As working from home is a new reality, the Threads staff thought it was time to put remote technology to use and make additional episodes of our monthly Sewing With Threads podcast. We’ll be sharing weekly episodes on Fridays through the month of April, and possibly beyond.

In this bonus episode, editors Carol, Erica, and Sarah talk about sewing techniques, getting hired at Threads, and making face masks for healthcare workers, family, or personal use.

Please be patient with any blips in the audio, since this episode was taped over the internet. For our future remote episodes, we are working on improving quality and adding video.

Contributing Editor Judith Neukam tells a few true tales of fabric stash disasters, some with surprising endings, in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 26.

Three editors share their favorite tips for beginners in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 25. Seasoned sewing enthusiasts also may benefit from these bits of advice, as they include useful information for improving efficiency and making sewing more enjoyable.

Learn how Threads magazine scrutinizes some of the latest commercial garment patterns released by the mainstream and lesser-known pattern companies. In the Sewing with Threads Episode 24 video podcast, expert Anna Mazur shares how she compiles the magazine's Pattern Review department for each issue, a complex job she has honed over the last 15 years. She whittles down pattern options from more than 150 pattern companies and relies on 21 Threads pattern testers to help evaluate the chosen patterns.

Find out the latest trends in sewing machine embroidery from expert Katrina Walker in the Sewing with Threads Episode 23 video podcast.

Katrina plays a key role in the ever-evolving world of sewing machine embroidery. She's a brand ambassador for Pfaff sewing and embroidery machines and a Sulky thread Sewcialite. Besides teaching classes, she designs extensively.

Embellishment expert and teacher Ellen W. Miller talks about writing Creating Couture Embellishment, a reference for garment embellishing techniques, in Episode 22 of Sewing With Threads.

Her 400-page book is based on a couture details class she taught at Boston School of Fashion. She shares her painstaking process of photographing and writing step-by-step instructions for a whopping 174 embellishment techniques. It took her well beyond her initial time frame of two years.

"I wanted to show them in all of their glory, she says of the embellishments. "That guided my exploration into it."

Ellen explains three ways to complete each technique in the book, and she talks about the one she found mentally challenging. She also notes which embellishments she left out and discusses another book idea she is considering. Among the techniques featured in the book are grommets and lacing, and manipulated tucks.

Image consultant, teacher, and author Nancy Nix-Rice shares her thoughts and advice on how to create a flattering, versatile wardrobe in the Sewing with Threads Episode 21 video podcast.

During the podcast, she explains her philosophy of choosing fabrics for sewing garments. She also delves into the "core four" method of building a wardrobe, and she outlines how to create or choose four core pieces. In addition, she discusses her "points of connection" method of selecting garments that link to an individual's physical characteristics.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 20 video podcast, custom clothier and teacher Pamela Howard discusses how to select fabrics that work for a chosen pattern and which fabrics are the most flattering for your shape. Her suggestions go well beyond the fabrics recommended on a commercial pattern.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 19 video podcast, Threads Digital Ambassador and vintage pattern aficionado Peter Lappin shares his latest vintage pattern creations, discusses his upcoming camp shirt class, and delves into garment plackets and interfacings.

Pattern designer, teacher, and author Gretchen Hirsch discusses the growth of her brand and business, her upcoming plans, and her sewing fantasies in the Sewing with Threads Episode 18 podcast. 

Gretchen, better known as Gertie, came on to the sewing scene with Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing. She expanded her business and created By Gertie, which offers online sewing tutorials; announces her upcoming events and traveling workshops; and sells her patterns, fabrics, and books. She also has been a licensed Butterick pattern designer.