Threads Magazine Podcast: "Sewing With Threads"

Selecting the right sewing machine needle can make a big difference in how your sewing project turns out. Rhonda Pierce, a spokesperson for Schmetz needles, explains how to determine the right needle, what are some needle options, and even when you should change a machine needle. The avid quilter and sewing enthusiast shares her knowledge about what she calls "the most important 2-inch piece of steel in the home sewing machine" in this episode of Sewing With Threads.

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Style Falcon patterns are designed for those without an hourglass shape, and the instructions and pattern pieces are visually accessible.

Guest Brooks Ann Camper shares the story of how she went from not knowing how to take a stitch or use an iron, to becoming a costume production professional and, now, to teaching a new and empowering approach to sewing.

The owner of a sewing box subscription service shares details about how her unique service works and her goal of turning dreams of sewing your own garments into reality.

Find gift ideas to inspire and help your sewing loved ones or yourself. The Threads editors discuss some of their favorites.

Kenneth D. King reveals details about his book, Doll Couture, including the inspiration and some dramatic scene creation for his finely dressed characters.

Sewing pro and wool expert Katrina Walker talks about her flock of sheep, characteristics and types of wool and caring for your own wool garments in this podcast.

A found collection of gowns by renowned couture house Callot Soeurs became a beloved research project for costume expert Maggie Raywood.

In this podcast, the always creative Becky Fulgoni shares her thinking while reimagining a handful of rediscovered but unworn garments. Two Threads editors pulled the garments from their own closets to challenge Becky, a frequent contributor to Threads, and to show how she arrives at wearable solutions.

Sewing book author, instructor and bridalwear designer Joi Mahon tells the story of how she turned her early passion for design and sewing into a business.

Digital Ambassador and sewing pro Pamela Howard shares fitting and alterations tips, along with her love of pressing and knit garments.

Sewing pro Sarah Veblen talks about her sewing frustrations and her strategies for managing and even preventing them.

Fashion designer and educator ChaCha N. Hudson discusses the draping process and how she approaches practicing and teaching draping.

Listen to some sage advice and learn some helpful tips from a custom dressmaker with extensive alterations experience, as prom and wedding season draw closer.

Heidi Parkes talks about how she stitches unique diary quilts to tell her story. She even shares how she began and what materials she uses.

Color and fashion trends, patterns, books, and even articles provide the motivation for those who love to sew. New Year's sewing resolutions aren't needed.

Kenneth D. King explains traditional and updated tailoring techniques, the subject of his in-depth "Smart Tailoring" video course.

Hannah Hamill lives and sews in Paris. She talks about her inspirations and how she's developed her chic, comfortable style.

Sewing With Threads talks with Alex Beard, also known as the Obsessive Costuming Dude on social media, who has become an expert on authentic Star Trek costumes.

Experimenting is at the heart of Gilbert Muniz's creative success. The teacher and Threads digital ambassador explains why it is so important.

Upcycling advocate and teacher Mary Ray discusses sustainability in the apparel industry and how home sewers can put the concept into practice.

Two sewing pros discuss the handling and wearing of vintage couture and textiles, whether they are nostalgic or historically significant pieces.

Draping authority Karolyn Kiisel talks about her opera costuming work, the essential dress form, and even her preferred draping fabric.

Syracuse University professor ChaCha N. Hudson talks about Fashion with Limits and the future of plus-size design.

Learn to create a lace jacket, a great-fitting pair of pants, and a smooth side-seam zipper from the next issue of Threads magazine. The editors of Threads discuss these and other stories in this Summer 2022 preview podcast.

If you're struggling to get pants to fit, find out about Ruth Collins' Top Down, Center Out Method in this Sewing With Threads episode.

Becky Fulgoni shares how imposing design constraints opens a path to increased creativity and enjoyment in sewing.

If you love clothing with vintage detail but want to look modern, explore the offerings by Laura Nash of Sew Chic Patterns.

Couture teacher Susan Khalje talks about how she's continued to share her expertise despite worldwide pandemic restrictions.

If you are thinking about getting your first sewing machine, buying a replacement, or acquiring an upgrade, this episode of Sewing With Threads is for you. The Threads editors highlight sewing machine features they can't do without, their experiences with vintage machines, and how to approach shopping for a new machine.

Custom clothier, teacher, and author Joi Mahon invites all sewers, from newbies to pros, to embrace learning and to savor the sewing process.

A seasoned artist and designer, Diane has been sharing ideas and design techniques as a contributor to the sewing industry through workshops and magazine articles over the years. Her focus is always on how to expand your creative process as you build the design skills to express a more personal style. Based in Ashland Oregon, she teaches workshops and offers Design Outside the Lines Retreats nationally. Diane blogs at DianeEricson.com and you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as @DianeEricson.

This episode, we’re going to talk with Wendy Ward.

Wendy is a writer, designer, maker and educator. She has worked as a designer in fast fashion and for a small sustainable brand. For her master’s degree in 2004 she explored novel ways to recycle textiles and in 2007 she moved into education and has taught numerous garment-making, textile recycling and garment alterations classes with adults. Wendy has her own line of sewing patterns called MIY Collection and has written five best selling sewing books including her most recent, How to Sew Sustainably which published in June.

Her blog is www.wendyward.co.uk and you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as @thatwendyward.

Learn how designer and stylist Emily Hallman approaches sewing a closet full of beautiful clothes that work together and fit her aesthetic.

Why pay high retail prices for a so-so bra that doesn't fit? The experts at BraBuilders.com explain how easy and worthwhile it is to sew beautiful, custom-fitted lingerie.

Jenny Rushmore is the founder and creative director of Cashmerette. Her business empowers curvy and plus-size women to feel confident through sewing a wardrobe of fabulously fitting clothes. Originally from Scotland, Jenny has lived in nine countries and is now proud to call Boston, Massachusetts, her home. Join Threads editors Sarah McFarland and Carol J. Fresia as they chat with Jenny about her sewing and her patterns.

Tabitha Sewer just may be the quintessential sewing enthusiast. A sewing content creator, she uses social media and her website to share with the world her sewing joy. She talks with the Threads editors in the Sewing With Threads Episode 40 podcast about her patterns, her button business, and some of the keys to her success.

Erica Bunker's fashionable garments are an inspiration to many sewers. Not only does she sew well-fitted, colorful, and contemporary styles, but she pairs them with admirable accessories, wears them with confidence, and photographs them skillfully.

The Threads editors were eager to catch up with Erica for Episode 39 of the Sewing with Threads podcast, and talk about the fundamentals of creating a luxurious home-sewn wardrobe.

Linda Lee, owner of the Sewing Workshop pattern collection and fabrics and notions store, shares valuable tips for making pants that fit in Episode 38 of the Sewing With Threads podcast. The prolific author, pattern designer, and popular teacher packs loads of information that home sewers need for fitting pants into her discussion.

In this episode of “Sewing with Threads,” the monthly podcast by the staff of Threads magazine, Editorial Director Sarah McFarland and Senior Technical Editor Carol J. Fresia talk with Deepika Prakash, founder of PatternReview.com.

Marcy Harriell is Threads' newest digital ambassador, and she sat down with Editorial Director Sarah McFarland and Senior Technical Editor Carol J. Fresia to talk about her beginnings in sewing, the inspiration for garments she has made, and her favorite parts of the garment construction process.

In this episode of Sewing with Threads, the magazine's editors offer organization tips for keeping your sewing tools and supplies tidy and accessible, and for improving efficiency when performing a range of sewing-related tasks. They also confess to some less-than-ideal habits and admit that tidiness is not always their top priority when sewing.

Expert sewing machine technician Bernie Tobisch discusses troubleshooting and maintaining your sewing machine in this video podcast of Sewing With Threads. He also fields previously submitted questions from the Threads audience and even uses a few props to better explain his answers.

The editors talk in this Sewing With Threads video podcast with Doris Raymond, whose vast collection of vintage, antique, and designer clothing has been a source of fashion inspiration for a coterie of designers, celebrities, and fashion insiders for years.

Claire B. Shaeffer, a frequent author for Threads and owner of a couture collection, chats with Editorial Director Sarah McFarland and Senior Technical Editor Carol Fresia.

Professional optician and Threads author Susan Kistler of Nashville, Tennessee (SpecsNashville.com), discusses the special vision needs sewers have for a variety of tasks  and offers advice for how to get the best eyeglasses for the kind of sewing you do.

You can read Susan's article in Threads #211 (Oct./Nov. 2020), "Essential Techniques: See better, sew better."

Sewing instructor and fitting expert Pamela Leggett discusses her latest shapewear and other patterns, shares sewing tips, and talks about how her business has weathered the pandemic, in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 30.

Threads Digital Ambassador Becky Fulgoni muses about design experimentation—planning, testing, and executing beautifully made garments, without stress or anxiety—in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 29.

Becky is tall—6 feet tall—and has been sewing since childhood, when she realized she'd never find ready-to-wear clothes to fit her lanky frame. She talks about learning to sew with her mother and eventually moving on to a career in costume construction. She credits her training in the theater with teaching her to sew quickly and to think analytically about the engineering aspects of garment construction.

Garment pattern designer Liesl Gibson says she thinks about the fit whenever she creates a new pattern. In Episode 28 of Sewing With Threads, the founder and chief designer of Liesl + Co., Inc., describes a few fitting factors she considers when pattern drafting: the amount of ease needed, style, and a sewer's personal preferences.

During this time of social isolation, creative people are keeping busy making useful and beautiful things. It's the perfect time for beginner sewers to improve their skills. As sewing machines fly off the shelves across the country, Threads has brought together lots of online content to get you started making clothes, accessories, and home décor items to suit your style. You'll enjoy the process now, and you'll end up with handmade projects to be proud of for years to come.

In this bonus podcast episode of Sewing with Threads, editors Sarah McFarland, Carol Fresia, and Jeannine Clegg steer listeners to some favorite posts and videos for sewing newbies.

With most of the country currently sheltering in place, we need to find inspiration to keep our creative juices flowing. In this bonus episode of the Sewing with Threads podcast, Threads editors Carol Fresia, Sarah McFarland, and Erica Redfern share some of their favorite YouTube content.

Threads also invites listeners to visit our own YouTube channel for tips, how-to content, and project videos.

The new reality fashion show Making the Cut is creating a buzz these days. The 10-episode Amazon Original series challenges 12 designer contestants to show off their talents and skills—and survive elimination, to win a $1 million final prize.

In this bonus podcast episode of Sewing With Threads, homebound editors Sarah McFarland, Erica Redfern, and Jeannine Clegg chatted remotely about Season 1 of the TV series. Threads is sharing bonus podcasts on Fridays through the month of April, and possibly beyond, as the world shelters in place during the coronavirus outbreak.

As working from home is a new reality for many readers and listeners, the Threads staff has once again put remote technology to use to record bonus episodes of our Sewing With Threads podcast. We’ll be sharing weekly episodes on Fridays through the month of April, and possibly beyond.

This week, editors Carol J. Fresia and Jeannine Clegg sat down in front of their webcams and microphones to talk about some of the ways we work in the Threads offices.

Learn some new serger techniques and find out about serger accessories that can help with garment construction from serger expert Sara Gallegos. The leader of the education team for Baby Lock sewing machines shares some of her favorites in the Sewing with Threads Episode 27 video podcast.

As working from home is a new reality, the Threads staff thought it was time to put remote technology to use and make additional episodes of our monthly Sewing With Threads podcast. We’ll be sharing weekly episodes on Fridays through the month of April, and possibly beyond.

In this bonus episode, editors Carol, Erica, and Sarah talk about sewing techniques, getting hired at Threads, and making face masks for healthcare workers, family, or personal use.

Please be patient with any blips in the audio, since this episode was taped over the internet. For our future remote episodes, we are working on improving quality and adding video.

Contributing Editor Judith Neukam tells a few true tales of fabric stash disasters, some with surprising endings, in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 26.

Three editors share their favorite tips for beginners in the Sewing With Threads video podcast, Episode 25. Seasoned sewing enthusiasts also may benefit from these bits of advice, as they include useful information for improving efficiency and making sewing more enjoyable.

Learn how Threads magazine scrutinizes some of the latest commercial garment patterns released by the mainstream and lesser-known pattern companies. In the Sewing with Threads Episode 24 video podcast, expert Anna Mazur shares how she compiles the magazine's Pattern Review department for each issue, a complex job she has honed over the last 15 years. She whittles down pattern options from more than 150 pattern companies and relies on 21 Threads pattern testers to help evaluate the chosen patterns.

Find out the latest trends in sewing machine embroidery from expert Katrina Walker in the Sewing with Threads Episode 23 video podcast.

Katrina plays a key role in the ever-evolving world of sewing machine embroidery. She's a brand ambassador for Pfaff sewing and embroidery machines and a Sulky thread Sewcialite. Besides teaching classes, she designs extensively.

Embellishment expert and teacher Ellen W. Miller talks about writing Creating Couture Embellishment, a reference for garment embellishing techniques, in Episode 22 of Sewing With Threads.

Her 400-page book is based on a couture details class she taught at Boston School of Fashion. She shares her painstaking process of photographing and writing step-by-step instructions for a whopping 174 embellishment techniques. It took her well beyond her initial time frame of two years.

"I wanted to show them in all of their glory, she says of the embellishments. "That guided my exploration into it."

Ellen explains three ways to complete each technique in the book, and she talks about the one she found mentally challenging. She also notes which embellishments she left out and discusses another book idea she is considering. Among the techniques featured in the book are grommets and lacing, and manipulated tucks.

Image consultant, teacher, and author Nancy Nix-Rice shares her thoughts and advice on how to create a flattering, versatile wardrobe in the Sewing with Threads Episode 21 video podcast.

During the podcast, she explains her philosophy of choosing fabrics for sewing garments. She also delves into the "core four" method of building a wardrobe, and she outlines how to create or choose four core pieces. In addition, she discusses her "points of connection" method of selecting garments that link to an individual's physical characteristics.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 20 video podcast, custom clothier and teacher Pamela Howard discusses how to select fabrics that work for a chosen pattern and which fabrics are the most flattering for your shape. Her suggestions go well beyond the fabrics recommended on a commercial pattern.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 19 video podcast, Threads Digital Ambassador and vintage pattern aficionado Peter Lappin shares his latest vintage pattern creations, discusses his upcoming camp shirt class, and delves into garment plackets and interfacings.

Pattern designer, teacher, and author Gretchen Hirsch discusses the growth of her brand and business, her upcoming plans, and her sewing fantasies in the Sewing with Threads Episode 18 podcast. 

Gretchen, better known as Gertie, came on to the sewing scene with Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing. She expanded her business and created By Gertie, which offers online sewing tutorials; announces her upcoming events and traveling workshops; and sells her patterns, fabrics, and books. She also has been a licensed Butterick pattern designer.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 17 podcast, knit fabrics and serging expert Pamela Leggett discusses ways to sew textured, ribbed, scuba, and other knit fabrics; using stabilizers on knits; machine needles she uses; and the stitch type she selects to get the best results when sewing knits.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 16 video podcast, Threads staff seamstress Norma Bucko discusses finished and unfinished personal sewing projects. She also shares her tried-and-true technique for installing a ripple-free zipper in a hand-knit garment or  when machine-sewing one into a store-bought sweater knit.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 15 video podcast, guest Jennifer Stern-Hasemann discusses her focus on—and the importance of getting—a good fit. The garment pattern designer and owner of J Stern Designs also answers a Threads reader's question about proper placement for princess seams.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 14 video podcast, guest Rae Cumbie talks about how she went from hand sewing at her mother’s side to developing and running an independent pattern company. She also explains why she loves sewing today, discusses her favorite sewing term and fabric, and even offers technical advice for tapering a pair of pants.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 13 video podcast, guest Daryl Lancaster shares her experiences with designing, weaving, and constructing garments and fiber arts pieces for sewing contests.

Daryl has contributed numerous articles to Threads and maintains her own website at DarylLancaster.com. She also travels extensively to teach hand weaving and garment construction.

Gail Patrice Yellen talks about her embellishing techniques, using fusible interfacing, and sewing over pins.

Fabric trends, fabric favorites, fabric sewing challenges, and even fabric storage solutions were part of the discussion among Threads magazine editors in the Sewing With Threads, Episode 11, now also available as a video podcast on youtube and ThreadsMagazine.com

For clothing pattern designer and teacher Louise Cutting, comfort and looks go hand in hand. The owner of Cutting Line Designs and a Threads contributing editor, Louise spends up to six months developing sportswear designs she says feel great and have the versatility of being worn in casual or dressy settings. She shares some of her methods and some sewing advice with Threads editors as the guest on Sewing With Threads, Episode 10.

In the Sewing with Threads Episode 9 podcast, Contributing Editor Judith Neukam talks about selecting beautiful vintage garments for the Threads magazine back covers and figuring out how sewers can create similar results. Judy also discusses—via a Skype call from her home studio—the merits of making flat-pattern adjustments versus fitting with a test garment, or muslin.

Couture sewing expert and Contributing Editor Susan Khalje shares her insights on sewing for weddings, taking sewing shortcuts, and whether to pretreat fabrics, in the Sewing with Threads Episode 8 podcast.

Peter Lappin discusses his love of vintage patterns and vintage sewing machines with the Threads editorial team.

Kenneth D. King talks about principles from his new fitting book and fashion icons that have inspired him.

Threads magazine editors discuss how they have tackled sewing challenges and offer tips and advice on overcoming challenges you might face.

Mimi G discusses how she started out developing her MimiGSyle brand that has since earned an immense online and social media following.

Fit and design expert Sarah Veblen joins Threads editors to discuss what defines ideal fit and how it is achieved. 

Threads magazine editors discuss patterns, fitting, hemlines, and more with sewing and serging expert Pamela Leggett of PamelasPatterns.com. 

The podcast for people who love to sew – from the people who love to write about sewing!

Brought to you by the editors of Threads magazine, this insightful podcast takes on topics important to sewing enthusiasts. Listen in for humor, wisdom, and opinions from expert guests and the Threads staff as they discuss sewing techniques, fashion design, fitting conundrums, and more.

Use your ears to become a better sewer! Hear the talent behind the world’s top garment-sewing magazine.