Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

Whether or not you identify as neurodivergent, you’re going to want to hear this episode. In Episode 222, Kim Witten and I requested submissions about people’s experiences of neurodivergence and craft. My goodness did we receive a fascinating selection of submissions. If you are at all interested in people, how they think and move through the world, you’re going to love this episode.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

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

Ep. #222: Neurodiversity and Craft with Kim Witten

We thoroughly recommend that you sign up to Kim’s excellent fortnightly newsletter, ‘Hold That Thought’.

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.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

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.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

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.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

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.