NeedleXChange

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Harriet Riddell . Harriet is a globally celebrated free-motion embroidery artist who brings her sewing machine to life in unexpected places, capturing the essence of people, places, and stories through her unique art. Known for her adventurous spirit, Harriet has travelled the world—embroidering bustling Indian markets, serene UK woodlands, and everythi...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Betsy Greer . Betsy Greer is a writer, speaker and advocate for the benefits of craft as a tool for change. In this episode, Betsy shares how she came to be a craft legend, the value of Joy as a crafting direction and we touch on Betsy's cultural favourites. If you like this use of needlework, my NeedleXChange with Liz Kueneke might also give you food f...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Betsy Greer . Betsy Greer is a writer, speaker and advocate for the benefits of craft as a tool for change. In this episode, Betsy shares how this idea came to life, how crafting can be a tool for empowerment, and why it’s such a powerful form of storytelling. This conversation goes pretty deep pretty fast but it was a great opportunity to dive into the...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Andrew Crummy .. Andrew Crummy is the designer and project manager of the Great Tapestry of Scotland. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we talk about some of the other Tapestry projects that Andrew has been involved with, including the Dundee Tapestry, the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and the Cancer Tapestry. It's a great chat that really r...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Andrew Crummy .. Andrew Crummy is the designer and project manager of the Great Tapestry of Scotland and in this first part of our NeedleXChange we dive into the story of the Tapestry, from inception to completion. The Tapestry is a fantastic project that illustrates the history of Scotland over 160 hand-embroidered panels. It was created between Spring...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Salley Mavor. Salley Mavor is a mixed media artist whose folk-art inspired vignettes tell stories of light and dark. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we discuss how Salley's more political work taught her the power of social media for better or worse, We also find out more about the world of miniatures and we find out about Salley's favo...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Salley Mavor. Salley Mavor is a mixed media artist whose folk-art inspired vignettes tell stories of light and dark. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange and we find out how Salley's artistic process began when she was young and has stayed strong ever since, and the way in which she creates her mixed media worlds. We also explore the world of chi...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Melissa Zexter . Melissa Zexter is a Brooklyn-based artist whose embroidered photographs explore memory and meaning. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we explore tips for stitching on paper, embracing mistakes and we explore Melissa's cultural favourites. Plus, we get a bit spooky, but I've said too much!. If you like Melissa's art, you'l...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Melissa Zexter . Melissa Zexter is a Brooklyn-based artist whose embroidered photographs explore memory and meaning. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange and we discuss how Melissa's embroidery technique evolved and the value of analogue photography in a digital world, among other things. If you like Melissa's art, you'll love my NeedleXChange wi...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Peter Frederiksen . Peter Frederiksen is a Chicago-based artist whose machine embroidered cartoon vignettes are filled with tension and dark humour. In this second part of our NeedleXChange we talk about the craft of old school animation, the joys of living in Chicago and why Peter's titles are in important part of his work. Oh, and he confesses a secre...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Peter Frederiksen . Peter Frederiksen is a Chicago-based artist whose machine embroidered cartoon vignettes are filled with tension and dark humour. In this first part of our NeedleXChange we talk about how this particular combination of form and content has become Peter's signature style and how he shines a light on a culture we take for granted. If yo...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Michelle Kingdom . Michelle is a Californian embroidery artist whose wistful work delivers dark delight. Her work is instantly recognisable with its nostalgic style delivering gothic undertones with effortless class. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we discover the meaning of plants in Michelle's work, talk about her recent decision to d...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Michelle Kingdom . Michelle is a Californian embroidery artist whose wistful work delivers dark delight. Her work is instantly recognisable with its nostalgic style delivering gothic undertones with effortless class. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange and we discover how Michelle came to make and share her art, how she makes her vignettes and h...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Pete Tarrant. Pete is a digitised embroidery specialist, teacher and advocator for this emerging craft form. In this second part of our NeedleXChange we dig into the digitizing technique and how it has evolved as a craft form, as well as exploring Pete's cultural touchpoints. If you want more machine stitched inspiration then my XChange with Julie Heato...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Pete Tarrant. Pete is a digitised embroidery specialist, teacher and advocator for this emerging craft form. In this first part of our NeedleXChange we find out how Pete became involved in the world of digitised machine embroidery and then we focus on a major project that he undertook last year - The Anointing Screen for the Coronation of King Charles I...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diane Meyer. Diane Meyer is an embroidery artist whose cross stitched work obfuscates the present to explore the past. She cross stitches on photographic images of places and people, obscuring parts of them to reveal presentations of the past with precision and perplexity. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange where we find out how about Diane's...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diane Meyer. Diane Meyer is an embroidery artist whose work obfuscates the present to explore the past. She cross stitches on photographic images of places and people, obscuring parts of them to reveal presentations of the past with precision and perplexity. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange where we find out how Diane makes her work and how h...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diana Weymar . Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project, a collaborative needlework project that immortalises quotes from Donald Trump as a crowdsourced documentary of an unusual part of American history. Diana is the author of Crafting A Better World , a book focusing on collaborative craftivism which is...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diana Weymar . Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project, a collaborative needlework project that immortalises quotes from Donald Trump as a crowdsourced documentary of an unusual part of American history. Diana is the author of Crafting A Better World , a book focusing on collaborative craftivism which is...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Dr Susan Kay-Williams . Dr Susan Kay-Williams was the Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework from 2007 to 2024 and is a recognised expert on the history of colour and textile art. In this second part of our NeedleXChange we talk about the history of the Royal School of Needlework, and Susan's role within it (something that ends in August 2024...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Dr Susan Kay-Williams . Dr Susan Kay-Williams was the Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework from 2007 to 2024 and is a recognised expert on the history of colour and textile art. In this first part of our NeedleXChange we cover the history of colour in textiles, as well as how tapestries evolved from a utility product to an art statement, an...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Emma McKee. Emma McKee is a Chicago-based cross stitch artist whose work is adored by hip-hop artists and basketball icons. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we explore Emma's relationship with Chicago, her love of her Dad, how she has evolved as a designer and we check out her cultural recommendations! If you enjoyed the show, please lea...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Emma McKee. Emma McKee is a Chicago-based cross stitch artist whose work is adored by hip-hop artists and basketball icons. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange and we talk about how Emma came into cross stitch and the circumstances in which her work came to the attention of the hip-hop community. I love chatting with Emma and this conversation f...

In this 50th episode (yay!) of NeedleXChange I interview Marcia Bennett Male. Marcia is a textile artist and stone mason, whose stitched works explore her personal experiences as a black woman living in modern Britain, and focus on black historical figures. Marcia's work uses simplistic form and hidden meaning to address topics that are deeply personal, whether it's her own mental wellbeing or the...

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Marcia Bennett Male. Marcia is a textile artist and stone mason, whose stitched works explore her personal experiences as a black woman living in modern Britain, and focus on black historical figures. Marcia's work uses simplistic form and hidden meaning to address topics that are deeply personal, whether it's her own mental wellbeing or the cultural co...