Thread Cult

This episode, Christine catches up with Kate Sekules, founder of Refashioner, a new website that acts as a curated consignment shop for pre-loved couture and designer fashions. The women chat about what it means to invest in a beautiful wardrobe, why we should keep good clothes in rotation, and how the site differs from other online e-sellers, like eBay and Etsy.

By now, most people recognize the environmental and health benefits of eating natural, organic, and sustainably-raised food. But what about the fabrics we sew with and wear? Should we hold them to the same standard? In this episode, Christine chats with Tara Bloyd, founder of NearSea Naturals, an online retailer specializing in organic, sustainable, and domestically produced cotton, wool, silk, and hemp fabrics.

Making perfect-fitting clothes is one of the toughest sewing skills to master. In this episode, couture designer and sewing expert Kenneth D. King gives his tips on achieving perfect fit, as well as details on his new Threads DVD series "Smart Fitting with Kenneth D. King."

Textile designer Lotta Jansdotter is the epitome of Scandinavian cool, even when she's designing in her Brooklyn studio. Christine catches up with Lotta on what's inspiring her now and her newest projects, including lines of fabric, rugs, and melamine picnic ware, out this spring.

The New York Times has called her the artisanal dyer of the fashion world, but Audrey Louise Reynolds, a Brooklyn-based natural dye and color expert, could also be considered an alchemist, as she turns fabric and natural plant dyes into high fashion. Christine chats with Audrey about creating colors, nature as muse, and her new line of kid-friendly natural crayons, paints, and molding clays.

Small crafts have become big business, with the likes of West Elm and Anthropologie trolling booths at the Renegade Craft Fair for the next big thing. This episode, Christine speaks with Sarah Spies, director of vendor relations for Renegade, about the growth of the indie craft movement, starting a crafts business, and tips for getting into one of the most influential indie craft fairs in the country.

Christine chats with renowned couture sewing expert Susan Khalje about sewing women’s dreams (wedding dresses!), fabric shopping in Paris, and a new series of online couture classes she’ll soon launch.

Since the industrial revolution, fashion has been inextricably linked with technology. From the invention of the sewing machine to the zipper to high-performance fabrics, technology has continually changed the way we make and wear clothing. This episode, Christine chats with Ariele Elia and Emma McClendon, co-curators of Fashion and Technology, a new show at the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in Manhattan. Along with talking about the exhibit, they also discuss how new inventions—such as 3D printing and fabrics made from bacteria—may change what we wear in the future. To see images of the show, visit Christine’s blog, www.daughterfish.com.

This episode, Christine chats with Stephen Fraser, co-founder of the digital fabric printing company Spoonflower, which has allowed crafters and small businesses to order custom-designed fabrics at affordable prices. Along with the company's origins, they talk about how internet-based businesses can innovate and change the way manufacturing is done in the U.S. today.

In this season of gift giving, Christine teams up with Oona, of Oonaballoona.com, to try and answer an elusive question: Why is it so hard to sew for your significant other? They tour Mood Fabrics in Midtown for a lesson in mens' shirting fabrics, and a frank and laugh-inducing discussion on why it's so dang hard to sew for men!