Sustainable Fashion, Reclaimed Materials and Neurodivergent Sewing Practice with Tali Thomason

In this episode, Tali Thomason shares her journey into sustainable sewing and the art of building a slow fashion wardrobe from reclaimed materials. 

She explores the inspiration behind her book "Slow Stitch Style" and explains how intentional, ritual-based sewing can transform the way we relate to our clothes.

From reclaiming fabrics to embracing a neurodivergent-friendly creative practice, Tali reveals how slow stitching becomes more than a craft — it’s a grounding act of rebellion against fast fashion and hustle culture. 

If you’re interested in sustainable living, conscious wardrobe building, and mindful making, this conversation offers practical insight and soulful inspiration.

Key Takeaways: 

• Tali was taught to sew by her Grandmother at the age of 8
• She enjoys both sewing and knitting 
• She sources most of her fabrics from thrift shops or refashions other garments
• She has written a book called Slow Stitch Style which focuses on putting together a capsule wardrobe using reclaimed materials
• Tali is neurodivergent and uses certain practices to ensure that she can enjoy her sewing and get the most out of her time
• Tali feels that slow living and crafting things with your hands is an act of rebellion against a very fast paced world

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Guest Details:

Instagram: @slowstitchrebellion

                     @taliunraveled

Website: https://slowstitchrebellion.substack.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Tali Thomason and Her Sewing Journey

02:06 The Art of Reclaimed Fabrics

03:35 Creating with Thrifted Materials

06:05 The Concept of Slow Stitch Style

08:51 Understanding Reclaimed Materials

10:33 Building a Capsule Wardrobe

12:44 Sustainable Fashion Practices

14:41 Evolving Personal Style

17:26 The Importance of Intentionality in Sewing

17:59 The Journey of Intentionality in Sewing

20:27 Neurodivergent Friendly Creative Practices

23:31 Rebellion Against Hustle Culture

28:34 Sewing as a Grounding Ritual

30:37 The Importance of Community in Sewing

32:49 Exciting Future Plans and Projects

38:22 Outro - tip on Ko-fi.wav

Transcript

Gemma Daly (00:11)

Tali, welcome to the Sewing Social podcast. I'm so happy to have you on today.

Tali Thomason (00:16)

Thank you, I'm very happy to be here.

Gemma Daly (00:19)

I was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

Tali Thomason (00:24)

Sure. So I'm Tali Thomason. I live in the Colorado mountains. I have been sewing for about 40 years. I've been knitting for about 28 years. ⁓ So I recently in the last few years, really got interested in using reclaimed fabrics, things that I could find at thrift stores.

items that I found around the house. ⁓ You know, in part due to the fact that ⁓ fabric itself had become so expensive and also the fact that it's so hard to find fabric stores lately that aren't quilt shops here. We have a lot of quilting fabric, but not a lot of apparel fabric. And shopping online just doesn't always work well for me. You know, you try to buy something and the texture isn't

good. And I've always been concerned about the amount of stuff going into landfills and, you know, just not tending to items like we used to. So I pretty much source, I would say 95 % of my materials from thrift stores or from garage sales or other people's closets at this point ⁓ to either refashion something or start from scratch.

Gemma Daly (01:44)

I love that. And like you say, it is really hard shopping online, isn't it? Because you just can't feel it. You can't tell what the quality is like or if it's actually what you're after in the first place. So that's really interesting. I wonder if you could take us back to the beginning of your sewing journey and how you learned to sew.

Tali Thomason (02:06)

So my grandmother Ruth, who is my grandmother on my father's side, she's the one who taught me how to sew beginning at around age eight. I used to go and spend the summers with her ⁓ in Nebraska during the school break.

she was really patient, really kind and taught me how to sew on, pardon me, a basic machine but also on a serger and she really would just cater to any of my whims. Pardon me,

I remember when I was early in my high school years, I was very into Gothic culture and I wanted to sew a dress like Morticia Adams. And she was completely game. She was all for it. We went and picked out the stretch velvet, got the pattern set up. And I just loved that about her.

Gemma Daly (03:02)

your grandmother sounds like an amazing woman, like really up for anything that you suggested.

Tali Thomason (03:08)

Yeah, she absolutely was.

Gemma Daly (03:10)

Fantastic. And what sort of garments do you enjoy making now? Because you also, like you mentioned, you knit as well, don't you?

Tali Thomason (03:20)

I do work on sweaters occasionally. I've got one going right now. And then as far as sewing goes, I like to make dresses a lot. ⁓ They're just so much easier to fit and just a fun use of fabric. But I like coordinates too.

I think that handbags have also become something that I'm really enjoying right now. Because when you find a piece of fabric at a thrift store or like an old garment that you don't have much of, you can easily, easily make it into a handbag. And I think that that's ⁓ kind of what drew me to that is being able to use really amazing fabrics, but in small pieces.

Gemma Daly (04:03)

Yeah, that's so cool. And is there anything like really special that you have found at the thrift store before?

Tali Thomason (04:10)

⁓ yes, a beautiful, suppose, three yard length of a tweed fabric that was these beautiful autumn colors with some little bit hints of like black and charcoal gray. And I was able to make a skirt and ⁓ suit jacket. So I was able to make a suit out of it. And I also made a coordinating little

vintage kind of style handbag. it

The handbag has that kind vintage 40s handbag feel. ⁓ that was definitely an amazing find.

Gemma Daly (04:48)

So cute. Is there a picture of that on your Instagram?

Tali Thomason (04:52)

There is, yes. It's on my homemade dress form and I've made a few different coordinating tops to go with it as well.

Gemma Daly (05:02)

Now, I wanted to move on because you've created a book called Slow Stitch Style and I wondered if you could tell us about how the idea for the book came about and how long has it taken to pull it all together?

Tali Thomason (05:18)

Yes, so it's been a kind of an idea floating around ever since I started using reclaimed fabrics because when I talk to other sewists, they're like, I never thought of that or, I wouldn't even know where to start. with, you know, reclaimed yarn for knitting. And also have really so, I guess, just disappointed at some of the ways the internet has turned into this influencer.

buy, buy, buy, have to have it culture. You know, it's always you have to have the newest machine or this is the pattern everyone's making and here's where you buy your fabric. And not to shame anybody because everybody should do what feels right for them. But you've seen the memes that kind of say, you know,

I have two hobbies, sewing and collecting fabric. And that's just not, that just doesn't resonate with me. And I knew that there were more people out there like me. And so if I could bring the book into play and give a of step-by-step of this is how you source the materials. This is how you identify them. This is how you care for them. This is how you take a mismatched bit of ⁓

different fabrics and clothes that you already have or clothes that you find at a thrift store that you're like, this is fine, but I need pieces to go with it. ⁓ How to do that. And it's really for people who are beginning or all the way up to intermediate with their journeys. But one thing I've also noticed recently in a lot of the books that come out for sewists are they all seem to contain like a 101 version of sewing in the beginning. They're all

the detail and such, and like, this is how you sew. And I figured, you know, there's enough of that out there in the world. And I love that they're doing it and making it accessible for the patterns that they're including in those books for people who are new with skills. But I didn't want this to be a, you know, a sewing or a knitting 101. I wanted it really to be, this is a slow living life choice, and this is how you bring it into your making.

Gemma Daly (07:24)

really like that because I personally think it's so important that we need to go back to those roots of slow living because for a while my sewing was trying to keep up with everybody else and now that I've taken a step back I'm like actually I don't need to do that I'll just do what I want to do and I love the fact that you're incorporating as you say reclaimed materials

So for anybody that's not like familiar with that particular term reclaimed, how would you describe the materials that you are talking about?

Tali Thomason (08:01)

So reclaimed can really be anything from a friend has a blouse that they no longer want to wear and they give it to you, but it's not your style. So you alter it. That's a reclaimed item. For me, what I really look for when I'm going to thrift stores ⁓ is duvet covers and really good high quality sheeting because

you get so much yardage or meters for so little and you can do so much with it. And then a lot of times they do have ⁓ cuts of fabric. have, you know, you can look at men's suiting for tweed and wool. You get so much out of it and you can refashion into a women's blazer or vest. And so those are really the pieces I'm looking at.

Gemma Daly (08:51)

Exactly. And that's a really interesting way to think about it. so many things from the book that I want to touch on today. So the main premise of it, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it's sort of about creating a capsule wardrobe from those reclaimed materials. Both of those things are a sustainable practice in their own right. So a capsule wardrobe and using reclaimed materials.

Why do you think people find it so hard, me being one of them actually, to put a capsule wardrobe together? And do you have any tips regarding where people can start with it?

Tali Thomason (09:32)

I wanted to really focus on the capsule piece is because I found a lot of times when I was going in, I was making a lot of one offs and was I wasn't really thinking about, okay, how do I bring this into my wardrobe?

A lot of times, you know, I get into the history just a little bit of the capsule wardrobe and it came from this Donna Karen 80s kind of the women's work essentials, you know, wear it day to night. And that's lovely for people who need that. There have been times in my career that I needed that. However, that doesn't suit most of us.

How do you sew that capsule or knit items for weekend wear?

then how do look at it the other way? Like so many of these capsule wardrobes ideas are like you need to have your one neutral and it needs to be black, gray, navy or beige and you need to have this many pieces of that and you know then you need to have your two accent pieces and I was like no because

it just needs to be you. It just needs to be what you're going to wear. And it's not just about the aesthetic. It's about the fabric choices. Are knits better for you? Are woven's better for you? Do you have ⁓ a body that fluctuates monthly with sizing and what you're comfortable wearing? So can you make adjustable garments

Those pieces are all things that are important to think about. So it's not about creating that capsule to match everybody else's capsules. It's about making the one that's authentically you, that you want to wear, and that you can change or build on over time as you want to, but not because it's been prescribed by this is what you have to do.

Gemma Daly (11:17)

That's really interesting and very personal, is great. That's what you want, isn't it? So you've thought a lot about you talk really in depth and it's sort of about something I've never really thought about, but about the hierarchy of sustainably sourcing items and what you can do with them if you want to change them up.

Where can someone begin if they're really trying to be more sustainable with their wardrobe and thinking about that hierarchy as you describe it?

Tali Thomason (11:54)

So I think there's really two good paths to go from. I think you have a pattern in mind, you want to make it, go look for that duvet cover, go look for the sheeting.

Pair it with items that are already in my wardrobe. Is this going to be that standalone piece? Is it going to be kind of that showstopper kind of ⁓ Or is it going to be ⁓ just like that workhorse piece in my wardrobe?

Be really intentional. So that's one path. The other path is just alter something. Find something that you like at a thrift store. Maybe it's a hand-me-down from a sibling or ⁓ other family member that you're like, really like it, but this cut's not for me.

Or you're, you know, maybe I really love these sleeves and don't like the rest of the shape. And so keep the sleeves reshape the outfit. And so really thinking about how can I alter this existing piece?

Gemma Daly (13:00)

So like you described, there's a few different paths that you can go down, but each being sustainable in its own right.

Tali Thomason (13:08)

Mm hmm. Absolutely. So you know, you have to start where you want to start, where is right for you to start. some people may be the all in type and you may go and hit up, you know, multiple thrift stores in a day, or you might decide to alter your whole closet. You like everything, but you just don't love how it fits, but you don't want to get rid of it. And some people might just want to start with that one item.

⁓ And maybe they want to do something that's not fit focused. Maybe they want to do an accessory with it, ⁓ make a nice shawl or ⁓ slouchy handbag or a hat. And so there's lots of different ways. doesn't, it doesn't, it's not prescribed. You get to choose the path that is right for you. And I think, you know, the most important thing is just giving it a try.

Gemma Daly (13:56)

Exactly. And I love that because sometimes you get quite blinkered, don't you? And you're like, I must do this. But it's like, there's a whole world of opportunities. So you just got to open your eyes a little bit. Now, you mentioned in the book about how style sort of changes over time. And I think people feel a bit guilty, don't they, for changing their style, or wondering why they don't like something anymore. But life

constantly changes and it is only natural because you go through different things, you might become a mom or you might go to a completely different job something like that. But can you tell us a little bit more about your own experiences of changing style?

Tali Thomason (14:41)

Yes, definitely. So I, at one point, worked in an environment where super casual could pretty much wear yoga pants ⁓ if I wanted to. And I happened to be teaching yoga at the time. So I had that very lots of layers, know, had my yoga clothing on, but also had needed to have like the skirts layers to kind of cover my bum and the ⁓ warmer layers. And so that was

one style point for me, it was a lot of knits, was a lot of deep rich colors. And that was who I was at that point. And ⁓ I became a mom during that period. And so I was very stretchy fabrics as I went through my pregnancy journey and after. But then I moved ⁓ into a more traditional career, I went to work at a university. And their marketing

in communications department, I was the director. so I really needed to change. I was not gonna be able to wear yoga pants every day. And so that is when you have to find that balance of, okay, these are going to work, these items I have for my evening weekend wardrobe, but I need to think about who I am as a professional and what do I wanna put forward? And do I want...

a lot of dresses do I want suiting coordinates that will work? And how can I also have those pieces that will work for social events and such without having to have too many differences? So that was, you know, one big transition. And feel like that's kind of the biggest one. And then when we moved from the city suburbs to the mountains,

That's certainly changed things quite a bit. I have multi-step layering process that happens throughout the day because it starts out very cold here ⁓ in the mornings and especially this time of year in the winter. And then need to have less on and then towards the middle of the day can get very hot. And then I do all of that in reverse. So crafting together the pieces in the way.

that work for that on again, off again, that can be ready for me to hop on a call if I need to or to run out and run an errand. And then I'm also a substitute teacher here in the mountains right now as well. So what do I need to have that's comfortable for teaching all day where I feel good and I feel confident but will stand up to five-year-old sticky hands? So.

There's just a lot that goes into that when thinking about the intentionality.

Gemma Daly (17:26)

Amazing. I think, you know, a lot of what you've said is, is being about being intentional, isn't it? And just putting that bit more thought into things, which I do think comes with experience. You know, when you first start sewing, you want to sew all the things and it's really fun and you know, all the fabrics. But I think as your journey goes on, you do begin to think, do I need this? Do I want it?

you know, and that intentionality does come, doesn't it?

Tali Thomason (17:59)

Yeah, absolutely. I am such a different sewist than I was when I was, you know, obviously eight, but in my twenties and even in my thirties because, you back then it was about the destination, not the journey. And now it's so much more about the journey for me. And, you know, I take much longer time to read through my patterns and to

really look at what I'm being told. And if there's a technique being used for say, neck finishing or the hem that I know I don't like working with that doesn't work for me, I take that time and plan ahead. What's, know, what, do I really want to do this? Do I want to do it the way the pattern's written or do I want to do it in a way that I know works better for my sewing style? And so I do a lot more prep work than I ever did before.

You know, before I thought the biggest and hardest part of process was cutting out the fabric. And I always thought, gosh, if I could just pay somebody to do that. But now it's, you know, getting the pattern pieces cut out and looking at them and with that eye of how they fall into that finished product that you're making and where are alterations going to need to happen and getting those made on my pattern first as much as I can.

and then cutting out the fabric and then, you know, making sure that everything is marked up appropriately, all the makers lines and marks ⁓ with chalk, making sure all my notches are cut so that once I get into that rhythm of sewing, I can just be in that rhythm. And it's easier to, especially if you kiddos running around or you're running another business or you're working and sewing at night.

It's so much easier if you do the prep work ahead of time and you really move through that with intentionality to be able to pick something up for 10 minutes or for half an hour and, you know, make progress and not feel like, where was I again? I'm going to spend, you know, as much time as I have available trying to figure out what I was doing.

Gemma Daly (20:01)

Yeah, exactly. And I think I've learned that myself over time. Just down a little bit and do it properly, know, instead of trying to rush ahead. And it is, it's hard because sometimes you do just want to get to the end of the project because you want to wear the piece. But I, I now want to make better quality pieces so that they last longer. yeah.

Tali Thomason (20:26)

so quickly.

Gemma Daly (20:27)

Something that you did mention to me that I'm really interested to hear about is ⁓ neurodivergent friendly creative practice. I wondered if you could tell us a bit more about it because I feel like that would be so relevant to a lot of people listening.

Tali Thomason (20:46)

have been very neurodiverse aware. I fall into the neurodivergent category myself, as do my husband and my daughter. So we have quite the household of excitement. But part of what I realized as somebody in that neurodivergent space is I really like to have a bit of ritual.

around my making, something that's consistent no matter what I'm making ⁓ or how much time I have. And so do like to pause before I get started ⁓ and just think about, okay, what is that intention again, bringing that back?

What am I trying to get done? And how do I want to feel while I'm doing it? And how do I want to feel when I'm done? And so taking into consideration those pieces and then also specifically, what do I need to do to physically set the space for myself to make sure if I need quiet, that I have it. If I'm somebody who thrives more in hustle and bustle, that I have it, that energy going on.

And then also was very deliberate in how I wrote the book and my choices for using accessible language, making things, you know, not having a ton of pros in there. I can get very verbose sometimes. But I know for, you know, doing communications and marketing for of all different accessibility levels and neurodivergence over time that

Bullet points, speak loudly to people, step by step items, instructions. ⁓

imagery that supports what you're writing about and doesn't distract. cause that can be very hard for some minds. And so those are kind of all the things that I look at again, like to not be prescriptive because everybody has their own pace, their own abilities, their own desires. ⁓ and it's just to make sure that there's that freedom.

for people to do as they need to do and not feeling like, well, there's five steps and I can't get through more than two steps before I get bored or what have you.

Gemma Daly (23:05)

I think that's really important because like you say, there's so many resources that, well, I mean, we need to be told how to do certain things when we're learning. But I think it's really important to have a resource that is, well, it has got everybody in mind. And like you say, it's not prescriptive as such, it's for you to interpret and work with how you want to work with it.

Tali Thomason (23:30)

absolutely.

Gemma Daly (23:31)

Now, I want to go into the rebellion side of your practice a little bit, because talk about the slow stitch rebellion. Do you feel that because life moves at such a crazy pace these days, like making things with your hands and slowing down is in itself a bit of an act of defiance or rebellion?

Tali Thomason (23:41)

Mm-hmm

Yeah, I feel that we have such a huge hustle culture. I know, especially in America, I know other countries as well throughout the world, there is just that hustle that people, you know, I read something even early this morning that, you you have this many hours in a day and you should be spending this much sleeping and this much doing this. And of course you can start your own business on the site because you have this much time to do it.

you know, think stepping back and saying, you know not everybody wants to be an entrepreneur. Not everybody wants to be in the hustle. And some people are truly comfortable with the life that our grandparents or great grandparents had. And, really bring that into all aspects of our home. ⁓ We garden, we have chickens.

we do canning. do a lot of, you know, we make most of our own meals and I'll tell you what, when you do that, going out for a meal feels such a treat. And it's so like, even if it's just to, you know, a small brunch restaurant and not a big deal, it just still feels so incredible. reclaiming that slow space, first of all, we're saying, don't want to keep

buying things that are only going to last for a short period of time because that's how they were designed. I don't want give into that fast fashion where people are not earning a livable wage to crank out the trendiest items for me. And to just really return to investment in ourselves, in the items we make.

to be able to pick up a hobby, whether it's something within the fiber arts or you're drawing or you're playing guitar. You know, we invented fidget spinners because we weren't doing much with our hands. And I would say, you know, I think they serve a place. My daughter has a lot of fidget toys for her ⁓ neurodiversity, but you know, I always tell people knitting is my fidget spinner.

Like I take it to meetings if I can, I always have a knitting project with me. And so just slowing down and focusing our energy in a way that says, I am going to make my own decisions. I am going to live with intentionality and slowness and I'm not going to just buy into everything that a capitalistic world tells me I need.

I think that there's just certain magic to that.

Gemma Daly (26:31)

There really is. And I think that really resonates for me because we garden and we have chickens as well. And I obviously sew But I feel like I sit in the middle of two worlds sometimes because I want to do the slow pace stuff, but I have to keep up with the fast pace stuff as well. And that doesn't mean like buying fast fashion and things because I try and steer away from that.

But it is like the pace of life itself feels 100 miles an hour all the time. And stepping back can be quite difficult.

Tali Thomason (27:09)

Yeah, absolutely. That's, think, one of the hardest parts is you can make these decisions for yourself, but sometimes it does feel like you are rebelling, fighting against a world that doesn't want you to be this way. But it is a movement. There are lots of people making this change. And again, this is, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. You know, you make those incremental steps if you eat out every night.

Try cooking for two nights a week at least, or if you don't currently have a hobby where you can use your hands and just let go of some of that energy, try out some things. Try knitting, try drawing, pick up an instrument. There's just opportunity and by gently and quietly rebelling and just saying to yourself, I'm choosing what's best for me.

is it's just actually a huge act of rebellion in this day and age.

Gemma Daly (28:06)

Yeah, I love that. great advice. You mentioned to me, sort of, and you mentioned earlier how sewing can be quite ritual based, especially for yourself who's neurodivergent. And it can also be grounding in like these very uncertain times. And you know, we're going through those very uncertain times right now across the world. But how do you think that you use sewing

as ⁓ something that keeps you grounded.

Tali Thomason (28:37)

Yeah, I think that it's actually one of the places where I end up doing lot of my best thinking.

I'm solving problems, trying to figure out next steps. When I'm in that sewing space, I get a clarity I don't get anywhere else. ⁓ And it's interesting because it doesn't come while I'm sewing because I do try to be very mindful and I certainly don't want to stitch a finger. ⁓ you know, but when I pause and take a moment, it's like shutting off my brain to everything else and focusing on this one thing.

It's like suddenly in the background, my brain is just like calculating all these different things and it finds some clarity. And then I will pause and I will wrap up for the day or for a little while, go grab a drink. And then it's like, ⁓ what if I do this? Or, ⁓ this is the right way. And it's just so interesting how slowing down and diverting your energy to something completely different kind of provide you with that grounding and that strength for other areas in your life.

And then of course it always just ties me back to my grandmother, my great-grandmother's, my aunt's. It just, it makes me feel connected to that legacy, to my ancestors in a way nothing else does.

Gemma Daly (29:58)

So lovely. And also like, you know, you're diverting that energy through your hands, like you say, in the process of making, but that almost frees up that brain space from the noise, doesn't it, so that you can be creative and answer those questions that you've had going around in your mind.

So a common thread that we have running through the podcast is the importance of community. Sewing can be obviously quite a solitary hobby. How do you think community can help when it comes to building your own wardrobe and things like that?

Tali Thomason (30:38)

You know, I do feel that community is kind of what gets us out of our own ruts a lot of times. And so ⁓ whether you're connecting with folks online or in person, depending on what resources are available for you, you just, get that opportunity to first of all, share with people who will appreciate what you've done. Cause my husband absolutely

will celebrate everything I make and he's absolutely wonderful. But when I did an invisible side zipper for the first time, he just didn't understand, you know,

And so when you actually are able to connect with people who get that same level of excitement and energy, there's just a certain creativity and spark and heartwarming that you don't other connections. I also say that community sometimes comes in ways that we don't necessarily expect it. I was at one of my local thrift stores and they were having 50 % off.

their fabric remnants and stuff that day. And I was like, ⁓ this is really great. I am working on a pattern for my next mini magazine. ⁓ And I want to get a few pieces of fabric, I don't want to go to a regular store. I want to reclaim them. And she asked, well, tell me about your magazine. I was like, well, it's kind of like a quarterly installment of Fresh Ideas from my book that I just wrote.

published and now I'm going to be the featured local author in April for three months and possibly go in and teach a class about how to shop for reclaimed materials in a thrift store that you can refashion. And so sometimes that community doesn't have to just be at ⁓ the haberdashery or sewing shop or what have you. It can be in that thrift store space or it can be in the coffee shop where the knitters gather. ⁓ And so there's opportunity in places that we may not always find.

Gemma Daly (32:36)

Exactly. And do you have any exciting plans coming Tali? Because you mentioned, obviously, now you're going to be the resident author and teaching people there. Any other exciting plans?

Tali Thomason (32:49)

You know, I'm also participating in an author fair in the mountains, so I'm very excited to have that coming up in April. I've actually taken a step back. Originally, I wanted this to be as much of a movement as it could be. ⁓ So I was working on building some reclaimed fabric capsules that I could sell and a quarterly subscription box. But then I was like, you know what?

this is turning this into too much of a hustle for me. It's not what I want. So I really scaled back and I'm just focusing on writing. I moved my website to Substack. So it's a easier platform for people to find, still have all the links to my available and subscribers will still get the quarterly magazine and that's a subscriber only benefit. But in there, I kind of will talk about just

specifics around, you know, working on picking up patterns for the season or how to, you know, source good patterns ⁓ and such. So those are some things that I'm working on. And I think I do have a little Etsy shop where I have some digital knitting planners and such, and I have a affirmation deck that I

did last year, I guess I did it on a Kickstarter. It's called knit happens. And it's kind of like some just kind of tongue in cheek kind of affirmations for knitters. So I have those kinds of items up there, my books up there. And I thought, you know, if I come up with a really great fabric capsule, I can throw that on my Etsy store. I don't have to build out a whole platform and it doesn't have to be a constant focus. So that's kind of really where I'm at is I, you know,

really just kind of came back to myself and I said, you know, I wrote a book I'm really proud of. I want to keep sharing this wisdom with people, but I want be where it's invited. I want to be where it's received. I'm with people who are ready to receive it and not be just so aggressively trying to do a one woman movement on my own.

Gemma Daly (34:52)

Yeah, and I think that is really important because it obviously sits better with your own values. But if anybody is interested, and I will obviously link all the details in the show notes, but the book is a really interesting take how to build your own capsule wardrobe and a lot of those sort of slow living values. So I'd urge you to check it out if it's of interest to you.

Tali, I like to wrap up the interview with a little game of this or that, if that's okay with you. Yes. Yeah. So we'll start off with what's hopefully an easy one. Tea or coffee?

Tali Thomason (35:31)

I do love a good cup of tea, but it's usually coffee in my hand. It's just so easy and keeps me going.

Gemma Daly (35:39)

this one might be tricky. Knitting or sewing.

Tali Thomason (35:43)

No, there's a time and a place when I really want to dive into a project, then sewing for sure. But I love that I can take my knitting anywhere and that it can be something I work on while being social, but it's not as easy when your head's down in the sewing machine.

Gemma Daly (36:03)

Absolutely. Visible or invisible mending?

Tali Thomason (36:08)

Visible. Invisible for some items. know, if it's a seam that's kind of split on a blazer, don't want visible mending for that. But if it's a pair of jeans that have a hole in them or a cardigan that got a little moth hole, then absolutely visible.

Gemma Daly (36:25)

Thrifted fabric or thrifted garment?

Tali Thomason (36:29)

Fabric.

Gemma Daly (36:30)

woven or knit.

Tali Thomason (36:32)

I'm in a very woven place in my life right now.

Gemma Daly (36:37)

An organized stash or creative chaos.

Tali Thomason (36:41)

Organized creative chaos. when I'm in the process of dying fabrics or organizing projects or reorganizing my ⁓ fabric queue, then can get a little chaotic.

Gemma Daly (36:53)

out of interest, do you dye a lot of fabrics then?

Tali Thomason (36:56)

I do. I dye more ⁓ than I thought I would. I'm trying to get more into natural dyes, ⁓ but it's harder to get a, if you're looking for a certain output, like if you're looking for a certain color, it can be quite a bit harder with natural dyes unless you're doing it full time. So do use fabric reactive dyes a lot.

Gemma Daly (37:17)

really for yourself or others? Me. And the last one, scissors or a rotary cutter?

Tali Thomason (37:22)

you

scissors. I do too many pieces that are curved or have little notch areas and such that rotary cutter I have one and I'll use it if I'm doing big square pieces or what have you, but for most of my cutting, it's a good pair of scissors.

Gemma Daly (37:42)

I don't blame So where can people find you Tali?

Tali Thomason (37:45)

My website, slowstitchrebellion.com, is where I am blogging now and where you can get the links to my book. And then I'm also on Instagram with Slow Stitch Rebellion, or my personal Instagram that has more of a look at my whole life as Tali unraveled.

Gemma Daly (38:05)

And you've been an amazing guest today Tali and I just want to thank you for spending time with me on the Sewing Social podcast.

Tali Thomason (38:13)

Well, thank you, Gemma. I really appreciate having this conversation with you today and being here.

Gemma Daly (38:17)

You're welcome. You take care.

Tali Thomason (38:19)

You too, thank you. Bye.

Gemma Daly (38:20)

Bye.