NeedleXChange

NeedleXChange explores the people, ideas and stories stitching the world together.

Hosted by Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers, the podcast features fascinating conversations with contemporary embroidery, cross-stitch and textile artists who are redefining what needlework can be.

Discover extraordinary creative journeys, innovative techniques, the business of making art, and the cultural impact of craft. From established artists to emerging talents, NeedleXChange celebrates creativity, curiosity and the stories behind the stitches.

New to NeedleXChange?

Here are some great episodes to start with. Or, check out episodes by topic.

Recent Episodes

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158

Nov. 8, 2026

Russell Barratt - Within & Without [NX158]

Russell Barratt turns old clothes and household fabrics into quilts. We talk about what happens when visitors recognise their own memories in his work, and how he learned to explain a process he mostly feels his way through. In this episode How costumes and accessories led Russell into quilting Imposter syndrome at the Festival of Quilts Borrowing ideas and giving unfamiliar artwork a second look My pick for your next listen If Russell got you thinking about what old fabrics can be

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Nov. 1, 2026

Lord Libidan - Thread Detective Part 2 [NX157]

How much character can you fit into a handful of squares? Lord Libidan takes me through his self-published book of 110 monochrome alphabets and explains why a grid can make designing more fun. Start with Part 1. In this episode How pixel constraints shape lettering and a made-up 1970s style What went into his designs inspired by Star Trek, Hello Kitty and Pokémon How sashiko and tabletop role-playing fit alongside cross stitch My pick for your next listen If the pixel lettering

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156

Oct. 25, 2026

Lord Libidan - Thread Detective [NX156]

A rained-off summer and a tiny Highland cow kit put Lord Libidan on the path to becoming one of cross stitch’s go-to voices. We get into the details that keep him curious, from scented thread to the mysteries of DMC’s colour numbers. Continue with Part 2. In this episode How a kit led to a blog and a life in cross stitch design Novelty threads, the return of wool and the hold of DMC and Anchor What AI-generated patterns are doing to cross stitch My pick for your next listen If L

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155

Oct. 18, 2026

Haf Weighton - Looking Up Part 2 [NX155]

What does it mean to be an artist who happens to be Welsh? Haf Weighton and I talk about bilingualism, belonging and how those questions sit alongside the practical work of painting and stitching on recycled fabric. Start with Part 1. In this episode Arts Council support and making work in Wales How language and cultural identity shape a creative life Combining paint, hand stitch and machine stitch, plus an unexpected David Bowie story My pick for your next listen If Haf’s refle

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154

Oct. 11, 2026

Haf Weighton - Looking Up [NX154]

Haf Weighton makes you look twice at a familiar high street. We trace how an exhibition rooted in everyday architecture took her to New Zealand and Australia, and how travel changed what she noticed back home. Continue with Part 2. In this episode How Arts Council support helped get High Street off the ground What sketchbooks, unfinished work and overlooked buildings can teach us How artists can bring new energy to town centres My pick for your next listen If Haf made you look a

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153

Oct. 4, 2026

Prisma Andrade: Making the Ordinary Sacred Part 2 [NX153]

In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Prisma Andrade, a Chicago-based fiber and textile artist and recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduate whose work turns her family's archive into material and asks what makes something sacred. Prisma builds her pieces from spinning, jacquard weaving, dye painting and quilting, treating process as a way to make everyday objects sacred. In Part 2 we trace her path from an arts-magnet high school in Dallas to SAIC, her move from painting

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