The big sewing shows are potentially a great opportunity to find out what’s going on currently in both the sewing industry and the community. I spent four days earlier this month at the Knit + Stitch show at Alexandra Palace trying to get a sense of both. I recorded conversations with three previous CYT guests and one new voice who you will adore, each sharing their take on what’s going on with sewing more broadly, and giving us updates on their own sewing related endeavours. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

I spoke to my guests at the Knit + Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace in London between 8th-11th October 2026. 

Tony:

Find out more about Tony on his website, and see his latest projects on Instagram @tonyr.maker.

Listen to my previous conversations with Tony:

• Ep. #124: Fearless Sewing with Tony Rae
• Ep. #234: Making Sewing Accessible for All Genders with Tony Rea

Tony collaborated with Emporia Fabric to create the Tony shirt pattern:

Tony has recently been involved with the Sew and Sews Cornwall CIC and Keep Ahead of Hair. 

Maria:

Maria Theoharous makes the Sew Organised Style podcast. 

Follow Maria on Instagram (@velosews).  

Listen to my previous episodes with Maria:

• Ep. #138: Making Sewing Podcasts with Maria Theoharous
• Ep. #139: Behind the Scenes of Podcast Making with Maria Theoharous

Sewing pattern designer Megan Nielsen recently launched the Sewciable app. 

Maria talked about the Reverse Garbage creative reuse centres in Australia. 

Maria created the @everythingfrocktails Instagram account. 

Caroline:

Check out and sign up to the Destasher website and follow them on Instagram @destasher_uk. 

Listen to my previous conversation with Caroline:

• Ep. #225: Destashing Online with Caroline from Destasher 

SarahJane: 

SarahJane and previous-sewing-bee-contestant Lauren Tedstone. 

Follow SarahJane on IG @quepale_showgalsj. 

SarahJane was working on the Rainbow Fabrics stand. 

Rainbow Fabrics supports Destash 4 Palestine and Thread Brothers among other excellent causes. 

SarahJane and I were both wearing the Dressmaker’s Charm Necklace from Fabric Godmother.

Find SarahJane at the Stitch Festival in Angel, London, next March. 

Have you ever found yourself having to justify your values, creativity or worth? I recently had a conversation with psychotherapist and coach, Tatjana Harttung, for her podcast, The Human Greenhouse, which explored that experience, and plenty more. Tatjana kindly allowed me to share our chat on the CYT feed as well as we touched on so many topics that are fundamental to this podcast also. We discuss our experiences of creating values-based podcasts that have grown communities, the role (or not!) of AI in podcasting, the perception and comparative monetary value of female-created products and content, and the importance of learning new skills and working with our hands. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

You can find Tatjana Harttung’s work, including her podcast, The Human Greenhouse, on her website. 

Tatjana spoke to Nigel Shipley, one of the founders of Extinction Rebellion:

• Ep. Upgrading Democracy

Tatjana attends the online School of Journaling 

Listen to the episode about the Thread Brothers endeavour:

• Ep. 234: Making Sewing Accessible for All Genders with Tony Rea

We also spoke about my other podcast, Can I Dig It? Food Growing for Busy People, made with my co-host Pippa Chapman. 

Listen to the episode I made with Pippa when we first met:

• Ep. 112: Gardening More Sustainably with Pippa Chapman

Imagine if all of us sewists piled up the contents of our fabric collections into one big heap. That would be a huge amount of fabric! Collectively we have A LOT of beautiful and useful fabric already in our possession that just isn’t getting used. You know me, I’m nosey, I want to know WHY that is! Why aren’t we using the pieces we love? And what would it take for us to actually cut into it? This is a community episode that digs into this topic. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Fabric photo by Emma Green via Unsplash

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser for voicing some of the written submissions. Lindsay is a sewist, choir leader and voice over artist, and 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
• Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser

Lindsay is considering the Roman Overcoat Pattern by Maison Fauve for her Harris tweed:

Martha has been toiling and fitting the Belemnite Dress pattern by Marilla Walker for her green cotton/hemp fabric bought in Tokyo:

Yvonne has a couple of waistcoat project ideas for her precious fabric:

Rachel intends to use the Square Shirt pattern by Domum Creation for this Liberty Coastal Landscape Tana Lawn fabric. 

Debs has is consider both the Jasika Blazer pattern by Closet Core Patterns and the Naomi Blazer pattern by The Modern Sewing Company for her beloved wool:

Diana has great plans for the Saturday Top pattern (part of a set) by Friday Pattern Company to use both her special lengths of fabric:

Chloe made the Azure Dress pattern by Closet Core Patterns. See the finished garment here!

As crafters, we usually develop a personal bond with our creative projects. But we might not consider the value and importance our crafting projects have for those close to us. And what do you do if a half finished project started by someone close to you falls into your possession that you are unable to finish?

Amazing guest host, Kat Camfield, talks to Masey Kaplan, the co-creator of Loose Ends: a non-profit that matches volunteer handwork finishers with projects that have been left behind by people who have passed away, or are no longer able to craft due to illness or disability. 

Loose Ends is a truly incredible enterprise that is responsible for facilitating so much care and healing for families who are then able to honour and treasure their loved one’s creativity and passion. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Listen to Episode #72: The Return of Canada’s Forgotten Wartime Quilts of the Haptic & Hue podcast. 

Masey Kaplan officially co-founded Loose Ends (@thelooseendsproject on IG) in May 2023:

Photo credit: Michala Rueter 

Ravelry is sometimes used to view a potential finisher’s work. 

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @gatherandstitch.ca. 

• 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
• Ep. #227: Threading Change - Kat Camfield with Sophia Yang
• Ep. #231: A Business Based on Scraps - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil
• Ep. #232: Magic and Movement for Makers - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil
• Ep. #235: Make Quilts Political Again - Kat Camfield with Lorraine Woodruff-Long

Do you enjoy the challenge of making new things out of old? My guest for this week’s episode, Ros Williams, reconnected with her sewing machine during lockdown and has been transforming existing textiles in incredibly creative ways ever since. She even co-organised a charity shop crawl around her area in Edinburgh to help others access and give new life to what already exists in the world. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Follow Ros Williams’s creativity on Instagram @williamsrosamund. 

Ros initially connected with the online sewing community through the @sewover50 account. 

Ros also volunteers with previous-guests Judith Staley and Mary Morton as part of the Edinburgh Street Stitchers and through the Shrub Coop.  

Learn more about the Edinburgh Spiders who weave camouflage nets to send to Ukraine.  

Ros’s Teatowel jacket making obsession began with the first one she made for her son using teatowels she found in her parents’ home:

Ros uses the Ilford Jacket pattern by Friday Pattern Co. as the basis for her jacket creations. 

More textiles reclaimed from her parents’ home became this yellow and blue tablecloth dress:

The Morningside Charity Shop Crawl was organised to promote shopping for second hand clothing, and the poster/leaflet/map was designed by Ros’s son, Jack (@jack_stamp_art):

Psychomoda is the organiser of the ReFashion Edinburgh event that Ros will be exhibiting in this year (2026). 

As part of her HND costume course Ros made a 17thC outfit for her husband John:

….and a Japanese inspired Burlesque outfit:

Jo Andrews is the creator of Haptic & Hue, the podcast through which she uncovers fascinating stories always through the lens of textiles, many of which might otherwise have been lost. A professional reporter and correspondent, Jo leaves me awe with her incredible story telling skills. I got to ask her tons of questions about the creation and impact of Haptic and Hue, all posed by the amazing patrons of CYT. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Jo Andrews is the creator of the Haptic & Hue podcast. You can also follow her on Instagram @hapticandhue. 

Jo and her partner Bill create an additional podcast called Travels with Textiles for those who choose to support their work as a ‘friend of Haptic & Hue’.  

Specific episodes mentioned in the conversation include:

• Colour Is Mine (about textile designer Althea McNish)
• The Return of Canada’s Forgotten Wartime Quilts (see photos below) 
• A Sliver of Deep Blue Cloth: Unravelling the Textiles of Enslavement
• Australia’s Convict Quilt: Something to be Proud of
• The Witches of Scotland: How a New Tartan Became a Living Memorial
• The Language of Thread: Why Sewing Matters and How Sewing was Taught
• The Tangled Tale of Tartan
• The Intelligence of the Hands and the Creative Brain

Jo shows me her self-made cordage bag WIP:

Jo shared some images of the Canadian Quilts mentioned in the conversation, including a close of the label tracing one of the quilt’s origin:

Many of us sewers feel confused and even wary of the term deadstock fabric. Does buying fabric labelled ‘deadstock' really save it from landfill or incineration? Or are we enabling fabric producers and fashion brands to get away with overproduction, incentivising it even? And what’s the difference between ‘deadstock’ and ‘overstock’, and how, as consumers, can we tell the difference? 

This week, you’ll hear my conversation with Hannah and Rosie from London-based The New Craft House as they unpick this topic for us, leaving us all with a greater understanding. From school friends, to craft bloggers, to workshop facilitators to fabric purveyors, the current incarnation of their business is made possible by navigating the excesses and waste of the fashion industry. In this conversation Hannah and Rosie are super open and candid about how their business runs, and their plans and hopes for its more sustainable future. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in September 2024 as Ep. #151

Find The New Craft House online, via Instagram (@newcrafthouse) and IRL at their London studio.

They explain the nature of deadstock fabric on their website.

#sewyourselfsustainable is the hashtag they created to encourage the sewing community to explore more sustainable practices during September. 

It also coincides with other sustainability-related endeavours, including Oxfam´s Secondhand September campaign.  

Right now, the weather is shifting from one season to another, and the clothing items we’re reaching for are altering accordingly. But it’s most likely you’ll find that some of those items, for whatever reason, just aren’t pieces you want to wear these days. So what can be done about that, aside from donating them and starting a ton of new sewing projects? In this week’s solo replay episode, I’ll share my method for diagnosing WHY you’re not wearing them. I’ll then be suggesting five different ways you can update those garments so that you’re excited to wear them again! 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in June 2024 as Ep. #137

Image source: Sarah Brown via Unsplash

If you want to learn more about the Me-Made-May challenge, listen to:

• Ep. #84: What is Me-Made-May?

The Clothehorse podcast is a great place to learn more about the life of second hand clothing, including what happens to donated items. 

The three questions to ask of each item of clothing:

1. Does it fit my personal aesthetic (OR is it a basic garment that pairs well with items that really DO fit my personal aesthetic)?
2. Does it fit with my lifestyle?
3. Does it fit my body?

My five suggested approaches for updated unworn garments (including me-mades):

1. Repair
2. Refit
3. Remove something
4. Add something
5. Change the colour

For repair, consider signing up to the Winter of Care and Repair challenge for motivation. 

For advice on how to proceed with a repair, this episode might help:

• Ep. #135: How to Triage your Mends with Jeanna Wigger

For refitting assistance, check out this episode:

• Ep. #86: Garment Alterations with Naomi Fata

The Bernie Belt Bag pattern by Friday Pattern Co. might solve the dilemma of a pocket-free garment.

The free Oversized Detachable Collar pattern by Tilly and the Buttons would really jazz up a plain garment:

If you’re interested in trying your hand at natural dyeing, these episodes provide a ton of information:

• Ep. #13: Natural Dyeing with Amy Taylor
• Ep. #52: Grow, Cook, Dye, Wear with Bella Gonshorovitz 
• Ep. #88: Natural Dyeing Q&A with Amy Taylor

Do the climate and ecological crises just feel too massive to deal with sometimes? When it all feels so overwhelming, it can be tempting to tap out completely and disengage. That’s totally understandable. However, my guest for this episode, Beedy Parker, shows us that it is entirely possible to participate in climate related activism and action, whilst continuing to lead a happy and exciting life. From attempting to influence legislation to hemming her neighbours' trousers, Beedy has been getting stuck in since 1970. Sadly, we can’t all be Beedy, but we can all take heart and inspiration from her example. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

This episode was originally released in May 2024 as Ep. #136

Beedy Parker is a committed naturalist and social and environmental activist living in Maine, USA. 

Read more about Beedy (unfortunately this link doesn’t seem to work in Europe, frustrating I know!). 

This is another piece about Beedy. 

Beedy recommends sourcing a copy of ‘The Needleworker's Constant Companion’, first published in 1978.

I referred to an article by Christina Garton called Weaving While Neurodivergent on the Handwoven Magazine website that is a fascinating read.

Is your wardrobe stuffed with me-mades? Whatever role garment sewing plays in your life, after a while, the clothes can really start to pile up. So how can we continue to take pleasure in sewing, without adding to your problem of too many clothes?

Image source: Megan Lee via UnSplash

This episode was originally released in February 2024 as Ep. #123

Idea No. 1: Challenging ourselves.

Hear more about hand stitching clothing:

• Ep. #15: Hand Stitching Clothes with Louisa Owen-Sonstroem 
• Ep. #73: The Seeds of Slow Sewing with Alexis Bailey 

Learn more about improving fit:

• Ep. #95: Refining Fit with Kate Roberts

Options for online courses to learn and develop new skills:

• Project Patterns
• Domestika
• Craftsy

Idea No. 2: Sewing things that aren’t clothes.

My favourite bag pattern designers:

• Noodlehead
• Tytka Studio
• Motif Studio Patterns
• Merchant & Mills

Start your sew making journey at I Can Make Shoes.

Get inspired to make a quilt more sustainably by listening to the following previous episodes:

• Ep. #19: Quilting and Considered Consuming with Shelly Sommer
• Ep. #26: Harvesting Materials with Eliu Hernandez
• Ep. #89: Threads of Sustainability with Bridget O’Flaherty
• Ep. #105: A Habit of Curiosity with Heidi Parkes
• Ep. #106: Reframing a Relationship with Clothes with Heidi Parkes
• Ep. #116: Improv Scrap Play with Sherri Lynn Wood

Idea No. 3: Sewing clothes for other people

Idea No. 4: Sewing for charity 

Make washable menstrual pads for:

• Pachamama Project
• Days for Girls

Make reusable tote bags for Boomerang Bags.

Make dresses and other children’s garments from pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa.

Idea No. 5: Mending

Hear from super creative mending expert, Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald:

• Ep. #39: Modern Mending with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald
• Ep. #40: Experimend with Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald

Get her book Modern Mending.

Consider the spectrum of mending possibility:

• Ep. #68: Visible Vs Invisible Mending

Textiles have a long history of being used for political discourse and protest. Lorraine Woodruff-Long is a self-taught and now award-winning quilt artist who is continuing that tradition today by creating exciting and powerful work on political and social issues that are important to her. Legendary guest-host Kat Camfield talks to Lorraine about her journey from marketing professional to artist and teacher, her inspiration, her use of reclaimed materials, the Forbidden Words project, and her tips for those wanting to dip their toe into protest quilt making. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Lorraine can be found through her website, ‘Quilting in the Fog’, and via Instagram @quiltinginthefog:

Lorraine’s first quilt, ‘American Patriot: Words Matter’ (2017), was shown at the de Young Gallery in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco:

Check out Lorraine’s Mosaic quilts. 

Kat and Lorraine mentioned both the Haptic & Hue podcast and the Gees Bend Quilters. Listen to an episode about the Gees Bend Quilters on the Haptic & Hue podcast!

Lorraine’s incredible ‘Quilt Melt’ was made in 2017:

‘You’re getting warmer: Rising Global Temperatures 1850 - 2022’ quilt (2023):

‘The Number of Holes’ quilt:

Read more about the Forbidden Words Project:

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @gatherandstitch.ca. 

• 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
• Ep. #227: Threading Change - Kat Camfield with Sophia Yang
• Ep. #231: A Business Based on Scraps - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil
• Ep. #232: Magic and Movement for Makers - Kat Camfield with Justice McNeil