Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

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 is a community episode that digs into this topic. 

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Fabric photo by Emma Green via Unsplash

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser for voicing some of the written submissions. Lindsay is a sewist, choir leader and voice over artist, and can be found @lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram.

You might have heard Lindsay in the previous episodes:

Lindsay is considering the Roman Overcoat Pattern by Maison Fauve for her Harris tweed:

Martha has been toiling and fitting the Belemnite Dress pattern by Marilla Walker for her green cotton/hemp fabric bought in Tokyo:

Yvonne has a couple of waistcoat project ideas for her precious fabric:

Rachel intends to use the Square Shirt pattern by Domum Creation for this Liberty Coastal Landscape Tana Lawn fabric. 

Debs has is consider both the Jasika Blazer pattern by Closet Core Patterns and the Naomi Blazer pattern by The Modern Sewing Company for her beloved wool:

Diana has great plans for the Saturday Top pattern (part of a set) by Friday Pattern Company to use both her special lengths of fabric:

Chloe made the Azure Dress pattern by Closet Core Patterns. See the finished garment here!

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: a non-profit that matches volunteer handwork finishers with projects that have been left behind by people who have passed away, or are no longer able to craft due to illness or disability. 

Loose Ends is a truly incredible enterprise that is responsible for facilitating so much care and healing for families who are then able to honour and treasure their loved one’s creativity and passion. 

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Listen to Episode #72: The Return of Canada’s Forgotten Wartime Quilts of the Haptic & Hue podcast. 

Masey Kaplan officially co-founded Loose Ends (@thelooseendsproject on IG) in May 2023:

Photo credit: Michala Rueter 

Ravelry is sometimes used to view a potential finisher’s work. 

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @gatherandstitch.ca. 

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. 

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Follow Ros Williams’s creativity on Instagram @williamsrosamund. 

Ros initially connected with the online sewing community through the @sewover50 account. 

Ros also volunteers with previous-guests Judith Staley and Mary Morton as part of the Edinburgh Street Stitchers and through the Shrub Coop.  

Learn more about the Edinburgh Spiders who weave camouflage nets to send to Ukraine.  

Ros’s Teatowel jacket making obsession began with the first one she made for her son using teatowels she found in her parents’ home:

Ros uses the Ilford Jacket pattern by Friday Pattern Co. as the basis for her jacket creations. 

More textiles reclaimed from her parents’ home became this yellow and blue tablecloth dress:

The Morningside Charity Shop Crawl was organised to promote shopping for second hand clothing, and the poster/leaflet/map was designed by Ros’s son, Jack (@jack_stamp_art):

Psychomoda is the organiser of the ReFashion Edinburgh event that Ros will be exhibiting in this year (2026). 

As part of her HND costume course Ros made a 17thC outfit for her husband John:

….and a Japanese inspired Burlesque outfit:

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 patrons of CYT. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Jo Andrews is the creator of the Haptic & Hue podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram @hapticandhue. 

Jo and her partner Bill create an additional podcast called Travels with Textiles for those who choose to support their work as a ‘friend of Haptic & Hue’.  

Specific episodes mentioned in the conversation include:

Jo shows me her self-made cordage bag WIP:

Jo shared some images of the Canadian Quilts mentioned in the conversation, including a close of the label tracing one of the quilt’s origin:

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 week, you’ll hear my conversation with Hannah and Rosie from London-based The New Craft House as they unpick this topic for us, leaving us all with a greater understanding. From school friends, to craft bloggers, to workshop facilitators to fabric purveyors, the current incarnation of their business is made possible by navigating the excesses and waste of the fashion industry. In this conversation Hannah and Rosie are super open and candid about how their business runs, and their plans and hopes for its more sustainable future. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in September 2024 as Ep. #151

Find The New Craft House online, via Instagram (@newcrafthouse) and IRL at their London studio.

They explain the nature of deadstock fabric on their website.

#sewyourselfsustainable is the hashtag they created to encourage the sewing community to explore more sustainable practices during September. 

It also coincides with other sustainability-related endeavours, including Oxfam´s Secondhand September campaign.  

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 share my method for diagnosing WHY you’re not wearing them. I’ll then be suggesting five different ways you can update those garments so that you’re excited to wear them again! 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in June 2024 as Ep. #137

Image source: Sarah Brown via Unsplash

If you want to learn more about the Me-Made-May challenge, listen to:

The Clothehorse podcast is a great place to learn more about the life of second hand clothing, including what happens to donated items. 

The three questions to ask of each item of clothing:

My five suggested approaches for updated unworn garments (including me-mades):

For repair, consider signing up to the Winter of Care and Repair challenge for motivation. 

For advice on how to proceed with a repair, this episode might help:

For refitting assistance, check out this episode:

The Bernie Belt Bag pattern by Friday Pattern Co. might solve the dilemma of a pocket-free garment.

The free Oversized Detachable Collar pattern by Tilly and the Buttons would really jazz up a plain garment:

If you’re interested in trying your hand at natural dyeing, these episodes provide a ton of information:

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. From attempting to influence legislation to hemming her neighbours' trousers, Beedy has been getting stuck in since 1970. Sadly, we can’t all be Beedy, but we can all take heart and inspiration from her example. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in May 2024 as Ep. #136

Beedy Parker is a committed naturalist and social and environmental activist living in Maine, USA. 

Read more about Beedy (unfortunately this link doesn’t seem to work in Europe, frustrating I know!). 

This is another piece about Beedy. 

Beedy recommends sourcing a copy of ‘The Needleworker's Constant Companion’, first published in 1978.

I referred to an article by Christina Garton called Weaving While Neurodivergent on the Handwoven Magazine website that is a fascinating read.

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 about hand stitching clothing:

Learn more about improving fit:

Options for online courses to learn and develop new skills:

Idea No. 2: Sewing things that aren’t clothes.

My favourite bag pattern designers:

Start your sew making journey at I Can Make Shoes.

Get inspired to make a quilt more sustainably by listening to the following previous episodes:

Idea No. 3: Sewing clothes for other people

Idea No. 4: Sewing for charity 

Make washable menstrual pads for:

Make reusable tote bags for Boomerang Bags.

Make dresses and other children’s garments from pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa.

Idea No. 5: Mending

Hear from super creative mending expert, Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald:

Get her book Modern Mending.

Consider the spectrum of mending possibility:

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 and teacher, her inspiration, her use of reclaimed materials, the Forbidden Words project, and her tips for those wanting to dip their toe into protest quilt making. 

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Lorraine can be found through her website, ‘Quilting in the Fog’, and via Instagram @quiltinginthefog:

Lorraine’s first quilt, ‘American Patriot: Words Matter’ (2017), was shown at the de Young Gallery in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco:

Check out Lorraine’s Mosaic quilts. 

Kat and Lorraine mentioned both the Haptic & Hue podcast and the Gees Bend Quilters. Listen to an episode about the Gees Bend Quilters on the Haptic & Hue podcast!

Lorraine’s incredible ‘Quilt Melt’ was made in 2017:

‘You’re getting warmer: Rising Global Temperatures 1850 - 2022’ quilt (2023):

‘The Number of Holes’ quilt:

Read more about the Forbidden Words Project:

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @gatherandstitch.ca. 

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 gendered crafts and spaces, and explore how sewing can help push us back against ageism. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Listen to my previous conversation with Tony:

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

Follow the Thread Brothers on Instagram (@threadbrothers.makers) and learn more about the project on the Wellmoor website. 

Check out Tobit Emmens’ Substack. 

I took a palette bench making workshop with The Salvage Sister.  

Tony (and myself) will be at this year’s Knit + Stitch show at Alexandra Palace, London, in October.