Stitch Wish Radio

Send 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 boundari...

Send 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 epis...

Send 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 lea...

Send 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 dig...

Send 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...

Send 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 favorit...

Send 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 s...

Send 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...

Send 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...

Send 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 ac...

Send 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....

Send 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 ho...

Send 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 A...

Send 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 reta...

Send 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 get...

Send 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

Send 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 reflect...

Send 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 l...

Send 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)

Send 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 Garmen...

Send 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 cl...

Send 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 - inc...

Send 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 effec...

Send 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 (e...

Send 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 meani...