Stitch Wish Radio

Repurposing and upcycling is a revolutionary act of creativity and resourcefulness. These actions embody the spirit of transformation, taking garments worn and weathered and breathing new life into their tired fibers.This episode talks about my favorite methods for upcycling garments, how I manage all the fabric from garments that are too far gone to save, and some new methods on my list to try!Links: Watch on YouTube for all the visuals! Mythic creatures stitchalong submission!Taproot Magazine with article on patchworkMending Zine + sign up for my newsletterPatchwork article on my blog (Part 1 and Part 2)Tshirt loom from Like Minded Objects 

Sharing some new and old concepts for Zero-Waste patternmaking ideas, and a few of my favorite book recommendations for learning more! Want to see some visuals for this episode? Check out the YouTube version.  Soft Work CourseCut My Cote - Dorothy K BurnhamZero Waste Patterns - Birgitta HelmerssonMore on Luddites (machine breakers)

My recommendations for better getting to know what is already in your closet so you can make the best choices for you and your wardrobe (no, I'm not going to tell you you can't shop - but these tips will ensure you shop wisely!)Psst... these episodes are now also able to be watched as YouTube videos! See my channel here.  Mentioned in this episode:Soft Work Intuitive Garment Design Course  Latest Mending Tutorial (on Blog) + Free Mending Zine

I want to talk about our ideas around the meaning of “making it”! I’m so often talking about making things in the literal sense, on my teachings on embroidery and making clothes, but I also want to talk about ideas of success, and how I shifted my idea of what “making it” really means over the past 10 years as a small business owner. I also offer a little advice about how we can get closer to our own idea of success - hint, it takes way less work than you’d think. Mentioned in this episode:Watch on YouTube!Soft Work CourseAccess to FREE Garment Drawing Mini Course The Hobbit House in Hawaii

Let's talk about making things, and the cost of materials vs the cost of our own time (and why you shouldn't bother trying to recreate the $70 sweater). There's been a lot of conversations recently on why sweaters seem so cheap - so as makers, let's talk about our role in creating for our own wardrobe. Mentioned in this episode:Embroidery on Clothing Workshop - included with this round of Magic Threads! (preview first lesson of Magic Threads here)Newsletter Signup (don't want to join 5 days of stitching? Scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email in the box at the very bottom to just get on the newsletter)Kaffe Fassett: In the Studio BookDesigning Knitwear, book by Deborah NewtonFabric Shopping Resources"Your Sweaters are Garbage" ArticleClotheshorse Podcast

Have you ever spent time to think about why we see the colors we see? How this information is translated in our brains, and if we all actually see colors the same, or if my red is different from your red? Do we all see the same shade of blue in the sky? Beyond that even, what makes the sky blue? This episode takes a look at chromatic vibrations, how we see color and how that may effect our state of being. Mentioned in this episode:Magic Threads online courseThis original blog post

After more than a month off, I'm returning to the podcast with some thoughts on how we can return to our own creative process after periods of rest. It seems so simple... but can be a bit of a struggle! I talk about: - January1st as quite an arbitrary starting point - forgive yourself for having failed!- getting back into your creative groove- the importance of rest and play (episode 7) and creative intimacy (episode 22) 

Let's talk about how I like to end the year, with plenty of creative reflection that helps fuel my endeavors into the new year. This episode is based on the Adinkra symbols of the Ashanti people (modern day Ghana, Togo, and Côte d'Ivoire) called "Sankofa" meaning, go back and get it. There are two different symbols that share this name, with slightly different meanings. I'll be referring to the bird turned back on itself meaning, learning from the past.  Advanced Embroidery WorkshopPatchwork and Applique Workshop ( Research on Adinkra symbols came from a book by Ghanian writer Seyram Agbleze called "Journey of West African Textile Traditions" )

In this episode, I wanted to expand upon something Haley said in the last episode, making art that doesn't get seen by others. Maybe not never, but at least giving your creative practice the space to exist without external input.I share a few ways that I like to explore this theme of creative intimacy in my own artistic practice!Mentioned in this episode:My Winter 2021 Workshops (Patchcraft and Next Level Embroidery) Maydel patternsLindsay Stripling's workshops

"...not everything you make needs to be shared; having privacy with your work is kinda sexy!" One of my favorite take-aways from my conversation with Haley, ceramicist / dirt queen and the maker behind @studio.hecha!  We talk about many things, among them: - how Haley discovered her personal style- recommendations for discovering your own style, and the art of authenticity within your own work- the extractive nature of corporate design and the mono-culture created through corporate trend boards- how the internet tends to remove the human behind the artand some amazing tips on finding inspiration outside of the internet! Hearing her describe her relationship with the medium of ceramics will hit home for anyone who works with their hands! 

What an honor to be able to interview one of my idols for this episode of Stitch Wish Radio! Alexandra Hart is the author of the cult classic Native Funk and Flash, one of the original founders of Folkwear Patterns, as well as a counter-culture textile artist in her own right, located in Northern California. This episode is a slower pace, so please enjoy the contrast from our modern societies tendency towards highly edited and condensed form of sharing information, to a relaxing conversation with this incredible artist! Mentioned in this episode: - Native Funk and Flash (a short lil video on it here) - Bardo dress (more on the concept of Bardo here) - Bolinas Macrame Park- Folkwear Patterns (and the vintage ones that Alexandra worked on here) - Mystical Stitches, my book (which Alexandra wrote the forward for!) 

No matter how hard we fight against it... winter is coming. Even if you live in a temperate climate, the seasons are shifting, even if you're in a different hemisphere than I am - the seasons are shifting (and winter will, eventually, return). With this turn to the next quarter of the year, it's time to look at the coming few months and dream up how they look, and make decisions to move towards that vision. For this podcast - this means shifting to releasing every other week so I can have more time in between episodes to write and research ideas, and record interviews (of which there are some very exciting new ones coming up, so stay tuned!!) Lastly - Tuesday, October 5th is the LAST DAY to sign up for Magic Threads for the next few months, so if stoking your inner fire looks like getting deeper into your own creative process, be sure to check out my this online creative embroidery course before it closes!

I had the pleasure of talking about re-useing and recycling textiles for both art and business this week with Used Clothing Alchemist Crispina ffrench! She is an environmental textile artist, teacher, and coach working with textile waste to build environmental awareness, create a healthy lifestyle, teach by example, and provide the marketplace with lovely home furnishings, clothing, and accessories. We talk about how she got into working with repurposed textiles, her journey through entrepreneurship (including the importance of asking for help), the power and autonomy discovered through creativity, and steps we can take to move towards more ecological approach in both the textile industry and in our own work (hint: it starts with get over the guilt of being human and making waste, so we can make more mindful choices!!) Mentioned in this episode:Crispina's websitestitcherhoodThe Sweater Chop Shop BookCrispina's instagram Eileen Fischer's RenewPatagonia's Worn Wear (these are especially amazing!) Swanson's Fabric Shop

Long before written language, our species learned to communicate through symbols. As children, we learn to identify images before we can speak. And when we reach for knowledge beyond our own culture, symbols allow us to transcend the limitations of language. This episode scratches the surface on the idea of working with symbols and archetypes, both in our artwork and in our personal transformations. I discuss my view on how symbols and archetypes work with our minds, and how we can use corresponding images or objects to greater amplify these archetypes. Mentioned in this episode:Magic Threads Online Embroidery CourseMy book, Mystical StitchesRichard Tarnas "An Introduction to Archetypal Astrology" 

Despite the fact that I don't really relate to any specific religious scripture, this connection between artistic expression and divine dedication is one that I feel deeply drawn to. So this episode is a little bit about the spiritual nature of creative acts. I also want to leave you with some actual tools, so I'm sharing a few light suggestions for approaching your creative endeavors in a way that is enriching and rewarding, no matter what the reason for making is!Mentioned in this episode:Textile Arts CenterEpisode 4: TalismanEpisode 10: InspirationMore on  my Magic Threads Course (enrollment opens Sept 16th)My FREE Embroidery Portal

Let's talk about one of the most powerful tools in the artists studio - creating in our minds that which does not already exist in the world! In this episode, I talk about what VISUALIZATION is to me, how it helps us access non-ordinary consciousness, and work towards creating what we do want. I also share some techniques for enhancing your ability to visualize, and some fun ways to further play around - OH AND, there's also a guided meditation towards the end! (17 minutes in)  - My sketchbook process mentioned in Episode 12: The Creative Process- Cheryl Humphrey's "In Color - Spectral Meditations for Healing" (video here) - Stitched Visions Beginner's Workshop- Magic Threads Online Course (opens up for enrollment in late September) 

So excited to have had the opportunity to interview Tessa Perlow, a textile artist based in New Jersey who makes work themed around magic, nature, mythology & love . She works on repurposed fabrics & garments with a focus on embroidery and beading.We talk about... - Tessa's creative practice and the evolution of her embroidery skills- Upcycling, and Tessa's relationship to "fashion" - Not taking yourself or your work too seriously- Craft and Art - is there a difference?- Finding inspiration through researchTessa's WebsiteInstagram: @tessaperlowEtsy Shop: Mentioned: - Dreaming The Dark - Starhawk - Faeries - Brian Froud and Alan Lee- Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom - Rachel Pollack- Drawing Down the Moon - Margot Adler- Between the Worlds Podcast- Leonard Knight's Salvation Mountain- The End in Joshua Tree- The Road to Nowhere - Mary Evans Oracle Deck

A little about the process of making my recent book, Mystical Stitches! I also shared a bit about the process in this IGTV post but this episode goes a little more into detail about the emotional journey and all of the epiphanies along the way!  Making a book epiphanies - the short list:- Listen to your creative urges; don't wait until they "make sense" - Send the email. Write the letter. Reach out to the person about the thing - we are all human and humans love connection.- Get help to work through your mental blocks, no matter how small they might seem- You don’t have to have a degree in writing to write - if something isn't working - don't force it - dream about itStorey PublishingStacy WakefieldAlexandra Jiacopetti HartNina ChakrabartiBrad OgbonnaNext Week's interview:Tessa Perlow 

I love learning about other people's creative evolution and artistic process, so I shared a bit of my own, as well as some ideas to consider if you're looking for new ways to think of your own artistic process. In this episode:- my personal creative process- the journey of how my art and spirituality merged- some ideas for opening up creatively- the Sufi story of Fatima the spinner- SOFT WORK Intuitive Garment Design course - registration closes Thursday (or when the class is full!) 

Let's talk about how clothes are designed (and why) and how we can make more sustainable choices. In this episode, I talk about:- the difference between modern and ancient clothing construction- my lifelong love affair with clothing design- the problem with the $40 dress- 5 tips for making more sustainable choices when shopping- my online course, Soft WorkLinks mentioned:Sign up for newsletter to get into SOFT WORK Good on You and Re/Make brand directoriesMelanin and Sustainable Style's article: "47 badass womxn of color changing the landscape of sustainable fashion"