Podcast appearances and mentions of susan weeks

In this episode, host Susan Weeks sits down with Owen Kelly, a fifth-generation stitcher with over 50 years of experience. Working from his remote home on the SW coast of Ireland, and inspired by the natural beauty of the wild Atlantic coast, Owen shares his colourful creative journey—from traditional family techniques to his innovative “flow stitching” and narrative-inspired projects. Known for his playful globe-trotting character Seamus O'Comanssy, and his ever-evolving quilt project, Owen reveals how he blends art, storytelling, and textile heritage to create pieces that are as personal as they are visually striking. Key Talking Points: Family Heritage: Owen's lifelong connection to stitching, passed down through generations. Remote Creativity: How life on SW Ireland's wild Atlantic coast and the surrounding natural world shape his work. Flow Stitching: His distinctive, freeform stitching style that tells a narrative as it evolves. Seamus O'Comanssy – The Creative Proxy: The story behind his character Seamus and how it bridges his passion for travel and art, sharing creativity and interesting insights into other people's creative lives. Quilt Project: Insights into his ongoing quilt project assembled from recycled, stitched squares. Commissioned Works: How Owen tailors designs—using personal motifs, astrological signs, and indigenous symbols—for bespoke commissions. Digital Storytelling: His use of social media (Facebook and Instagram) to share his creative process and connect with fellow textile enthusiasts. Narrative & Folklore: Drawing on Irish oral traditions and global folk tales to imbue his work with hidden meanings. Ambassadorship: His role as an ambassador for “World Peace One World, One People, One Stitch at a Time.” Challenges & Inspiration: Balancing multiple projects while embracing the spontaneity of creative expression. Relevant Links: View Links, information & Examples of Owen's work at https://stitcherystories.com/owenkelly Follow Owen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owen.kelly.75 Follow Owen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Slavetothestitch Follow Seamus O'Comanssy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555416757284 World Peace, One World, One People, One Stitch at a time (Facebook Group) https://www.facebook.com/groups/968783837184739/ ==============================================================About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes' onto your business! DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join ==================================================  Support Stitchery Stories: Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Are We Connected On Socials? Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube  

In this Stitchery Stories episode, host Susan Weeks chats with Sally McCollin, a textile artist, designer, and educator with a fascinating career spanning publishing, design, and teaching. From early beginnings knitting mohair jumpers for pocket money to working with major craft companies like Patons & Baldwins (now Coats Crafts), Sally has had an incredible journey in the textile industry. She shares insights into her commercial design work, editorial roles, teaching, and her passion for inspiring others through online embroidery courses, and textile art courses. Key Talking Points: From hobby to profession: How Sally's love for textiles grew from childhood sewing to a career in knitting, embroidery, and design. Working in the commercial craft industry: Her experience designing knitting patterns and working in PR for Coats Crafts. Teaching and inspiring others: How she transitioned into teaching and developed unique textile art courses. Embroidery Skills Courses: The thought process behind creating courses that blend design and embroidery techniques. The importance of play in design: Encouraging creativity through experimentation rather than rigid instruction.  Balancing creativity and deadlines: Funny behind-the-scenes stories of stitching projects for magazine features. Love for Shibori and fabric dyeing: Why fabric manipulation and color experimentation remain her favorite techniques. Relevant Links: For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Sally's work at https://stitcherystories.com/sallymccollin Visit: https://courses.embroiderersguild.com/ Read: https://courses.embroiderersguild.com/p/blog?p=your-online-embroidery-tutor About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes' onto your business! DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join Support Stitchery Stories: Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Are We Connected On Socials? Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube   Other Episodes You Might Like:

Elizabeth Ashdown is one of only 4 hand Passementerie artists working in the UK today. She combines traditional and endangered craft skills with a contemporary aesthetic to create innovative passementerie.  In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elizabeth Ashdown, for a glimpse into the world of hand woven passementerie. She makes and weaves bespoke trimmings, braids, tassels, fringes, and more. Her work spans interior design, fashion, and fine art, and she is passionate about reviving and sustaining this traditional craft. Elizabeth shares her journey, current projects, and insights into her creative process, making Passementerie both accessible and exciting for modern life!  Elizabeth & Susan chat about: What is Passementerie? Elizabeth explains this fascinating craft of creating small-scale textiles like tassels, braids, and fringes. Her unique journey: How she transitioned from traditional weaving into self-taught Passementerie and worked with master craftspeople to hone her skills. Reviving an endangered craft: Elizabeth highlights the challenges and joys of being one of only four remaining hand Passementerie artists in the UK. Custom creations: Her collaborations with interior and fashion designers to create bespoke trims, from bold artworks to intricate pieces for coats and furnishings. Modernising Passementerie: Her use of vibrant colors and contemporary designs to dispel the notion of Passementerie as “old-fashioned.” Historical inspiration: Insights into the craft's heritage, from its origins in global simple pratical items, thru its opulent French period and into modern use.  Key milestones:Winning the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholarship and training with master craftsperson Brian Turner. Future plans: Launching a collaboration with Samuel & Sons in January and her ongoing mission to teach and inspire others to explore Passementerie. Listen to learn more about this fascinating craft and how Elizabeth is determined to keep it alive, relevant and in-demand for 21st Century fashion and interiors. Some Links & Further Info Links For Elizabeth Ashdown Listen to Elizabeth's episode & View her artwork here: https://stitcherystories.com/elizabethashdown Visit: https://elizabethashdown.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/ashdowntextiles/ About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn  https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes' onto your business! DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join    

Ailish Henderson is a fine art textile artist, particularly known for her fine art stitched collage works, which focus on capturing a fleeting moment, telling the story with mixed media, paint, stitch and fabric snippets. She is also the author of 'Narrative Textiles', published by Batsford in October 2024. In this episode, of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Ailish Henderson, a narrative textile artist, author, and teacher. Ailish's work weaves together memory, storytelling, and fine art textiles, often using unique materials to create pieces that evoke personal and collective histories. She shares her excitement about her upcoming book launch, Narrative Textiles, and accompanying solo exhibition in London, where her artworks will bring her book to life. Ailish also reflects on her journey from a fine art background to embracing textiles and mixed media. Ailish & Susan chat about: Upcoming book and exhibition: Ailish is preparing for the launch of her book Narrative Textiles alongside a solo exhibition in October 2024. Storytelling through textiles: Her work often captures personal stories, memories, and moments, using materials that hold sentimental value. Inspired by heritage and family: Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and spending a lot of time with her grandmother who loved knitting greatly influenced her artistic path. Using vintage and reclaimed materials: Ailish shares how she embraces the imperfections in old fabrics, turning them into meaningful art.  The tension between teaching and creating: Balancing a teaching career with artistic creation, she finds inspiration in the ideas sparked by her students.  Multifaceted art career: From exhibiting internationally to writing, Ailish reflects on the challenges of sustaining an artistic career while also managing other commitments. The importance of community: She emphasizes the value of artist communities and how sharing ideas with others can spark new creative directions. Transition from fine art to textiles: Ailish explains how her fine art training influenced her mixed media approach and experimentation with different materials. Using poetry and writing: She uses her quickly captured words and poetry, along with doodles on whatever is to hand, often capturing thoughts and moments that later inspire her textile work.  For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Ailish's work at https://stitcherystories.com/ailishhenderson Visit: https://www.ailishhenderson.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/alish_h_ Other Episodes You Might Like: Julia Triston: Celebrating Marks & Memories In Old Clothing & Cloth  https://stitcherystories.com/juliatriston/ Tracy Franklin : Specialist Freelance Embroiderer & Durham Cathedral Head Broderer https://stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/ Cas Holmes : Textile Artist & Tutor: Found-Stitch-Paint https://stitcherystories.com/casholmes/  

Elnaz Yazdani creates vibrant contemporary textile art using rather unusual materials. Look closely for nails, springs, tubes, and all sorts from scrap stores. Elnaz loves working with community groups to reimagine embroidery and spark creativity.  In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elnaz Yazdani, an embroidery artist and educator who merges traditional techniques with unconventional materials. Elnaz discusses her passion for community engagement and how embroidery can connect people and elevate well-being. With a background that includes influences from Iran and Lancashire, she explores the use of embroidery as a way to tell stories, both personal and cultural. Elnaz is also known for using recycled and industrial materials in her creative process, pushing the boundaries to 're-imagine' of traditional embroidery. Susan chats with Elnaz about: Community-based embroidery projects: Elnaz is involved in various community projects that aim to connect people through the art of embroidery. Unusual materials in embroidery: Elnaz explains how she uses materials like washers, computer parts, and plumbing supplies to create stunning embroidered artworks. Creative freedom in projects: A discussion about how working with various groups inspires different interpretations of topics such as "place" and cultural storytelling. Embroidery as social prescribing: Elnaz views embroidery as a therapeutic practice that can positively affect mental well-being. Influence of her heritage: Being half Iranian and half English has shaped her love for textiles and her work's rich cultural storytelling influences. Education and teaching: Elnaz emphasizes the importance of keeping the craft alive by inspiring and teaching embroidery to the next generation. Juggling art practice & community projects: Elnaz shares some hard-won advice around setting boundaries and doing what you love! Sustainability: Elnaz often works with upcycled and renewable materials, such as fruit netting and scrap items, reflecting her commitment to sustainability. Some links & further info: For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Elnaz's work at https://stitcherystories.com/elnazyazdani Visit: https://www.elnazyazdani.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/elnazyazdani About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes' onto your business! DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join Support Stitchery Stories: Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee  If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Are We Connected On Socials? Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube Other Episodes You Might Like: Holly Jackson : Mix modern stumpwork embroidery with mixed media https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson/ Nikki Parmenter: Exuberant mixed-media textile artist https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/ Claire Edwards: Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Hand Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/

Dr. Jack Roberts, also known as JPR Stitch, is a fine artist specializing in freehand machine embroidery, creating stunning abstract shapes from dense, intricate webs of stitches. His art reflects the calmness and tranquility he experiences while stitching, making sewing his form of meditation. Jack shares insights into his artistic journey, current projects, and unique approaches to displaying his work. A key topic is Jack's 'quest'... seeking balance between simplicity and complexity, in his art, his practice, and in his life. Plenty of illuminating yet refreshing ideas, particularly around removing our own self-inflicted barriers to creativity, and indeed, everything else we do when apparently we are chasing our dreams! In this episode of Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Jack about: Daily Stitch Drawings: Jack's innovative practice of creating small stitch artworks daily since November last year as a counterbalance to his larger, time-consuming pieces. Project Evolution: How his daily stitch drawings evolved to include more space and organic shapes as he became more comfortable with the process. Display Challenges: The creative solutions Jack developed for displaying his daily stitch drawings, including a calendar mechanism and "towers of stitch" to represent the passage of time. Artistic Inspiration: Flipping the influence of Jack's extensive immersion in the art world on his embroidery practice. Creative Journey: The challenges and rewards of maintaining a daily art practice and how it contributes to Jack's overall artistic growth. Personal Reflection: How Jack's artworks serve as a reflection of his emotional state on any given day, showcasing the importance of balance in his life and art. Travel Adaptations: Jack's strategies for continuing his daily stitch practice while traveling Sewing as Meditation: The meditative and calming effects of sewing on Jack, and how this mindfulness is expressed through his intricate and organic stitching patterns. Removing barriers and saying No: How to make it as easy as possible to get started...   For this episode...  View Links, information & Examples of Jack's work at https://stitcherystories.com/jackroberts Visit: https://www.jprstitch.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/jpr_stitch/ Stitchery Courses Discover and book courses with textile and embroidery experts at stitcherycourses.com  GET LISTED as an expert teacher on Stitchery Courses and attract more customers into your business! Support Stitchery Stories: Share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? Other Episodes You Might Like:  Susan Hensel : Communicating Ideas Through Digital Machine Embroidery  https://stitcherystories.com/susanhensel/ David Morrish : Disruptive Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/ Hayley Mills-Styles: Thread Artist Who Loves Digital Embroidery  https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/  

Alison Holt is a contemporary textile artist, teacher and author who combines silk painting and freehand machine embroidery to create beautiful landscapes and glimpses of the natural world.  Alison shares how her career and art continues to evolve, as she looks for new challenges. Following new opportunities as well as ongoing marketing and visibiity of one's art are also very important, and Alison shares her experience and wisdom with us.  Susan Weeks chats with Alison Holt about: A current focus on the sea, a rich source of inspiration Her current success in finding new exhibiting venues and opportunities Developing her artistic style Capturing the atmosphere and sense of a place Scaling back her activities to develop her art practice Organising the "Stitch By Stitch" textile art exhibition Promoting your art and yourself Perspective of a long-standing professional artist For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Alison's work at  https://stitcherystories.com/alisonholt Visit: https://www.alisonholt.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/alisonlholt/ STITCHERY COURSES is an exciting new place to discover and connect with experts who teach their art, craft & skills with thread, fabric & yarn. Pop over to search through the experts and see what courses & classes they have available. Or pop over and GET LISTED as an expert on Stitchery Courses and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new 'eyes' onto your business! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/  

Caroline Hyde-Brown is a textile artist with a long-established career. Inspired by botanical research, she combines foraged plant material with a variety of textile art techniques to create fascinating weaves and vessels with fragile beauty. Combined with her purposeful art practice experience, Caroline shares plenty of wisdom on Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. With so many inspiring aspects to Caroline's textile art career, in this episode of Stitchery Stories we chose to focus on some unique plant-based research projects that Caroline has been involved with over the last couple of years. Firstly, on a project focused on the Grass Pea plant. And secondly on a project based around extracting natural dyes from food waste. These were truly fascinating and highlight the innovative use of plant-based materials within Caroline's textile art. Susan Weeks chats with Caroline Hyde-Brown about:  Overwintering in her practice, her garden and her art. Combining foraged plant materials with textile art techniques Purposeful development of an art practice The importance of outreach and connections Her love of nature and plants and research Making paper with grass pea fibres Extracting natural dyes from food waste from UK & Malaysia Contrasting writing styles for academic writing & art book Writing her first book 'Forage & Stitch' A hard lesson in understanding a design brief & clear communication And plenty more besides! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Caroline's work at https://stitcherystories.com/carolinehydebrown Visit: https://www.theartofembroidery.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/www.theartofembroidery.co.uk Look: https://www.instagram.com/artistcaz/ VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join Other Episodes You Might Like: Jennie-maree Tempest : Beautiful Botanical Sculptures https://stitcherystories.com/jenniemareetempest/ Meredith Woolnough: Machine Embroidered Natural Specimens https://stitcherystories.com/meredithwoolnough/ Laura Edgar: Atmospheric Coastal Scenes in Textile Art https://stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/

Hannah Thompson has always loved crafting, quilting & textile art.  In 2017, at a crossroads in her life, dealing with emotional & family upset, she left her corporate career and set up Stitching Kitchen. On Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Hannah shares her story and we dive into what she describes as her transformational business year in 2023! Susan Weeks chats with Hannah Thompson about: Her love for textile art, quilting, crafting and creativity Family life and a career pushing textile creativity to the background Turning to textile art to deal with a challenging time Taking the leap into setting up Stitching Kitchen How her business has evolved Discovering a love of teaching and facilitating others to enjoy textile art Starting to host guest tutors Getting help within her business Pushing out of her comfort zone with an inspiring community arts project with the National Paralympic Heritage Trust and lots more too!  For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Hannah's work at https://stitcherystories.com/hannahthompson  Visit: https://stitchingkitchen.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingkitchen Look: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingkitchen/ Follow Susan Weeks for online course creation and online marketing stuff  https://virtualityworks.com/  https://www.facebook.com/CraftyCourseProfitBooster https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks LEARN HOW to turn your in-person classes into on-demand online money-makers with her FREE online course https://virtualityworks.com/unlock-your-profits-in-7-steps/ Other Episodes featuring artists Hannah has booked for 2024: Anne Kelly: Textile Art From Re-used Textile Treasures https://stitcherystories.com/annekelly/ Jayne Emerson Returns: Impatient Textile Rebel https://stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson2/

Textile artist Holly Jackson shares her recent journey in developing her art career. Developing her 'sneaky' stumpwork embroidery using modern materials and mixed media, there are plenty of exciting 'firsts' to celebrate with Holly! We join Holly at the start of her first art exhibition. She shares her preparation and hopes from the show. We chat about her very interesting inspirations for her emerging body of work, and how she is developing her own 'take' on stumpwork, scaling it up, and using modern materials and mixed media to produce larger pieces, faster, yet still using hand embroidery. Susan Weeks chats with Holly about: 'There's always one more thing!' How she got started on her new artist career The importance of getting in front of 'new eyes' Her preparations for her first 'booth show' The fascinating stories of the 'hidden women' behind historical Mardi Gras float designs The impacts of flooding & climate change on her region Developing 'sneaky stumpwork' techniques Creating her own unique textile art style and 'voice' Creating a body of work, using series and collections What's next after the show? For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Holly's work at https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson Visit: https://flossinginthemoonlight.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/flossinginthemoonlight/   Other places & people we mentioned:  Chesapeake bay, USA  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay Tulane University Carnival Collection https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:p15140coll40 Jenny Adin-Christie https://jennyadin-christieembroidery.com/   Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell/ https://stitcherystories.com/katetume/ https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/  

Cornwall Cross Stitch Kit designer Emma Horan shares behind the scenes of her 'accidental' creative business based around counted cross stitch hand embroidery kits of the beautiful Cornish coast. For the last 10 years, Emma has grown her cross stitch kit business from a therapeutic hobby as she recovered from illness, to a thriving creative business, shop & studio based in St Austell Town, Cornwall. With the beautiful Cornish coast as her never-ending inspiration, with the desire to make bright colourful kits, Emma shares her journey from her first design made with 20p cross stitch software. We peek into the 'nuts and bolts' of kit design and production and Emma kindly shares some hard-won lessons along the way! Her mantra? To provide kits so that people can stitch things that make them feel good. Susan Weeks chats with Emma Horan about: painting & stitching as therapy whilst on sick leave from her corporate job her creative inspirations enjoying her studio and shop the steps from inspiration to kit for sale getting help and batch production dealing with counterfeiters colouring books? the beautiful and inspiring Cornish coast For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Emma's cross stitch kits at https://stitcherystories.com/emmahoran Visit: https://www.emmalouiseartstitch.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/Emmalouiseartstitch/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/Emmalouiseartstitch/ Tweet https://twitter.com/emmalouiseart   Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell/ https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell/ https://stitcherystories.com/liannevanleyen/  

Lottie Cockell started her creative business Purple Rose Embroidery fresh out of school, and has been busy growing shaping her business over the last 5 years. With a love of 'grid-based' hand embroidery, Lottie focuses on cross-stitch, blackwork and surface embroidery kits. She is keen to try new things in her business and will often dive into the deep-end of something, figure it out as she goes, then decide if it is a direction that is suitable for her business and her self.  That's the magic about running our own business.... WE GET TO CHOOSE what we do and how it works for US. This is a fabulous and very inspiring story, and I'm so pleased I spotted Lottie's colourful blackwork embroidery on Instagram, and never imagined the story that would be revealed!  Susan Weeks chats with Lottie about: Starting with hand embroidery commissions Quickly evolving into designs & kits Running her first stall ever at a high profile handmade event Designing her kits Encouraging and inspiring stitchers to have a go Shaping her business to suit her personality and lifestyle and so much more! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Lottie's art at https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell Visit: https://purpleroseembroidery.com/ Look:  https://www.instagram.com/purpleroseembroidery Like:  https://www.facebook.com/purpleroseembroidery Also PurpleRoseEmbroidery on: TikTok, Youtube, Pinterest Directory of all the things:  https://bio.site/purpleroseembroidery   Other places & people we mentioned: Kirstie Allsopp Handmade Fair Hochanda / Create & Craft Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/jengoodwin/ https://stitcherystories.com/ilkecochrane/ https://stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell/

Prism Textile Group members Hayley Mills-Styles and Maria Walker share behind-the-scenes challenges of helping to organise an annual textile art exhibition which features work from the groups' international members. Hayley & Maria explain the background and history of this well-known exhibiting group, and then we dive into the details of organising and marketing the annual exhibition. This is a fascinating insight into the details of how such exhibitions spring into life, and the work that goes on behind-the-scenes by so many members. The 2023 exhibition with a theme of 'Warped' is at The Art Pavillion, Mile End Park, East London from April 20th to May 1st Susan Weeks chats with Hayley & Maria about: Connections & collaborations within the group The history of Prism textiles How the group organises itself Setting submission dates to support consistent event marketing Planning the exhibition Using social media to spotlight members textile art  and so much more!  For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Prism group members art at https://stitcherystories.com/prismtextiles Visit: https://www.prismtextiles.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/prismtextiles Like: https://www.facebook.com/prismtextiles   Other places & people we mentioned:  Art Pavilion, Mile End Park, Clinton Road, London, E3 4QY North Yorkshire Open Studios https://www.nyos.org.uk/ The House Of Smalls https://www.thehouseofsmalls.art/ Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/ https://stitcherystories.com/yorktextileartists/  

Today I explore hand embroidered and beaded pop art with contemporary pop art textile artist Sarah Gwyer. We talk about her magpie-like 'obsession' with colourful beads and charms and the artistic path to creating beaded portraits. But beneath the colourful sparkling beads lies strong social commentary on celebrity, wealth and consumerism, all expressed in a distinctive pop art style. And we dive into the copyright complexities that Sarah has found herself entwined in over her desire to portray celebrities as parody. This is such an interesting chat, and thank you to Sarah for sharing her story. And of course... we have a good old laugh in amongst the serious topics! Susan Weeks chats with Sarah Gwyer. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Sarah's work at https://stitcherystories.com/sarahgwyer   Visit: https://www.sarahgwyer.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/sarahgwyer Like: https://www.facebook.com/sarahgwyerartist   Other places & people we mentioned:  The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition https://summer.royalacademy.org.uk/   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/eleanorpigman/ https://stitcherystories.com/alexhall/ https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/  

Back in 2014, textile artist, academic & designer Vanessa Marr posed the question: Women & Domesticity - What's Your Perspective? And invited those thoughts to be embroidered upon a yellow duster, in red thread. Little did she realise what she had unleashed... Nine years later, Vanessa has an amazing collection of embroidered dusters and an even more amazing collection of stories from the people (mostly women) who have sent her a duster. There are so many fascinating elements to this project, we barely scratch the surface! We do have a laugh as we start our conversation highlighting the now closed one off collaboration with The Profanity Embroidery Group as part of their Domesticity themed exhibition in Whitstable, Kent in February 2023. PEG were early guests on the podcast so this was a fun start to this episode BUT we must make it super clear that the general Domestic Dusters project is NOT about swearing about housework. Susan Weeks chats with Vanessa Marr. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Vanessa's work at https://stitcherystories.com/domesticdusters Visit: https://domesticdusters.wordpress.com Visit: https://marrvanessa.wordpress.com Look: https://www.instagram.com/domesticdusters Look: https://www.instagram.com/vanemarr Research profile: https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/vanessa-marr   Other places & people we mentioned:  The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Dinner Party by Judy Chicago The Subversive Stitch by Rosita Parker Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber   Profanity Embroidery Group (Whitstable)  https://pegwhitstable.co.uk/   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:  https://stitcherystories.com/profanityembroiderygroup/ https://stitcherystories.com/thereddress/ https://stitcherystories.com/karenruane/  

Embroidery artist Merrilyn Heazlewood shares her life in fabric & thread on Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast today! She takes us on a journey through her interesting and busy lifelong creative business career based around counted canvas work hand embroidery. And for those of you in the USA, you will know canvaswork as needlepoint. Anyway, over the years, Merrilyn has owned several needlework shops, has written several books on wool embroidery, counted canvaswork techniques and also on silk ribbon embroidery. And she has also taught internationally for many years, in-person and now creating projects for online learning. We catch up with Merrilyn as she looks forward to her summer holiday break, with several projects in mind to let her creativity flow. Susan Weeks chats with Merrilyn about: why she opened a needlwork craft shop at age 23 how she translates an idea into canvaswork and ribbon embroidery stitches playing with goldwork inspired by an ancient Aboriginal Rock art Echidna how do you learn crafts when your Mum is left-handed and you are right-handed? getting 'hooked' into counted cross-stitch embroidery combining silk ribbon embroidery with counted canvaswork / needlepoint a focus on inspiring customers self publishing several books...back inthe day when it was really difficult! selecting style, threads and accessories for 'longevity' of stitching meeting inspiring people around the world in so many locations designing the creative business you love and which protects your precious health. how NOT to thread your needle.... and so much more! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Merrilyn's work at https://stitcherystories.com/merrilynheazlewood Visit: https://merrilynheazlewood.com.au Look: https://www.instagram.com/merrilynsstitches/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/MerrilynBHeazlewood Other places & people we mentioned: In Tasmania: Tarraleah, Hobart, Launceston, Battery Point, Mount Wellington, Iron Pot (a small flat island in the mouth of the Derwent River, Tasmania) The Kimberley region in north-west Australia Aboriginal rock art Echidna Gumnut Yarns http://www.gumnutyarns.com/ Lowery Workstands https://www.workstands.com/   Other episodes you will enjoy Sarah Rakestraw: Glorious Goldwork Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/sarahrakestraw/ Tina Francis: Tapestry, Needlepoint, Canvaswork https://stitcherystories.com/tinafrancis/ Ilke Cochrane: Delightful Hardanger Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/ilkecochrane/  

Elizabeth Griffiths is a mixed media artist using hand embroidery, lino print-making, inks and watercolours to explore a range of themes. She shares the uplifting experience (and challenge!) of using hand embroidery as a competitor in Sky TV Portrait Artist Of The Year. We dive behind the scenes! Who was her portrait subject? How was it organised? What was it like trying to compete using hand embroidery against 'paper & paint' artists? This was just one of a number of events that have made 2022 a rollercoaster of a year for Elizabeth, and we chat about how these events have affected her art and creativity. Susan Weeks chats with Elizabeth Griffiths about: Exploring mixed-media - lino prints, inks, watercolours - with hand embroidery The excitement of taking part in Sky Portrait Artist Of The Year How to use embroidery in a time limited, live, portrait competition Keeping true to her style Using mixed media to trigger embroidery Why Elizabeth put away her needles & thead for a while Do silk paints go off, we wondered? Evolving our art as we also evolve Using our art to cope with stress Having her 1st solo exhibition When everything happens at once... and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Elizabeth's work at https://stitcherystories.com/elizabethgriffiths Look: https://www.instagram.com/lizgstitches Sky Portrait Artist Of The Year Competition 2022 https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/3e1cfda1-28a9-42f2-be75-220b7e8863ca/portrait-artist-of-the-year/episodes/season-9/episode-4 General Office - Gallery in Stourbridge, UK https://generaloffice.co.uk/   Oh and for a laugh... Sue mentioned that her portrait drawing attempts were like those of internet star 'Pet Portraits By Hercule' Here is a BBC article about Hercule... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58309087 Instagram: @portraitsbyhercule   To support this embroidery & textile art podcast: You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast   Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks   Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: Justine Warner: Textile art landscapes from a surprising source https://stitcherystories.com/justinewarner/ Sorrell Kerrison: Creating Hand Embroidered Portraits https://stitcherystories.com/sorrellkerrison/ Tracey Coverley: Textile Art Portraits https://stitcherystories.com/traceycoverley/  

Stacey Jones creates colourful, modern, abstract hand embroidery art. Her work powerfully reflects her thoughts & emotions through her life experiences. Stacey shares her story of how her life with her husband has strongly informed her embroidery designs, particularly his illness, tragic death and her mourning process as she evolves into living alone. Embroidery has been a massive help to Stacey, and she shares stories and wisdom around the power of creativity in such situations. This is a fascinating conversation about developing themes, ideas, inspirations, designs, colour and stitch. Susan Weeks chats with Stacey Jones about: Using sunflowers as an enduring symbol of hope, strength and inspiration. The impact of mood & emotions on choosing a colour palette to work with. Considering 'the spaces in-between' and developing art around that concept. Inspiration from galaxies to the spaces inbetween seeds. Finding comfort in repetitive processes & stitching. Learning some new hand embroidery techniques, goldwork, tambour embroidery. Going to cool life drawing classes with neon painted models. The luxury of creating work purely for herself. Finding freedom in reposting her embroidery archive. Exciting plans for the future. Representing calm breath work with embroidery. Ways to spark creativity when you are feeling stuck. and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Stacey's work at https://stitcherystories.com/staceyjones Look: https://www.instagram.com/bystaceyjones The Hand & Lock embroidered arts exhibition 2021 https://handembroidery.com/hand-and-lock-exhibition-2021/ Sarcoma UK The bone & soft tissue cancer charity https://sarcoma.org.uk/   To support this embroidery & textile art podcast: You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast   Follow Susan Weeks for online course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: Claire Edwards: Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Hand Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/ Jessica Grady: Embroidery Artist Using Unusual Materials And Bold Colours https://stitcherystories.com/jessicagrady/ Michelle Morgan: Hand Embroidery Artist https://stitcherystories.com/michellemorgan/  

Floriane Schmitt loves to experiment with creative fabric manipulation ideas. Under her brand name of FloHomeDesign she creates accessories and home decor items from smocked neoprene and is writing a fabric manipulation book, due out end 2023. Floriane shares her story of how her dream of a career in fashion evolved into specialising in fabric manipulation and creating her own collections bringing a very modern twist on some traditional Canadian Smocking techniques with very modern materials. Neoprene + Smocking = Neosmock Floriane has packed a lot of experience into her education and career so far, topped off by her fabulous story behind the fabric manipulation book she is writing at time of recording (Oct 2022). This is an inspiring story of 'going for it, making opportunities, and of saying Yes! Susan Weeks chats with Floriane Schmitt about: A chance comment on Instagram that led to a book writing deal The structure and challenges of creating her book Don't be afraid to show your work Using Instagram as a quicker way to showcase your skills and work Making a major pivot from fashion design to fabric manipulation designer Creating her accessories and home decor collections and brand Giving a traditional technique an interesting twist with modern materials Her inspiring internship Innovation with new fabrics and creative fabric manipulation techniques You can't keep the creativity flowing for endless hours and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Floriane's work at https://stitcherystories.com/florianeschmitt   Visit: https://linktr.ee/florianeschmitt https://florianeschmitt.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/florianeschmitt Look: https://www.instagram.com/flohomedelight   Inspiration from Iris Van Herpen: https://www.irisvanherpen.com/   You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Ann Small: Layered Cloth https://stitcherystories.com/annsmall/ Jayne Emerson: Textile Designer, Author & Tutor https://stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson/ Kathleen Laurel Sage: Shaping Machine Embroidery With Heat https://stitcherystories.com/kathleenlaurelsage/  

Cath Janes is an award-winning human anatomical embroidery artist. Under her brand name of Kraken Kreations she combines anatomically correct illustrations with colourful hand embroidery which all have a story to tell. Cath shares her honest and hilarious story of the ups and downs of the creative life of an artist, and her unique and distinctive art. There is so much entertainment as well as valuable creative business lessons contained within this episode of the Stitchery Stories textile art and embroidery podcast. Maybe you dream of going viral on Instagram, worry about being artistically lonely, or struggle to set boundaries and price your art? You will certainly find some inspiration and hard-earned experience today. Oh, and have a right good laugh too! Susan Weeks chats with Cath Janes about: Joys & frustrations of commissions Inspiring stories behind her anatomical embroidery commissions Her commissioned hoops are often part of a healing process Importance & prevalence of medical illustrations What is 'false colour' The surprising catalyst for becoming an anatomical embroiderer Anyone else love dissecting things? Dealing with artistic loneliness and finding your tribe What really happens when a 'reel' video goes 'viral' on Instagram Balancing commercial pressures with artistic urges and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Cath's work at https://stitcherystories.com/cathjanes Visit: https://www.krakenkreations.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/KrakenKreations Look: https://www.instagram.com/krakenkreationscath You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Ruth Norbury: Capturing Urban Decay With Textile Art https://stitcherystories.com/ruthnorbury/ Profanity Embroidery Group: Huge Fun. Beautiful Art. Ugly Words https://stitcherystories.com/profanityembroiderygroup/ Jane Sanders: Textile Portraits Of Iconic Pop Stars https://stitcherystories.com/janesanders/  

Susan Hensel is a multidisciplinary artist with a long-established career. She combines mixed media with digital machine embroidery to create beautiful sculptural forms flooded with colour. Alongside runs her gallery & curatative experience, giving us a fabulous guest sharing her art practice wisdom, on Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. Art is all about communication. Creating art to interpret your thoughts, inspirations, perhaps trying to make sense of the world. And the communication continues long after the art is finished.... you need to tell everyone about it, so they can enjoy it too. Susan has some great advice about this side of a successful art practice. We also dive into the aspects of when you take your art career to the 'next level' of exhibitions and galleries. Susan Weeks chats with Susan Hensel about: Getting excited about digital machine embroidery The frustrations of inconsistent materials Current inspirations from climate change & weather maps How Donald Duck's blue jacket sent her into a life-changing artistic pivot! Using techniques & approach appropriate for the ideas you are trying to express Evolving beyond the clay & brealing out of the rectangle Opening a gallery as a way of meting new people Getting media & press attention Artist representation Understanding the gallery business There are artists everywhere - who have created everything we use Switching between 'business mode' and 'creative mode' can be so difficult For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Susan's work at https://stitcherystories.com/susanhensel Visit: https://susanhenselprojects.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/SusanHenselProjects/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/susan_hensel_multimedia_artist Tweet: @hensel_susan Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: David Morrish : Disruptive Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/ Hayley Mills-Styles: Thread Artist Who Loves Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/ Kathleen Laurel Sage: Shaping Machine Embroidery With Heat https://stitcherystories.com/kathleenlaurelsage/  

Jennie-maree Tempest is a textile artist living on the Bass Coast of Australia. After many years creating art quilts and portraits, she has decided to challenge her textile art skills and creativity by creating textile art botanical sculptures. Jennie-maree focuses her creativity inspired by the native Australian species that grow around her coastal home. The latest is a flowering yucca that is around 6ft / nearly 2m tall! It has been a massive undertaking, and has taken over four months of hard work to create. It's not only a challenge of textile art but also of construction. How did she make such a large item out of fabric & threads? Today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Jennie-maree Tempest chats with Susan Weeks about her inspirations and challenges and her creative life by the coast. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Jennie-maree's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/JenniemareeTempest Visit: https://jemartem.com/ Like : https://www.facebook.com/JemARTem/ Look : https://www.instagram.com/jemartem.textiles/ Buy : https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/JemartemTextiles Pin : https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jemartem/  

Today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Nikki Parmenter shares her life in fabric & thread & a wide range of interesting materials too! She chats with Susan Weeks about the wide range of inspirations and materials that she uses to create her large scale art. And although Nikki has a Fine Art background, she is very much self-taught when it comes to incorporating textiles and embroidery into the mix! Plenty of experimenting has developed a vivid and exuberant style. Nikki 'escaped' the world of education back in 2016 but her absolute delight in teaching people still shines through everything that she does, and teaching is still an important aspect of her art practice. In fact, as the global pandemic took hold, and everything was cancelled, Nikki carried on experimenting, and moved online, becoming very visible, and offering online workshops and talks via Zoom rather than the traditional 'in-person' approach. She shares plenty of tips and insight into how she did that, and the results she has generated. For this episode... all links, info & examples of Nikki's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter

Tanya Bentham is an expert in the style of hand embroidery known as 'Opus Anglicanum'. It is a style of embroidery that was prevalent in the 13th & 14th centuries in England. Very specific stitches are used in a specific way with specific materials and style. Tanya shares her fascinating story of how she got started in embroidery and how the obsession with Opus Anglicanum started. It may sound dull that Tanya takes her inspiration from Medieval manuscripts. Far from it! Those manuscripts contain hilarious situations and crazy characters and this was an area that I wanted to dig down into with Tanya. There is a lot of humour in her work. She also loves to take old images and put a modern twist on them, but still using relevant imagery and sticking strictly to the style and methods of the era. Tanya has brought all that knowledge and experience together and her first book is just about to be published... exciting times! Susan Weeks chats with Tanya about: What is Opus Anglicanum? The main stitches used and the specific thread. Her twist of 'The 3 living & the 3 dead' How to create a face in Opus Anglicanum Historical re-enactment Writing her book Knitting in the dark! Finding it difficult to start things and preferring longer bigger projects Where do all the crazy characters and silly scenes come from? Just how nerdy is nerdy? Medieval simplicity vs Jacobean crewelwork exuberance Learning which rules you can break so it is still 'Medieval' What to wear when you are a proper artist A fab excuse for not finishing a piece of embroidery.... For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Tanya's work at https://stitcherystories.com/tanyabentham Visit: https://www.opusanglicanumembroidery.com/ Like : https://www.facebook.com/groups/2131204437191134/ Read : https://opusanglicanum.wordpress.com/ Look : https://www.instagram.com/opusanglicanum/ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJl2IvOniL94jIym33JNYA Tweet: https://twitter.com/Opusembroidery SIGN UP for Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox to get started for FREE on your online course creation journey https://www.craftyonlinecoursecreator.info/workbox Other episodes you might like! https://www.stitcherystories.com/phillipaturnbull/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/clarehunter/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/stamfordbridgetapestryproject/ Other links and things we talked about: The Luttrell Psalter https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-luttrell-psalter The Syon Cope https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-syon-cope Bananarama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A-w5L7pygE Asterix & Obelix https://www.asterix.com/en/ Tintin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin Les Dawson - wonky piano playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nNGlaiVypU

Vendulka Battais is a textile artist, quilter, embroiderer and designer who started her creative journey making clothes with her mum in the Czech Republic. She learnt simple patchwork when she moved to the UK and was looking for a new hobby! Vendulka shares her fabulous story of where that early interest in patchwork took her. It's a story of creativity and of making opportunities and of taking action. From squares and triangles, Vendulka's work has evolved into quilting and embroidery, and a love of circular patterns inspired by mandalas and dream-catchers. Her love of teaching shines through with in-person classes and her new range of online video courses too. Susan Weeks chats with Vendulka about: Coming out of covid lockdown and wondering what's next. Her dream of creating on demand online video classes. It's a whole new set of skills creating an online course. If you don't have guidance then you need plenty of time for trial and error! Investing effort into creating an on-demand online course is creating future income Habits have changed and online courses are now seen as a great way of learning and networking Running her fabric & haberdashery shop in Suffolk Starting her creative adventure with simple patchwork and quilting Starting a group which encourages designers to share their patterns and a central place to buy patterns from Connecting designers / creators with makers Being inspired by a 'stairway to heaven' Wanting to turn her hobby into a business and support her family Learning how to run a shop Celebrating 10 years as a shop business owner It's OK to improve over time... Just Start! Learning how to create with what you have The meditative effect of free motion quilting Glow in the dark fabric mandalas For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Vendulka's work at https://stitcherystories.com/vendulkabattais Visit: https://www.oliven.co.uk/ Like : https://www.facebook.com/olivenpatchwork Look : https://www.instagram.com/vendulkaoliven/ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwNXZS-is0c   JOIN our Facebook Group to Buy & Sell patterns https://www.facebook.com/groups/buysellpatterns SIGN UP for Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox to get started for FREE on your online course creation journey https://www.craftyonlinecoursecreator.info/workbox   Other episodes you might like https://www.stitcherystories.com/amijames/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/saimakaur/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/lorraineturner/  

Lorraine Turner is a textile artist who gives support for endangered animals through her vibrant textile art. Lorraine has been a practicing artist for many years as a graphic designer, working on wide variety of commercial projects but her adventure into textile art started a few years ago, and she adopted the 'no rules' approach to her textile art creations. Lorraine works on large textile art portraits of endangered animals, using bright patterned fabrics, materials and techniques that she experiments with to achieve what's in her head. Fabric applique, hand and free machine embroidery, aspects of quilting, so many techniques are layered together to produce her stunning art. A key impact on Lorraine's work is her inspiration. Endangered animals come to her via her daily meditations and tell her their stories and troubles. This is a fascinating story of working from the heart and attracting fabulous opportunities along the way. Lorraine chats with Susan Weeks in this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. Her current Monarch butterfly art challenge The 'no rules' method of developing her textile art Taking it all back to the core Developing the commercial aspects of her art practice to support her focus & passions Generating revenue & charging for her expertise Meditation as inspiration for textile art How to shut off your brain and unplug Working with groups and uplifting children What makes your heart sing? Attracting amazing opportunities For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Lorraine's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/lorraineturner Visit: https://calicohorses.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/people/Lorraine-Turner-Textile-Artist/100063678787825/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/lorraineturnerartist/ Buy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LorraineTurnerArtist Sew: Monarch Butterfly Challenge  https://calicohorses.com/monarch-sewing-art-challenge/   Follow Sue for course creation and online marketing stuff https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Get your FREE "Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox" and fortnightly 'Crafty Course Chat' https://bit.ly/3sgAIji Other Episodes You Might Like: Janine Heschl https://www.stitcherystories.com/janineheschl/ Kate Tume https://www.stitcherystories.com/katetume/  

Catriona Baird is Textiles Curator at Paisley Museum, in Scotland, which celebrates it's 150th anniversary on 11th April 2021. Catriona shares the story of the Paisley pattern - that swirly floral stylised teardrop motif that pops up in so many designs and objects, as well as of course on the famous Paisley Shawls. This is a story that brings together geography, history, fashion and textiles and gives a fabulous insight into early industrial textile production too. In this episode of Stitchery Stories, Catriona Baird chats with Susan Weeks around: Her current research as part of the Paisley Museum Re-imagined Project What is the Paisley Pattern Where did the Paisley pattern originate The history of Paisley as an important textile production centre Making Paisley Shawls The Jaquard Loom and making 'point paper' designs Paisley Museum history & its collections The types and styles of Paisley shawls The first exhibition of Paisley shawls The links with The Needlework Development Scheme Investigating the museum collections The museum re-development project And we also make a CALLOUT for interesting objects which feature the Paisley pattern and have an interesting story. If you have an interesting Paisley object with an interesting story then please email a picture and the story to Catriona at the museum and she will be delighted. Email: paisleymuseum@renfrewshire.gov.uk For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of the paisley pattern at http://www.stitcherystories.com/paisleypattern Visit: https://reimagined.paisleymuseum.org/ Like: https://en-gb.facebook.com/PaisleyMuseum/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/paisleymuseum/ Tweet: @PaisleyMuseum Follow Sue for course creation and online marketing stuff https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Get your FREE "Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox" https://bit.ly/3sgAIji Other Episodes You Might Like: Lindy Richardson & The Needlework Development Scheme https://www.stitcherystories.com/lindyrichardson/ Dr Jennie Batchelor & The Great Lady's Magazine Stitch-off https://www.stitcherystories.com/drjenniebatchelor/ Clare Hunter: Banner Maker Writing The Threads Of Life https://www.stitcherystories.com/clarehunter/  

Dr Gail Cowley is the founder and director of The School Of Stitched Textiles. Through the school, Gail offers a range of courses from beginner through to advanced practitioner, in a range of textile related subjects. As we hit the one year anniversary of Covid disruptions, lockdowns and challenges, we dig into many topics around online education and the acceptance of technology and learning via the internet. Gail shares tons of wisdom around creating online courses for practical, art and craft topics, and the changes that she has witnessed over the last few years in particular. We also chat about building and maintaining community around our stitching and learning, as well as how we can all support the things that we love. In this episode of Stitchery Stories, Gail Cowley chats with Susan Weeks around: knitting socks: her new lockdown obsession the volume of course work produced by her students during the pandemic everyone being more comfortable with video chats, using zoom, Facebook lives etc connections & community her path to being an online course creator evolution of moving courses into digital delivery working with a professional videographer making filming an enjoyable experience... ... and how it shows in the finished videos. It's time to 'up our game' in the quality of our digital content production the pleasure of following students progress into employment & business opportunities the impact we have on other's lives the unexpected contents in a bag of a student's work new courses coming up in needle felting & crewel work the new online exhibition to showcase students work the Stitch Directory: directory of small independent suppliers Please support your local independent suppliers For this episode... View Links, information & Examples from The School Of Stitched Textiles courses at http://www.stitcherystories.com/gailcowley Visit: https://www.sofst.org/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfStitchedTextiles/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/school_of_stitch/ Pin: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/sofst1/ Watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroaRYOYR5GlROrodMfIybw Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Get your FREE "Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox" https://bit.ly/3sgAIji   Other Episodes You Might Like: Sara Dennis https://www.stitcherystories.com/saradennis/ Jane Sanders https://www.stitcherystories.com/janesanders/ Ami James https://www.stitcherystories.com/amijames/   Other people & Places mentioned: The Repair Shop https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l581p Gawthorpe Hall https://www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk/  

Ruth Norbury is a textile artist who specialises in creating urban decay art. But Ruth is full of contrasts and surprises, and today we dig into her story. She is almost entirely self taught, and loves to experiment to create the look and feel of her textile art. It's an ongoing challenge to represent the processes of decay in the urban landscape and buildings, using fabric and thread. So with that being said... you will be surprised to discover the subject that Ruth had been embroidering for many years! Feeling trapped by the commercial success of her embroidery art, Ruth has (finally) allowed her true artistic soul to emerge and guess what? What she produces now brings more success than her original topic ever did! There is so much to chat about and reflect upon  in our conversation. In this episode of Stitchery Stories, Ruth chats with Susan Weeks around: falling into an artistic genre that really doesn't reflect your true soul being brave to make changes so you can be more 'you' even a small niche is massive on the global internet having the confidence to step into your true niche attracting your true audience, your 'tribe' as they say the confidence in deciding to do your thing and be you printing experiments a novel way of dealing with UFO's the camera never lies.... canal boat living the dragon phase the perils and delights of taking (and offering) advice excited about experimenting again For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Ruth's urban decay artwork at http://www.stitcherystories.com/ruthnorbury Visit: https://www.ruthnorbury.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/ruthnorburyartist Look: https://www.instagram.com/ruthnorburyart Other Episodes You Might Like: Claire Fell https://www.stitcherystories.com/clairefell/ Laura Edgar https://www.stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/ Sorrell Kerrison https://www.stitcherystories.com/sorrellkerrison/ Other people & Places mentioned: Tides gallery, Mumbles https://www.tidesfineartgallery.co.uk/  

The Embroiderers' Guild in the UK was established back in 1906 and is a charity established to build awareness of stitch and textile art. They educate, encourage, inspire and promote the achievement of excellence. And also the Guild preserves an important collection of embroidery and textile art. Penny Hill is one of the Board of trustees of the Guild and today (February 2021) we are chatting about a very upsetting crisis within the Guild. It is on the verge of financial collapse, and drastic measures are being proposed by the Trustees to rescue what can be rescued to best meet the Guild's charitable objectives (and requirements). The members of the Guild are understandably upset and angry at the measures being proposed, and therefore I invited the Guild to come and chat about what's happening. Penny stepped up to chat with me Susan Weeks chats with Penny Hill around the issues facing the Embroiderers Guild and the forthcoming General Meeting to be held on 4th March 2021. We talked about: The role of the trustees The origins and history of the guild The crisis resulting from falling membership and closing branches The drastic proposals to save the Guild & the collection What will happen to the Branches going forward Looking forward For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of some embroidery from the collection at http://www.stitcherystories.com/pennyhill Visit: https://embroiderersguild.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/embroiderersguild Look: https://www.instagram.com/embroiderersguildukofficial/ Learn: https://embroiderersguild.com/courses/ JoinIn: https://embroiderersguild.com/threadit/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Guild Scholars: David Morrish https://www.stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/ Georgina Bellamy https://www.stitcherystories.com/georginabellamy/ Beryl Dean Award recipient Jan Dowson https://www.stitcherystories.com/jandowson/ Featured Guild Trustees: Anthea Godfrey https://www.stitcherystories.com/antheagodfrey/ Loetitia Gibier https://www.stitcherystories.com/loetitiagibier/   Tartan Designer: Emma Wilkinson https://www.instagram.com/emmawilkinson.design/  

Deanne Fitzpatrick is the artist and businesswoman behind HookingRugs, a globally popular rug hooking business based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Deanne shares with us a very interesting glimpse behind the scenes of her daily life as an artist and creative business owner. Susan Weeks chats with Deanne today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. We delve into the backstory of how Deanne got hooked on rug hooking and why and how she started to develop a business around her beloved hobby. She talks about her creative process, and inspirations and her passion for sharing her art through rug hooking kits, online courses creation, several books about rug hooking and her successful weekly Facebook 'lives'. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Deanne's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/deanefitzpatrick Visit: https://www.hookingrugs.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/DeanneFitzpatrickStudio Listen: https://hookingrugs.com/pages/podcasts Look: https://www.instagram.com/hookingrugs/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Tina Francis https://www.stitcherystories.com/tinafrancis/ Jenni Dutton https://www.stitcherystories.com/jennidutton/ Other places, people & things mentioned: Art Gallery Of Nova Scotia https://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/ Nimbus Publishing https://nimbus.ca/

Mary Corbet is the creator behind 'Needle N Thread' a globally popular and very long-standing hand embroidery blog. It is very much the hub of her brand, and through it, Mary shares her beautiful hand embroidery designs and kits, embroidery 'how-to' videos and creates an informative and enjoyable stream of blog posts about all things hand embroidery. Susan Weeks chats with Mary today on the Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast. We delve into the backstory of why and how Mary got started with her blog and some of the challenges along the way. 2020 was a challenge for us all, so as we get started with 2020, Mary shares her projects and plans for the coming year, and we both agree.... we are NOT Wonder Woman so why do we try to cram in so much into our lives??? For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Mary's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/marycorbet Visit: https://www.needlenthread.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/MaryCorbetsNeedleNThread Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/needlenthreadcommunity Look: https://www.instagram.com/needlenthreadmc/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Sharon Boggon https://www.stitcherystories.com/sharonboggon/ Cindy Jackson https://www.stitcherystories.com/cindyjackson/ Other places, people & things mentioned: Inspirations Magazine https://www.inspirationsstudios.com/ Erica Wilson Jane Zimmerman Mary Thomas Elisabetta Sforza https://elisabettasforzaembroidery.it/en/  

Cindy Jackson is a freelance embroiderer, embroidery designer and embroidery tutor based in Ottawa, Canada, with a fascination for Tudor embroidery. In fact Cindy is an expert in this area, with published research papers and she has also developed kits and classes focused on Tudor embroidery. Susan Weeks chats with Cindy today on Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast. Some highlights of our chat include: Learning how to teach online and loving it! Has online teaching breathed new life into embroidery? So many people are picking up a needle and enjoying the theraputic benefits of embroidery Enjoying her new basement studio during snowy weather and lockdown More online visibility for textile artists More online accessibility for experienced embroiderers and learners alike The habit of a daily Facebook post The consistency of keeping going is one of our biggest challenges with social media "Let's do it online and make an adventure of it" It was a shot in the dark... applying to be an RSN Apprentice in the 70s, from Toronto! From RSN Apprentice to Cartographic Technician Flabbergasted by the Elizabethan Burse at the British Museum Where and What is Gutter Lane? Invenire Gaudium "Find Joy" The detailed process of creating a design for a kit or course Mailing envelopes around the world to eager students Helping stitchers to meet others from around the world "they are not UFO's they are experiments!" For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Cindy's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/cindyjackson Visit: https://gutterlaneembroidery.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/gutterlaneembroidery Look: https://www.instagram.com/gutter_lane_embroidery/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Natalie Dupuis https://www.stitcherystories.com/nataliedupuis/ Sarah Rakestraw https://www.stitcherystories.com/sarahrakestraw/   Other places, people & things mentioned:   Burse For The Great Seal of Elizabeth 1 at the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1997-0301-1   Worshipful Company Of Broderers Broderers Hall, Gutter Lane 1515 to 1940 https://broderers.co.uk/  

As we head towards Christmas 2020, Sue Weeks, from Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast, shares her Christmas Greetings. Sue is searching for your inspiring 2020 Stitchery Highlights to share in a special Highlights episode for the last day of 2020. She knows that they are out there - let's share our creativity and positivity and celebrate what we HAVE achieved in this very weird year. And then to round off with some silliness, Sue shares her embroidery version of the 12 Days Of Christmas. Yes, it's the 12 Embroideries Of Christmas! No poultry, milking maids or leaping lords in this version! Enjoy your festive holiday break and celebrations, as and when you can, with what you have, and with as much sparkle and positivity and love as you can summon. Happy Christmas, Cheers, Sue xxx For this episode... View Images & Lyrics at https://www.stitcherystories.com/christmas2020 Look: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast  

Today we meet Kris Campbell, a textile artist from New York state who has decided to take cross stitch to the absolute MAX! This is a fascinating story where we can see the threads of an artist's story come together in a body of work. In response to the global pandemic and the desire to make viewing art a safe experience, Kris decided to create a series of bold flowers, sewn in cross stitch.... on 11ft (4 metres) squares of construction debris netting. YES - that stuff they use to cloak buildings to protect passersby from falling construction debris! She creates translucent floral tapestries, featuring one large bold bloom and is making a rainbow of them. They are outdoor art, designed to viewed in a field, and Kris is also fascinated in whether they will actually survive out there and what happens as they age. As Kris says, "this is not your Grandmothers needlework!" Susan Weeks chats with Kris on this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. The challenge of creating art to be exhibited outdoors Using construction debris netting for her cross stitch Cross stitch on a massive scale Filling her studio with one piece of stitching Fighting the urge to use flowers as her subject matter This is 'socially distanced' textile art An exploration in failure Tapestries swaying gently in the wind Will her art survive the great outdoors? And if not... why not The hilarious subject of her first stitching adventure Byzantine paintings with golden domes and coloured mosaics are very inspiring for Kris Creating an entire body of work planned from the start The beauty of wool even though Kris doesn't like using it Choosing materials Best quote of the year... "only 40ft was stitched in 4 weeks" Creating a giant Pride rainbow of giant flowers designed to be experienced outside For this episode View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Kris's massive cross stitch flowers at https://www.stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell Visit: https://www.kriscampbellart.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/kriscampbellart Other Episodes We Mentioned: Jenni Dutton https://www.stitcherystories.com/jennidutton/ Phillipa Turnbull https://www.stitcherystories.com/phillipaturnbull/  

Claire Fell is a machine embroidery artist who believes that textile art is a haven from the harsh realities of what we call modern life! She has recently written her first book 'Machine Embroidery - Techniques and Projects' and Claire shares her story of how her 'creative outburst' came into being, and the creative adventure she enjoyed along the way. In fact Claire's whole creative career is a fascinating string of serendipity as she learnt to listen to that inner voice and take action. The strong theme running through Claire's story however is one of determination to keep going and to follow her dream, taking tough but necessary decisions along the way. Susan Weeks chats with Claire about: Settling down and feeling drained after her book Learning to value herself as an artist and to stop putting herself last. The power of enrolling in a local business course Developing the courage to move forward Almost giving up with embroidery Keeping going through the turmoil of our lives How do we choose between work, our health, and our art The challenge of planning and creating her book so it reflected her vision Starting her embroidery career in ecclesiastical embroidery Needing the motivation of having a goal to aim for Finding her creative focus and confidence Using water soluble film to transfer designs for machine embroidery UFO's breeding everywhere in the house, and even in the shed! The unfinished face.... Why no-one likes the sound of their own voice, so DON'T let it stop you! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Claire's machine embroidery at https://www.stitcherystories.com/clairefell Visit: https://www.clairefell.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/clairefellmachineembroideryartist Look: https://www.instagram.com/clairefelltextileartist/ Read: Machine Embroidery Techniques and Projects from The Crowood Press Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/clarencecole   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Emma Broughton https://www.stitcherystories.com/emmabroughton/ Annie Crane https://www.stitcherystories.com/anniecrane Jayne Emerson https://www.stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson/   Other People, Places & Things mentioned: Felicity Howatson ( Revelations) Carol Naylor http://www.carolnaylor.co.uk/ Eat That Frog - Get more of the important things done today by Brian Tracy Why the sound of your own voice makes you cringe https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/12/the-real-reason-the-sound-of-your-own-voice-makes-you-cringe  

Justine Warner is inspired by the beautiful Yorkshire countryside on her doorstep and has developed a distinctive style for the textile art landscapes she creates. She works under the brand Pearl Loves Paisley. She loves to experiment with different techniques and materials. A VERY surprising and very important element in her work is... patterned men's ties. Yes, stripey, spotty, and particularly paisley. When you look closely you can see those patterns hiding in plain sight in her atmospheric landscapes of woods and rolling hills. Justine shares her inspiration, techniques and her story of how she has developed her art practice alongside being a busy secondary school teacher. Susan Weeks chats with Justine Warner about: Her love of recycling - even old photographic plates Renovating old stables into a lovely new studio Hiding patterned men's ties in plain sight in her landscapes Oooooo winning a prize at the village show as a total newcomer! Creating landscapes inspired by the local scenery Blending the patterns, textures and richness of the ties The delights of the village Jumble Sale What to do with all the labels from all those ties? Using Tyvek, Lutrador, painting on Bondaweb, and burning back the layers It's hard to know where to start capturing the beauty and variety of the Yorkshire landscape Having a love hate relationship with seed beads Practical solutions developed by trial and error Creating personal connections combining a loved ones ties and their favourite view Juggling school teaching and her own art practice development Setting up Zoom online workshops When we love what we are doing, it doesn't ever feel like hard work! Who is Pearl and why does she love Paisley??? For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Justine's textile art at https://www.stitcherystories.com/justinewarner Visit: https://www.justinewarnerartist.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/JustineWarnerArtist/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/pearl_loves_paisley/ Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Fran Brammer https://www.stitcherystories.com/franbrammer/ Lynn Comley https://www.stitcherystories.com/lynncomley/ Laura Edgar https://www.stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/ North Yorkshire & East Yorkshire places we also mentioned: Millington Woods Thixendale Hornsea Pocklington Nunnington Sheriff Hutton Boggle Hole Sandsend Driffield Yorkshire Arboretum https://www.yorkshirearboretum.org/ Castle Howard https://www.castlehoward.co.uk/ Nunnington Hall https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall Nunnington Galleries https://www.nunningtongalleries.co.uk/ Salt gallery, Beverley https://www.galleryatsalt.co.uk/about And here are a couple of links to some lovely photographs around different areas of Yorkshire: https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a518/pictures-of-yorkshire-that-are-so-beautiful-it-hurts/ https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/incoming/gallery/beautiful-yorkshire-300714-7533874 https://unsplash.com/s/photos/yorkshire  

Sharon Boggon embraced the internet back in 1996 and has been an inspiring leader in embroidery both online and offline, for many years. She has a passion for building enriching communities of stitchers and strives to keep embroidery alive. Sharon reminds us how difficult it was in the early internet days to make and share images and create web pages, and tells the story of how her online stitch directory has developed from such technologically trying times. Fast forward to 2020 and Sharon is still building communities, it's much easier with Facebook! As well as continuing to push forward the creativity of hand embroidery stitches with her second book coming out in November 2020. YAY. Susan Weeks chats with Sharon Boggon about: For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Sharon's embroidery at https://www.stitcherystories.com/sharonboggon Visit: https://pintangle.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/pintangle Pin: https://www.pinterest.com.au/sharonboggon/boards/ Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/696049427533461 (creative embroidery) Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128698983911229 (take a stitch tuesday) Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1968574283398317 (fabric books) Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Susie Martin https://www.stitcherystories.com/susiemartin/ Jessica Grady https://www.stitcherystories.com/jessicagrady/ Jan Dowson https://www.stitcherystories.com/jandowson/  

The inspiration for today's episode of Stitchery Stories comes from litter, running and Sheffield Embroiderers' Guild. David Morrish is enjoying his exploration of digital embroidery and he very much enjoys collaborating with other artists to grow awareness and appreciation of embroidery as a vibrant and fascinating art form. David, who has a background in fashion, shares his very interesting story of how he started creating and exploring digital embroidery. Working through his Masters Degree in Fashion & Textiles has pushed his creativity and developed some fascinating ideas. I discovered David through his connection with Sheffield Embroiderers' Guild and his 'marathon' embroidery project which documents the prevalence of litter along the route of the Windermere Marathon. Since I love running, hate litter, love embroidery and sharing a great story, and of course with my involvement with the Embroiderers' Guild, this was a perfect Stitchery Story! David is so full of enthusiasm and creativity, and I love the way in which he is reaching out to other artists in different mediums and collaborating with them. The results are fabulous! Susan Weeks chats with David Morrish about: documenting his full creative process not just the outcome the power of just asking why did they say yes? what is digital embroidery? using the power of the computer and machine in a unique creative way combining running, embroidery... and litter? loving the idea of many people creating together A BIG shout out to Sheffield Embroiderers' Guild 1 foot to 1 mile, it's a marathon of embroidery combining Peter Rabbit with a can of Strongbow cider on being an Embroiderers' Guild scholar promoting embroidery to a wider world through collaborations learning to value our work celebrating all forms of embroidery what happened at Mile 15? For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of David's digital embroidery at https://www.stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish Visit: https://www.kingflytailoring.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/kingflytailoring Read: https://bit.ly/2STWVDF   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Clare Hunter https://www.stitcherystories.com/clarehunter/ Anthea Godfrey https://www.stitcherystories.com/antheagodfrey/ Hayley Mills-Styles https://www.stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/ Other artists & places mentioned: Woven In Kirklees https://woveninkirklees.co.uk/ Unravel at Denby Dale http://www.unravelcrafts.co.uk/home/ Dugdale Bros & Co The finest luxury cloth https://www.dugdalebros.com/ Sadie Williams Instagram @sadiewilliams_studio Daryl Watson Instagram @darylwatsontattoo Richard Kilroy Instagram @richardkilroy  

Today on Stitchery Stories we have a very unique story, where embroidery has been the catalyst for a personal journey of discovery, of re-connecting with family and deep spiritual meanings. We are usually chatting about embroidery as an art form, or decoration of functional items. For Erika Maizi however, the interest in embroidery has grown from meditation, spiritualism, and the symbolism within the embroidery and connections with her Kazak and Siberian families. Sacred embroidery as we discuss today, is not embroidery used in churches. It is the deeply personal symbols that emerge through a meditative state, whilst exploring one's own past and destiny. We talk of fascinating elements of Norse and Russian mythology, and cultural traditions, and therefore embroidery, from Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. This is a fascinating story of healing and reconnecting with ancestors and family, and the women's wisdom and stories within embroidery. There are many terms, places and people that will be very unfamiliar so I have also listed them on Erika's episode on StitcheryStories.com to help you make further discoveries. Susan Weeks chats with Erika Maizi about: Re-connecting with family in Kazakhstan Her journey on the Trans-Siberia Railway Discovering the symbolism and personal stories within sacred embroidery Creating her first 'Rushnyk' - her destiny towel The story of creating her embroidered symbolic destiny dress Her vision of preserving cultural embroidery from Kazakhstan & Mongolia Connecting with powerful goddess energy The symbolism within goldwork and the power of golden threads For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Erika's sacred embroidery at https://www.stitcherystories.com/erikamaizi Visit: https://erikaamaizing.me/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/groups/232724404592026 Look: https://www.instagram.com/weavingdestiny Tweet: https://www.twitter.com/erikamaizi11 Watch https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWGODpjFUsuPCw_rO-PfvFA/videos Read: https://erikaamaizing.me/my-book-thewyrdingway Aluna The Movie http://www.alunathemovie.com/ Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Louise Gardiner (and her Cape Of Empowerment) https://www.stitcherystories.com/louisegardiner/ Diane Gaffney Textile Traders https://www.stitcherystories.com/dianegaffney/  

Phillipa Turnbull is an expert on historic crewel embroidery and has spent the last 25 years building her embroidery business The Crewel Work Company, which sells exquisite crewel embroidery kits and organises luxury embroidery retreats. Phillipa shares many inspiring stories around the ups and downs of building a business based around embroidery. She also shares her passion for ensuring that those of us who work in the creative arts and particularly embroidery and textile art are paid fairly for our creative endeavours. I think we are all with Phillipa on that one! It was really interesting chatting with Phillipa about her business challenges and growth, and of course how she and her fabulous team have adapted their working practises so they can continue to send out crewel work kits throughout the coronavirus pandemic. In Phillipa's case, it truly DOES take a village to keep the business moving forward. Susan Weeks chats with Phillipa in this episode of Stitchery Stories: Giving back to the historic houses who inspire the crewelwork designs and kits From doormats & livery stables to historic embroidery Building long-term friendships over embroidery Mother & daughter making a fabulous team with complimentary skills & personalities Growing a sustainable embroidery business Being passionate about 'paying people properly' Developing a love for crewelwork from watercolour painting The unique qualities of embroidering with wool Crewel work is so calming Using good posture with needlework Fabulously simple advice for capturing your original perspective on your topic Recreating the 1619 costume of Lady Anne Clifford Crossing over into the world of historic re-enactors Harnessing skills in your team to grow and benefit everyone For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Phillipa's  work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/phillipaturnbull Visit: https://www.crewelwork.com/ Like: http://www.facebook.com/crewelworkco Look: http://www.instagram.com/crewelworkco Tweet: http://www.twitter.com/crewelworkco Pin: http://www.pinterest.com/crewelworkco Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Lianne Van Leyen https://www.stitcherystories.com/liannevanleyen/ Tracy A Franklin https://www.stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/ Other places & people also mentioned: Alison Cole https://alisoncoleembroidery.com.au/ Jessica Grim https://www.jessicagrimm.com/ Kate Barlow https://www.katebarlowembroidery.com/ Nicola Jarvis https://nicolajarvisstudio.co.uk/ Jenny Adin-Christie https://jennyadin-christieembroidery.com/ Mandy Ewing Sarah Thursfield https://www.sarahthursfield.com/ Jacqui Hyman http://www.textilerestoration.co.uk/ Appletons Fine quality tapestry and crewel wool  https://www.appletons.org.uk/

Collette Kinley is an embroidery artist who uses both free motion machine embroidery as well as hand embroidery, although she is really enjoying hand embroidery at the moment. Collette shares her story of how 'going for it' and a new piece of embroidery has sparked several exciting opportunities for her. Collette talks about her artistic journey so far, which started with sewing childrens clothes! When Sue catches up with her, Collette has been inspired by creating hand embroidered 'birds eye view' of allotments. By the way, in the UK, an allotment, according to the National Allotment Society, is an area of land, leased either from a private or local authority landlord, for the use of growing fruit and vegetables. ... An allotment is traditionally measured in rods (perches or poles), an old measurement dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. Anyway, we had a lovely chat! Susan Weeks chats with Collette in this episode of Stitchery Stories: Being inspired by allotments Changing subject to avoid creative block Do allotments exist in other countries? Feeling nervous about posting a different style of work and subject matter Put yourself out there! Stop worrying about 'the likes' Learning new hand stitches Developing confidence and your artistic voice Being on a 'knife edge' with your embroidery! Dealing with procrastination Having the haven of a studio to escape to Doing the best we can The enjoyment of creating PDF patterns that sell Give it a go.. and see what happens :-) For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Collette's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/collettekinley Visit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewnbyColletteKinley Like: https://www.facebook.com/SewnByCollette/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/sewnbycollettekinley Tweet: https://twitter.com/sewnbycollette Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Amanda Cobbett https://www.stitcherystories.com/amandacobbett/ Laura Bray https://www.stitcherystories.com/laurabray/ Other places & people also mentioned: Poppy Treffry 'Freehand Machine Embroidery' https://poppytreffry.co.uk/collections/shop-by-category-making-books/products/fmebook Janine Heschl Textile Wildlife Art https://www.stitcherystories.com/janineheschl/ Saatchi Gallery Instagram Takeover #SAATCHITAKEOVER https://www.saatchigallery.com/ Society For Embroidered Work S.E.W https://www.societyforembroideredwork.com/ National Allotment Society https://www.nsalg.org.uk/  

Alison Carpenter-Hughes is a mixed-media artist who loves free machine embroidery. Today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Alison shares her life in fabric and thread. And since she decided to give her art practice her focus and 'go for it', there have been some fantastic opportunities reveal themselves to her. Alison talks about her artistic journey so far, and of course, how she has had to adapt everything she had planned, due to the corona virus pandemic. Susan Weeks chats with Alison in this episode of Stitchery Stories: Taking part in the Artist Pledge initiative Adapting everything in response to changes caused by corona virus Her current fascination with eyes as her hoop art focus Opportunities happen when you 'get out there' and be proactive Working with an online business coach Teaching herself free machine embroidery Her creative spark in 2018 Winning awards and developing her artistic confidence The power of having goals! The hazy contrast between dreams and reality and our connections with each other Using materials not often associated with sewing The stories behind 'Little Connie' and 'Girl On Train' 'Freedom Of Expression' is her next challenge Working towards a sustainable art career For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Alison's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/alisoncarpenterhughes Visit: https://ajcgallery.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/ajcgallery/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/pootlesmoon/ Tweet: https://twitter.com/pootlesmoon Pin: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pootlesmoon/ Other places & people also mentioned: Artist Support Pledge https://artistsupportpledge.com/ Studioname http://www.studioname.co/ Needlecrafter OF The Year award (2019) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/goodlife/living/national-needlecraft-awards-2019-pictures/needlecrafter-yearlittle-connie-alison-carpenter-hughesthe/

Meredith Woolnough shares her insight and techniques around the beautiful machine embroidered natural specimens she creates. They are inspired by the skeletal forms of flora and fauna, particularly those she finds on walks and scuba dives. Meredith has specialised in working exclusively with water-soluble fabric, using machine embroidery to re-create the lacy, delicate forms she loves so much. Once embroidered, and after the fabric is washed away, Meredith then creates a more sculptural form to create her delicate 'specimens'. Susan Weeks chats with Meredith Woolnough about: Creating a series of 100 machine embroidered pieces Exclusively working on water-soluble fabrics Natural forms and structures are her main inspirations A fine line between creating a cohesive series and getting stuck in a rut! Challenge of creating the series so it all works together Creating framed artworks makes them easier to sell Potential purchasers of textile art are often concerned about how to care for it and display it. Planning your boundaries and methods for your projects to ensure success A change in scale often adds another layer of challenge Liberating embroidery from it's base fabric! Making scary choices Matching technique, materials, and subject matter Combining art, science and nature and lots of research Doing the best that you can to juggle life, family and art For this episode, View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Meredith's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/meredithwoolnough View: http://www.meredithwoolnough.com.au Like: https://www.facebook.com/meredithwoolnoughartist/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/meredithwoolnough/ Read: https://amzn.to/2DBIrnl   Other things, people and places that we mentioned: Tamworth Textile Triennial National Tour https://www.tamworthregionalgallery.com.au/open-house-tamworth-textile-triennial-national-tour  

Today we meet Jenni Dutton who shares stories around her powerful work and the unique way in which she creates her large portraits. Although starting her creative journey as a fine artist, creating large oil pastel landscapes, Jenni ventured into textile art portraits. We talk about how life takes unexpected twists and how surprising opportunites can pop up as we share our work and thoughts. Jenni's largest body of work is her Dementia Darnings which document the emotional journey of her mum as she declined through dementia. Jenni has also started to explore her own ageing process through her Absurd Sewn Selfies series. She wonders if she could still be making those into her eighties! Susan Weeks chats with Jenni Dutton about: The challenge of going back to a series you thought you had finished The theme of loss and repair with darning Trying a new approach with her latest portrait Why mask off areas on a piece of work? Don't let your logical brain upset your artistic vision The anxiety caused by deadline Discovering the delights of Anchor tapestry wools The emotions involved whilst documenting her mum's decline through dementia Confronting one's own ageing The horrors of 'lockdown' hair! Sharing our work as a counterbalance to our solo artistic time Can embroidery be improved with a blow torch..... or beeswax! Problems with moths, anyone? Being fierce about guarding our time For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Jenni's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/jennidutton Look: https://www.instagram.com/jennidutton9342/ Tweet: https://www.twitter.com/jennidutton View: http://www.jennidutton.com Related Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/sorrellkerrison/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/suestone/ Other Places & People Mentioned: The Horniman Museum https://www.horniman.ac.uk/ University Of Iowa Medical Museum Gallery https://uihc.org/medical-museum The Absent Gallery http://theabsentgallery.co.uk/ http://theabsentgallery.co.uk/acearts/ This is where you can visit Jenni's 'Dementia Darnings' exhibition in a virtual gallery.

Today we meet Annie Crane, from Fort Collins, Colorado, on her birthday. It's a milestone birthday and Annie is marking it as a new beginning. After years of putting everyone else first, Annie is stepping out into the creative world. She is excited about (finally) giving herself permission to develop her art and to create with whimsical abandon. Annie shares her story. She started making and painting things in tin, and has always loved embellishing clothes, shoes, and many other things. But what made her switch to using textile art as her medium of choice? As she has navigated life and caring for others, she has made some brave steps towards calling herself an artist, and now feels 'ready'. Susan Weeks chats with Annie Crane about: Creating with whimsical abandon marking her 60th birthday taking and making more time for her textile art why she started making quiet bracelets it's OK to leave holes in clothes or embellish the repair with embroidery growing up hunting for treasure! the importance of how Annie feels about something the inspiration that comes from emotions creating a place for people to share their stories her strangest collection of stuff in her stash the excitement of burning holes in her work developing new friendships to share her love of textile art being a determined 'go-getter' the stress of commissions being ready, acknowledging it, and being excited about it For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Annie's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/anniecrane Look: https://www.instagram.com/coffeefishco/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/coffeefish/ View: https://www.coffeefish.co   Related Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/alexhall/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/janesanders/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/annekelly  

Today we meet Claire Edwards, who embodies her brand name of Defiant Embroidery. Claire shares her fascinating story of how she discovered her creativity and passion for hand embroidery as part of her quest to discover her third career. After an enjoyable career in the RAF and then working with young offenders, Claire suffered some setbacks that led her to going to University and discovering hand embroidery. However, Claire has decided to push the boundaries of what is thought possible with traditional hand embroidery and has started combining her beautiful sculptural hand embroidery with unusual materials such as concrete and acrylic resin. Susan Weeks chats with Claire Edwards about: Being inspired to 'entomb' her beautiful embroideries in resin A LOT of trial and error to test resin and its effects upon her embroidery Building up layers and creating a unique wall hanging Our impact and damage to the natural world is a recurring theme Coral reefs and an affinity with the sea Discovering creativity later in life! It all started with crochet... Life changing decisions and discovering her next path Finding her way, developing her ideas and her embroidery 'voice' Beads are a big thing! The challenges of entering the Hand & Lock competition The phoenix as a personal reflection on life's journey A trip to her local hospital  'Accidents & Emergency' For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Claire's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/claireedwards Look: https://www.instagram.com/defiant.embroidery/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/defiantembroidery View: https://defiantembroidery.com/ Link: http://www.linkedin.com/in/%20claire-edwards-6a6990b2 Send: defiantembroidery@yahoo.com   Related Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/daniellebalfoort/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/maryanntoop/   Other people, places & things we mentioned: Karen Nichol http://www.karennichol.com/

Today we meet Jessica Aldred, a former Royal School of Needlework graduate and tutor, who combines her love of embroidery with her love of all things vintage! Jessica shares some fabulous career highlights with us as she is close to the new adventure of motherhood. With big changes coming along in her life, Jessica has been investigating different ways of working and extending how she can support other embroidery artists. She loves to help others 'know where to start' in developing their embroidery career, and develop the confidence to move forward. An interesting aspect of Jessica's business is her love of vintage clothing and styling, and we chat about how she has combined the 2 aspects to create her own unique brand and business. Susan Weeks chats with Jessica about: Using lockdown time to investigate different ways of working online Conserving an embroidery from 1715 Passionate about helping people who want to generate income from their embroidery skills Consultation around producing embroidery kits The feeling of fear when you start working on vulnerable antique embroideries Keen to support artists 'know where to start' and develop the confidence to move forward Always loved buttons & beads Her route into the Royal School of Needlework The delights of Pinterest Including her love of vintage styling into her business Embroidery for royalty Embroidery for prisoners For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Jessica's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/jessicaaldred Look: https://www.instagram.com/houseofheydayembroidery/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/houseofheydayvintage/ View: http://houseofheyday.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/houseofheydayltd/ Send: houseofheyday@outlook.com   Related Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/saradennis/ Other people, places & things we mentioned: The History Wardrobe with Lucy Adlington http://www.historywardrobe.com/ Bright Star (movie 2009) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810784/ Bankfield Museum, Halifax https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/visit/bankfield-museum Elstob & Elstob Auctioneers https://www.elstobandelstob.co.uk/  

Today we hear from Susan Weeks, the host of Stitchery Stories. Susan shares her thoughts around the future direction for this globally popular textile art podcast. She also unveils a Listener Survey that she would love everyone to complete. It's anonymous, only takes a minute and will really help her understand and serve all you lovely listeners in a more powerful way. And a key change is that Susan intends to put this podcast at the heart of her business, and focus on helping professional textile artists and embroidery artists with their quest and challenges around getting their businesses online, creating online courses and membership schemes, as well as selling stuff online too. This is a perfect example where professional skills and years of experience meet a much loved hobby. Sue is very excited about how this can develop! Susan chats about: She loves to see what you are stitching and working on How her online business skills and courses can support professional textile artists Why she started this podcast The 'Free' way vs the 'headache-free' way to develop your business Is textile art & embroidery your hobby OR your business? Please take part in the Stitchery Stories Listener Survey Also watch out for a survey for professional embroidery & textile artists Exploring sponsorship and other revenue generation opportunities For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & fill out the survey at https://www.stitcherystories.com/may2020update Look: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast Like: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining/ View: https://www.stitcherystories.com Survey: https://forms.gle/rJwqdmZqwmat1Yms7 Early Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/susiemartin/ https://www.stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/  

Today we meet Claire Mort, an award-winning British textile artist who creates colourful and powerful pop art using hand embroidery. And if you read 'Be Creative With Workbox' magazine, then you will already know her from her column, 'Morts Thoughts'. Claire has an inspiring story and we discuss how opportunities come from the most extraordinary situations, and really that we need a mixture of joy and hope to carry us through the exciting adventure of life. Although we did cover some rather serious topics, we did it with humour and joy. Susan Weeks chats with Claire about: Stitching into bras Inspiring women and their stories The impact of the Corona virus 'lockdown' Assessing all aspects of her art business and to continue and adapt Developing self-reliance and sustainability The shortest exhibition in history! Embroidery is an incredibly powerful tool The influence of graphic design and the skills needed for online work Opportunities come from extraordinary situations Writing a magazine column The delight of Instagram Inspired by 70's and 80's UK kids cartoons The joy of the handmade item - in all mediums So much to be learnt from playing The battle with our inner critic Courage and hope Wondering how to start creating an online course For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Claire's work at https://www.stitcherystories.com/clairemort Look: https://www.instagram.com/clairemortartist/ View: https://www.clairemortartist.com/ Shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/clairemortarty/shop Related Stitchery Stories episodes you might like: https://www.stitcherystories.com/juilatriston https://www.stitcherystories.com/janesanders Other people, places & things we mentioned: The Embroiderers' Guild https://embroiderersguild.com/ The Society For Embroidered Work (S.E.W.) https://www.societyforembroideredwork.com/ A Mighty Girl https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/ Being Bold: Finding Myself When Everything Changed Susan Weeks on International Womens Day 2017 https://youtu.be/qqHDevdVg2g   'Be Creative With Workbox' magazine https://www.creativewithworkbox.com/