As Sew What?, my podcast about historic needlework and those who stitched it, enters its third season, I wanted to look back to my past interviews with Textile Society of America members. Even at the very beginning, the TSA was an enthusiastic supporter of the fledgling podcast and its members were keen to be interviewed, for which I am very grateful. In season 1, I interviewed three TSA members: Elena Kanagy-Loux, Kelli Coles, and Laura Beltrán-Rubio. My conversation with Elena centered on historic lace and is, to date, the only podcast episode to focus on that art form. It was hugely exciting to interview a world expert on the subject, given that while I am an enthusiastic lace fan, I know very little about it. My interview with Kelli focused on her Ph.D. research, which involves the study of samplers made by Black schoolgirls in the 18thand 19thcenturies. Our conversation was thought-provoking and informative and added much-needed nuance to a podcast season that included several episodes about samplers made by white girls, many of whom were no doubt complicit in the enslavement of others. My discussion with Laura concentrated on her Ph.D. work, which spotlights 18th-and 19th-century Latin American fashion. I admittedly knew nothing about the subject, so was eager for the opportunity to broaden my knowledge and to help Sew What? listeners do the same.
The expertise and passion Elena, Kelli, and Laura have for their research is present in all of their interviews, which I believe really added to Sew What?’s popularity when season one first began airing and even now, nearly 18 months later. You can listen to Elena, Kelli, and Laura’s episodes and all other episodes on your favorite podcast app or at sewwhatpodcast.buzzsprout.com. New episodes are released most Thursdays at 12pm British Standard Time. Season three features interviews with museum professionals, historians, writers, and makers, as well as non-interview episodes focusing on indigenous needlework traditions across five continents. Images and sources for each episode are posted on the Sew What? social media accounts, @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Links for Sew What? podcast:
For the Love of Lace: An Interview with Elena Kanagy-Loux
Black Love, Black Family: An Interview With Kelli Coles
Fashion in 18th-Century Colonial Spanish America: An Interview with Laura Beltrán-Rubio
Isabella Rosner, who hails from Los Angeles, is a PhD student at King’s College London, where she researches Quaker women’s art before 1800. She is passionate about early modern women’s needlework and schoolgirl samplers, interests she channels into her podcast, Sew What?, which is about historic needlework and those who stitched it.
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