Threads of Sustainability
With climate change and environmental impacts becoming a common narrative in our daily lives, it seems like a great time to explore what sustainability looks like in the quilting, fibre and textile world. We hear from creatives, makers, manufacturers and producers from all over the world to discover what sustainability looks like to them and find out how they are contributing to a sustainable future. We celebrate the positive steps people are taking, no matter how small. Whether you're a hobbyist or a pro, you can bring sustainability into your practice. Join me as we take a deep dive into the environmental, social and economic impacts with Threads of Sustainability.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 46
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Episode 27: A Sustainable Solution for Cotton Production - Fibre 52 with Graham Stewart
This episode features Graham Stewart, a textile production expert whose company Fibre52 is breaking new ground in sustainable cotton processing. Our discussion explores the evolution o…
Episode 26: Zoe Edwards from Check Your Thread Podcast talks about Sustainable Wardrobes
Join us for this episode with the wonderful Zoe Edwards - sewing teacher, podcaster, and blogger, who works mostly in the garment sphere. Our conversation jumps into all sorts of diffe…
Episode 25: Meaningful Sustainable Quilting - A Conversation with Zak Foster
Join us for this wonderful meandering conversation that takes us through Zak's journey into and within quilting, finding his artist status, his drive to create meaningful quilts and st…
Episode 24: How to Create Thrifted Quilts with Sonya Oblak
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 …
Episode 23: Bill Stearman talks about his Journey Towards Sustainability with his modern Quilts
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…
Episode 22 : How The Oeko-Tex Certification Label Delivers Safe Textiles
Elana Frosk from Oeko-Tex joins Bridget in this episode to get deep into the weeds of certifications. She loves nerding out just a little about this topic. It's near and dear to her hea…
Episode 21: Let's Talk About all Things Fibre Farming With Small Acre Farm's TeDi Jansen
TeDi Jansen from Small Acre Farm does all the things on her farm. She has goats, sheep, botanical dye plants and even grows cotton! She does it all, after losing her job, she decided s…
Episode 20 What Does Sustainability Look Like and Where do we go From Here? - 2022 Wrap Up with Jasper
It's a new year and a new season for the podcast. Jasper and I dive into some of the lessons learned, ideology and themes that have developed over the season of guests on the podcast. J…
Episode 19: Sue Sherman Talks About the messages behind Climate Action Quilts
Quilts as a form of activism can be the bridge between science and the public. They bring together the urgent ideas behind what we are seeing with climate change through accessible art …
Episode 18: Eliu Hernandez Deconstructs Denim with Intention and Mindfulness
We dive into intimate conversations around mindful practice for soothing the mind, and how intention can create inspiring work and help ground us. We talk about favourite tools for deco…
Episode 17: Two Sisters Eco Textiles Discuss the Challenges behind Natural Fibres
Patty Grossman and her sister wanted to have safe fabrics to use for their family. They realized it was missing in the industry and have spent the last 15 years researching ethical and …
Episode 16: Maison Lenko talks About a Linen Legacy from Czech Republic and Healthy Textiles
Sourcing linen to make her own products for her family launched Marketa Kopal on an interesting journey. She had no idea she would be connected back to her family from a time before the…
Episode 15: Slow Stitching, hand work and up-cycling in Kuala Lumpur
A love of textiles, colour and patterns is behind what Ming Hsu Lees produces in her custom, bespoke memory quilts and handmade projects. Living in a country where textile waste is prom…
Episode 14: First Nations, Multi-Media Textile Artist, Rose Moses Gives a Talking Tour of her Up-cycled Creative Works
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 materi…
Episode 12: Textile Artist is Inspired by Meditation and Animal Communication
Lorraine Turner works diligently to advocate for endangered animals. It started with a meditation session where she had a vision of Calico Horses. That launched her on a journey of lear…
Episode 11: Sustainable Natural Dyes with Maiwa
Visiting the Vancouver location of Maiwa to talk with founder and owner Charllotte Kwon was one of those pinch-me moments. I was surrounded by beautiful textiles in a warehouse/office/s…
Episode 10: Ways to Save T-shirts From Landfill
Did you know that every year the average Canadian throws out 80lbs of textile waste and up to an average of 44 t-shirts? Gemma Smith was shocked to see her landfill contained so much te…
Episode 9: Meet the Trailblazer Behind Organic Thread
Micro fibres and microplastics can be dangerous for our health when we are going about our hobbies at the sewing machine. Julie Moore recognized this early on in her quilting career and…
Episode 8: One person's trash Can Be an Artist's Palette! Repurposing Waste into Beautiful Art
The way plastic is managed globally is problematic. In some regions, less than 8% of plastics are actually recycled. The rest are sent to landfills to slowly break down into microplasti…
Episode 7: The Healing Properties of Memory Quilts From Re-Purposed Clothing
Memory quilts and t-shirt quilts are loving gifts for the receiver, but the maker often gets just as much out of the process. That certainly is the case with Cathy Saul who has been mak…