All Of It — “Sewing 101 and Tips for Upcycling Clothes”

Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Christine Frayling (Founder, New York Sewing Center)
Air Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "All Of It" with Alison Stewart is devoted to the renewed cultural enthusiasm for sewing, upcycling, and making clothes last. Alison welcomes Christine Frayling, founder of the New York Sewing Center, to discuss the basics of sewing, upcycling old clothes, the joys and life lessons of making things with your hands, and how a new generation is transforming their relationship to what they wear. Listeners call in to share personal sewing stories, and practical tips abound for both beginners and experienced makers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Joy and Therapy of Sewing

• Christine’s Journey into Sewing

  • Learned from her great aunt, a home economics teacher.
  • The hands-on, focused nature of sewing offers relaxation and mental clarity.
    • “Sewing is something that you shut off everything else. You can only focus on that. And there's a therapy in that. There's an energy in that and you're able to just relax and it just feels good.” (Christine, 02:31)

• Why Sewing is Trending Now

  • Desire to disconnect from constant digital stimulation.
  • Growing interest in sustainability—repairing and upcycling instead of discarding clothing.
    • “It's nice to focus on something that helps the world… Maintaining your clothes, fixing them, mending them, and not wasting them and throwing them out is something that impacts the world.” (Christine, 02:47)

Founding the New York Sewing Center

• Christine missed the hands-on aspect of sewing while working in the fashion industry.
• A serendipitous networking event inspired her to start teaching sewing.
  • “And it was like a light bulb went off… it was like an epiphany.” (Christine, 04:19)
• Chose the Garment District to keep the center embedded in the history and spirit of New York’s fashion world.

Generational and Community Sewing Stories

• Callers reminisce about learning to sew from family, in home economics, or for personal needs.

  • Casey shares: “My mom was very hip and loved fashion and really taught me the value of good fabric and how important that is.” (Casey, 07:49)
  • Dionne discusses the empowerment and body-positivity sewing brought: “It also offered me an opportunity to find clothes that were not being created in my size or for my body type.” (Dionne, 10:24)

• Sewing Fosters New Friendships

  • “You're spending two hours usually at minimum when you're sewing. So two hours of conversation with someone... It's remarkable how easy it is to talk to somebody because you're doing something with your hands and they're just sitting next to you.” (Christine, 09:04)

How the Pandemic Shifted Sewing Culture

• The Sewing Center pivoted to online, shipping supplies and teaching via FaceTime.
• Frayling’s mask-making tutorial went viral—sparking a nationwide effort that led to over 10,000 handmade mask donations.
  • “One of the videos that I did was one of the first videos for making a mask, and it went crazy on YouTube.” (Christine, 12:18)

Eco-Friendly Sewing and Upcycling

• Collaboration with FabScrap, a non-profit that recycles fabric, lowering waste from the fashion industry.
  • “Not only do you take fabric from them for sale in your store, but you also have the students recycle their scraps from the classes. That goes back to fab scraps, so there's as little waste as possible.” (Heidi, 13:17)
• Importance of sustainable sourcing and supporting local fabric shops.

Emotional Connection and Empowerment

• Inheriting sewing traditions and machines:

  • Carol inherits her mom’s Singer machine, discovers a family legacy connected to couture (Christian Dior).
  • Christine: “I literally have a tear right now. Like, that makes me so happy.” (Christine, 15:08)

• “You can’t unsee it” — How sewing changes shopping habits:

  • Making a garment teaches respect for craft and labor, drives more mindful, sustainable clothing choices.
    • “After you make clothing, you realize how much time, effort, energy goes into it… Your mental capacity starts to realize, like, someone had to sit here and make this.” (Christine, 15:28)

Essential Sewing Tips for Beginners

Modern Sewing Machines & Tools

• Home sewing machines are lighter, more advanced and can now create buttonholes, zigzag/cover stitches, etc. (07:16)
• Christine recommends the Janome Sewist 100 for compact, reliable home use. (18:12)

Project Suggestions

• Start with small, simple projects:

  • Tote bag, scrunchie (upcycle old shirt), zippered pouch or basic makeup bag.
    • “Another really great project as a beginner is a scrunchie… There's enough fabric [from a shirt] there to make a couple scrunchies.” (Christine, 23:03)

• Take beginner classes that focus on making a product in 2 hours—instantly rewarding and builds confidence.

Sourcing Fabric and Notions

• Invoke local and sustainable options like FabScrap or neighborhood mom-and-pop shops for unique and eco-friendly fabric finds. (29:13)
• “We partnered with [FabScrap] to sell some of those materials to our clients… The idea is to offer sustainable fabrics that help out not only the garment district, but also reduce waste.” (Christine, 29:13)

Navigating Big Name Stores

• Christine’s Three S’s for Beginners:
  • “Stay away from shiny, satiny or slippery!” (30:09)

Social Media as Learning Aid

• Use YouTube or Instagram to search specifically for your sewing machine model for setup and troubleshooting.
  • “Look for the style of the machine. Go to YouTube, search that machine—how to properly set up this machine or properly thread this machine.” (Christine, 24:07)
• Caution: Social media is an endless source of inspiration, but practical, focused tutorials beat endless scrolling.

Moving Beyond Basics

• Next steps after beginner projects: Try commercial patterns, then branch into copying favorite garments with classes like “Copy Your Clothes.”
  • “If you make a skirt or a pair of pants from a commercial pattern, it opens the gates… you can start dabbling in making a jacket.” (Christine, 27:36)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the social side of sewing:
  “When you meet someone new, a two hour conversation with someone while you're sewing in this really feel good sewing state… You're able to make friends. Like, it's remarkable how easy it is to talk to somebody because you're doing something with your hands.” (Christine, 09:04)

• On mistakes and learning:
  “Even as an experienced seamstress, someone that's been doing this my entire life, there are still different types of fabric that react differently… It's one of those life lessons.” (Christine, 20:24)

• On inclusivity:
  Gabriel calls in to represent "the small but proud contingent of guys who sew," sharing memories from his childhood and the pride of making things for loved ones. (25:02)

Notable Timestamps

• 02:31 – Therapeutic benefits of sewing (Christine)
• 07:16 – Modern advances in sewing machines
• 09:04 – Building community through sewing classes
• 10:24 – Sewing’s role in self-expression and body positivity (Dionne)
• 12:18 – Sewing during the pandemic & mask initiative
• 13:17 – Recycling fabric & FabScrap partnership (Heidi)
• 15:28 – How sewing changes your view on clothing
• 18:12 – Compact home sewing machine recommendation
• 23:03 – Fast projects for beginners
• 24:07 – Using social media for specific tutorials
• 27:36 – Moving on to commercial patterns
• 29:13 – Sustainable sourcing of fabrics
• 30:09 – Three S’s: avoiding tricky fabric types for beginners

Closing Thoughts

This episode celebrates the resurgence of sewing as both an age-old skill and a modern, sustainable, community-building practice. The host and guests emphasize that sewing is for everyone and highlight its power to transform one’s relationship with clothing, foster creativity, build friendships, and promote sustainability.