Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

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.

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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.

Do you fancy a fun catch up with repeat guest Lise Bauer? Of course you do! In this episode we find out what has changed with Lise’s relationship with her fabric stash, and we both make confessions regarding recent fabric purchases. Lise also makes a strong case for attending a Frocktails event, and suggests a different way to engage with social media.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

The costumes made by my big kid:

Find Lise and the Last Sewist Standing challenge updates at @the.craft.camp on Instagram.

You can sign up to this year’s round of Last Sewist Standing via the sign-up post on Instagram.

Check out Lise’s personal account @miss.taeschli on Instagram.

Listen to Lise discuss the challenge in the previous episode:

Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer

Ep. #189: Are Zoe & Lise still in Last Sewist Standing

Other episodes of CYT mentioned in this episode:

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

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

The dress I made with the sleeves from the synthetic fabric from Walthamstow:

Find out about The Swiss Frocktails event via Instagram @swiss.frocktails and get tickets via Eventbrite.

Lise is organising Swiss Frocktails with Rebekka @gemeine_wildrebe and Benja @onweekends.

Maker Alexandria Arnold @alexandria_arnold hosts a regular knit night in London.

All of us are aware of and enjoy many of the mental health benefits of crafting, making and mending. Rebecca Jackson understands this better than most, having experienced one of the worst things someone can go through. It led her to set up The Big Fandango five years ago in Bury, just outside Manchester in the UK. The Big Fandango is a social enterprise with workshop space that creates and nurtures community and positive mental health through learning sewing and textiles craft skills, whilst also delivering suicide prevention training to businesses and organisations.

You will also hear from Jeanna Wigger and Mary Morton, authors of the awesome mending book, ‘Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It’, who were delivering a mending workshop as part of their North of England book tour a couple of weeks ago.

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Rebecca Jackson founded The Big Fandango, a social enterprise based in Bury, Manchester, UK.

Listen to my episode with Jeanna and Mary about their amazing book:

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

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

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

Listen to my other previous conversations with Jeanna:

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. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger

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

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

Mary and Jeanna regularly recommend the ‘Repair What You Wear’ website to would-be menders. Also @RepairWhatYouWear on YouTube, and in this episode mentioned their videos on how to thread a needle easily for right handed people and for left handed people.

It seems like every day, another small craft business announces that it’s closing down. In this solo episode I’m looking at the causes. What can we do to both support small businesses AND buy less new stuff for the sake of our planet?

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Tim Mossholder via Unsplash

Find out more about the Last Sewist Standing challenge:

Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer

This Forbes article, ‘The Benefits Of Shopping Small All Year Long’ by Jim Granat, was really interesting.

The shoplocaluk.org website has some more useful information.

I used the definition of the cost of living crisis from this fuelgenie.co.uk article.

Enjoy Gina Ferrari’s Substack.

You’ll have heard me say it a ton of times before: sewing clothes yourself isn’t necessarily the most sustainable way to clothe yourself or your family. But obviously, you’ll be prizing my sewing machine out of my cold, dead hands. However, with literal mountains of existing garments already in the world, there are plenty of other ways to source clothing with a reduced environmental and social impact. In this episode, I speak with Izzie Eriksen, founding director of a Glasgow-based social enterprise called ApparelXchange, about the various ways we can clothe our young people more sustainably. We also hear what ApparelXchange is doing to tackle child poverty AND nurture their local community.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Izzie Eriksen is the founding director of Glasgow-based social enterprise ApparelXchange. Follow them on Instagram @apparelxchange.

This episode is the sister to:

Ep. #206: How to Sew More Sustainably for Kids

Photos from the ApparelXchange shop and warehouse: