Check Your Thread Zoe Edwards
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- Leisure
Hello! Welcome to Check Your Thread, a podcast about sewing more sustainably. Each episode we enjoy nerding out about sewing, whilst picking up ideas and useful tips for how to reduce our impact on the environment. My aim is always to approach topics with a sense of curiosity and fun, and hope to leave our listeners feeling inspired by the end of each episode.
Examples of topics that we cover include sourcing second hand textiles, zero waste sewing patterns, mending, upcycling, scrap-busting and alternative and surprising sources for fabric. If there are any topics you’d like CYT to cover, anyone you’d like me to get on the podcast to chat to or you’d just like to say hi, please email me at zoe@checkyourthread.com or message me via Instagram @checkyourthread.
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A season of mending with Jeanna W****r
Dedicating an entire season to acts of mending is a bold move. As you may know, the most recent round of the Winter of Care and Repair challenge just wrapped up. In this episode the challenge’s creator, Jeanna W****r, and I catch up to review the experience, both as individual participants and as members of this vibrant and inspiring global community of menders. So whether you’re in the southern hemisphere with Winter just round the corner, or you’re in the northern hemisphere and the next round is some way off, you’ll find out what benefits it could bring you, should you decide to participate.
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
You can follow Jeanna on Instagram @thepeoplesmending.
Listen to my previous conversation with Jeanna about the challenge:
Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna W****r
Other mending-related episodes you might enjoy include the three-part mini-series about Make Do and Mend:
Ep. #28: Make Do and Mend
Ep. #29: Lessons from the 1940s
Ep. #30: Tips and Takeaways from Make Do and Mend
Plus these solo episodes:
Ep. #47: Introduction to Patching
Ep. #68: Visible Vs Invisible Mending
Jeanna tested out multiple methods of lightweight sock repair and reviewed the results.
Image source: Jeanna Wigger
Examples of Jeanna’s mending, all of which fit within her definition of a mend that is hidden in plain sight, designed to look like it's "supposed to be there.": -
Self-Drafting for Fitting Success with Elisalex Jewell
Do you want to create well fitting clothes, but you’re put off by having to make lots of changes to your pattern plus multiple toiles to test the fit? My guest, Elisalex Jewell, is an anythor and one of the founders of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. Elisalex tells us why self drafting using your own body measurements might be for you.
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
Elisalex Jewell is the co-founder of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. You can also follow her on Instagram (@elisalex).
Elisalex´s mum is Orsola de Castro (@orsoladecastro), the co-founder and creative director of Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit activism movement which works towards a sustainable fashion industry
Elisalex has written a book with self-drafting tutorials and hacks called ‘Made to Measure: An Easy Guide to Drafting and Sewing a Custom Wardrobe’.
Elisalex prefers dot and cross paper for pattern drafting. UK-based people can order it from William Gee and from Morplan, among others.
Elisalex recommends DIY Daisy´s book, ‘Sew It Yourself’. You can listen to my conversation with Daisy:
Ep. #46: DIY Drafting and Inclusive Sewing with Daisy Braid
Rosie Martin has the blog ‘DIY Couture’ and wrote the book ‘No Patterns Needed: DIY Couture from Simple Shapes’.
Elisalex featured on Episode 30 of The New Craft House Podcast.
By Hand London’s circle skirt calculator is the original draft-it-yourself pattern!
Find all of By Hand London’s Draft It Yourself products on their website, including the Lucy dress (pictured below): -
Zoe & Kim go to The Stitch Festival
How can you attend a large sewing event more sustainably? Is it possible to avoid getting overwhelmed, to avoid regrettable impulse purchases and to actually enjoy yourself? I take my pal and previous-guest Kim Witten to her first major sewing event, The Stitch Festival in London. We gather advice on how to make the most of these events whilst getting inspired, making considered purchases and connecting with the wonderful sewing community.
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
Show notes:
**Click here to find the How to Sew Clothes from Fabric Scraps downloadable PDF**
Kim and I went to The Stitch Festival in London in March 2024.
Kim Witten is a Transformational Coach and Research Consultant.
Listen to Kim in previous episodes:
Ep. #71: Making Personal Manifestos with Kim Witten
Ep. #91: Self Knowledge for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
Ep. #92: Self Coaching for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
Kim enjoyed the printed jerseys on the Dots ‘n’ Stripes stand.
Zoe and Kim spoke to Charlotte (IG @lottejamiesoncrafts) on the Emporia Patterns stand. Emporia recently released two new patterns: Tony Shirt and Zoe Dress patterns.
Vicki Reid’s new fabric designs and buttons were produced in collaboration with Pigeon Wishes and can be found on her website What Vicki Made, along with her woven labels.
Sharon from Maven Patterns gave excellent advice about taking photos of things you like before committing to buying them. Listen to Sharon’s husband Richard on the podcast:
Ep. #109: More Sustainable Thread Options with Richard from James Tailoring
Ep. #114: More Sustainable Haberdashery with Richard Mendham
Fauve (IG @sew_fauve) and Asmaa (IG @sewgical_endeavours) from GBSB 2024 are collaborating as Imperfectly Perfect (IG @imperfectlyperfectbyfna) to run sewing classes in South Wales.
My lovely colleague Claire was working on the Fabric Godmother stand wearing a dress made using the Vali Dress & Top pattern from Pattern Fantastique.
We bumped into previous-guest Tony Rea (IG @tonyr.maker). Listen to the episode:
Ep. #124: Fearless Sewing with Tony Rea
Kim plans to use her olive green denim to make the Cosecha Pants pattern by Sew Liberated. -
How to Sew Clothes From Fabric Scraps
Would you like to have new types of creative fun whilst saving money AND reducing your environmental impact? Sewing clothes from fabric scraps gives you all these things, AND the results are always completely unique. Today I’m sharing everything I’ve learnt over the years about sewing clothes from scraps. And although there’s never a right way or wrong way to approach sewing with scraps, these pointers will help you get started quickly if it’s something you’d like to try.
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
**Download the guide that accompanies this episode ‘How to Sew Clothes From Fabric Scraps’**
Listen to the following related episode:
Ep. #116: Improv Scrap Play with Sherri Lynn Wood
Fast track your fabric knowledge with the downloadable ‘Introduction to Garment Fabrics’ guide.
Pattern suggestions for self-piecing:
Brindille & Twig (all children’s)
Boxy Tee
Lounge Sweatshirt
School Sweats
Vintage Pants
Wide Loungers
Grainline Studios
Linden Sweatshirt
Scout Tee
Willow Tank & Dress
Helen’s Closet
Jackson Tee & Pullover
Orchard Top & Dress
Sam Apron
York Pinafore
Named Clothing
Ninni Culottes
Tessuti Patterns
Amara Vest
Athina Top
Kate Top
Myka Top
Tosca Tunic
True Bias
Marlo Sweater
Waves and Wild
Driftwood Dolman (men’s/straight fit)
Field Trip Joggers (men’s/straight fit)
Field Trip Joggers (teen-male/straight fit)
Heyday Dungarees (adult’s)
Heyday Dungarees (children’s)
Pattern suggestions for pattern-led piecing:
Bel’Etoile
Isa Sweater, Dress & Top adults
Isa Sweater, Dress & Top kids
Blueprints for Sewing
Geodesic Sweatshirt
Saltbox Tee & Tank
Elizabeth Sweetwater
Ziggy Top
Boatneck Colourblock T-shirt
Striped Zipper Jacket
Jennifer Lauren Handmade
Emmie Tee
Matchy Matchy Sewing Club (most of them)
Megan Nielsen
Karri dress
Misusu Patterns (most of them) which include childrens as well as adult designs.
Sew Liberated:
Nest Sweatshirt
Tessuti Patterns
Lennox Sweatshirt
Tilly and the Buttons:
Sonny Jacket - there are lots of other panelled jacket patterns that would work equally well, but I’m suggesting the Sonny because it comes in a very inclusive size range.
Here are some wonderful, creative businesses and individuals who are creating awesome garments with piecing fabrics:
@tannerfrostbowen
@zerowastedaniel
@holycowsberlin
@broken.supply.co
@lesreloux
@softpawvintage
@threadandsprout
@isabelle_sews
@judywillimentross
@theconsistencyproject
@the.light.touch
@rachiesews
@m.o.s.s.o.m
@kionek
@spunkybruiser
@sweetfindupcycled
@elizabethsweetwaterpatterns
@pettypopcornmakes
Improv quilters, modern quilters and boro practitioners are also a fantastic source of piecing inspiration. Take a look at the following:
@sherrilynnwood
@momiyamatakao
@modernstitchwitch
@encodedstudio
@spontaneousthreads
@blue_movement2017
Two more resources that might be useful:
Improvisational Quilting for Garment Sewists e-course - Sew DIY
Making a Scrap Patchwork Hovea Coat from Leftover Fabric - Megan Nielsen blog -
Scrap Strategies, Part 2
Have you got your fabric scrap strategy sorted yet? This is the second part of the Scrap Strategies episodes and we’ll be discovering more systems, solutions and uses from the Check Your Thread listeners. Then we summarise all we’ve learnt to help YOU choose what’s best for you!
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
Image source: Ksenia Chernaya via Pexels
Listen to:
Ep. #119: Seasonal Stash Organisation
Check out the resource Amy spoke about regarding textile recycling.
Thread and Sprout on Instagram (@threadandsprout) is a great source of inspiration for how to combine fabric scraps. -
Scrap Strategies, Part 1
If you’re a garment sewer, I’m sure you’re more than aware of how quickly fabric scraps and leftovers can start to pile up. Your fabric scraps contain so much creative potential, but you need some strategies in place so they don’t overwhelm you. In this episode, we hear from CYT listeners who share what scraps they keep, how they store them, and what they use them for. Use these responses to form your own scrap strategies and solutions!
Support the podcast over on Patreon!
Image source: Fiona Murray via Unsplash