NeedleXChange

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Ruth O'Leary.
Ruth O'Leary is an award-winning embroiderer who’s been exploring AI image generation as a tool for design, iteration, and self-expression.
We talk about AI as a “new medium” (and the early chaotic phase of it), parallels with the Jacquard loom and past industrial shifts, the difference between screen-based fakery and physical needlework, and how Ruth uses AI outputs as reference material that gets reimagined through applique + embroidery to speed up making without losing what Ruth loves about stitching.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:30 - Exploring AI Art and Personal Journey
00:04:20 - The Evolution of Artistic Expression through AI
00:07:03 - The Unexpected Outcomes of AI in Art
00:12:46 - The Impact of Technology on Traditional Crafts
00:15:35 - Navigating the Challenges of AI and Authenticity
00:18:34 - The Balance of Speed and Craftsmanship in Art
00:22:17 - The Role of AI in Realizing Artistic Visions
00:25:07 - The Process of Creation and Inspiration
Links:
Website: rostara.co.uk
Instagram: rostara.handmade
Intro music is Far Enough by Shiver Disk via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange:
NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.
Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.
Visit the NeedleXChange website: needl.exchange
Sign up for the NeedleXChange Newsletter here: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
If you want embroidery inspiration and regular doses of textile art, visit the Mr X Stitch site here: mrxstitch.com
If you're looking for modern cross stitch designs, then XStitch is the magazine you need!
Find out more here: xstitchmag.com
And follow Mr X Stitch on all the usual social media channels!
Facebook: mrxstitch
Instagram: mrxstitch
Pinterest: mrxstitch
YouTube: mrxstitch
LinkedIn: mrjamiechalmers

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Robert John Hodge.
Robert John Hodge makes cross-stitch work based on Renaissance sculptures, using a CMYK / screenprint-style layering approach and recurring Wingdings symbols.
In this half we jump into Robert’s newer series - smaller, quicker pieces that work like little stitched collages: videogames, screenshots, photos, culture… and, for reasons we absolutely get into, a whole run of nuclear weapons tests.
Part 2 is where we widen out into the stuff that feeds the work: horror films from the 70s and 80s, documentaries that stitch history into a continuum, Kate Bush and Wagner, and even T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land as a kind of cultural collage blueprint.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:30 – Cross stitch as a serious art medium
00:05:44 – Challenging the “serious art” prejudice
00:07:50 – Balancing making work and making money
00:09:02 – Art-world reality: logistics + day job
00:11:22 – Film influences + nostalgia threads
00:18:16 – A wide media diet (and why it matters)
00:24:53 – Literary influences: T.S. Eliot and collage thinking
00:26:52 – Looping + obsession as the creative engine
Links:
Website: robertjohnhodge.com
Instagram: robertjohnhodge
Intro music is Cotton Candy by Cospe via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange:
NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.
Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.
Visit the NeedleXChange website: needl.exchange
Sign up for the NeedleXChange Newsletter here: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
If you're looking for modern cross stitch designs, then XStitch is the magazine you need!
Find out more here: xstitchmag.com
And follow Mr X Stitch on all the usual social media channels!
Facebook: mrxstitch
Instagram: mrxstitch
Pinterest: mrxstitch
YouTube: mrxstitch
LinkedIn: mrjamiechalmers

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Robert John Hodge.
Robert John Hodge makes cross-stitch work based on Renaissance sculptures, using a CMYK / screenprint-style layering approach and recurring Wingdings symbols.
We talk about being a finalist in the Hand & Lock Embroidery Prize, how the work is technically constructed, and the bigger ideas underneath it: art vs craft, nostalgia, digital “glitch” language, and how slow, tactile making can transform images that started life as fast and disposable.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:10 – Hand & Lock finalist story + mentor + family cheer squad
00:03:56 – Renaissance sculpture → CMYK layers → Wingdings glitch
00:06:30 – Time-saving stitching: let the fabric do some work
00:09:27 – Hobby → medium (London limits shaping the practice)
00:11:58 – Art vs craft: embroidery as the point, not the punchline
00:14:36 – 90s Windows nostalgia: Wingdings, WordArt energy
00:17:19 – Making patterns: first self-draft + tools/workflow
00:20:01 – Scale, time, and the realities of big stitch work
00:26:30 – Inputs and influences feeding the work
00:30:28 – Process evolution: designing for a “digital” feel
00:36:40 – New “collage” series: smaller, quicker stitched mashups
Links:
Website: robertjohnhodge.com
Instagram: robertjohnhodge
Intro music is Cotton Candy by Cospe via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Support on Patreon
Join the Green Room for weekly aftershows, monthly Q&As, and searchable transcripts.
Become an Executive Producer to join quarterly roundtables and shape the show's future.
patreon.com/c/xstitch/membership
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
mrxstitch.com | xstitchmag.com
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In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Martha Hussey.
We talk fresh off the heels of Martha’s solo show in London and discuss DIY curation as well as Royal Academy highs and near-misses, Martha talks textiles’ growing place in contemporary art and why she’s already sketching the next body of work. We also hit the soundtracks, the films, the books, and the beauty in the mundane that fuels her studio.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:30 - The Challenges of Curating an Exhibition
00:06:46 - The Royal Academy Experience
00:09:39 - The Growing Presence of Textile Arts
00:12:10 - Creativity and the Artistic Process
00:14:49 - Humor and Reflection in Art
00:16:45 - The Soundtrack of Creativity
00:20:42 - Visual Inspirations: TV and Film
00:21:33 - Cinematic Influences on Art
00:25:37 - Literary Inspirations and Reflections
00:29:10 - The Mundane as Art00:32:08 - Personal Insights and Vulnerabilities
Links:
Website: marthahussey.com
Instagram: marthahusseystudio
Intro music is I Been All Alone by Dev Do It via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange:
NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.
Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.
Visit the NeedleXChange website: needl.exchange
Sign up for the NeedleXChange Newsletter here: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
If you want embroidery inspiration and regular doses of textile art, visit the Mr X Stitch site here: mrxstitch.com
If you're looking for modern cross stitch designs, then XStitch is the magazine you need! Find out more here: xstitchmag.com
And follow Mr X Stitch on all the usual social media channels!
Facebook: mrxstitch
Instagram: mrxstitch
Pinterest: mrxstitch
YouTube: mrxstitch
LinkedIn: mrjamiechalmers

In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Martha Hussey.
Martha trained in fine art at St Martin’s and later dove into an art-therapy diploma during lockdown, discovering how stitch can quiet the mind and surface truth. In this first half we get into the meditative mechanics of embroidery, why the back of the work matters as much as the front, and how humour and the “Sexy Stitch” series emerged alongside tufted wall pieces and hairy latch-hook portraits. We also trace the evolution from painting to thread palettes and that pivotal “do something creative for 15 minutes a day” moment that reignited her practice.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:30 - The Journey into Art Therapy
00:09:47 - The Role of Humor in Art
00:12:32 - The Evolution of Artistic Expression
00:15:25 - The Significance of the Back of the Work
00:28:45 - Art as a Reflection of Society
00:31:03 - The Boldness of Artistic Expression
00:33:14 - Navigating the Art World: From Gallery to Solo Show
Links:
Website: marthahussey.com
Instagram: marthahusseystudio
Intro music is I Been All Alone by Dev Do It via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange:
NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.
Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.
Visit the NeedleXChange website: needl.exchange
Sign up for the NeedleXChange Newsletter here: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
If you want embroidery inspiration and regular doses of textile art, visit the Mr X Stitch site here: mrxstitch.com
If you're looking for modern cross stitch designs, then XStitch is the magazine you need! Find out more here: xstitchmag.com
And follow Mr X Stitch on all the usual social media channels!
Facebook: mrxstitch
Instagram: mrxstitch
Pinterest: mrxstitch
YouTube: mrxstitch
LinkedIn: mrjamiechalmers