Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

• #179: The Five Fabrics Rule with Judith Staley

  As makers, we need materials to create with. And a love of beautiful textiles is often part of why we got into sewing in the first place. But as residents of a planet experiencing a climate and ecological crisis, we need to be mindful of what we’re consuming and how much. So is there a way to indulge in fabric purchasing that’s also inline with what’s best for our planet? My guest this week, Judith Staley, has recently implemented a system for herself that is backed by research called the rule of five, and it could be the answer for all of us! We also talk about Judith’s personal challenge to track everything she wore in 2024, and she shares what surprising and valuable insights she gleaned from it. Support the podcast over on Patreon!You can follow Judith on Instagram (@judithroaslind).Judith founded and co-hosted the @sewover50 account. Listen to Judith’s first appearance on Check Your Thread:Ep. #12: Sew Over 50 with Judith StaleyJudith is involved in The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. Read more about the Rule of Five as invented/interpretted by Tiffanie Darke. Judith discovered the concept via Gemma Metheringham’s excellent IG account, @the_elephant_in_my_wardrobe.The WRAP NGO is an excellent source of information about the impact of consumption, and how we can move towards a circular economy. The Hot Or Cool Institute is the source of the research that informed the Rule of Five. Read more about Judith’s interpretation of the Rule of Five. One tactic for reducing your fabric stash is to participate in the Last Sewist Standing challenge, invented by Lise Bauer. Judith makes most of her fabric purchases at Merchant & Mills. Hear from Tiffanie Darke about the Rule of Five on this podcast:Ep. 4, Season 2 of The Enoughness - Tiffanie Darke: How to be in fashion now, finding purpose, the joy of being less greedy. Judith also volunteers at The Remakery in Edinburgh. Previous-guest, Wendy Ward (@thatwendyward), is doing interesting work tracking the frequency of wear of her garments.Check out the 1908 diary (@the1908diary), an account run by Louise (@theknitnurse).Judith’s quarterly wardrobe tracking updates were posted to Instagram on:2nd April 2024 1st July 2024 1st October 2024 2nd January 2025Judith’s method for recording her garment wears:Read the article ‘Forget Fitness Tracking: Wardrobe Tracking is All the Rage in 2024’ by Emily Chan for Vogue, 21st January 2024.

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• #178 What you should know about fitting with Kate Roberts

  Those of us who make our own clothes know that taking the time to make a toile or muslin, and altering our sewing patterns to fit our own bodies are steps we ought to take. We know that they’ll result in better fitting garments that we’ll want to wear more often. But these steps can feel like huge hurdles when you don’t know what to do with a toile or muslin once you’ve made it. Drafting and fitting expert, Kate Roberts from Project Patterns, joins us again to answer a ton of questions that will lift the lid on the whole process. By the end of this episode, I all but guarantee that you will have the confidence to give fitting a go. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Find Kate’s business, Project Patterns, via her website, on Instagram @projectpatterns and also on YouTube.Listen to Kate’s previous episode on CYT, Ep. #95: Refining Fit with Kate Roberts Ep. #96: Pattern Fitting Q&A with Kate RobertsKate’s preferred ruler for drafting and pattern alteration is a pattern master:Mine is a large set square!Kate would describe a tracing wheel as a ‘nice to have’ piece of equipment.Dot and cross / spot and cross pattern paper can be bought on large rolls making it pretty inexpensive per metre. Bella Loves Patterns is a brand that offers two height options for all styles, which might be a handy starting point for those who always have to alter the length of the sewing patterns they wish to make. For tall sewers, Sew DIY offers patterns drafted to fit a 5ft 10” body. Find out everything about Kate’s community Membership options!

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

  Once again, it’s time to consider participating in Me-Made-May, the annual wardrobe challenge I accidentally started 16 years ago. This episode is a super quick explainer, or refresher, on what the challenge is all about and how you can participate. Support the podcast over on Patreon!For a lengthier, fuller explanation of the challenge, what it is, what it isn’t, how to participate and why you might want to, listen to:Ep. #84: What is Me-Made-May?Visit this page if you’d like to learn more about the Me-Made-May workbook:

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• #176: Creating Connection Through Embellishment with Cal Patch

  I’m guessing that there are at least a few garments in your wardrobe that fit you ok, but you’ve kind of fallen out of love with. Or maybe you fancy injecting even more of your personality and style into your handmade wardrobe. This week I’m bringing you a conversation with legendary sewing and craft teacher, Cal Patch. Cal shares heaps of tips, tricks and info on how you could go about embellishing your clothes to create a deeper connection to the items you own. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Find out more about Cal via her website and on Instagram (@hodgepodgefarm)One of my first encounters with Cal was via her book, ‘Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified’:I thoroughly recommend you listen to these other episodes of podcasts that feature Cal:Ep. #90 of Making Conversation: Color - Discovering your craft with Cal Patch Ep. #63 of Pattern Shift: Taking Yourself Seriously as a Business Owner with Cal PatchNew for 2025 is Cal’s year-long virtual class, the Artful Garment.Learn more about the Print Gocco home-printing set.Unfortunately not currently available, a screen printing kit by Bobbinhood is what I occasionally use to embellish sewing projects. Watch the ‘One Stitch, Every Size’ videos by The Stitchery on the different effects you can get using different embroidery threads and thicknesses. If you haven’t already, listen to:Ep. #173: Quilting Through Burnout with Radha Weaver Find Radha’s Thrift Your Fabric map on her website.Check out Cal´s Hack Club.

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• #175: The Secret History of Quilt Making with Deb McGuire

  Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been looking at how to make quilts more sustainable, but what do you know about the quilt makers that came before us? What motivated their practices and influenced their designs? What techniques were deployed to be as economical with their fabric and fibres as possible? Did they make their quilts alone? And how did quilt making change with the introduction of the sewing machine? We hear from historian Deb McGuire who lifts the lid on all these questions and explains how we can reintroduce some of these practices into our making future. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Discover Deb’s work at her website plainstitch.co.uk. Read more about Deb’s research with Dr Jess Bailey into the history of quilt making in the British Isles at withintheframe.co.uk. An example of a quilted petticoat from the V&A’s collection, made approx. 1750-1770 and later altered approx. 1870-1910:You can also follow Deb on Instagram (@plainstitchdeb) to see what she’s working on. Deb also writes a column for The Quilter magazine, a quarterly publication for members of the Quilter’s Guild. The Within The Frame website provides a resource on where to source small flock fibre in the UK, as well as where you can buy an actual quilt frame (they start from just £160!). You can check out all Deb’s quilts in her gallery, including the Waste Not Want Not quilt:

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