NeedleXChange

Jamie Chalmers
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Visual Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers talks with contemporary embroidery, cross stitch, textile art, and mixed media art creators about how they design their work, build sustainable creative businesses, and stay inspired with a needle and thread. NeedleXChange shares in‑depth conversations with fiber artists, stitchers, and makers so you can discover new techniques, creative journeys, and the modern needlework scene.

  1. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    REPLAY: Danielle Clough - Making a Racket Part 2 [NX046]

    It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites! This is a repeat of episode #46. Danielle is an South African artist known for her vibrant and expressive embroidery work, characterised by bold colours, movement, and layering, creating a visual impact that evokes joy. She believes in the inherent goodness of people and the power of support and validation in fostering self-confidence. This is the second part of our NeedleXChange and we explore Danielle's colour theory, discuss some of her other projects and meander through her cultural touchpoints. It's such a pleasure talking with Danielle and I hope you enjoy it! Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:01:52 - Unleashing Your Colour Language 0:07:57 - The Evolution of Colour Preferences 0:12:28 - The Power of Personal Colour Preference 0:15:52 - The Coda Collective and Collaborative Projects 0:18:41 - Procrastination and the Temptation of Commercial Projects 0:18:41 - Working with Friends and Building a Platform 0:31:18 - An interesting fact no one knows about Danielle Clough Links: Website: danielleclough.com Instagram: fiance_knowles Intro music is Rich People Dreaming by Siine & Superintendent McCupcakes via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com

    REPLAY: Danielle Clough - Making a Racket Part 2 [NX046]

  2. 3d ago ·  Bonus

    REPLAY: Danielle Clough - Making a Racket [NX045]

    It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites! This is a repeat of episode #45. In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Danielle Clough, aka Fiancé Knowles. Danielle is an South African artist known for her vibrant and expressive embroidery work, characterised by bold colours, movement, and layering, creating a visual impact that evokes joy. She believes in the inherent goodness of people and the power of support and validation in fostering self-confidence. This is the first part of our NeedleXChange and we discuss how Danielle became a stitcher, how she became a viral sensation and what it takes to be a commercial artist, among other things. Danielle is awesome and this is a great chat - you'll love it! Timestamps: 0:01:52 Introduction and Seasonal Conversation 00:10:58 Discovering Cape Town and Embracing Nature 00:13:53 The Beginnings of Danielle's Embroidery Journey 00:24:59 From Fashion Design to Thread Sketching 00:27:52 The Humble Origins of Danielle's Embroidery 00:29:30 Fashion vs. Freedom of Creativity 00:36:58 Aligning Brand Ethos with Personal Values 00:45:40 Balancing Commercial Work and Personal Artistic Pursuits Links: Website: danielleclough.com Instagram: fiance_knowles Intro music is Rich People Dreaming by Siine & Superintendent McCupcakes via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com

    REPLAY: Danielle Clough - Making a Racket [NX045]

  3. Jul 6

    Róisín Phelan - Making Light of Things Part 2 [NX148]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Róisín Phelan, a contemporary embroidery and textile artist who has built her practice around punch needle. Part 2 opens with practical punch needle wisdom (use the flat "wrong" side for detail, match your needle to your cloth, and keep the fabric taut), then gets into how she taught herself to embroider water and people, why she leans into a blocky, illustrative style rather than photorealism, and where her signature blue figures came from (it started with a single blue felt tip). We range across the books she rereads, music and comfort telly, an Irish Catholic upbringing and a love of mythology, the fun fact that she had a painting in the Tate before she could read, and a generous case for why craft is art and everyone can draw. Links: Instagram: roisin_art Intro music is Heart & Soul by Roots and Recognition via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com

    Róisín Phelan - Making Light of Things Part 2 [NX148]

  4. Jun 29

    Róisín Phelan - Making Light of Things [NX147]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Róisín Phelan, a contemporary embroidery and textile artist who has built her practice around punch needle. We start on common ground (a shared love of squared notebooks and to-do lists) before getting into how she creates the visual identity for the family brewery, the cafe, and the Colours coffee company, and how building a whole visual "world" means a new design comes together in an afternoon rather than a fortnight. Róisín talks candidly about being at home with her baby, why making art is how she looks after herself, and how craft lets her switch off and tune in at the same time. We close on the writing behind her images and the story of her seagull piece "It's Never the Lettuce." Róisín is a lovely person whose practice keeps her grounded, and it was a pleasure to chat with her. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and tune back in next week for the second part of our NeedleXChange. Links: Instagram: roisin_art Intro music is Heart & Soul by Roots and Recognition via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com

    Róisín Phelan - Making Light of Things [NX147]

  5. Jun 22

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 3 [NX146]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty. After the first chat, I realised I needed to ask Sean more directly about the work itself, so we spoke again. In this final part, we dig into Sean’s artistic practice: music as a way of naming and feeling the work, anti-war imagery, anger as creative fuel, why “pretty” can be the wrong read, how feedback can help or derail an artist, and how Sean is rebuilding a portfolio and a creative direction after a huge life shift. Links: Website: seanalistair.com Instagram: sean.alistair Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 3 [NX146]

  6. Jun 15

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 2 [NX145]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty. In this part, we move from the studio into parenthood. Sean talks about becoming a dad, the strange way men are praised for basic childcare, how having a baby interrupts and reshapes a creative life, and the difference between Sean Alistair the artist and Sean the dad. We also spin through Sean's cultural touchpoints, but the conversation was so good that I omitted to dig into Sean's artistic practice. So tune in next week for that part of the chat! Links: Website: seanalistair.com Instagram: sean.alistair Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends Part 2 [NX145]

  7. Jun 8

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends [NX144]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Sean Alistair, a Germany-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for work that mixes beauty, chaos, identity and emotional honesty. In this first part we focus on Into the Wild, the exhibition Sean curated to build community rather than simply put work on walls. We talk about diversity without tokenism, what it means to be an outsider artist, labels like queer, bipolar and textile artist, and how Sean thinks about making, destroying and remaking work as part of the same creative life. Links: Website: seanalistair.com Instagram: sean.alistair Intro music is Main Line (Instrumental Version) by Torii Wolf via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn

    Sean Alistair - Nothing Ever Really Ends [NX144]

  8. Jun 1

    Renan Estivan - Bodies at Rest Part 2 [NX143]

    In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Renan Estivan, a São Paulo-based contemporary embroidery and textile art artist known for queer tapestries that put the male body at their centre. In this part we get into Maressia and Bataille's idea that the post-industrial body isn't allowed to rest, what slow work has taught Renan about his own queerness, why textile slips past the censors in ways photography doesn't, his current Marseille solo show L'Homme Renommé, and his cultural touchpoints. Links: Website: renanestivan.com Instagram: renan.estivan Intro music is Ordinary Love by Vicki Vox via Epidemic Sound. About NeedleXChange An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers. Stay Connected needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com Social: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn

    Renan Estivan - Bodies at Rest Part 2 [NX143]
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers talks with contemporary embroidery, cross stitch, textile art, and mixed media art creators about how they design their work, build sustainable creative businesses, and stay inspired with a needle and thread. NeedleXChange shares in‑depth conversations with fiber artists, stitchers, and makers so you can discover new techniques, creative journeys, and the modern needlework scene.

Information

  • Creator
    Jamie Chalmers
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    150
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jamie Chalmers
  • Show Website
    NeedleXChange

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