Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

Dedicating an entire season to acts of mending is a bold move. As you may know, the most recent round of the Winter of Care and Repair challenge just wrapped up. In this episode the challenge’s creator, Jeanna Wigger, and I catch up to review the experience, both as individual participants and as members of this vibrant and inspiring global community of menders. So whether you’re in the southern h...

Do you want to create well fitting clothes, but you’re put off by having to make lots of changes to your pattern plus multiple toiles to test the fit? My guest, Elisalex Jewell, is an anythor and one of the founders of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. Elisalex tells us why self drafting using your own body measurements might be for you.  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Elisalex Jewe...

How can you attend a large sewing event more sustainably? Is it possible to avoid getting overwhelmed, to avoid regrettable impulse purchases and to actually enjoy yourself? I take my pal and previous-guest Kim Witten to her first major sewing event, The Stitch Festival in London. We gather advice on how to make the most of these events whilst getting inspired, making considered purchases and conn...

Would you like to have new types of creative fun whilst saving money AND reducing your environmental impact? Sewing clothes from fabric scraps gives you all these things, AND the results are always completely unique. Today I’m sharing everything I’ve learnt over the years about sewing clothes from scraps. And although there’s never a right way or wrong way to approach sewing with scraps, these poi...

Have you got your fabric scrap strategy sorted yet? This is the second part of the Scrap Strategies episodes and we’ll be discovering more systems, solutions and uses from the Check Your Thread listeners. Then we summarise all we’ve learnt to help YOU choose what’s best for you! Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Image source: Ksenia Chernaya via Pexels Listen to: Ep. #119: Seasonal Stash Organ...

If you’re a garment sewer, I’m sure you’re more than aware of how quickly fabric scraps and leftovers can start to pile up. Your fabric scraps contain so much creative potential, but you need some strategies in place so they don’t overwhelm you. In this episode, we hear from CYT listeners who share what scraps they keep, how they store them, and what they use them for. Use these responses to form...

Are there fabrics in your stash that you’re just too scared to cut into? I talk with Stephanie Canada, vintage sewing pattern and fabric seller, about when and why it's ok to use the precious fabric. Plus she shares her sourcing secrets, and tells us when it’s important to chuck vintage sewing resources in the bin…  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! The website I used to research the sust...

Do vintage sewing patterns make you swoon but you’re scared to try actually sewing with them? Vintage pattern obsessive and Youtube queen, Stephanie Canada, unpacks the perceived obstacles that may be holding you back. We also discuss the enjoyment of vintage style without the perpetuation of vintage values, and how using vintage resources might help us sew more sustainably.  Support the podc...

What would it be like if we could enjoy complete freedom within our sewing lives? Free from the shoulds and shouldn’ts, the fears and even past experiences? My guest, Tony Rea, tells us how this mindset took him from sewing newbie to top-three-finalist of sewing’s most famous competition: The Great British Sewing Bee. Plus, Tony shares his formula for sewing more sustainably (spoiler alert: it inv...

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 Idea No. 1: Challenging ourselves. Hear more about hand stitching clothing: Ep. #15: Hand Stitching Clothes with Lo...

What are the unique challenges that designing zero waste sewing patterns for children throws up? And the ways in which it might actually be easier? In this episode, Liz Elliott, the designer behind Thread Faction Studio , gives us a fascinating insight into her business and processes. We also discuss navigating life when your role as a parent and as a business owner are entwined.  Support the...

Do you enjoy hearing the whys and the hows behind other people’s sewing projects? Previous-guest, Judy Williment-Ross, is one of the most prolific, resourceful and creative makers I know. In this episode, Judy talks us through the ideas and development behind some of her more recent projects. She also shares her secrets to creating professional looking garments out of op-shop finds and fabric scra...

Do you know what your sewing machine needs to stay in good working order? What equipment is required for that? What issues can be tackled at home, and when should we call in the professionals? And what’s the best way to become the professional, if that’s of interest to us? These are just some of the questions my guest, sewing machine technician, Bizz McKilligan, answers in today’s episode. Bizz is...

Do you have a system for organising your fabric stash? I didn’t until recently. In this episode I’m sharing my own method of organisation that I’m calling the ‘seasonal stash’. This system is allowing me to unlock the potential in what I already own, whilst stopping it from feeling overwhelming. Could the ‘seasonal stash’ system help YOU?! Support the podcast over on Patreon ! (image source: Mel P...

Could you go for a year without buying fabric? Or even a couple of months? I speak to Lise Bauer about what Last Sewist Standing, the ultimate stash busting challenge that she created, can do for you. In this episode, the second in the Fabric Stash mini-series, we discuss shopping habits and motivations, perfectionism, habit building, resourcefulness, community, accountability and so so much more....

Would you like to bring your sustainability values and your sewing life into closer alignment in 2024? If so, one key area to focus on is materials. In this episode, CYT listeners share their fabric-related goals for the year ahead. Which ones resonate with you?  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Check out the ‘Introduction to Garment Fabrics’ guide .  Find the Stash Hub app on their webs...

Would you like to get more creative with your fabric scraps, but you’re just not sure how to approach it? You could be missing out on a whole heap of fun, if only you could learn how to be more receptive to their potential. My guest this week is improv quilting artist and teacher, Sherri Lynn Wood. Sherri Lynn defines the two types of creativity as ‘active’ and ‘receptive’. As garment sewers, we a...

Is your pile of items to be repaired getting out of hand? Do you struggle to find the motivation to tackle it all? My guest, Jeanna Wigger , invented a challenge called Winter of Care and Repair , and it might be just the push you need to get on top of things! We talk about the fun and satisfaction that can be found through acts of repair, as well as the unique challenges and growth opportunities...

All the materials that go into our sewing projects have an environmental impact. You’re probably starting to think about more sustainable fabric, and possibly even thread. But we can go further! This episode features the second half of my conversation with Richard Mendham from James Tailoring, a company dedicated to sourcing more sustainable haberdashery. In this part, he tells us about our option...

If you’re looking for ideas for quick and cheap sewing projects that make great gifts then this is the episode for you. And if there is a maker in your life that you’d like to buy something special for, or people are asking for gift ideas that they can get for YOU, Grace from Beyond Measure talks me through some of the beautiful and useful items she sells that might fit the bill.  Support the...

If you’re a fan of making your own clothes, chances are you might also be into growing some of your own food. And like this week’s guest, garden consultant Pippa Chapman, highlights, once you start trying to be more sustainable in one area of your life, that approach usually spreads to other areas. In this episode Pippa actually takes the reins and gives me a consultation about my own little garde...

Have you ever found yourself feeling unhappy with your sewing output? You’re making more items than your wardrobe can handle, or a lot of them are styles that you rarely wear in your regular life? Or both? My guest, Lena King, recently realised that her sewing output was no longer in alignment with her goals. In this episode she talks about what was going wrong and what she plans to do about it.&n...

How much is the mainstream sewing industry adopting a sustainability mindset these days? I went to the Knitting & Stitching show in London at the beginning of Oct 2023 to investigate. I tried to unearth any ethical and eco-minded motivations among the commerce taking place. So come with me and listen to the conversations I had and the conclusions I came to… Support the podcast over on Patreon...

Do you worry about the hundreds of metres of polyester thread that most makers get through each year? Is the strength of polyester thread worth its lack of biodegradability? What are the viable alternatives available to us, and can we have the best of both worlds? My guest today is Richard from James Tailoring, a haberdashery business with the goal of bringing us better options. We get into how he...

Does Halloween leave you feeling conflicted? You or your kids want to enjoy it, but the waste it generates leaves you feeling queasy? Today I break down how we can engage in Halloween costumes and decor more sustainably, using the ‘5Rs’ framework for guidance.   Scary Halloween stats from Hubbub and Waste Managed : 33 million people dress up for the Halloween each year in the UK 79% of h...