Table of Contents
Recently Published:
Flaxen Dreams: Growing Flax for Linen in the Mountains of BC
[Open Access]Flax is often grown in coastal or low-lying areas. Can it be grown at elevation in southern British Columbia? After a visit to Taproot Fibre Lab in Nova Scotia, D&T publisher Kim Werker is planning to find out.
How to Make and Use Binding and Bias Binding in Sewing Projects
[For Studio Members] Learn about the differences between standard and bias binding in sewing: how to make each, and where to use them for best effect.
July 2022 Studio Hours Recap: Felicia Lo on Becoming a Weaver
[Open Access] Member Sarah Thornton recaps our July, 2022, Studio Hours. Multi-crafter Felicia Lo shared the story of how she came to weaving, and how a beginner might get started. A lively show-and-tell session from Felicia and other weavers in attendance provided a lot inspiration to those who are considering taking up the craft.
Browse by Topic:
Browse the Full Archives:
Update: Tech Support Success and (Short) Editorial Delay
We posted on Instagram and Twitter on Wednesday about an issue with our website that came up as we were publishing new pieces last week (we publish on Wednesdays, three or four times a month). We worked for the last week with tech support from the company whose...
Flaxen Dreams: Growing Flax for Linen in the Mountains of BC
Not long after we launched Digits & Threads, I started off my column in these pages with an introduction to our family’s hay farm. I promised updates about foraging and natural dyeing, and maybe eventually growing flax or indigo. Re-reading that column today, I...
How to Make and Use Binding and Bias Binding in Sewing Projects
Lately, I have re-kindled my joy of creating me-made clothes. With this dive back into sewing, I’ve been reflecting on some of the hurdles and milestones in my sewing journey. In the very beginning, one of the biggest eye-opening moments for me was seeing how fabric...
July 2022 Studio Hours Recap: Felicia Lo on Becoming a Weaver
In July, our Studio Hours featured Felicia Lo, a self-described multi-craftual maker, who encouraged us all to give weaving a try. At home, she knits, dyes yarn and fibre, spins, weaves, and machine knits using both a flatbed and a new circular sock machine. She also...
Common Threads: Volume 14, August 2022
Hamilton, Ontario, artist Hitoko Okada is a growing cotton and indigo in her backyard. She cultivates the indigo plants to create dyes using traditional Japanese methods for use in her weaving and fibre art practice. On September 25th she is leading a workshop on...
Thanks to Our July, 2022 Advertisers!
A big thank-you to the Canadian fibre and textile businesses that have supported Digits & Threads this month by advertising with us: Mawdsley Fibre Arts Mississippi Valley Textile Museum We hope you enjoyed learning about them! Advertising from Canadian businesses...
Never Met a Material She Couldn’t Weave: Basketry Artist Cathie Harper
Cathie Harper has never met a material she couldn’t weave. A basketry artist based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Cathie creates functional and decorative pieces using traditional and modern fibres and findings. Her most recent achievement is a solo exhibition...
Getting Started Weaving: What You Need as a Beginner
One of my greatest joys in craft is introducing other makers to weaving. As someone who came to weaving after being a knitter, dyer, and spinner, I absolutely love that weaving draws upon all the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired from the various fibre arts and...
Inclusive Sizing: Disability, Non-Average Measurements, Modification
Research, statistics, and numbers alone don’t create a good standard sizing chart for garment designers. It is those numbers and that work, together with empathy, spatial perception, and years of observing bodies and understanding fit that contribute to inclusive...
Drag Queen Uropa’s Yarn Wigs: Taking Over the Stage, One Skein at a Time.
We recently had the chance to meet Canadian drag queen extraordinaire—and unconventional crafter—Uropa. Jeffrey, the originator of the Uropa persona, chatted with me about his journey to drag. At age fourteen, Jeffrey watched the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race....
Bookbinding Tutorial: How to Make a Vintage-Style Needle Book
In this tutorial, we will make a small sewing-needle book in a style that combines features of antique and vintage needle books, using materials commonly found in our homes. Although bookbinding uses a specific set of standard hand tools and equipment, we will...
How Weaving Found Me: SweetGeorgia Yarns’s Felicia Lo on Curiosity and Craft
Whenever I see my two young kids playing around my weaving looms, throwing a shuttle, or trying to beat a weft, I wonder how much of this will stick. How much of this will be memorable to them when they are grown? My first exposure to weaving was a plastic Fisher...