Public Art Episodes

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Kirstie McLeod . Kirstie is a textile artist whose career has spanned performance installations, couture wedding dresses, and large-scale garments that test the limits of fabric and endurance. Kirstie is the artist behind the Red Dress, a 13-year global collaboration of 380 embroiderers from 51 countries. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:30 - The Stories Behind the Wearers 00:07:48 - The Calico Garment Initiative 00:18:13 - The Emotional Jour...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Kirstie McLeod . Kirstie is a textile artist whose career has spanned performance installations, couture wedding dresses, and large-scale garments that test the limits of fabric and endurance. In 2009 Kirstie launched The Red Dress embroidery project, something that has become far greater than anyone could have anticipated. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:07:00 - The Evolution of the Red Dress Project 00:12:23 - The Impact of Collaboration 00:1...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I continue my interview with Tal Fitzpatrick.Tal is a socially engaged artist and craftivist whose practice explores how making can give people agency and foster connection.We explore the philosophy underpinning her work, from dissensus and the importance of tension in activism to the pitfalls of toxic positivity. Tal reflects on the ripple effects of collaborative projects, how making can empower people to find their voices, and the role of connection in socially engaged textile practice.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Tal Fitzpatrick.Tal is a socially engaged artist and craftivist whose quilts and textile projects blend creativity with activism.We talk about her artistic journey from early influences, including her grandmother’s politically charged textile works, through to her PhD in craftivism as DIY citizenship. Tal shares stories of working in disaster recovery communities, how that shaped her understanding of art’s power, and the origins of major projects like the PM Please Quilt and the global Universal Declaration of Human Rights Quilt Project.

Bren Ahearn is a needlework artist using samplers to unpack masculinity, memory and social conditioning.

Bren Ahearn is a needlework artist using samplers to unpack masculinity, memory and social conditioning.

Betsy Greer is a writer, speaker and advocate for the benefits of craft as a tool for change.

Betsy Greer is a writer, speaker and advocate for the benefits of craft as a tool for change.

Andrew Crummy is the designer of the Great Tapestry of Scotland

Andrew Crummy is the designer of the Great Tapestry of Scotland

Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project.

Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project.