Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

Imagine if all of us sewists piled up the contents of our fabric collections into one big heap. That would be a huge amount of fabric! Collectively we have A LOT of beautiful and useful fabric already in our possession that just isn’t getting used. You know me, I’m nosey, I want to know WHY that is! Why aren’t we using the pieces we love? And what would it take for us to actually cut into it? This is a community episode that digs into this topic.

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Fabric photo by Emma Green via Unsplash

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser for voicing some of the written submissions. Lindsay is a sewist, choir leader and voice over artist, and can be found @lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram.

You might have heard Lindsay in the previous episodes:

Ep. #180: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 1 

Ep. #181: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 2

Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser

Lindsay is considering the Roman Overcoat Pattern by Maison Fauve for her Harris tweed:

Martha has been toiling and fitting the Belemnite Dress pattern by Marilla Walker for her green cotton/hemp fabric bought in Tokyo:

Yvonne has a couple of waistcoat project ideas for her precious fabric:

Rachel intends to use the Square Shirt pattern by Domum Creation for this Liberty Coastal Landscape Tana Lawn fabric.

Debs has is consider both the Jasika Blazer pattern by Closet Core Patterns and the Naomi Blazer pattern by The Modern Sewing Company for her beloved wool:

Diana has great plans for the Saturday Top pattern (part of a set) by Friday Pattern Company to use both her special lengths of fabric:

Chloe made the Azure Dress pattern by Closet Core Patterns. See the finished garment here!

As crafters, we usually develop a personal bond with our creative projects. But we might not consider the value and importance our crafting projects have for those close to us. And what do you do if a half finished project started by someone close to you falls into your possession that you are unable to finish?

Amazing guest host, Kat Camfield, talks to Masey Kaplan, the co-creator of Loose Ends: a non-profit that matches volunteer handwork finishers with projects that have been left behind by people who have passed away, or are no longer able to craft due to illness or disability.

Loose Ends is a truly incredible enterprise that is responsible for facilitating so much care and healing for families who are then able to honour and treasure their loved one’s creativity and passion.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Listen to Episode #72: The Return of Canada’s Forgotten Wartime Quilts of the Haptic & Hue podcast.

Masey Kaplan officially co-founded Loose Ends (@thelooseendsproject on IG) in May 2023:

Photo credit: Michala Rueter

Ravelry is sometimes used to view a potential finisher’s work.

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @gatherandstitch.ca.

Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design

Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1

Ep. #201: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 2

Ep. #204: The Sewing Machine, A Novel - Kat Camfield with Natalie Fergie 

Ep. #214: Is Inclusivity Enough? - Kat Camfield with Frances from Sincere Studio 

Ep. #221: Upcycling Secrets - Kat Camfield with Brynn, Emily & Meagan

Ep. #227: Threading Change - Kat Camfield with Sophia Yang

Ep. #231: A Business Based on Scraps - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil

Ep. #232: Magic and Movement for Makers - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil

Ep. #235: Make Quilts Political Again - Kat Camfield with Lorraine Woodruff-Long

Do you enjoy the challenge of making new things out of old? My guest for this week’s episode, Ros Williams, reconnected with her sewing machine during lockdown and has been transforming existing textiles in incredibly creative ways ever since. She even co-organised a charity shop crawl around her area in Edinburgh to help others access and give new life to what already exists in the world.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Follow Ros Williams’s creativity on Instagram @williamsrosamund.

Ros initially connected with the online sewing community through the @sewover50 account.

Ros also volunteers with previous-guests Judith Staley and Mary Morton as part of the Edinburgh Street Stitchers and through the Shrub Coop.

Learn more about the Edinburgh Spiders who weave camouflage nets to send to Ukraine.

Ros’s Teatowel jacket making obsession began with the first one she made for her son using teatowels she found in her parents’ home:

Ros uses the Ilford Jacket pattern by Friday Pattern Co. as the basis for her jacket creations.

More textiles reclaimed from her parents’ home became this yellow and blue tablecloth dress:

The Morningside Charity Shop Crawl was organised to promote shopping for second hand clothing, and the poster/leaflet/map was designed by Ros’s son, Jack (@jack_stamp_art):

Psychomoda is the organiser of the ReFashion Edinburgh event that Ros will be exhibiting in this year (2026).

As part of her HND costume course Ros made a 17thC outfit for her husband John:

….and a Japanese inspired Burlesque outfit:

Jo Andrews is the creator of Haptic & Hue, the podcast through which she uncovers fascinating stories always through the lens of textiles, many of which might otherwise have been lost. A professional reporter and correspondent, Jo leaves me awe with her incredible story telling skills. I got to ask her tons of questions about the creation and impact of Haptic and Hue, all posed by the amazing patrons of CYT.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Jo Andrews is the creator of the Haptic & Hue podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram @hapticandhue.

Jo and her partner Bill create an additional podcast called Travels with Textiles for those who choose to support their work as a ‘friend of Haptic & Hue’.

Specific episodes mentioned in the conversation include:

Colour Is Mine (about textile designer Althea McNish)

The Return of Canada’s Forgotten Wartime Quilts (see photos below) 

A Sliver of Deep Blue Cloth: Unravelling the Textiles of Enslavement

Australia’s Convict Quilt: Something to be Proud of

The Witches of Scotland: How a New Tartan Became a Living Memorial

The Language of Thread: Why Sewing Matters and How Sewing was Taught

The Tangled Tale of Tartan

The Intelligence of the Hands and the Creative Brain

Jo shows me her self-made cordage bag WIP:

Jo shared some images of the Canadian Quilts mentioned in the conversation, including a close of the label tracing one of the quilt’s origin:

Many of us sewers feel confused and even wary of the term deadstock fabric. Does buying fabric labelled ‘deadstock' really save it from landfill or incineration? Or are we enabling fabric producers and fashion brands to get away with overproduction, incentivising it even? And what’s the difference between ‘deadstock’ and ‘overstock’, and how, as consumers, can we tell the difference?

This week, you’ll hear my conversation with Hannah and Rosie from London-based The New Craft House as they unpick this topic for us, leaving us all with a greater understanding. From school friends, to craft bloggers, to workshop facilitators to fabric purveyors, the current incarnation of their business is made possible by navigating the excesses and waste of the fashion industry. In this conversation Hannah and Rosie are super open and candid about how their business runs, and their plans and hopes for its more sustainable future.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in September 2024 as Ep. #151

Find The New Craft House online, via Instagram (@newcrafthouse) and IRL at their London studio.

They explain the nature of deadstock fabric on their website.

#sewyourselfsustainable is the hashtag they created to encourage the sewing community to explore more sustainable practices during September.

It also coincides with other sustainability-related endeavours, including Oxfam´s Secondhand September campaign.