Episodes

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Severina Seidl. Severina is a German embroidery artist whose work blurs the line between thread, paint, and narrative abstraction. We explore her journey from fashion school in Germany to the Royal School of Needlework, unpacking the nerves, transitions, and discovery of her personal style. From her early experiments in French knots to the impact of McQueen critiques, Severina charts an evolving, experimental path. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introducti...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Manuela Caniato. Manuela is an Italian-born textile artist and educator now based in Belgium, with a background in linguistics and fashion history. In this episode of NeedleXChange I continue my conversation with Manuela Caniato.Manuela shares the thinking behind her embroidered portraits that explore themes of damage, decay, and beauty. We discuss her techniques with fine threads and beads, her playful sense of anarchy, and her upcoming exhibition ...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Manuela Caniato. Manuela is an Italian-born textile artist and educator now based in Belgium, with a background in linguistics and fashion history. In this first half we talk about her journey from advertising to academia, her teaching in both Italy and Belgium, and how fashion functions as a language of identity. She reflects on the symbolic power of clothing, heirlooms, and shoes, as well as visible mending and the ongoing challenge of fast fashio...

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...

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 ...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I welcome back Dr Jack Roberts AKA JPR Stitch. Jack is a textile artist known for his bold, abstract stitchings and his dedication to daily practice. This episode dives into the quiet and public sides of creative work. Jack talks about the unglamorous tasks behind the scenes, how he decides what to share, and the realities of having 90,000 followers who don’t necessarily buy your art. We explore artistic visibility, validation, audience relationships, and why ...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I welcome back Dr Jack Roberts AKA JPR Stitch. Jack is a textile artist known for his bold, abstract stitchings and his dedication to daily practice. In this first half of our conversation, Jack shares the origins of his daily stitching habit, how a holiday doodle grew into a years-long discipline, and the making of his first book. We explore the discipline of showing up every day, how practice can transform creative work, and the balance between big projects ...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Lesley Wheeler. Lesley is a poet, quilter, and textile artist whose work merges narrative, symbolism, and stitch. In this second half we discuss her development as a maker — from trusting her intuition with complex textile projects to learning embroidery, lace, and machine techniques. Lesley talks about fabric collecting, playful side projects that keep her creativity flowing, and how pop culture and music filter into her practice, from Busta Rhymes back patches to Beatles-inspired tarot cards. We also cover her favorite books, films, and poets, and the broader inspirations that shape her artistic life.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Lesley Wheeler. Lesley is a poet, quilter, and textile artist who brings tarot symbolism to life through fabric and thread. In this first half of our conversation we explore how she approaches tarot as both a meditative tool and a form of visual storytelling, her PhD in confessional poetry, and the ways writing and textiles draw from the same creative well. Lesley shares how quilting became a sustaining practice during lockdown, the historical tarot decks that inspire her, and her ideas about liminality, accessibility, and making art that exists beyond traditional institutions.

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.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Melissa English Campbell. Melissa is a textile artist known for her experimental weaving practice that pushes the boundaries of pattern, structure, and meaning. In this second half of our conversation, Melissa shares how her signature style emerged -from weaving mirrored fabrics and incorporating sticks to reflecting on cultural history and appropriation. We also explore her teaching experience, her influences, and how music and podcasts keep her company in the studio.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Melissa English Campbell. Melissa is a textile artist whose weaving combines painting, double-layer structures, and found objects to create works that shift between glitch-like distortion and serene beauty. In this first half of our conversation, Melissa talks about her upbringing across Europe and the US, how dyslexia shaped her way of thinking, and how she discovered weaving as a language of memory, disruption, and resilience.

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir. Claire is a textile storyteller whose work transforms scraps of family life - old clothes, baby socks, even diaper cloth - into intimate quilts and stitched offerings. We explore the second phase of her practice: community, upcycling, and the emotional weight textiles can carry. Claire shares how she’s embraced memory quilting, involved her children in the process, and honoured personal history through fabric. We also talk about the online communities that have shaped her artistic journey and the joy of letting go - by giving her stitched offerings away.

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir. Claire is a self-taught textile artist who uses embroidery as a storytelling tool to explore memory, motherhood, and creative discipline. We discuss her two 52-week stitched story projects - how they emerged from a desire to carve out creative space amidst the chaos of parenting, and how small weekly acts of making became a powerful tool for self-discovery. Claire reflects on the freedom found in constraint, the messiness of memory, and what happens when we stitch the ordinary moments of our lives into fabric.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Fuzzy Mall. Fuzzy is a visionary textile artist who transforms reclaimed fabrics into playful, large-scale works that break the mould of traditional quilting. We explore how he uses his art to resist digital doomscrolling, experiment with ‘analog AI’ and 3D forms, remix old portraits into new pieces, and why music, reclaimed chaos, and joy fuel his creative process.

In this 100th episode of NeedleXChange I interview Fuzzy Mall. Fuzzy is a self-taught textile artist celebrated for his huge, detail-rich portraits and installations made entirely from reclaimed fabrics. We talk about how he evolved from painting to pushing the boundaries of quilting at an epic scale, the ideas behind his Faces of Hamilton project, and what draws him to go bigger and bigger with his joyful, community-focused work.

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Deborah Simon. Deborah is a Brooklyn-based sculptor and embroiderer whose work brings together faux fur, anatomy and a touch of the otherworldly. In this second half, we dive into how she moved beyond bears to create her transparent rabbits, how she experiments with organ systems, goldwork and reliquaries - and why she pushes herself to follow the ideas that make her most uncomfortable.

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Deborah Simon. Deborah is a Brooklyn-based sculptor and embroiderer known for her hauntingly beautiful bears and rabbits that blend faux fur, taxidermy and anatomy. We talk about her early influences, how she went from painting to sculpture, and why she’s so fascinated by the tension between the cuddly teddy bear and the deadly wild bear - plus how camping trips and natural history books shaped her work.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Holly Searle. Holly is a visual artist who transforms vintage tea towels into striking, subversive works of textile art, In this second part of our NeedleXChange, the conversation turns fully to Holly’s Tea Towel Project - a growing collection of over 180 vintage textiles transformed into bold, felt-lettered artworks. Holly discusses the power of protest through domestic materials, how she balances sharp commentary with playfulness, and why she believes textile art can speak volumes about the world we live in.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Holly Searle. Holly is a visual artist who transforms vintage tea towels into striking, subversive works of textile art, In the first part of the NeedleXChange, Holly talks about the origins of her creativity - from childhood memories and charity shop treasures to her fascination with nostalgic and domestic objects. Holly shares how personal history, humour, and a love of the overlooked inform her practice, and we begin to explore the foundations of her acclaimed Tea Towel Project.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Hattie McGill. Hattie is an embroidery artist and costume specialist whose goldwork has graced screens from Doctor Strange to Bridgerton. In this second part, Hattie talks about pivoting her practice during the pandemic by launching a series of goldwork embroidery kits, balancing studio life with film commissions, and the joys - and realities - of working in the embroidery industry today. She also shares what fuels her creativity, from gothic novels to Manchester’s indie music scene.

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Hattie McGill. Hattie is an embroidery artist and costume specialist whose goldwork has graced screens from Doctor Strange to Bridgerton. In this first part, we explore Hattie’s training at the Royal School of Needlework, her unexpected leap from furniture restoration into embroidery, and the behind-the-scenes craftsmanship that goes into cinematic costume design. For another artist whose embroidery skills are Royal School of Needlework approved, c...

Niamh Wimperis is an embroidery artist and craft entrepreneur known for blending personal experience with traditional needlework techniques.