Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

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 spills the tea on how and why it works for her.  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Rach...

Will you be taking any trips this year? Are you a short, city-break kind of traveller, or do you have a more adventurous trip planned? There’s no denying that travel in any form has an environmental impact to some degree, but how can we travel more sustainably? And how can sewing help us to do that? CYT regular, Shams el-Din Rogers, and I discuss all this and more, and in the process offer up heap...

Do you ever think about all the useful stuff that gets thrown away, every single day, and how to get it into the hands of people who need it? Return-guest Noah Hirsch tells us all about his dumpster diving and mutual aid activities which help feed and clothe members of his community. Plus, he shares some exciting plans… Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Find Noah Hirsch on Instagram @yung_curm...

This is the second episode with Seamwork owner, Sarai Mitnick. In this one Sarai shares the fascinating story of how Seamwork became B-corp certified, and her motivations for going through that challenging process. And Sarai offers up insights and ideas for making your sewing process more intentional that you can apply today. Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Sarai is the founder and owner of...

This is the first of two episodes with Sarai Mitnick, a major influence in the sewing scene for over 15 years. Sarai chats with me about the birth and evolution of the online sewing community, and the role that her businesses, Colette Patterns and Seamwork, have played. Plus Sarai talks about how her own podcast, Seamwork Radio, has changed, from being a storytelling platform to a medium to spread...

One of my very favourite podcast guests is back! 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 these topics as they relate to sustainability, and we compare notes as an American and a European. Plus! Shams sets herself a goal.....

The Sewing for Body Changes episode (#72) received more comments and feedback than almost any other episode to date. Lots of listeners generously shared their own tactics for making clothes for their fluctuating bodies. It was clear that there’s more to be said on this underserved topic, so I felt an update episode was in order…  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Find Jen Gale of Sustaina...

Linnea Larsson is a multidisciplinary creative from Sweden with a passion for reusing existing materials. An architect by day, Linnea spent the nap times during her maternity leave sewing her own unwanted garments into baby clothes. She also decided to make a book to encourage and guide others to do the same! ‘Restyle & Restitch for little ones’ comes out in English this week, and I got to tal...

My conversation with Alexis Bailey of Fibr & Cloth Studio continues. We chat about the celebration of Black pattern designers during Black History Month. Alexis also shares her approach and commitment to creating zero waste sewing patterns, and her thoughts on the responsibility sewers and designers have towards waste.  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Alexis Bailey’s slow sewing spa...

This episode is the first of two featuring hand-sewing expert and pattern designer Alexis Bailey. We hear how her multifaceted slow-sewing business, Fibr & Cloth Studio, grew from a frustration she felt whilst travelling, and how the pandemic presented her with the perfect conditions to launch. Alexis also shares how becoming a pattern designer was foisted upon her!  Support the podcast o...

As sustainably-minded garment makers, our goal is to make items that will have a long life and see lots of use. But what about when our bodies change? Everyone experiences fluctuations in shape and size, so in this solo episode I explore how we can future proof our garment projects to accommodate that fact.  Support the podcast over on Patreon ! Outerwear patterns Coats and jackets: The Richm...

Happy New Year! I propose we kick things off by creating personal manifestos that will see us through 2023 and beyond! By defining our own personal vision, mission, strategy and tactics, never again will we need to ask ourselves, ‘What should I be doing right now?’ or ‘Is this course of action right for me?’.  I’ve invited my friend and former coach, Kim Witten, whose work focuses on strategi...

If there is anyone related to the sewing community who has a strong handle on sewing trends, in all senses, it’s Kate Underdown. As co-founder of The Fold Line, Kate created a business that has pivoted a number of times, but has always been a hub for learning about new pattern releases and a digest for the best and most exciting sewing-related content. In this conversation we hear about the journe...

Judy Williment-Ross is a New Zealand-based maker who broke the internet when her lockdown project, the Epic Dress, was featured on the SewOver50 Instagram account. Clearly not afraid of getting in deep, Judy explains to me how she chooses which projects are worth investing her time in, and lays out her personal rules, ethics and criteria for selecting and using second hand materials. She also give...

This episode is a fun exploration into the qualities of, and differences between, visible and invisible mending. What are their strengths and when are they likely to be victorious?  Taking a deeper look into these approaches to mending can give us a clearer idea of how we want to tackle each repair job we are presented with. Which one will you deploy for your next mending project? Support the...

Back in August, myself and friend-of-the-podcast Julia Hincks attended a class where we explored the possibilities of denim reclaimed from unwanted jeans. As predominantly garment sewers, Julia and I were encouraged out of our comfort zone at craft studio Made & Making, and nudged into the realms of homeware and accessories. In this little episode, we share what new skills we learned, and what...

With the goal of fleshing out my me-made wardrobe with cosy garments, I’ve taken up knitting. However, even at this beginner stage, I really want to make more sustainable and ethical choices. In this episode, knitting expert and previous-guest Saskia de Feijter metaphorically holds my hand and talks me through what to look for when selecting yarn for my next project. Saskia tells me about how fibr...

Former fashion designer Jess Redgrave began to feel a growing disillusionment with the clothing industry due to the damaging practices she witnessed. This led her to quit and sign up to study alternatives to the unsustainable realities of modern clothing production. Having found several exciting avenues into the potential of sunflowers, Jess is working on ideas that could shape the future of what...

Clothing trends are collective reactions to, or interpretations of, what’s going on in the world. But are they the antithesis of dressing and sewing more sustainably? In this solo episode, I discuss how, even if you don’t read Vogue or keep up with popular culture, trends can manifest in our sewing projects and wardrobes, and how they play an important part in social discourse. I then set out some...

My guest for Ep.#63, Brandon Hayden, shares both his amazing creations and positive personal philosophy under the Instagram handle @happilydressed. Since high school, thrifting has always been Brandon’s method for carving out a unique visual identity. Initially, he got a sewing machine to complement his thrifting, which gave him the ability to alter items he found. But soon after, this Atlanta-bas...

Episode #62 features a conversation that I had with Lydia Higginson, owner of Made My Wardrobe, when I visited her studio in Bristol. MMW started as a personal, year-long  challenge to replace her entire wardrobe with self-made items that have meaning stitched into every piece. This led Lydia to discover a passion for teaching people to sew, which in turn led to the development of her pattern...

Today’s episode is another installment which looks at using sewing skills to save money. With the rise in energy and fuel costs, many of us will be keeping the heating off in our homes as much as possible this winter. So how can we use our sewing skills to keep the chills at bay? I answer this question by sharing clothing, accessories and homeware projects we can make to keep our bodies and our sp...

You don’t often get to dig deep into your friends’ interior experiences and philosophies, but that’s what I’m doing today. My friend Sophie is possibly the most resourceful and creative person I’ve met. In Ep. #35 we heard about her fascinating journey with Mask Makers UK during the pandemic. In this one (Ep. #60), Sophie traces the sources of her inventive and self-sufficient nature to her experi...

Episode 59 includes a conversation with Grace Whowell, owner of the UK craft business Beyond Measure. BM aims to sell beautiful and useful tools and supplies for makers focusing on textiles. Grace sources the kinds of high-quality tools that could become future heirlooms to be handed down through generations of crafters. However, as we hear, that is just one of the ways that she keeps sustainabili...

The second part of a two-part mini series about sewing and saving. Episode 58 focuses on how we can keep sewing-related costs down to make it more accessible to those working with a tight budget. Specifically we look at saving money on machinery, fabric, haberdashery and sewing patterns. This episode is packed with tips and approaches to allow us to do more of the kinds of sewing we most enjoy, wh...