Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

Those of us who make some or all of our own clothes ourselves might feel like we’ve opted out of the fashion industry. However, as citizens of this planet and feminists, we can’t ignore the problems caused by clothing and fabric production. And, in fact, us home sewers might be well placed to have a huge positive impact. Because, as Sophia Yang, the founder of the world’s leading youth-led ethical fashion NGO, Threading Change, discusses with guest-host Kat Camfield, we know that clothes aren’t just commodities: they are creations that contain stories. And that concept is potentially powerful enough to disrupt the perception that clothing is disposable.

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Sophia Yang is the founder of Threading Change. You can also find them on Instagram @threadingchange.

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 

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

Learn more about The Shoe Project.

Engaging people by making community quilts is one aspect of Threading Change’s many actions:

Most of us think of sashiko as a type of visible mending that we discovered via Instagram or Pinterest. But what actually is sashiko, and how should we engage with it? Is it an artform to be revered and put on display? A common household practice borne out of necessity, used for survival? Is it a form of meditation? Or some lovely hand stitching patterns we can emulate to fix and customise our jeans? Atsushi Futatsuya, is a sashiko practitioner and story teller who helps fill in the blanks in our knowledge about this fascinating and multilayered practice.

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Photo by Kim Lightbody.

Atsushi Futatsuya has a website and can be followed on Instagram @sashikostory.

You can also watch his videos on YouTube.

There are three ways to take a class with Atsushi:

In-person in the US. 

Online as a mix of recorded and live sessions. 

Recorded online introductory course via Domestika.  

Check out where to order Atsushi’s new book, ‘Sashiko: The Untold Story’, around the world.

There are lots of online marketplaces out there through which you can sell or give away your unwanted crafting materials, but they all have their drawbacks. Destasher is a new UK -based platform JUST for sewists and yarn crafters wanting to buy, sell, giveaway or claim materials and supplies within the maker community. Its creator, Caroline, tells me what makes Destasher such a great option for those of us trying to make more sustainably and affordably.

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Check out and sign up to the Destasher website and follow them on Instagram @destasher_uk.

Makers’ accounts that Caroline is inspired by:

@madebysjp

@afrayedupcycling

She's just so fun and inventive. And I really loved her YouTube video where she talks about sewing being a form of rebellion.

@_lostfabric

Creates gorgeous jackets from old sleeping bags, blankets, and pre-owned materials, also offers the Boxy Jacket pattern.

@sleepyrabbitdesigns

Revolutionising children's fashion by recycling fabrics to create gorgeous gender neutral clothing as unique and fun as little ones.

@oneofsixdesign

Sustainable sewing and creative workshops for all ages in Walthamstow.

@littlebrowndogvintage

Handmade, one-of-a kind garments, all made by Nancy in Suffolk from vintage and rescued fabrics that have had a previous life.

@mcbeebags

Specialising in making bags and accessories using vintage fabrics.

I love hearing and reading practical tips for how to stay creative when your budget is tight. But what is rarely acknowledged in those types of content is how rubbish and frustrating trying to maintain a creative hobby when you’re skint actually feels. In this episode, we acknowledge and gently challenge some of those negative feelings, so that applying those practical tips feels positive and rewarding.

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Image source: Sasun Bughdaryanvia Unsplash

Other episodes to listen to related to this topic include:

Ep. #58: Sewing On a Budget

Ep. #64: Sewing Trends More Sustainably

Ep. #145: 5 Simple Tactics to Save on Sewing

Ep. #173: Quilting Through Burnout with Radha Weaver

Ep. #183: Get Your Stash Sorted!

Ep. #195: Introduction to Pattern Hacking

Download the free Seasonal Stash Guide.

Check out my Free Pattern Friday blog post series.

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.

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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: