Making Stitches Podcast

My guest for this episode is my yarny friend, Christine Perry, who first made an appearance on the podcast back in 2021. Since chatting back then, we have become friends and when I heard that she was gearing up to a big milestone in her sock-knitting journey, I asked her if she would like to come back onto the podcast and chat about it. Last weekend, on Saturday 3rd May, Christine celebrated a whole decade of encouraging people around the world to. knit socks through her Winwick Mum Sockalong. Christine's main aim is to encourage beginners to get over their fears of knitting in the round, turning heels and Kitchener stitch and be able to set off on their own sock knitting adventures. It worked for me - I think it's highly unlikely that I would ever have attempted to knit a pair of socks before chatting to Christine! I can now proudly say that on Saturday I followed Christine's request to cast on a new pair and get knitting to mark this significant milestone (and this is my 4th pair!).I hope you enjoy listening to our chat!You can find all the details about Christine's 10th anniversary giveaway over on her Winwick Mum blog as well as her free sockalong tutorials.For full show notes for this episode, please visit this page on the Making Stitches Podcast website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this linkThe theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi. Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

When I first approached Sara from Crochet in the Glen and asked if she would like to be a guest on Making Stitches Podcast, she couldn't understand why I'd want to speak to her. Like many (thousands) of other people who follow her Instagram account I'd enjoyed seeing her posts from her home on the picturesque Cowal Peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland - not just for the scenery, or her beautiful crochet creations, but because of her "crochet supermodel" husband Sean!Sean and Sara are collectively a hilarious team. Their posts are colourful and very, very funny. Sean can often be spotted strutting down an imaginary catwalk in their home wearing some of Sara's crochet creations - often wearing several different items at the same time. I am so glad that Sara said yes to an interview and as a bonus, Sean was able to join us too. I hope you enjoy listening to them share their story as much as I did when I recorded it! You can find Sara and Sean at the Crochet in the Glen Instagram account.Since the last episode of Making Stitches Podcast was published, Making Stitches has celebrated a birthday - it's now 5 years old. Thank you to everyone who has come onto the podcast over the past 5 years, everyone who has listened and supported me along the way! Lindsay xFor the full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

For so many of us, crochet (or any craft) is as gift which offers mental release, a chance to focus on something away from the day-to-day worries of life and that creative spark so many of us need. When Marianne Rawlins was working part-time whilst raising her very small children, crochet arrived in her life. It gave her a creative outlet and ultimately an additional career, as her hobby developed into writing and designing for Simply Crochet magazine.Our paths crossed through her work for Simply Crochet and I asked her to come onto the podcast to talk about how her hobby had opened up new doors for her. Whilst crochet is not Marianne's 'day job' it does play a very important role in her life and she takes great pleasure in not only designing and making crochet items herself but writing articles for the magazine about other makers and testing new yarns which have come onto the market for practical features. You can find Marianne on Instagram as @mazcrochets and on Ravelry too, where she sells her crochet patterns.For the full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

After dreaming about a craft festival one night, Justine Robson woke up and decided she should arrange one. Two months later, she'd booked the venue (the South of England show ground) and ten months later Carry on Crafting opened its doors for the first time. This summer sees the fourth edition of the summer craft festival and with over 600 people camping (tickets to camp sold out in a week) a huge range of craft workshops, stalls and entertainment, it's going from strength to strength. That's not all that Justine does though, she teaches crochet, runs 8 crochet retreats each year, is the custodian of Little Box of Crochet, after its creator Amanda Bloom sought her out to take it on and she's planning to open a bricks & mortar shop! Listen to Justine explain how creativity has been a constant in her life, how reconnecting with her creative side helped her recover from a nervous breakdown and how she gets such joy from doing what she does. Thank you Justine for sharing your story with Making Stitches Podcast!You can find the Carry on Crafting Festival website here & the Little Box of Crochet website here.For the full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

My guests for this episode are a pair of friends who met at a tap dancing class and went on to become creative business partners. They have been sewing for more than 30 years, many of which were spent working together in their sewing studio in Ilkley in Yorkshire.Since Covid, their classes in sewing and quilting have gone from in person, on a local level, to online and a world-wide audience. They say their mission is to empower women through sewing, one stitch at a time.Their latest project, the book, Menopause Makes was borne out of many conversations between the friends about the Menopause. They had previously written a book together and decided that as it was a topic of conversation they regularly spoke about, surely many other women were doing the same, so why not write about it in a sewing context.Along with a foreword by Dr Hannah Davies, a doctor specialising in menopause and lifestyle medicine, the book contains 10 patterns, one for each of ten different menopause symptoms. There is a sleep mask to aid insomnia, a basket for lost things to help with memory loss and keep cool quilt for night sweats.As well as running classes, both online and in person, Jenni & Kay have travelled abroad to meet crafters from overseas, tell their stories and learn about their traditional crafts and techniques producing crafty travelogues as part of their online courses. Among their creative destinations have been Ireland, the Netherlands and Hawaii along with locations closer to their homes in Yorkshire, like Scotland and Northumberland.For the full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

It's so good to be back with you bringing another series of Making Stitches Podcast to your ears!My guest for this episode is Felicity aka Felix Ford, an artist who works in colour, sound and yarn. I first heard about Felix's work when a mutual friend contacted me and suggested she might be a good guest for the podcast – she was right!Before our chat which features in this episode, Felix asked to send me a couple of her books and an invitation to join one of her online courses so I could get a proper feel for her work. I signed up for the ‘Colour at Play' Course in the hope I would be able to improve my skills at marrying colours together when I design a crochet project. In addition to this, I discovered that Felix had a podcast herself – the KNITSONIK Podcast in which she recorded sounds and wove them together with interviews, chats about her work and her own musical compositions.I really enjoyed getting to know Felix through her work, and then by chatting to her late last year ready for this podcast episode. It was genuinely joyful to hear about Felix's experiences including learning to colour match oil paint to a basket of eggs, how designing yarny covers for her walking stick diverted conversations with strangers away from her disability to her creativity and how her work with sound, colour and yarn has led her to setting up the KNITSONIK school.I have to say a huge thank you to Felix for being so generous with her time and for allowing me to use some of her music in the podcast episode. You can find the KNITSONIK podcast here if you would like to hear more of Felix's audio work. (I can especially recommend the Shetland Wool Week episode)You can find the KNITSONIK website here.For the full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches Podcast website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to the Making Stitches 2024 Christmas Special! As always at this time of year, I'm taking a look back at some of the year's highlights for Making Stitches. Included in this year's extravaganza is Tansy Forster from The Longest Yarn, author and academic Barbara Burman, Emma Varnam, Dr Gemma McKenzie from Threads of Protest, Heather Gibbs from Keep Calm And Crochet On, Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who has spoken to me for Making Stitches Podcast this year! I'd also like to thank Jackie, Rachel, Nick, Nickie, Jen, Penny & Steph my fellow Crochet Sanctuary attendees who gave me their 2024 highlights for this episode.Thank you to you too for listening and following my podcast adventures for the past few years - I've loved being able to bring these creative chats to you for you to enjoy!I hope you have a happy and peaceful Christmas and that 2025 is good to you!Lindsay xIf you would like to support my fundraising effort for FareShare Greater Manchester, you can buy the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath crochet pattern here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Thank you for joining me for the 80th episode of Making Stitches Podcast! This time I'm sharing a chat I had with Becky Davies-Downes from William and Tilda, who, after almost two decades working in TV & film costume departments, is now sewing beautiful bags and other accessories inspired by 1940s wartime Britain. I first bumped into Becky in September this year at the Yarndale Festival. There, she spoke to me about how her current venture had come about, as well as a little bit about her previous career. I simply had to have a more in-depth chat with her about all things 'make do and mend' as well as her previous life working in TV & film.My deepest thanks to Becky for speaking to me, not once, but twice in quick succession for the podcast! You can find Becky's website, William and Tilda here.While you're here, can I just mention my latest crochet pattern - the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath, which I have designed to raise much-needed funds for FareShare Greater Manchester? FareShare Greater Manchester is a charity which diverts thousands of tonnes of surplus food from the food industry each year to hundreds of charities and community groups in Greater Manchester and the surrounding area. It is simply wrong that so much food would otherwise go to waste when so many people are struggling to access healthy and nutritious food.The FareShare Festive Feast Wreath is a Christmas crochet pattern for a wreath based on a Christmas dinner - including sprouts and pigs-in-blankets. All the money raised from the sale of the pattern will be going directly to FareShare Greater Manchester. You can find more information about FareShare Greater Manchester here.You can buy the crochet pattern for the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

This time on Making Stitches, I'm doing something a little bit different. I want to speak to you about food poverty, especially in my home city of Manchester and how I need your help to try to making things a bit easier for those who are finding it tough.As the weather gets colder and we head towards winter, the terrible decision between heating and eating affects many people. FareShare Greater Manchester is a charity which rescues good-to-eat surplus food from the food industry and redistributes it to charities and community groups across the region.I started working for FareShare Greater Manchester earlier this year and since then, I've been wanting to do something with crochet to help spread the word about what we do and to raise much needed funds to support this organisation.I have designed a crochet pattern for a Christmas wreath based on a Christmas dinner, complete with sprouts and pigs in blankets. All the profits raised from the sale of the wreath will go to FareShare Greater Manchester. In this episode, I take you to work with me and introduce you to three of the women I work with, to share what they do to help those in our community who need help.You can find more information about FareShare Greater Manchester here.You can buy the crochet pattern for the FareShare Festive Feast Wreath here.I would like to thank Jane Czaja for her support in tech editing this pattern. My thanks also go to Ruth Downes, Sally Lamb & Kala Mandviwala for speaking to men for this episode of Making Stitches.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Making Stitches - back after a longer than anticipated break!This time, I'm sharing a bumper episode featuring lots of creative chats with some of the lovely people I met at this year's Yarndale festival in Skipton two weeks ago.You will hear from: Zoe Coates from British WoolEleonora from Coastal CrochetLindsey from Curate Crochet Box and Lottie & AlbertCathy from Dear Emma DesignsAmanda from Joe's ToesBecky from William & TildaNat from Woven in Kirklees FestivalYou can find the websites for all my guests by clicking on the links above, and you can find the website for Yarndale here.Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to me for this episode - it was such fun to record!For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast has a background in law and human rights and a passion for crochet too. Dr Gemma McKenzie is a researcher in the Midwifery Department at King's College London specialising in maternity rights and obstetric abuse. She has decided that in order to raise awareness about her work in the field of maternity rights, she is going use crochet (and knitting) to help her. Next year, Gemma is holding an exhibition called Threads of Protest in Southport in the North West of England and in central London too, to raise awareness about her work and yarn is at the centre of it. Gemma is collaborating with yarn artists to create works focusing on different aspects of abuse but is also asking for anyone who wants to join her, to send crocheted or knitted squares which will be used as part of a yarn bomb within the exhibition.The granny squares can be of any type, any colour, any yarn and use any design as long as they measure approximately 15 x 15 cm or 6 x 6 inches. They can be sent to:Threads of ProtestPO Box 239LiverpoolL37 8YUUKTo find out more about Gemma's work and the Threads of Protest Exhibition, please check out her website. Gemma can also be found on Instagram.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

When my guest on today's episode was about to leave a career in London for a quieter pace of life on the Cornish coast, one of her first concerns was where she would be able to buy yarn from. Fast forward a few years and Jane Abraham not only has her own yarn shop, she hosts creative retreats, has her own You Tube channel and has built an online community for crafters 'of a certain age' - the Cornish Flock.Jane's 'Flock' focuses on knitting, crochet, health and the wellbeing of 'mature women'. Jane says "Many women of a certain age feel isolated, under valued and overlooked. They believe that their interests and feelings are underestimated and there's not enough digital content that connects with them and caters for their continued interest in fashion".You can find Jane at her website, on Facebook, Instagram & You Tube.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

One of the unexpected things many people experience when they lose a loved one and have to sort through their posessions, can be unfinished craft projects. Maybe the person who has died was partway through making a baby blanket for a new family member, a quilt for a forthcoming wedding or simply a pair of socks or jumper for a loved one. If there's someone within the family with the skills and ability to finish that project, that's great, but in many circumstances that's not the case. That's where The Loose Ends Project can help. Two friends, Jen & Masey, decided that there must be people out there who have the skills and time to finish important craft projects which are left unfinished when someone dies or is no longer able to continue with it. They started matching unfinished projects with volunteer finishers, who complete and return the garments, blankets and accessories. In the space of less than two years, the friends' idea has mushroomed and they have registered 'finishers' in 64 countries around the world. To date, they have paired projects in 12 different countries.Jen Simonic, one of the founders of the Loose Ends Project, joined me for this episode of Making Stitches to tell me all about this remarkable organisation.You can find the  Loose Ends Project Website here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm thrilled to be sharing a chat I had with knitting & crochet designer, Emma Varnam.To date, Emma has written 13 books filled with inspiring designs for your home and to gift, from granny square homewares to adorable cuddly toys and crocheted pot plants! Emma is also a regular columnist for Inside Crochet magazine where she shares her passion for crochet and creativity.It was such a thrill for me to meet Emma and chat about all things crochet - as well the common curse of friends and families of makers who have handmade gifts thrust upon them whether they want them or not!You can find Emma's website here, and her Instagram page here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

For some of us makers, there's the desire to take our creativity beyond something which is purely a hobby. Whether we opt to teach our craft to others, design patterns or sell finished items at craft fairs or online, there are many ways to potentially make money from making. In this episode, I looked at Etsy as a platform for selling creative makes with Claire Reed, an Etsy mentor who guides handmade business owners through their Etsy journeys. You can find links to Claire's services here.**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE**For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Along with the military commemorations, there was a very special one created in yarn, by hundreds of knitters & crocheters around the globe - The Longest Yarn.Tansy Forster, who has lived in Normandy for over 20 years, was inspired by the Post Box toppers she saw when she traveled to visit Arundel, in southern England. She thought she would have a go at something similar for her garden gate to commemorate this special anniversary. That idea soon morphed to create an 80 metre long yarn masterpiece showcasing scenes from the build up to and of the landings themselves as well as the days immediately after.Tansy, with the help of Facebook, soon enlisted the help of hundreds of makers from around the world to create metre long panels, each with a scene from that time.  Not only that, Tansy has written a book about the project too. The Longest Yarn has featured on TV shows and news programmes around the world, and is set for a tour around the UK, then onto the United States before returning to Carentan in Normandy, where it will remain on permanent display.In this episode, we hear from Tansy Forster and from Diane McCoombs and Gill >>> from the North West of England, who contributed one of the metre-long panels to the Longest Yarn. You can find out all about The Longest Yarn on their website.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Hello, I'm thrilled to be back with another series of episodes of Making Stitches Podcast. This time I'm doing something a bit different, instead of launching the new series with a new interview, I've taken a dive into the archives.Since I last spoke to you, Making Stitches celebrated its 4th birthday (which I think is pretty decent in podcasting) so I thought I'd indulge in a look back at some of the voices which have featured up until this point.One theme which has been consistent throughout, is the very real benefit that being creative can have on your state of mind. It can be a light relief at a time of high stress, a positive outlet during anxiety and depression, a focus in the midst of paralysing grief.Quite a few of my guests (not all included here) have spoken about how their craft has helped them during hard times. Speaking from experience, my creativity, be that through crochet, sewing or even making this podcast has really helped me over the years. I am a real advocate for being creative as a result.Join me as I share chats from the Making Stitches archive:Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary about the Pandemonium blanket crochet-along during Covid https://www.crochetsanctuary.co.ukPatchwork quilter Emma Jones from the Vintage Sewing Box on the importance of making for mental health https://www.vintagesewingbox.co.ukTextile artist Matthew Downham on finding stitches to ease his anxiety. https://matthewdownham.wixsite.com/mysiteFormer BBC Brussels correspondent, Mary Jane Baxter on leaving a high pressure career for a creative life on the road. https://unbound.com/books/sew-on-the-goPeace & anti terrorism campaigner Figen Murray OBE on how knitting has helped her grieve the loss of her son, Martyn in the Manchester Arena bomb attack. https://www.figenmurray.co.ukDr Mia Webb, clinical psychologist, knitter and podcaster on the Why I Knit podcast on the benefits of knitting for mental health. https://www.therapeuticknitting.orgFor full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Ten years ago, Heather Gibbs was looking for an outlet for her crochet creativity and set up her blog; Keep Calm and Crochet On UK. Little did she know that her blog would be going from strength to strength a whole decade later, but that she would also end up working with a selection of different crochet magazines and yarn companies as well. In this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast, I chatted to Heather about how the blog came about in the  first place,  how her design career first got off the ground and her hopes for the next ten years to come in her crochet adventure. You can find Heather here on her website; Keep Calm and Crochet On UK.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast!My guest for this episode is the historian and writer, Barbara Burman, whose latest book is 'The Point of the Needle - Why Sewing Matters'. Barbara, a retired academic from the University of Southampton and the University of the Arts, spent more than 40 years teaching and researching the history of dress and textiles. In her latest book, Barbara takes an in-depth look at the social and cultural significance of sewing, drawing on contemporary voices as well as historical research. In it, Barbara asks what people are sewing, why they are motivated to sew and why people choose to mend?This was a fascinating chat, which covered lots of different aspects of Barbara's work - I hope you enjoy l listening to it!You can find a link to 'The Point of the Needle - Why Sewing Matters' here.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Welcome to the first episode of Making Stitches in 2024! Sorry for the longer than anticipated break.  This is the first of the final three episodes in series seven.  This time, I'm sharing a chat I had late last year with Cathy Wright from Lazy Kate Textiles. Cathy's a spinner and weaver sharing her love of creativity  by teaching these heritage crafts to anyone who wants to learn. Based in Liverpool, Cathy sells the equipment needed to take up the crafts and runs workshops to show students how to progress their technique. Cathy's enthusiasm for her craft is clear and she's dedicated to sharing her expertise. In addition to teaching, Cathy also runs a monthly meeting for anyone interested in yarn crafts to come together and build a community. TheWoollers runs on the first Saturday of each month in Northern Lights, Caine Brewery Village, 5 Mann Street, Liverpool L8 5AFYou can find out more about Cathy and her work on her website. To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello there and welcome to the Making Stitches Podcast 2023 Christmas Special. Join me for a selection box of treats looking back at the past 12 months in my podcast world.You can hear from guests including Dr Mia Hobbs from the 'Why I Knit' Podcast on the mental health benefits of being creative, Dr Fran Darlington-Pollock from the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity about their yarny Christmas appeal this year and some more of my guests from the podcast this year. Also joining me are some of the lovely people I met at this year's Great Northern Textile Show who will be sharing what's on their Christmas wish list.Thank you to all of my guests who joined me on this episode, and throughout the year. Thank you to you too for listening! I hope you have a lovely Christmas and that 2024 is kind to you.My guests in this episode include:Catherine CrochetsDr Mia Hobbs from Why I Knit PodcastDr Fran Darlington Pollock from the Greater Manchester Mayor's CharitySara from Black Sheep WoolsJen Rich - @stitchcraftandcook on InstagramJulie from Tilly Flop DesignsLisa Wilde from Sunnyside Fabrics UKJane Smith - Japanese Embroidery artistHelen from Yarn Addicts ManchesterCheryl & Joanne from the North Cheshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers & DyersNikki from Allium ThreadsSheila Haldane - textile artistWendy Roby - textile artistDebbie from Why Knot MacrameAnd if  you would like to support the Black Sheep Wools 'Deck the Halls' charity campaign in support of the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity, you can find all the details here.To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Winter Trip by Audioflame from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Jane Czaja has been trying to spread the love of crochet for decades, from teaching beginners groups back in the 1980s to running a crochet and chat group in her local library now! Jane has always been a maker, and since her retirement from computer programming and lecturing students about it, she has turned her attention to crochet full time. You can find Jane's name in the credits of crochet books, through her work as technical editor, she also does tech editing work for Inside Crochet and Disney Crochet Magazine. Jane is one of those amazing people who can spot a needle in a haystack - a pattern error!I think you'll find Jane to be evangelical about the craft of crochet, and if you had her as your teacher, I think that love of the craft would be contagious! You can find Jane's website here, and her crochet and chat group meets at Kingston Library on 2nd Saturday of the month between 10:30 and 12pm.You can also see Jane on justhands-ontvTo join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I want to share a great initiative which is happening in my home city of Manchester. Homelessness is a problem all year round in towns and cities across the world, not just here in the UK and it's a complex problem to solve. Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity was set up after our Mayor, Andy Burnham was elected. He chose to donate a percentage of his monthly wage to combatting rough sleeping across the city, and it was thanks to that the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity was born. The charity doesn't just offer somewhere for people to stay, it also helps in other ways with food, clothing and help to get people off the streetsEach year, the charity looks at new ways to raise funds to support it's 'A Bed Every Night' campaign, and in the run up to Christmas there's a concerted push to bring in more funding. It costs £30 to pay for one person to have somewhere safe to sleep for the night and to receive the wrap around care on offer.This year, Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity is calling on knitters and crocheters to help them in partnership with Black Sheep Wools. They have a range of knitting and crochet patterns for sale as well as yarn kits to make decorations. The proceeds from the sale of the patterns will go to the charity as well as 10% from the sale of every yarn pack and, if you would prefer to make a £30 donation through the Black Sheep Wools website, you will be gifted all the patterns for free, and that entire £30 will go to fund a bed for the night. I spoke to Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity Chief Executive, Fran Darlington-Pollock, who told me why she was calling on knitters and crocheters to help them this year.You can find out more about the work of the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity here. If you would like to join the ‘Deck the Halls' campaign and buy patterns of yarn packs, you get them from Black Sheep Wools.#DeckTheHalls23 #WeDontWalkOnBy #GMMayorsCharityTo join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops .The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast where I'm taking you out on the road with me to the second Great Northern Textile Show which happened a couple of weeks ago in Manchester.You'll hear from a selection of traders who brought their products to sell to visitors, several crafts guilds and three hugely talented textile artists who were invited to exhibit their work. In this episode I also spoke to the really inspiring Taslima from CDM UK Manchester which works with women and children (some of whom have suffered abuse) teaching them textile design and craft skills - if you think that listening to this section of the episode may upset you or someone you are listening with, you can skip the section between the  33.5 minute mark and 43.5 minute mark.Thank you to everyone who spoke to me for this episode including Domino Panton-Oakley from the Great Northern Textile Show, Debbie Davies from Why Knot Macrame?, Janet Markwell from The Corner Patch, Niki from Allium Threads, Julie from TillyFlop Designs, Lisa Wilde from Sunnyside Fabrics, Cathy Unwin from The Quilter's Guild, Cheryl & Joanne from The North Cheshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers & Dyers, Helen from Yarn Addicts of Manchester. Also, textile artists Wendy Roby, Jane Smith & Sheila Haldane, as well as Taslima from CDM UK Manchester.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also available from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs by buying me a coffee  through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson. The latest design is 'Prunella the Pumpkin' an amigurumi pumpkin doll. Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.Thank you for listening!

Back in July, Black Sheep Wools, the largest independent yarn shop in the UK celebrated its 40th birthday. Friends of Black Sheep Wools were invited to join in with a two-day-long birthday party at the Craft Barn in Culcheth, Warrington. I went along to join the festivities and this episode shares a little bit of what went on. You can find the Black Sheep Wools website here, they are also on Instagram and Facebook. This weekend, the Great Northern Textile Show is back at Urmston in Manchester for a second year. The show, which features traders, artists, exhibitors and crafts guilds returns, but this time with Domino Panton-Oakley at the helm. I went to meet Domino ahead of the big event to see how preparations were going. For for information about the Great Northern Textile Show 2023 and to buy tickets, please check out the website.Last year, I spoke to Tracy Fox, creator of the Great Northern Textile Show and went along to the first ever Great Northern Textile Show.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also available from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

When clinical psychologist, Dr Mia Hobbs, was studying at university, her mother suggested taking up knitting would be a great antidote for intensive study. Mia took her Mum's advice and started knitting a shawl which grew gradually as she worked. From then on, knitting became an important activity for Mia and over time crossed over into her work with colleagues and patients both within the NHS and private practice.Mia became so intrigued by the positive impact working with your hands can have on mental health, that she started the Why I Knit Podcast so she could speak to other people who have found great comfort in their hobby too.As a passionate advocate for crafting to keep me on an even keel, I stumbled upon the Why I Knit podcast and asked Mia if she would like to come onto Making Stitches. Thankfully, she said yes!My sincerest thanks to Mia for agreeing to speak to me for Making Stitches Podcast.You can find Mia at her website : Therapeutic Knitting, on Instagram at @knittingistherapeutic, & Why I Knit Podcast.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also available from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs by buying me a coffee  through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson. The latest design - published the same day as this episode is 'Prunella the Pumpkin' an amigurumi pumpkin doll. Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.Thank you for listening!

Hello and welcome back to Making Stitches Podcast, it's so good to be back with you. I had to take and extended break from podcasting due to a lot of 'stuff' going on, but I'm thrilled to be back with you now with the first episode of Series 7!My guest this time is Jen Rich, a food stylist & photographer who bought her first sewing machine back in the days of Covid lockdown. Just three years on from teaching herself how to sew, Jen has written a book called 'Stitch: Sewing Projects for the Modern Maker'. She says she has written it with both beginners and established sewing enthusiasts in mind - there is plenty of inspiration inside with 30 different projects to have a go at.Jen says she wrote the book she wished she could have read when she was first starting out, taking you through the steps of each project. However, the projects should also appeal to established sewers providing short 'palette cleanser' projects for when you need a break after working on larger projects. The fact that they are small items also makes them ideal projects for using up scraps of fabric left over from previous makes. My sincerest thanks to Jen for agreeing to speak to me for Making Stitches Podcast.You can find Jen at her on Instagram at @stitchcraftandcookTo join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops other music used in this episode is Happy Sunshine by Roman Cano, also available from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Hello! Making Stitches is coming back very soon for a 7th series. Among my guests in the coming weeks will be food stylist & photographer turned sewing designer Jen Rich to talk about her new book aimed at beginners and established sewists alike, I'll take  you along to the Black Sheep Wools 40th birthday weekend and clinical psychologist and knitter, Dr Mia Hobbs from Why I Knit Podcast will be speaking to me about the therapeutic benefits of crafts.I can't wait to bring you these creative chats and lots more too in the weeks and months ahead. To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For more information about Making Stitches Podcast, please visit the Making Stitches website. The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Way back in December 2022 I promised you this episode of Making Stitches with crochet designer Catherine from Catherine Crochets. Unfortunately, life rather got in the way of those plans, so now, six months later than originally promised is the final episode of the current series of Making Stitches.Catherine got hooked  on crochet while expecting her second child and since then, her passion for tapestry crochet has grown and grown. Her designs have been  featured in books and magazines and she has also designed for yarn companies too. Catherine's designs are often influenced by geometric patterns and, I'm told, are rather addictive to make. Last November, Catherine was invited to be the guest designer at The Crochet Sanctuary in Cheshire, so I popped along before her workshop to have a chat about her crochet and how it all got started.You can find Catherine's work on her website, Instagram & Facebook.You can find out more about The Crochet Sanctuary here.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

It's that time again, as 2022 draws to a close, I'm taking you on a romp through this year's Making Stitches back catalogue with a few of my highlights.You can hear from Figen Murray, Amanda Bloom from Cosy Life Boxes, Rafael Alcaide from Amoami, Beth Gillions, Conservation Officer at the People's History Museum, Eleonora Tulley from Coastal Crochet, highlights from the first Great Northern Textile Show, Leah Higgins, Tracy Fox and Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer.This year, Making Stitches has been listened to across 6 continents and has held the number one spot in the Apple Craft Podcast Charts in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland & New Zealand. It also reached the number 5 spot in the USA. Thank you to everyone who has listened this year - it's been great to have your company.Happy New Year!From Lindsay xTo join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

In this, the first of two Christmas and New Year specials this year, I catch up with a few old friends of the podcast: Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary (my first ever guests on Making Stitches) and Christine Perry, otherwise known as Winwick Mum, who first appeared back in Episode 31). We look back at what's been happening in the worlds of The Crochet Sanctuary and sock knitting in 2022 as well as their plans for 2023, and what they are hoping to achieve with their New Year's Resolutions too. You can find The Crochet Sanctuary website here, and the Black Sheep Wools Betwixtmas Make Along for this year here.Christine has so far donated £435 to the Trussell Trust through the sales of her her Sofa Snuggle Socks pattern. You can find the pattern here if you want to buy one and help with the fundraising whilst keeping your feet warm at the same time. You can also find Christine's website here.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Winter Trip by AudioFlame from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

We first met Olesya Lebedenko on the podcast back in March. Olesya is a Ukrainian textile artist who designs the most beautiful art quilts. She moved to Canada with her family back in 2014 and since then has become a Bernina ambassador as well as a regular on the quilt show circuit in Canada and the United States.In our last chat, in Episode 41, Olesya spoke about the evolution of her craft from making rag dolls and running workshops in Kyiv to creating quilts in Canada as well as her fears for her friends and family back at home and the unfolding war. Since then, Olesya has lost a dear friend in the bombing and spoke about her loss in this episode between 21:30 and 30:30 in the podcast. Olesya has been inspired to create four beautiful large quilts - the polar opposite of her usual mini quilt projects and blocks - 'Acorn Power', 'Blossom of Hope', 'Knot for Luck' and 'Stand Together' are up for auction to raise much needed funds for four Ukrainian charities; Magic Food Army, Medical Battalion 'Hospitallers', Ruslan Goroviy and Serhiy Zhadan. You can find all the information you need about the auction and the charities involved here. Whilst the bids for the quilts may be too much for many to donate, there are  quilt patterns which you can buy too - the proceeds of which will be added to the charity total. My thanks to Olesya for her time speaking to me again for Making Stitches.You can find Olesya's website here.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

This time on Making Stitches, I'm sharing a couple of chats I had recently with authors who have written about sewing and the power it gives, from offering respite and hope in the hardest of situations and a voice to those who have had theirs silenced and the simple ability to fix a hole in your clothes. Clare Hunter has worked with textiles for many years, working as a community artist, exhibition curator and banner maker. After hearing many stories about how important sewing and embroidery had been in peoples' lives throughout history, she decided to write a book about it. Threads of Life; The History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle was published in 2019 and went on to become a Sunday Times Bestseller. Inspired by what she learned about Mary Queen of Scots during her research for Threads of Life, Clare went on to write a book about her too, an alternative biography called Embroidering Her Truth; Mary Queen of Scots and Her Language of Power.You can find out more about Clare and her work through her website.Michelle Edwards is a children's author and illustrator working in the USA, her latest book; Me and the Boss; A Story About Mending and Love is based on a true story recounted to her in a yarn store one day. It charts the story of a young boy called Lee who is taken by his older sister (the Boss) to a sewing lesson in a public library. Along with the story, which is illustrated beautifully by April Harrison, is a sewing project for young readers to have a go at too. Michelle is passionate about teaching children about using their hands and has run childrens sewing classes herself as well as writing a column for a well known knitting magazine in the United States.You can find out more about Michelle and her work through her website.One of my former podcast guests, Olesya Lebedenko, a Ukrainian patchwork quilt designer and maker, who featured in Episode 41 is hosting a fundraising Art Quilt online auction. It runs until 16th December 2022 and you can bid on one of four beautiful art quilts on sale. All proceeds raised by the sale will go to supporting charities helping people and animals affected by the war in Ukraine. You can reach the auction through this link.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

Disposable fast fashion is a huge cause of pollution and damage to the environment, but one community benefit society in Manchester has been doing its bit to help for the past decade. Stitched Up! which is now based in Stretford Mall in Greater Manchester has been rescuing unwanted fabric and teaching sewing skills in a bid to help people get more out of their clothes and slow down the damage being done to the planet.The organisation takes donations of unwanted fabric and sells it on to sewists at a discounted rate as well as offering workshops on everything from basic sewing skills, repurposing garments, make do and mend sessions and dressmaking techniques. Their pop up shop in Stretford also hosts a regular Repair Cafe where experts in other fields come along to help  people get more life out of their belongings rather than simply throwing them away.I went along to Stitched Up! to meet their events co-ordinator Sarah Revington, she told me all about the organisation's roots and its interesting plans for the future. You can find out more about Stitched Up! through their website and YouTube channel.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston

A chance experience at an airport back in March left its mark on Rafael Alcaide. On returning home to Madrid, Rafael saw a large group of Ukrainian women and children who had just arrived from fleeing the invasion in their homeland. Wanting to do something to help, Rafael turned to his friend Rita, a crochet designer, and together they came up with a design for a small amigurumi bear which has become a symbol of resistance for the refugees. Within weeks, Amoami, a social enterprise was born and they began training the Ukrainian women in how to create the amigurumi bears - some of which had never crocheted before.  Soon other groups opened up across Spain and later in Switzerland too. To date, 40 women have been helped through Amoami. The organisation is able to help the women with the therapy of making the bears, it helps them settle into their new communities and pays them an income. People are able to support the group by buying the  bears and so far bears have been sent far and wide, from the  USA to Hong Kong as well as across Europe and the UK.You can find out more about Amoami here, through their Facebook and Instagram accounts.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Last Sunday, the  first ever Great Northern Textile Show opened its doors to the public, welcoming crafters to mingle with artists and craftspeople from a wide range of disciplines and enjoy a celebration of creativity.The event was Tracy Fox's idea - my guest for the previous episode of Making Stitches - as an artist, print maker and dyer of fabric herself, she felt there was a gap in the market for a show celebrating local talent in Manchester and the wider area. As a city built on textiles during the industrial revolution, Tracy believed there should be a showcase for talent from the world of textiles, and so, after much thought and meticulous planning, the Great Northern Textile Show was born. I went along to experience it for myself and took my microphone with me to capture some of the atmosphere.  I hope you enjoy listening to the conversations I had with some of the people  I met there.Thank you to everyone who spoke to me for this episode including:Tracy Fox, the event organiserLeah Higgins, artistLouise from Sincerely LouiseHolly Palmer from Planet QuiltsIan Fothergill from The Knitting Gift ShopTanya from the Woolly TangleJulie from Tilly Flop DesignsChristine and Ally from the International Feltmakers AssociationCaroline from Montague Patchers in SaleLiz Carrington from the North Cheshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers & DyersHelen & Carrie from the Yarn Addicts of ManchesterGreat Northern Textile ShowTo join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

There are many strings to Tracy Fox's bow, she describes herself as a dyer, print maker and artist creating the most beautiful art fabrics in her home studio in Manchester. She also uses her fabric to make stunning art quilts and has exhibited her work and sold her cloth at various craft shows over the years. It was at one of those shows, the Nantwich Quilters Exhibition and Fabric Sale, that she was approached to take over the management and running of the show, which she has done ever since. Five years on, she's now launching another show, this time in Manchester - The Great Northern Textile Show will take place later this month.The Great Northern Textile Show will showcase crafts people and artists from the worlds of textiles, quilting, yarn crafts, embroidery, felting, spinning and other disciplines. There will also be craft guilds and organisations on hand to help visitors learn new skills if they want to add to their own repertoires.I went along to Tracy's home studio to hear about her own creative journey, the way she creates her beautiful fabrics and what she uses them for along with her hopes for The Great Northern Textile Show too.You can find Tracy's website here, as well as her Facebook & Instagram accounts.More information about the Great Northern Textile Show can be found here.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

It hardly seems a year ago that I last followed the Yarn Walk to Skipton Auction Mart for Yarndale 2021. Last year saw the yarn festival based in North Yorkshire return after Covid, and this year it's celebrating it's 10th birthday. Seeing as I had such fun on my last visit, I had to return - not just to squish some gorgeous yarn - but to meet more lovely crafty folk.This episode, the first of the sixth series of Making Stitches Podcast, is a snapshot of the fabulous day I spent at Yarndale 2022 last Saturday. You will hear from stall-holders and a chat I had with Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet who was on the workforce at the festival this year running workshops and giving a couple of talks.Here are the people and businesses who feature in this episode - my thanks to everyone who spoke to me.Janet Browne from Janet Browne Textile ArtJodi from Cuddlebums Hand Dyed YarnsTanya Bentham from Opus Anglicanum EmbroideryHannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet  Zuzana from Trava & WoolMatt Farci from Scheepjes & Crojo.lifeSue Kimber from Farm CraftsJaki Bogg from Hot Butter YarnsEleonora Tully from Coastal CrochetCarole Rennison from Hooked by Design Yarndale Festival To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello there! Making Stitches Podcast will be returning to your podcast feed again very soon with a brand new series. I'm looking forward to bringing you some more inspiring maker stories with guests from the world of yarn crafts, textiles and embroidery, as well as many other crafts too.Among my guests for the new 6th series will be Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet along with other crafts people I met at the Yarndale festival at Skipton in North Yorkshire earlier in September and a non-profit cooperative which has just celebrated its tenth birthday of inspiring action on sustainable fashion and saving literally tonnes of textiles from ending up in landfill.Please make sure you subscribe to, or follow, Making Stitches on your podcast app of choice so you don't miss the new episodes when they come out. You can also follow Making Stitches on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where all the latest information about new episodes will be shared.

Hello and welcome to Episode 50 of Making Stitches and the last episode in this series. As it's the end of the current series, I thought I'd reconnect with a couple of friends of the podcast and catch up with their latest news. My guests for this episode are Sock Knitting Champion; Christine Perry or Winwick Mum as she's known online and Juey from Juey Jumbo Craft Tools who I met at Yarndale in September last year. When I first met Juey, I was stopped in my tracks as I walked past her stall at Yarndale 2021 (you can hear our first meeting Episode 32) . She was crocheting with the biggest Tunisian crochet hook I have ever seen. At the time I spoke to her for the podcast about her business and how it all got started. This time, she went into more detail about how her father first made her a pair of giant knitting needles using a broom handle and how things progressed from there. I first spoke to Christine Perry last year when she featured in Episode 31 speaking about her mission to teach the world to knit socks (Christine can now lay claim to more than 15,000 pairs of socks being knitted around the world using her patterns). Since that first chat, we have been able to meet in person a few times and on our most recent catch up, I took my microphone along to hear all about her latest sock news - her 'Happy Feet' project with West Yorkshire Spinners.Guest links:Juey Jumbo Craft Tools websiteWinwick Mum websiteWest Yorkshire Spinners Happy Feet Pattern Book To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to this, the penultimate episode of this current series of Making Stitches Podcast! This time, Emma Munn AKA Emmaknitty is my guest sharing the story of her creative journey into knit & crochet design. Originally from the South of England, Emma and her family now call Oviedo in Northern Spain home and it's from there she manages her small craft business alongside her job as an adult education teacher. Emma specialises in homeware & accessory designs and has seen her work published in a number of craft magazines including Mollie Makes. During our chat, Emma spoke about her journey to knit and crochet designer, the trials and tribulations of managing a solo craft business and has useful advice for anyone thinking of following her lead. You can find Emma at her website,  Etsy shop, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

The last couple of years have seen many of us take a step back and reconsider what it is we want to do with our lives. The pandemic gave us a new perspective and often forced us to change paths. Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer is no different. After a 30 year-long career in teaching in various countries around the world, he found inspiration in a plate of Padron Peppers whilst on holiday in Spain and decided yarn was the way forwards for him.Kitey's first attempts at dying his own yarns were inspired by the green peppers and white sangria from his holiday. He now has a thriving online indie yarn dying business and lives a life filled with colour. He says his main inspirations are food (as I already mentioned), nature and the universe - so he'll never run out of ideas! He's joined forces with designers and collaborated on a number of projects - his next one being the Dragonfly River make-along with Heather from Keep Calm and Crochet on UK which launches later this month.A self-professed "stash enabler", Kitey's enthusiasm for creativity and for making the crafting community an open and welcoming space for everyone is at the very heart of his work. I hope you enjoy listening to our chat, as much as I enjoyed chatting with Kitey himself.  You can find Kitey at the Yarn Whisperer website, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, & YouTube.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Like so many makers, despite loving all the creative subjects at school, Sally Wilson took a traditional route of study and then a 'conventional' career which for her was as a lawyer. However, whilst on maternity leave, she began to question whether a return to law was really what she wanted at the end of her family time away from her job. Sally found time to shoe-horn in an e-commerce course and to build a website around caring for her young daughter before breaking the news to her friends and family (and her boss) that instead of pursuing law, she would be selling a range of cross stitch kits she had designed. Despite a few raised eyebrows, seven years and a lot of hard work later, Caterpillar Cross stitch now supplies kits to thousands of embroiderers around the world operating out of a warehouse and with a staff of colleagues helping Sally with her business. Sally says the secret to her success is persistence and not having a 'Plan B'. Caterpillar Cross Stitch now holds regular stitch-alongs with crafters across the globe and has recently launched its own software allowing users to design their own cross stitch patterns.You can find the Caterpillar Cross Stitch website here, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, crochet is under the spotlight and Joanne Scrace from The Crochet Project in particular. The Crochet Project was set up to design and write beautiful crochet patterns using natural yarns and with inclusivity high on the agenda. Crochet Project patterns come in a wide range of sizes to fit all bodies, avoid gender assumptions and even come with directions for left-handed crocheters where necessary. Once a partnership between Joanne Scrace and Kat Goldin, Kat has now stepped away and left Joanne at the helm.Joanne, who got into crochet out of necessity when her children were small, used her experience in computer programming to help her grasp tech editing patterns. She now shares her expertise through her website and social media tutorials and is on the cusp of a new chapter with the launch of The Crochet Project Hub.You can find The Crochet Project website here, Facebook & Instagram.For the special Making Stitches listener offer of 3 months membership to the Hub at just £2 per month, use the code HUBINFO on the Crochet Project website.To join the mailing list for the new Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm taking you out on the road with me to the People's History Museum in the centre of Manchester. It is the national museum of democracy and home the world's largest collection of trades union banners. Being custodians of the literal fabric of our history requires painstaking conservation work to keep the banners in a stable condition for future generations to enjoy.I tagged along with a tour of the current banner exhibition and was then incredibly lucky to go behind the scenes at the conservation workshop with Beth Gillions the museum's conservation officer. My thanks to both her, the conservation team at the museum and Michael Powell who lead the banner tour on the day.To find out more about the Banner Exhibition and the work the People's History Museum does, please visit their website. For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Crochet & Knitting designer Lynne Rowe is my guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast. Lynne first learned to knit and crochet as a child, but it was after the birth of her own children that she turned to yarn crafts in earnest. Firstly knitting for pleasure, then to raise money for charity,  Lynne then ventured into crochet and knitting design and has written several books as well as working with a number of different craft magazines. A passionate yarn crafter, Lynne runs workshops for beginners as well as mentoring crochet and knitting designers to help them progress their careers too.You can find Lynne at her website, Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to this episode of Making Stitches Podcast celebrating the joys of colour and creativity as well as community support. When Clare Albans left a career in music behind, hand embroidery helped fill the gap leaving her job had left her with. After blogging about her life and makes for several years, Clare launched her small embroidery business selling designs and haberdashery and filling her Instagram followers feeds with a riot of colour and inspiration. Last year, Clare launched a kick-starter campaign to raise the funds needed to open her own bricks and mortar haberdashery shop and studio which she hoped to use to help her local community in the North East of England. Unsure how the fundraising would go, she was overwhelmed with support and is now celebrating her one-year anniversary of Hello Hooray Haberdashery & Studio. Clare has been enjoying spreading her love of making, meeting customers and being able to host craft social events and workshops in her studio too.You can find out more about Clare on her website, Instagram, Pinterest & Twitter. Clare also has her own YouTube channel, which you can find here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Welcome to a crochet-tastic double bill of Making Stitches featuring not just one, but two inspirational makers; Hannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet and Amanda Bloom from Little Box of Crochet. My first guest, Hannah Cross has been designing crochet garments, toys and soft furnishings for over a decade and has been featured in Simply Crochet Magazine many times over those years. After leaving a career in Midwifery, Hannah now designs full time and is about to launch her first crochet course this spring. She spoke to me about how she finds comfort in her crochet and how her career has developed over the years.You can find Hannah on her website, Facebook & Instagram.In part 2 of this episode I share a chat I had last week with Amanda Bloom from Little Box of Crochet about her project 'Blanket of Hugs Ukraine' which has seen her appeal to crocheters around the world to send her crocheted squares to be made into blankets to raise funds for the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) for their work on the ground in Ukraine. The Little Box of Crochet community hasn't let her down, with dozens of squares arriving daily at her home where she's eagerly joining them to make beautiful blankets. You can find out more about Blanket of Hugs Ukraine through the Little Box of Crochet website, Facebook page & Instagram.If you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello and welcome to the first episode in this new series of Making Stitches Podcast!Kicking off the series is a chat I had with Ukrainian artist Olesya Lebedenko. Olesya first got creative as a young child making up stories for her toys, then at the age of 5 she was taught to cross-stitch by her grandmother. Crafts would stay with her throughout her life - she says she has never been able to sit and do nothing with her hands. When the global economic crash hit in 2008, Olesya found herself without a job and expecting a baby with her husband, so she turned to craft as a way of making money. First with craft supplies to make rag dolls and also teaching students how to make them too. However, when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, things changed, and Olesya and her family began planning to move to Canada to begin a new life closer to her brother and supported by her quilt-making and appliqué work. Now based in Toronto, Olesya runs workshops, writes for several craft magazines and has written a number of books, the latest of which is due out in May featuring applique designs of flower animals.At the beginning of this interview, we spoke at length about Ukrainian folk embroidery, the war in Ukraine and Olesya's fears for her family and friends still living in there. She also spoke about the online abuse she and other Ukrainian artists have experienced since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. To find out more about Olesya, please have a look at these links:Olesya Lebedenko DesignOlesya Lebedenko InstagramOlesya Lebedenko Etsy ShopIf you would like to buy a PDF crochet pattern for Sophia the Sunflower, (£5 from the sale of every pattern will be donated to the UNHCR Refugee aid effort supporting Ukrainian refugees) you can find the link here. For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Hello there! Making Stitches Podcast will be returning to your podcast feed very soon with a new series. I'm looking forward to bringing you some more inspiring maker stories with guests from the worlds of quilting, crochet and embroidery as well as many other crafts as well. Among my guests for the new 5th series are Olesya Lebedenko, a Ukranian artist who makes the most amazing quilt blocks and appliqued items. Crochet designer Hannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet who speaks about how her crochet developed from making accessories for her wedding to turning into her full-time career and Clare Albans from Happy Hooray Blog and Haberdashery about all things hand embroidery. Please make sure you subscribe to, or follow, Making Stitches on your podcast app of choice so you don't miss the new episodes when they come out. You can also follow Making Stitches  on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where all the latest information about new episodes will be shared. The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

Figen Murray first took up knitting seriously to help her cope with hearing loss. At the time, she was working as a psychotherapist, and decided to practice what she preached and turned to creativity to help lift her mood. Little did she know then that just a few years later her knitting would help her cope with the dreadful loss of her son, Martyn Hett, who was one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. By the time of the attack, Figen had taken to knitting bears which she sold online and which she used to help people with various mental health issues. In May 2017, her life was (in her words) "turned upside down", and she left psychotherapy work to look at why people are compelled to commit acts of terrorism and to try to prevent it happening so that other families wouldn't have to experience what happened to hers. Figen's bears became 'Peace Bears' and not only have they given her a constructive way of coping with her own grief, but she has used them to reach out to the victims of other attacks too. Figen now visits schools to speak about terrorism and the dangers of radicalisation as well as the good and positivity there is in the world in a bid to "break the cycle of hate".  In December 2021, Figen graduated with a Masters Degree in Counter Terrorism from the University of Central Lancashire and was recognised for her work in counter terrorism when she was awarded an OBE in this year's New Year's Honours List.It was utter pleasure to speak to Figen for Making Stitches and I'm incredibly grateful for her time and openness in speaking to me for the podcast.You can find out more about Figen here and to see Jordan the Bear's traveling adventures you can find him here.For full show notes for this episode, please visit the Making Stitches website.The music featured in this episode is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.