Threads Magazine Podcast: "sewing With Threads"

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.