Stitchery Stories

Elizabeth Ashdown is one of only 4 hand Passementerie artists working in the UK today. She combines traditional and endangered craft skills with a contemporary aesthetic to create innovative passementerie.  In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elizabeth Ashdown, for a glimpse into the world of hand woven passementerie. She makes and weaves bespoke trimmings, braids, tassels, fringes, and more. Her work spans interior design, fashion, and fine art, and she is passionate about reviving and sustaining this traditional craft. Elizabeth shares her journey, current projects, and insights into her creative process, making Passementerie both accessible and exciting for modern life!  Elizabeth & Susan chat about: What is Passementerie? Elizabeth explains this fascinating craft of creating small-scale textiles like tassels, braids, and fringes. Her unique journey: How she transitioned from traditional weaving into self-taught Passementerie and worked with master craftspeople to hone her skills. Reviving an endangered craft: Elizabeth highlights the challenges and joys of being one of only four remaining hand Passementerie artists in the UK. Custom creations: Her collaborations with interior and fashion designers to create bespoke trims, from bold artworks to intricate pieces for coats and furnishings. Modernising Passementerie: Her use of vibrant colors and contemporary designs to dispel the notion of Passementerie as “old-fashioned.” Historical inspiration: Insights into the craft’s heritage, from its origins in global simple pratical items, thru its opulent French period and into modern use.  Key milestones:Winning the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholarship and training with master craftsperson Brian Turner. Future plans: Launching a collaboration with Samuel & Sons in January and her ongoing mission to teach and inspire others to explore Passementerie. Listen to learn more about this fascinating craft and how Elizabeth is determined to keep it alive, relevant and in-demand for 21st Century fashion and interiors. Some Links & Further Info Links For Elizabeth Ashdown Listen to Elizabeth's episode & View her artwork here: https://stitcherystories.com/elizabethashdown Visit: https://elizabethashdown.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/ashdowntextiles/ About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn  https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business! DON’T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join    

Ailish Henderson is a fine art textile artist, particularly known for her fine art stitched collage works, which focus on capturing a fleeting moment, telling the story with mixed media, paint, stitch and fabric snippets. She is also the author of 'Narrative Textiles', published by Batsford in October 2024. In this episode, of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Ailish Henderson, a narrative textile artist, author, and teacher. Ailish's work weaves together memory, storytelling, and fine art textiles, often using unique materials to create pieces that evoke personal and collective histories. She shares her excitement about her upcoming book launch, Narrative Textiles, and accompanying solo exhibition in London, where her artworks will bring her book to life. Ailish also reflects on her journey from a fine art background to embracing textiles and mixed media. Ailish & Susan chat about: Upcoming book and exhibition: Ailish is preparing for the launch of her book Narrative Textiles alongside a solo exhibition in October 2024. Storytelling through textiles: Her work often captures personal stories, memories, and moments, using materials that hold sentimental value. Inspired by heritage and family: Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and spending a lot of time with her grandmother who loved knitting greatly influenced her artistic path. Using vintage and reclaimed materials: Ailish shares how she embraces the imperfections in old fabrics, turning them into meaningful art.  The tension between teaching and creating: Balancing a teaching career with artistic creation, she finds inspiration in the ideas sparked by her students.  Multifaceted art career: From exhibiting internationally to writing, Ailish reflects on the challenges of sustaining an artistic career while also managing other commitments. The importance of community: She emphasizes the value of artist communities and how sharing ideas with others can spark new creative directions. Transition from fine art to textiles: Ailish explains how her fine art training influenced her mixed media approach and experimentation with different materials. Using poetry and writing: She uses her quickly captured words and poetry, along with doodles on whatever is to hand, often capturing thoughts and moments that later inspire her textile work.  For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Ailish's work at https://stitcherystories.com/ailishhenderson Visit: https://www.ailishhenderson.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/alish_h_ Other Episodes You Might Like: Julia Triston: Celebrating Marks & Memories In Old Clothing & Cloth  https://stitcherystories.com/juliatriston/ Tracy Franklin : Specialist Freelance Embroiderer & Durham Cathedral Head Broderer https://stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/ Cas Holmes : Textile Artist & Tutor: Found-Stitch-Paint https://stitcherystories.com/casholmes/  

Caroline Hyde-Brown is a textile artist with a long-established career. Inspired by botanical research, she combines foraged plant material with a variety of textile art techniques to create fascinating weaves and vessels with fragile beauty. Combined with her purposeful art practice experience, Caroline shares plenty of wisdom on Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. With so many inspiring aspects to Caroline's textile art career, in this episode of Stitchery Stories we chose to focus on some unique plant-based research projects that Caroline has been involved with over the last couple of years. Firstly, on a project focused on the Grass Pea plant. And secondly on a project based around extracting natural dyes from food waste. These were truly fascinating and highlight the innovative use of plant-based materials within Caroline's textile art. Susan Weeks chats with Caroline Hyde-Brown about:  Overwintering in her practice, her garden and her art. Combining foraged plant materials with textile art techniques Purposeful development of an art practice The importance of outreach and connections Her love of nature and plants and research Making paper with grass pea fibres Extracting natural dyes from food waste from UK & Malaysia Contrasting writing styles for academic writing & art book Writing her first book 'Forage & Stitch' A hard lesson in understanding a design brief & clear communication And plenty more besides! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Caroline's work at https://stitcherystories.com/carolinehydebrown Visit: https://www.theartofembroidery.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/www.theartofembroidery.co.uk Look: https://www.instagram.com/artistcaz/ VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join Other Episodes You Might Like: Jennie-maree Tempest : Beautiful Botanical Sculptures https://stitcherystories.com/jenniemareetempest/ Meredith Woolnough: Machine Embroidered Natural Specimens https://stitcherystories.com/meredithwoolnough/ Laura Edgar: Atmospheric Coastal Scenes in Textile Art https://stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/

Elnaz Yazdani creates vibrant contemporary textile art using rather unusual materials. Look closely for nails, springs, tubes, and all sorts from scrap stores. Elnaz loves working with community groups to reimagine embroidery and spark creativity.  In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elnaz Yazdani, an embroidery artist and educator who merges traditional techniques with unconventional materials. Elnaz discusses her passion for community engagement and how embroidery can connect people and elevate well-being. With a background that includes influences from Iran and Lancashire, she explores the use of embroidery as a way to tell stories, both personal and cultural. Elnaz is also known for using recycled and industrial materials in her creative process, pushing the boundaries to 're-imagine' of traditional embroidery. Susan chats with Elnaz about: Community-based embroidery projects: Elnaz is involved in various community projects that aim to connect people through the art of embroidery. Unusual materials in embroidery: Elnaz explains how she uses materials like washers, computer parts, and plumbing supplies to create stunning embroidered artworks. Creative freedom in projects: A discussion about how working with various groups inspires different interpretations of topics such as "place" and cultural storytelling. Embroidery as social prescribing: Elnaz views embroidery as a therapeutic practice that can positively affect mental well-being. Influence of her heritage: Being half Iranian and half English has shaped her love for textiles and her work's rich cultural storytelling influences. Education and teaching: Elnaz emphasizes the importance of keeping the craft alive by inspiring and teaching embroidery to the next generation. Juggling art practice & community projects: Elnaz shares some hard-won advice around setting boundaries and doing what you love! Sustainability: Elnaz often works with upcycled and renewable materials, such as fruit netting and scrap items, reflecting her commitment to sustainability. Some links & further info: For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Elnaz's work at https://stitcherystories.com/elnazyazdani Visit: https://www.elnazyazdani.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/elnazyazdani About Stitchery Courses! VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business! DON’T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join Support Stitchery Stories: Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee  If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Are We Connected On Socials? Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube Other Episodes You Might Like: Holly Jackson : Mix modern stumpwork embroidery with mixed media https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson/ Nikki Parmenter: Exuberant mixed-media textile artist https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/ Claire Edwards: Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Hand Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/

Dr. Jack Roberts, also known as JPR Stitch, is a fine artist specializing in freehand machine embroidery, creating stunning abstract shapes from dense, intricate webs of stitches. His art reflects the calmness and tranquility he experiences while stitching, making sewing his form of meditation. Jack shares insights into his artistic journey, current projects, and unique approaches to displaying his work. A key topic is Jack's 'quest'... seeking balance between simplicity and complexity, in his art, his practice, and in his life. Plenty of illuminating yet refreshing ideas, particularly around removing our own self-inflicted barriers to creativity, and indeed, everything else we do when apparently we are chasing our dreams! In this episode of Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Jack about: Daily Stitch Drawings: Jack's innovative practice of creating small stitch artworks daily since November last year as a counterbalance to his larger, time-consuming pieces. Project Evolution: How his daily stitch drawings evolved to include more space and organic shapes as he became more comfortable with the process. Display Challenges: The creative solutions Jack developed for displaying his daily stitch drawings, including a calendar mechanism and "towers of stitch" to represent the passage of time. Artistic Inspiration: Flipping the influence of Jack's extensive immersion in the art world on his embroidery practice. Creative Journey: The challenges and rewards of maintaining a daily art practice and how it contributes to Jack's overall artistic growth. Personal Reflection: How Jack’s artworks serve as a reflection of his emotional state on any given day, showcasing the importance of balance in his life and art. Travel Adaptations: Jack's strategies for continuing his daily stitch practice while traveling Sewing as Meditation: The meditative and calming effects of sewing on Jack, and how this mindfulness is expressed through his intricate and organic stitching patterns. Removing barriers and saying No: How to make it as easy as possible to get started...   For this episode...  View Links, information & Examples of Jack's work at https://stitcherystories.com/jackroberts Visit: https://www.jprstitch.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/jpr_stitch/ Stitchery Courses Discover and book courses with textile and embroidery experts at stitcherycourses.com  GET LISTED as an expert teacher on Stitchery Courses and attract more customers into your business! Support Stitchery Stories: Share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show. Buy Me A Coffee If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? Other Episodes You Might Like:  Susan Hensel : Communicating Ideas Through Digital Machine Embroidery  https://stitcherystories.com/susanhensel/ David Morrish : Disruptive Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/ Hayley Mills-Styles: Thread Artist Who Loves Digital Embroidery  https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/  

Alison Holt is a contemporary textile artist, teacher and author who combines silk painting and freehand machine embroidery to create beautiful landscapes and glimpses of the natural world.  Alison shares how her career and art continues to evolve, as she looks for new challenges. Following new opportunities as well as ongoing marketing and visibiity of one's art are also very important, and Alison shares her experience and wisdom with us.  Susan Weeks chats with Alison Holt about: A current focus on the sea, a rich source of inspiration Her current success in finding new exhibiting venues and opportunities Developing her artistic style Capturing the atmosphere and sense of a place Scaling back her activities to develop her art practice Organising the "Stitch By Stitch" textile art exhibition Promoting your art and yourself Perspective of a long-standing professional artist For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Alison's work at  https://stitcherystories.com/alisonholt Visit: https://www.alisonholt.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/alisonlholt/ STITCHERY COURSES is an exciting new place to discover and connect with experts who teach their art, craft & skills with thread, fabric & yarn. Pop over to search through the experts and see what courses & classes they have available. Or pop over and GET LISTED as an expert on Stitchery Courses and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new 'eyes' onto your business! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/  

Textile artist Holly Jackson shares her recent journey in developing her art career. Developing her 'sneaky' stumpwork embroidery using modern materials and mixed media, there are plenty of exciting 'firsts' to celebrate with Holly! We join Holly at the start of her first art exhibition. She shares her preparation and hopes from the show. We chat about her very interesting inspirations for her emerging body of work, and how she is developing her own 'take' on stumpwork, scaling it up, and using modern materials and mixed media to produce larger pieces, faster, yet still using hand embroidery. Susan Weeks chats with Holly about: 'There's always one more thing!' How she got started on her new artist career The importance of getting in front of 'new eyes' Her preparations for her first 'booth show' The fascinating stories of the 'hidden women' behind historical Mardi Gras float designs The impacts of flooding & climate change on her region Developing 'sneaky stumpwork' techniques Creating her own unique textile art style and 'voice' Creating a body of work, using series and collections What's next after the show? For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Holly's work at https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson Visit: https://flossinginthemoonlight.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/flossinginthemoonlight/   Other places & people we mentioned:  Chesapeake bay, USA  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay Tulane University Carnival Collection https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:p15140coll40 Jenny Adin-Christie https://jennyadin-christieembroidery.com/   Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell/ https://stitcherystories.com/katetume/ https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/  

Textile artist Jayne Emerson revisits the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast today! She takes us on a journey on how she has pivoted her creative business to focus on teaching people around the world through her online courses and her unique membership The No-Rules Textiles Society. Jayne was a guest here back in 2018 and gives a quick update as to where she was and what challenges she was facing back then. And then we dive into the details of how she created her courses, and the practicalities of running her creative membership. The financial benefits and the fabulous network of new friendships she has developed online.  For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Jaynes's creative samples at https://stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson2 Visit: https://jayneemerson.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/jayneemersontextiles/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/JayneEmersonTextileDesign   Other places & people we mentioned:  Elizabeth Ashdown (Passementerie)  https://elizabethashdown.co.uk/   Other episodes you will enjoy:  https://stitcherystories.com/jayenemerson/  https://stitcherystories.com/florianeschmitt/  https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/  

Cornwall Cross Stitch Kit designer Emma Horan shares behind the scenes of her 'accidental' creative business based around counted cross stitch hand embroidery kits of the beautiful Cornish coast. For the last 10 years, Emma has grown her cross stitch kit business from a therapeutic hobby as she recovered from illness, to a thriving creative business, shop & studio based in St Austell Town, Cornwall. With the beautiful Cornish coast as her never-ending inspiration, with the desire to make bright colourful kits, Emma shares her journey from her first design made with 20p cross stitch software. We peek into the 'nuts and bolts' of kit design and production and Emma kindly shares some hard-won lessons along the way! Her mantra? To provide kits so that people can stitch things that make them feel good. Susan Weeks chats with Emma Horan about: painting & stitching as therapy whilst on sick leave from her corporate job her creative inspirations enjoying her studio and shop the steps from inspiration to kit for sale getting help and batch production dealing with counterfeiters colouring books? the beautiful and inspiring Cornish coast For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Emma's cross stitch kits at https://stitcherystories.com/emmahoran Visit: https://www.emmalouiseartstitch.co.uk/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/Emmalouiseartstitch/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/Emmalouiseartstitch/ Tweet https://twitter.com/emmalouiseart   Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell/ https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell/ https://stitcherystories.com/liannevanleyen/  

Lottie Cockell started her creative business Purple Rose Embroidery fresh out of school, and has been busy growing shaping her business over the last 5 years. With a love of 'grid-based' hand embroidery, Lottie focuses on cross-stitch, blackwork and surface embroidery kits. She is keen to try new things in her business and will often dive into the deep-end of something, figure it out as she goes, then decide if it is a direction that is suitable for her business and her self.  That's the magic about running our own business.... WE GET TO CHOOSE what we do and how it works for US. This is a fabulous and very inspiring story, and I'm so pleased I spotted Lottie's colourful blackwork embroidery on Instagram, and never imagined the story that would be revealed!  Susan Weeks chats with Lottie about: Starting with hand embroidery commissions Quickly evolving into designs & kits Running her first stall ever at a high profile handmade event Designing her kits Encouraging and inspiring stitchers to have a go Shaping her business to suit her personality and lifestyle and so much more! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Lottie's art at https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell Visit: https://purpleroseembroidery.com/ Look:  https://www.instagram.com/purpleroseembroidery Like:  https://www.facebook.com/purpleroseembroidery Also PurpleRoseEmbroidery on: TikTok, Youtube, Pinterest Directory of all the things:  https://bio.site/purpleroseembroidery   Other places & people we mentioned: Kirstie Allsopp Handmade Fair Hochanda / Create & Craft Other episodes you will enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/jengoodwin/ https://stitcherystories.com/ilkecochrane/ https://stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell/

Today I explore hand embroidered and beaded pop art with contemporary pop art textile artist Sarah Gwyer. We talk about her magpie-like 'obsession' with colourful beads and charms and the artistic path to creating beaded portraits. But beneath the colourful sparkling beads lies strong social commentary on celebrity, wealth and consumerism, all expressed in a distinctive pop art style. And we dive into the copyright complexities that Sarah has found herself entwined in over her desire to portray celebrities as parody. This is such an interesting chat, and thank you to Sarah for sharing her story. And of course... we have a good old laugh in amongst the serious topics! Susan Weeks chats with Sarah Gwyer. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Sarah's work at https://stitcherystories.com/sarahgwyer   Visit: https://www.sarahgwyer.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/sarahgwyer Like: https://www.facebook.com/sarahgwyerartist   Other places & people we mentioned:  The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition https://summer.royalacademy.org.uk/   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: https://stitcherystories.com/eleanorpigman/ https://stitcherystories.com/alexhall/ https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/  

Back in 2014, textile artist, academic & designer Vanessa Marr posed the question: Women & Domesticity - What's Your Perspective? And invited those thoughts to be embroidered upon a yellow duster, in red thread. Little did she realise what she had unleashed... Nine years later, Vanessa has an amazing collection of embroidered dusters and an even more amazing collection of stories from the people (mostly women) who have sent her a duster. There are so many fascinating elements to this project, we barely scratch the surface! We do have a laugh as we start our conversation highlighting the now closed one off collaboration with The Profanity Embroidery Group as part of their Domesticity themed exhibition in Whitstable, Kent in February 2023. PEG were early guests on the podcast so this was a fun start to this episode BUT we must make it super clear that the general Domestic Dusters project is NOT about swearing about housework. Susan Weeks chats with Vanessa Marr. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Vanessa's work at https://stitcherystories.com/domesticdusters Visit: https://domesticdusters.wordpress.com Visit: https://marrvanessa.wordpress.com Look: https://www.instagram.com/domesticdusters Look: https://www.instagram.com/vanemarr Research profile: https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/vanessa-marr   Other places & people we mentioned:  The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Dinner Party by Judy Chicago The Subversive Stitch by Rosita Parker Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber   Profanity Embroidery Group (Whitstable)  https://pegwhitstable.co.uk/   Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:  https://stitcherystories.com/profanityembroiderygroup/ https://stitcherystories.com/thereddress/ https://stitcherystories.com/karenruane/  

Embroidery artist Merrilyn Heazlewood shares her life in fabric & thread on Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast today! She takes us on a journey through her interesting and busy lifelong creative business career based around counted canvas work hand embroidery. And for those of you in the USA, you will know canvaswork as needlepoint. Anyway, over the years, Merrilyn has owned several needlework shops, has written several books on wool embroidery, counted canvaswork techniques and also on silk ribbon embroidery. And she has also taught internationally for many years, in-person and now creating projects for online learning. We catch up with Merrilyn as she looks forward to her summer holiday break, with several projects in mind to let her creativity flow. Susan Weeks chats with Merrilyn about: why she opened a needlwork craft shop at age 23 how she translates an idea into canvaswork and ribbon embroidery stitches playing with goldwork inspired by an ancient Aboriginal Rock art Echidna how do you learn crafts when your Mum is left-handed and you are right-handed? getting 'hooked' into counted cross-stitch embroidery combining silk ribbon embroidery with counted canvaswork / needlepoint a focus on inspiring customers self publishing several books...back inthe day when it was really difficult! selecting style, threads and accessories for 'longevity' of stitching meeting inspiring people around the world in so many locations designing the creative business you love and which protects your precious health. how NOT to thread your needle.... and so much more! For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Merrilyn's work at https://stitcherystories.com/merrilynheazlewood Visit: https://merrilynheazlewood.com.au Look: https://www.instagram.com/merrilynsstitches/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/MerrilynBHeazlewood Other places & people we mentioned: In Tasmania: Tarraleah, Hobart, Launceston, Battery Point, Mount Wellington, Iron Pot (a small flat island in the mouth of the Derwent River, Tasmania) The Kimberley region in north-west Australia Aboriginal rock art Echidna Gumnut Yarns http://www.gumnutyarns.com/ Lowery Workstands https://www.workstands.com/   Other episodes you will enjoy Sarah Rakestraw: Glorious Goldwork Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/sarahrakestraw/ Tina Francis: Tapestry, Needlepoint, Canvaswork https://stitcherystories.com/tinafrancis/ Ilke Cochrane: Delightful Hardanger Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/ilkecochrane/  

A cheerful & inspiring episode as global listeners of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast share their stories of creative joy from 2022, and shoutout those 'joy bringers' who helped them in some way to achieve that joy. Hello & Welcome to my final episode of 2022. A recurring theme is how much comfort & joy creative activities bring us. So I thought it would be lovely to hear your stories of creative JOY from 2022. But not only that, to give us an opportunity to hear about those people that helped create that joy for you - the JOY BRINGERS as I decided to call them. A massive thank you to all of you who took the time to send in your JOY. As usual I have created a blog post for this episode on the StitcheryStories.com site Each contributor will be listed, with their links and also the details and links for their joy bringers. I also sent out a quick question asking what your fevourite techniques, and again got some lovely replies, so I have featured a selection of those too, which are along the same theme of joy and yet more shoutouts to others. Please tell your friends about this episode, share on socials thru stories, or write your own post, maybe with an image of you busy making and creating whilst listening? We can bring joy to others by sharing what we love. And it's always very much appreciated. So as we wrap up 2022, I wish you all a creative and joyful 2023 Sue xxx For this episode... View Contributors, Links, & Information at https://stitcherystories.com/2022CreativeJoy   To support this embroidery & textile art podcast: You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/  

Elizabeth Griffiths is a mixed media artist using hand embroidery, lino print-making, inks and watercolours to explore a range of themes. She shares the uplifting experience (and challenge!) of using hand embroidery as a competitor in Sky TV Portrait Artist Of The Year. We dive behind the scenes! Who was her portrait subject? How was it organised? What was it like trying to compete using hand embroidery against 'paper & paint' artists? This was just one of a number of events that have made 2022 a rollercoaster of a year for Elizabeth, and we chat about how these events have affected her art and creativity. Susan Weeks chats with Elizabeth Griffiths about: Exploring mixed-media - lino prints, inks, watercolours - with hand embroidery The excitement of taking part in Sky Portrait Artist Of The Year How to use embroidery in a time limited, live, portrait competition Keeping true to her style Using mixed media to trigger embroidery Why Elizabeth put away her needles & thead for a while Do silk paints go off, we wondered? Evolving our art as we also evolve Using our art to cope with stress Having her 1st solo exhibition When everything happens at once... and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Elizabeth's work at https://stitcherystories.com/elizabethgriffiths Look: https://www.instagram.com/lizgstitches Sky Portrait Artist Of The Year Competition 2022 https://www.sky.com/watch/title/series/3e1cfda1-28a9-42f2-be75-220b7e8863ca/portrait-artist-of-the-year/episodes/season-9/episode-4 General Office - Gallery in Stourbridge, UK https://generaloffice.co.uk/   Oh and for a laugh... Sue mentioned that her portrait drawing attempts were like those of internet star 'Pet Portraits By Hercule' Here is a BBC article about Hercule... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-58309087 Instagram: @portraitsbyhercule   To support this embroidery & textile art podcast: You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast   Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks   Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: Justine Warner: Textile art landscapes from a surprising source https://stitcherystories.com/justinewarner/ Sorrell Kerrison: Creating Hand Embroidered Portraits https://stitcherystories.com/sorrellkerrison/ Tracey Coverley: Textile Art Portraits https://stitcherystories.com/traceycoverley/  

Stacey Jones creates colourful, modern, abstract hand embroidery art. Her work powerfully reflects her thoughts & emotions through her life experiences. Stacey shares her story of how her life with her husband has strongly informed her embroidery designs, particularly his illness, tragic death and her mourning process as she evolves into living alone. Embroidery has been a massive help to Stacey, and she shares stories and wisdom around the power of creativity in such situations. This is a fascinating conversation about developing themes, ideas, inspirations, designs, colour and stitch. Susan Weeks chats with Stacey Jones about: Using sunflowers as an enduring symbol of hope, strength and inspiration. The impact of mood & emotions on choosing a colour palette to work with. Considering 'the spaces in-between' and developing art around that concept. Inspiration from galaxies to the spaces inbetween seeds. Finding comfort in repetitive processes & stitching. Learning some new hand embroidery techniques, goldwork, tambour embroidery. Going to cool life drawing classes with neon painted models. The luxury of creating work purely for herself. Finding freedom in reposting her embroidery archive. Exciting plans for the future. Representing calm breath work with embroidery. Ways to spark creativity when you are feeling stuck. and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Stacey's work at https://stitcherystories.com/staceyjones Look: https://www.instagram.com/bystaceyjones The Hand & Lock embroidered arts exhibition 2021 https://handembroidery.com/hand-and-lock-exhibition-2021/ Sarcoma UK The bone & soft tissue cancer charity https://sarcoma.org.uk/   To support this embroidery & textile art podcast: You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast   Follow Susan Weeks for online course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: Claire Edwards: Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Hand Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/ Jessica Grady: Embroidery Artist Using Unusual Materials And Bold Colours https://stitcherystories.com/jessicagrady/ Michelle Morgan: Hand Embroidery Artist https://stitcherystories.com/michellemorgan/  

Floriane Schmitt loves to experiment with creative fabric manipulation ideas. Under her brand name of FloHomeDesign she creates accessories and home decor items from smocked neoprene and is writing a fabric manipulation book, due out end 2023. Floriane shares her story of how her dream of a career in fashion evolved into specialising in fabric manipulation and creating her own collections bringing a very modern twist on some traditional Canadian Smocking techniques with very modern materials. Neoprene + Smocking = Neosmock Floriane has packed a lot of experience into her education and career so far, topped off by her fabulous story behind the fabric manipulation book she is writing at time of recording (Oct 2022). This is an inspiring story of 'going for it, making opportunities, and of saying Yes! Susan Weeks chats with Floriane Schmitt about: A chance comment on Instagram that led to a book writing deal The structure and challenges of creating her book Don't be afraid to show your work Using Instagram as a quicker way to showcase your skills and work Making a major pivot from fashion design to fabric manipulation designer Creating her accessories and home decor collections and brand Giving a traditional technique an interesting twist with modern materials Her inspiring internship Innovation with new fabrics and creative fabric manipulation techniques You can't keep the creativity flowing for endless hours and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Floriane's work at https://stitcherystories.com/florianeschmitt   Visit: https://linktr.ee/florianeschmitt https://florianeschmitt.com/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/florianeschmitt Look: https://www.instagram.com/flohomedelight   Inspiration from Iris Van Herpen: https://www.irisvanherpen.com/   You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Ann Small: Layered Cloth https://stitcherystories.com/annsmall/ Jayne Emerson: Textile Designer, Author & Tutor https://stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson/ Kathleen Laurel Sage: Shaping Machine Embroidery With Heat https://stitcherystories.com/kathleenlaurelsage/  

Cath Janes is an award-winning human anatomical embroidery artist. Under her brand name of Kraken Kreations she combines anatomically correct illustrations with colourful hand embroidery which all have a story to tell. Cath shares her honest and hilarious story of the ups and downs of the creative life of an artist, and her unique and distinctive art. There is so much entertainment as well as valuable creative business lessons contained within this episode of the Stitchery Stories textile art and embroidery podcast. Maybe you dream of going viral on Instagram, worry about being artistically lonely, or struggle to set boundaries and price your art? You will certainly find some inspiration and hard-earned experience today. Oh, and have a right good laugh too! Susan Weeks chats with Cath Janes about: Joys & frustrations of commissions Inspiring stories behind her anatomical embroidery commissions Her commissioned hoops are often part of a healing process Importance & prevalence of medical illustrations What is 'false colour' The surprising catalyst for becoming an anatomical embroiderer Anyone else love dissecting things? Dealing with artistic loneliness and finding your tribe What really happens when a 'reel' video goes 'viral' on Instagram Balancing commercial pressures with artistic urges and so much more! For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Cath's work at https://stitcherystories.com/cathjanes Visit: https://www.krakenkreations.co.uk/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/KrakenKreations Look: https://www.instagram.com/krakenkreationscath You can 'Buy Sue A Coffee' here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/ Other Episodes You Might Like: Ruth Norbury: Capturing Urban Decay With Textile Art https://stitcherystories.com/ruthnorbury/ Profanity Embroidery Group: Huge Fun. Beautiful Art. Ugly Words https://stitcherystories.com/profanityembroiderygroup/ Jane Sanders: Textile Portraits Of Iconic Pop Stars https://stitcherystories.com/janesanders/  

Susan Hensel is a multidisciplinary artist with a long-established career. She combines mixed media with digital machine embroidery to create beautiful sculptural forms flooded with colour. Alongside runs her gallery & curatative experience, giving us a fabulous guest sharing her art practice wisdom, on Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. Art is all about communication. Creating art to interpret your thoughts, inspirations, perhaps trying to make sense of the world. And the communication continues long after the art is finished.... you need to tell everyone about it, so they can enjoy it too. Susan has some great advice about this side of a successful art practice. We also dive into the aspects of when you take your art career to the 'next level' of exhibitions and galleries. Susan Weeks chats with Susan Hensel about: Getting excited about digital machine embroidery The frustrations of inconsistent materials Current inspirations from climate change & weather maps How Donald Duck's blue jacket sent her into a life-changing artistic pivot! Using techniques & approach appropriate for the ideas you are trying to express Evolving beyond the clay & brealing out of the rectangle Opening a gallery as a way of meting new people Getting media & press attention Artist representation Understanding the gallery business There are artists everywhere - who have created everything we use Switching between 'business mode' and 'creative mode' can be so difficult For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Susan's work at https://stitcherystories.com/susanhensel Visit: https://susanhenselprojects.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/SusanHenselProjects/ Look: https://www.instagram.com/susan_hensel_multimedia_artist Tweet: @hensel_susan Follow Susan Weeks for course creation and online marketing stuff https://virtualityworks.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingTraining https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners. Course Creation Quick Start Guide. https://virtualityworks.com/how-do-you-create-a-course-quick-start/   Other Episodes You Might Like: David Morrish : Disruptive Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/ Hayley Mills-Styles: Thread Artist Who Loves Digital Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/ Kathleen Laurel Sage: Shaping Machine Embroidery With Heat https://stitcherystories.com/kathleenlaurelsage/  

Jennie-maree Tempest is a textile artist living on the Bass Coast of Australia. After many years creating art quilts and portraits, she has decided to challenge her textile art skills and creativity by creating textile art botanical sculptures. Jennie-maree focuses her creativity inspired by the native Australian species that grow around her coastal home. The latest is a flowering yucca that is around 6ft / nearly 2m tall! It has been a massive undertaking, and has taken over four months of hard work to create. It's not only a challenge of textile art but also of construction. How did she make such a large item out of fabric & threads? Today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Jennie-maree Tempest chats with Susan Weeks about her inspirations and challenges and her creative life by the coast. For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Jennie-maree's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/JenniemareeTempest Visit: https://jemartem.com/ Like : https://www.facebook.com/JemARTem/ Look : https://www.instagram.com/jemartem.textiles/ Buy : https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/JemartemTextiles Pin : https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jemartem/