Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

The next installment of the SIDDI tour with Jeanna and Mary. I speak to Charlotte from Stitched Up - a Manchester-based not-for-profit with the goal of building an alternative fashion future by sharing sewing, mending and upcycling skills, and facilitating clothing swaps and textile recycling. I spoke to Charlotte Vinsen who freelances with Stitched Up, about what Stitched Up do, how it works and who it’s for. I also catch up with Jeanna and Mary after they deliver their first interactive talk, and we debrief on what went down and what went well.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Charlotte Vinsen freelances at Stitched Up. Follow Stitched Up on Instagram @stitchedupcoop and Charlotte @charlottevinsen.

The Stitched Up team are (l-r) Winona, Sarah, Charlotte, Katy & Bryony:

Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack.

Mary Morton can be found @edinburghstreetstitchers and @mvm13 on Instagram.

Mary volunteers at the Shrub Coop, a ZW charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland (@shrubcoop on Instagram).

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna and Mary:

Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 

Ep. #191: Stitch it, Don’t Ditch it with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger

Ep. #217: Mending for Mental Wellbeing with Rebecca from The Big Fandango

Find their awesome book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’.

Mary and Jeanna giving their interactive talk and triaging the damaged items brought by attendees:

In recent years there’s been a growing amount of research and understanding around neurodiversity: the variety of ways in which different people’s brains and nervous systems work. With more and more people getting formerly diagnosed, or at least identifying as being neurospicy to some degree, regular guest, Kim Witten, who is a coach, writer and one of my cleverest friends, is back on the podcast to explore what it means to be neurodivergent, and how neurodivergence intersects with craft. We consider if and how neurodiversity might affect someone’s engagement with craft, and also the role that craft might have in functioning well as a neurodivergent person.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

You can find my other podcast, ‘Can I Dig It? Food Growing for Busy People’, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Kim Witten (@witten.kim on IG) is a transformational coach and writer:

She has appeared on the following 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

Ep. #110: Zoe & Kim go to the Stitch Festival

Ep. #162: How to Solve Your Next Sewing Problem with Kim Witten

Ep. #190: Sewing and the Four Tendencies with Jeanna, Kim & Lise

What are the biggest challenges AND the biggest joys of running a business making products from upcycled textiles? Legendary guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, has rounded up three intensely talented Canadian upcyclers: Brynn from B-Bot Clothing, Emily from Woodbrick and Meagan from Salt Legacy. We hear how they each started their businesses and their different approaches to the same problem: trying to divert textile waste from landfill. They all share tips and advice, including sourcing secrets for others wanting to get into upcycling, either for themselves or to start a business.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Want to learn more about the Me-Made-May challenge? Check out:

Ep. #177: Me-Made-May Explained in Under 5 Minutes

You can also find the very-optional-but-very-helpful Me-Made-May Workbook.

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

Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT:

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 

Meagan’s business is Salt Legacy. You can follow them on Instagram @saltlegacy:

Brynn’s business is B-Bot Clothing. You can follow them on Instagram @bbotclothing:

Emily’s business is Woodbrick. You can follow them on Instagram @woodbrick:

Brynn creates incredible upcycled sweaters (for example) with their ‘schtick’ being adding denim sleeves. Brynn also makes pouffe shells that can be stuffed with textile waste, and also sells the sewing pattern so you can make one yourself:

Woodbrick’s core products are crescent bags and fanny packs (for example) for kids and adults. Jackets made from upcycled textiles, including quilts, have also become very popular with their clients:

Meagan’s business, Salt Legacy, creates a range of durable bags and accessories from unwanted boat sails. Popular items include their signature tote bag design:

Listen to the previous episode about sizing adaptive and inclusive sewing patterns:

Ep. #219: Flux-Friendly Sewing Patterns with Sasha Starlight

No one should feel obligated to use their sewing skills and free time for anything they don’t want to use them for. However, if funds are tight, you might decide to look into how sewing can save, or even make, some money. In this episode you’ll hear from some members of the CYT Patreon community and subscribers to the CYT newsletter, about how they save money, and also make money, with sewing. If it’s something you’ve been thinking about, this episode is bound to provide inspiration.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Pierre Bamin via Unsplash

Also listen to the following related episodes:

Ep. #57: Can Sewing Save You Money?

Ep. #58: Sewing on a Budget

Sandra recommended the @sparklesewing YouTube channel on YT for advice on wedding dress alterations.

Learn to draft sewing patterns to sell via:

Pattern Lab London (plus their YouTube channel)

Lydia Sews Things

It is inevitable that our body’s shape and size will fluctuate over time, be that over the course of a day, a week, a month or a number of years. As more-sustainable sewists who want to get a lot of use from the items we make, we should be factoring in these body changes when planning our projects. So does that mean that everything we make should look like a potato sack? Pattern designer, Sasha Starlight, explains why the answer is NO! In this episode, Sasha describes some of the different attributes a sewing project can have to be flux friendly, and talks us through some unexpected benefits of using adjustable, adaptable, flexibly sized sewing patterns. By the end of this episode I’m sure you’re going to be super inspired to get making with your future comfort in mind.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Full descriptions of Sasha’s patterns can be found on her website and bought through her Etsy shop.

Follow Sasha on Instagram (@sasha__starlight) and enjoy her video content on YouTube channel (@sashastarlight).

I made the Palazzo Pants pattern:

Listen to the previous episodes discussing sewing with shape and size fluctuation in mind:

Ep. #72: Sewing for Body Changes

Ep. #76: Sewing for Body Changes, Part 2

The Rhapsody Dress pattern is Sasha’s most recent release:

The Burnside Bibs pattern by Sew House Seven offers adaptability for both size and style.

Sasha and I were discussing pants waist tightener pins.