Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

During the last few episodes we’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes: the idea being that our collection would then make us feel well stocked but not encumbered. But once you’ve selected the pieces that you can’t honestly see yourself sewing, what are you meant to do with them? There are a number of options, but fabric swaps have got to be one of the most fun AND most ethical ways of passing on what you no longer want. You might even pick up some new-to-you fabric that you’re inspired by, or even a couple of new sewing buddies! But if there aren’t any fabric swaps taking place in your location already, it might be on you to organise one. My guest this week, Nike Baruwa, is a maker who recently did just that for the very first time. I spoke with Nike before and after her fabric swap, and she shares what planning and considerations went into hers, and we’ll hear how it actually went! If you’re interested, or even on the fence, about planning a fabric swap, let Nike and this episode be your guide. 

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Follow Nike on Instagram (@sewlonglane). 

Nike was inspired to organise a fabric swap after visiting the London Destash Fabric Swap. Listen to the episode I made at that event:

The London Destash Fabric Swap was organised by Sarah from Olive Road London and Yvette from Stash Hub app.

Sarah made a helpful YouTube video about how to organise a fabric swap. 

To help create connection and community between the attendees of her fabric swap, Nike created the hashtag #rotherhtithefabricswap.

To get on Nike’s mailing list to hear about next year’s (and any other) event. 

Check out some photos taken at Nike’s fabric swap taken by photographer Wida (@__wida on Instagram):

How do you feel about your fabric collection? If there are any uncomfortable feelings that are preventing you from feeling excited and inspired by what you have, it might be time to consciously reduce how much you own. In Episode #180, we heard from a bunch of lovely CYT listeners who have successfully reduced their fabric stashes, and they shared what mindset shifts and practical steps worked for them. This episode is another installment of the same. 

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Image source: Ekaterina Grosheva via Unsplash)

Listen to Part 1:

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser (@lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram) for voicing some of the submissions.

Fabric collections elicit all sorts of feelings. Ideally, they're a source of inspiration that gets our creative juices flowing. But for some of us, especially when the amount we own is out of sync with the speed at which we sew, we might grow to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or even guilty about the resources we’ve accumulated. This episode is Part 1 of a practical deep dive into HOW to do it, so you can reach a point where your fabric stash feels well stocked but NOT overwhelmed. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Ekaterina Grosheva via Unsplash)

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser (@lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram) for voicing some of the submissions.

As makers, we need materials to create with. And a love of beautiful textiles is often part of why we got into sewing in the first place. But as residents of a planet experiencing a climate and ecological crisis, we need to be mindful of what we’re consuming and how much. So is there a way to indulge in fabric purchasing that’s also inline with what’s best for our planet? My guest this week, Judith Staley, has recently implemented a system for herself that is backed by research called the rule of five, and it could be the answer for all of us! We also talk about Judith’s personal challenge to track everything she wore in 2024, and she shares what surprising and valuable insights she gleaned from it. 

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You can follow Judith on Instagram (@judithroaslind).

Judith founded and co-hosted the @sewover50 account. 

Listen to Judith’s first appearance on Check Your Thread:

Judith is involved in The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. 

Read more about the Rule of Five as invented/interpretted by Tiffanie Darke. 

Judith discovered the concept via Gemma Metheringham’s excellent IG account, @the_elephant_in_my_wardrobe.

The WRAP NGO is an excellent source of information about the impact of consumption, and how we can move towards a circular economy. 

The Hot Or Cool Institute is the source of the research that informed the Rule of Five. 

Read more about Judith’s interpretation of the Rule of Five. 

One tactic for reducing your fabric stash is to participate in the Last Sewist Standing challenge, invented by Lise Bauer. 

Judith makes most of her fabric purchases at Merchant & Mills. 

Hear from Tiffanie Darke about the Rule of Five on this podcast:

Judith also volunteers at The Remakery in Edinburgh. 

Previous-guest, Wendy Ward (@thatwendyward), is doing interesting work tracking the frequency of wear of her garments.

Check out the 1908 diary (@the1908diary), an account run by Louise (@theknitnurse).

Judith’s quarterly wardrobe tracking updates were posted to Instagram on:

Judith’s method for recording her garment wears:

Read the article ‘Forget Fitness Tracking: Wardrobe Tracking is All the Rage in 2024’ by Emily Chan for Vogue, 21st January 2024. 

Those of us who make our own clothes know that taking the time to make a toile or muslin, and altering our sewing patterns to fit our own bodies are steps we ought to take. We know that they’ll result in better fitting garments that we’ll want to wear more often. But these steps can feel like huge hurdles when you don’t know what to do with a toile or muslin once you’ve made it. Drafting and fitting expert, Kate Roberts from Project Patterns, joins us again to answer a ton of questions that will lift the lid on the whole process. By the end of this episode, I all but guarantee that you will have the confidence to give fitting a go. 

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Find Kate’s business, Project Patterns, via her website, on Instagram @projectpatterns and also on YouTube.

Listen to Kate’s previous episode on CYT, 

Kate’s preferred ruler for drafting and pattern alteration is a pattern master:

Mine is a large set square!

Kate would describe a tracing wheel as a ‘nice to have’ piece of equipment.

Dot and cross / spot and cross pattern paper can be bought on large rolls making it pretty inexpensive per metre. 

Bella Loves Patterns is a brand that offers two height options for all styles, which might be a handy starting point for those who always have to alter the length of the sewing patterns they wish to make. 

For tall sewers, Sew DIY offers patterns drafted to fit a 5ft 10” body. 

Find out everything about Kate’s community Membership options!

Once again, it’s time to consider participating in Me-Made-May, the annual wardrobe challenge I accidentally started 16 years ago. This episode is a super quick explainer, or refresher, on what the challenge is all about and how you can participate. 

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For a lengthier, fuller explanation of the challenge, what it is, what it isn’t, how to participate and why you might want to, listen to:

Visit this page if you’d like to learn more about the Me-Made-May workbook:

I’m guessing that there are at least a few garments in your wardrobe that fit you ok, but you’ve kind of fallen out of love with. Or maybe you fancy injecting even more of your personality and style into your handmade wardrobe. This week I’m bringing you a conversation with legendary sewing and craft teacher, Cal Patch. Cal shares heaps of tips, tricks and info on how you could go about embellishing your clothes to create a deeper connection to the items you own. 

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Find out more about Cal via her website and on Instagram (@hodgepodgefarm)

One of my first encounters with Cal was via her book, ‘Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified’:

I thoroughly recommend you listen to these other episodes of podcasts that feature Cal:

New for 2025 is Cal’s year-long virtual class, the Artful Garment.

Learn more about the Print Gocco home-printing set.

Unfortunately not currently available, a screen printing kit by Bobbinhood is what I occasionally use to embellish sewing projects. 

Watch the ‘One Stitch, Every Size’ videos by The Stitchery on the different effects you can get using different embroidery threads and thicknesses. 

If you haven’t already, listen to:

Find Radha’s Thrift Your Fabric map on her website.

Check out Cal´s Hack Club.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been looking at how to make quilts more sustainable, but what do you know about the quilt makers that came before us? What motivated their practices and influenced their designs? What techniques were deployed to be as economical with their fabric and fibres as possible? Did they make their quilts alone? And how did quilt making change with the introduction of the sewing machine? We hear from historian Deb McGuire who lifts the lid on all these questions and explains how we can reintroduce some of these practices into our making future. 

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Discover Deb’s work at her website plainstitch.co.uk. 

Read more about Deb’s research with Dr Jess Bailey into the history of quilt making in the British Isles at withintheframe.co.uk. 

An example of a quilted petticoat from the V&A’s collection, made approx. 1750-1770 and later altered approx. 1870-1910:

You can also follow Deb on Instagram (@plainstitchdeb) to see what she’s working on. 

Deb also writes a column for The Quilter magazine, a quarterly publication for members of the Quilter’s Guild.  

The Within The Frame website provides a resource on where to source small flock fibre in the UK, as well as where you can buy an actual quilt frame (they start from just £160!). 

You can check out all Deb’s quilts in her gallery, including the Waste Not Want Not quilt:

Do you dabble in quilt making? Or are you curious to give it a go someday? Well this episode is PACKED full of amazing tips submitted by CYT listeners on how to do so more sustainably. So you can get maximum enjoyment from the process and finished item, whilst knowing that the negative impact it had on the environment is just about as low as it could get.

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(image source: Dinh Pham via Unsplash)

Quilt top made by Katie from scraps:

Hannah made a quilt from her dad’s shirts:

Another amazing scrap quilt, this one by Kathryn:

Andrea was inspired to try quilt making after visiting the American Museum in Bath, UK. 

Andrea’s quilting related book suggestions:

Books

World of Quilts - Cassandra Ellis

Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy - Sara Larson Buscaglia 

Parson Gray Trade Quilts - David Butler  

Inspiration Kantha - Anna Hergert

Countless ones by Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably, but these use their fabric collections. 

Some free and pay-what-you-can resources, also suggested by Andrea:

Matchy Matchy quilt patterns (one is free)

Cedar Quilt Co (free pattern available)

Farm & Folk  I have Sara's amazing book, 'Quilt Alchemy' which focuses on dyeing fabrics to then use in quilts; her blog also has lots of useful information on how to quilt. 

Sew Diy - Beth has a pay-what-you-can course on improvisational quilting. I haven't purchased the course but I basically stole the idea to make various bags as gifts. I think I've posted some photos in the Patreon group. 

Watch the YouTube video by Mary B about sorting scraps that Louise found inspiring. 

Here’s some of the strips and 5” blocks that Louise has been creating from her scraps:

The mini quilt and the Wild Star quilt from Plains and Pine made by Kat:

Hopefully, full-on burnout is not something you have, or will, experience yourself. However, we all encounter periods of pressure and stress. My guest, Radha Weaver, is a recovering overachiever who worked in a demanding role at Levi’s for fifteen years. Travelling all over the globe developing multiple product lines eventually proved too much, and it was sewing and quilt making that Radha turned to to reconnect with her creative identity. And, ironically, it was reclaimed denim that she’s since been most drawn to working with. In stark contrast to her former job role, Radha is now carving a path for herself promoting the reuse of existing textiles, and she explains how and why we could incorporate them into our own work also. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find Radha Weaver via her website, Sewing Through Fog, and follower on Instagram (@sewingthroughfog).

Radha mentioned the Fibershed movement that’s committed to the production of ethical and environmentally sound local textiles. 

Radha compared two Check Your Thread episodes:

I recommend you check out Radha’s appearance on the Quilter on Fire podcast which was episode #177. 

Radha has developed a range of patterns and online classes to help people work with reclaimed textiles and upcycle their jeans, including her amazing tote bag backpack combo pattern:

Find the Thrift Your Fabric map to discover your nearest creative resource centres.

Radha volunteers at Scrap SF, the happiest place on earth, apparently!

Swanson’s Fabrics is a well known source in the US for preloved fabric and notions.  

Radha recently acquired Feel Good Fibers, a US-based destash market place!