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Textile Talk

Textile Talk

Written by: Gail Cowley
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About this listen

 This podcast is for craft and textile enthusiasts all around the world. We're constantly adding great interviews with textile artists, tutors and retailers plus a little advice on our own distance study courses in craft and much more. The School of Stitched Textiles is the largest UK provider of City & Guilds Accredited Textile based distance learning courses. You can find out site at https://www.sofst.org/. We also host the Stitch Directory, which showcases independent craft retailers and suppliers from around the world https://www.sofst.org/stitch-directory/.Copyright 2026 Gail Cowley Art Education
Episodes
  • Artist Interview - Sarah Simi Nudinits

    Artist Interview - Sarah Simi Nudinits
    Apr 15 2026

    Sarah was taught how to knit by her mum when she was eight and was then forever knitting jumpers, cuddly Clangers and even an outfit for her guinea pig that it sensibly refused to wear. After working as a stylist, writer and designer for many years, an idea formulated in Sarah's mind for a knitted village full of eccentric British characters - a misspent childhood watching Thunderbirds and Carry On Films may have contributed to this. At first the village was more of a traditional affair but after reading an article about free hiking (hiking in the nude) Sarah's villagers lost their clothes and nudinits was born.

    Sarah then collaborated with animator Ed Hartwell to make her first film, 'Tickled Pink' which went on to win a Best Comedy and a Best Animation award and nudinits have never looked back. They've now become an online hit with further films, awards and lots of nudinit products to enjoy including books with knitting patterns for the much loved characters and their accessories.

    View her work:https://www.sofst.org/from-knitting-to-stop-motion-the-playful-world-of-sarah-simi/

    Together Sarah and Ed now run Woollyvision, a stop-motion animation company in London which specialises in making animation with wool, fabric and felt. Their films are multi-award winning and have been shown at film festivals around the world.

    The website is www.nudinits.com

    Woolly Vision is www.woollyvision.com

    @nudinits on all social media.

    School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Student Interview - Holly Jackson

    Student Interview - Holly Jackson
    Mar 25 2026

    Today Gail is joined by Holly Jackson, a mixed media textile artist based on a tiny island in the Chesapeake Bay, living and working from a fisherman’s cottage dating back to 1870.

    Holly combines traditional stumpwork techniques with contemporary narratives and an interest in lost people and places. Her work has been featured on Fiber Talk, Stitchery Stories, and in All Stitched Up, and she exhibits regularly along the east coast of the United States.

    Already an exhibiting artist, Holly chose to undertake Stumpwork Stage 2 with the School of Stitched Textiles and is now progressing through our Master Practitioner programme.

    In this episode, we explore what structured, assessed study looks like from an American perspective — particularly given that City & Guilds qualifications are not a typical pathway for textile artists in the US.

    We talk about:

    • why she chose formal study when she was already exhibiting

    • what assessment and tutor feedback actually feel like

    • how her work evolved through the programme

    • whether studying remotely from the US presents any real barriers

    • and what she would say to other American textile artists who are curious but unsure.

    Links

    IG: @flossinginthemoonlight

    Website: https://flossinginthemoonlight.com

    School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/
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    42 mins
  • Artist Interview - Wen Redmond

    Artist Interview - Wen Redmond
    Mar 11 2026
    “Making my art allows me to tap into levels of perception, becoming more aware, more conscious, & more grateful. I’ve loved photography my entire life. This brings a tender sensitivity to one’s surroundings. I make the art then the art makes me.”New England’s internationally recognized artist, Wen Redmond’s fascination with photography finds expression through printing original manipulated photographs directly onto created mixed media substrates, and specially treated natural fibers to craft unique photographic textural constructions. Imaginative presentations add to the pioneering innovations and giving her work edge. Every work generates an artistic tension, followed by the excitement of the actual creation of the work. A dialogue is started, and the work becomes real. She calls this work, Digital Mixed Media. Redmond’s work has been exhibited in major internationally recognized exhibitions, including Quilt National, Visions Museum CA, SAQA’s International Exhibit’s, Fiberart International, Fantastic Fibers, Quilts=Art=Quilts, Intersect Chicago, Excellence In Fibers, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, Art Quilt Elements, New Legacies, World of Threads, CA among other juried, invitational and solo exhibitions. Her work has won awards at New Legacies CO, Fiber Arts IX, Sebastopol, CA, Maryland Federation of Art, Maria V. Howard Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC , Fantastic Fibers and Visions Art Museum’s Quilt Japan Award among others. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV, produced Interweave DVD Workshops and made an appearance on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims in 2025. Her work has traveled the US, UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia, and is part of the permanent collections of Marbaum at San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, CA, Maria V. Howard Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC, New England Quilt Museum, and private collections. She has been featured in numerous magazines and books including her own published books, Digital Fiber Art and Mixed Media Masterpiece and Explorations with Collage- Merging Photographs, Paper and Fiber with Schiffer Publishing. She currently splits her time between North Carolina and New Hampshire.School of Stitched Textiles' website https://www.sofst.org/Wen's Site and contact details.Website http://www.wenredmond.com/ BOOKS- Explorations with Collage! Merging Photographs, Paper & Fiber and Digital Fiber Art: Combine Photos & Fabric - Create Your Own Mixed-Media Masterpiece DVD- Digital Imagery in Fiber Art: Using Textured Backgrounds for a Painterly Effect https://www.interweave.com/store/digital-imagery-in-fiber-art-download-in-hdFaceBook- https://www.facebook.com/greymooncove Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/wenredmond/?hl=en Etsy UpLIFTmeNTs Shop- https://www.etsy.com/shop/WenRedmondArtU-Tube channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/wenredmond/videos Artful Home- https://www.artfulhome.com/navigate?searchTerm=redmond Professional Member of SAQA- https://www.saqa.com/art/juried-artists/wen-redmond Surface Design Org https://www.surfacedesign.org/members/premium-gallery/?sauthor=wen%20redmond Fine Art America- https://fineartamerica.com/featured/whispers-of-the-positive-wen-redmond.htmlNew Hampshire Art Association- https://www.nhartassociation.org/member-directory League of NH Craftsmen si
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    57 mins
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