The Straight Stitch: A Podcast About Sewing and Other Fiber Arts‪.‬ Janet Szabo

Social media is a two-edged sword. Negativity is everywhere, but the bright spots are waiting to be discovered. Today’s guest is Tiffany Scherschel, whose YouTube channel Hoosier Handmade is one of my favorite follows. Tiffany loves to sew garments, and she brings a positive, can-do attitude to every project. She also understands the importance of community and works hard to make all of her viewers feel like they are part of hers. I look forward to her twice-weekly videos—on Tuesdays and Fridays—and getting to sit down and chat with her in person was like having a cup of tea with a dear friend. 

In this week’s episode, we take a road trip to the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives in Butte, Montana. The Archives currently features an exhibit of vintage sewing machines from the collection of Virgil “Sarge” Sargent. The machines—from a late 1800s Willcox and Gibbs chainstitch machine all the way up to a 1960s Singer Rocketeer—detail the importance of sewing in this iconic western town, accompanied by a wealth of accessories, quilts, and vintage clothing from area collectors. Janet sat down for a lively conversation with the three organizers of the exhibit: Laura Sargent (Sarge’s widow), Leslie Doyle, and Rose Brock. Come along as we explore the history of sewing in the wild west. 

My guest today is Alex Jackson, owner and designer at H Clothing Company in Colorado. After graduating with degrees in business and wanting to start his own company with a sustainability focus, Alex settled on clothing manufacturing. A self-taught sewist, designer, and natural dyer, Alex creates the kind of clothing he wants to wear using hemp fabrics. Hemp is enjoying a resurgence as a useful natural fiber and requires far fewer chemical pesticides and herbicides than cotton. I know you’ll find Alex’s commitment to his vision as inspiring as I do. 

I took up quilting around 2010, after many years of being a professional knitting designer. For some reason, I was very drawn to scrap quilts, and they remain my favorites kinds to make. I am fascinated by the interplay of random bits of fabric. Join me for a discussion of my favorite books and patterns and get a few tips for making some scrap quilts of your own. 

How much do you think about the thread you use in your machine? Do you like to experiment with different kinds, or do you find one you like and stick to it? In today's podcast, we're going to explore the many kinds of threads currently available to sewists.  Learn about the structure, fiber content, and how choosing a thread can make or break your project. 

Today's episode covers a variety of topics—the Joann Fabrics bankruptcy filing, a student issue that arose at Sew Expo 2024, respectful fitting techniques, and some listener questions about printing PDF files and systems for organizing sewing projects in progress. Feedback, comments, and questions always welcome!