Threads of Sustainability

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This summer, I had the privilege of conducting interviews at Twist, a unique convergence of fibre enthusiasts, artisans, and experts in rural Quebec. In this exclusive live interview series from Twist 2023, we explore the heart of sustainability and celebrate locally sourced fibres.

Interview 1: Navigating Sustainability Through Conscious Choices with Kathleen Vaughan
Dive into the complexities of sustainability with Kathleen Vaughan, a dedicated researcher unravelling the conscious choices and values that underpin decisions in the fibre community. Gain insights into the core drivers of sustainable choices for textile makers.

Interview 2: A Journey into Fair Trade Baskets with Big Blue Moma
Explore sustainable craftsmanship with Big Blue Moma, specializing in fair trade baskets from Ghana. Discover the stories woven into each basket, reflecting meticulous artistry and a commitment to fair trade practices. Karie shares her personal reconnection with textile weaving and its meaningful impact on her life.

Interview 3: Local Fibres, Global Impact with Marie-Ève Faust and Fibre Shed Quebec
Join Marie-Ève Faust from Fibre Shed Quebec as she unveils the transformative power of locally sourced fibres and their global impact. Delve into Marie-Ève's collaboration with Concordia University and garment makers, focusing on natural materials like linen and wool for a circular product.

These interviews, set against the lively backdrop of Twist, bring the festival's vibrant spirit directly to your ears. Join us on this journey through Twist 2023 as we uncover stories, insights, and initiatives shaping a more sustainable and conscious future in the world of fibres and textiles.

Support the show

Join The Green Stitcher's Hive at https://thegreenstitchershive.mn.co/
Follow Bridget O'Flaherty @bridgetoflahertytextiles on Instagram and @thesustainablequilter on Facebook.
You can find her online at www.bridgetoflaherty.com
Thanks to Isaac Matthews for the music, follow him on Instagram @hesjustakid

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In this episode, we have the pleasure of sitting down with the talented Radha Weaver, the creative force behind Sewing Through Fog. Radha's extensive background in the apparel and textile industry, spanning over 15 years, gives her a unique perspective on the world of quilting and sustainability.

We kick off our conversation by delving into Radha's career journey and what led her to transition into the world of quilting. We explore the factors that prompted her to change directions and how her experiences in the fast fashion industry influenced her decision to focus on repurposed and upcycled fabrics in her quilting practice.

As we dive deeper, Radha generously shares her expertise on what it truly means to quilt sustainably. We explore the intricacies of using repurposed fabrics and the importance of approaching it in a thoughtful and ethical way. Radha's insights and tips will inspire both seasoned quilters and those new to the craft to embrace sustainability and make conscious choices in their own quilting projects.

Tune in to this enlightening conversation with Radha Weaver, as she sheds light on the world of modern quilting with repurposed and upcycled fabrics. Get ready to be inspired by her passion and knowledge as she helps us navigate the intersection of creativity and sustainability. Don't miss out on the invaluable wisdom shared in this episode!

Radha Weaver

Sewing through Fog is the modern quilter's resource for quilting with repurposed and upcycled fabrics.

Join Radha as she shares her unique expertise and passion, fueled by a 15-year career in the apparel and textile industry and a front seat to the rise of fast fashion.

https://www.sewingthroughfog.com/

@sewingthroughfog

Download Radha's free guide to quilting your closet: www.Sewingthroughfog.com/quiltyourcloset

Support the show

Join The Green Stitcher's Hive at https://thegreenstitchershive.mn.co/
Follow Bridget O'Flaherty @bridgetoflahertytextiles on Instagram and @thesustainablequilter on Facebook.
You can find her online at www.bridgetoflaherty.com
Thanks to Isaac Matthews for the music, follow him on Instagram @hesjustakid

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This episode features Sonya Oblak, a thrifty, improvisational quilter who recently built her dream home with an ideal quilt studio in northern Canada. Sonya shares her must-haves for a quilt studio and reflects on her 25 years of thrifting and quilting, offering tips on how to thrift for fabric for quilts and sharing her favourite thrift store finds. Did you know it only takes 6-7 shirts to make a quilt top?

She also shares her passion for improvisational quilting that tell inspiring quilt stories, encouraging quilters to challenge themselves and show off their scrap quilts. Sonya shares her scrap and thread bit storage ideas so that her scraps are easy to access for her next project. She uses every bit of the clothing she upcycles including the seams in her hobby of crocheting rag rugs. We also talk about how busy hands are important for mental health, it’s ok to have an active mind!

Living in a high-efficiency designed home in the Yukon with solar, Sonya has also found ways to bring sustainability into quilting, sharing practical steps to create a better world and keep fabric and textiles out of the waste stream. She offers advice for newbies to sustainability, including identifying linen and cotton from thrifted materials.

Join us in this inspiring conversation as we explore how small choices we make can impact all areas of our lives, how sustainability in quilting can lead to a better world for all, and how we can make quilting accessible while preserving traditional up-cycling practices.
Plus, don't forget to take up the challenge, show off your scrap quilts on IG, and tag us!
You can find Sonya on Instagram: @Sonya.oblak

Support the show

Join The Green Stitcher's Hive at https://thegreenstitchershive.mn.co/
Follow Bridget O'Flaherty @bridgetoflahertytextiles on Instagram and @thesustainablequilter on Facebook.
You can find her online at www.bridgetoflaherty.com
Thanks to Isaac Matthews for the music, follow him on Instagram @hesjustakid

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Bill Stearman and I are friends and colleagues. We both quilt, we both teach, we are both passionate about our journey and feel strongly about telling our stories. I met Bill at a quilt conference 4 years ago, where I was speaking about sustainability and he was speaking about his journey as a gay man, expressing his stories through his modern quilts. That pivotal meeting is where Bill decided he wanted to do more than just tell the amazing stories he does. He also wanted to bring sustainability into the narrative. He's been working towards that ever since.
We talk about all kinds of connections, concerns and solutions that he has come across as he has journeyed. We also talk about some of our personal stories that we feel very strongly about sharing with openness and kindness.
Bill struggled with storytelling as a way to make sense of his life for many years. And then discovered his voice in quilt making.

Fabrics and carefully placed stitches express joy, anguish, hope, gratitude, and love, providing glimpses into deep and important stories; stories that matter on personal and social levels.

His quilts make bold statements and provoke thoughtful consideration of a variety of issues.

You can find Bill here:
Facebook: Bill Stearman
Instagram: @bill_stearman
Website: http://billstearmanquilts.blogspot.com/
You can get tickets on Eventbrite for Bill's talk on February 27th, 2023
Toward Sustainability as a Quilt Maker
toward-sustainability-as-a-quilt-maker-bill-stearman-tickets-

Support the show

Join The Green Stitcher's Hive at https://thegreenstitchershive.mn.co/
Follow Bridget O'Flaherty @bridgetoflahertytextiles on Instagram and @thesustainablequilter on Facebook.
You can find her online at www.bridgetoflaherty.com
Thanks to Isaac Matthews for the music, follow him on Instagram @hesjustakid

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Rose Moses is Ojibwe, from Henvey Inlet First Nation Band. She is a self-taught artist and has drawn on the inspiration of other First Nations artists. She up-cycles a lot of her materials when working on a project. We meet at her farm and she takes me on a walking tour of her seemingly endless work. From crazy quilts to doll making, beadwork, collages, painting, furniture rescue and restoration. She walks me through building after building and room after room filled with all of her projects. We talk about her deep passion for saving furniture from landfill and her support of youth and First Nations projects through sales of her art and furniture donations.
We also have a very open and honest conversation about the work she does with high-school students. She shares mixed media collage art that is filled with symbolism of the pain and process faced by residential school survivors, her first-hand experience with her loss of culture and her own connection with her mother's experiences of residential school. It's a very moving and meaningful conversation that I was honoured to experience.
Both Beading and Doll making has been part of the First Nations culture for a long time and it possesses great beauty, Rose considers working on them as sacred work. She has been making dolls for over 30 years and goes to schools to teach doll-making. She just recently taught herself how to bead and has enjoyed putting bead-work in frames, on her dolls and even on her own clothing.
You can buy her work at https://indigenousartscollective.org/rose-moses/

• Henvey Inlet Powwow, Pickerel ON
• Kirk Kove Cottages, Arden ON
• Kuriosity Shop, Northbrook ON

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rose.moses.5

Support the show

Join The Green Stitcher's Hive at https://thegreenstitchershive.mn.co/
Follow Bridget O'Flaherty @bridgetoflahertytextiles on Instagram and @thesustainablequilter on Facebook.
You can find her online at www.bridgetoflaherty.com
Thanks to Isaac Matthews for the music, follow him on Instagram @hesjustakid