The Stitching Co. Podcast

Making the jump from ‘just a hobby’ into a side hustle or business can be scary. A lot of people dream of making money doing what they love and Katie has done just that, all whilst still holding down a full-time job.

Join host Bess Wilkins (Life with Bess) as she chats to Katie from By Katie Olivia about what she has learnt, how to manage study vs work, and her creative journey in the first 12-18 months of running her business.

Episode Links:

Stitching & Co Advent Calendar Pre-order https://www.lifewithbess.com/product/stitching-co-embroidery-advent-calendar/

Katie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bykatieolivia/

Katie’s shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bykatieolivia

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Learning to say “no” is something we all struggle with, in our personal lives and businesses. It can be so hard as a small business, especially when you’re just starting out, to not just say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way. When you’re starting out that might be just what you need to allow you to experiment and build up confidence, but at some point you need to set boundaries… and that means saying “no” to certain things.

Join host Bess Wilkins (Life with Bess) as she chats to Lindsey from Urbann Nest who has been in the small business world for over 6 years about her story, why it’s important to say “no” and whether she’s ever regretted saying “no” to an opportunity.

Episode Links:

Urbann Nest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbannnest/

Urbann Nest Website: https://urbannnest.com/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Social media, we love it and we hate it…but when you’re a business it’s hard work to keep on top of the latest trend, posting stories and photos, replying to your followers and creating reels. This episode features someone we consider the reel queen!

Join host Bess Wilkins (Life with Bess) and guest Yulia (Matryoshka Doll Shop) as they chat all things Instagram – how to have an Instagram account for business but also as a hobby page. This episode was filmed in late 2021 and there have been a few changes to Instagram such as chronological feed options but we think the fundamentals of what Yulia shares are still very much relevant to all of us.

Episode Links:

Matryoshka Doll Shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matryoshkadollshop/

Matryoshka Doll Shop Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MatryoshkaDollShop

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Want to take your business to the next level? Join host Bess Wilkins (from Life with Bess) as we chat to Julie from Humble Stitch Studio about two aspects to think about when it comes to business. Collaborations and branding… a bit of a random combination but this is a jam packed interview and a perfect episode to get you excited for all the amazing opportunities you can have this year!

Episode Links:

Humble Stitch Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humblestitchstudio/

The Humble Stitch Studio Website: https://www.humblestitchstudio.com/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

If starting a creative business is on your list for 2022, then this is the perfect episode to start off season 2. Join host Bess Wilkins (Life with Bess) as she chats with Sally Wilson from Caterpillar Cross Stitch. After running a successful cross stitch business for 6 years, Sally has lots of tips and encouragements for those starting out or thinking about it. From how to avoid burnout, why it is important to build a community, when to bring on staff to help and more!!

Episode Links:

Caterpillar Cross Stitch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caterpillarcrossstitch/

Caterpillar Cross Stitch Website: https://www.caterpillarcrossstitch.com/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Burnout is something that a lot of us creatives have experienced at some point in time. Join host Bess Wilkins as we chat to Miriam from Slow Evenings Embroidery about her journey back from burnout at the start of 2021 and how she is learning to identify when she is heading down that path. She shares about how she was experiencing anxiety, business paralysis, and creative block. Anyone who has been burnout (creatively or not) will tell you it is not an easy journey back to normal – and Miriam shares about how focusing on her mental health and identifying triggers has helped her to tune in to her creative side again.

Episode Links:

Slow Evenings Embroidery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow_evenings_embroidery/

Slow Evenings Embroidery Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SlowEvenings

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Colour really is such an important part of embroidery and as much as we hate to admit it, sometimes it can make or break a design. For a lot of people starting to create your own colour palettes is a bit daunting and you don’t know where to begin because there are a million different colours to choose from. Join host Bess Wilkins as we chat to Sophie from Mindful Mantra Embroidery about how she picks the most beautiful colour palettes for her designs. We chat about her process for creating colour palettes, understanding colour tones and shades, does knowing colour theory help at all and how many threads do you need to own to create beautiful colour palettes.

Episode Links:

Mindful Mantra Embroidery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmantra_embroidery/

Mindful Mantra Embroidery Website: https://mindfulmantraembroidery.com/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Looking to experiment with different fibre arts other than Embroidery? What about punch needling and weaving? Julie Stuart from Clever Poppy is the queen of crafts and has amazing kits and online courses to help beginners get started in a new craft. She loves to focus on helping mums reclaim ‘me time’ through crafting! Join host Bess Wilkins as Julie shares the differences between the embroidery, punch needling and weaving, how to know which craft is for you and all sorts of tips and tricks for how to master each one.

Episode Links:

Clever Poppy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleverpoppy/

Clever Poppy Website: https://cleverpoppy.com/

Clever’s Poppy’s Free Workshop: https://cleverpoppy.com/pages/embroidery-workshop-a

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Many people find a sense of therapy through embroidery. It forces us to take the time to slow down and work with our hands. For Rebekah from Stress Away Stitching embroidery is helping her manage her anxiety and improve her overall mental health all while completing her Thesis and starting her embroidery business. In this episode, host Bess Wilkins chats with Rebekah who shares openly and honestly around her journey with severe debilitating anxiety, navigating the ups and downs of life and how she does this one stitch at a time.

Episode Links:

Stress Away Stitching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stressawaystitching/

Stress Away Stitching Website: https://stressawaystitching.square.site/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521

Do you feel like there is nothing original left in the world of stitching botanicals. Join host Bess Wilkins as Katie Martin from Harvest Goods Co not only shares with us how to stand out in a saturated world of botanicals but the importance of finding that spark of joy that drew you to florals in the first place. From colour inspiration and composition to being confident to show the world as you see it – she is open about her journey with adoption, business and managing a work-life balance.

Episode Links:

Harvest Goods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestgoodsco

Harvest Goods Website: https://www.harvestgoods.co/

Stitching & Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchingandco/?hl=en 

Stitching & Co FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stitchingandco 

Leave a Review on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchingandco/reviews/?ref=page_internal

Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts: http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1564564521