NeedleXChange

By Jamie Chalmers

Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers talks with contemporary embroidery, cross stitch, textile art, and mixed media art creators about how they design their work, build sustainable creative businesses, and

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FAQs about NeedleXChange:

How many episodes does NeedleXChange have?

The podcast currently has 147 episodes available.

NeedleXChange episodes:

June 29, 2026 Róisín Phelan - Making Light of Things [NX147]
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Róisín Phelan, a contemporary embroidery and textile artist who has built her practice around punch needle.
We start on common ground (a shared love of squared notebooks and to-do lists) before getting into how she creates the visual identity for the family brewery, the cafe, and the Colours coffee company, and how building a whole visual "world" means a new design comes together in an afternoon rather than a fortnight. Róisín talks candidly about being at home with her baby, why making art is how she looks after herself, and how craft lets her switch off and tune in at the same time. We close on the writing behind her images and the story of her seagull piece "It's Never the Lettuce."
Róisín is a lovely person whose practice keeps her grounded, and it was a pleasure to chat with her. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and tune back in next week for the second part of our NeedleXChange.
Links:
Instagram: roisin_art
Intro music is Heart & Soul by Roots and Recognition via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
...more
39min
June 22, 2026 Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 3 [NX146]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty.
After the first chat, I realised I needed to ask Sean more directly about the work itself, so we spoke again. In this final part, we dig into Sean’s artistic practice: music as a way of naming and feeling the work, anti-war imagery, anger as creative fuel, why “pretty” can be the wrong read, how feedback can help or derail an artist, and how Sean is rebuilding a portfolio and a creative direction after a huge life shift.
Links:
Website: seanalistair.com
Instagram: sean.alistair
Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
38min
June 15, 2026 Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 2 [NX145]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty.
In this part, we move from the studio into parenthood. Sean talks about becoming a dad, the strange way men are praised for basic childcare, how having a baby interrupts and reshapes a creative life, and the difference between Sean Alistair the artist and Sean the dad. We also spin through Sean's cultural touchpoints, but the conversation was so good that I omitted to dig into Sean's artistic practice. So tune in next week for that part of the chat!
Links:
Website: seanalistair.com
Instagram: sean.alistair
Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
22min
June 08, 2026 Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends [NX144]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty.
In this first part we focus on Into the Wild, the exhibition Sean curated to build community rather than simply put work on walls. We talk about diversity without tokenism, what it means to be an outsider artist, labels like queer, bipolar and textile artist, and how Sean thinks about making, destroying and remaking work as part of the same creative life.
Links:
Website: seanalistair.com
Instagram: sean.alistair
Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
46min
June 01, 2026 Renan Estivan - Bodies at Rest Part 2 [NX143]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Renan Estivan, a São Paulo-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for queer tapestries that put the male body at their centre.
In this part we get into Maressia and Bataille's idea that the post-industrial body isn't allowed to rest, what slow work has taught Renan about his own queerness, why textile slips past the censors in ways photography doesn't, his current Marseille solo show L'Homme Renommé, and his cultural touchpoints.
Links:
Website: renanestivan.com
Instagram: renan.estivan
Intro music is Ordinary Love by Vicki Vox via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
47min
May 25, 2026 Renan Estivan - Bodies at Rest [NX142]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Renan Estivan, a São Paulo-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for queer tapestries that put the male body at their centre.
In Part 1 we get into his mum's Arraíolos rugs and the embroidery tradition she passed on, choosing design at UNESP over art, how the pandemic in Salvador collided with a pixel-art drawing to spark his first erotic cross stitch, his shift onto the tufting gun, and the Brazilian tapestry lineage running from Kennedy Bahia and Tropicália through Leonilson.
Links:
Website: renanestivan.com
Instagram: renan.estivan
Intro music is Ordinary Love by Vicki Vox via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
35min
May 18, 2026 Shea Wilkinson - Mystery is the Method Part 2 [NX141]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Shea Wilkinson, a contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for switching mediums to protect their balance - and chasing the next beautiful pattern.
Shea talks candidly about quitting quilting “at the snap of a finger,” taking a two-year hiatus from art, and why felting became a healthier, slower practice - less addictive, less competition-driven, and more sustainable day to day.
We get into process and motivation (including using audiobooks to pull yourself into the studio), plus how parenthood sparked a new series idea: photographing soap bubbles up close as bifurcation/fractal landscapes. And yes - we end on sequins, shiny things, and the weirdly deep joy of sparkle.
Links:
Website: sheawilkinson.com
Intro music is Martyr by Nevin via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
35min
May 11, 2026 Shea Wilkinson - Mystery is the Method [NX140]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Shea Wilkinson, a contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for turning big questions into fibre work - from the cosmic to the microscopic.
Shea’s practice moves between felt backgrounds, needle felting, hand embroidery, beading, and a research-led obsession with things like crystals, geometry, and the mystery of what we can’t quite explain.
Links:
Website: sheawilkinson.com
Intro music is Martyr by Nevin via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
36min
May 04, 2026 Charlotte Woods - Beauty in Ugliness Part 2 [NX139]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Charlotte Wood, a mixed media artist known for exploring the beauty in ugliness through character-led, emotionally resonant work.
Charlotte trained through an MA in embroidery and works across hand, machine, and sculptural textile approaches - with a deep curiosity for how craft and experimentation collide.
We go deep on her making: learning the rules before breaking them, moving from perfectionism towards controlled chaos, what commercial embroidery taught her about speed and being “less precious”, and how her technician/teaching role (plus special effects + foam fabrication skills) are shaping what she wants to build next.
Links:
Instagram: woodsembroidery
Website: woodsembroidery.weebly.com
Intro music is Ever So Blue by Hearth via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
1h 3min
April 27, 2026 Charlotte Woods - Beauty in Ugliness [NX138]
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Charlotte Wood, a mixed media artist known for exploring the beauty in ugliness through character-led, emotionally resonant work.
Charlotte’s recent practice includes a standout 3D textile sculpture, “the man on the chair”, alongside layered narrative pieces where colour, form, and surface stitch carry memory and mood.
We talk about her Hand & Lock journey, how she uses characters to hold sadness and introspection without losing joy, and the Leonard Cohen influence behind the work — plus how ideas like object constancy and “finding balance” show up in what she makes.
Links:
Instagram: woodsembroidery
Website: woodsembroidery.weebly.com
Intro music is Ever So Blue by Hearth via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn
...more
30min

FAQs about NeedleXChange:

How many episodes does NeedleXChange have?

The podcast currently has 147 episodes available.

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