Send us a text This week on Stitch Wish Radio, I’m joined by Anna Hultin—artist, teacher, and the founder of Olander Co. In this quiet and grounding conversation, we talk about the power of doing something just because it feels good , the meditative nature of repetition, and the intentional choice to build a creative life that honors your limits. Anna opens up about how motherhood shaped her boundaries, how she built a thriving embroidery business without burning out, and how she continues to st...
Jun 13, 2025•42 min
Send us a text This was originally a YouTube video - watch here! Welcome to Fallen Empires—a collection of handmade garments inspired by the rise and fall of power, stitched slowly from reclaimed fabrics and ancient stories. In this video, I take you behind the scenes of the first half of the collection: from Cleopatra to Caesar, from Marie Antoinette to imagined goddess eras. Mentioned in this episode: Embroidery Course Sale! 20% off ends FRIDAY May 30th at 11:59pm EST The Fallen Empires collec...
May 28, 2025•21 min
Send us a text Today on Stitch Wish Radio, I’m sitting down with the incredible Gabriela Martínez Ortiz—textile artist, embroidery visionary, and the creator of Ofelia & Antelmo. Gabriela’s work is this beautiful meeting point between repetition, nature, and intuitive process. We talk about how embroidery became her way of slowing down, finding healing, and reclaiming her artistic voice after leaving the fast-paced world of fashion. Her story is deeply inspiring—woven with themes of lineage,...
May 06, 2025•54 min
Send us a text (psst - don't forget, SOFT WORK Intuitive Garment Design course price goes up on April 1st! Sign up now and you'll get lifetime access at the lowest price!) In honor of the yearly *spring cleaning* I'm avoiding in my own studio - I share some of my favorite methods for getting organized, both with materials and inspiration! These tips will help both your physical and digital spaces, and if you've got a traveling studio (or... a studio that moonlights as a dining room table or livi...
Mar 27, 2025•24 min
Send us a text Next up in the artists featured in my new book, The Art of Embroidery Design, Beth Hoyes, an artist and art therapist from the UK whose work centers around nature, exploring themes of animal symbolism, folklore and interconnectivity. Beth discusses her journey from dabbling in embroidery to making it the cornerstone of her art practice, the meditative process behind her creations, and how her background as an art therapist influences her work. The discussion also touches on balanc...
Feb 28, 2025•46 min
Send us a text This episode is all about connecting, or reconnecting, with your personal style of creativity. Let's review the fears that often inhibit our creative expression, like the fear of not being productive, fear of judgment, and lack of ideas. You’ll learn about the benefits of slowing down, discover actionable steps to manage and overcome creative blocks - and explore one of my favorite activities for ensuring you never run out of ideas! Magic Threads LAST CHANCE! Spark Your Inspiratio...
Jan 09, 2025•19 min
Send us a text In this episode, I welcomed back Tessa Perlow, an incredibly talented embroidery artist inspired by magic and nature. We discussed her journey and evolution since her last appearance on the podcast, her new creative ventures into other mediums, the challenges of managing physical strain and burnout, and the intricacies of running a creative business in today's world. Tessa also shares her thoughts on the importance of allowing oneself to play, researching inspirations deeply, and ...
Dec 27, 2024•49 min
Send us a text Next up in the artists featured in my new book, The Art of Embroidery Design, photographer and embroiderer Valeria Duque! We connected on the mystical nature of image-making, the power or words and language, and accessing the inner worlds through art. Valeria shared how she combines embroidery with her photography, viewing it as "writing with light" (the etymology of the word photograph). We discuss into her inspirations sources, which include a deep connection to nature and indig...
Oct 31, 2024•46 min
Send us a text This is a new series on the podcast where I interview all of the contemporary artists in my new book, The Art of Embroidery Design! Sarah K Benning dives into her experience as a contemporary embroidery artist, her transition from art student to accidental small business owner to a full-time job, and how her creative process and relationship with art have evolved. Sarah highlights the therapeutic aspects of embroidery, the challenges of sustaining a creative livelihood, and her ne...
Oct 24, 2024•53 min
Send us a text Today I’m talking with Amelia Knott RP, RCAT, who I know through instagram handle of @art_therapy_irl , Amelia is the author of: The Art of Thriving Online, Creative Exercises to Help You Stay Grounded+ Feel Joy in the World of Social Media "...a work book that is intended to help readers develop a conscious + healthy relationship with the world of social media through creative activities , reflections, therapeutic art , writing prompts, + more" We’ll be talking about how the artm...
Oct 08, 2024•54 min
Send us a text Let's explore the transformative power of sketchbooks - this isn’t just about drawing; it’s about making room for your creativity and transforming that daunting blank page into a canvas for your imagination. Learn some methods of working in your sketchbook that will help you to get moving in spite of fear, break out of blocks and perfectionism, and elevate your creative practice. Whether you're embroidering, drawing, or simply dreaming, this episode will help with the fear of "but...
Sep 24, 2024•15 min
Send us a text In this episode, we'll explore how cloth is made, the journey from fiber to fabric, and how that influences how clothes are made. As we trace the history of clothing, we'll discover how this technology has influenced just about every part of our lives. This was the wormhole that led me to create my soft work intuitive garment design course (my plan was to more deeply study how clothing was made throughout time to connect it to how we can more easily make clothes in the current age...
Aug 30, 2024•25 min
Send us a text This episode shares clips from interviews that I’ve done with some amazing artists, talking about inspiration, and the artistic process, and all sorts of good stuff. These interviews took place over the spring on Knit a Spell podcast and the Making and Mending podcast - if you haven't already tuned into these, hope you enjoy these snippets! Mixed Color Monthly Membership (closes August 9th and doesn't open again until November!) Knit a Spell Podcast Making and Mending Rituals Podc...
Aug 08, 2024•25 min
Send us a text I’m SO excited about this interview, Sergio and Eric have done the incredible work of not just reinvisioning an industry in their heads, not just casting a better future for fashion, but turning that into a reality and creating a sustainable system within which others can pull from as well. Made X Hudson is a sustainability-driven fashion company with a small-batch factory and two retail stores in New York’s Hudson Valley, They share their journey of creating a unique, vertically ...
Jul 31, 2024•43 min
Send us a text My Monthly Stitch Membership is OPEN until July 12th! The assumption is often that I’m naturally creative, that I spend all my time making art. The reality is - I research and write and teach about creativity BECAUSE it’s hard for me. This past few years has been especially challenging, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve... In this episode, I've shared some ideas for getting back into your practice after a hiatus, getting more consistent with your creative practice (and why yo...
Jul 03, 2024•16 min
Send us a text Why I don’t always use sewing patterns, and sometimes make clothes like this instead… even works for beginners! (watch this on YouTube!) Mentioned in this episode: Soft Work Course - $50 off until MAY 20th at midnight!! Use code 50FORYOU Episode 11 - Considering the Cuts of Our Cloth Episode 29 - Zero Waste Patternmaking...
May 15, 2024•13 min
Send us a text I’m so excited to share this interview with Pamela Mayer, a patternmaker, clothing designer, and owner of the local boutique Mayer Wasner which specializes in modern day heirlooms with a focus on clothing made responsibly and ethically. We talk about the joys of making clothes, developing personal style, the evolution of our personal philosophies throughout life and how that is reflected in our businesses, and sustainability choices that happen not only as a shop owner, but also h...
May 01, 2024•55 min
Send us a text 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!...
Apr 17, 2024•15 min
Send us a text 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 Course Cut My Cote - Dorothy K Burnham Zero Waste Patterns - Birgitta Helmersson More on Luddites (machine breakers)...
Jan 11, 2024•12 min
Send us a text 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...
Dec 26, 2023•9 min
Send us a text 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 thi...
Dec 12, 2023•12 min
Send us a text 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 t...
Nov 21, 2023•13 min
Send us a text 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 course This original blog po...
Feb 09, 2022•21 min
Send us a text 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)...
Jan 25, 2022•10 min
Send us a text 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 Worksho...
Dec 07, 2021•14 min
Send us a text 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 patterns Lindsay Stripling's workshops...
Nov 23, 2021•20 min
Send us a text "...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 corpora...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 14 min
Send us a text 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 c...
Oct 25, 2021•48 min
Send us a text 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 ...
Oct 04, 2021•12 min
Send us a text 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 throu...
Sep 27, 2021•57 min
