Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

We all experience shifts in our personal style. Usually, those shifts are gradual, but occasionally they can happen rapidly. My friend, freelance musician and singer, Lindsay Ashworth Fraser and I are both at a style crossroads ourselves. In this episode, we talk about where we’ve found ourselves stylistically, what brought us here, what’s next and how to ethically pass on the items that are no lo...

Is there any point in trying to sew more sustainably for kids when they’re just going to grow out of their clothes in five minutes? Of course there is! And there are a TON of ways to do it. From pattern and fabric selection, to ensuring durability and repairability, in this solo episode we cover ways to create clothes that the kids you’re sewing for will love to wear, for as long as possible.&nbsp...

Does shopping for natural fibres and more sustainable fabrics mean that you’re limited to solid colours in muted tones? Do you have to ignore your love of vibrant colour and bold prints? My guest today would answer “NO!” to both these questions. Tanya Brooman from Bornella Fabrics tells me about the sustainability ethos that underpins her fabric business, and what most frustrates her about the fab...

Guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, is talking to author Natalie Fergie about Natalie’s incredible historical novel, The Sewing Machine. Based on real, historical events that took place at the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Scotland, the novel follows two families: one belonging to a worker at the factory who went on strike, the other belonging to the owner of one of the sewing machines that the st...

As a garment sewer conscious of waste, you know how quickly fabric scraps leftover from your projects can build up. But imagine you run an entire clothing brand range committed to saving and using up every piece of scrap. Designers Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose tell me about their brand, Helgrose, that operates in precisely this way. Plus, they’ve just written an awesome new book that shares t...

Do you fancy coming with me on a little vicarious trip to a fabric swap? A couple of weeks ago I attended the London fabric swap organised by Yvette from Stash Hub app and Tanya from Bornella fabrics. I recorded a bunch of little conversations with both of them and lots of the attendees, so you can get the skinny on what it was like to organise the event and to attend and swap sewing supplies ther...

Are you ready for a second dose of behind the scenes podcast and sewing chat? Guest interviewer Kat Camfield and I continue our conversation. We get into the joys of Patreon and how it’s evolved for creators, what my own favourite podcasts to listen to are (none of which are about sewing!) and what my favourite sewing snack is (spoiler: it’s actually a liquid!). Plus! Kat has a surprise for me… Ka...

This week’s episode is the 200th episode! To mark this podcasting milestone, I had the honour of being quizzed by previous-guest interviewer, Kat Camfield. This week’s and next week’s episodes are basically a full-on behind the scenes chat about how this podcast gets made and what it's taught me. Today you’ll hear about what I’ve deliberately changed about the podcast since I started it, what I wo...

We're talking about the curation of a successful, handmade wardrobe and how to select sewing projects with care so that you’re creating items that reflect who you are and that say what you want them to say. We’ll also consider how style trends factor into creating a more sustainable wardrobe, and how to make sure your garment projects will be suitable for the life you really lead. This episode has...

You probably think that working with a stylist, particularly once you’ve had your colours analysed, would involve them then trying to convince you to buy, or in our case make, a load of new clothes. That’s what I’ve always assumed. But over the summer I got to catch up with previous guest, stylist Numba Pinkerton, in real life in her home in Scotland. Our conversation proved that my assumption, at...

This episode is from Zoe’s other podcast: Can I Dig It? - Food Growing for Busy People . If you’ve grown, foraged, bought or received a large amount of fresh produce, here’s how to deal with it and not let it go to waste! Check out the Can I Dig It Podcast's Patreon page! Can I Dig It? is made by:  Pippa Chapman , @pippachapman_thoseplantpeople on Instagram, and Pippa Chapman Permaculture on...

You are probably aware of natural dyeing, but have you heard of eco printing? As we’ll hear in this episode, eco printing comes under the umbrella of natural dyeing but the process involves taking botanicals in the original form and using them to print onto fabric in patterns created according to how they’re arranged. This episode has been made for CYT by friend of the podcast, Kat Camfield, who i...

Have you ever tried pattern hacking? By which I mean, making changes to a sewing pattern to create a garment that looks slightly, or wildly, different to the original design. This episode is a wide ranging introduction to the topic. Whether you are new to this practice, or are a more seasoned ‘hacker’, by the end of this you should feel emboldened by the infinite possibilities!   Support...

Could you sew only with second hand fabric? No more fabric shopping, only thrifting and receiving donations. Would that feel frustrating, or would it unlock some inner creativity and resourcefulness? Space scientist and passionate maker, Rachel Kirby, sews almost exclusively within this limitation, and she shares how and why it works for her.  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Rachel Kirb...

A garment project that fails because it’s made from unsuitable fabric is both heartbreaking and costly. But navigating the selection available in fabric shops and online can feel overwhelming, particularly if you’re new to garment sewing, or have recently returned after some years. So in this solo episode, we’re going back to the basics of fabric. We’ll be laying the foundations on which to build...

How does the space we create in affect the resources we collect, and vice versa? And why did the Ikea look become the default, acceptable aesthetic for spaces dedicated to sewing? Textile activist Shams el-Din Rogers and I have a fun and thought-provoking conversation about fabric stashes, storage and space. As always, Shams brings her insight and wisdom as we explore many of the implications of t...

A new mending book is about to land in bookshops around the globe, and it’s something really special. It’s the creation of regular CYT guest and mending expert, Jeanna Wigger, and super experienced mending volunteer and organiser, Mary Morton. In this episode, we’re going to hear all about how this excellent book came to be written by two women who had never even met each other, and exactly what m...

How do you respond to expectations? How easy is it for you to get things done, both the things that are asked of you, and the things you want to achieve yourself? And how does that play out in your sewing and creative life? We’re taking a deep dive into the Four Tendencies framework devised by writer and podcaster, Gretchen Rubin. Understanding how we, and those around us operate, can be so useful...

Last Sewist Standing, for those who may be new to this podcast, is the no-buy sewing supplies challenge created by Lise Bauer. The challenge is in its fifth year, and 2025 is my second time participating. It’s time for a catch up with Lise, and to answer the question that no one is asking: are Lise and myself still in the running??? Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Find my new podcast ‘Can I...

Have you ever made a garment that you thought you were going to love, but ended up rarely reaching for it because you’ve realised that the colours drains you, or somehow makes you feel meh? It’s so disheartening when that happens. So this week I’m talking to stylist and colour consultant, Numba Pinkerton, about how to make successful colour choices for our garment projects, and the rest of our war...

How do I resist temptation whilst working in a fabric shop? Do I feel conflicted working for a fabric company whilst also personally promoting a reduction in consumption? Just two of the fun and occasionally spicy questions posed to me when I was invited to chat with attendees in the Virtual Sewing Room at the beginning of the year. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! My blouse that I rarely wea...

What do sewing machine repair and servicing professionals do that you can’t do yourself at home? And what CAN you do at home to make problems with your machine less likely? And what noises coming from your machine should you definitely NOT ignore? These are just some of the many questions that sewing machine technician, Bizz McKilligan, answers for us today. I first spoke to Bizz over a year ago w...

For most of us who sew our own clothes, basic garment repairs are not often a huge challenge. However, encountering knit items that are thinning or have holes? That can feel like a whole other ball game, especially if you’re not a knitter. In this episode professional repairer, educator and author, Skye Pennant, teaches us our scotch darn from our honeycomb darn, and shares her sometimes controver...

Believing that we won’t be great at something can hold some of us back from giving it a go in the first place. And for those who are confirmed perfectionists, this belief can be even more of a barrier. Skye Pennant, creator of Slow Stitch Club, is a professional mender, mending educator and author, but suffers daily with perfectionism and imposter syndrome. If you experience those tendencies yours...

We’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes so we can feel well stocked, but not overwhelmed. But once we’ve passed on the pieces of fabric that we honestly can’t see ourselves sewing, what are we meant to do with what’s left? How can we store it so that its contents are both accessible AND inspiring to us? I’ve developed an organisation method that I call the Seasonal Stash System. In th...