#186: What sewing machine technicians actually do with Bizz McKilligan
What do sewing machine repair and servicing professionals do that you can’t do yourself at home? And what CAN you do at home to make problems with your machine less likely? And what noises coming from your machine should you definitely NOT ignore? These are just some of the many questions that sewing machine technician, Bizz McKilligan, answers for us today. I first spoke to Bizz over a year ago when she’d just started up her sustainability-focused sewing store, The Green Thimble. She gives us an update on how it’s going and what she’s learnt over that time. Support the podcast over on Patreon!You can learn online about sewing machine maintenance and repair via Sewing Doc Academy. Bizz McKilligan in her self-made hoodie!:Bizz McKilligan is the owner of The Green Thimble, an online and bricks and mortar sewing shop in Victoria, Canada, that helps to recirculate existing sewing resources. Here’s their new logo:Follow them on Instagram @thegreenthimble.ca.Listen to Bizz’s first appearance on CYT:Ep. #120: How to care for your sewing machine with Bizz McKilliganIf you rely on a needle threader but your machine’s one keeps breaking, Bizz recommends purchasing an external needle threader like this one:Check out Bizz’s incredible self made knit dress that she made for, and wore at, a Frocktails event:
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#185: The Best Knitwear Repair Techniques with Skye Pennant
For most of us who sew our own clothes, basic garment repairs are not often a huge challenge. However, encountering knit items that are thinning or have holes? That can feel like a whole other ball game, especially if you’re not a knitter. In this episode professional repairer, educator and author, Skye Pennant, teaches us our scotch darn from our honeycomb darn, and shares her sometimes controversial opinions on the best type of threads to use for mending. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Photo credit: Kim LightbodySkye Pennant created Slow Stitch Club as a focus for her mending activities and business. Find the website, Instagram (@slowstitchclub), YouTube channel and the Slow Stitch Club Patreon. Listen to Skye on last week’s episode:Ep. #184: Mending and Overcoming Perfectionism with Skye PennantSkye wrote a book! ‘Well Worn: visible mending for the clothes you love’ is available through her website and elsewhere:Some examples of knitwear repairs by Skye:On Skye’s advice, I successfully mended my socks using the honeycomb darn technique:
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#184: Mending and Overcoming Perfectionism with Skye Pennant
Believing that we won’t be great at something can hold some of us back from giving it a go in the first place. And for those who are confirmed perfectionists, this belief can be even more of a barrier. Skye Pennant, creator of Slow Stitch Club, is a professional mender, mending educator and author, but suffers daily with perfectionism and imposter syndrome. If you experience those tendencies yourself, Skye has some wonderful advice about how to overcome them and become the visible mender you always hoped you’d be! Support the podcast over on Patreon!Photo credit: Celie NigoumiSkye Pennant created Slow Stitch Club as a focus for her mending activities and business. Find the website, Instagram (@slowstitchclub), YouTube channel and the Slow Stitch Club Patreon. The Seam is a UK-based company that matches menders with clients requiring repairs for their item/s. Skye wrote a book! ‘Well Worn: visible mending for the clothes you love’ is available through her website and elsewhere:A chance discovery of a speed weave darning loom in a junk shop kicked off Skye’s fascination with mending:Skye’s favourite mending book is ‘Mend it!: A Complete Guide to Clothes Repair’ by Maureen Goldsworthy, published in 1980.Millie Moon is a fabric and haberdashery shop in Frome, Somerset, UK, that has been a big supporter of Skye and her work.
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#183: Get Your Stash Sorted!
We’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes so we can feel well stocked, but not overwhelmed. But once we’ve passed on the pieces of fabric that we honestly can’t see ourselves sewing, what are we meant to do with what’s left? How can we store it so that its contents are both accessible AND inspiring to us? I’ve developed an organisation method that I call the Seasonal Stash System. In this episode, I explain how it works so you can weigh up if it’s something that might work for you. Support the podcast over on Patreon!(image source: Mel Poole via Unsplash)**CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FREE DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION OF THIS GUIDE**
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#182: How to Organise a Fabric Swap with Nike Baruwa
During the last few episodes we’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes: the idea being that our collection would then make us feel well stocked but not encumbered. But once you’ve selected the pieces that you can’t honestly see yourself sewing, what are you meant to do with them? There are a number of options, but fabric swaps have got to be one of the most fun AND most ethical ways of passing on what you no longer want. You might even pick up some new-to-you fabric that you’re inspired by, or even a couple of new sewing buddies! But if there aren’t any fabric swaps taking place in your location already, it might be on you to organise one. My guest this week, Nike Baruwa, is a maker who recently did just that for the very first time. I spoke with Nike before and after her fabric swap, and she shares what planning and considerations went into hers, and we’ll hear how it actually went! If you’re interested, or even on the fence, about planning a fabric swap, let Nike and this episode be your guide. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Follow Nike on Instagram (@sewlonglane). Nike was inspired to organise a fabric swap after visiting the London Destash Fabric Swap. Listen to the episode I made at that event:Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024The London Destash Fabric Swap was organised by Sarah from Olive Road London and Yvette from Stash Hub app.Sarah made a helpful YouTube video about how to organise a fabric swap. To help create connection and community between the attendees of her fabric swap, Nike created the hashtag #rotherhtithefabricswap.To get on Nike’s mailing list to hear about next year’s (and any other) event. Check out some photos taken at Nike’s fabric swap taken by photographer Wida (@__wida on Instagram):
- Do you love sewing, AND are passionate about fighting the climate and ecological crises?
- Are you wondering if your sewing could be made more sustainable?
- Do you want to enjoy your creative passion in a way that really reflects your values?
Join Zoe Edwards, a sewing nerd and creator of Me-Made-May, on her journey to explore how to sew (and live!) more sustainably.
In this podcast we discover ways to sew with sustainability in mind, by flexing our creativity and resourcefulness in new and exciting ways. Check Your Thread’s goal is to show that sewing more sustainably can be fun and fulfilling, (HOLD the side order of guilt, eco-snobbery and FOMO.)
Topics covered include:
-Mending and garment repair
-Upcycling and refashioning
-Natural fabric dyeing
-Fibre and fabric selection
-Slow stitching
-Zero Waste sewing patterns
-The social and political dimensions of sewing
-Craft as activism
Find out more...
checkyourthread.com
Australia