Sew What?

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. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

Isabella, an expert in Hmong embroidery, discusses the rich tradition of Paj Ntaub and Hmong story cloths, highlighting their materials, imagery, and cultural significance. The episode covers the historical journey of the Mung ethnic group, their textile traditions, and the intricate world of Mung embroidery, including symbolism and techniques. The cultural importance of Mung embroidery in everyday life and its impact on connecting the diasporic Mung community to their history is explored.

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.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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.  Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

In this episode, Isabella interviews art historian Seif El Rashidi about Egyptian textiles,  spanning from ancient weaving to modern appliqué work.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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."Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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.Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.

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. Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sewwhatpodcast.com.