Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

The big sewing shows are potentially a great opportunity to find out what’s going on currently in both the sewing industry and the community. I spent four days earlier this month at the Knit + Stitch show at Alexandra Palace trying to get a sense of both. I recorded conversations with three previous CYT guests and one new voice who you will adore, each sharing their take on what’s going on with se...

Have you ever found yourself having to justify your values, creativity or worth? I recently had a conversation with psychotherapist and coach, Tatjana Harttung, for her podcast, The Human Greenhouse, which explored that experience, and plenty more. Tatjana kindly allowed me to share our chat on the CYT feed as well as we touched on so many topics that are fundamental to this podcast also. We discu...

Imagine if all of us sewists piled up the contents of our fabric collections into one big heap. That would be a huge amount of fabric! Collectively we have A LOT of beautiful and useful fabric already in our possession that just isn’t getting used. You know me, I’m nosey, I want to know WHY that is! Why aren’t we using the pieces we love? And what would it take for us to actually cut into it? This...

As crafters, we usually develop a personal bond with our creative projects. But we might not consider the value and importance our crafting projects have for those close to us. And what do you do if a half finished project started by someone close to you falls into your possession that you are unable to finish? Amazing guest host, Kat Camfield, talks to Masey Kaplan, the co-creator of Loose Ends:...

Do you enjoy the challenge of making new things out of old? My guest for this week’s episode, Ros Williams, reconnected with her sewing machine during lockdown and has been transforming existing textiles in incredibly creative ways ever since. She even co-organised a charity shop crawl around her area in Edinburgh to help others access and give new life to what already exists in the world.  S...

Jo Andrews is the creator of Haptic & Hue, the podcast through which she uncovers fascinating stories always through the lens of textiles, many of which might otherwise have been lost. A professional reporter and correspondent, Jo leaves me awe with her incredible story telling skills. I got to ask her tons of questions about the creation and impact of Haptic and Hue, all posed by the amazing...

Many of us sewers feel confused and even wary of the term deadstock fabric. Does buying fabric labelled ‘deadstock' really save it from landfill or incineration? Or are we enabling fabric producers and fashion brands to get away with overproduction, incentivising it even? And what’s the difference between ‘deadstock’ and ‘overstock’, and how, as consumers, can we tell the difference?  This we...

Right now, the weather is shifting from one season to another, and the clothing items we’re reaching for are altering accordingly. But it’s most likely you’ll find that some of those items, for whatever reason, just aren’t pieces you want to wear these days. So what can be done about that, aside from donating them and starting a ton of new sewing projects? In this week’s solo replay episode, I’ll...

Do the climate and ecological crises 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 for this episode, 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....

Is your wardrobe stuffed with me-mades? Whatever role garment sewing plays in your life, after a while, the clothes can really start to pile up. So how can we continue to take pleasure in sewing, without adding to your problem of too many clothes? Image source: Megan Lee via UnSplash This episode was originally released in February 2024 as Ep. #123 Idea No. 1: Challenging ourselves. Hear more abou...

Textiles have a long history of being used for political discourse and protest. Lorraine Woodruff-Long is a self-taught and now award-winning quilt artist who is continuing that tradition today by creating exciting and powerful work on political and social issues that are important to her. Legendary guest-host Kat Camfield talks to Lorraine about her journey from marketing professional to artist a...

Can a stereotypically female activity such as sewing be an appropriate medium through which to tackle male loneliness and isolation? This is a question that return-guest and GBSB finalist, Tony Rea, has been tasked to help answer. In this episode, Tony tells us all about the pilot of an awesome endeavor he’s involved in called Thread Brothers. We also get into the weeds about traditionally gendere...

I’m a firm believer that there are NO stupid questions when it comes to sewing. If you need to ask it, even if it’s something you think you should probably already know, then it’s valid. But it’s not always easy to find the answers you’re looking for. So I’ve asked my guest, sewing author and expert dressmaking teacher, Julia Hincks, on the podcast to talk about her new beginner’s guide to dressma...

Have you ever consciously infused your handmade garments with personal magic? And how can we create clothing that feels like emotionally protective armour? This is the second part of guest-host Kat Camfield’s amazing conversation with textile artist Justice McNeil from Thread + Sprout. They touch on so many topics, including pattern instructions that work better for some neurodivergent brains, and...

Is it possible to create a successful sewing business making desirable products using scraps that allows you to leave your corporate job? Spoiler alert: Yes! Amazing guest-host Kat Camfield talks to Justice McNeil about the origin story of her inspiring business, Thread + Sprout , and how it’s evolved into something quite different, but equally inspiring.  Support the podcast over on Patreon...

Are you ready to share mending skills with others? Mary Morton and Jeanna Wigger, authors of the excellent book, ‘Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It’, have a ton of practical advice learned through hosting lots of in-person mending events. We discuss the different event formats for sharing skills, how to coordinate with venues and the best free resources available to support your efforts.  Plus, there...

To be honest, this episode’s link to sustainability is very tenuous, but when repeat-guest Lise Bauer hits you up saying she needs to talk - you drop everything and talk. The main topic of conversation is where we’re both at with the latest round of the Last Sewist Standing challenge. I wonder if our statuses will surprise you…. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Find Lise and the Last Sewist S...

Whether or not you identify as neurodivergent, you’re going to want to hear this episode. In Episode 222, Kim Witten and I requested submissions about people’s experiences of neurodivergence and craft. My goodness did we receive a fascinating selection of submissions. If you are at all interested in people, how they think and move through the world, you’re going to love this episode.  Support...

Those of us who make some or all of our own clothes ourselves might feel like we’ve opted out of the fashion industry. However, as citizens of this planet and feminists, we can’t ignore the problems caused by clothing and fabric production. And, in fact, us home sewers might be well placed to have a huge positive impact. Because, as Sophia Yang, the founder of the world’s leading youth-led ethical...

Most of us think of sashiko as a type of visible mending that we discovered via Instagram or Pinterest. But what actually is sashiko, and how should we engage with it? Is it an artform to be revered and put on display? A common household practice borne out of necessity, used for survival? Is it a form of meditation? Or some lovely hand stitching patterns we can emulate to fix and customise our jea...

There are lots of online marketplaces out there through which you can sell or give away your unwanted crafting materials, but they all have their drawbacks. Destasher is a new UK -based platform JUST for sewists and yarn crafters wanting to buy, sell, giveaway or claim materials and supplies within the maker community. Its creator, Caroline, tells me what makes Destasher such a great option for th...

I love hearing and reading practical tips for how to stay creative when your budget is tight. But what is rarely acknowledged in those types of content is how rubbish and frustrating trying to maintain a creative hobby when you’re skint actually feels. In this episode, we acknowledge and gently challenge some of those negative feelings, so that applying those practical tips feels positive and rewa...

The next installment of the SIDDI tour with Jeanna and Mary. I speak to Charlotte from Stitched Up - a Manchester-based not-for-profit with the goal of building an alternative fashion future by sharing sewing, mending and upcycling skills, and facilitating clothing swaps and textile recycling. I spoke to Charlotte Vinsen who freelances with Stitched Up, about what Stitched Up do, how it works and...

In recent years there’s been a growing amount of research and understanding around neurodiversity: the variety of ways in which different people’s brains and nervous systems work. With more and more people getting formerly diagnosed, or at least identifying as being neurospicy to some degree, regular guest, Kim Witten, who is a coach, writer and one of my cleverest friends, is back on the podcast...

What are the biggest challenges AND the biggest joys of running a business making products from upcycled textiles? Legendary guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, has rounded up three intensely talented Canadian upcyclers: Brynn from B-Bot Clothing, Emily from Woodbrick and Meagan from Salt Legacy. We hear how they each started their businesses and their different approaches to the same problem: trying...