Fiber Talk

We’re making buttons this week with our guest Gina Barrett of Gina-B Silkworks. Actually, we’re exploring all types of passementerie with a very talented designer and author. Her start was making buttons in the costume world. That beginning blossomed into a business that offers passementerie supplies for a wide variety of techniques, a long list of books and instruction manuals, TV shows, and classes and workshops. If you’ve never made Dorset or thread-wrapped buttons, now is the time to give it a try. You may get addicted and want to try your own button-a-day challenge.–Beth and Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Gina-B Silkworks website Gina Barrett on Instagram Gina-B Silkworks on Facebook Gina-B Silkworks on YouTube We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Gina Barrett. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

The day between Tuesday and Thursday has arrived so we seized the opportunity to talk about needlework. This week’s topics include a drawing to win one of two Immaculate Heart kits from Clara Warschauer of clarastitching.com. The kits are for her free workshop on June 21. We explain how to enter the drawing in the show (yes, you have to listen). We also talk about the list of items we’re posting for Patreon members (subscribe at patreon.com/FiberTalk), Dorset and wrapped buttons, fast fashion and the impact it’s having at several levels, Nicola Jarvis’ “Life in Seasons” book (you want this book), and a couple of schedule changes. When you’re listening to the show, please like, subscribe, comment, and share through whatever social media source you use. Sunday’s guest: Gina Barrett of Gina-B Silkworks–Cindy and Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Fiber Talk’s new Patreon page Clara Warschauer’s website Sassy Jacks Stitchery website EGA website CyberPointers website Avlea Folk Embroidery website We hope you enjoy the show. We're always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show. To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

Becky Noland of Lucy Beam joins us this week. We learn about dumpster diving with grandma to acquire fabrics, how Becky moved from interior design to creating cross stitch charts, and her addiction to buying antique samplers. Fortunately for us, she thoroughly enjoys reproducing those samplers. Look for an Adam and Eve sampler this summer. Becky and Sylvia Stecker of Running with Needles and Scissor will be teaching classes for the inaugural Sampler University, which is part of the EGA National Seminar. In this week’s conversation, we talk about the sewing roll project Becky designed for the event. You’ll do the stitching ahead of time and the class will involve finishing the stitching into the sewing roll so you’ll have a completed piece when you head home from Dallas. All of the information is at egausa.org in the Events section.–Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Embroiderers’ Guild of America website Rebecca Noland’s website Rebecca Noland on Instagram Rebecca Noland on Facebook Rebecca Noland on YouTube We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Becky Noland. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

This week we travel to Australia to visit with Elizabeth Sullivan and explore the outstanding art she creates with her intuitive stitching approach. Elizabeth defines intuitive stitching as spontaneous, no plan, no predetermined design, no rules, and learn as you go. She also tells herself to embrace mistakes and not be perfect. The end result of this technique is abstract needle art that will captivate you and cause your eyes to explore the nuances of each piece. It’s an inspiring approach to creating needle art and Elizabeth is superb at it. After you enjoy our conversation, visit her website and Instagram account to follow and enjoy her stellar art.–Beth and Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Elizabeth Sullivan website Elizabeth Sullivan on Facebook Elizabeth Sullivan on Instagram We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Elizabeth Sullivan. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

We have reached the middle of yet another week. To acknowledge the accomplishment, Cindy and Gary gathered to talk about stitching. Topics this week include the work of Jessica Kemper from Field Guild Embroidery, tacks, quilts created by Cheryl Lennox, new Patreon developments, copyrights, and three projects Cindy has finished. There will be much more discussion about one of them, Garden Party, coming up on the Patreon channel. To see that video and much more, subscribe at patreon.com/FiberTalk. Sunday’s guest will be embroidery artist Elizabeth Sullivan from Sydney, Australia. Becky Noland will join us next week.–Cindy and Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Fiber Talk’s new Patreon page Sassy Jacks Stitchery website EGA website CyberPointers website Avlea Folk Embroidery website We hope you enjoy the show. We're always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show. To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

Embroidery artist Jessica Kemper of Field Guide Embroidery is our guest this week. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and the EGA Sampler U. Register in the Events section at egausa.org. Jessica Kemper loves the outdoors and has found a way to marry that love with embroidery. Her animal designs are the perfect size for embellishing hats, jackets, shirts, and other types of clothing. She also teaches classes, offers kits, and has published a book titled “The Field Guide to Embroidery.” The book is filled with animal designs and instructions so you can stitch your own connection with nature. In the process, you’ll also learn the fur stitch, a Jessica Kemper creation. Also note that 10% of Jessica’s sales are donated to the Sageland Collaborative, an organization that uses “science in the service of wildlife and wetlands.” Keep up with Jessica’s designs through her social media accounts and, while you’re online, join the EGA and register for the EGA National Seminar and Sampler U.–Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Embroiderers’ Guild of America website Field Guide Embroidery website Jessica Kemper on Facebook Jessica Kemper on Instagram Sageland Collaborative website We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Jessica Kemper. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

Avlea Folk Embroidery is sponsoring this week’s show with Sarah Resnick of Gist Yarn and Zollie Makes. Our focus this week is the range of products produced by Sarah’s two companies, specifically the beautiful Array crewel wool yarn/thread and Palette Scout, a versatile tool designed to help you select a color palette for your next project and/or change colors in a current project. The Array 100% wool thread is excellent quality and available in 114 colors with several shades of each color. The wool is sourced, processed, and dyed in the U.S. and comes on spools that contain 210 yd. If you’re color challenged and/or intimidated by selecting/changing colors, the Palette Scout is easy to use and can become your new best stitching friend, especially if you purchase the $5 DMC conversion pdf. Check out these and several other products at the respective websites and be sure to support our sponsor, Avlea Folk Embroidery.–Gary Listen to the podcast: This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it. You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, and Podbean. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses. Here are some links: Avlea Folk Embroidery website Gist Yarn website Gist Yarn on Facebook Gist Yarn on Instagram Gist Yarn on YouTube Zollie Makes website Zollie Makes on Facebook Zollie Makes on Instagram Zollie Makes on YouTube We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Sarah Resnick. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.–Gary To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.

Lots to talk about in this week’s Midweek Chat. Topics on our list include Patreon articles, stitching on vacation, Stitched Stories kits (stitchedstories.com), changing colors on the Botany Bay sampler, creating altar pieces and Edna Sanabia’s Easter communion liner, Yvette Stanton’s Substack article on slow stitching, and what the back of our needlework may or […]

This week’s Fiber Talk guest is embroidery artist Alexandrina Dordea. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and the EGA Sampler U, at egausa.org. Alexandrina is a self-taught Romanian artist who uses tambour embroidery, stump work, goldwork, beadwork, and punch needle techniques to create outstanding needle art. Her current interest is creating […]

It’s Wednesday so that means it’s chatting time. This week Cindy and Gary logged into the online talking system to discuss new Patreon content; tariffs, supply chains, and their potential impact on our stitching stash; hackers spoofing LNS websites; creating needlework art for churches and public places; hoarding stash for that “special project;” and storing […]

Cyberpointers makes this week’s show possible. Our guest is Suzie Vallerie, owner of The Enriched Stitch needlepoint shop and new owner of The Caron Collection line of threads. In addition to the daily business of operating a thriving needlepoint shop, Suzie designs and paints her own canvases and hosts retreats and classes in the Victorian […]

This week's show is sponsored by the Embroiderers' Guild of America and the 2025 EGA National Seminar, Needlework Faire, Nov. 11 to 16 in Dallas, Texas. All of the details are at egausa.org, then select the Events page. One of the features of the national seminar is a new event called Sampler U, a two-day […]

A month has passed since we did a Midweek Chat. We’re back on our normal schedule and this week Beth and Gary covered basic news then started talking about the various projects we have in our queues. We got wound up talking about them and the show basically became a WIP parade. For those who […]

The Embroiderers’ Guild of America is sponsoring this week’s show with Ilene Nebrasky, creator of the Stitch Sloth website/community. In our conversation, we learn about Ilene’s love of needlepoint and penchant for organization, and how the two came together to develop the Stitch Sloth website and community. Stitch Sloth is an ad-free, membership-only website where […]

Thanks to Sassy Jacks Stitchery for sponsoring this first in a series of shows in which we discuss, in depth, various aspects of stitching, as requested by our listeners. This week we talk about the pros, cons, and different types of scroll frames and how/when we use them. Then we move on to our views […]

“Goodnight Moon,” the beloved children’s story by Margaret Wise Brown, is the focus of this week’s textile arts exploration with Emilie Dundee Odeile and Ken Lee Chapin of Dundee & Lee. The story of how Emilie and Ken met from across the country and formed a partnership and company to create outstanding needle art displays […]

It’s the first Wednesday in March so Jenifer and Gary fired up the recording system and had a needlework gab session. Topics include the upcoming Fiber Talk retreat, the new Fiber Talk Patreon offering (patreon.com/FiberTalk), what we’re working on (too many new projects for Gary), the new verb suespargoing, appliqué, and quilting. We also have […]

This week we welcome Emma Broughton of Fairy Wren Embroidery. The show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Emma is a graduate, tutor, and Fellow of the Royal School of Needlework; author of the book “Embroidered Boxes” and creator of beautiful box kits; and working to become a member of the Worshipful Company of Broderers. […]

Yvette Stanton returns for the fourth time to talk about her latest book Hardanger Filling Stitches. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderer’s Guild of America. Be sure to check out the Through the Needle’s Eye galleries at the EGA website. Hardanger Filling Stitches is an impressive collection of 100 filling stitches and variations, all […]

It’s late in the day but we made the Wednesday midnight deadline. This week’s topics include The Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, supporting Fiber Talk through our new Patreon page (patreon.com/fibertalk), progress on the Stitch Every Day challenge, the impact of JoAnns stores closing on needlework, the role of local needlework stores in our needle […]

This week's show, sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery, is not our usual needle art designer interview. The good folks at the Royal School of Needlework, through publisher Search Press, have published a new book that we feel should be in the library of every needleworker. The book, 200 Essential Embroidery Stitches, is an excellent print […]

We travel to Australia this week to talk with embroidery artist Amy Jones of Grandpa Cat. Our show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Amy is a multi-faceted artist who works primarily with needle and thread using new and recycled materials. She also designs coloring pages, creates embroidery kits, teaches embroidery workshops, and frequently exhibits […]

Wednesday is a favorite because we get to talk about needlework. In this week’s show we remember Jean Lea, talk about a Valentine’s Day registration offer for the Fiber Talk Needle Arts retreat, discuss our attempts to stitch every day and what projects are in the rotation, look at some casket stitching, enjoy some Gay […]

The life of a military wife, living in upstate New York, and the pandemic catalyzed Caroline Gilman’s interest in needlepoint. Our conversation with Caroline is sponsored by Avlea Folk Embroidery and the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend. During those hours in New York, Caroline found her home with painted-canvas needlepoint. It wasn’t long before she […]

We’re at the center of the week and Cindy and Gary have fired up the recording gear to talk about a new one-day option for the Fiber Talk retreat (wetalkfiber.com/weekend); request for questions for upcoming shows; Gary keeping up with Beth’s Stitch Every Day challenge; storing slate frames, scroll rods, and stretcher bars; marking stretcher […]

Imagine what your plain Jane sneakers would look like if they had a scene embroidered on the sides. Melissa Galbraith did just that and she wrote a book about it to help you turn your canvas shoes into works of art. Melissa is our guest this week and the show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks […]

Our sponsors are CyberPointers and Sassy Jacks Stitchery and our guest is needlepoint artist Kevin Lustik. “Velvetpark” magazine said it best, “Lustik’s imaginative work evokes a folksy Americana, yet upon closer inspection, you are confronted by piercing social commentary. Few artists can pull off hot button issues of the day such as climate change and […]

We return from our holiday hiatus to talk about the upcoming Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, March 21 to 23. Register today at wetalkfiber.com/weekend. We also talked about Beth’s Stitch Everyday challenge (Can you do it?), our 2025 plans to stitch the Phoenix Band Sampler by Northern Expressions Needlework and the Floral Runner wool applique […]

TwoMe, 12 crafts in 12 months, journaling, and macrame are the foundations of “Mindful Macrame,” a new book from this week’s guest, Isabella Strambio. The show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery and the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Isabella is one of many who left the corporate world because it was stifling her creativity. That […]

Needlepoint designer Jeannette Tombaugh of Mountain Peaks Studio is our guest this week. The show is sponsored by Cyberpointers and Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Jeanette is a versatile, talented creator of counted-canvas and painted-canvas needlepoint designs, along with stitch guides for painted canvases. She is also the resident canvas expert at A Stitching Shop in Denver. […]

It’s the first Wednesday in December and time for another Midweek Chat. This week’s topics include our year-end schedule (join us Christmas Day at 2:00 p.m. Eastern), the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend, great deals on sampler and “sampler-adjacent” charts at Sassy Jacks, Cindy’s new trestles from TF Woodcraft, and the cost of kitting projects […]

Birgit Tolman of The Wishing Thorn joins us this week. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Birgit has lived a life of art, creativity, teaching, and needlework. She diverted for a year to work designing and cutting gravestones, then decided she was better off focusing on needle and thread. Today, her […]

The middle of the week is on schedule and that prompted Jenifer and Gary to gather and discuss some stitching things. Our topics include caskets, the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend retreat (sign up at wetalkfiber.com/weekend), the Jackie du Plessis ornament available at Sassy Jacks, more things Jenifer learned during her week with Sue Spargo, […]

This week we have a special Fiber Talk show, sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. For some time Beth has been wanting to do a show about caskets. It took a bit of effort but we think we came up with the right format and are more than confident Beth found the right guests. This week’s […]

This week our show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery, your source for all of your needlework supplies. Our guests are Mark and Nadine Roger, owners of Creative Experiences. The Creative Experiences events offer a unique level of stitching education and relaxation for needleworkers. They provide several experiences throughout Europe each year, taught by many […]

It’s Wednesday and Cindy and Gary have gathered to have a conversation about needlework. This week we talk about the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend (March 21 to 23, 2025, registration is open now), the EGA Sampler University and 2025 National Seminar, the Jackie du Plessis “Rise Above the Waters” design available at Sassy Jacks […]

Our topic this week is the 2025 EGA National Seminar, our guest is Seminar chair Joy Cobb, and the show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com. Needlework Faire, the 2025 EGA National Seminar will be held Nov. 12 to 16 in Dallas. The Renaissance Faire theme is designed to encompass the variety of […]

We last talked with Ronnie Rowe in May 2019. Much has happened since then and it was great to learn how his design work has evolved, how he goes about creating his unique designs, and to see what’s coming up. Sassy Jacks Stitchery is sponsoring this week’s show. Ronnie first made his mark in the […]

It’s one of those Wednesdays when we do a Midweek Chat show, March 21 to 23, 2025. This week we talk about the Fiber Talk Needle Arts Weekend. Registration is open and all of the details are at wetalkfiber.com/weekend. We also talk about the EGA Sampler University, the 2025 Woodlawn Needlework Show, the North Carolina […]

The goal for the 62nd Woodlawn Needlework Show, March 2025, is to have at least one piece from each of the 50 states. Elizabeth Reese, Woodlawn’s Associate Manager of Marketing, joins us this week to talk about that goal and the accompanying celebration of 50 years of Nelly’s Needlers, the volunteer group that organizes the […]

Deana David was living in Amsterdam and homesick for New England. To offset her fear of never getting back home, she started rug hooking to reminder her of New England. That started what has become a career and full-time business creating rug hooking and punch needle designs, teaching the techniques to others, making the needed […]

Tomorrow is Thursday so that makes today Midweek Chat day. This week Cindy and Gary talk about EGA’s Sampler University, the classes that will be offered at Fiber Talk’s Needle Arts Weekend (wetalkfiber.com/weekend), and What Would You Tell a Rookie about ground cloth, threads, lighting, and magnification. Registration details for the Fiber Talk Needle Arts […]

Theresa Lawson’s embroidered interpretation of her sister’s house and a visit to a Seattle urban art fair were catalysts for what has become a growing needlework design career. That embroidered house prompted many others to hire Theresa to stitch their house as a memory piece. Out of that has grown an embroidery/design business called The […]

Loose Ends is a difference-making venture and our guest this week is co-founder Jen Simonic. The show is made possible by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. When people who do needlework and other forms of textile art and pass away or become incapacitated, Loose Ends can be there to finish the needlework project, knit the rest of […]

Wednesday has arrived and so has the midweek chatting. This time around Jenifer and Gary talk about Honduras Threads, the Fiber Talk Needlearts Weekend, Gary’s new stitching glasses, the book “A Single Thread” by Tracy Chevalier (thanks Angela Nowicki), and Jenifer’s upcoming Sue Spargo weeklong event. Sunday’s guest is Jen Simonic of Loose Ends.–Jenifer and […]

Kelly Lea Teske returns yet again. But this time, we talked about stitching instead of vision and eyeglasses. We had a great time talking about cross stitch, needlepoint, painted canvases, quilting, her recent quilting talks, rug hooking, slow stitching, English paper piecing, and making and using yo yo pieces. The show got a little long […]

Thread-painting bird artist Ana Luiza Catalano joins us this week. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. The pandemic led Ana, an ornithologist by profession, to add thread painting to her study of bird songs and calls. We learned about her through an EGA blog article, linked below, and had to learn […]

The schedule was tight, but we got this week’s Midweek Chat recorded. Our topics include encountering world-class athletes, Beth’s Modern Folk Embroidery project, Beth’s lizard canvas winning Honorable Mention at the ANG National Seminar, Tanya Berlin, Parkinson’s disease, the importance of moving/exercising, a process for handling WIPs, the 2025 EGA National Seminar, and creating roadblocks […]

This week's guest is Lea Peacock, newly elected president of the Embroiderers' Guild of America. Thanks to Sassy Jacks Stitchery and Avlea Folk Embroidery for sponsoring the show. In our conversation we learn about Lea, her stitching interests, and her long history of EGA membership. She talks about exciting things the EGA is doing, and […]

Kelly Lea Teske joins Gary this week to talk about Gary’s trip to the eye doctor to get new everyday glasses and lined-trifocal stitching glasses. In a show we did on April 6, 2024, we talked with Kelly about how stitchers should approach an eye doctor visit with the intention of getting glasses that will […]

The weekend is two days away so we connected through the interwebs to talk about Elizabeth Ashdown and creating finishing pieces, how counted-canvas needlepoint fits in the lineup of techniques, the 2024 ANG Seminar and what Cindy and Robin are expecting to experience, Lorene Salt’s “Holst Meets Webb” design, and how plans are firming up […]