community

#107: Sewing is Political

Today’s episode explores the idea that sewing, and the actions we take and choices we make whilst engaging in sewing, is full of social and political context. And why that’s a GOOD THING.  Support the podcast over on Patreon! (image by Mika Baumeister via Unsplash) Read the full explanation of the source of ‘the personal…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#107: Sewing is Political
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#101: How to Prioritise Sewing with Jenny Drew

Jenny Drew wants you to make sewing a priority, and she’s not going to take no for an answer! This is the pep talk that you might not have known you needed. From feminist and mental health perspectives, Jenny explains why we need sewing in our lives. She then tells us how to make sure we…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#101: How to Prioritise Sewing with Jenny Drew
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#93: Sewing for Social Empowerment with Poornima at Kundakala

Most of us who listen to (and make!) this podcast are used to thinking about sewing as a pastime and option for clothing ourselves. A hobby with many wonderful benefits. But for others, sewing skills are a powerful tool that can change lives: preventing isolation, providing connection, offering employment opportunities and raising self-esteem. Poornima Kirloskar-Saini…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#93: Sewing for Social Empowerment with Poornima at Kundakala
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#78: Slow Sewing and Seamwork with Sarai Mitnick

This is the first of two episodes with Sarai Mitnick, a major influence in the sewing scene for over 15 years. Sarai chats with me about the birth and evolution of the online sewing community, and the role that her businesses, Colette Patterns and Seamwork, have played. Plus Sarai talks about how her own podcast,…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#78: Slow Sewing and Seamwork with Sarai Mitnick
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#51: Creating Connection with Barley Massey 

Barley Massey is the owner of Fabrications, a wonderful shop, studio and maker’s space on Broadway Market in East London. Barley is an artist, maker, teacher and activist who uses her space to explore and to teach resourcefulness through creativity. A fundamental aspect of Barley’s work is the fostering of real-life community, providing support, connection…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#51: Creating Connection with Barley Massey 
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#35: Mask Making with Sophie Passmore

Shortly after the COVID pandemic reached the UK in early 2020, artist and maker Sophie Passmore responded to the craziness and confusion by founding the Mask Makers UK community. This Facebook group became an important hub providing information, assistance and support to thousands of voluntary mask makers. More than two years later, Sophie is still…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#35: Mask Making with Sophie Passmore
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#32: Textile Activism with Shams el-Din Rogers

For Episode #32 of Check Your Thread, I got to talk with textile activist Shams el-Din Rogers. For me, this is the most powerful and thought provoking conversation I’ve had for the podcast to date. Shams shares her thoughts and perspective as an activist, advocate, teacher and campaigner. We get into the sources of Shams’s…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#32: Textile Activism with Shams el-Din Rogers
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#29: Lessons From the 1940s

This is the second instalment of my mini series about the Make Do and Mend campaign. As I was reading and writing about that era, I couldn’t help but think about the situation we find ourselves in today with the climate crisis. There was so much relating to the use and reuse of materials that…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#29: Lessons From the 1940s
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#22: Mending Workshops with Carla & Meg / Community Glue

It’s the last episode of CYT for 2021, and a first for the podcast: a conversation involving three people! I talk to Carla Bruni, the founder and organiser of Community Glue Workshops which are regular, free mending events taking place in Chicago, and Megan Grandstaff, who is one of the talented and dedicated volunteers, who…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#22: Mending Workshops with Carla & Meg / Community Glue
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#12: Sew Over 50 with Judith Staley

Judith is the creator of, and one of the main driving forces behind, the biggest sewing community on Instagram, SewOver50. Whilst providing a virtual hub for conversation and inspiration for everyone, SewOver50 also pushes for the increased visibility of older people within sewing related industries. In our conversation, Judith tells me about the rapid creation…

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Check Your Thread
Check Your Thread
#12: Sew Over 50 with Judith Staley
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