05/11/2023
This week I’m heading back to Scotland for a chat with Clare Campbell of Prickly Thistle, a self-proclaimed rebel mill outside Inverness. From a background as a chartered accountant, Clare took a u-turn, or maybe a swerve, when she discovered a passion for the traditional tartan and from there decided to establish a mill, using ancient looms, with no clue…
27/10/2023
This week, we’re diving headfirst into the captivating world of clothing with Rebecca Smith, author of “The Happy Dresser”! Join us on a journey as we explore the profound significance of garments in our lives, unlock the cherished memories they hold, and unravel the compelling stories woven into our very fabrics. We talk about the impact of fashion on our…
20/10/2023
This week we head back to Accrington in Lancashire for a follow-up chat with Iain Trickett. We get to hear how an interest in vintage army clothing led to bringing a retired chap in Mexico back to the loom, how a high street brands cancelled order gets a new lease of life in Iain’s ultimate jacket, how knocking on a…
29/09/2023
Today’s episode takes us to Macclesfield, where Brita Hirsch is celebrating 5 years since starting The Tailoring Academy. From an inconspicuous start upstairs at the local haberdashery shop to its current incarnation with 40 students from a wide range of nationalities and ages, both in-house and online. As per usual, the route that led there isn’t straightforward and Brita is…
22/09/2023
Today we head to the small island of Guernsey to learn more about the legendary wool sweater often known as the “ganzie”. Rachael Laine is the owner of Le Tricoteur, maker of guernseys on Guernsey and we gain insight into what exactly makes a ganzie, the historical nature of the garment, the stories of old, and how it fits into…
15/09/2023
Season premiere! This episode is about the epic task set by Justine Aldersey-Williams of The Wild Dyery and Northern England Fibreshed to create a pair of jeans from seed entirely in the UK. You might think this sounds simple enough, grow some fibres, dye, weave and sew, right? That’s what Justine thought when starting out. Listen in to hear the…
14/07/2023
Well, it’s that time of the season again, when we call it a wrap, take a break and plot our movies. As usual, I’m joined by Shaun & Jon, well-known and popular voices from previous festive specials, and we have a friendly chat about what we’re wearing, current males fashions, what we’re into and out to, buying and selling, socks,…
30/06/2023
Something a little different today! Not a fresh slice of garmology for your ears, but by way of a feed swap, I’m introducing you to the podcast Check Your Thread, a podcast about sustainable sewing. The idea of a feed swap is to introduce a compatible podcast to a swapped listenership, so to speak, to help reach fresh ears. Check…
16/06/2023
Today we head off to rural Northern Ireland to talk to Mario Sierra, third-generation weaver at the family-owned Mourne Textiles. While Ireland has long been known for its linen, Mario is concerned that after some parts of the linen industry were closed down around 30 years ago, the skills and technology to process flax are on the verge of being…
09/06/2023
Today I bring back Niamh Carr of NemCee and Gary Newbold of English Utopia for a catch-up on how they are getting on. The idea was to have an open and frank chat about aspects of the fashion business from the point of view of small brands, what makes a brand, what quality implies and how that impacts how you…