Explore every episode of the podcast Sew What?
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Textiles in 18th-Century Britain: An Interview with Shilei Zeng | 29 Nov 2025 | 00:47:46 | |
In 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. | |||
| The History of Punch Needle: An Interview with Micah Clasper-Torch | 23 Oct 2025 | 01:01:52 | |
In 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. | |||
| Cambodian Textiles: An Interview with Dr Magali Berthon | 18 Jul 2024 | 01:01:15 | |
In 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. | |||
| The History of Crochet: An Interview with Eleanor Gilchrist | 23 May 2024 | 00:48:14 | |
In 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. | |||
| Women in Stitches: An Interview with Marcia Goldenstein | 18 Apr 2024 | 00:39:51 | |
In 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. | |||
| Naval Embroidery: An Interview with Maya Wassell Smith | 29 Mar 2024 | 00:55:21 | |
In 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. | |||
| Men at (Needle)work: An Interview with Jamie Chalmers | 29 Feb 2024 | 00:47:36 | |
In 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. | |||
| The Modern Venus: An Interview with Dr Lis Gernerd | 21 Dec 2023 | 00:44:46 | |
In 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. | |||
| Fashion City: An Interview with Dr Lucie Whitmore and Dr Bethan Bide | 14 Dec 2023 | 00:59:28 | |
In 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. | |||
| Elizabeth Hall and Friends: An Interview with Rebecca Scott | 26 Oct 2023 | 00:52:43 | |
In 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. | |||
| Stitching, Bright and Bold: An Interview with Danielle Clough | 20 Apr 2023 | 00:51:29 | |
In 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. | |||
| Weaving and Unweaving: An Interview with Raisa Kabir | 30 Mar 2023 | 00:58:34 | |
In 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. | |||
| The Embroidery of Lorina Bulwer: An Interview with Ruth Battersby | 17 Apr 2025 | 01:05:05 | |
In 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. | |||
| Women's Work: An Interview with Ferren Gipson | 08 Dec 2022 | 00:38:53 | |
In 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. | |||
| Threads of Power: An Interview with Michele Majer and Emma Cormack | 01 Dec 2022 | 00:56:46 | |
In 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. | |||
| The Early Years of the RSN: An Interview with Dr Lynn Hulse | 24 Nov 2022 | 01:11:08 | |
In 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. | |||
| Hmong Embroidery: Paj Ntaub and Story Cloths | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:28:20 | |
In 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. | |||
| Mary Linwood's Art of Stitchery: An Interview with Dr Heidi Strobel | 01 Sep 2022 | 01:04:01 | |
In 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. | |||
| The World of Erica Wilson, Part 2: An Interview with Dr Anne Hilker and Vanessa Diserio | 23 Jun 2022 | 00:56:44 | |
In 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. | |||
| The World of Erica Wilson, Part 1: An Interview with Edith Bouriez | 09 Jun 2022 | 00:42:40 | |
In 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. | |||
| All About Egyptian Textiles: An Interview with Seif El Rashidi | 26 May 2022 | 00:49:18 | |
In this episode, Isabella interviews art historian Seif El Rashidi about Egyptian textiles, spanning from ancient weaving to modern appliqué work. | |||
| RSN at the Fashion and Textile Museum: An Interview with Dennis Nothdruft | 12 May 2022 | 00:42:50 | |
In 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." | |||
| New London Needlework Reexamined: An Interview with Lynne Zacek Bassett | 24 Mar 2022 | 00:57:54 | |
In 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. | |||
| The Late, Great Major A.T. Casdagli: An Interview with Alexis Penny Casdagli | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:56:28 | |
In 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 Civil War is mentioned in this episode as being in 1948. The Greek Civil War took place from 1946 to 1949. | |||
| Stitching A Better World: An Interview with Stephanie Valencia of the Social Justice Sewing Academy | 17 Feb 2022 | 00:55:24 | |
In 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. | |||
| Flax and Finger Weaving: Māori Woven Textiles | 10 Feb 2022 | 00:17:35 | |
In this mini episode, Isabella discusses hand weaving crafted by the Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), focusing on its history, techniques, and many designs. | |||
| Resilient Stitching, Then and Now: An Interview with Claire Wellesley-Smith | 03 Feb 2022 | 00:48:25 | |
In 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. | |||
| Battle, Ritual, and Community: Asafo Flags of the Fante People | 27 Jan 2022 | 00:18:30 | |
In 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. | |||
| Embroidery and the Body: An Interview with Rowan Riley | 20 Jan 2022 | 00:58:49 | |
In 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. | |||
| Japanese Mending and Stitching: Sashiko and Boro | 13 Jan 2022 | 00:17:20 | |
In 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. | |||
| Stitching Girls and Cup Noodles: An Interview with Jessica Tang | 06 Jan 2022 | 00:37:16 | |
In 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. | |||
| Sew What? Holiday Special: Familial Needlework | 26 Dec 2021 | 00:21:28 | |
In 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! | |||
| Curating Needlework at Regional Museums: An Interview with Claire McRee | 23 Dec 2021 | 00:43:20 | |
In 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. | |||
| Protecting Needlework from Pests: An Interview with Joel Voron | 09 Dec 2021 | 00:35:35 | |
In 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. | |||
| Sew What? Meets Haptic & Hue: An Interview with Jo Andrews | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:43:39 | |
In 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. | |||
| Historic Rugs and Carpets: An Interview with Elisabeth Parker | 25 Nov 2021 | 00:34:55 | |
In 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. | |||
| Molas of the Kuna: A Central and South American Indigenous Textile Tradition | 18 Nov 2021 | 00:17:21 | |
In 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. | |||
| Historic Embroidery in Mexico: An Interview with Mayela Flores | 11 Nov 2021 | 00:55:45 | |
In 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. | |||
| Geography and Needlework in the American South: An Interview with Emily Wells | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:41:08 | |
In 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. | |||
| That's All, Folk: Eastern European Folk Dress Traditions | 21 Oct 2021 | 00:20:36 | |
In 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. | |||
| The British Textile Biennial and Beyond: An Interview with Amber Butchart | 14 Oct 2021 | 00:44:09 | |
In 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. | |||
| Sew What? Season 3 Trailer | 23 Sep 2021 | 00:04:18 | |
Season 3 of Sew What? is (almost) back! This is a tiny sneak preview of season 3's episode structure and offerings. Yeehaw! | |||
| Conserving Historic Needlework: An Interview with Gretchen Guidess and Jackie Peterson-Grace | 17 Jun 2021 | 00:35:57 | |
In 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. | |||
| Embroidering Portraits: An Interview with Cayce Zavaglia | 10 Jun 2021 | 00:34:45 | |
In 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. | |||
| The Needlework of Historic Boyz II Men | 03 Jun 2021 | 00:31:06 | |
In 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. | |||
| Holiday Special!: Gathered at Gressenhall | 19 Dec 2024 | 00:59:20 | |
In 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.
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| Paper Pieced Quilts and Crafting During COVID: An Interview with Naomi Clarke | 27 May 2021 | 00:39:28 | |
In 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. | |||
| Alternative Embroideries: Tambour Work and Punch Needle | 20 May 2021 | 00:26:21 | |
In 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. | |||
| Australian Schoolgirl Needlework: An Interview with Cat Gay | 13 May 2021 | 00:37:25 | |
In this episode, Isabella interviews PhD student Cat Gay about schoolgirl samplers and stitching in 19th-century Australia. | |||
| Stitching Among Friends: Early Quaker Needlework | 06 May 2021 | 00:35:10 | |
In 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. | |||