In this episode, host Susan Weeks sits down with Owen Kelly, a fifth-generation stitcher with over 50 years of experience. Working from his remote home on the SW coast of Ireland, and inspired by the natural beauty of the wild Atlantic coast, Owen shares his colourful creative journey—from traditional family techniques to his innovative “flow stitching” and narrative-inspired projects. Known for his playful globe-trotting character Seamus O'Comanssy, and his ever-evolving quilt project, Owen reveals how he blends art, storytelling, and textile heritage to create pieces that are as personal as they are visually striking.

Key Talking Points:

Family Heritage: Owen’s lifelong connection to stitching, passed down through generations.

Remote Creativity: How life on SW Ireland's wild Atlantic coast and the surrounding natural world shape his work.

Flow Stitching: His distinctive, freeform stitching style that tells a narrative as it evolves.

Seamus O'Comanssy – The Creative Proxy: The story behind his character Seamus and how it bridges his passion for travel and art, sharing creativity and interesting insights into other people's creative lives.

Quilt Project: Insights into his ongoing quilt project assembled from recycled, stitched squares.

Commissioned Works: How Owen tailors designs—using personal motifs, astrological signs, and indigenous symbols—for bespoke commissions.

Digital Storytelling: His use of social media (Facebook and Instagram) to share his creative process and connect with fellow textile enthusiasts.

Narrative & Folklore: Drawing on Irish oral traditions and global folk tales to imbue his work with hidden meanings.

Ambassadorship: His role as an ambassador for “World Peace One World, One People, One Stitch at a Time.”

Challenges & Inspiration: Balancing multiple projects while embracing the spontaneity of creative expression.

Relevant Links:

View Links, information & Examples of Owen's work at

https://stitcherystories.com/owenkelly

Follow Owen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owen.kelly.75

Follow Owen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Slavetothestitch

Follow Seamus O'Comanssy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555416757284

World Peace, One World, One People, One Stitch at a time (Facebook Group) https://www.facebook.com/groups/968783837184739/

==============================================================About Stitchery Courses!

VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com

GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business! DON’T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join

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Support Stitchery Stories:

Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show.

Buy Me A Coffee If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going?

https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast

Are We Connected On Socials?

Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube

In this Stitchery Stories episode, host Susan Weeks chats with Sally McCollin, a textile artist, designer, and educator with a fascinating career spanning publishing, design, and teaching.

From early beginnings knitting mohair jumpers for pocket money to working with major craft companies like Patons & Baldwins (now Coats Crafts), Sally has had an incredible journey in the textile industry. She shares insights into her commercial design work, editorial roles, teaching, and her passion for inspiring others through online embroidery courses, and textile art courses.

Key Talking Points:

From hobby to profession: How Sally's love for textiles grew from childhood sewing to a career in knitting, embroidery, and design.

Working in the commercial craft industry: Her experience designing knitting patterns and working in PR for Coats Crafts.

Teaching and inspiring others: How she transitioned into teaching and developed unique textile art courses.

Embroidery Skills Courses: The thought process behind creating courses that blend design and embroidery techniques.

The importance of play in design: Encouraging creativity through experimentation rather than rigid instruction. 

Balancing creativity and deadlines: Funny behind-the-scenes stories of stitching projects for magazine features.

Love for Shibori and fabric dyeing: Why fabric manipulation and color experimentation remain her favorite techniques.

Relevant Links:

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Sally's work at https://stitcherystories.com/sallymccollin

Visit: https://courses.embroiderersguild.com/

Read: https://courses.embroiderersguild.com/p/blog?p=your-online-embroidery-tutor

About Stitchery Courses!

VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com

GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business! DON’T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join

Support Stitchery Stories:

Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show.

Buy Me A Coffee

If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast

Are We Connected On Socials?

Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello!

I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories

 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Elizabeth Ashdown is one of only 4 hand Passementerie artists working in the UK today. She combines traditional and endangered craft skills with a contemporary aesthetic to create innovative passementerie.

 In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elizabeth Ashdown, for a glimpse into the world of hand woven passementerie. She makes and weaves bespoke trimmings, braids, tassels, fringes, and more. Her work spans interior design, fashion, and fine art, and she is passionate about reviving and sustaining this traditional craft. Elizabeth shares her journey, current projects, and insights into her creative process, making Passementerie both accessible and exciting for modern life!

 Elizabeth & Susan chat about:

What is Passementerie? Elizabeth explains this fascinating craft of creating small-scale textiles like tassels, braids, and fringes.

Her unique journey: How she transitioned from traditional weaving into self-taught Passementerie and worked with master craftspeople to hone her skills.

Reviving an endangered craft: Elizabeth highlights the challenges and joys of being one of only four remaining hand Passementerie artists in the UK.

Custom creations: Her collaborations with interior and fashion designers to create bespoke trims, from bold artworks to intricate pieces for coats and furnishings.

Modernising Passementerie: Her use of vibrant colors and contemporary designs to dispel the notion of Passementerie as “old-fashioned.”

Historical inspiration: Insights into the craft’s heritage, from its origins in global simple pratical items, thru its opulent French period and into modern use. 

Key milestones:Winning the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholarship and training with master craftsperson Brian Turner.

Future plans: Launching a collaboration with Samuel & Sons in January and her ongoing mission to teach and inspire others to explore Passementerie.

Listen to learn more about this fascinating craft and how Elizabeth is determined to keep it alive, relevant and in-demand for 21st Century fashion and interiors.

Some Links & Further Info

Links For Elizabeth Ashdown

Listen to Elizabeth's episode & View her artwork here: https://stitcherystories.com/elizabethashdown

Visit: https://elizabethashdown.co.uk/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/ashdowntextiles/

About Stitchery Courses!

VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn

 https://www.stitcherycourses.com

GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business!

DON’T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join

Ailish Henderson is a fine art textile artist, particularly known for her fine art stitched collage works, which focus on capturing a fleeting moment, telling the story with mixed media, paint, stitch and fabric snippets. She is also the author of 'Narrative Textiles', published by Batsford in October 2024.

In this episode, of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Ailish Henderson, a narrative textile artist, author, and teacher.

Ailish's work weaves together memory, storytelling, and fine art textiles, often using unique materials to create pieces that evoke personal and collective histories. She shares her excitement about her upcoming book launch, Narrative Textiles, and accompanying solo exhibition in London, where her artworks will bring her book to life.

Ailish also reflects on her journey from a fine art background to embracing textiles and mixed media.

Ailish & Susan chat about:

Upcoming book and exhibition: Ailish is preparing for the launch of her book Narrative Textiles alongside a solo exhibition in October 2024.

Storytelling through textiles: Her work often captures personal stories, memories, and moments, using materials that hold sentimental value.

Inspired by heritage and family: Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and spending a lot of time with her grandmother who loved knitting greatly influenced her artistic path.

Using vintage and reclaimed materials: Ailish shares how she embraces the imperfections in old fabrics, turning them into meaningful art. 

The tension between teaching and creating: Balancing a teaching career with artistic creation, she finds inspiration in the ideas sparked by her students.

 Multifaceted art career: From exhibiting internationally to writing, Ailish reflects on the challenges of sustaining an artistic career while also managing other commitments.

The importance of community: She emphasizes the value of artist communities and how sharing ideas with others can spark new creative directions.

Transition from fine art to textiles: Ailish explains how her fine art training influenced her mixed media approach and experimentation with different materials.

Using poetry and writing: She uses her quickly captured words and poetry, along with doodles on whatever is to hand, often capturing thoughts and moments that later inspire her textile work. 

For this episode...

View Links, information & Examples of Ailish's work at

https://stitcherystories.com/ailishhenderson

Visit: https://www.ailishhenderson.com/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/alish_h_

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Julia Triston: Celebrating Marks & Memories In Old Clothing & Cloth

 https://stitcherystories.com/juliatriston/

Tracy Franklin : Specialist Freelance Embroiderer & Durham Cathedral Head Broderer

https://stitcherystories.com/tracyafranklin/

Cas Holmes : Textile Artist & Tutor: Found-Stitch-Paint

https://stitcherystories.com/casholmes/

Caroline Hyde-Brown is a textile artist with a long-established career.

Inspired by botanical research, she combines foraged plant material with a variety of textile art techniques to create fascinating weaves and vessels with fragile beauty. Combined with her purposeful art practice experience, Caroline shares plenty of wisdom on Stitchery Stories textile art podcast.

With so many inspiring aspects to Caroline's textile art career, in this episode of Stitchery Stories we chose to focus on some unique plant-based research projects that Caroline has been involved with over the last couple of years. Firstly, on a project focused on the Grass Pea plant. And secondly on a project based around extracting natural dyes from food waste. These were truly fascinating and highlight the innovative use of plant-based materials within Caroline's textile art.

Susan Weeks chats with Caroline Hyde-Brown about: 

• Overwintering in her practice, her garden and her art.
• Combining foraged plant materials with textile art techniques
• Purposeful development of an art practice
• The importance of outreach and connections
• Her love of nature and plants and research
• Making paper with grass pea fibres
• Extracting natural dyes from food waste from UK & Malaysia
• Contrasting writing styles for academic writing & art book
• Writing her first book 'Forage & Stitch'
• A hard lesson in understanding a design brief & clear communication
• And plenty more besides!

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Caroline's work at https://stitcherystories.com/carolinehydebrown

Visit: https://www.theartofembroidery.co.uk/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/www.theartofembroidery.co.uk

Look: https://www.instagram.com/artistcaz/

VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn

https://www.stitcherycourses.com

GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn

DON'T MISS OUT! https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Jennie-maree Tempest : Beautiful Botanical Sculptures

https://stitcherystories.com/jenniemareetempest/

Meredith Woolnough: Machine Embroidered Natural Specimens

https://stitcherystories.com/meredithwoolnough/

Laura Edgar: Atmospheric Coastal Scenes in Textile Art

https://stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/

Elnaz Yazdani creates vibrant contemporary textile art using rather unusual materials. Look closely for nails, springs, tubes, and all sorts from scrap stores. Elnaz loves working with community groups to reimagine embroidery and spark creativity.

 In this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Susan Weeks chats with Elnaz Yazdani, an embroidery artist and educator who merges traditional techniques with unconventional materials. Elnaz discusses her passion for community engagement and how embroidery can connect people and elevate well-being.

With a background that includes influences from Iran and Lancashire, she explores the use of embroidery as a way to tell stories, both personal and cultural. Elnaz is also known for using recycled and industrial materials in her creative process, pushing the boundaries to 're-imagine' of traditional embroidery.

Susan chats with Elnaz about:

Community-based embroidery projects: Elnaz is involved in various community projects that aim to connect people through the art of embroidery.

Unusual materials in embroidery: Elnaz explains how she uses materials like washers, computer parts, and plumbing supplies to create stunning embroidered artworks.

Creative freedom in projects: A discussion about how working with various groups inspires different interpretations of topics such as "place" and cultural storytelling.

Embroidery as social prescribing: Elnaz views embroidery as a therapeutic practice that can positively affect mental well-being.

Influence of her heritage: Being half Iranian and half English has shaped her love for textiles and her work's rich cultural storytelling influences.

Education and teaching: Elnaz emphasizes the importance of keeping the craft alive by inspiring and teaching embroidery to the next generation.

Juggling art practice & community projects: Elnaz shares some hard-won advice around setting boundaries and doing what you love!

Sustainability: Elnaz often works with upcycled and renewable materials, such as fruit netting and scrap items, reflecting her commitment to sustainability.

Some links & further info:

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Elnaz's work at https://stitcherystories.com/elnazyazdani

Visit: https://www.elnazyazdani.com/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/elnazyazdani

About Stitchery Courses!

VISIT Stitchery Courses a brilliant new place to find expert teachers, helpful info & fun courses to learn stitching, making & crafting with thread, fabric & yarn https://www.stitcherycourses.com

GET LISTED on Stitchery Courses if you teach you art, craft, skills with thread, fabric & yarn and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new ‘eyes’ onto your business!

DON’T MISS OUT!

https://www.stitcherycourses.com/join

Support Stitchery Stories:

Please share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show.

Buy Me A Coffee 

If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going? https://buymeacoffee.com/sueweekspodcast

Are We Connected On Socials?

Why not pop over to your fave social media places, connect and say Hello! I always LOVE to see what you are stitching and sharing!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitcherystories

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanWeeksYoutube

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Holly Jackson : Mix modern stumpwork embroidery with mixed media https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson/

Nikki Parmenter: Exuberant mixed-media textile artist https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/

Claire Edwards: Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Hand Embroidery https://stitcherystories.com/claireedwards/

Dr. Jack Roberts, also known as JPR Stitch, is a fine artist specializing in freehand machine embroidery, creating stunning abstract shapes from dense, intricate webs of stitches.

His art reflects the calmness and tranquility he experiences while stitching, making sewing his form of meditation. Jack shares insights into his artistic journey, current projects, and unique approaches to displaying his work.

A key topic is Jack's 'quest'... seeking balance between simplicity and complexity, in his art, his practice, and in his life. Plenty of illuminating yet refreshing ideas, particularly around removing our own self-inflicted barriers to creativity, and indeed, everything else we do when apparently we are chasing our dreams!

In this episode of Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast, host Susan Weeks chats with Jack about:

Daily Stitch Drawings: Jack's innovative practice of creating small stitch artworks daily since November last year as a counterbalance to his larger, time-consuming pieces.

Project Evolution: How his daily stitch drawings evolved to include more space and organic shapes as he became more comfortable with the process.

Display Challenges: The creative solutions Jack developed for displaying his daily stitch drawings, including a calendar mechanism and "towers of stitch" to represent the passage of time.

Artistic Inspiration: Flipping the influence of Jack's extensive immersion in the art world on his embroidery practice.

Creative Journey: The challenges and rewards of maintaining a daily art practice and how it contributes to Jack's overall artistic growth.

Personal Reflection: How Jack’s artworks serve as a reflection of his emotional state on any given day, showcasing the importance of balance in his life and art.

Travel Adaptations: Jack's strategies for continuing his daily stitch practice while traveling

Sewing as Meditation: The meditative and calming effects of sewing on Jack, and how this mindfulness is expressed through his intricate and organic stitching patterns.

Removing barriers and saying No: How to make it as easy as possible to get started...

For this episode... 

View Links, information & Examples of Jack's work at https://stitcherystories.com/jackroberts

Visit: https://www.jprstitch.com/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/jpr_stitch/

Stitchery Courses

Discover and book courses with textile and embroidery experts at stitcherycourses.com 

GET LISTED as an expert teacher on Stitchery Courses and attract more customers into your business!

Support Stitchery Stories:

Share the podcast with friends and leave a review to help others discover the show.

Buy Me A Coffee

If you love Stitchery Stories, how about you 'buy me a coffee' and make a donation to help the show keep going?

Other Episodes You Might Like:

 Susan Hensel : Communicating Ideas Through Digital Machine Embroidery

 https://stitcherystories.com/susanhensel/

David Morrish : Disruptive Digital Embroidery

https://stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/

Hayley Mills-Styles: Thread Artist Who Loves Digital Embroidery

 https://stitcherystories.com/hayleymillsstyles/

Alison Holt is a contemporary textile artist, teacher and author who combines silk painting and freehand machine embroidery to create beautiful landscapes and glimpses of the natural world.

 Alison shares how her career and art continues to evolve, as she looks for new challenges. Following new opportunities as well as ongoing marketing and visibiity of one's art are also very important, and Alison shares her experience and wisdom with us.

 Susan Weeks chats with Alison Holt about:

A current focus on the sea, a rich source of inspiration Her current success in finding new exhibiting venues and opportunities Developing her artistic style Capturing the atmosphere and sense of a place Scaling back her activities to develop her art practice Organising the "Stitch By Stitch" textile art exhibition Promoting your art and yourself Perspective of a long-standing professional artist

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Alison's work at

 https://stitcherystories.com/alisonholt

Visit: https://www.alisonholt.com/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/alisonlholt/

STITCHERY COURSES is an exciting new place to discover and connect with experts who teach their art, craft & skills with thread, fabric & yarn.

Pop over to search through the experts and see what courses & classes they have available.

Or pop over and GET LISTED as an expert on Stitchery Courses and tap into this unique place to regularly market your classes and courses and get a steady stream of eager new 'eyes' onto your business!

https://www.stitcherycourses.com/

Hannah Thompson has always loved crafting, quilting & textile art.

 In 2017, at a crossroads in her life, dealing with emotional & family upset, she left her corporate career and set up Stitching Kitchen. On Stitchery Stories textile art podcast, Hannah shares her story and we dive into what she describes as her transformational business year in 2023!

Susan Weeks chats with Hannah Thompson about:

• Her love for textile art, quilting, crafting and creativity
• Family life and a career pushing textile creativity to the background
• Turning to textile art to deal with a challenging time
• Taking the leap into setting up Stitching Kitchen
• How her business has evolved
• Discovering a love of teaching and facilitating others to enjoy textile art
• Starting to host guest tutors
• Getting help within her business
• Pushing out of her comfort zone with an inspiring community arts project with the National Paralympic Heritage Trust
• and lots more too! 

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Hannah's work at https://stitcherystories.com/hannahthompson

 Visit: https://stitchingkitchen.co.uk/

Like: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingkitchen

Look: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingkitchen/

Follow Susan Weeks for online course creation and online marketing stuff 

https://virtualityworks.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/CraftyCourseProfitBooster

https://www.instagram.com/susan.l.weeks

LEARN HOW to turn your in-person classes into on-demand online money-makers with her FREE online course

https://virtualityworks.com/unlock-your-profits-in-7-steps/

Other Episodes featuring artists Hannah has booked for 2024:

Anne Kelly: Textile Art From Re-used Textile Treasures

https://stitcherystories.com/annekelly/

Jayne Emerson Returns: Impatient Textile Rebel

https://stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson2/

Textile artist Holly Jackson shares her recent journey in developing her art career.

Developing her 'sneaky' stumpwork embroidery using modern materials and mixed media, there are plenty of exciting 'firsts' to celebrate with Holly!

We join Holly at the start of her first art exhibition. She shares her preparation and hopes from the show. We chat about her very interesting inspirations for her emerging body of work, and how she is developing her own 'take' on stumpwork, scaling it up, and using modern materials and mixed media to produce larger pieces, faster, yet still using hand embroidery.

Susan Weeks chats with Holly about:

• 'There's always one more thing!'
• How she got started on her new artist career
• The importance of getting in front of 'new eyes'
• Her preparations for her first 'booth show'
• The fascinating stories of the 'hidden women' behind historical Mardi Gras float designs
• The impacts of flooding & climate change on her region
• Developing 'sneaky stumpwork' techniques
• Creating her own unique textile art style and 'voice'
• Creating a body of work, using series and collections
• What's next after the show?

For this episode...

View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Holly's work at https://stitcherystories.com/hollyjackson

Visit: https://flossinginthemoonlight.com/

Look: https://www.instagram.com/flossinginthemoonlight/

Other places & people we mentioned: 

Chesapeake bay, USA

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay

Tulane University Carnival Collection https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:p15140coll40

Jenny Adin-Christie

https://jennyadin-christieembroidery.com/

Other episodes you will enjoy:

https://stitcherystories.com/lottiecockell/

https://stitcherystories.com/katetume/

https://stitcherystories.com/nikkiparmenter/