Stitchery Stories

Dr Gail Cowley is the founder and director of The School Of Stitched Textiles. Through the school, Gail offers a range of courses from beginner through to advanced practitioner, in a range of textile related subjects.

As we hit the one year anniversary of Covid disruptions, lockdowns and challenges, we dig into many topics around online education and the acceptance of technology and learning via the internet.

Gail shares tons of wisdom around creating online courses for practical, art and craft topics, and the changes that she has witnessed over the last few years in particular. We also chat about building and maintaining community around our stitching and learning, as well as how we can all support the things that we love.

In this episode of Stitchery Stories, Gail Cowley chats with Susan Weeks around:

• knitting socks: her new lockdown obsession
• the volume of course work produced by her students during the pandemic
• everyone being more comfortable with video chats, using zoom, Facebook lives etc
• connections & community
• her path to being an online course creator
• evolution of moving courses into digital delivery
• working with a professional videographer
• making filming an enjoyable experience...
• ... and how it shows in the finished videos.
• It's time to 'up our game' in the quality of our digital content production
• the pleasure of following students progress into employment & business opportunities
• the impact we have on other's lives
• the unexpected contents in a bag of a student's work
• new courses coming up in needle felting & crewel work
• the new online exhibition to showcase students work
• the Stitch Directory: directory of small independent suppliers
• Please support your local independent suppliers

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples from The School Of Stitched Textiles courses at http://www.stitcherystories.com/gailcowley

Visit: https://www.sofst.org/

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

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

Pin: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/sofst1/

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroaRYOYR5GlROrodMfIybw

Sign up for information on Sue's 'How To Create An Online Course' which is specifically created for textile artists and other crafty business owners.

Get your FREE "Crafty Online Course Creator's Workbox"

https://bit.ly/3sgAIji

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Sara Dennis https://www.stitcherystories.com/saradennis/

Jane Sanders https://www.stitcherystories.com/janesanders/

Ami James https://www.stitcherystories.com/amijames/

Other people & Places mentioned:

The Repair Shop

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l581p

Gawthorpe Hall

https://www.gawthorpetextiles.org.uk/

Ruth Norbury is a textile artist who specialises in creating urban decay art. But Ruth is full of contrasts and surprises, and today we dig into her story. She is almost entirely self taught, and loves to experiment to create the look and feel of her textile art. It's an ongoing challenge to represent the processes of decay in the urban landscape and buildings, using fabric and thread.

So with that being said... you will be surprised to discover the subject that Ruth had been embroidering for many years! Feeling trapped by the commercial success of her embroidery art, Ruth has (finally) allowed her true artistic soul to emerge and guess what? What she produces now brings more success than her original topic ever did!

There is so much to chat about and reflect upon in our conversation.

In this episode of Stitchery Stories, Ruth chats with Susan Weeks around:

• falling into an artistic genre that really doesn't reflect your true soul
• being brave to make changes so you can be more 'you'
• even a small niche is massive on the global internet
• having the confidence to step into your true niche
• attracting your true audience, your 'tribe' as they say
• the confidence in deciding to do your thing and be you
• printing experiments
• a novel way of dealing with UFO's
• the camera never lies....
• canal boat living
• the dragon phase
• the perils and delights of taking (and offering) advice
• excited about experimenting again

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of Ruth's urban decay artwork at http://www.stitcherystories.com/ruthnorbury

Visit: https://www.ruthnorbury.com/

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

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

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Claire Fell https://www.stitcherystories.com/clairefell/

Laura Edgar https://www.stitcherystories.com/lauraedgar/

Sorrell Kerrison https://www.stitcherystories.com/sorrellkerrison/

Other people & Places mentioned:

Tides gallery, Mumbles

https://www.tidesfineartgallery.co.uk/

The Embroiderers' Guild in the UK was established back in 1906 and is a charity established to build awareness of stitch and textile art. They educate, encourage, inspire and promote the achievement of excellence. And also the Guild preserves an important collection of embroidery and textile art.

Penny Hill is one of the Board of trustees of the Guild and today (February 2021) we are chatting about a very upsetting crisis within the Guild. It is on the verge of financial collapse, and drastic measures are being proposed by the Trustees to rescue what can be rescued to best meet the Guild's charitable objectives (and requirements).

The members of the Guild are understandably upset and angry at the measures being proposed, and therefore I invited the Guild to come and chat about what's happening.

Penny stepped up to chat with me

Susan Weeks chats with Penny Hill around the issues facing the Embroiderers Guild and the forthcoming General Meeting to be held on 4th March 2021.

We talked about:

• The role of the trustees
• The origins and history of the guild
• The crisis resulting from falling membership and closing branches
• The drastic proposals to save the Guild & the collection
• What will happen to the Branches going forward
• Looking forward

For this episode... View Links, information & Examples of some embroidery from the collection at http://www.stitcherystories.com/pennyhill

Visit: https://embroiderersguild.com/

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

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

Learn: https://embroiderersguild.com/courses/

JoinIn: https://embroiderersguild.com/threadit/

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Guild Scholars:

David Morrish https://www.stitcherystories.com/davidmorrish/

Georgina Bellamy

https://www.stitcherystories.com/georginabellamy/

Beryl Dean Award recipient Jan Dowson

https://www.stitcherystories.com/jandowson/

Featured Guild Trustees:

Anthea Godfrey

https://www.stitcherystories.com/antheagodfrey/

Loetitia Gibier

https://www.stitcherystories.com/loetitiagibier/

Tartan Designer: Emma Wilkinson

https://www.instagram.com/emmawilkinson.design/

Deanne Fitzpatrick is the artist and businesswoman behind HookingRugs, a globally popular rug hooking business based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Deanne shares with us a very interesting glimpse behind the scenes of her daily life as an artist and creative business owner.

Susan Weeks chats with Deanne today on the Stitchery Stories textile art podcast. We delve into the backstory of how Deanne got hooked on rug hooking and why and how she started to develop a business around her beloved hobby. She talks about her creative process, and inspirations and her passion for sharing her art through rug hooking kits, online courses creation, several books about rug hooking and her successful weekly Facebook 'lives'.

For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Deanne's work at

http://www.stitcherystories.com/deanefitzpatrick

Visit: https://www.hookingrugs.com/

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

Listen: https://hookingrugs.com/pages/podcasts

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

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Tina Francis https://www.stitcherystories.com/tinafrancis/

Jenni Dutton https://www.stitcherystories.com/jennidutton/

Other places, people & things mentioned:

Art Gallery Of Nova Scotia

https://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/

Nimbus Publishing

https://nimbus.ca/

Mary Corbet is the creator behind 'Needle N Thread' a globally popular and very long-standing hand embroidery blog. It is very much the hub of her brand, and through it, Mary shares her beautiful hand embroidery designs and kits, embroidery 'how-to' videos and creates an informative and enjoyable stream of blog posts about all things hand embroidery.

Susan Weeks chats with Mary today on the Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast.

We delve into the backstory of why and how Mary got started with her blog and some of the challenges along the way. 2020 was a challenge for us all, so as we get started with 2020, Mary shares her projects and plans for the coming year, and we both agree.... we are NOT Wonder Woman so why do we try to cram in so much into our lives???

For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Mary's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/marycorbet

Visit: https://www.needlenthread.com/

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

Join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/needlenthreadcommunity

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

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Sharon Boggon

https://www.stitcherystories.com/sharonboggon/

Cindy Jackson

https://www.stitcherystories.com/cindyjackson/

Other places, people & things mentioned:

Inspirations Magazine https://www.inspirationsstudios.com/

Erica Wilson

Jane Zimmerman

Mary Thomas

Elisabetta Sforza

https://elisabettasforzaembroidery.it/en/

Cindy Jackson is a freelance embroiderer, embroidery designer and embroidery tutor based in Ottawa, Canada, with a fascination for Tudor embroidery. In fact Cindy is an expert in this area, with published research papers and she has also developed kits and classes focused on Tudor embroidery.

Susan Weeks chats with Cindy today on Stitchery Stories embroidery podcast. Some highlights of our chat include:

• Learning how to teach online and loving it!
• Has online teaching breathed new life into embroidery?
• So many people are picking up a needle and enjoying the theraputic benefits of embroidery
• Enjoying her new basement studio during snowy weather and lockdown
• More online visibility for textile artists
• More online accessibility for experienced embroiderers and learners alike
• The habit of a daily Facebook post
• The consistency of keeping going is one of our biggest challenges with social media
• "Let's do it online and make an adventure of it"
• It was a shot in the dark... applying to be an RSN Apprentice in the 70s, from Toronto!
• From RSN Apprentice to Cartographic Technician
• Flabbergasted by the Elizabethan Burse at the British Museum
• Where and What is Gutter Lane?
• Invenire Gaudium "Find Joy"
• The detailed process of creating a design for a kit or course
• Mailing envelopes around the world to eager students
• Helping stitchers to meet others from around the world
• "they are not UFO's they are experiments!"

For this episode... View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Cindy's work at http://www.stitcherystories.com/cindyjackson

Visit: https://gutterlaneembroidery.com/

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

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

Other Episodes You Might Like:

Natalie Dupuis

https://www.stitcherystories.com/nataliedupuis/

Sarah Rakestraw

https://www.stitcherystories.com/sarahrakestraw/

Other places, people & things mentioned:

Burse For The Great Seal of Elizabeth 1 at the British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1997-0301-1

Worshipful Company Of Broderers

Broderers Hall, Gutter Lane 1515 to 1940

https://broderers.co.uk/

Here we are on the final day of 2020 and what a challenge it has been!

But we all know that so let's focus instead upon the inspiring highlights based around stitching, embroidery & textile art.

Come and listen as Sue Weeks presents some fabulous 2020 Stitchery Highlights from listeners from around the world.

Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast is a globally popular podcast, and everyday it is featured in many places around the world in the Apple Podcasts Top 200.

Listeners have sent a wonderful range of highlights and stories.

Common 'threads' are:

• Keeping connected with each thru through embroidery
• Community projects and creative challenges
• Using up what we have
• Being creative keeps us all sane
• Our art tells stories, creates movements, honours people and creates a bright spot in a gloomy day.

All the artists who shared their stories are listed in the episode show notes over on

https://www.stitcherystories.com/2020ListenerHighlights

along with their links and images.

And there is plenty of stuff to follow and enjoy over on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/stitcherystories_podcast

Keep Stitching, Keep Smiling,

Happy New Year for 2021.

Cheers, Sue xxx

As we head towards Christmas 2020, Sue Weeks, from Stitchery Stories embroidery and textile art podcast, shares her Christmas Greetings.

Sue is searching for your inspiring 2020 Stitchery Highlights to share in a special Highlights episode for the last day of 2020.

She knows that they are out there - let's share our creativity and positivity and celebrate what we HAVE achieved in this very weird year.

And then to round off with some silliness, Sue shares her embroidery version of the 12 Days Of Christmas. Yes, it's the 12 Embroideries Of Christmas! No poultry, milking maids or leaping lords in this version!

Enjoy your festive holiday break and celebrations, as and when you can, with what you have, and with as much sparkle and positivity and love as you can summon.

Happy Christmas,

Cheers, Sue xxx

For this episode... View Images & Lyrics at https://www.stitcherystories.com/christmas2020

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

Today we meet Kris Campbell, a textile artist from New York state who has decided to take cross stitch to the absolute MAX!

This is a fascinating story where we can see the threads of an artist's story come together in a body of work.

In response to the global pandemic and the desire to make viewing art a safe experience, Kris decided to create a series of bold flowers, sewn in cross stitch.... on 11ft (4 metres) squares of construction debris netting. YES - that stuff they use to cloak buildings to protect passersby from falling construction debris!

She creates translucent floral tapestries, featuring one large bold bloom and is making a rainbow of them. They are outdoor art, designed to viewed in a field, and Kris is also fascinated in whether they will actually survive out there and what happens as they age. As Kris says, "this is not your Grandmothers needlework!"

Susan Weeks chats with Kris on this episode of Stitchery Stories textile art podcast.

• The challenge of creating art to be exhibited outdoors
• Using construction debris netting for her cross stitch
• Cross stitch on a massive scale
• Filling her studio with one piece of stitching
• Fighting the urge to use flowers as her subject matter
• This is 'socially distanced' textile art
• An exploration in failure
• Tapestries swaying gently in the wind
• Will her art survive the great outdoors?
• And if not... why not
• The hilarious subject of her first stitching adventure
• Byzantine paintings with golden domes and coloured mosaics are very inspiring for Kris
• Creating an entire body of work planned from the start
• The beauty of wool even though Kris doesn't like using it
• Choosing materials
• Best quote of the year... "only 40ft was stitched in 4 weeks"
• Creating a giant Pride rainbow of giant flowers designed to be experienced outside

For this episode

View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Kris's massive cross stitch flowers at https://www.stitcherystories.com/kriscampbell

Visit: https://www.kriscampbellart.com/

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

Other Episodes We Mentioned:

Jenni Dutton

https://www.stitcherystories.com/jennidutton/

Phillipa Turnbull

https://www.stitcherystories.com/phillipaturnbull/

Claire Fell is a machine embroidery artist who believes that textile art is a haven from the harsh realities of what we call modern life! She has recently written her first book 'Machine Embroidery - Techniques and Projects' and Claire shares her story of how her 'creative outburst' came into being, and the creative adventure she enjoyed along the way. In fact Claire's whole creative career is a fascinating string of serendipity as she learnt to listen to that inner voice and take action.

The strong theme running through Claire's story however is one of determination to keep going and to follow her dream, taking tough but necessary decisions along the way.

Susan Weeks chats with Claire about:

• Settling down and feeling drained after her book
• Learning to value herself as an artist and to stop putting herself last.
• The power of enrolling in a local business course
• Developing the courage to move forward
• Almost giving up with embroidery
• Keeping going through the turmoil of our lives
• How do we choose between work, our health, and our art
• The challenge of planning and creating her book so it reflected her vision
• Starting her embroidery career in ecclesiastical embroidery
• Needing the motivation of having a goal to aim for
• Finding her creative focus and confidence
• Using water soluble film to transfer designs for machine embroidery
• UFO's breeding everywhere in the house, and even in the shed!
• The unfinished face....
• Why no-one likes the sound of their own voice, so DON'T let it stop you!

For this episode...

View Show Notes, Links & Examples of Claire's machine embroidery at https://www.stitcherystories.com/clairefell

Visit: https://www.clairefell.com/

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

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

Read: Machine Embroidery Techniques and Projects from The Crowood Press

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/clarencecole

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:

Emma Broughton https://www.stitcherystories.com/emmabroughton/

Annie Crane

https://www.stitcherystories.com/anniecrane

Jayne Emerson

https://www.stitcherystories.com/jayneemerson/

Other People, Places & Things mentioned:

Felicity Howatson ( Revelations)

Carol Naylor

http://www.carolnaylor.co.uk/

Eat That Frog - Get more of the important things done today

by Brian Tracy

Why the sound of your own voice makes you cringe

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/12/the-real-reason-the-sound-of-your-own-voice-makes-you-cringe