Videos

One of my absolute favourite clips from my interview with Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir - all about embracing the special wobbly bits of handmade artwork! @thread.yarn.paper Find the episode wherever you listen to your podcasts, just search NeedleXChange podcast 😎 #needlexchangepodcast #podcast #newepisode #textilespodcast #podcaster #podcastlife #podcasters

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…

Who caught our episode with the wonderful Fuzzy Mall?! It was our 100th episode which is pretty amazing! @fuzzymallart #needlexchangepodcast #podcast #newepisode #textilespodcast #podcaster #podcastlife #podcasters

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…

Who caught our interview with artist Holly Searle?! You can catch all 100 episodes of our podcast NeedleXChange, wherever you listen to your podcasts! To see some of the tea towels Holly mentions in this clip, head to her page 👉 @the_subversive_stitcher #podcaster #needlexchangepodcast #textilespodcast #podcasters #podcast

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…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Owen Kelly. Owen is a fifth-generation embroiderer whose vivid, hand-stitched works blend folk art, cultural symbolism, and personal narrative — all anchored by a lifelong love of textiles and storytelling. In this first part of our conversation, Owen shares his early love of…

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…

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…

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…

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Niamh Wimperis, an embroidery artist and craft entrepreneur known for blending personal experience with traditional needlework techniques. We trace her evolution — from early frustrations with artistic gatekeeping to discovering embroidery as both a personal refuge and a political statement. Niamh shares how…

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Niamh Wimperis, an embroidery artist and craft entrepreneur known for blending personal experience with traditional needlework techniques. We trace her evolution — from early frustrations with artistic gatekeeping to discovering embroidery as both a personal refuge and a political statement. Niamh shares how…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Bren Ahearn. Bren Ahearn is a needlework artist using traditional samplers to unpack masculinity, memory and social conditioning. In the second half of my conversation with Bren Ahearn, we delve into the politics of craft, the evolution of his large-scale samplers, and the…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Bren Ahearn. Bren Ahearn is a needlework artist using traditional samplers to unpack masculinity, memory and social conditioning. In this first part of our conversation. we discuss the concept of magnified moments, early experiences of gender policing, and how these formative events shape…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Owen Kelly. Owen is a fifth-generation embroiderer whose vivid, hand-stitched works blend folk art, cultural symbolism, and personal narrative — all anchored by a lifelong love of textiles and storytelling. In this first part of our conversation, Owen shares his early love of…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Owen Kelly. Owen is a fifth-generation embroiderer whose vivid, hand-stitched works blend folk art, cultural symbolism, and personal narrative — all anchored by a lifelong love of textiles and storytelling. In this first part of our conversation, Owen shares his early love of…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Stephanie Kelly Clark. Stephanie is a contemporary embroidery artist whose work transforms humble homes and everyday moments into rich visual stories stitched with painterly precision. In this first part of our conversation, we explore her creative upbringing, the role of art in parenting,…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Stephanie Kelly Clark. Stephanie is a contemporary embroidery artist whose work transforms humble homes and everyday moments into rich visual stories stitched with painterly precision. In this first part of our conversation, we explore her creative upbringing, the role of art in parenting,…

Welcome back to part two of my conversation with Neil Twist. In this half, we go deeper into Neil’s research on historic Australian samplers and the stories they hold – from 18th-century orphanages to the hidden histories of everyday stitching. We talk about the moral messages embedded in needlework, the…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Neil Twist, an academic and self-confessed beginner stitcher based in Melbourne. Neil’s just a year into his embroidery journey, but already he’s exploring big questions about masculinity, perception, and what it means to stitch as a man. We talk about the courage it…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Sarah Corbett. Sarah Corbett is founder of the Craftivist Collective and an advocate for change via gentle activism. This is a recording of a half-hour interview that I did with Sarah at the Stitch Festival in London on Saturday 22nd March 2025. We…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview CARO. CARO is a multidisciplinary artist who intertwines metalwork and embroidery to explore themes of time, devotion, and material storytelling. This is the second half of my conversation with CARO and we move beyond materials and making to dive into the philosophical and…

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview CARO. CARO is a multidisciplinary artist who intertwines metalwork and embroidery to explore themes of time, devotion, and material storytelling. In this first part of our conversation, CARO shares her journey - from early explorations in jewellery-making to discovering the expressive potential of…

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Vanessa Marr, an artist, researcher, and lecturer whose work explores the invisible labour of women through textiles. In this half of our conversation, we dive into the challenges people face when learning embroidery, including how gender and past experiences shape their confidence with…