Fiber Talk

Brenda Stimpson formed Poppy Monk Needlepoint Kits to provide a way for stitchers to learn and advance their skills. A big part of that approach is printed canvases that make needlepoint affordable. Combining those carefully crafted designs with quality threads and thorough instructions lowers the entry barriers and allows stitchers of all ages and skill levels (including children) to quickly get...

We have talked about ColorWay Arts and Claudia Squio’s beautiful boxes on many shows. Cindy and Beth have both had excellent success with Claudia’s kits. This week we were able to talk to Claudia, learn how her business came to be, hear the fascinating story of how it grew to what it is today, and gain some insight into how the box kits are manufactured and built. If you’re looking for another...

Beth and Gary return for another Midweek Chat. This week’s topics include our upcoming show with cartonnage designer Claudio Squio of ColorWay Arts, Beth’s initial experiences with the folks at the No Rules Textile Society, a bunch of discussion about constructive criticism and related topics, dyeing cloth, Beth’s art quilt, starting the North Carolina sampler, and Gary’s Dorsett buttons...

This week’s artist is Kelly Largent of Waxed Entanglement. The best description of her work comes from Kelly, “I create wooden frames that I turn into looms and then weave into them. I embellish my weaving with wood carving, needle felting, embroidery, and more.” The result is absolutely creative, original, and captivating textile art. Be sure to check out the pieces that use three layers of...

Framing is our topic this week and our guest is master framer David Lantrip. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America at egausa.org. In our conversation we cover the entire framing process from how you handle your needlework before you take it to the framer, to the conversation you have with the framer at the counter, and then what they do after you leave the shop. We hit on...

Our favorite day of the week that begins with W has arrived and we’re talking about when to save stitched thread, how you might do it, and whether it’s worth it. In most cases, we vote no. We also do a heavy tease of Sunday’s show on Framing with David Lantrip, talk about the benefits of EGA and ANG, discuss Ronnie Rowe advice and creativity, and throw In a few other random topics. As always,...

Trends and the online business aspects of the needlework world are the subjects of this week’s conversation. Our guests are Hayley Albright and Madeline Wrubel of The Stitch Strategy. Hayley and Madeline developed their business to help shops and designers take advantage of today’s online world and to keep up with growth that started with the pandemic and has not slowed. Much of the growth has...

She’s Jayne Emerson, her organization is the No Rules Textile Society, and she’s this week’s guest. Jayne has built her career by not following conventional rules and by constantly asking What if?. After many years working in the fashion world, Jayne transitioned to a business model that brings together textile artists from around the world and provides them with a place to collaborate, inspire,...