Shows
Sew What?Chinese Textiles in 18th-Century Britain: An Interview with Shilei ZengIn this episode, Isabella interviews Shilei Zeng, Assistant Curator of China at the Victoria and Albert Museum and final year PhD student at King's College London. The two discuss Shilei's research into the use of Chinese textiles in 18th-century Britain and beyond.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.You can find Shilei on Instagram at Instagram.com/fashioneastandwest.
2025-11-2947 minSew What?The History of Punch Needle: An Interview with Micah Clasper-TorchIn this episode, Isabella interviews Micah Clasper-Torch, an artist, designer, and educator whose work is centred around the traditional craft of punch needle rug hooking. The two talk about the history and use of punch needle in all of its forms. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.You can find Micah on Instagram @claspertorch and @punchneedle.world. Her websites are https://www.punchneedleworld.com/ and https://www.micahclasper-torch.com/. Her book, Punch Needle Fashion, is out now.
2025-10-231h 01Sew What?The Embroidery of Lorina Bulwer: An Interview with Ruth BattersbyIn this episode, Isabella interviews Ruth Battersby, Senior Curator of Costume and Textiles at Norfolk Museums Service. The two talk about the embroidery of Lorina Bulwer, a Victorian woman institutionalised in the Great Yarmouth Workhouse who spent her days embroidering vibrant, angry, and extremely long biographical scrolls.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2025-04-171h 05Sew What?The Late, Great Major A.T. Casdagli: An Interview with Alexis Penny CasdagliIn this episode, Isabella interviews Alexis Penny Casdagli, the daughter of Major A.T. Casdagli, an Anglo-Greek spy famous for embroidering subversive needlework during his time in German POW camps in WWII. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.You can read Major A.T. Casdagli's wartime diary, Prouder Than Ever, through Cylix Press here: https://www.cylixpress.co.uk/. Also be sure to check out Alexis Penny's blog here: https://www.cylixpress.co.uk/alexis-pennys-blog/.As a note, the Greek C...
2025-03-2756 minSew What?Sew What? Meets Haptic & Hue: An Interview with Jo AndrewsIn this episode, Isabella interviews Jo Andrews, host of the wonderful textile podcast Haptic & Hue.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.You can listen to Haptic & Hue and learn more here: https://hapticandhue.com/listen/. And be sure to check out the Textile Travels guides here: https://www.textiletoursofparis.com/textile-travels.
2025-02-2743 minSew What?Holiday Special!: Gathered at GressenhallIn this special holiday episode, Isabella interviews a variety of individuals who helped plan and who attended Gathered at Gressenhall, a special textile takeover day at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, which took place on 29 September 2024.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.Show notes:Fiona Ashley mentions that Gressenhall's flax growing project began in 2023 -- it actually began in 2022You can find out more about Common Threads Press here: https://www.commonthreadspress.co.uk/You can find out more about GroundWork Gallery...
2024-12-1959 minSew What?Plantation Goods: An Interview with Dr Seth RockmanIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Seth Rockman, associate professor of history at Brown University, about his new book Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-11-211h 06Sew What?Samplers by Free, Freed, and Enslaved Schoolgirls: An Interview with Sarah BrokenboroughIn this episode, Isabella interviews Sarah Brokenborough, a PhD student at Tulane University, about her master's dissertation entitled "What’s the Use?: A Comparison of Needlework Samples Made By Free, Freed, and Enslaved Schoolgirls in the Early Nineteenth-Century Atlantic World."Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-10-2452 minSew What?Stitching in Prison: An Interview with Fine Cell WorkIn this episode, Isabella interviews three people from Fine Cell Work, a British charity that runs rehabilitation projects in prisons by training prisoners in paid, skilled needlework.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-09-271h 02Sew What?The History and Power of Mending: An Interview with Kate SekulesIn this episode, Isabella interviews writer, historian, teacher, and lifelong mender Kate Sekules about the history and importance of mending and darning.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-09-0548 minSew What?Cambodian Textiles: An Interview with Dr Magali BerthonIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Magali Berthon about Cambodian silk weaving and how textiles were affected by the Khmer Rouge regime.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-07-181h 01
Dressed: The History of FashionStitching Freedom: Embroidery and Incarceration with Isabella Rosner, Part 2Welcome to part 2 of our conversation with embroidery historian Isabella Rosner who joins us to discuss her recently published book/zine Stitching Freedom: Embroidery and Incarceration which explores the embroidery made in prisons and mental health hospitals through the surviving works of twelve individuals. Each of which stand as a testament to the triumphs and sorrows of the human spirit and a reminder of "what can be created when freedom is out of reach."More from Isabella:
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Website
Sew What? Podcast
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2024-06-2135 minDressed: The History of FashionStitching Freedom: Embroidery and Incarceration with Isabella Rosner, Part IEmbroidery historian Isabella Rosner joins us to discuss her recently published book/zine Stitching Freedom: Embroidery and Incarceration which explores the embroidery made in prisons and mental health hospitals through the surviving works of twelve individuals who are a testament to the triumphs and sorrows of the human spirit and a reminder of "what can be created when freedom is out of reach."More from Isabella:
Instagram
Website
Sew What? Podcast
Want more Dressed: The History of Fashion?
Our website and classes
Our Instagram
Our bookshelf with over 100 of our favorite f...
2024-06-1956 minSew What?The History of Crochet: An Interview with Eleanor GilchristIn this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Eleanor Gilchrist about her fascinating and surprising research into the history of crochet. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-05-2348 min
A Room Of Your OwnAROYO 10 // Dr Isabella Rosner In this week’s episode I’m joined by Dr Isabella Rosner - who holds the impressive title of curator at the Royal School of Needlework. Once I managed to drag her away from her favourite topics of 18th Century tea-caddies, we discussed her favourite reading spaces - and took a long tangent to imagine the dream bathroom.Isabella is a proper expert as well as an extremely lively, approachable and funny person. It was such a pleasure to have her on.If you want to understand more about the process of building dream reading space...
2024-05-1648 min
The Good RobotNeedlework and History's Hidden Technologies with Isabella RosnerIn this episode, we talk to Dr. Isabella Rosner, a curator at the Royal School of Needlework and a research consultant at Witney Antiques. Isabella tells us about the evolution of embroidery as a technology, and the complex relationship between needlework and feminism. We use this history to shed light on technology and feminism today.
2024-04-3033 minSew What?Women in Stitches: An Interview with Marcia GoldensteinIn this episode, Isabella interviews artist Marcia Goldenstein about her series "Women in Stitches," consisting of tiny embroidered portraits of women past and present.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-04-1839 minSew What?Naval Embroidery: An Interview with Maya Wassell SmithIn this episode, Isabella interviews Maya Wassell Smith, assistant curator of art at the National Maritime Museum and a PhD student at Cardiff University. The two discuss naval embroidery in all of its forms.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-03-2955 min
Grief Magic: Rituals, Tarot & Gentle Conversations about Loss#179 Radical textile histories with Dr. Isabella RosnerThis episode is a dream come true for my nerdy heart - I had a chance to talk to Dr. Isabella Rosner, whose podcast Sew What? I've been a fan of for years. We talked about how she got into textile histories, her PhD research and work at the Royal School of Needlework, about what textiles can teach us about what it means to be human and making time to create.
Dr Isabella Rosner is the Curator of the Royal School of Needlework and Research Associate at Witney Antiques. She recently completed her PhD at King’s Col...
2024-03-2638 minSew What?Men at (Needle)work: An Interview with Jamie ChalmersIn this episode, Isabella interviews Jamie Chalmers, AKA Mr X Stitch, the Kingpin of Contemporary Embroidery. The two discuss what's happening in the world of contemporary embroidery and what it's like to be a man who embroiders.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2024-02-2947 min
NeedleXChangeDr. Isabella Rosner | Highlighting Historical Embroidery Part 2 [NX020]This episode of NeedleXChange is the second part of my interview with Dr. Isabella Rosner.Isabella is a needlework historian, Curator at the Royal School of Needlework and the host of the Sew What? podcast. We have a fantastic conversation and I absolutely love Isabella's combination of Los Angeles attitude and thorough passion for historical needlework. She is the Yin to my Yang.Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro00:01:30 - “Stitching is just for women”. Discuss.00:17:00 - Needlework as a method of painting00:19:50 - Isabella’s favourite Sew What?! episod...
2023-12-2542 minSew What?The Modern Venus: An Interview with Dr Lis GernerdIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Lis Gernerd about her new book, The Modern Venus: Dress, Underwear and Accessories in the late 18th Century Atlantic World. The two talk about all sorts of undergarments, embroidered muffs, networks of women, and how to build a fashionable woman's body in the late 18th century.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2023-12-2144 min
NeedleXChangeDr. Isabella Rosner | Highlighting Historical Embroidery [NX019]In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Dr. Isabella Rosner.Isabella is a needlework historian, Curator at the Royal School of Needlework and the host of the Sew What? podcast. We have a fantastic conversation and I absolutely love Isabella's combination of Los Angeles attitude and thorough passion for historical needlework. She is the Yin to my Yang.Image is a casket made by Elizabeth Hall in 1683 that housed her collection of needlework. Image credit is Witney Antiques.Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Isabella’s back story00:07:45 - What the Ro...
2023-12-1838 minSew What?Fashion City: An Interview with Dr Lucie Whitmore and Dr Bethan BideIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Lucie Whitmore and Dr Bethan Bide about the Museum of London's exhibition Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style and the accompanying Bloomsbury exhibition catalogue.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2023-12-1459 minSew What?Elizabeth Hall and Friends: An Interview with Rebecca ScottIn this episode, Isabella interviews English embroidery expert and Witney Antiques director Rebecca Scott. The pair talk about their new exhibition and accompanying catalogue, "Choice and Precious Work": Treasures from the Schoolroom, 1650-1750, centring on an embroidery suite made by 17th-century London Quaker girl Elizabeth Hall and multiple generations of her descendants. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2023-10-2652 minSew What?Stitching, Bright and Bold: An Interview with Danielle CloughIn this episode, Isabella interviews embroidery artist Danielle Clough. The pair talk about Danielle's embroidery practice, the transformation from photo to stitch, and the power of colour.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2023-04-2051 minSew What?Weaving and Unweaving: An Interview with Raisa KabirIn this episode, Isabella interviews interdisciplinary artist and weaver Raisa Kabir. The pair talk about Raisa's weaving practice, the tangled relationship between textiles and colonialism, and all sorts of looms.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2023-03-3058 minSew What?Women's Work: An Interview with Ferren GipsonIn this episode, Isabella interviews Ferren Gipson about her new book, Women's Work: From Feminine Arts to Feminist Art. The book tells the story of more than 30 modern and contemporary textile and ceramic artists.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-12-0838 minSew What?Threads of Power: An Interview with Michele Majer and Emma CormackIn this episode, Isabella interviews Michele Majer and Emma Cormack, two of the three curators of the exhibition Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen, which is on display at the Bard Graduate Center until 1 January 2023. The trio discuss the exhibition, the history of lace, and anonymous lacemakers. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-12-0156 minSew What?The Early Years of the RSN: An Interview with Dr Lynn HulseIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Lynn Hulse about the early years of the Royal School of Needlework (RSN), which was founded in November 1872. This episode is being released the exact month of its 150th anniversary. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-11-241h 11Sew What?Hmong Embroidery: Paj Ntaub and Story ClothsIn this episode, Isabella discusses Hmong embroidery. She focuses most on Paj Ntaub ("flower cloth") and Hmong story cloths, discussing their materials, colours, imagery, and uses.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-10-2728 minSew What?Mary Linwood's Art of Stitchery: An Interview with Dr Heidi StrobelIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Heidi Strobel about the celebrated 18th-century needlewoman Mary Linwood. The two discuss Mary Linwood's art and that of her contemporaries, as well as the anachronistic divide between art and craft, genre bending with stitching, and the formation of British artistic identity.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-09-011h 04Sew What?The World of Erica Wilson, Part 2: An Interview with Dr Anne Hilker and Vanessa DiserioIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Anne Hilker and Vanessa Diserio. Anne is the co-author and co-curator of the book and exhibition Erica Wilson: A Life in Stitches. Vanessa is one of Erica Wilson's children and the owner of the Erica Wilson shop on the island of Nantucket. Isabella, Anne, and Vanessa discuss Erica's legacy. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-06-2356 minSew What?The World of Erica Wilson, Part 1: An Interview with Edith BouriezIn this episode, Isabella interviews Edith Bouriez, embroidery entrepreneur Erica Wilson’s right-hand woman. Edith served as master teacher for Erica, as well as her store, seminar, and tour manager. Isabella and Edith discuss Erica's embroidery empire.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-06-0942 minSew What?All About Egyptian Textiles: An Interview with Seif El RashidiIn this episode, Isabella interviews art historian Seif El Rashidi about Egyptian textiles, spanning from ancient weaving to modern appliqué work.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-05-2649 minSew What?RSN at the Fashion and Textile Museum: An Interview with Dennis NothdruftIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dennis Nothdruft, Head of Exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. The two discuss the museum's current exhibition, "150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk."Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-05-1242 minSew What?New London Needlework Reexamined: An Interview with Lynne Zacek BassettIn this episode, Isabella interviews independent fashion and textile scholar and curator Lynne Zacek Bassett. The two discuss Lynne's current exhibition, "New London County Quilts & Bed Covers, 1750‒1825," and the exciting needlework discoveries to have come out of the research and display of the show. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-03-2457 minSew What?Stitching A Better World: An Interview with Stephanie Valencia of the Social Justice Sewing AcademyIn the final episode of season 3, Isabella chats with Stephanie Valencia, Program Director of the Social Justice Sewing Academy. The Social Justice Sewing Academy, or SJSA, is an organisation that empowers individuals and works to create social change through textile production.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-02-1755 minSew What?Flax and Finger Weaving: Māori Woven TextilesIn this mini episode, Isabella discusses hand weaving crafted by the Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), focusing on its history, techniques, and many designs. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.
2022-02-1017 minSew What?Resilient Stitching, Then and Now: An Interview with Claire Wellesley-SmithIn this episode, Isabella interviews embroidery artist, author, and researcher, Claire Wellesley-Smith. The two discuss everything from Claire's community engagement textile projects and her new book Resilient Stitch to Louisa Pesel and the Bradford Khaki Handicrafts Club.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2022-02-0348 minSew What?Battle, Ritual, and Community: Asafo Flags of the Fante PeopleIn this mini episode, Isabella discusses the Asafo flags of the Fante, who live in Ghana's coastal region. Asafo flags are vibrant, appliquéd flags that combine folklore, proverbs, and heraldry.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2022-01-2718 minSew What?Embroidery and the Body: An Interview with Rowan RileyIn this episode, Isabella interviews artist and embroiderer Rowan Riley. The two discuss Rowan's artistic practice, stitching about and with one's body, and favourite contemporary textile artists. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2022-01-2058 minSew What?Japanese Mending and Stitching: Sashiko and BoroIn this mini episode, Isabella discusses the Japanese stitching traditions of sashiko and boro. Each mini episode focuses on a single needlework technique from each continent, with this week's continent being Asia.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2022-01-1317 minSew What?Stitching Girls and Cup Noodles: An Interview with Jessica TangIn this episode, Isabella interviews embroidery artist Jessica Tang, who explores her Asian-American identity through stitch. The two discuss Jessica's influences, artistic process, and the physical and emotional strength of stitch.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2022-01-0637 minSew What?Sew What? Holiday Special: Familial NeedleworkIn this special holiday episode, Isabella discusses studying family history through needlework. It's the perfect subject for a festive season focusing on friends, family, and community. Happy holidays to all!
2021-12-2621 minSew What?Curating Needlework at Regional Museums: An Interview with Claire McReeIn this episode, Isabella interviews Claire McRee, associate curator at the Allentown Art Museum, about curating needlework at smaller-scale, regional museums. This episode is a natural counterpart to the "Curating Needlework" episode of season 2.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-12-2343 minSew What?Protecting Needlework from Pests: An Interview with Joel VoronIn this episode, Isabella interviews Joel Voron, the Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The two discuss how historic properties and objects are checked for pests, which types of fibres are at risk, and what it was like to protect textiles during the Coronavirus lockdown.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-12-0935 minSew What?Historic Rugs and Carpets: An Interview with Elisabeth ParkerIn this episode, Isabella interviews historic rug and carpet specialist Elisabeth Parker. The two discuss the origins and international spread of rugs and carpets from the 17th century onwards.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-11-2534 minSew What?Molas of the Kuna: A Central and South American Indigenous Textile TraditionIn the second mini episode of the season, Isabella discusses molas made by the Kuna, an indigenous people in Panama and Colombia. Molas are reverse appliquéd textiles central to Kuna women's clothing and the region's tourist industry.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-11-1817 minSew What?Historic Embroidery in Mexico: An Interview with Mayela FloresIn this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Mayela Flores, who researches sampler making and embroidery practices in 18th- and 19th-century Mexico. The two discuss the origins of Aztec stitch, the use of cacti in needleworking, and the involvement of Mexican stitchers in world's fairs. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-11-1155 minSew What?Geography and Needlework in the American South: An Interview with Emily WellsIn this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Emily Wells about her research on the geography education of elite girls in the pre-Civil War American South. The two discuss map samplers, Westtown globes, and the involvement of southern needleworking girls in the region's slavocracy. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-10-2841 minSew What?That's All, Folk: Eastern European Folk Dress TraditionsIn the first mini episode of season 3, Isabella explores traditional Eastern European needlework. She examines the stitched aspects of folk dress from Albania to Ukraine and everywhere in between. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-10-2120 minSew What?The British Textile Biennial and Beyond: An Interview with Amber ButchartIn the first episode of season 3, Isabella interviews fashion historian Amber Butchart about her curating an exhibition at the British Textile Biennial, her TV show A Stitch in Time, and her work on forensic garment analysis.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-10-1444 minSew What?Sew What? Season 3 TrailerSeason 3 of Sew What? is (almost) back! This is a tiny sneak preview of season 3's episode structure and offerings. Yeehaw!As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-09-2304 minSew What?Conserving Historic Needlework: An Interview with Gretchen Guidess and Jackie Peterson-GraceIn the final episode of the season, Isabella interview Gretchen Guidess and Jackie Peterson-Grace, the textile conservators of Colonial Williamsburg, about preserving and protecting historic needlework in museum collections.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-06-1735 minSew What?Embroidering Portraits: An Interview with Cayce ZavagliaIn this episode, Isabella interviews artist Cayce Zavaglia, who uses embroidery to stitch hyperrealistic portraits of her family, friends, and fellow artists. The two discuss Cayce's process, her favourite parts of stitching, and groundbreaking contemporary textile artists.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-06-1034 minSew What?The Needlework of Historic Boyz II MenIn this episode, Isabella discusses needlework made by boys and men in the 18th and 19th centuries. She focuses on professional embroideries, sailor woollies, trench art, and schoolboy samplers.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-06-0331 minSew What?Paper Pieced Quilts and Crafting During COVID: An Interview with Naomi ClarkeIn this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Naomi Clarke about her passion for quilting and her PhD work focusing on crafting during Coronavirus. The two discuss paper piecing, craft diaries, and signature quilts.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-05-2739 minSew What?Alternative Embroideries: Tambour Work and Punch NeedleIn this episode, Isabella discusses the technique and history of tambour work (including tambour embroidery, lace, and beading) and punch needle. She also spends time exploring American rug hooking.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-05-2026 minSew What?Australian Schoolgirl Needlework: An Interview with Cat GayIn this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Cat Gay about schoolgirl samplers and stitching in 19th-century Australia. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-05-1337 minSew What?Stitching Among Friends: Early Quaker NeedleworkIn this episode, Isabella discusses the subject of her PhD, Quaker women's needlework before 1800. She explores the stitching aesthetic of Quakers, also known as Friends, in and around London in the 17th century. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-05-0635 minSew What?Jewish Fashion Making and Stitching in 20th-Century London: An Interview with Dr Bethan Bide and Dr Lucie WhitmoreIn this episode, Isabella interviews fashion historians Dr Bethan Bide and Dr Lucie Whitmore about 20th-century Jewish fashion makers in London. The trio discuss where Jewish Londoners got their stitching skills and the Museum of London's collection of extant clothes designed and made by Jewish fashion makers in the city.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-04-2958 minSew What?Quilting and Exhibiting Black Life: An Interview with Bisa Butler and Dr Erica WarrenIn this episode, Isabella interviews Bisa Butler, famous American fibre artist known for her vibrant quilts celebrating Black life, and Dr Erica Warren, associate curator of textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago. The trio discuss Bisa's artistic practice, the curation of her work, and its current display at the Art Institute of Chicago. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-04-2250 minSew What?Curating Needlework: An Interview with Amelia Peck and Melinda WattIn this episode, Isabella interviews Amelia Peck, curator of textiles and period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and supervising curator of the Met's Antonio Ratti Textile Center, and Melinda Watt, the head of the textiles department at the Art Institute of Chicago. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-04-1540 minSew What?The Embroideries and Lace of the Wiener WerkstätteIn this episode, Isabella discusses the embroideries and lace designs of Austria's Wiener Werkstätte, one of the longest-lived design movements of the twentieth century.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-04-0824 minSew What?Early Medieval Embroidery: An Interview with Dr Alexandra MakinIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Alexandra Makin, a textile archaeologist and professional embroiderer who researches and recreates early medieval embroidery. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-04-0132 minSew What?Travelling and Unravelling Indian Embroidery TechniquesIn this episode, Isabella covers a variety of Indian embroidery techniques from across the subcontinent.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-03-2523 minSew What?May Morris and Arts and Crafts Embroidery: An Interview with Thomas CooperIn this episode, Isabella interviews Thomas Cooper, a PhD student who researches May Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. In the episode, the two discuss May Morris's embroidery designs and works, as well as what inspired and influenced the Arts and Crafts movement.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-03-1829 minSew What?Embroidering Adversity in Charity and Orphan School NeedleworkIn this episode, Isabella discusses samplers and other needleworked items stitched at eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English charity and orphan schools. Special attention is given to the St Clements Danes school samplers and Bristol orphanage samplers. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-03-1124 minSew What?Navajo Weaving: An Interview with Dr Kathy M'CloskeyIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Kathy M'Closkey, a scholar of Navajo weaving. The two discuss Navajo rug and blanket motifs, how economic and agricultural changes affected Navajo weaving, and Kathy's long career as a weaver and freelance curator.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-03-0433 minSew What?The Long, Looping History of NalbindingIn this episode, Isabella discusses nalbinding, a stitching technique that predates both knitting and crocheting. Isabella examines the history and technique of over 8,500 years of nalbound goods.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-02-2521 minSew What?Making Historic Needlework Now: An Interview With Ruth SingerIn this episode, Isabella interviews Ruth Singer, an artist and maker exploring personal and collective narratives through textiles. In the episode, they discuss everything from the transition from museum work to historic needlework-based art making, to corded and trapunto quilting, to pin cushions.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-02-1827 minSew What?Gee's Bend Quilts and Quilters: An Interview with Caster Pettway and Mary Margaret PettwayIn this episode, Isabella interviews Caster Pettway and Mary Margaret Pettway, two Gee's Bend quilters. The trio discuss Caster and Mary Margaret's favourite quilt designs and colours, learning to quilt from their mothers, and their favourite parts of the quiltmaking process.As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-02-1128 minSew What?Sew What? Season 2: The Tiny Needleworked Treasures of 17th-Century SchoolgirlsSew What? is back with season 2! In this first episode of the season, Isabella explores minuscule needleworked objects made by 17th-century British schoolgirls, such as tiny purses, bite sized birds, embroidered eggshells, and decorated nutmegs. As always, images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a new website, sewwhatpodcast.com, and a Patreon, patreon.com/sewwhatpodcast.
2021-02-0424 minSew What?A Holiday Treat! The History of Fair Isle KnitwearIn this bonus holiday episode, Isabella discusses Fair Isle jumpers. She talks about the history of the area's knitwear, as well as its style.Be on the lookout for season 2 of Sew What?, arriving in February 2021.
2020-12-1815 minSew What?Marking Time: A Conversation with Dr Edward TownIn the last episode of Sew What? season 1, Isabella talks with Dr Edward Town about Marking Time: Objects, People, and Their Lives, 1500-1800, released by Yale University Press. The book is "an engaging, encyclopaedic account of the material world of early modern Britain as told through a unique collection of dated objects." Ed and Isabella discuss four objects from the book, including three unique needleworked pieces. Isabella also covers her PhD research, focusing on English Quaker needlework.
2020-10-2948 minSew What?The Hauntedness of Victorian Hairwork: An Interview with Avery CurranIn this episode, Isabella interviews Victorian hairwork researcher and fan, Avery Curran. Just in time for the spooky season that is October! The two talk about the development of hairwork jewellery and how it got to be so popular in the mid-19th century, as well as Avery's own love for knitting.
2020-10-2236 minSew What?"Pick up your knitting whenever you’re sitting": Knitting for Victory in WWI and WWIIIn this episode, Isabella discusses knitting for victory in the US during WWI and WWII. This episode has everything from sock trivia to knitting propaganda songs.
2020-10-1524 minSew What?Queering Needlework: An Interview with Daniel FountainIn this episode, Isabella interviews Daniel Fountain, a queer contemporary artist, researcher, and writer whose work lies at the intersection of textiles and the LGBTQ+ community. The two discuss Daniel's art making practice, the AIDS quilt, the Museum of Transology, and favourite needleworked objects.
2020-10-0830 minSew What?The Art of Craft: Needlework in the Art and Craft DebateIn this episode, Isabella discusses the history of the art and craft debate, as well as examples of needleworkers who have bridged that gap historically and in the 21st century. Expect discussions about art historians Giorgio Vasari and Rozsika Parker and artists ranging from Mary Linwood to Bisa Butler.
2020-10-0127 minSew What?School Subjects Through Stitch: History, Math, and Geography SamplersIn this episode, Isabella discusses 18th- and 19th-century English and American history, math, and geography samplers. These objects allowed those who stitched them to learn needlework alongside other facts, including the population sizes of England's counties and how to predict what dates Sundays would fall on for the next 50 years.
2020-09-2421 minSew What?A Collage of Ideas: An Interview with Dr Freya GowrleyIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Freya Gowrley, historian of material and visual culture focusing on the home, the body, and collage. The two discuss Freya's recent article and upcoming book, as well as patchwork and the intersection of needlework and emotions.
2020-09-1733 minSew What?To Bead or Not to Bead: Historic Beadwork of England and the AmericasThis episode is all about beadwork. Isabella begins the episode discussing 17th-century English beadwork before moving on to discuss Native American beadwork techniques.
2020-09-1023 minSew What?Fashion in 18th-Century Colonial Spanish America: An Interview with Laura Beltrán-RubioIn this episode, Isabella interviews Laura Beltrán-Rubio, a PhD student who focuses on the consumption, dissemination, and representation of dress and practices of self-fashioning in 18th-century colonial Spanish America (specifically modern-day Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela). The two discuss surviving South American costume and textiles, the presence of needlework in the Spanish colonies, and learning how to stitch from your grandmother.As always, images and resources discussed in this episode are available on the "Sew What?" Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.
2020-09-0337 minSew What?Stitching While Imprisoned, Part 2In this episode, Isabella discusses needlework created by suffragettes and a woman with an alias of "Myrllen," as well as the British charity Fine Cell Work.As always, images and resources discussed in this episode are available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sewwhatpodcast.
2020-08-2718 minSew What?Stitching While Imprisoned, Part 1In this episode, Isabella discusses needlework created by imprisoned women, focusing specifically on the embroidery of Mary Queen of Scots, Agnes Richter, and Lorina Bulwer. As always, images and resources discussed in this episode are available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @sewwhatpodcast.
2020-08-2021 minSew What?Making and Consuming in the 18th Century: An Interview with Dr Serena DyerIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Serena Dyer, historian of dress, consumption, and material culture. The two discuss Serena's two upcoming books, Material Lives: Women Makers and Consumer Culture in the 18th Century and Material Literacy in Eighteenth-Century Britain: A Nation of Makers. They also talk about Serena's favourite needleworked objects and her passion for making historic costume.As always, images and resources discussed in this episode are available on Twitter and Instagram at @sewwhatpodcast.
2020-08-1334 minSew What?Needlecraft and Wellbeing: An Interview with Dr Alison MayneIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Alison Mayne, a textile researcher and practitioner who wrote her PhD about knitting and crocheting Facebook groups and wellbeing. The two discuss the intersection of needlework and social media, new Soviet dress, fashions from the feminist magazine Spare Rib, and the continued fight for inclusivity in the world of needlework and textiles more generally. As always, images and resources discussed in this episode are available on Twitter and Instagram at @sewwhatpodcast.
2020-08-0630 minSew What?Opening the Doors to 17th-Century Embroidered Cabinets and CasketsIn this episode, Isabella discusses one of her greatest loves, embroidered cabinets and caskets made in the 17th century. She explains the differences between cabinets and caskets, how they were made, some exceptional surviving examples, and what these boxes can tell us about the relationship between early modern women and privacy.
2020-07-3020 minSew What?Black Love, Black Family: An Interview With Kelli ColesIn this episode, Isabella talks with Kelli Coles, a PhD student who researches Black American schoolgirl samplers. The two discuss Black samplers made by girls across America's East Coast in the late eighteenth through mid-nineteenth centuries.
2020-07-2338 minSew What?Unstitching Colonialism: South Indian Missionary School SamplersIn this episode, Isabella examines a group of mid-19th-century samplers made by South Indian girls in a missionary school run by a British woman. She discusses the intersection of these samplers and colonialism, focusing on evidence of colonialism in the samplers' threads, inscriptions, and compositions.
2020-07-1632 minSew What?For the Love of Lace: An Interview with Elena Kanagy-LouxIn this episode, Isabella interviews Elena Kanagy-Loux, a lace maker, lace historian, and Collections Specialist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Antonio Ratti Textile Center. The two discuss the importance of making in order to understand historic textiles, favourite museum objects, and all things lace.
2020-07-0949 minSew What?Authors Who Stitched, Part 2: The Brontë Sisters!In this episode, Isabella discusses the needlework of the Brontë sisters. She focuses on their childhood samplers, an unfinished quilt Charlotte, Emily, and Anne made, and Charlotte's many collar and cuff designs.
2020-07-0223 minSew What?Authors Who Stitched, Part 1: Jane Austen!In this episode, Isabella discusses Jane Austen's needlework. She focuses on a sampler supposedly made by Jane Austen, as well as a quilt Jane made with her mother and sister.
2020-06-2520 minSew What?The Power of Cloth: An Interview with Rose SinclairIn this episode, Isabella interviews Rose Sinclair, lecturer in Textiles in the Design Department at Goldsmiths, University of London and design practitioner and researcher. The two discuss Dorcas clubs (specifically those used by Caribbean women when they arrived in the UK in the 1950s and 60s, the topic of Rose's PhD), the intersection of textiles and race, and the power cloth has to tell stories.
2020-06-1849 minSew What?An Interview with the Royal School of NeedleworkIn this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive, Archivist, and Curator of the Royal School of Needlework. The two discuss the history of the RSN, special objects in the collection, and favourite types of needlework.
2020-06-1147 minSew What?Around the World in Central American SamplersIn this episode, Isabella discusses how samplers from Spanish colonies are the intersections of needlework from around the world and across centuries. The first half of the episode focuses on a Guatemalan sampler at LACMA, while the latter covers motifs in Mexican samplers. At the beginning of the episode is a discussion about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. Here are just a few resources:TO DONATE:https://bailfunds.github.io/https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fundhttps://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd?fbclid=IwAR2hmif9qbD6d43ld-QFuL1FCXDFrNRohzgupYKov-9fgnHb7PWFDhewII0
2020-06-0821 minSew What?Hopping Into Early Modern Frog PouchesIn this episode, Isabella explores one of her favourite needlework trends, 17th-century frog pouches. These cuties were teeny tiny bags, made of thread, wire, beads, and silk, that probably held sweet fragrances. They were made and worn in early modern England, but scholars disagree on when and why they were made. "Sew What?" attempts to answer these questions. Listen to find out all about these lil embroidered treasures!
2020-05-2823 minSew What?Text and ProtestIn this episode, Isabella discusses two 19th-century pieces of needlework from opposite sides of the Atlantic, bound together by their tales of woe. The makers are Hannah Powell and Elizabeth Parker and they illustrate that needlework has always been personal and political.
2020-05-2120 min
Sew What?Welcome to "Sew What?"!Welcome to "Sew What?" In this episode, Isabella introduces herself and what this podcast will be about. Woohoo!Music is Kevin MacLeod's "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys."
2020-05-1408 min