Shows
Making Stitches PodcastPASSIONATE ABOUT PUNCH NEEDLE with Micah Clasper-TorchWhen Micah Clasper-Torch first designed a coat using fabric which had been embellished with punch needlework, her passion was born. Moving from the intense world of fashion design in New York to a more laid back lifestyle in California, Micah embraced the craft of punch needle and ran with it. Her passion for the craft is infectious, so much so that she launched Punch Needle World, a platform to celebrate the art, craft and history of punch needle. Micah has taught thousands of people how to punch needle through online courses and has recently written a book a...
2025-06-1331 minMaking Stitches PodcastLooking Ahead to 'Woven from Kirklees' with Nat WaltonThe 'Woven in Kirklees' textiles festival first launched in 2019 and is due to kick off for its 2025 edition this weekend. The community festival celebrates all kinds of textiles and related crafts with yarn bombs, textile art exhibitions, workshops and talks.The biennial festival runs for a whole month and this year will have 130 different events happening throughout June. Initiated in 2019 by Kirklees Council, the festival "is owned by everyone, including community groups, textile businesses, cultural and educational organisations, artists and heritage sites across the district".Among the attractions on offer this year is 'The Red...
2025-05-3029 minMaking Stitches PodcastFrom Sewing Wedding Dresses to Crocheting a Turner Prize Winning Doily with Rachael MillsWhen Rachael Mills took up crochet as a means to giving up smoking, little did she realise that it would one day lead to her making a Turner Prize winning doily! Last year, when the Glaswegian artist Jasleen Kaur was named the winner of the Turner Prize, crocheter Racheal was celebrating at home in Blackburn. I was thrilled when she agreed to come onto the podcast to share her side of this amazing story.Rachael's first creative job was piece work sewing at a bridal gown factory, she then went on to set up her own sewing...
2025-05-2321 minMaking Stitches PodcastCelebrating 10 years of the Winwick Mum Sockalong with Christine PerryMy guest for this episode is my yarny friend, Christine Perry, who first made an appearance on the podcast back in 2021. Since chatting back then, we have become friends and when I heard that she was gearing up to a big milestone in her sock-knitting journey, I asked her if she would like to come back onto the podcast and chat about it. Last weekend, on Saturday 3rd May, Christine celebrated a whole decade of encouraging people around the world to. knit socks through her Winwick Mum Sockalong. Christine's main aim is to encourage beginners to get o...
2025-05-0924 minMaking Stitches PodcastSpreading Joy Online with Sara & Sean from Crochet in the GlenWhen I first approached Sara from Crochet in the Glen and asked if she would like to be a guest on Making Stitches Podcast, she couldn't understand why I'd want to speak to her. Like many (thousands) of other people who follow her Instagram account I'd enjoyed seeing her posts from her home on the picturesque Cowal Peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland - not just for the scenery, or her beautiful crochet creations, but because of her "crochet supermodel" husband Sean!Sean and Sara are collectively a hilarious team. Their posts are colourful and very...
2025-04-2531 minMaking Stitches PodcastThe Gift of Crochet with Marianne Rawlins aka MazCrochetsFor so many of us, crochet (or any craft) is as gift which offers mental release, a chance to focus on something away from the day-to-day worries of life and that creative spark so many of us need. When Marianne Rawlins was working part-time whilst raising her very small children, crochet arrived in her life. It gave her a creative outlet and ultimately an additional career, as her hobby developed into writing and designing for Simply Crochet magazine.Our paths crossed through her work for Simply Crochet and I asked her to come onto the podcast to...
2025-04-1124 minMaking Stitches PodcastCarry On Crafting with Justine RobsonAfter dreaming about a craft festival one night, Justine Robson woke up and decided she should arrange one. Two months later, she’d booked the venue (the South of England show ground) and ten months later Carry on Crafting opened its doors for the first time. This summer sees the fourth edition of the summer craft festival and with over 600 people camping (tickets to camp sold out in a week) a huge range of craft workshops, stalls and entertainment, it’s going from strength to strength. That’s not all that Justine does though, she teaches...
2025-03-2839 minMaking Stitches PodcastMENOPAUSE MAKES with Jenni Smith & Kay WalshMy guests for this episode are a pair of friends who met at a tap dancing class and went on to become creative business partners. They have been sewing for more than 30 years, many of which were spent working together in their sewing studio in Ilkley in Yorkshire.Since Covid, their classes in sewing and quilting have gone from in person, on a local level, to online and a world-wide audience. They say their mission is to empower women through sewing, one stitch at a time.Their latest project, the book, Menopause Makes was borne...
2025-03-1437 minMaking Stitches PodcastTalking Colour, Yarn, Sound & Knitting with Felix Ford from KNITSONIKIt’s so good to be back with you bringing another series of Making Stitches Podcast to your ears!My guest for this episode is Felicity aka Felix Ford, an artist who works in colour, sound and yarn. I first heard about Felix’s work when a mutual friend contacted me and suggested she might be a good guest for the podcast – she was right!Before our chat which features in this episode, Felix asked to send me a couple of her books and an invitation to join one of her online courses so I could...
2025-02-2854 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES 2024 CHRISTMAS SPECIALHello and welcome to the Making Stitches 2024 Christmas Special! As always at this time of year, I'm taking a look back at some of the year's highlights for Making Stitches. Included in this year's extravaganza is Tansy Forster from The Longest Yarn, author and academic Barbara Burman, Emma Varnam, Dr Gemma McKenzie from Threads of Protest, Heather Gibbs from Keep Calm And Crochet On, Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who has spoken to me for Making Stitches Podcast this year! I'd also like to thank Jackie, Rachel, Nick, Nickie, Jen...
2024-12-2036 minMaking Stitches PodcastLearning Lessons from History with Becky Davies-DownesThank you for joining me for the 80th episode of Making Stitches Podcast! This time I'm sharing a chat I had with Becky Davies-Downes from William and Tilda, who, after almost two decades working in TV & film costume departments, is now sewing beautiful bags and other accessories inspired by 1940s wartime Britain. I first bumped into Becky in September this year at the Yarndale Festival. There, she spoke to me about how her current venture had come about, as well as a little bit about her previous career. I simply had to have a more in-depth chat...
2024-11-0834 minMaking Stitches PodcastA FARESHARE FESTIVE FEASTThis time on Making Stitches, I'm doing something a little bit different. I want to speak to you about food poverty, especially in my home city of Manchester and how I need your help to try to making things a bit easier for those who are finding it tough.As the weather gets colder and we head towards winter, the terrible decision between heating and eating affects many people. FareShare Greater Manchester is a charity which rescues good-to-eat surplus food from the food industry and redistributes it to charities and community groups across the region....
2024-10-2520 minMaking Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2024Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Making Stitches - back after a longer than anticipated break!This time, I'm sharing a bumper episode featuring lots of creative chats with some of the lovely people I met at this year's Yarndale festival in Skipton two weeks ago.You will hear from: Zoe Coates from British WoolEleonora from Coastal CrochetLindsey from Curate Crochet Box and Lottie & AlbertCathy from Dear Emma DesignsAmanda from Joe's ToesBecky from William & TildaNat from Woven in Kirklees FestivalYou can find the websites for all my guests by clicking o...
2024-10-1138 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHREADS OF PROTEST with Dr Gemma McKenzieMy guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast has a background in law and human rights and a passion for crochet too. Dr Gemma McKenzie is a researcher in the Midwifery Department at King's College London specialising in maternity rights and obstetric abuse. She has decided that in order to raise awareness about her work in the field of maternity rights, she is going use crochet (and knitting) to help her. Next year, Gemma is holding an exhibition called Threads of Protest in Southport in the North West of England and in central London too, to...
2024-08-1630 minMaking Stitches PodcastCREATING A DIGITAL YARN COMMUNITY with Jane Abraham, The Cornish KnitterWhen my guest on today's episode was about to leave a career in London for a quieter pace of life on the Cornish coast, one of her first concerns was where she would be able to buy yarn from. Fast forward a few years and Jane Abraham not only has her own yarn shop, she hosts creative retreats, has her own You Tube channel and has built an online community for crafters 'of a certain age' - the Cornish Flock.Jane's 'Flock' focuses on knitting, crochet, health and the wellbeing of 'mature women'. Jane says "Many women...
2024-08-0236 minMaking Stitches PodcastFinishing a Creative Legacy with Jen Simonic from the Loose Ends ProjectOne of the unexpected things many people experience when they lose a loved one and have to sort through their posessions, can be unfinished craft projects. Maybe the person who has died was partway through making a baby blanket for a new family member, a quilt for a forthcoming wedding or simply a pair of socks or jumper for a loved one. If there's someone within the family with the skills and ability to finish that project, that's great, but in many circumstances that's not the case. That's where The Loose Ends Project can help. ...
2024-07-1940 minMaking Stitches PodcastFinding Joy in Making with Emma VarnamThis time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm thrilled to be sharing a chat I had with knitting & crochet designer, Emma Varnam.To date, Emma has written 13 books filled with inspiring designs for your home and to gift, from granny square homewares to adorable cuddly toys and crocheted pot plants! Emma is also a regular columnist for Inside Crochet magazine where she shares her passion for crochet and creativity.It was such a thrill for me to meet Emma and chat about all things crochet - as well the common curse of friends and families of...
2024-07-0530 minMaking Stitches PodcastSelling Your Makes on Etsy with Claire ReedFor some of us makers, there's the desire to take our creativity beyond something which is purely a hobby. Whether we opt to teach our craft to others, design patterns or sell finished items at craft fairs or online, there are many ways to potentially make money from making. In this episode, I looked at Etsy as a platform for selling creative makes with Claire Reed, an Etsy mentor who guides handmade business owners through their Etsy journeys. You can find links to Claire's services here.**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT A PAID...
2024-06-2122 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE LONGEST YARN: Commemorating D-Day in YarnYesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Along with the military commemorations, there was a very special one created in yarn, by hundreds of knitters & crocheters around the globe - The Longest Yarn.Tansy Forster, who has lived in Normandy for over 20 years, was inspired by the Post Box toppers she saw when she traveled to visit Arundel, in southern England. She thought she would have a go at something similar for her garden gate to commemorate this special anniversary. That idea soon morphed to create an 80 metre long yarn masterpiece showcasing scenes...
2024-06-0737 minMaking Stitches PodcastCreativity for Mental Health : a Dive into the Making Stitches Podcast ArchivesHello, I’m thrilled to be back with another series of episodes of Making Stitches Podcast. This time I’m doing something a bit different, instead of launching the new series with a new interview, I’ve taken a dive into the archives.Since I last spoke to you, Making Stitches celebrated its 4th birthday (which I think is pretty decent in podcasting) so I thought I’d indulge in a look back at some of the voices which have featured up until this point.One theme which has been consistent throughout, is the very real ben...
2024-05-2428 minMaking Stitches PodcastA Decade of Keeping Calm and Crocheting On with Heather GibbsTen years ago, Heather Gibbs was looking for an outlet for her crochet creativity and set up her blog; Keep Calm and Crochet On UK. Little did she know that her blog would be going from strength to strength a whole decade later, but that she would also end up working with a selection of different crochet magazines and yarn companies as well. In this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast, I chatted to Heather about how the blog came about in the first place, how her design career first got off the ground and her hopes fo...
2024-03-1526 minMaking Stitches PodcastWHY SEWING MATTERS with Barbara BurmanHello and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast!My guest for this episode is the historian and writer, Barbara Burman, whose latest book is 'The Point of the Needle - Why Sewing Matters'. Barbara, a retired academic from the University of Southampton and the University of the Arts, spent more than 40 years teaching and researching the history of dress and textiles. In her latest book, Barbara takes an in-depth look at the social and cultural significance of sewing, drawing on contemporary voices as well as historical research. In it, Barbara asks what people are sewing, why...
2024-03-0147 minMaking Stitches PodcastSpinning, Weaving and Niddy-Noddies with Cathy Wright from Lazy Kate TextilesWelcome to the first episode of Making Stitches in 2024! Sorry for the longer than anticipated break. This is the first of the final three episodes in series seven. This time, I’m sharing a chat I had late last year with Cathy Wright from Lazy Kate Textiles. Cathy’s a spinner and weaver sharing her love of creativity by teaching these heritage crafts to anyone who wants to learn. Based in Liverpool, Cathy sells the equipment needed to take up the crafts and runs workshops to show...
2024-02-1627 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES 2023 CHRISTMAS SPECIALHello there and welcome to the Making Stitches Podcast 2023 Christmas Special. Join me for a selection box of treats looking back at the past 12 months in my podcast world.You can hear from guests including Dr Mia Hobbs from the 'Why I Knit' Podcast on the mental health benefits of being creative, Dr Fran Darlington-Pollock from the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity about their yarny Christmas appeal this year and some more of my guests from the podcast this year. Also joining me are some of the lovely people I met at this year's Great Northern Textile Show...
2023-12-2227 minMaking Stitches PodcastLOVING THE LANGUAGE OF CROCHET with Jane CzajaJane Czaja has been trying to spread the love of crochet for decades, from teaching beginners groups back in the 1980s to running a crochet and chat group in her local library now! Jane has always been a maker, and since her retirement from computer programming and lecturing students about it, she has turned her attention to crochet full time. You can find Jane's name in the credits of crochet books, through her work as technical editor, she also does tech editing work for Inside Crochet and Disney Crochet Magazine. Jane is one of those amazing people...
2023-12-0833 minMaking Stitches PodcastDeck the Halls with the Greater Manchester Mayor's CharityThis time on Making Stitches Podcast, I want to share a great initiative which is happening in my home city of Manchester. Homelessness is a problem all year round in towns and cities across the world, not just here in the UK and it's a complex problem to solve. Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity was set up after our Mayor, Andy Burnham was elected. He chose to donate a percentage of his monthly wage to combatting rough sleeping across the city, and it was thanks to that the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity was born. The charity doesn't just...
2023-11-2415 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE GREAT NORTHERN TEXTILE SHOW 2023Hello and welcome to this latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast where I'm taking you out on the road with me to the second Great Northern Textile Show which happened a couple of weeks ago in Manchester.You'll hear from a selection of traders who brought their products to sell to visitors, several crafts guilds and three hugely talented textile artists who were invited to exhibit their work. In this episode I also spoke to the really inspiring Taslima from CDM UK Manchester which works with women and children (some of whom have suffered abuse) teaching them...
2023-11-1044 minMaking Stitches PodcastBlack Sheep Wools at 40 & looking ahead to the Great Northern Textile Show 2023Back in July, Black Sheep Wools, the largest independent yarn shop in the UK celebrated its 40th birthday. Friends of Black Sheep Wools were invited to join in with a two-day-long birthday party at the Craft Barn in Culcheth, Warrington. I went along to join the festivities and this episode shares a little bit of what went on. You can find the Black Sheep Wools website here, they are also on Instagram and Facebook. This weekend, the Great Northern Textile Show is back at Urmston in Manchester for a second year. The show, which features...
2023-10-2730 minMaking Stitches PodcastKNITTING IS THERAPEUTIC with Dr Mia HobbsWhen clinical psychologist, Dr Mia Hobbs, was studying at university, her mother suggested taking up knitting would be a great antidote for intensive study. Mia took her Mum's advice and started knitting a shawl which grew gradually as she worked. From then on, knitting became an important activity for Mia and over time crossed over into her work with colleagues and patients both within the NHS and private practice.Mia became so intrigued by the positive impact working with your hands can have on mental health, that she started the Why I Knit Podcast so she could...
2023-10-1332 minMaking Stitches PodcastFrom Food Styling to Sewing with Jen RichHello and welcome back to Making Stitches Podcast, it's so good to be back with you. I had to take and extended break from podcasting due to a lot of 'stuff' going on, but I'm thrilled to be back with you now with the first episode of Series 7!My guest this time is Jen Rich, a food stylist & photographer who bought her first sewing machine back in the days of Covid lockdown. Just three years on from teaching herself how to sew, Jen has written a book called 'Stitch: Sewing Projects for the Modern Maker'. She says...
2023-09-2936 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES PODCAST SERIES 7 TRAILERHello! Making Stitches is coming back very soon for a 7th series. Among my guests in the coming weeks will be food stylist & photographer turned sewing designer Jen Rich to talk about her new book aimed at beginners and established sewists alike, I'll take you along to the Black Sheep Wools 40th birthday weekend and clinical psychologist and knitter, Dr Mia Hobbs from Why I Knit Podcast will be speaking to me about the therapeutic benefits of crafts.I can't wait to bring you these creative chats and lots more too in the weeks and months ahead.
2023-09-1504 minMaking Stitches PodcastTAPESTRY CROCHET with CATHERINE CROCHETSWay back in December 2022 I promised you this episode of Making Stitches with crochet designer Catherine from Catherine Crochets. Unfortunately, life rather got in the way of those plans, so now, six months later than originally promised is the final episode of the current series of Making Stitches.Catherine got hooked on crochet while expecting her second child and since then, her passion for tapestry crochet has grown and grown. Her designs have been featured in books and magazines and she has also designed for yarn companies too. Catherine's designs are often influenced by geometric patterns and, I...
2023-07-0724 minMaking Stitches Podcast2022 CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR SPECIAL PART 2 : REVIEW OF THE YEARIt's that time again, as 2022 draws to a close, I'm taking you on a romp through this year's Making Stitches back catalogue with a few of my highlights.You can hear from Figen Murray, Amanda Bloom from Cosy Life Boxes, Rafael Alcaide from Amoami, Beth Gillions, Conservation Officer at the People's History Museum, Eleonora Tulley from Coastal Crochet, highlights from the first Great Northern Textile Show, Leah Higgins, Tracy Fox and Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer.This year, Making Stitches has been listened to across 6 continents and has held the number one spot in the...
2022-12-3029 minMaking Stitches Podcast2022 CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR SPECIAL PART 1 : OLD FRIENDSIn this, the first of two Christmas and New Year specials this year, I catch up with a few old friends of the podcast: Lisa & Lynda-Rose from The Crochet Sanctuary (my first ever guests on Making Stitches) and Christine Perry, otherwise known as Winwick Mum, who first appeared back in Episode 31). We look back at what's been happening in the worlds of The Crochet Sanctuary and sock knitting in 2022 as well as their plans for 2023, and what they are hoping to achieve with their New Year's Resolutions too. You can find The Crochet Sanctuary website...
2022-12-2330 minMaking Stitches PodcastStand With Ukraine Art Quilts Auction with Olesya LebedenkoWe first met Olesya Lebedenko on the podcast back in March. Olesya is a Ukrainian textile artist who designs the most beautiful art quilts. She moved to Canada with her family back in 2014 and since then has become a Bernina ambassador as well as a regular on the quilt show circuit in Canada and the United States.In our last chat, in Episode 41, Olesya spoke about the evolution of her craft from making rag dolls and running workshops in Kyiv to creating quilts in Canada as well as her fears for her friends and family back at...
2022-12-2044 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE POWER OF SEWING with Clare Hunter & Michelle EdwardsThis time on Making Stitches, I'm sharing a couple of chats I had recently with authors who have written about sewing and the power it gives, from offering respite and hope in the hardest of situations and a voice to those who have had theirs silenced and the simple ability to fix a hole in your clothes. Clare Hunter has worked with textiles for many years, working as a community artist, exhibition curator and banner maker. After hearing many stories about how important sewing and embroidery had been in peoples' lives throughout history, she decided to write...
2022-12-0944 minMaking Stitches PodcastSewing to Save the Planet with Stitched Up!Disposable fast fashion is a huge cause of pollution and damage to the environment, but one community benefit society in Manchester has been doing its bit to help for the past decade. Stitched Up! which is now based in Stretford Mall in Greater Manchester has been rescuing unwanted fabric and teaching sewing skills in a bid to help people get more out of their clothes and slow down the damage being done to the planet.The organisation takes donations of unwanted fabric and sells it on to sewists at a discounted rate as well as offering workshops...
2022-11-2525 minMaking Stitches PodcastAmoami: A Symbol of Crochet Resistance with Rafael AlcaideA chance experience at an airport back in March left its mark on Rafael Alcaide. On returning home to Madrid, Rafael saw a large group of Ukrainian women and children who had just arrived from fleeing the invasion in their homeland. Wanting to do something to help, Rafael turned to his friend Rita, a crochet designer, and together they came up with a design for a small amigurumi bear which has become a symbol of resistance for the refugees. Within weeks, Amoami, a social enterprise was born and they began training the Ukrainian women in how to...
2022-11-1120 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE GREAT NORTHERN TEXTILE SHOW 2022Last Sunday, the first ever Great Northern Textile Show opened its doors to the public, welcoming crafters to mingle with artists and craftspeople from a wide range of disciplines and enjoy a celebration of creativity.The event was Tracy Fox's idea - my guest for the previous episode of Making Stitches - as an artist, print maker and dyer of fabric herself, she felt there was a gap in the market for a show celebrating local talent in Manchester and the wider area. As a city built on textiles during the industrial revolution, Tracy believed there should b...
2022-10-2843 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM RUSTY METAL TO WORKS OF ART with Tracy Fox ~ Dyer, Print Maker & ArtistThere are many strings to Tracy Fox's bow, she describes herself as a dyer, print maker and artist creating the most beautiful art fabrics in her home studio in Manchester. She also uses her fabric to make stunning art quilts and has exhibited her work and sold her cloth at various craft shows over the years. It was at one of those shows, the Nantwich Quilters Exhibition and Fabric Sale, that she was approached to take over the management and running of the show, which she has done ever since. Five years on, she's now launching another show, this...
2022-10-1443 minMaking Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2022 : A Festival of Yarn & FriendshipIt hardly seems a year ago that I last followed the Yarn Walk to Skipton Auction Mart for Yarndale 2021. Last year saw the yarn festival based in North Yorkshire return after Covid, and this year it's celebrating it's 10th birthday. Seeing as I had such fun on my last visit, I had to return - not just to squish some gorgeous yarn - but to meet more lovely crafty folk.This episode, the first of the sixth series of Making Stitches Podcast, is a snapshot of the fabulous day I spent at Yarndale 2022 last Saturday. You will...
2022-09-3034 minMaking Stitches PodcastCOLOURFUL SOCKS & JUMBO CROCHET HOOKS with Winwick Mum & Juey Jumbo Craft ToolsHello and welcome to Episode 50 of Making Stitches and the last episode in this series. As it's the end of the current series, I thought I'd reconnect with a couple of friends of the podcast and catch up with their latest news. My guests for this episode are Sock Knitting Champion; Christine Perry or Winwick Mum as she's known online and Juey from Juey Jumbo Craft Tools who I met at Yarndale in September last year. When I first met Juey, I was stopped in my tracks as I walked past her stall at Yarndale 2021 (you can...
2022-07-2934 minMaking Stitches PodcastKNITTING, CROCHET & THE ONLINE CRAFT COMMUNITY with EmmaknittyHello and welcome to this, the penultimate episode of this current series of Making Stitches Podcast! This time, Emma Munn AKA Emmaknitty is my guest sharing the story of her creative journey into knit & crochet design. Originally from the South of England, Emma and her family now call Oviedo in Northern Spain home and it's from there she manages her small craft business alongside her job as an adult education teacher. Emma specialises in homeware & accessory designs and has seen her work published in a number of craft magazines including Mollie Makes. During our chat...
2022-07-1531 minMaking Stitches PodcastYARN, FOOD, NATURE & THE UNIVERSE with Kitey from the Yarn WhispererThe last couple of years have seen many of us take a step back and reconsider what it is we want to do with our lives. The pandemic gave us a new perspective and often forced us to change paths. Kitey from the Yarn Whisperer is no different. After a 30 year-long career in teaching in various countries around the world, he found inspiration in a plate of Padron Peppers whilst on holiday in Spain and decided yarn was the way forwards for him.Kitey's first attempts at dying his own yarns were inspired by the green peppers...
2022-07-0149 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM LAW TO CROSS STITCH with Sally Wilson from Caterpillar Cross StitchLike so many makers, despite loving all the creative subjects at school, Sally Wilson took a traditional route of study and then a 'conventional' career which for her was as a lawyer. However, whilst on maternity leave, she began to question whether a return to law was really what she wanted at the end of her family time away from her job. Sally found time to shoe-horn in an e-commerce course and to build a website around caring for her young daughter before breaking the news to her friends and family (and her boss) that instead of...
2022-06-1731 minMaking Stitches PodcastA NEW VENTURE FOR THE CROCHET PROJECT with Joanne ScraceThis time on Making Stitches Podcast, crochet is under the spotlight and Joanne Scrace from The Crochet Project in particular. The Crochet Project was set up to design and write beautiful crochet patterns using natural yarns and with inclusivity high on the agenda. Crochet Project patterns come in a wide range of sizes to fit all bodies, avoid gender assumptions and even come with directions for left-handed crocheters where necessary. Once a partnership between Joanne Scrace and Kat Goldin, Kat has now stepped away and left Joanne at the helm.Joanne, who got into crochet...
2022-06-0332 minMaking Stitches PodcastPRESERVING THE FABRIC OF OUR HISTORY with The People's History MuseumThis time on Making Stitches Podcast, I'm taking you out on the road with me to the People's History Museum in the centre of Manchester. It is the national museum of democracy and home the world's largest collection of trades union banners. Being custodians of the literal fabric of our history requires painstaking conservation work to keep the banners in a stable condition for future generations to enjoy.I tagged along with a tour of the current banner exhibition and was then incredibly lucky to go behind the scenes at the conservation workshop with Beth Gillions the...
2022-05-2027 minMaking Stitches PodcastCROCHET & KNITTING AT THE WOOLNEST with Lynne RoweCrochet & Knitting designer Lynne Rowe is my guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast. Lynne first learned to knit and crochet as a child, but it was after the birth of her own children that she turned to yarn crafts in earnest. Firstly knitting for pleasure, then to raise money for charity, Lynne then ventured into crochet and knitting design and has written several books as well as working with a number of different craft magazines. A passionate yarn crafter, Lynne runs workshops for beginners as well as mentoring crochet and knitting designers to he...
2022-05-0636 minMaking Stitches PodcastCOLOUR, CREATIVITY & A COMMUNITY KICK-STARTER with Clare Albans from hellohooray.comHello and welcome to this episode of Making Stitches Podcast celebrating the joys of colour and creativity as well as community support. When Clare Albans left a career in music behind, hand embroidery helped fill the gap leaving her job had left her with. After blogging about her life and makes for several years, Clare launched her small embroidery business selling designs and haberdashery and filling her Instagram followers feeds with a riot of colour and inspiration. Last year, Clare launched a kick-starter campaign to raise the funds needed to open her own bricks and...
2022-04-1242 minMaking Stitches PodcastCROCHET-TASTIC with Hannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet & Amanda Bloom from Little Box of CrochetWelcome to a crochet-tastic double bill of Making Stitches featuring not just one, but two inspirational makers; Hannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet and Amanda Bloom from Little Box of Crochet. My first guest, Hannah Cross has been designing crochet garments, toys and soft furnishings for over a decade and has been featured in Simply Crochet Magazine many times over those years. After leaving a career in Midwifery, Hannah now designs full time and is about to launch her first crochet course this spring. She spoke to me about how she finds comfort in her crochet and how...
2022-04-0831 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM UKRAINIAN EMBROIDERY TO CANADIAN QUILTING with Olesya LebedenkoHello and welcome to the first episode in this new series of Making Stitches Podcast!Kicking off the series is a chat I had with Ukrainian artist Olesya Lebedenko. Olesya first got creative as a young child making up stories for her toys, then at the age of 5 she was taught to cross-stitch by her grandmother. Crafts would stay with her throughout her life - she says she has never been able to sit and do nothing with her hands. When the global economic crash hit in 2008, Olesya found herself without a job and expecting...
2022-03-251h 01Making Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES PODCAST SERIES 5 TRAILERHello there! Making Stitches Podcast will be returning to your podcast feed very soon with a new series. I'm looking forward to bringing you some more inspiring maker stories with guests from the worlds of quilting, crochet and embroidery as well as many other crafts as well. Among my guests for the new 5th series are Olesya Lebedenko, a Ukranian artist who makes the most amazing quilt blocks and appliqued items. Crochet designer Hannah Cross from Hanjan Crochet who speaks about how her crochet developed from making accessories for her wedding to turning into her full-time career...
2022-03-2104 minMaking Stitches PodcastFORGIVENESS, HOPE & KNITTED BEARS with Figen MurrayFigen Murray first took up knitting seriously to help her cope with hearing loss. At the time, she was working as a psychotherapist, and decided to practice what she preached and turned to creativity to help lift her mood. Little did she know then that just a few years later her knitting would help her cope with the dreadful loss of her son, Martyn Hett, who was one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. By the time of the attack, Figen had taken to knitting bears which she sold online and which she used...
2022-01-1435 minMaking Stitches PodcastCELEBRATING FREEDOM & CRAFTY RESOLUTIONS FOR 2022 : The Making Stitches Podcast Review of the Year (Part 2)I hope you've had a lovely Christmas! I have one last gift for you this year before the clock strikes midnight again and we begin another year. Following on from the Happy Stitchmas episode published on Christmas Eve, this is my Hogmanay offering with a celebration of some of the freedoms I was able to enjoy this year as well as hearing about peoples' crafty New Year's Resolutions for 2022.Among my guests for this trip down Memory Lane are Crochet Sanctuary regulars Diane & Sam who I met on my visit to the Crochet Sanctuary in Cheshire in...
2021-12-3146 minMaking Stitches PodcastHAPPY STITCHMAS 2021! The Making Stitches Podcast Christmas Special & Review of the Year (Part 1)It's Christmas Eve, so here's my Christmas gift to you dear listener! This year I'm splitting my Christmas Special into two halves, the first one is here for you today, and the second one will be out one week from today on New Year's Eve. In Part 1 I look back at a few of my personal highlights of the year so far on Making Stitches and feature little snippets from interviews with Sara Huntington - Editor of Simply Crochet Magazine, Louise Armitage aka Gini's Dorset Buttons, Great British Sewing Bee 2021 contestant Adam Brooks, Heather Griffith from HGDC...
2021-12-2435 minMaking Stitches PodcastMOORIT AND THE WONDERS OF CROCHET with Alyson ChuWhen Alyson Chu spotted a gap in the market for a high-end crochet magazine, she decided to draw on her publishing experience and put one together herself. With Kick-Starter backing of over 600 individuals and the support of a group of crochet designers, Moorit was born this autumn showcasing beautiful crocheted garments to make as well as articles and a very cute sheep project too. A podcaster herself for more than 4 years along with her mother, Vivian, with Keep Calm and Carry Yarn, Alyson is well used to speaking about her ongoing projects and her love of crochet. I...
2021-12-1724 minMaking Stitches PodcastCRAFTING A DREAM SEWING BUSINESS with Freya Gilbert and Sarah Wadey of Crafty Sew and SoWhen Freya Gilbert and Sarah Wadey met at a sewing workshop in 2014, they knew they had met a kindred spirit. Within months they followed their dreams of setting up a sewing business and opened their bricks and mortar shop Crafty Sew and So in Leicester selling fabric haberdashery and offering award-winning workshops. They used their skills gained in retail and the fashion industry to build their business which included a variety of craft workshops as well as dressmaking patterns and kits. When Covid forced the shop to close after 5 years of business, undeterred, Freya and Sarah moved...
2021-12-0330 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE POWER OF THE CRAFT COMMUNITY with Sara Mulvey of Black Sheep WoolsI have been wanting to share this episode with you for a very long time. Back in the darkest days of Covid and lockdown in the Spring of 2020, one of the things which kept me going was watching the series of videos posted by Sara Mulvey from Black Sheep Wools. They ranged from chats about yarn supplies and things which could be ordered from the shop to projects she and the rest of the team were working on to general chit chat about surviving the mundane routines we all found ourselves in during those long months of lockdown.
2021-11-1930 minMaking Stitches PodcastLIVING A COLOURFUL CROCHET LIFE with Emma LeithWhen I sat down to chat with the self-named 'Queen of Colour' & crochet designer Emma Leith, I was in for a treat. Emma's enthusiasm for creativity and colour is infectious and she was a delight to speak to. She started out teaching mosaic but a couple of large scale yarnbombs brought Emma to prominence and two books of crochet patterns soon followed. Emma's mindful creations and colour choices are so zingy and uplifting - you can't help but be filled with optimism when you see them.I hope you enjoy our chat which covered subjects including how...
2021-11-0544 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE PATCHWORK GIRLS with Elaine EverestFor many of us, our crafts take a back seat as we concentrate on our careers and creativity can be stifled by everyday life. For novelist, Elaine Everest, a childhood growing up with a mother who made clothes and sewed for friends and family, that creativity stayed with her. From dressmaking as a young girl to making designer garments on a knitting machine for London boutiques to then setting up her own business sewing raincoats for dogs, Elaine achieved a lot before she embarked on yet another creative career as a novelist.Sewing is a theme which...
2021-10-2228 minMaking Stitches PodcastYARNDALE 2021 : A FESTIVAL OF YARN, CREATIVITY & COMMUNITYAfter a hiatus due to the pandemic last year, Yarndale returned to Skipton Auction Mart on 25th & 26th September and I was thrilled to be able to go along! As well as my mask and hand sanitizer I took my microphone and met so many truly lovely people. This episode is my experience of Yarndale 2021, which in a nutshell was wonderful, friendly, colourful and utterly uplifting. In it you will hear from yarn dyers, craftspeople and business owners who were exhibiting their wares along with Matt Farci from Crojo.Life and Alyson Chu from Moorit Magazine as w...
2021-10-0836 minMaking Stitches PodcastTEACHING THE WORLD TO KNIT SOCKS with Christine Perry aka Winwick MumHello and welcome to the first episode in series four of Making Stitches Podcast. It has been a very busy summer for me researching stories and makers to share with you on the podcast as well as working on my own creative projects too. It's a real joy to be back with you! In this episode we hear from Christine Perry, who you may know better as Winwick Mum, a champion of sock knitting who has made it her life's work to simplify the sock-knitting process so anyone can achieve success and knit their own socks...
2021-09-2435 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES PODCAST SERIES 4 TRAILERHello! Making Stitches Podcast is returning with a brand new series very soon. I'm looking forward to bringing you more inspiring maker stories and sharing more inspiring conversations. Among my first few guests will be the a a queen of colourful crochet, a sock-knitting champion who wants to teach the world to knit socks and a novelist who has used her love of patchwork quilting and sewing as the inspiration for her new novel.Please make sure you subscribe to Making Stitches on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss the new episodes when they come...
2021-09-2001 minMaking Stitches PodcastA FLOCK OF CANARY CRAFTIVISTS - BONUS EPISODEHello there! Although Making Stitches is supposedly on a summer break, here's a little bonus episode all about a project I've been involved with recently which began with a previous episode of this podcast. Back in May, I released Episode 25 of Making Stitches which featured a chat I had with Sarah Corbett from the Craftivist Collective. In it, she told me about her plan for a summer of 'craftivism' featuring flocks of Canary Craftivists staging public displays of crafting to raise awareness of environmental issues ahead of this year's Cop 26 climate summit in Glasgow.Galvanized by Sarah's...
2021-08-0625 minMaking Stitches PodcastSEW ON THE GO with Mary Jane BaxterBack in the days before Covid, when the notion of being able to pack up a camper van and do a road trip of Europe was a thing, former BBC Brussels Correspondent Mary Jane Baxter did just that. She did it in style in a 1986 Bedford Bambi van adorned with vintage wallpaper. Taking just a few possessions with her, including her hand-crank sewing machine and a collection of her own hand-made hats, she set off on a voyage of creativity and adventure calling in on former work colleagues and discovering new textile inspired destinations.On her return...
2021-07-2353 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM SEWING SCRUBS TO SEWING BEE with Adam BrooksI don't know about you but this year's Great British Sewing Bee was just what the doctor ordered for me. After a spring of lockdowns, isolation, burst bubbles and home schooling, the creativity, colour and humour of GBSB was so uplifting. The standard of the contestants this year was really high, and many of them could have gone all the way to final had it not been for one bad day when things didn't go exactly according to plan. The camaraderie of the 12 sewing competitors, the friendships you were able to witness developing and the fabulous garments...
2021-07-0935 minMaking Stitches PodcastHOOKING A BRIGHTER FUTURE with Louise Murray from Hooked by LouSo many of my guests on the podcast so far have spoken about the healing properties of their crafts, the mindfulness of repetitive stitching, be that with a sewing needle or machine, a pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook. For my guest in this episode, Louise Murray, crochet and other crafts have helped her in her journey since losing her brother suddenly four years ago.Back on 22nd May 2017, a terrorist attack on an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena left more than 800 people injured and twenty two people lost their lives. One of t...
2021-06-2515 minMaking Stitches PodcastCROCHET, CHERRY BLOSSOM & FRIENDSHIP - A DAY OUT AT THE CROCHET SANCTUARYI'm so happy that I've been able to bring you this latest episode of Making Stitches. Back in the spring of 2020 when I was recording my first episode of Making Stitches, I imagined that before too long, I would be able to travel to meet inspiring makers and record their stories in person. Thanks to Covid lockdowns and restrictions, that hasn't been able to happen until now. That first episode of the podcast featured two ladies, Lisa Hesketh & Lynda-Rose Simonini, the creators of The Crochet Sanctuary, and the brains behind the Pandemonium Blanket Crochet-along (or CAL) which helped hundreds o...
2021-06-1124 minMaking Stitches PodcastGRANNY SQUARE APPRECIATION with Heather Griffith from HG Designs CrochetCrochet can be a form of therapy for so many of us, but for Heather Griffith of HG Designs Crochet, it was through using the craft as rehabilitation after an injury, which set her off on a whole new adventure. At the time, Heather was training to be a lawyer and the repetitive movements of making granny squares helped her physically and mentally throughout her training. It was last year though, during a period of ill health that she appealed for help to the online crochet community to buy her granny square patterns (to sustain her financially...
2021-05-2828 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE ART OF GENTLE PROTEST with Sarah Corbett from The Craftivist CollectiveA chance conversation about a small embroidery project while on a long train journey led Sarah Corbett to unite her interest in craft with her passion for activism. Sarah says that at the time of that conversation, while working on a cross-stitch kit during a 5-hour-long train trip, she was feeling burned out by her job as an activist. But she realised there was a way to marry the mindfulness of stitching and other crafts with getting important messages across and supporting the under represented in society.Sarah now single-handedly runs The Craftivist Collective and has engaged...
2021-05-1450 minMaking Stitches PodcastTHE EVOLUTION OF A CROCHETER with Rosina from Zeens & RogerSpecialising in bright colours and most recently items of clothing like cardigans, mittens and cowls, Rosina from Zeens and Roger is a prolific crochet designer. Based in Devon in the south west of England, Rosina balances her work and family life with creating beautiful crocheted designs, a blog and a popular YouTube channel.Rosina was first taught to crochet by her Nan but it was only when she went on maternity leave with her eldest son, that she picked up a crochet hook again. Since her first makes for her new born child, she began designing for...
2021-04-3024 minMaking Stitches PodcastSTITCHED with Textile Artist, Matthew DownhamWelsh textile artist Matthew Downham always knew he wanted to be an artist, and when he picked up a needle and thread, he knew that was the medium for him. Matthew, who has exhibited his art in the United States, uses layers of stitches to cover teddy bears in his work. For him, the act of threading a needle and tying a knot is as much part of the art as the finished piece itself.In this episode, Matthew shared with me his journey to becoming the artist he is today, which was interrupted by a prolonged pe...
2021-04-1620 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM CHRISTMAS MAKES TO AMIGURUMI APRIL with Hayley Shelton from DotcraftstudioHello again! Last episode we heard from Louise Armitage aka Gini's Dorset Buttons, and how a friendship blossomed between her and Hayley Shelton from Dotcraftstudio while they were competing in Kirstie's Handmade Christmas last year. Well it didn't seem right to only hear from one half of that crafty partnership, so in this episode I share the chat I had with Hayley all about her craft and her amazing end to 2020.We know Hayley for bringing amigurumi to a national television audience in December last year as she created a beautiful reindeer head using the amigurumi crochet...
2021-04-0222 minMaking Stitches PodcastKEEPING A HERITAGE CRAFT ALIVE with Gini's Dorset ButtonsUntil I watched last year's Kirstie's Handmade Christmas (in December 2020), I had never heard of Dorset Buttons before. That was until Louise Armitage (also known as Gini) created the most beautiful picture using Dorset Buttons to depict the seasons of the year and clinched the trophy for the Handmade Decoration competition.Dorset Buttons originated from the county of Dorset (the clue's in the name) on the south coast of England and have been around since the 1600s. They were used to fasten items of clothing in the days before mass produced machine-made buttons were available and were...
2021-03-1945 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAKING STITCHES PODCAST SERIES 3 TRAILERHello there! Making Stitches is coming back for a third series very soon. I can't wait so share some more fascinating conversations with inspiring makers with you. Over the next few weeks you'll be hearing chats I've had with people from the world of textile art and crochet including two TV stars and a YouTuber!Please make sure you subscribe to Making Stitches on your favourite podcast app so you don't miss the new episodes when they come out. You can also follow Making Stitches on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where all the latest information about episodes...
2021-03-1200 minMaking Stitches PodcastMAPPING THE WORLD IN TEXTILES with Janet Browne, Textile ArtistHello and welcome to the twentieth episode of Making Stitches. After two episodes almost exclusively focusing on crochet, our attention is turned to textiles and textile art in particular this time. Late last year I spoke to Yorkshire-based textile artist Janet Browne about her beautiful observational work which maps journeys she has made as well as townscapes, gardens and allotments. Like all of us, 2020 and the pandemic has seen Janet's world shrink from the freedom of long car journeys to walks around her local neighbourhood and that has had an impact on her work. She spoke to...
2021-01-2235 minMaking Stitches PodcastDOING WHAT YOU LOVE with Sara Huntington, Editor of Simply Crochet MagazineHappy New Year and welcome to the first episode of Making Stitches for 2021! In this episode you can hear from crochet designer and Editor of Simply Crochet Magazine Sara Huntington. Sara has been crocheting for 20 years and several years ago made a conscious decision to follow her dreams and turn her passion for her craft into her profession after juggling two jobs as well as motherhood to get there. Sara has seen a boom in the number of people getting interested in crafts and specifically crochet in recent months and is an advocate for its benefits. In...
2021-01-0824 minMaking Stitches PodcastHAPPY STITCHMAS! The Making Stitches 2020 Christmas SpecialHappy Stitchmas! In the words of one of my guests for this Christmas Special episode '2020 has been a year like no other', not least because lockdown was responsible for setting me off on this Making Stitches podcasting journey. Back in spring as we were locked down during the first wave of the pandemic, I decided to focus some of my time on speaking to inspiring makers and telling their stories.Since then I have spoken to people from all walks of life who enjoy yarn crafts, sewing and weaving. My guests have been from...
2020-12-2551 minMaking Stitches PodcastFINDING COLOUR INSPIRATION IN A LOCKDOWN VEG PATCH with Agnis SmallwoodThis week, designer, maker, educator and weaver Agnis Smallwood speaks to me about her craft, her creative journey and how she found inspiration for her work this year among the carrots and radishes she grew in her small veg patch during lockdown. Agnis, who is based in Yorkshire, works on solo weaving projects as well as collaborations with organisations like museums. She also teaches weaving and other crafts like rag rug making and felting.Just a few generations ago looms were a familiar sight in domestic settings giving artisans the chance to work from home. Just like...
2020-12-1122 minMaking Stitches PodcastCREATIVITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH with Emma Jones from Vintage Sewing Box & Looking Ahead to Christmas with The Apex SingersCreativity whether it's music, craft or art has long been seen as having a positive impact on mental health, and after the year we have all experienced, it's something many of us have had to focus on. This week on Making Stitches, Emma Jones from Vintage Sewing Box speaks about the benefits of focusing the mind on stitching and how that simple repetitive activity can calm the mind. Emma also discusses her love of English Paper Piecing and hand embroidery and has a truly lovely tale about a quilt dedicated to the memory of her Gran.Also...
2020-11-2724 minMaking Stitches PodcastFROM ALPACAS TO THE 3 WISE MEN with Kerry Lord from Toft UKKerry Lord took up crochet for the first time when she went on maternity leave from her family's yarn business less than ten years ago. She watched some YouTube tutorials and created a cuddly elephant for her baby, who was still yet to be born. Little did she know back then that Bridget the Elephant would eventually go on to be made thousands of times by crocheters around the world and the book of crochet animal patterns she would go on to write would be translated into 22 different languages.This week on Making Stitches, I have a...
2020-11-1322 minMaking Stitches PodcastSTITCHING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN with Cathy Emmott from Dear Emma DesignsMany of us choose to seek a different career path after starting a family, and Cathy Emmott is no different. She took the time she spent on maternity leave with her young family to look at ways of developing her creative side rather than returning to a job in finance. After a lifetime of being creative, she dusted off her sewing machine and began creating fabric pictures inspired by her surroundings in the Yorkshire Dales. Her business 'Dear Emma Designs' was born and after initially selling her work at local craft fairs, she branched into online sales and leading...
2020-10-3034 minMaking Stitches PodcastCROCHET AND COMMUNITY with Jill from Gum Leaf CrochetWhen Jill, a former nurse living on the eastern coast of Australia, joined Instagram to share her crochet makes three years ago, little did she know she would create a 14,000 strong community of like-minded people. In this episode of Making Stitches, Jill of Gum Leaf Crochet tells me all about how crochet and this online community has helped her in her 'second life' after injury and serious illness forced her to make big life changes. You can find Jill on Instagram, Facebook and Ravelry as Gum Leaf Crochet.For full show notes for this episode...
2020-10-1625 minMaking Stitches PodcastBAG MAKING WITH MRS H & YARNDALE@HOME 2020This week on Making Stitches I have two guests for you; Bag Maker Extraordinaire Samantha Hussey (otherwise known as Mrs H) and Carole Rennison from Yarndale. Last weekend saw the first ever Yarndale@home as the yarn festival was forced to go online because of the current Covid restrictions. I caught up with Carole earlier this week to find out how the new-look festival had gone. Before that though, you will hear from Samantha Hussey of Patterns by Mrs H. A bag maker who is on a mission to share the love of her craft with anyone...
2020-10-0232 minMaking Stitches PodcastA LIFE IN DRESSMAKING with Dorcas HammondHello and welcome to the tenth and final episode in the first series of Making Stitches. This week I'm sharing a story which is very special to me, that of my sewing teacher Dorcas Hammond.With a career spanning more than 30 years, Dorcas Hammond is a well-known name in Gibraltar. Her dressmaking workshop has created gowns for many brides and beauty queens ahead of their big events - none more so than when Kaiane Aldorino was crowned Miss World in 2009. Dorcas has held fashion shows in London, Marbella, Madrid and Portugal, and has won several d...
2020-06-2623 minMaking Stitches PodcastCROCHETING UNDER LOCKDOWN with Esther from Essie BirdiesMaking Stitches this week, features its first international guest, crochet designer, Esther from Essie Birdies who lives in the Netherlands. Ether's interest in crochet was sparked when her daughter was given an amigurumi kit 10 years ago. She taught herself crochet so she could make it for her, that set her off on a path to designing small toys, shawls, bags and home furnishings. Esther's story just goes to prove that you don't have to start early to make an impact in the world of crochet. She now works in collaboration with yarn brands and has a website...
2020-06-1923 minMaking Stitches PodcastSTRANDED KNITTING with Phil from The Twisted YarnThis week, Phil from The Twisted Yarn shared her story on Making Stitches. A knitter and crocheter in her spare time, Phil works as a clinical psychologist in her day job and is a mother of twin boys.Known as 'The Modern Knitter' in her quarterly column in Simply Knitting magazine, Phil has also appeared on BBC TV with her imaginatively reupholstered chair which was reborn as a yarny country cottage complete with a front garden, pond and vegetable patch!Phil's real love though is her own take on modern stranded knitting rather than the...
2020-06-1216 min
Gibraltar StoriesInternational Women's Day 2020 Gibraltar Conference(Episode 33)Hello there! Gibraltar Stories is back after an enforced break due to Coronavirus and all that that entails. Back in March, I was focusing on Women in Gibraltar as it was International Women's Day back then. I had planned to round off the series with a look back at a special conference which took place in Gibraltar.Now, two months later than planned, I can bring you that episode. On 5th March, Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses and Women in Business Gibraltar hosted an International Women's Day conference onboard the Sunborn Yacht Hotel in Ocean Village....
2020-05-1524 minMaking Stitches PodcastMaking Stitches TeaserHello, and welcome to the brand new Making Stitches Podcast. I'm Lindsay and I have a passion for making things in my free time (and even when I'm supposed to be doing other things). This is a podcast which tells the stories behind the crafts, patterns and make-alongs which bind us amateur and even the professional crafters together in this huge online community we exist in. What better time to start that than now, while many of us are stuck indoors because the Coronavirus pandemic? Arts and crafts are enjoying a resurgence now we have more free time on...
2020-04-1301 min
Gibraltar StoriesInspiring Gibraltar Women Pt 3 Alice Mascarenhas (Episode 32)Throughout March Gibraltar Stories is focusing in on stories of Inspiring Gibraltar Women. So far, we have heard from the worlds of business and music, today it’s the turn of someone who has entertained and informed Gibraltar through theatre, broadcasting and print journalism. This week, I am thrilled to be able to share the story of someone whom I admire a great deal – a person who loves telling people’s stories as much, if not more than I do. I feel extremely honoured that she agreed to tell me hers… This episode is dedicated to Alice Mascarenhas.
2020-03-2059 minGibraltar StoriesInspiring Gibraltar Women Pt 2 Layla Bugeja (Episode 31)In this week’s Gibraltar Stories ‘Inspiring Gibraltar Women’ episode you will hear from a truly inspirational young woman, Layla Bugeja. From opening the Main Stage at the Gibraltar Music Festival for Ricky Martin, to juggling her A-Level studies around her song writing and music commitments wandhat the future holds for her as she sets her sights on a move to Tennessee, Layla, at the age of just 18 has achieved so much already. I was thrilled to be able to have a chat with Layla recently and not only that, she performed a couple of her newest songs for me...
2020-03-1317 minGibraltar StoriesInspiring Gibraltar Women Pt 1 Denise Matthews (Episode 30)Hello and welcome to Gibraltar Stories. As this coming Sunday 8th March marks international women’s day I thought it appropriate to spend a few weeks speaking to some of the inspiring women I have met within the Gibraltar community while it has been my home. Over the coming weeks I hope to bring you some conversations with women from all walks of life in Gibraltar and give them a platform to speak about what they do. The first inspiring Gibraltar woman I spoke to is Denise Matthews, a mother and (in her own words) ‘a feisty business woma...
2020-03-0628 minGibraltar StoriesCavalcade 2020 (Episode 29)Hello there! Gibraltar Stories is back and what better way to kick off the new series than with an episode about the event which kick starts the Gibraltar social calendar each year – the Cavalcade. In this episode you can hear from Eric Abudharam, President of the Gibraltar Cavalcade Committee as well as some of the people who worked round the clock over the Christmas period to get their floats ready in time of the big night on 5th January.My thanks to everyone who took the time to speak to me for this podcast including Eric Abudharam, Horace Bo...
2020-02-2820 minGibraltar StoriesA Special Olympics Story with Julian De Las Heras (Episode 28)In this, the final Gibraltar Stories episode of 2019, I’m sharing a Special Olympics story with you. This year has been an unforgettable one for the athletes involved in the 50th Anniversary Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. Back in March, nineteen athletes from Gibraltar travelled to the games and took part in a range of sports including athletics, swimming, golf and equestrian. One of those athletes was Julian De Las Heras, who won silver in golf. In this episode, Julian speaks about how Special Olympics has changed his life, we also hear from his golf coach and Special Olympics Gibraltar Ex...
2019-12-2024 minGibraltar StoriesGibraltar International Literary Festival 2019 : Exploring Tangier With Richard Hamilton (Ep 27)In this, the third and final podcast episode looking at this year’s Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival, I speak to Richard Hamilton. Author of two books about Morocco and a former North Africa Correspondent for the BBC, Richard tells me about his affection for Tangier and the frustrations he experienced while researching this latest book ‘Tangier - From the Romans to the Rolling Stones’. A magnet for creatives like William Burroughs, Paul Bowles, Henri Matisse and Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones, the city has captivated and inspired many visitors and some of their stories can be found...
2019-12-1321 minGibraltar StoriesGibraltar International Literary Festival 2019 : Visiting Writers (Episode 26)Feminism, the life of John Buchan, the history and habits of our furry neighbours - the Barbary Macaques and a thriller set in Gibraltar all feature in this second episode looking at the 2019 Gibraltar International Literary Festival. Now in its seventh edition, the festival draws writers and visitors from far afield as well as showcasing local talent. This year, forty speakers enthralled audiences with their take on the world and their literary works. This week’s episode of Gibraltar Stories features conversations with Ursula Buchan, Paola Diana, Professor Larry Sawchuk & Professor Lianne Tripp and Kitty Sewell.
2019-12-0629 minGibraltar StoriesGibraltar International Literary Festival 2019 : Gibraltar Writers (Episode 25)Each year, in November Gibraltar becomes a hive of activity and intellectual discourse as the Literary Festival rolls into town. Now in its seventh edition, the festival draws writers and visitors from far afield as well as showcasing local talent. This year, forty speakers enthralled audiences with their take on the world and their literary works. This week’s episode of Gibraltar Stories concentrates on some of the local writers who presented their work at this year’s festival.For more information on The Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival, please check out their website: http://www.gibraltarliteraryfestival.com...
2019-11-2925 minGibraltar StoriesRinging Gibraltar's bird visitors with GONHS (Episode 24)Each spring and autumn, Gibraltar is on the route for migratory birds either heading north into Europe or south into Africa. The Rock's geographical position and topography makes it an ideal route for crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Every year volunteer bird ringers travel to Gibraltar to help monitor the birds and track their health and progress. The base for this activity is the GONHS (Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society) Observatory & Field Centre at Jews Gate in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. In this podcast episode you can hear from some of the volunteers who make...
2019-11-2217 minGibraltar StoriesGibraltar Ghost Stories With Jackie Anderson (Episode 23)With just under a week to go before Hallowe’en, this episode of Gibraltar Stories looks at some of Gibraltar’s ghost stories.***This episode comes with a health warning: Listeners of a sensitive nature and young children may not enjoy all of the subject matter in this episode - it does get a bit gruesome in places. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea!***Gibraltar, just like any other city has a whole host of ghost stories and spooky legends, the most famous of which is probably the Grey Lady of the Convent (the gh...
2019-10-2516 min