Check Your Thread

Is the space you have for sewing pretty small? Or maybe you sew in a space that is shared with other people and also used for other activities? Or perhaps your sewing space is both small AND shared? We’re spending this week’s and next week’s episodes finding out how we can make these situations work better for ourselves, so that we can have successful and fulfilling sewing lives, no matter the configuration. Today we’re going to hear from lots of sewers about their small or shared sewing spaces: what’s working well and what frustrates them about it, and they’ll be sharing useful tips that you can apply today!Support the podcast over on Patreon!(image source: Lucas Favre via Unsplash) Caro organises their sewing resources using the Stash Hub app:

How does a small business advertise the products it sells so it can stay afloat without encouraging over consumption? In the second part of my conversation with Bevan O’Daly, owner of Bawn Textiles, we hear how she navigates this conundrum. Bevan also explains the difference between a small business and a micro business, and the additional challenges faced by the latter. Plus we get a fascinating view into her other world: textile conservation. Support the podcast over on Patreon!Bawn Textiles in a bricks and mortar shop in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as an online shop. You can also follow them on Instagram (@bawntextiles). Listen to the first part of the conversation:Ep. #156: How to Run an Ethical Textiles Shop with Bevan O’DalyThe Govanhill Baths Community Trust run an endeavour called Rags to Riches where you can learn skills including sewing. Another option for in-person sewing classes in Glasgow is Sew Confident. Listen to the pep talk that owner Jenny Drew gave us previously:Ep. #101: How to Prioritise Sewing with Jenny DrewSwedish fashion and sewing pattern designer, Ann Ringstrand, elicited feedback from Bawn customers before writing her second book. Bawn Textiles also stock sewing patterns by:The Assembly Line Merchant and Mills  And others…Two popular books are:Zero Waste Patterns by Birgitta Helmersson Creative Visible Mending for Knitwear by Flora Collingwood-Norris

If you ran a shop that supported makers to create more sustainably, what would it look like, and what would you stock? Bevan O’Daly is the owner of Glasgow-based Bawn Textiles and her goal is to provide responsibly sourced fabric, yarn and haberdashery for ethically minded makers. In this episode, Bevan tells us about the criteria for the items she stocks, why she sometimes talks customers out of purchasing, and the ingenious solution she’s devised to help makers pass on their unwanted me-mades.Support the podcast over on Patreon!Bawn Textiles in a bricks and mortar shop in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as an online shop. You can also follow them on Instagram (@bawntextiles). If you haven’t already, listen to the initial episode that initiated our conversation:Ep. #143: No Small Business on a Dead PlanetRead about Bawn Textiles’ commitment to Net Zero.Bevan’s next step is to research B Corp Certification as a possible future option. Much of the fabric Bawn stocks is compliant with one of the following:GOTS certification Soil association Better Cotton initiativeThere are multiple Oeko Tex certifications, learn about them all on their website.Bawn donates the unsold, unwanted me-mades to the Glasgow-based charity, Refuweegee. Bawn Textiles stock fantastic thread storage by Thread Pegs from Cornwall. Glasgow-native, Jen Hogg, creates amazing tools for makers via her brand Jenerates. I spoke to Jen at last year’s Knitting & Stitching show:Ep. #110: Knitting & Stitching Show 2023Second Cashmere mending yarn is reclaimed from unsalvageable cashmere garments.The Bawn spotify playlist can be enjoyed by all!Maria, AKA @wildknitsglasgow, is a knitwear pattern designer who designed a gorgeous hat pattern and is donating the sales to the charity Refuweegee until March 2025.

Have you ever made a sewing pattern straight out of the packet and been disappointed with the results? Pattern designer and fitting expert, Elisalex Jewell, gets us excited about the possibilities of pattern hacking and learning to fit clothes to your body. She also talks about how having Orsola de Castro, founder of Fashion Revolution, as a mum impacted her own relationship to fashion and sustainability.Support the podcast over on Patreon!Elisalex Jewell is the co-founder of sewing pattern brand By Hand London. You can also follow her on Instagram (@elisalex).Listen to my previous episode with Elisalex:Ep. #131: Self-Drafting for Fitting Success with Elisalex JewellIf you want to hear more about the possibilities of pattern hacking, listen to:Ep. #90: Introduction to Pattern Hacking Elisalex featured on Episode 30 of The New Craft House Podcast. Elisalex´s mum is Orsola de Castro (@orsoladecastro), the co-founder and creative director of Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit activism movement which works towards a sustainable fashion industry.