Month: November 2022

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Fiber Talk Midweek Chat, 11-30-22

Sea of Light Border design/kit coming soon from Avlea Folk Embroidery.
It’s Wednesday and Cindy and Gary talked for a long while about needlework. This week’s topics include a huge moving sale at Sassy Jacks Stitchery, with lots of charts on sale, Sassafras Samplers charts at great prices, and Hands Across the Sea Samplers charts at clear-out prices. Many HATS charts can be had for $10. Visit the website and clean out Kim’s inventory. Also, sign up for the renewed Cosmo thread club. Other topics include creating our own designs, stitching plans for 2023, and threads from Be Stitch Me. In addition, we gush over the upcoming “Sea of Light Border” design from Avlea and speculate about varying quality of DMC floss, particularly the high quality that appears to come off of the cones. Sunday’s guest is the amazing Helen Stevens. Also, join us tonight for the Fiber Talk Stitch Hour. We start at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on the Fiber Talk YouTube channel.–Cindy and Gary

Listen to the podcast:

This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it.

Gary’s progress on the banding sampler.
You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.

Here are some links:

We hope you enjoy the show. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.

To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.


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Fiber Talk with Anna McDowell

Bird in a Garden Dorset button artwork by Anna McDowell.

Snowman Dorset button ornament by Anna McDowell.
Our topic this week is Dorset buttons and our guest is one of the best button designers and makers, Anna McDowell of Henry’s Buttons. This week’s show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Anna lives in Shaftesbury in Dorset, the birthplace of the Dorset button industry, which has been functioning in one form or another for 400 years. We learn about the fascinating history of what was once an important part of the clothing industry and is now an exciting and fun needlework art form. Anna helps us understand the various forms of buttons, the materials that are used, and how she takes Dorset buttons to a new level by making them part of larger artworks. Enjoy the show, visit her website, buy her book, and give Dorset button making a try.–Beth and Gary

Listen to the podcast:

This show is also available on YouTube. Click here to view it.

Support our sponsor, Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com.

You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.

Here are some Anna McDowell links:

We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Anna McDowell. We’re always looking for guests, so let us know if there is someone you’d like us to have on the show.–Gary

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Fiber Talk Midweek Chat, 11-23-22

Avlea’s Aegean Sunrise design, stitched by Beth.
We hung in there and got to the middle of the week again. Not necessarily an accomplishment but it does give us a reason to talk about needlework. This week’s topics include New Year Day starts, WIPGO 2023 (or not), seasonal stitching, stash inventory (don’t do it), 10 stitches a day on a project for a year (hmmmm), the benefits of drawing (for Beth), and what promotes and kills creativity. Join us for the conversation and don’t miss our Sunday visit with Anna McDowell, master of Dorset buttons.–Beth and Gary

Listen to the podcast:

This show is also available on FlossTube. Click here to view it.

You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.

Gary is making progress.

Here are some links:

We hope you enjoy the show. We’re always looking for guests, so let me know if there is someone you’d like me to have on the show.

To add yourself to our mailing list and be notified whenever we post a new podcast, provide your name and email address below. You won’t get spam and we won’t share your address.


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Fiber Talk with Elizabeth Tapper

Daisy stump work using antique linen, by Liz Tapper.
Silk and Silver Rose by Liz Tapper.
Sassy Jacks Stitchery is sponsoring this week’s show with Elizabeth Tapper of Lenham Needlecraft and The Art of the Needle. Liz Tapper is a talented needleworker, designer, and graduate of the Royal School of Needlework. She stitches and designs using several techniques, does restoration and conservation, consults, teaches, lectures, and does commission work. We have a great time learning about her needlework journey, approach to designs, and how she’s built her business. We also talk about her lampshade designs: a four-seasons crewelwork series and a beautiful whitework creation. Imagine having a lampshade that shows off your needlework. Be sure to check out her upcoming online courses. She’s offering some good ones in the next couple of months.–Beth and Gary

Listen to the podcast:

This show is also available on YouTube. Click here to view it.

Support our sponsor, Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com.

You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.

Here are some Elizabeth Tapper links:

We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Elizabeth Tapper. We’re always looking for guests, so let us know if there is someone you’d like us to have on the show.–Gary

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Fiber Talk with The School of Needlework for Disobedient Women

Stitching and talking at a School of Needlework for Disobedient Women meeting.
Student stitching at the Disobedient Women school.

This week we talk with Cecelia Rhoden and Kiana Mahjub, founders of the School of Needlework for Disobedient Women. The show is sponsored by the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and Avlea Folk Embroidery. The school is an excellent, forward-thinking program for teenage girls that provides them with a place to escape school and challenging life situations, relax and share with fellow students, meet new teenagers, make new friends, recoup from pandemic isolation, and develop social skills. Connecting all of them is needle and thread. A large number of sponsors/supporters/grant agencies have made this effort possible and Cecelia and Kiana hope the program soon will be offered to others in the needlework community so that other teenagers can benefit. These folks have worked with the ladies to make the program possible: The Kentucky Foundation For Women, Badass Crossstitch (Shannon Downey), Peg + Awl Public House, Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge, First Friday Berea, The Stay Project, Erica Chambers Photography, Berea Kids Eat, and Native Bagel Co. The school is an excellent program that demonstrates the power of the needlearts.–Gary

Listen to the podcast:

This show is also available on YouTube. Click here to view it.

Visit the EGA website at egausa.org and consider joining.
Please support our sponsor, Avlea Folk Embroidery at avlea embroidery.com.

You can listen by using the player above or you can subscribe to Fiber Talk through iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Podbay, Podbean, and many other podcast sources. To receive e-mail notification of new podcasts, provide your name and e-mail address below. We do not sell/share e-mail addresses.

Here are some School of Needlework for Disobedient Women links:

We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Cecelia Rhoden and Kiana Majhob. We’re always looking for guests, so let us know if there is someone you’d like us to have on the show.–Gary