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 involves a lot of thrifted duvet covers…).



Support the podcast over on Patreon!





Find out more about Tony on his website, and see his latest projects on Instagram @tonyr.maker.



Tony’s Etsy shop is stocked with handmade cycling caps in fun prints.  



This Postman Pat shirt was clearly inevitable:





If you find yourself in Plymouth, swing by the Plymouth Scrapstore.



Tony made a Fabric Godmother Peony dress for his wife to attend Christmas events in. 



Tony first encountered zero waste sewing patterns during the pattern challenge on GBSB:





Tony adapted Birgitta Helmersson’s ZW Block Pants and ZW Workwear Jacket patterns for his style and frame. 





Image source: Birgitta Helmersson. 



Tony wore a denim ‘suit’ created using these patterns which he modelled on the runway at the Knitting & Stitching show in London, October 2023. 



Tony recently embarked upon the Studio Trouser Low Waste pattern by Norwegian brand, Indigo Indigo (@indigoindigo.no on IG). 

#124: Fearless Sewing with Tony Rea

Hello! Welcome to Check Your Thread, a podcast about sewing more sustainably. Each episode we enjoy nerding out about sewing, whilst picking up ideas and useful tips for how to reduce our impact on the environment. My aim is always to approach topics with a sense of curiosity and fun, and hope to leave our listeners feeling inspired by the end of each episode. 

Examples of topics that we cover include sourcing second hand textiles, zero waste sewing patterns, mending, upcycling, scrap-busting and alternative and surprising sources for fabric. If there are any topics you’d like CYT to cover, anyone you’d like me to get on the podcast to chat to or you’d just like to say hi, please email me at zoe@checkyourthread.com or message me via Instagram @checkyourthread.

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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:




Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger



Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger




I help you consider the two main approaches to mending:




Ep. #68: Visible Vs Invisible 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:




Ep. #39: Modern Mending with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald



Ep. #40: Experimend with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald




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:




Ep. #127: Scrap Strategies Part 1



Ep. #128: Scrap Strategies Part 2




For more info on patching:




Ep. #47: Introduction to Patching




Amy Meissner (@amymeissnerartist) is an Alaskan-based artist.  



My recent knee-replacement mend on my son’s joggers:

#135: How to Triage your Mends with Jeanna Wigger

Are you interested in mending your clothes but you’re just not sure where to begin? For this episode, we’re taking a different approach to the topic of mending in that this episode is for complete beginners, no prior knowledge of sewing is needed or assumed AT ALL. But for the regular listeners who already engage in sewing and mending, this episode is kind of for you too. It’s an excellent resource to forward on to people in your life who are interested in keeping their clothes in use for longer, and who you feel might be open to learning how to do it for themselves.This episode is one part pep talk, one part practical guide. You’ll be left feeling empowered to start repairing your own clothes. 



Support the podcast over on Patreon!



The climate action NGO WRAP has published studies on the impact on keeping our clothes in use for longer. 



The items I think you need for a basic but very effective mending kit:



So you’ll need:




Hand sewing needles: try to find a pack that includes needles that range in thickness. Different thicknesses of needle will be suitable for different thicknesses of fabric.



Sewing thread: go for reels polyester or 100% cotton thread made by a known brand like Guterman, Meltler or Coats/Moon. Cheap, or very old, sewing threads are liable to break. If you bought a sewing kit that includes some thread, treat yourself to some stronger, higher quality stuff anyway. It’s a good idea to keep a small range of common colours in your kit (black, white, navy, red, grey and cream perhaps) which should cover the majority of your projects, and add other colours to your collection as you require them.



Small, sharp scissors or thread snips: a basic, shop-bought sewing kit may or may not include these but they are definitely necessary. Cheap thread snips are available in most haberdasheries, but sharp nail scissors will also do.



Pins: a pack/tub of sharp pins is very helpful to keep things in place during your repair or alteration. Only an octopus could successfully complete every project without some pins. Pins that come with little plastic shapes or spheres attached to the end are easier to pick up. 



Safety pins: a few safety pins in a range of sizes will likely come in very handy. They can be used instead of pins for some projects to keep things in place, and you will be less likely to get stabbed whilst using them. Safety pins are also invaluable for threading elastic through a channel. 



Seam ripper (AKA stitch ripper/quick unpick): these sharp metal hooks with plastic or wooden handles are useful for removing stitches carefully. Using scissors or snips to do so is more likely to result in holes in the fabric. 




Additional items and materials to allow you to make patches and expand your repertoire of repairs:




Tape measure: This is for working out how big you need to cut a patch. Fancier, retractable tape measurements are available if you wish, but the basic kind that you sometimes win in Christmas crackers is also fine! 



Tailors chalk or fabric marking pen/pencil: This is for drawing out the size and shape of the patch you require before cutting it out. There is a wide range of fabric marking tools available. From the basic triangle shaped tailor’s chalks, to chalk wheels that dispense chalk dust, to marker pens with ink that disappears when you iron it. They all do a similar job, so buy whichever appeals to you and see if you like using it. 



Fabric scissors: they are going to make cutting fabric to create patches a joy. Using other types of scissors such as paper scissors or kitchen scissors is an option of course, but using blunt or unsuitable scissors for the task will be frustrating and may damage the fabric. So use non-fabric scissors at your own risk.



Fabric scraps: As you can imagine, these are to make the actual patches. You’ll need a variety of types of fabric, basically try to gather a selection that represent the types of fabrics you’d find in your wardr

#134: You Can Mend Clothes

Mending your clothes to keep them in use for longer is a vital part of sewing and living more sustainably. But how can we amplify the positive impact of mending our clothes? Answer: By mending them in public! By mending in public, not only are you reducing the annual carbon and water footprint of your clothing, but you’re helping to normalise these actions for other people! On the 20th April 2024 hundreds of mending in public events took place around the globe, the endeavour having been initiated by the Fashion Revolution movement in collaboration with the Street Stitching movement. I attended an event hosted by Diana Uprichard, owner of Dolly Clothing in Lewes, East Sussex, and I got to see first hand the positivity and power of mending in public. In this episode, you’ll hear from five different people I spoke to at the event, each with their own unique angle on why it’s so meaningful. 



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Support the podcast over on Patreon!





Check out the Seated Makes Challenge on IG #seatedmakeschallenge2024.



Mending in Public day was organised by Fashion Revolution in collaboration with the Street Stitching movement. 



Diana Uprichard is the owner of Dolly Clothing in Lewes, East Sussex UK. They can also be found on Instagram (@dolly_clothing). 





Melissa with her grey cardigan with its ongoing repairs:





Attendee Sarah Elwick (@sarahelwick) on the left with Mica Janiv (@micajaniv), sustainable business consultant. 

#133: Mending in Public

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 hemisphere with Winter just round the corner, or you’re in the northern hemisphere and the next round is some way off, you’ll find out what benefits it could bring you, should you decide to participate. 



Support the podcast over on Patreon!





You can follow Jeanna on Instagram @thepeoplesmending.



Listen to my previous conversation with Jeanna about the challenge:




Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger




Other mending-related episodes you might enjoy include the three-part mini-series about Make Do and Mend:




Ep. #28: Make Do and Mend



Ep. #29: Lessons from the 1940s



Ep. #30: Tips and Takeaways from Make Do and Mend




Plus these solo episodes:




Ep. #47: Introduction to Patching



Ep. #68: Visible Vs Invisible Mending




Jeanna tested out multiple methods of lightweight sock repair and reviewed the results. 





Image source: Jeanna Wigger



Examples of Jeanna’s mending, all of which fit within her definition of a mend that is hidden in plain sight, designed to look like it's "supposed to be there.":

#132: A season of mending with Jeanna Wigger

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 Jewell is the co-founder of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. You can also follow her on Instagram (@elisalex).



Elisalex´s mum is Orsola de Castro (@orsoladecastro), the co-founder and creative director of Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit activism movement which works towards a sustainable fashion industry



Elisalex has written a book with self-drafting tutorials and hacks called ‘Made to Measure: An Easy Guide to Drafting and Sewing a Custom Wardrobe’. 





Elisalex prefers dot and cross paper for pattern drafting. UK-based people can order it from William Gee and from Morplan, among others. 



Elisalex recommends DIY Daisy´s book, ‘Sew It Yourself’. You can listen to my conversation with Daisy:




Ep. #46: DIY Drafting and Inclusive Sewing with Daisy Braid




Rosie Martin has the blog ‘DIY Couture’ and wrote the book ‘No Patterns Needed: DIY Couture from Simple Shapes’. 



Elisalex featured on Episode 30 of The New Craft House Podcast. 



By Hand London’s circle skirt calculator is the original draft-it-yourself pattern!



Find all of By Hand London’s Draft It Yourself products on their website, including the Lucy dress (pictured below):

#124: Fearless Sewing with Tony Rea

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