren’t many!). I particularly loved exploring the topic of stashes and resource accumulation, as well as Saskia’s awesome tips for using up leftover yarn. Saskia is such a fun, interesting and knowledgeable person, and I think she has the loveliest voice! Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find out more about Saskia, her business, her Ja, Wol knitting community, business mentoring and podcast HERE. Listen to Episode #34 of A Smaller Life featuring me HERE. Author and designer Anna Matlz has a website HERE. Her knitting book ‘Marlisle’ is pictured below: Saskia recommends UK women owned yarn brand, The Grey Sheep (formerly known as ‘Little Grey Sheep’) is HERE. I bought my kit to knit my first cardigan from We Are Knitters HERE. See below for the finished project. An interesting and heartbreaking explanation of mulesing from the RSPCA can be read HERE. Listen to Episode #29 of A Smaller Life called My Conscious Wardrobe HERE. Saskia belongs to the Topstitch Makers Sewcial Community HERE. Discover ‘The Act of Sewing’ book by Sonya Phillips HERE. Saskia has also made the Estuary Skirt pattern by Sew Liberated HERE. See below: The Instagram hashtag Saskia started is #knitpile. The popular Ravelry community can be found HERE. Find Dutch indie dyer Ovis et Cetera HERE. See my favourite colour of their yarns HERE, pictured below: A fantastic, inspiring collection of ideas for leftover yarn from the Ovis et Cetera blog is HERE. Find the London-based Wild and Woolly shop HERE. | |||
| #47: Introduction to Patching | 20 Jun 2022 | ||
This episode is something of a love letter to my favourite mending technique: patching! Mending with patches is a beginner friendly option for giving most types of clothing and fabrics a longer life. Depending on your choice of patching fabric, it can be a bold statement, or a subtle repair. It offers plenty of opportunities for creativity, it can be achieved without a sewing machine AND can be deployed when other mending options fail you. Expanding on the patching sections from my book, ‘Mend it, Wear it, Love it!’, in this solo episode I offer up ideas for creative patching and share practical advice on achieving a successful repair. Plus I talk through the steps for two different approaches to patching for those who are new to garment mending. Support the podcast over on Patreon! The step by step techniques outlined in this episode are adapted from my book ‘Mend it, Wear it, Love it!’ which you can find HERE. List of materials and equipment you’ll need for basic patching: Fabric to make patch Fabric scissors Iron Tape measure Fabric marking tool Hand sewing needle Thread (colour to match or contrast with your patch) Safety pins (use regular pins if your fabric is likely to be damaged by safety pins) Thread snips or small scissors A basic running stitch technique is shown in THIS VIDEO. A basic whip stitch technique is shown in THIS VIDEO. Examples of Sashiko-style stitching that I have previously attempted: | |||
| #46: DIY Drafting and Inclusive Sewing with Daisy Braid | 13 Jun 2022 | ||
Daisy Braid, AKA DIY Daisy, produces fantastic garment-making tutorials. Available via her website, and in a newly released book called ‘Sew It Yourself’, Daisy has made drafting and sewing simple, stylish garments incredibly accessible. By removing the need for prior experience of drafting or even using sewing patterns, Daisy’s designs can be created for bodies of any size with just some basic sewing skills. In this conversation, she tells me about her journey from being an op-shop obsessed teenager to a published sewing author, why her designs err towards minimal waste and the motivation behind her #nomakemarch challenge. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find out more about Daisy via her website HERE and on IG @_diydaisy. Details about her book ‘Sew It Yourself’ are HERE. Daisy’s former works place in NZ is The Fabric Store HERE. The Stephanie Top project in her book is based on the Rectangle Top tutorial on her website HERE. Daisy’s Stephanie top variation worn as a jacket: An example of Daisy’s patchwork: People who inspire Daisy include: | |||
| #45: The Art of Rescue with Noah Hirsch | 06 Jun 2022 | ||
For Episode 45 I have a fascinating talk with Noah Hirsch, a maker, artist and scavenger based in Washington, USA. Both in his employment and in his spare time, Noah works to keep materials, particularly textiles, out of landfill. Noah tells me about the motivations behind his activities, his approach to repair and reuse and how to talk to others to inspire them to keep items in use for longer. In particular, I love hearing about his dumpster diving trips and the Sunnyland Free Pantry that he keeps stocked with mended clothes for members of his community in need of warm clothing. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Noah Hirsch on Instagram @yung_curmudgeon Noah works at a non-profit textile diversion enterprise called Ragfinery. Find them HERE and on Instagram @ragfinery_. Find the awesome Clotheshorse podcast that aims to decode and demystify the clothing industry HERE. This frequently mended flannel shirt (see below) is the oldest item in Noah’s wardrobe that is still in regular rotation. Mending Bloc, the mutual aid clothes-mending group from Portland, Oregon, that inspires Noah can be found HERE. Follow the Sunnyland Free pantry that Noah stocks with clothing on Instagram HERE. The patching technique that Noah was describing, we’ve since realised, is reverse applique. See an example that inspires Noah below: A mend of Noah’s using the same technique: | |||
| #44: Me-Made-May and Beyond | 30 May 2022 | ||
As this year's Me-Made-May challenge draws to a close, Episode 44 offers us all an opportunity to gain insights from the experience. In this solo episode I share my thoughts and observations on what was different about this year’s challenge. Plus, I launch my free resource, the Me-Made-May and Beyond worksheet, which will help YOU capture your experience and take away key lessons from your challenge. These lessons can inform your future making plans, raising your chances of producing items you’ll love and want to wear again and again. Get your free worksheet by signing up to the Check Your Thread newsletter at the bottom of the home page HERE. Already a CYT newsletter subscriber? You'll get your download link sent direct to your inbox. | |||
| #43: Communication & Conscious Choices with Kate Ng | 23 May 2022 | ||
For Episode #43, I’m speaking with experienced clothes-maker Kate Ng, who has spent years learning and thinking about conscious clothes making, and how to communicate these ideas. Through her wonderful blog and Instagram account Kate has dedicated untold hours to battling over-simplified messaging and greenwashing in ‘sustainable fashion’ and ‘sustainable sewing’. In this episode we also learn about her observations so far of the sewing scene in the Netherlands (her current home), the epiphany she had around fabric purchasing, and the inspiring IG challenges and hashtags she co-created. Kate always operates with intelligence and nuance, and the shift in her perspective to a healthier balance between ethics and the joy of making is a perfect example of this. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Kate’s blog, Time to Sew, HERE and her Instagram account @timetosew. Fibre Mood, the sewing pattern and magazine brand that Kate has worked for is HERE. More info on the Social Sewalongs Kate sometimes hosts can be found HERE. CocoWawa Crafts, sewing patterns designed by Ana, who currently lives and teaches in Amsterdam HERE. Take the Four Tendencies quiz HERE. Kate’s latest blog post, 5 Ways to Think About Your Fabric Stash is HERE. Kate’s favourite, The Kite Fold Tee by Made It Patterns can be purchased HERE (pictured below). Awesome Dutch pattern company, Misusu Patterns, with designs that are well suited to scrap busting HERE. My favourite Luna pants pattern by Made By Rae is HERE. Find previous-guest Wendy Ward HERE and on Instagram @thatwendyward. And listen to our conversation for the podcast in Episode #2: How to Sew Sustainably with Wendy Ward HERE. Kate’s other sources of inspiration: | |||
| #42: Highest Possible Level of Use with Shelly Sommer | 16 May 2022 | ||
In this episode we’re getting conceptual! Episode #42 explores an idea that is fundamental to living as sustainably as possible: keeping resources at their highest possible level of use. This conversation is with awesome return-guest Shelly Sommer, who lays out the principles of a circular economy and why we should be aiming for this important goal, within our making practices and beyond. Shelly schools us on all this with her usual fun and joyful approach, whilst also sharing many practical, actionable tips for how we might enact responsible stewardship whilst sewing. In particular, she talks me through her method for making ‘new’ fabric from scraps, which is an approach I’m so inspired by and have been playing with ever since. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Listen to my interview on the sustainable knitting podcast A Smaller Life HERE. Find Shelly and her incredible quilts and garment creations on her Instagram feed @encodedstudio. Listen to Shelly’s first appearance of CYT in Episode #19: Quilting and Conscious Consuming with Shelly Sommer HERE. Learn more about a circular economy on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website HERE. Listen to Episode #24: Conscious Making in Real Life with Rebecca Evans-Merritt HERE. Listen to Episode #20: What Thread Should I Buy? HERE. Listen to Episode #15: Hand Stitching Clothes with Louisa Owen Sonstroem HERE. Check out Shelly’s scrap-busting mini quilts HERE (pictured below). Read about the dungarees I made my son from denim reclaimed from unworn garments HERE (pictured below). The denim patchwork dungarees I then made with the leftovers can be found HERE. Find abstract quilting legend Sherri Lynn Wood HERE. Learn about the Gees Bend quiltmakers and their history HERE. | |||
| #41: Using Sewing Patterns More Sustainably | 09 May 2022 | ||
Sewing patterns are often the starting point for those of us who make our own clothes. In recent years we have witnessed an explosion in the amount and the variety of sewing patterns available to us. Plus, developments in technology and the sewing industry have resulted in patterns being available in different formats. Then, once we’ve bought a pattern in a particular format, there are options of how to use it. At CYT, our goal is to enjoy sewing whilst conserving resources and reducing potential waste where possible. So in this episode we unpick what choices we might make when buying and using sewing patterns and why. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Sewing patterns currently come in five formats: 1) the traditional patterns printed onto paper, 2) as digital PDF files that require printing out, 3) as projector files that gets projected directly onto the fabric, 4) as sets of instructions or measurements that guide you to draw the pattern directly onto fabric or 5) printed overlapping on large pattern sheets in pattern magazines and books. Buying and Using Paper Patterns More Sustainably: Find out where in the world it’s produced. That might impact the retailer you choose to buy it from. Consider becoming a member of #teamtrace by tracing off the pieces before hand onto more paper first rather than jumping straight in and cutting out your size. On the surface it seems like you’re using double the materials, but by giving yourself space to test out fit and alterations on the practice go, you are likely to be preserving more resources overall. If you plan to make any alterations, or suspect you might need to make any alterations in the future, tracing first rather than cutting straight is the absolutely best choice. You can play around on the traced off pieces and always have the original version to refer to. Or if your alterations don’t go to plan, you can trace the pieces again and start over. Tracing is also necessary if you want to retain all the sizes. You may wish to make another size for yourself or someone else in the future. Plus, by tracing off your pieces and keeping the original pattern uncut, it means that when you no longer want it, it can be passed on to another person, at a sewing swap perhaps, or by donating to a charity shop or thrift store. If you cut into the original, and later find you need the uncut and unadulterated pattern again in the future, you’re going to have to buy the whole thing again, pattern, instructions AND packaging. Which would mean double the environmental impact of the original pattern. And if you do cut into the original you’ll be rendering it pretty much useless once you're done with it. Therefore, if garment sewing is a passion for you, and something you can see yourself doing for a number of years, I’d recommend buying a large roll of recycled paper suitable for pattern cutting and tracing. But if you don’t fancy investing in a roll of paper specific for the purpose, rolls of large format printer paper, wall paper and wrapping paper can also do the job. Using PDF Sewing Patterns More Sustainably: Only print out a pattern when we are actually about to use it in case your plans change. You might end up not wanting to make the view you printed out, or you end up not making it at all and that will have been a waste of energy, paper and ink. When you do print out your PDF pattern, there’s no need to print out the instructions. Instead, view the instructions directly on your laptop, tablet or phone. Whether you’re using an A0 print out or A4/letter pages that have been stuck together, you can also choose to trace the size you need and retain the original printouts. As with paper patterns, this will save you the time and hassle of reprinting and sticking together pages if you wish to make alterations to the pattern and may need to refer to the original, or if you want to save the rest of the sizes for the future. Printing and Using A4/letter PDF Sewing Patterns: Check what pages you actually need. If the pattern offers multiple views, i.e. there are different style variations within the pattern, take some time to work out which pages you need to print out for the one you want to make to save you paper and ink. Some pattern companies will detail which pages you need to print out depending on the sizes or styles you require in the instructions. But for others, you might need to figure it out for yourself. Check if the PDF file includes the LAYERS FUNCTION!!!! This will save you a lot of printer ink over time. To find the layers function, when you open up the PDF document usually in a programme like acrobat reader, check if there’s a logo on the left hand side that looks like a stack of squares. If it doesn’t show up as you open the file, you can find it by selecting view in the tool bar at the top, then show/Hide, then Navigation Panes, then Layers. If your pattern has that function, you can deselect the layers you don’t need by clicking on the tiny eye icons, and all the lines of the sizes you don’t need will disappear from view. Make sure you don’t deselect the pattern information layer though, because that contains all the writing and any markings are common to all sizes. What paper are you using? If you can, I’d urge you to buy recycled printer paper. It’s only worth it for recycling services to collect paper and recycle it to make new products, as opposed to sending it to landfill, if there’s a demand for products made from recycled paper. We need to be keeping as much stuff out of landfill as possible. Also related to paper, if you work in an office or other work place that regularly prints stuff out onto A4 or letter sized paper, is there a source of waste paper you could tap into? Similarly, if you live with kids, or work with kids, or have a friend or family member with kids, their stream of artwork might also provide plenty of pages you can print your patterns out on the back of. Stick the pattern pages together with glue rather than sticky tape so the patterns can be recycled when you’re eventually done with them. I use a thin layer of my kids’ PVA craft glue. Let your pattern dry before cutting out the pieces. Sticky tape is obviously plastic, which deems every page it touches unrecycle-able. Try to buy PVA glue in larger quantities and decant into smaller containers with a lid like empty jam jars. Printing and Using A0/Copshop PDF Sewing Patterns: Only get your pattern printed when you are ready to actually use it in case you change your mind and your sewing plans to avoid wasted resources. Check which pages you actually need. If there are different views included in the same pattern, or different elements, hopefully they will be grouped as such so that you can avoid printing entire pages if necessary. If the pattern has the layers function, an A0 printing service can also deselect the unnecessary lines which will save on ink. I also think it makes cutting out your pattern a lot easier if you’ve not got so many lines to confuse you. Check in advance if your pattern has the layers function, and if so, check which size or sizes you require, and ask them when placing your order to only print the necessary sizes. If you’re getting your files printed by an A0 printing service, use a local service. Or if there isn’t one within your local area, at least one in the same country. You might choose to ignore this if you’re getting another physical product sent to you at the same time and the price of printing is reasonable though. If you are using a postal printing service, batch your order so you’re getting a few patterns printed at once to save on postage and packaging. | |||
| #40: Experimend with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald | 02 May 2022 | ||
This episode is the second featuring my conversation with mending-legend, Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald. Two years ago Erin wrote a book called Modern Mending, which I legitimately feel may be the very best mending book out there. In this episode we hear all about its creation and the concepts behind it, including the concept of ‘experimend’! She shares some important tips for beginner menders, including why we should approach #visiblemending inspo with caution. Erin also hammers home the importance of sharing our mending and alterations endeavours, which leads me to make a pledge of my own… Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald via her website HERE, and on Instagram @erinlewisfitzgerald HERE. Find out about Erin’s book, Modern Mending HERE. It is available in all good bookshops. Erin worked on The Daily Fix project with Jen Gale, the creator of The Sustainable(ish) podcast HERE. Anxious Frog is a character that appears in Modern Mending as the voice of concern. He helps Erin address any worries readers might have when faced with a mending project or new technique. Erin sells her book and mending supplies in her online shop, also called Modern Mending, HERE. Menders Erin is currently inspired by: | |||
| #39: Modern Mending with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald | 25 Apr 2022 | ||
This episode (Ep. #39) is the first of two featuring Australia-based mending expert, Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald. In this one we hear the tale of how a baby journalist with zero formal sewing training grew to become a mending legend. Erin tells us how quitting her former career and the fall-out from her breast cancer diagnosis led her to refocus her energies on repair and reuse. Her experiments taught her that there was a real desire to keep things in use for longer, so she set up a social enterprise, hosted repair workshops (both in person and online) and wrote her book, Modern Mending. Erin is proof that you don’t need a fashion degree or a background in making to have a massive impact by sewing more sustainably. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald via her website HERE, and on Instagram @erinlewisfitzgerald HERE. Her online shop, Modern Mending, is HERE. | |||
| #138: Making Sewing Podcasts with Maria Theoharous | 10 Jun 2024 | ||
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to make a sewing podcast? Maybe not, but I’ve recorded a conversation with fellow sewing podcaster, Maria Theoharous from Sew Organised Style, that will give you some insights anyway! Maria and I came up with lots of fun and illuminating questions to pose to one another. We talked for so long that we're splitting this chat into two episodes, the second part will come later this week. So press play if you want to know which episodes Maria and I are most proud of, and what mistakes we’ve both made during the making of our podcasts! Support the podcast over on Patreon! Maria Theoharous makes the Sew Organised Style podcast. Follow Maria on Instagram (@velosews). At the time of recording, I was making my fourth pair of Ginger jeans. This isn’t the Chanel-style jacket that Maria was making at time of recording, but it’s a great example of her jacket-making talents! My mum’s sweatshirt made from scraps: The Sewcialists was an incredible community blog that focused on sewing. All the previous posts are still available to enjoy. Susan Young has appeared in many episodes of Sew Organised Style. You can hear them all, including the conversation that helped Maria get her Sewjo back during lockdown. Maria’s episode with Marcia Lois Riddington (@marcialoisriddington on Instagram) is one that feels very representative of Sew Organised Style’s output. I am proud of the success of the Seasonal Stash organisation system (Ep. #119). Download the free PDF version. I was also very happy with Ep. #107: Sewing is Political. | |||
| #38: Pledge and Participants #2 with Amy and Judith | 18 Apr 2022 | ||
Ep. 38 is the third and final episode in the mini-series all about the Me-Made-May wardrobe challenge. Expanding on last week’s episode about setting your own unique pledge, today we’ll flip it and discuss super-simple, basic pledges that still offer heaps of learning potential. If you’re just not sure what your wardrobe goals are, or you don’t have the headspace for anything complicated right now, this episode provides the solution. We also hear from previous podcast guests, Amy Dyce and Judith Staley, who also chose simple pledges for their challenges. They talk about the wealth of takeaways they accrued from this approach, and give us some thought-provoking insights about applying the lessons learnt. Support the podcast over on Patreon! You can still learn A TON about your wardrobe, and make great strides in getting closer to the wardrobe you dream of by setting yourself a very simple, standard pledge. Picking an uncomplicated formula, as long as it is challenging but do-able for you, will still give you a chance to learn and play about throughout the month. A great way to start is by finding out exactly what you have. Try to find a chunk of time to get all your handmade items out in one place. Then cast your mind back a week or so, or pay attention to what you’re wearing for a few days. How many handmade items do you wear on average already? Then set your simple pledge by choosing to up the frequency slightly, or by altering how you wear them. For example, if you usually wear a handmade item twice a week, pledge to wear a handmade item three or four times a week. Or if you usually wear two handmade items each day, make it three! OR keep wearing two handmade items each day, but make sure you wear a different outfit combination each day. Find Amy Dyce on Instagram @craftandthrift HERE and find the website HERE. Listen to Episode 5: Craft & Thrift with Amy Dyce HERE and Episode 6: Life, Sewing and Sustainability with Amy Dyce HERE. Find Judith Staley on Instagram @judithrosalind HERE and the Sew Over 50 community @sewover50 HERE. Listen to Episode 12: Sew Over 50 with Judith Staley HERE. | |||
| #37: Pledge and Participants #1 with Rebecca and Meg | 12 Apr 2022 | ||
This is the second episode in the mini-series all about the Me-Made-May wardrobe challenge. If you’re not sure how to get the most from taking part in MMM, this episode offers a guide to crafting your own, tailor-made pledge. Included are examples of a variety of unique pledges that might click with you, and lead you to heaps of useful lessons and insights about yourself and your wardrobe needs. We also get to hear from two previous podcast guests and repeat MMM participants, Rebecca Evans-Merritt and Meg Grandstaff. Both offer their own fascinating perspectives, experiences and takeaways from their own challenges, and offer advice for new participants. Support the podcast over on Patreon! To pick a useful challenge for you, the first step is to get a handle on how your relationship with wardrobe currently stands. If you can find the time, get all your self-made items out and have a look at what you’ve got. Also have a think about how often you tend to wear handmade items already, and which ones see the most action. Think back to what you wore the past week. How many items were made by yourself? By looking at what you’ve got AND by thinking about what you usually wear already, you’ll get some clues for a suitable pledge. Is there a sticking point that you’re already well aware of? For example, you feel happiest in a dress, but rarely wear them. Or you have a whole load of clothes made from vibrant prints, but you’re not sure how to incorporate them into an outfit. Remember, the main point of the challenge is to wear your handmade items more and/or in different ways. So with that in mind, hopefully you will start to get some ideas for a pledge that will push yourself slightly out of your comfort zone to allow yourself to learn and grow. Find Rebecca Evans-Merritt on Instagram @revansmerritt HERE. Listen to Episode 24: Conscious Making in Real Life with Rebecca Evans-Merritt HERE. Find Meg Grandstaff on Instagram @megthegrand HERE. Listen to Episode 22: Mending Workshops with Carla & Meg / Community Glue HERE. | |||
| #36: What is Me-Made-May? | 31 Mar 2022 | ||
Me-Made-May is a popular annual wardrobe challenge that helps participants improve their relationship with their handmade wardrobe. It also gives you the opportunity to learn lots of useful lessons that will inform your making going forwards. Episode #36 is a deep dive into the challenge that I inadvertently created thirteen years ago. Whether you’ve already heard of MMM, have taken part in the past, or it’s entirely new to you, this episode will help you decide if you want to step up to the challenge this year, and how to get the maximum benefit from it if you do! Support the podcast over on Patreon! What is Me-Made-May? MMM is a wardrobe challenge that helps you improve your relationship with your handmade items. It can also teach you what to make (and not make) in the future! What isn’t Me-Made-May?
So who is MMM for? The challenge is for anyone with at least one handmade item that wants to make improvements to their wardrobe and how they feel about it. How do I take part? You will need to intentionally wear your handmade items more and/or in different ways throughout May 2022. Have a think about the handmade items you own, how often you already wear them, and perhaps if there are any areas of your relationship with your wardrobe that you already know could use some improvement. Then set your own pledge outlining the specifics of your challenge before 1st May. There’s a fun pledge formula that you can use, it goes: “I (insert name or username) pledge to wear (insert specifics of your pledge) for throughout May 2022” You can keep this entirely to yourself, tell friends and family, or share this on social media: whatever you wish. | |||
| #35: Mask Making with Sophie Passmore | 28 Mar 2022 | ||
Shortly after the COVID pandemic reached the UK in early 2020, artist and maker Sophie Passmore responded to the craziness and confusion by founding the Mask Makers UK community. This Facebook group became an important hub providing information, assistance and support to thousands of voluntary mask makers. More than two years later, Sophie is still keeping abreast with developments in mask-related science, advice and design progression and sharing it all for those who want and need it. Mask masking and the community Sophie brought together have evolved tremendously over that time. In this episode (Ep. #35) she tells me all about it: the highs, the lows, her motivations and the time she appeared live on Breakfast TV showing the nation how to make a mask from a T-shirt! Support the podcast over on Patreon! The Facebook group and community Sophie founded is Mask Makers UK HERE. The first Co-administrator of the group is sewing blogger/writer/teacher Portia Lawrie. She can be found on Instagram @portialawrie HERE. Designer Jacqueline Pang’s website Sewing Seeds of Love website is HERE. Her Smile Mask pattern (free) with a clear window can be found HERE. Scrub making community groups set up in response to the lack of PPE earlier on during the pandemic, For the Love of Scrubs HERE and Facebook group Scrubs Glorious Scrubs HERE. The Noah Rainbow fabric designed by Tessa Semple for use by the NHS below: Sophie’s mask making videos can be found on her Youtube channel HERE. The video that went viral (that Sophie accidentally deleted!) is the Reverse Nose Fold Mask video HERE. Dr. Jocelyn Songer’s Maker Mask website containing science-based information for mask makers is HERE. Find the pattern and instructions for Joan Fearnley Singer’s Mask for performers HERE. Sophie’s appearance on BBC Breakfast on the TV can be viewed HERE. Iris Luckhaus is a German designer and illustrator who developed a similar mask design HERE. Sophie demonstrates how to make a mask brace HERE. | |||
| #34: Ethical Fabric Sourcing with Charlie Bradley Ross | 21 Mar 2022 | ||
Before many of us were even aware of the damaging aspects of fabric production, Charlie Bradley Ross was researching better alternatives. Her desire to share that extensive research and the connections she made with ethical and more sustainable producers grew organically (excuse the pun) into her business, Offset Warehouse, and later The Sustainable Fashion Collective. For Episode 34 of CYT, Charlie tells me about her journey, offers a beginner’s guide for sewers wanting to choose better fabrics, and explains why we should be wary of the term ‘deadstock’. We also get into finding the balance between using what you have and supporting business doing good work. We learn how she approaches working respectfully with fabric producers, how she’d like over-consumption to be addressed and other important fabric-related concerns. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Charlie owns eco and ethical fabric business Offset Warehouse HERE The documentary, China Blue, that switched Charlie onto thinking about the impact of fabric HERE One of the handwoven Ikat fabrics that might make Charlie cry! HERE Image source: Offset Warehouse Discover some banana leaf textiles HERE and pineapple textiles HERE My favourite fabric on the Offset Warehouse site is this hand-dyed, handwoven, Fairtrade selvedge denim HERE Image source: Offset Warehouse Find out more about The Sustainable Fashion Collective HERE Dark Waters is a film about the contamination of a town by manufacturing corporation DuPont HERE | |||
| #33 Encouraging Kids to Sew | 14 Mar 2022 | ||
Sewing and mending are important life skills, as well as being a source of fun and creative expression. However, with fewer and fewer schools offering any kind of sewing or textiles lessons, are us adults doing enough to pass on these skills to children and young people? After all, the planet will be in their hands before long. In this episode (Ep.# 33), I argue the case for encouraging kids to sew, and offer up ideas and tactics for how to do so, whether you are a parent yourself or not. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Why should we encourage kids to sew?
How can we encourage kids to sew?
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| #32: Textile Activism with Shams el-Din Rogers | 07 Mar 2022 | ||
For Episode #32 of Check Your Thread, I got to talk with textile activist Shams el-Din Rogers. For me, this is the most powerful and thought provoking conversation I’ve had for the podcast to date. Shams shares her thoughts and perspective as an activist, advocate, teacher and campaigner. We get into the sources of Shams’s frustrations, altering patterns of consumption, her experience as a black maker, active allyship, mending as a political act, making for those will limited resources and much more. I started this podcast with the goal of being educated and challenged. This conversation certainly had that impact on me and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Enjoy. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Shams el-Din Rogers on Instagram @shamseldinrogers Shams volunteers with Creative Reuse Toronto, learn more about the organisation HERE. Learn more about the work of the OR Foundation HERE. Image source: OR Foundation Listen to an amazing episode (#150) of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast called Dead White Man’s Clothes with Liz Ricketts from the OR Foundation HERE. Learn more about the Repair Futures project by Thick Present from the Netherlands HERE. Check out the excellent Clothes Horse podcast HERE and on Instagram HERE. Image source: Clothes Horse podcast The people’s mending on Instagram HERE have produced a useful-looking booklet to help people keep their clothes in use for longer. Find it HERE. Check out the mending work of Noah Hirsch, @yung_curmudgeon on Instagram HERE. He mends damaged clothes that could not be donated to charity and places them in his local food pantry (see below): Image source: Yung Curmudgeon | |||
| #31: Exploring Zero Waste Design with Liz Haywood | 28 Feb 2022 | ||
For this episode, #31, I got to speak to Liz Haywood, a very talented designer who creates zero waste sewing patterns. After a 20 year career in clothing production, and writing and self-publishing a book called The Dressmaker’s Companion, Liz discovered ZW design and started making her own patterns using this approach. Two years ago, she committed to only producing patterns that are zero waste, and has been exploring and pushing the genre forwards ever since with her book Zero Waste Sewing and a range of standalone patterns. Excitingly, Liz has tackled the issue of grading and developed methods for producing an impressive range of sizes, and is now turning her attention to adding elements to help with fitting, two areas in which zero waste patterns have previously received criticism. We discuss all this and more, including her incredibly low levels of scrap generation and the only item Liz cannot foresee herself making a ZW pattern for. Support the podcast over on Patreon! If zero waste design and patterns are new to you, you may like to listen to Episode 17: What are Zero Waste Sewing Patterns? HERE before this one. Please listen to Liz talking in detail about her fascinating career in the Sew Organised Style podcast in 2021 HERE. Liz’s self-published sewing book, The Dressmaker’s Companion, can be found HERE. Find the previously mentioned and very excellent The Zero Waste Fashion Design book by Holly McQuillan and Timo Rissanen via Bookshop.org HERE. Liz’s blog, The Craft of Clothes, which she updates weekly is HERE. Zero Waste Sewing, Liz’s book featuring lots of ZW patterns to try is HERE. For Liz’s standalone patterns and books, check out her Etsy shop TheCraftofClothes HERE. Her first standalone pattern is the Tie Front Top HERE. See the top below) The fascinating layout for the top is pictured below: Her ZW doll pattern is HERE. The childre’s ZW Cap Sleeve Tee pattern by Thread Faction I recently made is HERE. Swimwear brand, Emroce, uses recycled nylon fabric and ZW cutting techniques is HERE. Decode, a ZW clothing brand and design system, including manufacturing, based in Brooklyn, NY founded by Danielle Elsener is HERE. Find the Zero Waste Design Online collective HERE. | |||
| #30: Tips and Takeaways from Made Do and Mend | 21 Feb 2022 | ||
This is the third and final instalment of my mini series about the Make Do and Mend campaign. We pick up where we left off in the second episode and explore some more themes and lessons from the 1940s that really resonate today. In the second half of this episode I then leave the big-picture ideas to zoom right in on the topic. I share some of the practical tips and advice that I found in the reproductions of the leaflets produced by the Government as part of the Make Do and Mend campaign. Split into three sections: mending tips, garment care and stains/laundering advice, so much of what was shared then is surprisingly relevant and useful for today’s garments and lifestyles. Plus, we find out what tiny creatures our grandparents and great grandparents were also waging war on! Support the podcast over on Patreon! The themes discussed in the episode are: Locally produced fabric Find out more about Fashion Act Now HERE and follow them on Instagram HERE. Learn more about the Fibreshed movement HERE. Planning new wardrobe additions Mending and garment care Tips and advice from the Make Do and Mend leaflets:
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| #29: Lessons From the 1940s | 14 Feb 2022 | ||
This is the second instalment of my mini series about the Make Do and Mend campaign. As I was reading and writing about that era, I couldn’t help but think about the situation we find ourselves in today with the climate crisis. There was so much relating to the use and reuse of materials that felt so familiar to what a lot of us have been thinking and talking about more recently. Many of us are trying to work out how to consume less and be more resourceful whilst continuing to make stuff and be creative. In this episode, I share my thoughts on why there’s currently insufficient action happening to address the climate crisis. I then explore the idea that there are lessons we can learn from the experiences of the second world war that might be applicable today. Things that can help us live and create in a way that limits our impact on climate change. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Hear more from Sophie (@so_so_sew) about the International Women's Day challenge HERE. Remember to use the hashtags #IWDsewchallenge and #breakthebias. Image source: English Heritage The themes discussed in the episode are: Community Find out more about ‘Stitch it Don’t ditch it’ street mending sessions that take place around the world HERE. Swapping The facts borrowed from Jen Gale @sustainableish can be found HERE. Pass on unwanted fabric and sewing supplies and raise money for an important cause via @destash_for_kids_with_cancer Instagram account HERE. Fabric-a-brac in New Zealand HERE. Alternative sources of fabric Listen to Episode 26 with Eliu Hernandez HERE about reclaiming and reusing materials from unwanted jeans. Wyatt and Jack make accessories from broken beach inflatables, bouncy castles and vintage deckchair canvas. Find their range HERE. Freitag make backs from recycled truck tarpaulins HERE. Image source: Freitag Riccardo’s jackets made from the covering from a discarded leather sofa HERE and HERE. Hear my conversation with Riccardo for Episode 7 HERE. | |||
| #137: 5 Ways to Update Unworn Me-Mades | 03 Jun 2024 | ||
Whether it’s because you just participated in Me-Made-May, or you’ve recently had a wardrobe sort out, what do you do with the items you find yourself no longer wearing? In this week’s solo episode, I advise you on how to diagnose why you’re not wearing them. I then suggest five different ways you can update those garments so that you’re excited to wear them again! Support the podcast over on Patreon! Image source: Sarah Brown via Unsplash If you want to learn more about the Me-Made-May challenge, listen to: The Clothehorse podcast is a great place to learn more about the life of second hand clothing, including what happens to donated items. The three questions to ask of each item of clothing:
My five suggested approaches for updated unworn garments (including me-mades):
For repair, consider signing up to the Winter of Care and Repair challenge for motivation. For advice on how to proceed with a repair, this episode might help: For refitting assistance, check out this episode: The Bernie Belt Bag pattern by Friday Pattern Co. might solve the dilemma of a pocket-free garment: Image source: Friday Pattern Co. The free Oversized Detachable Collar pattern by Tilly and the Buttons would really jazz up a plain garment: Image source: Tilly and the Buttons If you’re interested in trying your hand at natural dyeing, these episodes provide a ton of information: | |||
| #28: Make Do and Mend | 07 Feb 2022 | ||
This is the first episode in a mini series I’ve made about a topic that fascinates me: the Make Do And Mend campaign of the 1940s. ‘‘Make do and mend’ is a phrase often used today to refer to the ethos of repairing something over throwing it away. Sometimes it’s used in direct reference to the campaign that took place during the second world war, when materials were scarce and repair was essential. But as time passes and we move further away from that era, it often gets used more generally: a phrase to suggest that there’s a wider reason, movement or philosophy behind an act of repair. I thought it’d be interesting to look into the original source of the term. In this episode we look at the historical and social context of the campaign, along with the clothes rationing scheme that made MDAM so essential. Support the podcast over on Patreon! The resources used for researching this episode are: Make Do And Mend: Keeping Family and Home Afloat on War Rations - forward by Jill Norman Published by Michael O’Mara Books Ltd. 2007 Fashion on the Ration: Style in The Second World War - Julie Summers Published by Profile Books Ltd. 2015 Nella Last’s War: The Second World War Diaries of ‘Housewife, 49’ - Nella Last Published by Profile Books Ltd. 2006 Imperial War Museum website HERE. A clip of the TV advert mentioned with the animated clothes HERE. Make Do and Mend specific information HERE. Clothes Rationing specific information HERE. A guide for making a skirt from men’s trousers: A guide for using parachute silk to make underwear and blouses: | |||
| #27: Zoe & Julia go Rag Rugging | 31 Jan 2022 | ||
This episode follows myself and friend-of-the-podcast Julia Hincks as we attend a workshop and try our hands at rag rugging! We were invited by former guest and rag rugging expert Elspeth Jackson to attend one of her in-person workshops. If you can’t attend one of her workshops yourself, Elspeth’s company Ragged Life sells books and kits, and produces online courses and YouTube videos, so you can learn from her wherever you live. So how hard is rag rugging? What fabrics are suitable to use? And ultimately: is rag rugging a viable option for using up all our scraps, unwanted fabric and old clothes? These are the questions Julia and I set out to answer… Support the podcast over on Patreon! I spoke to sewing expert, teacher and author Julia Hincks in Episode 9 all about overlockers/sergers and coverstitch machines, listen to that one HERE. Find Julia’s website HERE, and her books HERE. We attended a workshop taught by rag rugging expert Elspeth Jackson. Elspeth’s company, Ragged Life, can be found HERE. Listen to Episode 18 with Elspeth HERE. Find details of Elspeth’s books HERE, kits HERE, workshops HERE and YouTube channel HERE. The tools Elspeth taught us to use: My sample of the three main techniques: Julia working on her sample: Julia’s rag rugged bouquet in progress: Me prepping some fabric strips: Working on my mat: | |||
| #26: Harvesting Materials with Eliu Hernandez | 24 Jan 2022 | ||
For Episode 26, I had the pleasure of talking with Eliu Hernandez, a quilter and maker whose work focuses on reclaimed denim. Eliu has developed an approach to deconstructing unwanted jeans that allows him to harvest as much as possible to reuse again, including the belt loops, pockets, leather patches and even the thread! I loved nerding out about denim with him, and even if denim isn’t your jam, this conversation may help you take reusing garments to a whole new level. We also discuss the portability of hand stitching and unpicking, crafting as a new parent, and consider the likelihood of a pair of jeans having been worn to rob a bank! Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Eliu on his IG feed @madeorremade HERE. Eliu has made a series of quilts entitled ‘Waist Not’, which are made almost entirely from reclaimed materials, including the backing and thread used for quilting (see below). ‘Cutting Up Jeans’ is a fabulous little zine that Eliu made in collaboration with quilt artist Zak Foster. You can purchase it HERE. Find out more about Zak Foster HERE. Find out more about Heidi Parkes HERE. Eliu makes use of the reclaimed zips from deconstructed jeans by making these wonderful, and very useful, zippered pouches (see below): A selection of Eliu’s reclaimed, handmade, leather thimbles: | |||
| #25: Handmade Period Pants with Yelena Buck | 17 Jan 2022 | ||
For our quarter-century episode, I’m having a deep dive into the topic of handmade period pants with lingerie and pattern designer, Yelena Buck. If you’re a period haver, or there’s one in your close family, this episode might convince you to try making some if you haven’t already. We talk about the benefits of period pants in general, and self-made ones specifically, plus the ingredients that go into them, and how to launder them so they’ll last for many years. Yelena also expands on some of the other more sustainable aspects of her business, plus offers advice for garment makers who want to branch out into making undies, including ways to save money and resources whilst doing so. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Yelena’s business, Sew projects via its website HERE and Instagram feed HERE. Yelena sewing in her narrow boat! The Moontide Period Pants PDF pattern is available HERE. The kits (with or without pattern) including all materials required to make the period pants are available HERE. Read my blog post reviewing the undies pattern and kit HERE. I love my teal version: | |||
| #24: Conscious Making in Real Life with Rebecca Evans-Merritt | 10 Jan 2022 | ||
Welcome to Episode 24 with the wonderful Rebecca Evans-Merritt, a maker that I’ve long admired for both her gorgeous makes, AND her intelligent, thoughtful approach to making. Last year she created a talk for the Fold Line sewing weekender event entitled Slow and Conscious Making that included suggestions on how we can improve the sustainability of our sewing. Finally! I thought, a reason to get in touch with Rebecca and get her to talk to me! In this conversation we discuss those definitions and get into the realities of slow and conscious making: what it looks like in real life and how it can get tricky. We talk about both our methods for planning our makes, and how being ‘particular’ about what she wears helps keep Rebecca on track with living out her values. You’d think that given the subject matter, this would be quite a serious conversation but it was actually so much fun to have. It’s probably the episode in which I laughed the most whilst recording. Enjoy! Support the podcast over on Patreon! The blog post where I review the free School Cool dress pattern for dolls that I mentioned in the intro is HERE. Find Rebecca Evans-Merritt’s Instagram HERE where she shares her beautiful, wearable makes and styling tips. Watch Rebecca’s Slow and Conscious Making talk HERE. A screenshot from her talk is below: Rebecca mentioned: | |||
| #23: Sewing Goals for the New Year | 03 Jan 2022 | ||
Happy New Year! Episode 23 is a solo one made with a helpful dose of listener feedback. The start of a new year is a great time to think about new habits you’d like to implement going forwards. I’ve collected a whole heap of goals related to sewing more sustainably that listeners intend to focus on during 2022, and I’ve thrown in some additional suggestions of my own. If you like the idea of setting goals or aims at this time of year and could do with a dose of inspiration, or you just like thinking about sewing, then this episode is for you! Support the podcast over on Patreon! The goals outlined in this episode are: Slow Sewing. Listen to Episode 15 with Louisa Owen Sontroem about hand sewing clothing HERE. My denim shirt to Anthea blouse upcycle can be found HERE. Questioning which fibres you sew with. Learn more about Oeko-tex certification HERE. Learn more about GOTS certification HERE. Listen to Episode 20 about what threads are available for home sewing HERE. Only make things you’ll actually wear. Find out more about Me-Made-May HERE. Try a new technique or skill. Make some eco product swaps. Try making fabric shopping bags and produce bags, cloth napkins for using at meal times, washable sandwich bags, fabric bowl covers for food storage, washable make-up remover wipes, washable sanitary pads or liners, or period pants. Make pouches to contain cutlery, chopsticks, napkins and reusable straws will help you be less reliant on the disposable versions when you’re out and about. Tackle your mending or altering pile. Modern Mending by Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald HERE. Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh HERE. Mend it, Wear it, Love it! by Zoe Edwards (me!) HERE. Rework, remake or upcycle the items in your wardrobe that aren’t working for you. Using your existing stash! Find the Happier Podcast with Gretchen Rubin HERE (abstainers and moderators). More info on the Make Nine challenge HERE. | |||
| #22: Mending Workshops with Carla & Meg / Community Glue | 27 Dec 2021 | ||
It’s the last episode of CYT for 2021, and a first for the podcast: a conversation involving three people! I talk to Carla Bruni, the founder and organiser of Community Glue Workshops which are regular, free mending events taking place in Chicago, and Megan Grandstaff, who is one of the talented and dedicated volunteers, who specialises in fixing clothing and textile items. We get into the origin story of this almost-ten-year-old enterprise, and learn the keys to its massive success. How does the season affect how they prepare for the events? And why did CGW introduce a ‘launder first’ rule?! If you’re interested in setting up a mending workshop of some description, this is essential listening. The conversation also goes in other fascinating sustainability and mending related directions. Both Carla and Meg are incredibly intelligent and experienced people, so I know you’re going to love this end of year conversation… Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find the Community Glue Workshop website HERE and on Instagram HERE. | |||
| #21: The Joy of Reclaimed Fabric with Sarah aka Sew Love NZ | 20 Dec 2021 | ||
It’s Episode 21 of CYT, and today we’re busting a big myth: that you have to be completely serious and joyless to be passionate about the environment, or to have any impact. I’m chatting with New Zealand based sewing teacher, maker and sustainability phenomenon, Sarah Lancaster, AKA Sarah Sew Love. (You can also hear her cat, Forest, in the background!) She shows us that having a vibrant aesthetic and awesome energy really helps her engage with others over important topics. We talk about how she set up a social enterprise to share sewing and mending skills around NZ, and how making more sustainable choices can bring your life extra layers of enjoyment rather than restricting it. She also shares her love of creating with reclaimed fabric to make her fantastic product range, how she scored her most precious piece of fabric, and her dream sewing tattoo! Be prepared to feel the (sew)love! Listen to Ep. 124 of the Sustainable (ish) podcast with writer J.B. Mackinnon about his book ‘The Day The World Stops Shopping’ HERE. Read the Guardian article about the study looking into the productivity of small scale food growing HERE. Find Sarah Sew Love and her joyful aesthetic on Instagram HERE. Her Etsy shop where she sells bumbags and towel ponchos is HERE. The amazing video of Sarah showing how to wear your bum bag depending on your dancing style is HERE. Sarah works for Xtreme Zero Waste in Raglan, New Zealand. Learn more HERE and HERE. Other businesses and enterprises mentioned: | |||
| #20: What thread should I buy? | 13 Dec 2021 | ||
Welcome to Ep. 20. In this solo episode, we literally check our thread! Of course, what fabrics we sew with is a big factor in the impact our garment sewing will have. And, increasingly, there are more and more options available to us to express our values and preferences in our thread choices as well. I break down the thread options for making our own clothes, then offer up some criteria on which to judge each option to help you make your mind up about what to pick. I mention a lot of specific brands and product ranges as examples you may choose to buy in this episode. See below for details of the products discussed. The criteria I came up with for deciding which threads to use:
More on Oeko-tex certification HERE. More on GOTS certification HERE. **PLEASE NOTE: ALL LINKS TO WHERE TO BUY THE FOLLOWING THREADS ARE UK BASED COMPANIES** Standard polyester thread: The most well known brands are Gutermann (more info HERE), Mettler (more info HERE), Coats Moon and Drima. Recycled rPET polyester thread: Gutermann 100% recycled rPET thread (more info HERE, available in packs from Craft & Thrift HERE and singly from James Tailoring HERE) and Mettler offer 100% recycled rPET thread options. Mettler produce a range called Seracycle (more info HERE) The Amann group who make one called Serafil (more info HERE) Portuguese brand Crafil make one called Denimfil Eco (more info HERE, available HERE). Regular cotton thread: Cotton thread by Coats (available from C&H HERE) Tre Cerchi range by Coats (available from Sewing Gem HERE and William Gee HERE) Italian brand Aurifil (more info on medium weight HERE and lighter weight HERE) Gutermann cotton thread (more info HERE) Organic cotton thread: Organic cotton threads by Dutch company Scanfil (more info HERE, available singly HERE and on cones HERE) Tencel thread: Tencel thread range called Celofil by Crafil (more info HERE, medium weight available HERE, lighter weight available HERE) Polyester covered cotton thread: Rasant made by the Amann Group (more info HERE). | |||
| #19: Quilting and Considered Consuming with Shelly Sommer | 06 Dec 2021 | ||
Welcome to CYT! This episode (Ep.19) features a fascinating, wide-ranging and inspiring conversation with quilt-maker, Shelly Sommer. I thought we were going to be mainly discussing quilting, potentially as a way to use up fabric scraps and unwanted clothing, however Shelly is such an intelligent, thoughtful maker and human that our conversation ended up going off on a whole heap of interesting tangents. We did talk about the traditions, purposes and changing role of quilts, and that led to her making lots of great points about more considered approaches to consuming. We also talked about creative collaboration, her job that is related to climate science, her thoughts on a circular economy plus various forms of activism and their role in creating social change. Shelly was such a pleasure, and although we got into some heavy topics, I really came away feeling positive and empowered. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Shelly Sommer on Instagram @encodedstudio. Almost since she began sewing Shelly has used her skills to add bands to thrifted garments to make them longer. Some examples of Shelly’s lengthened garments: Some information on the quilters from Gees Bend, Alabama HERE. Listen to the powerful BBC World Service Documentary about the Gees Bend Quilters HERE (you need to have a BBC account or register for one to listen). Shelly is part of the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild HERE. The collaboration between Shelly and her friend using the antique letterpress can be seen HERE and HERE (and see below). Shelly makes a collaborative quilt with the young people in her life when they turn 13. Her latest project uses reclaimed denim from her husband’s old jeans: Latifah Saafir’s Glam Clam quilt pattern HERE. My first attempt at a small baby’s floor quilt that used some pieces of work shirts HERE. See a beautiful example of Shelly’s fabric scrap patchwork mosaics HERE (and see below): Hilary Goodwin’s blog Entropy Always Wins HERE. Check out her incredible quilt about prescription narcotics HERE. Sherri Lynn Wood HERE. Chawne Kimber’s blog HERE. One of Shelly’s favourite craft supply shop is Fancy Tiger Crafts that sends out their customers’ orders in fully recyclable packaging HERE. | |||
| #136: Activism in Real Life with Beedy Parker | 27 May 2024 | ||
Does the climate and ecological crisis just feel too massive to deal with sometimes? When it all feels so overwhelming, it can be tempting to tap out completely and disengage. That’s totally understandable. However, my guest today, Beedy Parker, shows us that it is entirely possible to participate in climate related activism and action, whilst continuing to lead a happy and exciting life. From attempting to influence legislation to hemming her neighbours' trousers, Beedy has been getting stuck in since 1970. Sadly, we can’t all be Beedy, but we can all take heart and inspiration in her example. Support the podcast over on Patreon! The leather glove thimble is made in Japan by Little House but it probably sourced most easily via Etsy. Beedy Parker is a committed naturalist and social and environmental activist living in Maine, USA. Read more about Beedy (unfortunately this link doesn’t seem to work in Europe, frustrating I know!). This is another piece about Beedy. Beedy recommends sourcing a copy of ‘The Needleworker's Constant Companion’, first published in 1978. I referred to an article by Christina Garton called Weaving While Neurodivergent on the Handwoven Magazine website that is a fascinating read. Check out Beedy’s pants bags and felted wool slippers: Wool Yes, Plastic Fleece No By Beedy Parker, Camden, MaineSo how about wool, anyway? Here is a wonderful natural fiber that grows on the backs of gentle animals, who, Shmoo-like,* provide meat and manure, and even milk and cheese. When sheep are rotated through pastures, they improve the land and keep the farm open – and yet, the use of wool for clothing and blankets seems to be disappearing, as are the sheep. People who raise sheep in New England and around the world receive less and less money for their fleeces and must depend solely on the meat market for income. What's been happening in the world of wool? I went on a woods hike this fall with an environmentally minded group and was surprised to see that everyone else was wearing recycled plastic fleece jackets and pullovers, the same people who, five or 10 years ago, would have been wearing beautiful hand knit sweaters and woolen Maine hunting jackets. Even their mittens and scarfs and caps were mostly synthetic. Well, I guess the weather is warmer these days, and the advertising blitz has been successful, and that "fleece" really is sometimes made of recycled plastic soda bottles, which adds a measure of virtue to the apparel, but is this really what we want to wear? Do we want to wear "oil," with its unfortunate "cradle-to-grave" trail of pollution? Synthetics made of oil attract their relatives, oily stains and synthetic odors and solvents, the outgassing of other plastics in our environment, and these pollutants sink in and stay. To 5 reveal the true nature of plastics, try this little fiber test (cautiously): Singe a few threads of different fabrics with a lighted match. The cotton (or any vegetable fiber) gives off a pleasant wood smoke odor. Wool smells like the burning hair that it is. Synthetic plastic fabrics melt into a sticky black puddle that gives off noxious fumes, a transformation into its original self, as shocking as the melting of the witch in "The Wizard of Oz." This stuff poisons people when it is mined, when it is refined and manufactured, when it outgasses in normal use, and when it is burned in municipal waste; whereas wool comes out of the land, via photosynthesis and protein synthesis, and when we're done with it, microbes can reintegrate it into the land. Many things have changed in our lives since the days when wool was the dominant fiber in cold weather countries. We now spend most of our time indoors and in temperature controlled cars; we hardly need coats. We don't walk much and our health suffers accordingly. In the past we trusted our wool jackets and socks that breathed when we sweat; that could shed all but a long soaking rain, and even then, would dry from the inside out from body heat and would continue to keep us warm. It was the survival stuff of the Northern winter! Now we don't seem to need it any more and we have forgotten the simple ways of taking care of it: airing out, brushing (coats and jackets), spot cleaning with soap and water, and a gentle soaking to wash. When sweaters get thrown in the washing machine, they come out shrunk and felted. (Then I buy them at rummage sales and make wonderful slippers out of them.) People now tend to send wool clothing to the dry cleaners, which is expensive and brings home the toxic vapors of the chemicals used in cleaning. And most of us have learned that we shouldn't expose ourselves to the chemicals in moth balls, because they affect people as well as moths. In the days before cheap, sweatshop clothing, we didn't have so many clothes and wore them more, but when you have too many unused woolens, they're vulnerable to the moth that loves still, dark places. With wool, it's often "use it or lose it". Just to jog our memories, here's how to wash wool: Soak for several hours in warm water with mild soap or mild detergent (a bathtub is good for blankets and coats), giving it a swoosh now and then to urge the water through the cloth; rinse gently in warm water till the soap feel is gone; press the water out by hand and hang the item to dry – and dry as flat as possible – on a rack (or a clothesline for blankets). Avoid drastic temperature changes and rough handling while the wool is wet. (It's the shock of agitation and change that creates felt.) Remember that woolens don't need to be washed all the time. Once a season is often enough (honors) and even less for blankets. In the interim, spot clean, shake out, brush and air as needed. Wool fabrics used to come in many textures and fiber blends: the sturdy, cool Palm Beach fabric of military summer wear, British "Vyella" cotton and wool blends in beautiful prints for shirts and dresses, the linsey-woolsey linen blends of yore, the softness of lambs' wool and silkiness of cashmere. Warm, woven wool blankets become long lasting family heirlooms. Some weaves were light and airy, some tough, hardened and very durable; some were even machine washable. Some people think of wool as itchy and uncomfortable, because woolen underwear was commonly worn in the winter by country people, but now we can afford to wear cotton underwear and shirts next to our skin, with wool on the outside if we are sensitive. To me, the saddest part of the decline of wool, besides the loss of income and open pasture to our farms, is the loss of a fabric that can be understood and even made, by a child, from fleece to sweater. Compare this to the synthetic, which is a remote and even dangerous mystery, wrapped in patent secrecy. It's like comparing a bicycle where you can see how the peddles, gears and wheels work and feel the centrifugal force that holds the bike steady, as opposed to the increasingly "black box" design of our computerized cars, where you just buy it and drive it. The sheep's fleece can be sheared, washed, carded, spun and knit or woven, all by hand, most of which are pleasant and tranquil activities, encouraging thought and conversation. So consider adding a few wool items to your wardrobe. Think about taking up knitting again (socks are easier than you think). And start saving up for a beautiful Maine-grown blanket. Maybe we can bring back the fleece on our green pastures. * "Shmoos" were lovable creatures in the "Li'l Abner" comic strip (in the late 1940s) who turned into delicious food, clothing and building material when people looked at them with desire. | |||
| #18: Rag Rugging with Elspeth Jackson | 29 Nov 2021 | ||
Welcome to Episode 18. As you may have noticed, I’ve always got my eyes peeled for interesting and useful ways to use up fabric scraps. In this episode I’ve got for you a conversation with author and rag rug expert Elspeth Jackson, to coincide with the release of her new book Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners which is out this week. Elspeth has carved out a career for herself based on teaching and writing about rag rugging, as well as selling kits and related products through her business Ragged Life. We chat about the history of rag rugs, their shifting role in society and how Elspeth came to adopt the rag rug tradition as a form of creativity. She also tells me what’s the simplest way to get involved, and most significantly perhaps for our purposes, how it can help us make the most of even the smallest fabric scraps. Elspeth Jackson can be found via her website Ragged Life HERE and via Instagram @raggedlife. Her new book ‘Rag Rug Techniques for Beginners’ is available via her website HERE, and from good book sellers. Elspeth’s kits start from £19.99 for the basic kit, giving you an introduction to rag rugging HERE. | |||
| #17: What are zero waste sewing patterns? | 22 Nov 2021 | ||
Welcome to Episode 17! So whilst clothing made using zero and low waste practices is as old as clothing itself, zero waste patterns available for home sewing is a relatively new phenomena. This episode is an introduction to the topic, and I plan to build on it in the future with conversations with zero waste designers and practitioners. The Zero Waste Fashion Design book by Holly McQuillan and Timo Rissanen via Bookshop.org HERE. Liz Haywood’s Zero Waste Legacy Sewing ondemand class available HERE. Check out the Zero-Waste Pattern Database for a pretty comprehensive list of all ZW sewing patterns currently available HERE. Birgitta Helmersson HERE. Liz Haywood’s website, The Craft of Clothes, HERE. Milan AV-JC HERE. Elbe Textile’s ZW Maynard dress pattern HERE, plus a free robe tutorial HERE. Make/Use HERE. CrisWood Sews HERE. Thread Faction Studio, ZW patterns for children’s wear, HERE. ZeroWasteDesignOnline HERE, plus on Instagram @zwdo_collective. The amazing resource that is the Sewcialists blog has a whole series of posts as part of a Zero-Waste theme month they hosted in February HERE. Love to Sew podcast devoted an episode to discussing various aspects of zero-waste sewing, Episode 180: Zero Waste Sewing HERE. Previous CYT guest, Wendy Ward, has a great blog post called Zero Waste Sewing HERE. Seamwork has a fantastic blog post called ‘Zero-Waste Design: the creation of wastefree garments’, written by Jessica Yen HERE. | |||
| #16: Patternmaking in Public Places with Louisa Owen Sonstroem | 15 Nov 2021 | ||
It’s Episode 16 of CYT, and the second that features my conversation with Louisa Owen Sonstroem. Last week we heard about how Louisa embraced and became an expert in hand sewing clothing. This week we talk about a different, but equally fascinating topic: a project Louisa started in 2019 called Patternmaking in Public Places. PIPP aims to democratise access to patternmaking, by bringing it out from behind closed doors and sharing it with the public. Louisa tells us about the two very different incarnations this project has had so far. Want to know what happened when she undertook live demonstrations in front of unsuspecting members of the public in the parks of NY? Plus, we learn how she ingeniously pivoted, as well as expanded, the project in the wake of Covid. Much of Louisa’s PIPP project can be enjoyed by all for free via Youtube, and this conversation provides some enthralling background. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find out all about Patternmaking in Public Places HERE. View all of the recorded demos with different patternmakers on YouTube HERE, Louisa made a zine to commemorate and celebrate the project. You can buy a copy HERE. | |||
| #15: Hand Stitching Clothes with Louisa Owen Sonstroem | 08 Nov 2021 | ||
Welcome to Episode 15! Have you ever considered sewing a garment entirely by hand? I must admit that it had literally never occurred to me until I got to speak with today’s guest, Louisa Owen Sonstroem. This is the first of two Check Your Thread episodes with Louisa, and in this one we learn how a trained pattern cutter who works in the NY garment industry became an expert in this slow-sewing practice. We talk about how she fell in love with making her own clothes, but had an epiphany about her output of self-made garments, which reminded me of my conversation with Judith Staley for Episode 12 in fact. Louisa’s response was to embrace hand sewing garments, which for her opened up a whole new facet of creating. Louisa now teaches in person and online workshops and has written a beautiful self-illustrated book called ‘Hand Sewing Clothing: A Guide’. In this conversation we talk about the ins and outs, the whys and the hows, and we bust a big ol’ pile of myths about hand sewn clothing. In the introduction I recommended the following incredible podcast episodes to check out: The Wardrobe Crisis with Clare Press, Ep 150: Liz Ricketts - Waste Colonialism and Dead White Man’s Clothes HERE. The Sustainable(ish) Podcast with Jen Gale, Ep 118: A Beginner's Guide to COP26 HERE. You can find Louisa Owen Sonstroem HERE. Louisa’s book and other products are available via her Etsy shop HERE. In the UK, Louisa’s book can be bought from Beyond Measure HERE. | |||
| #14: Quick and Cheap Handmade Gift Projects | 01 Nov 2021 | ||
Let’s be honest, for those of us who sew, spending a couple hours at our sewing machine is probably preferable to the same time spent wandering around the shops or trawling websites trying to find someone the perfect gift. In this solo episode, I’m sharing heaps of ideas for presents we can create for our loved ones that won’t take an age or cost us a mint. All these ideas should take no more than an evening to make, a lot of them use patterns or tutorials that are free, and pretty much all of them can be made from scraps and leftover fabric, or even unwanted clothing! I’ve broken these projects down into four categories: gifts for makers, simple accessories and clothing, homeware and gifts for kids. Gifts for makers: Tool roll tutorial by The Book Hut can be found HERE. Image source: The Book Hut Stowe Bag pattern by Grainline Studio HERE. Image source: Grainline Studio Simple Accessories & Clothing Gifts: Sorrento Bucket Hat pattern by Elbe Textiles HERE. Sandcastle Bucket Hat pattern by Waves & Wild HERE. Reversible Bucket Hat pattern by Oliver + S HERE. The Orton Bag pattern by Merchant & Mills HERE. In the episode I have said this is one is free however, it is now a paid-for pattern. The byTilly shopper bag from byGraziela Fabrics HERE. Image source: byGraziela Fabrics Scrunchie tutorial by Melly Sews HERE. Mittens pattern made by using wool knitwear by fibreandtwigs on Etsy HERE. Mandy Boat Tee pattern by Tessuti HERE. Read by review of this pattern HERE. Luna Tank pattern by Helen’s Closet HERE. Dominique Skirt pattern by Tilly and the Buttons HERE. My favourite face mask tutorial by Sophie Passmore HERE. Homeware Gifts: Apron pattern by Tessuti HERE. Workaday Apron pattern by Merchant & Mills HERE. Image source: Merchant & Mills Oven Mitt pattern by Bombazine HERE. Read by review of this pattern HERE. Fabric Bowl Cover tutorial by Hearth and Vine HERE. Image source: Hearth and Vine Gifts for Kids: 40 Free Sewing Patterns for Gifts for Kids blog post HERE. My Favourite Free Children’s Sewing Patterns blog post HERE. Batman Costume tutorial by Fleece Fun HERE. Image source: Fleece Fun Pom Pom Tutu Skirt tutorial by Brit + Co HERE. Princess Dress Up Apron pattern by It’s Always Autumn HERE. Easy Apron pattern by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom HERE. Oven Mitt pattern by Made for Mermaids HERE. Gift Wrapping: Furoshiki Wrapping Cloths tutorial by Wellness Mama HERE. | |||
| #13: Natural Dyeing with Amy Taylor | 25 Oct 2021 | ||
I’ve been promising to cover natural dyeing techniques for a while now, and I’ve made good on that promise with this episode! I got to speak to a talented and experienced natural dye expert, Amy Taylor. A practitioner and teacher based in Chicago, Amy shares so much information in this extended episode of CYT. We go into the history and techniques, plus she busts some myths and tells us some fun stories of her experiences dyeing fabric with natural substances. If you ever had any questions about this topic, this episode is for you! Ms Amy Taylor website HERE and Instagram @msamytaylor. Amy’s first natural dye teacher was Akemi Cohn who can be found HERE. The teacher Amy had in Oaxaca, Mexico is Elsa Sanchez Diaz. I couldn’t find a direct contact for her, but you can find some wonderful pictures of her and her dye workshops on THIS BLOG. One is Amy’s favourite natural dye substances is cochineal which makes an incredible, rich fuchsia colour (pictured below). Amy’s most popular products are the tie dyed briefs undies (pictured below), found HERE. A collaboration with designer Goli June Bridal resulted in stunning silk robes using the bundle dyeing technique using onion skins (pictured below), found HERE. Gasali Adeyemo, Indigo dye expert HERE. Michel Garcia, sustainable dye practice HERE. Maiwa, natural dye supply store HERE. Botanical Colors, suppliers and educators with Feedback Friday HERE. Amy is also inspired by the following dyers, makers and organisations: | |||
| #12: Sew Over 50 with Judith Staley | 18 Oct 2021 | ||
Judith is the creator of, and one of the main driving forces behind, the biggest sewing community on Instagram, SewOver50. Whilst providing a virtual hub for conversation and inspiration for everyone, SewOver50 also pushes for the increased visibility of older people within sewing related industries. In our conversation, Judith tells me about the rapid creation of that community and the goals behind it. She also shares how her own revelations surrounding her wardrobe and sewing output sparked the idea for the fantastically inspiring challenge: #so50sustainablesewing. The blog post mentioned in the introduction about handmade washable period pants can be found HERE Find Judith on Instagram @judithrosalind Read about Judith’s revelation in 2018 related to her wardrobe and sewing output HERE and HERE Stacey Doodley’s documentary Fashion’s Dirty Secrets HERE (not currently available on iplayer but lots of clips are available on Youtube). The True Cost, a powerful documentary about the clothing industry, is available on Youtube HERE See Judith below in one of her awesome tops made using the LB Pullover pattern by Paper Theory. Judith has posted a lot about her Vintage Linen Coat Project, see below for the incredible way that she handled the rust spots, and read about it HERE. She’s using the September Coat pattern by Merchant & Mills. Judith’s Insta-pal @redrubyrose is a talented natural dye expert and accessories designer/maker. See one of Judith’s natural dye embroidery patches HERE. The Destash for Kids with Cancer account is HERE (@destash_for_kids_with_cancer) Find the Sew Over 50 community @sewover50, Judith founded it and co-runs it with Sandy @sunnydayz06 The amazing blog and community, The Sewcialists is HERE (it’s no longer running but all posts are still up to enjoy) Blanca @blakandblanca is an incredible older sewist who was the inspiration behind the Blanca Flight Suit pattern by Closet Core Patterns. #so50sustainablesewing is the hashtag that is definitely worth checking out! Wardrobe Crisis podcast by Clare Press HERE. Maria @velosews made an incredible jacket from a used coffee bean sack (pictured below). Check out her fantastic podcast Sew Organised Style HERE. A big source of inspiration for Judith, and many others, is Tricia @morrissews. Equally, Sue Stoney @suestoney is a talented maker and prolific creator. Read her blog HERE. | |||
| #11: Sewing Vs. Kids | 11 Oct 2021 | ||
In this solo episode of CYT, we’re taking the definition of sustainability in a different direction from the usual environmental meaning. I’m talking about how to sustain your sewing life when you are a parent, particularly of younger kids. It’s basically all the points that I eventually figured out for myself, but wish I’d heard when I first became a parent. If you aren’t a parent of young kids, don’t be thinking that this episode isn’t for you however. There’s lots in this that would apply to anyone who suddenly becomes busier or has been landed with new responsibilities. There are many causes that can lead us to get lost or deprioritised in life. And although this particular episode is about parenthood and includes a few points specific to that situation, it definitely works more broadly with lots of tips and perspectives that will be useful to many. Support the podcast over on Patreon! | |||
| #10: Clothing Systems with Guy – the Light Touch | 04 Oct 2021 | ||
It’s Episode 10 of the CYT podcast! We’re into double figures now! I’ve got a super interesting conversation for you today with Guy from The Light Touch London (soon to be Bristol). He’s a really thoughtful maker with heaps of fascinating ideas and projects, many of which we touch on in this episode. His investigations into clothing systems, and tracking your outfits enthralled me in particular, and we also get into the Fibreshed movement, the soil to soil life cycle of clothing, his love of wool, millennial sewers, decommissioning garments, making clothes from pieces-together textiles and more. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Guy and his many fascinating projects on Instagram @thelighttouchlondon. Read more about the Fibreshed movement and the soil-to-soil philosophy HERE, and check out the diagram below that covers the main areas involved. Keeping British textile production alive are the Bristol Cloth Project HERE Guy’s own experimentation resulted in a prototype felted wool waistcoat/vest, that could follow the Fibreshed model HERE, pictured below. The next Southern Wool Show is scheduled for 3rd/4th September 2022, find out more HERE. Find designer/maker/inventor Rachel John (@racheljohntextiles) on Instagram HERE and her website HERE. The picture below features Rachel knitting a rug with giant needles (more info HERE). The hashtag where I ‘found’ Guy is #dopemensew on Instagram. Fashion on the ration book, available in paperback HERE. Guy’s pyjama top made from deconstructed shirts and his previous ‘decommissioned’ pyjama top HERE and pictured below. Overlord clothing brand that upcycles vintage textiles, transforming them into new clothing with a utility feel HERE. Closet Core Pouf free pattern and tutorial HERE, ideal for getting rid of tiny and unusable fabric scraps. | |||
| #9: Overlockers & Coverstitch Machines with Julia Hincks | 27 Sep 2021 | ||
Welcome to episode 9 of Check Your Thread. In this one, I chat to my friend and colleague Julia Hincks, who just so happens to be a sewing expert and author. She has written two amazing sewing books, The Overlocker Technique Manual (published in 2014) and The Coverstitch Technique Manual (which has just been released). If you already own an overlocker (AKA serger) or coverstitch machine, or you’re considering investing in either, you need to hear this conversation. Julia gives her expert advice on buying and maintaining these machines, and drops sooooooooo many awesome tips on how to get the most from them. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find details of Julia’s forthcoming teaching gigs and her books, plus video tutorials, pattern reviews and more on her website House of Miss Sew. Find her on Instagram she’s @juliahincks, and her YouTube channel is House of Miss Sew. Julia’s first book, The Overlocker Technique Manual (pictured below), can be bought HERE. The US version, The Serger’s Technique Bible, is available HERE. The book has also been translated into Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian. Her second book, The Coverstitch Technique Manual (pictured below), is available in the UK HERE, and the Ebook version is available on Amazon. The US version of the physical book can be pre-ordered HERE. Julia’s current teaching gigs include dressmaking classes at Made and Making in Hassocks, East Sussex, UK, and pattern cutting at Dot to Dot Studio in East Hoathly, East Sussex, UK. Julia mentions the Babylock Euphoria coverstitch machine which you can see HERE . Kitchen appliance covers can be a great option if your overlocker didn’t come with a cover. The one pictured below is from Lakeland HERE. Sew Very Crafty has made a great video tutorial for making your own overlocker/serger cover which can be found HERE. | |||
| #135: How to Triage your Mends with Jeanna Wigger | 20 May 2024 | ||
Have you ever found yourself unsure of how to proceed with fixing a damaged garment? The two most common stumbling blocks are knowing what mending technique to use, and knowing what materials are the best choice to create a long lasting repair. Today mending expert Jeanna Wigger and I guide you on how to triage your mending pile and answer those tricky questions. We then go on to respond to some mending dilemmas submitted by patrons of the podcast. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a much clearer idea of how to tackle your next repair. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find some great pre-owned sewing resources whilst getting essential funds to Palestinians in Gaza via the @destash4palestine Instagram account. You can follow Jeanna on Instagram @thepeoplesmending. Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna about the Winter of Care and Repair challenge:
I help you consider the two main approaches to mending: Jeanna adopted a ‘hidden in plain sight’ approach to fixing these T-shirts: Find Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald via her website, and on Instagram @erinlewisfitzgerald. Hear Erin’s episodes on CYT: Erin also has an online shop, Modern Mending, where you can find high quality mending supplies. With help from lovely listeners, we explore the use of fabric scraps: For more info on patching: Amy Meissner (@amymeissnerartist) is an Alaskan-based artist. My recent knee-replacement mend on my son’s joggers: | |||
| #8: Is Sewing Sustainable? | 20 Sep 2021 | ||
It’s episode 8 of CYT, and in this solo episode I’ve posed myself the question: is sewing sustainable? I share my musings on the concept of sustainability, particularly as it relates to sewing, and how we need to be wary of over simplification and greenwashing. Plus I discuss what I consider to be the overarching goal for sewing in a more sustainable way, and ideas for how we can achieve it. Making clothing that fits our bodies, personal style and lifestyle requirements can guarantee that we’re making garments and accessories that will see lots of use and last us a long, long time. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Read about my recent linen Arden pants make HERE and see below, as mentioned in previous episode introductions. Check out my newly finished autumnal Vali blouse HERE and see below. | |||
| #7: Experimental Sewing with Riccardo Guido | 12 Sep 2021 | ||
It’s Episode 7 of the Check Your Thread podcast and this one was such a joy to record. You may recognise Riccardo as one of the finalists of season 5 of the Great British Sewing Bee. However, Riccardo Guido started boldly and fearlessly experimenting with reclaimed fabrics and innovative approaches to garment sewing long before Joe Lycett ever muttered the phrase ‘Transformation Challenge’. Right from the beginning, Riccardo has forged his own path to making his own wardrobe, including signing up to learn pattern cutting before taking a sewing class, and to this day he rarely uses commercial sewing patterns. In our delightful conversation, he tells me about his sewing history, which of the aforementioned transformation challenges was his least favourite, his future sewing goals and lots more. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Riccardo Guido on Instagram @rifallo More on the Great British Sewing Bee HERE Wendy Ward’s website HERE and her Check Your Thread podcast episode HERE Riccardo’s sweatshirt using Wendy’s Felix sweatshirt pattern HERE (pictured below) using scuba off-cuts leftover from his tracksuit project from the GBSB Find @sewandrew, maker of the embroidered chess piece HERE. Riccardo’s sweatshirt that developed around the embroidery HERE (pictured below) Riccardo’s technique for piecing scraps HERE (the start of which is pictured below) Zero Waste Daniel, legendary NY-based designer who uses garment industry waste HERE and on Instagram HERE See Riccardo’s sofa bomber jacket HERE and hear him on the un:CUT podcast HERE Core Arts, the non-profit organisation supporting people who suffer from mental health issues through learning, HERE Fabrications, based in Hackney, owned by Barley Massey HERE Zero Waste Fashion Design book HERE (pictured below) by Holly McQuillan & Timo Rissanen | |||
| #6: Life, Sewing and Sustainability with Amy Dyce | 05 Sep 2021 | ||
It’s the sixth episode of the Check Your Thread podcast, and the second episode featuring parts of the great conversation I had with Amy Dyce. Last week Amy shared heaps about her small business, Craft & Thrift. In today’s episode, the conversation moves from running a sustainability-minded business, to running a sustainability-minded life! We discuss ways to share eco habits, the realities of eco-guilt and how making sustainable choices can get murky. Amy also talks about the ways she uses sewing to save her money and how thrifting has made sewing viable for her. Amy also explains how sewing and knitting became a gateway for her to become more aware of social injustice and other political issues, and reflects on the importance of acknowledging and checking your own privilege. Craft & Thrift Etsy shop HERE My Lou Box Top made using a kit given to me from Craft & Thrift (kits HERE) Tomato victory! Katie Green Bean youtube channel HERE The Vintage Book Worm UK Etsy shop HERE Me-Made-May explainer HERE Find Amy’s Me-Made-May videos HERE Read more about my hand-sewn sock experiments HERE Incredible visible mending and darning by Roberta Cummings HERE Me and White Supremacy: A Guided Journal HERE The Sporkful Podcast HERE with many episodes about race (and food) including THIS ONE | |||