In this episode, Isabella interviews embroidery artist, author, and researcher, Claire Wellesley-Smith. The two discuss everything from Claire's community engagement textile projects and her new book Resilient Stitch to Louisa Pesel and the Bradford Khaki Handicrafts Club. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Feb 03, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In this mini episode, Isabella discusses the Asafo flags of the Fante, who live in Ghana's coastal region. Asafo flags are vibrant, appliquéd flags that combine folklore, proverbs, and heraldry. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jan 27, 2022•19 min•Season 3Ep. 13
In this episode, Isabella interviews artist and embroiderer Rowan Riley. The two discuss Rowan's artistic practice, stitching about and with one's body, and favourite contemporary textile artists. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jan 20, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this mini episode, Isabella discusses the Japanese stitching traditions of sashiko and boro. Each mini episode focuses on a single needlework technique from each continent, with this week's continent being Asia. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jan 13, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode, Isabella interviews embroidery artist Jessica Tang, who explores her Asian-American identity through stitch. The two discuss Jessica's influences, artistic process, and the physical and emotional strength of stitch. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jan 06, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this special holiday episode, Isabella discusses studying family history through needlework. It's the perfect subject for a festive season focusing on friends, family, and community. Happy holidays to all!
Dec 26, 2021•21 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode, Isabella interviews Claire McRee, associate curator at the Allentown Art Museum, about curating needlework at smaller-scale, regional museums. This episode is a natural counterpart to the "Curating Needlework" episode of season 2. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Dec 23, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, Isabella interviews Joel Voron, the Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The two discuss how historic properties and objects are checked for pests, which types of fibres are at risk, and what it was like to protect textiles during the Coronavirus lockdown. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast....
Dec 09, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode, Isabella interviews historic rug and carpet specialist Elisabeth Parker. The two discuss the origins and international spread of rugs and carpets from the 17th century onwards. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Nov 25, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In the second mini episode of the season, Isabella discusses molas made by the Kuna, an indigenous people in Panama and Colombia. Molas are reverse appliquéd textiles central to Kuna women's clothing and the region's tourist industry. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Nov 18, 2021•17 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Mayela Flores, who researches sampler making and embroidery practices in 18th- and 19th-century Mexico. The two discuss the origins of Aztec stitch, the use of cacti in needleworking, and the involvement of Mexican stitchers in world's fairs. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Nov 11, 2021•56 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Emily Wells about her research on the geography education of elite girls in the pre-Civil War American South. The two discuss map samplers, Westtown globes, and the involvement of southern needleworking girls in the region's slavocracy. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Oct 28, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In the first mini episode of season 3, Isabella explores traditional Eastern European needlework. She examines the stitched aspects of folk dress from Albania to Ukraine and everywhere in between. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Oct 21, 2021•21 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In the first episode of season 3, Isabella interviews fashion historian Amber Butchart about her curating an exhibition at the British Textile Biennial, her TV show A Stitch in Time , and her work on forensic garment analysis. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Oct 14, 2021•44 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Season 3 of Sew What? is (almost) back! This is a tiny sneak preview of season 3's episode structure and offerings. Yeehaw! As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Sep 23, 2021•4 min0
In the final episode of the season, Isabella interview Gretchen Guidess and Jackie Peterson-Grace, the textile conservators of Colonial Williamsburg, about preserving and protecting historic needlework in museum collections. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jun 17, 2021•36 min
In this episode, Isabella interviews artist Cayce Zavaglia, who uses embroidery to stitch hyperrealistic portraits of her family, friends, and fellow artists. The two discuss Cayce's process, her favourite parts of stitching, and groundbreaking contemporary textile artists. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jun 10, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode, Isabella discusses needlework made by boys and men in the 18th and 19th centuries. She focuses on professional embroideries, sailor woollies, trench art, and schoolboy samplers. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Jun 03, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Naomi Clarke about her passion for quilting and her PhD work focusing on crafting during Coronavirus. The two discuss paper piecing, craft diaries, and signature quilts. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
May 27, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In this episode, Isabella discusses the technique and history of tambour work (including tambour embroidery, lace, and beading) and punch needle. She also spends time exploring American rug hooking. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
May 20, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Cat Gay about schoolgirl samplers and stitching in 19th-century Australia. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
May 13, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode, Isabella discusses the subject of her PhD, Quaker women's needlework before 1800. She explores the stitching aesthetic of Quakers, also known as Friends, in and around London in the 17th century. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
May 06, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode, Isabella interviews fashion historians Dr Bethan Bide and Dr Lucie Whitmore about 20th-century Jewish fashion makers in London. The trio discuss where Jewish Londoners got their stitching skills and the Museum of London's collection of extant clothes designed and made by Jewish fashion makers in the city. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/se...
Apr 29, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode, Isabella interviews Bisa Butler, famous American fibre artist known for her vibrant quilts celebrating Black life, and Dr Erica Warren, associate curator of textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago. The trio discuss Bisa's artistic practice, the curation of her work, and its current display at the Art Institute of Chicago. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patre...
Apr 22, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode, Isabella interviews Amelia Peck, curator of textiles and period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and supervising curator of the Met's Antonio Ratti Textile Center, and Melinda Watt, the head of the textiles department at the Art Institute of Chicago. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Apr 15, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this episode, Isabella discusses the embroideries and lace designs of Austria's Wiener Werkstätte, one of the longest-lived design movements of the twentieth century. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Apr 08, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Alexandra Makin, a textile archaeologist and professional embroiderer who researches and recreates early medieval embroidery. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Apr 01, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this episode, Isabella covers a variety of Indian embroidery techniques from across the subcontinent. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Mar 25, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this episode, Isabella interviews Thomas Cooper, a PhD student who researches May Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. In the episode, the two discuss May Morris's embroidery designs and works, as well as what inspired and influenced the Arts and Crafts movement. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Mar 18, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode, Isabella discusses samplers and other needleworked items stitched at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English charity and orphan schools. Special attention is given to the St Clements Danes school samplers and Bristol orphanage samplers. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
Mar 11, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 6
