SEAMSIDE: Exploring the Inner Work of Textiles

In this bonus episode of SEAMSIDE, Sara Trail and I have a little surprise for you. After we’d stopped recording the conversation you just heard in episode 1, I asked Sara if she thought her mom, Kay Trail,— who’s obviously played a key role in her life— if her mom would be interested in talking with me a little bit. Without skipping a beat— and this probably comes as no surprise to you now— Sara had her mom on the phone, and though Sara has to run off to go to work, Kay and I chat for several more minutes. What you’re about to hear is the unedited conversation that I had with Kay Trail. I hope you enjoy.

Nick D’Ornellas makes life-size screen prints of daily moments with his family around home. He then cuts the screen prints into thin strips and weaves them back together, distorting the original image, both sharing it with the public but also reserving the privacy of homelife. In our conversation, we discuss: 1 the role of family in art 2 exhibiting your work as a way to connect with the viewer 3 using the white cube gallery space as a toolHELPFUL LINKS ♡⤷ Get the companion zine for this conversation here⤷ Learn more about Nick’s work on his website⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

Michael Sylvan Robinson is a textile artist and a long-time activist with Gays Against Guns. In this pared-down episode recorded days after the shooting in Buffalo, Sylvan offers some hard-won wisdom from his years of activism that I hope are both a balm and an encouragement to you in doing the good work that needs to be done. I’ll update this episode page soon with further details.

Lou Gardiner is a joyful force of nature. As textile artist in the UK, she specializes in embroidery and is best known for her recent cape-making projects, including the Cloud Cape and the Cape of Empowerment.In our conversation, we discuss:① how her relationship with creativity shifted during her recent cancer journey② why we need each other now as much as ever③ the power of softness to reshape our worldHELPFUL LINKS ♡⤷ Learn more about Lou’s work on her website and you can follow along on Instagram⤷ Join me and Heidi Parkes for Sewing in Place at Madeline Island School of the Arts this June⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

Jess Bailey is an art historian, a collector of stories, and a quilter. You may know Jess from Instagram @publiclibraryquilts or their book, Many Hands Make a Quilt: Short Histories of Radical Quilting.The conversation we had was tender and joyful as we discussed:① why representation and visibility are so important in the quilting community,② the power of a gifted quilts, and ③ how to start a quilting practice even if you come from a long a line of quilters.HELPFUL LINKS ♡⤷ historic New Deal quilting bee photos⤷ Anna's mother Ruth Higham's book, The Edge of the Land⤷ The quilt made by the last indigenous queen of Hawaii⤷ Get a copy of Jess’s book Many Hands Make A Quilt: Short Histories of Radical Quilting in the US and in the UK ⤷ Listen to the oral history interview from the Quilt Alliance that Jess mentions⤷ work by Kailani Polzak, researcher of visual constructions of race in 18th and 19th century Europe⤷ Join me and Heidi Parkes for Sewing in Place at Madeline Island School of the Arts this June⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

In this episode, slow-stitcher Victoria Gertenbach and I discuss how the rustic barns of Lancaster County have shaped her work, how artists often feel squeeze when it comes to representing themselves and their work honestly on social media, and at the end Victoria takes us a wild word-association ride that will give you a taste of her creative process.HELPFUL LINKS ♡⤷  Join me and Heidi Parkes for Sewing in Place at Madeline Island School of the Arts this June⤷Watch the episode of SOFT BULK Victoria mentions in this episode⤷  The podcast is only half of SEAMSIDE! Check out the SEAMSIDE ZINE for more insights on this conversation⤷ Want to see the textiles pieces we mention in this show?⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

In this episode, I sit down with textile artist Beverly Smith and we discuss how making quilts can often be like a magic carpet ride, how our work can exist on the physical plane as well as higher planes, and how memory lives beyond trauma, buried safe in our hearts and minds. (Heads up: Around minute 26, we briefly touch the topic of suicide and how it has influenced Beverly’s work.)⤷ The podcast is only half of SEAMSIDE! Check out the SEAMSIDE ZINE for more insights on this conversation⤷ Want to see the textiles pieces we mention in this show?⤷ Curious about Beverly’s work? ⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK!⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

In this second episode, I sit down with weaver Jennifer Mao, and we discuss how she uses weaving as a way of closing the gaps she sees in the world around her, the importance of gift economy, and the role of the artist in preserving the spirit of the people.⤷ The podcast is only half of SEAMSIDE! Check out the SEAMSIDE ZINE for more insights on this conversation⤷ Want to see the textiles pieces we mention in this show?⤷ Curious about Jen’s work? ⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK!⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

In this first episode, I sit down and sew with artist Emma Freeman: maker of burial books and contemplation cloths. As we sew, we talk about some of the lessons working with cloth has taught us about being human. The conversation ranges from deep ecology to the intersection of Zen Buddhism and creativity.⤷ The podcast is only half of SEAMSIDE! Check out the SEAMSIDE ZINE for more insights on this conversation⤷ Want to see the textiles pieces we mention in this show?⤷ Curious about Emma’s work? ⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK!⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops

Creative inspiration isn't scarce, requiring special trips or perfect conditions—it's abundant, hiding in plain sight. This meditation helps you expand your attention to notice inspiration in places you usually overlook. We'll practice a particular quality of noticing—curious but not hungry—and build cross-pollination between creative and everyday activities.REFLECTION QUESTIONS → What would shift if you trusted that creative possibilities are abundant rather than scarce?AFFIRMATION → Everything I see can teach me / I open my eyes widerWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

What if you approached your creative work like a scientist approaches experiments—with genuine curiosity rather than pressure? This meditation helps you shift to a "What happens if...?" mindset. We'll explore experimental questions (doing the opposite of what you usually do, using the "wrong" tools deliberately, combining things that supposedly don't go together) and practice reframing failure as results rather than mistakes.REFLECTION QUESTION → What would need to be true for you to give yourself full permission to "waste" materials on experimentation?AFFIRMATION → I don't need to know how this ends / I only need to beginWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

Our bodies have so much to tell us—where we hold tension, what hurts after hours of making, what feels tight or soft. This meditation guides you through a gentle full-body scan, not to fix problems, but to notice what's present. We'll develop body literacy so you can recognize what your creative practice asks of you physically and respond with practical care.REFLECTION QUESTIONS → What might help that area feel more supported during creative work?AFFIRMATION → I clear the path for what wants to emergeWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

Making with textiles connects you to something vast—humans across every culture and century have worked with fiber and fabric. You don't join this tradition by having a long line of quilting grandmothers. You join by pulling up a seat at the table and picking up a needle and thread. This meditation helps you recognize the knowledge already living in your hands, understand that textile wisdom is open-access, and feel your place in the universal human practice of making.REFLECTION QUESTION → How does understanding textile work as open tradition change your relationship to making?AFFIRMATION → I receive what was given freely / I share freely what I've learnedWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

This guided mediation is a part of WONDER YEAR, a year-long exploration in building and sustaining our creative practice.We’ll be moving through it together in real-time on the NOOK with live creative challenges, weekly reflections, journaling prompts, and more.Here on SEAMSIDE, I’ll be sharing a new guided meditation each week for the next three months—thirteen in all.My hope is that each one keeps you good company on your creative journey.…Many makers carry a quiet voice that says "I'm not good enough." This meditation helps you remember your inherent creative worthiness—not something earned through skill or output, but something that exists simply because you choose to show up. We'll reconnect with moments when creating felt natural, anchor belonging in your body, and recognize that your particular way of seeing matters.REFLECTION QUESTION → Which moments of natural creative joy surfaced, and what do they reveal? AFFIRMATION → I belong here / My hands know what to doWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

This guided mediation is a part of WONDER YEAR, a year-long exploration in building and sustaining our creative practice. We’ll be moving through it together in real-time on the NOOK with live creative challenges, weekly reflections, journaling prompts, and more. Here on SEAMSIDE, I’ll be sharing a new guided meditation each week for the next three months—thirteen in all.My hope is that each one keeps you good company on your creative journey.…GETTING STARTED → Starting something new can bring up all kinds of questions. Do I really have time for this? Am I good enough? Is this selfish? This meditation creates space to acknowledge those doubts while establishing something foundational: you have full permission to be here. We'll walk a path through the seasons of creative practice, visualize the natural rhythm of beginning and deepening, and help you claim a guiding intention—a compass, not a destination—for the year ahead.REFLECTION QUESTION → What quality or intention do you want to cultivate through this year of practice?AFFIRMATION → I belong here / This time is mineWANT TO LEARN MORE? → Join us live for the full WONDER YEAR program in 2026 for a communal journey with monthly reflections, live gatherings, workshops, and ongoing support to help you build a sustainable, deeply personal creative practice. We’d love to have you <3

This episode offers a raw and honest examination of how family history research can reveal both inspiring stories and difficult truths about our past. My journey from discovering less-than-perfect Revolutionary War heroes to uncovering my ancestors' role as enslavers demonstrates why understanding our complete history—not just the comfortable parts—is essential for creating a more just and equitable future.→ My tips for getting started with your family history→ Learn more about the SOUTHERN WHITE AMNESIA→ Curator page for the SWA collection→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

Step inside a packed gallery at the Southeastern Quilt & Textile Museum where I share the stories behind my SOUTHERN WHITE AMNESIA collection.This isn't a high-polish artist talk—it's a raw, honest exploration of how I discovered my family's deep involvement in slavery and transformed that uncomfortable truth into quilts, dolls, and primary source historical documents.This presentation demonstrates how textile work is uniquely positions to move into uncomfortable spaces and become a vehicle for historical reckoning and repair.You'll also hear about my decision to donate 100% of proceeds to HBCU scholarships and discover practical frameworks for approaching inherited trauma through the metaphor of "tending" rather than "mending" historical wounds.→ Curator page for the SWA collection→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

Just a note to let you know I haven’t forgot about you <3 the SEAMSIDE sabbatical needed to be a little longer than I expect, but it’s coming back soon! Listen to hear what all I’ve been up to the last twelve months.→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

In this special episode of SEAMSIDE, you'll hear reflections from a variety of community members who found connection, creative renewal, and unexpected insights while stitching side by side at our HUDDLE retreat. Working with textiles alongside others unlocks family stories and personal histories – there's something almost magical about the way fabric becomes a bridge across time and relationships.WANT TO JOIN US FOR THE NEXT HUDDLE?Learn more about our upcoming retreat here. And you can always email me at zak@zakfoster.com for more information.→ Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT → Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK → Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM

Textile artist Heidi Parkes reflects on her transformative 13-month residency at Milwaukee's historic Pfister Hotel, discussing how the experience deepened her artistic practice, expanded her community connections, and prepared her for her upcoming mid-career retrospective exhibition.What happens when an artist's private practice meets the public eye for an entire year? Fresh from completing her prestigious residency at Milwaukee's historic Pfister Hotel, Heidi Parkes returns to SEAMSIDE to unpack what it was like to work in full public view for thirteen months. From unexpected revelations about her own work to the delicate dance of public engagement, Heidi shares how this residency in a busy hotel studio reshaped both her work and her perspective.In this SEAMSIDE conversation, Heidi and I explore: ① how public interaction informs the work we make ② how to ask meaningful questions when you step into a gallery ③ why she’s so glad to be back home You can hear Part 1 of our conversation here. → Get your copy of THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR NEXT QUILT→ Get your free trial to the QUILTY NOOK→ Follow Zak on INSTAGRAM