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Textile Talk

Gail Cowley

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/.

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  • 23 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 1 hr 1 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • S3 · E10
    Apr 23, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min· Video

    Artist Interview - Karen L Miller (Aurifil Threads)

    Karen L. Miller, owner of Redbird Quilt Co., is Master Educator for Aurifil USA, an Aurifilosopher, author, and passionate advocate for free motion quilting. Her quilting journey began in 2007 when her sister invited her to join a simple block of the month program. Karen quickly fell in love with hand appliqué and free motion machine quilting, sparking a passion that would shape her career. As Karen's enthusiasm for learning and developing her quilting skills grew, she naturally gravitated towards Aurifil's 100% Egyptian cotton threads. The exceptional quality and impressive range of weights and colors captivated her, aligning perfectly with her creative vision. In 2019, Karen's expertise and passion led her to join forces with Milan-based Aurifil, becoming their Master Educator and launching the innovative thread education program called "Aurifilosophy". Her work with Aurifil thread focuses on educating quilters about how these high-quality threads can elevate projects from simply finished to artistically extraordinary, unlocking new creative possibilities. Karen's versatility shines through her love for both hand and machine creations. She continually designs and experiments with all weights of Aurifil thread, generously sharing her knowledge and experience with the broader quilting community. Her commitment to education and inspiration has made her a respected figure in the quilting world, known for her ability to instill confidence and creativity in quilters of all skill levels. School of Stitched Textiles: View her work here https://www.sofst.org/textile-talk-with-karen-miller/ Aurifil Website: https://aurifil.com/ Aurifil USA Shopping: https://shopaurifil.com/ Aurifil Blog:https://auribuzz.com/ Aurifil Thread Education Program: https://www.aurifil.com/aurifilosophy Aurifil Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurifilthread/ Aurifil Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurifil.quilt.thread Aurifil Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/aurifil/ Aurifil Newsletter Subscription: http://eepurl.com/M6vOn Aurifil Resources: Thread Reference and Product Guides can be found here: https://www.aurifil.com/auriworld/resources

  • S3 · E9
    Apr 9, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min

    Artist Interview - Gail Harker

    Gail is a Canadian who resided for 20 years in Britain, until returning t the US in 1995. She moved to Britain in 1976 with her American husband and family. She studied art in Canada, England and Scotland. She completed both parts 1 and 2 (Diploma) of the City & Guilds Design and Embroidery course, achieving a distinction in both parts. She was awarded the Senior Award of Licentiateship (LCGI)by the City & Guilds Institute. Gail has previously taught City & Guilds Embroidery courses and was for many years, a City & Guilds External Verifier for various colleges in the UK. She has authored five books in Embroidery. Since moving to the US she has directed and taught at the Arts Centre she founded in Washington State - Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts. She has taught Certificate and Diploma Courses in Design and Embroidery to hundreds of students from all parts of North America. She says that living and working in the UK was the single most important contributor to her labour of love as a designer and embroiderer that continues to lead her on a lifelong journey of discovery! Links School of Stitched Textiles https://www.sofst.org/ Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts Blog: https://gailcreativestudies.wordpress.com/ Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gailcreativestudies Website: https://gailcreativestudies.com

  • S3 · E8
    Mar 26, 2025 · 58 min

    Master Pratitioner Course - Lorrraine Benjamin

    Lorraine has been creating with fiber since she was a young girl. As a child she would while away the hours sewing, crocheting, and working with crewelwork. She learned to sew garments at the side of her mother and paternal grandmother who were both gifted seamstress’. She is a self-taught artist. She began quilting in 1997 and immediately was intrigued with the design elements of the quilt. Thus, began her exploration of color, repetition, design, and texture. Soon Lorraine began to experiment with a more contemporary approach to textiles and developed her own artistic voice. Her creative roots are firmly embedded in the traditional needle arts and this is reflected in her current body of work. Inspired by her Faith, her travels and the natural world, she employs layers of both hand and machine stitches together with various surface design techniques. This unique approach allows her to successfully captures the depth, color, contrast, and texture of her subject matter. Since 1993 Lorraine had lived in the Ithaca area of the Finger Lakes Region in Central New York until 2019 when she relocated to The Villages, Florida. She recently retired from a career in nursing. She enjoys the support of her husband, their children, and grandchildren. Lorraine is an exhibiting textile artist and has won several awards for her fiber art. She owns and operates The Tangled Thread, a longarm quilting business; gives presentations and teaches classes focused on mixed media and stitched art. These days, she dedicates her energy to facilitating a group of twenty-five local artists, who meet twice a month to share and explore their common love for textile art. Lorraine also enjoys writing poetry and painting with acrylics and watercolor. School of Stitched Textiles MP Programme https://www.sofst.org/courses/masters-courses/ Contact Information: Lorraine Benjamin web https://lorrainebenjamin.com/ email lorisue28@hotmail.com facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lorisue28 instagram https://www.instagram.com/lorisue28/

Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes