Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

To be honest, this episode’s link to sustainability is very tenuous, but when repeat-guest Lise Bauer hits you up saying she needs to talk - you drop everything and talk. The main topic of conversation is where we’re both at with the latest round of the Last Sewist Standing challenge. I wonder if our statuses will surprise you…. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Lise and the Last Sewist Standing challenge updates at @the.craft.camp on Instagram.  Check out Lise’s personal account @miss.taeschli on Instagram. Listen to my previous conversations with Lise: Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer Ep. #164: Sewing Wins and Fails with Lise & Meg Ep. #189: Are Zoe & Lise Still in Last Sewist Standing? Ep. #190: Sewing and the Four Tendencies with Jeanna, Kim & Lise Ep. #218: Fabric Confessions with Lise Bauer

What does it take to be a self-sufficient maker? How do we acquire our knowledge? And to what extent are we subject to crafting influencers and advertising? This is the second part of my most recent conversation with return guest Shams el-Din Rogers, in which we explore this idea. We also share what’s giving us hope as we push into 2026.  Support the podcast over on Patreon! Find Shams el-Din Rogers @sepia_textiles on Instagram. Listen to her on previous episodes of CYT: Ep. #32: Textile Activism with Shams el–Din Rogers Ep. #49: Sewing as Art and Political Action with Shams el–Din Rogers Ep. #77: Stashes and Spaces with Shams el–Din Rogers Ep. #81: Travel, Sustainability and Sewing with Shams el-Din Rogers Ep. #142: Values Based Spending and Making with Shams el-Din Rogers Ep. #153: The Provenance of Materials and Techniques - Shams with Allie Davies Ep. #212: Creativity, Craft & Clutter with Shams el-Din Rogers Shams is on the board at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto. Shams regularly recommended the seminal book ‘Affluenza’ by Oliver James to her students.   Watch the trailer for the Japanese film Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa. Follow Works In Progress Toronto, the collective Shams is a member of, on Instagram (@works.in.progress.to) During our conversation we references the following previous CYT episodes: Ep. #210: How Frugality Builds Community with Mariel Davies Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser

Whether or not you’re a New Year’s Resolutions kind of person, setting some intentions about what you’d like more or less of in your life as you head into a new year can feel really positive. All of us want to spend more time making and being creative, and less time being sold to. My guest, Hayley from Sew Hayley Jane, and I discuss the issues faced by makers and small business owners when it comes to navigating social media, and Hayley makes some great suggestions that we can all apply today to spend more of 2026 doing the things that bring us joy.  Support the podcast over on Patreon! Read more about Puff and Pencil’s ‘Hands First January’ challenge.  Find Hayley on Instagram @sewhayleyjane and discover the Thready Set Go community that she runs.  Hayley loves the Fold Line, especially their ‘New In’ section, for discovering new potential sewing projects.   A recent project that helped Hayley level up her skills was the Falconer Pants by Helen’s Closet Patterns:

Whether or not you plan to participate in the Winter of Care and Repair challenge, we all have items we’re responsible for maintaining. Although, if you’re anything like me, there might be things you don’t even notice that are well within your control to improve, and will make your life better as a result. In this episode, we hear from a bunch of amazing CYT Patrons about what items they intend to fix over the coming season and how they plan to do it, to provide inspiration for the rest of us.  Support the podcast over on Patreon! Image source: Kwon Junho via Unsplash Access and download the FREE WOCAR tracker sheet.  The Winter of Care and Repair challenge was invented by Jeanna Wigger. Jeanna can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack which includes this explainer about WOCAR.  Listen to my 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. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger Find and order Jeanna’s book written with Mary Morton, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’.  Watch the tutorial by Arkdefo for the reusable party hats that Mary Morton mentioned.  Addams Family Stitches by Yonah and Rebecca:

We all experience shifts in our personal style. Usually, those shifts are gradual, but occasionally they can happen rapidly. My friend, freelance musician and singer, Lindsay Ashworth Fraser and I are both at a style crossroads ourselves. In this episode, we talk about where we’ve found ourselves stylistically, what brought us here, what’s next and how to ethically pass on the items that are no longer serving us.  Support the podcast over on Patreon! Lindsay Ashworth Fraser can be found @lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram. You might have heard Lindsay in the previous episodes: Ep. #180: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 1 Ep. #181: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 2 Check out the episode of Love to Sew podcast that got Lindsay thinking about the three-word method of definition your personal style: Ep. #108: Create your Dream Wardrobe by Love to Sew podcast The green jumpsuit Lindsay wore to the cinema to watch Wicked with her choir: A pattern that was a key turning point in a previous style shift I had was the Luna Pants pattern by Made by Rae:

Does shopping for natural fibres and more sustainable fabrics mean that you’re limited to solid colours in muted tones? Do you have to ignore your love of vibrant colour and bold prints? My guest today would answer “NO!” to both these questions. Tanya Brooman from Bornella Fabrics tells me about the sustainability ethos that underpins her fabric business, and what most frustrates her about the fabric industry today. Support the podcast over on Patreon! Tanya Brooman is the owner of Bornella Fabrics. You can also follow them on Instagram @bornellafabrics.  Tanya appeared in the previous episodes: Ep. #110: Knitting & Stitching Show 2023 Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024 Ep. #202: London Fabric Swap 2025 Tanya has a useful webpage on ‘Sustainable Fabric Lowdown’.  If developments in fabric production interest you, check out this episode: Ep. #50: The Future of Fabrics