Making Stitches Podcast

Hello, and welcome to Making Stitches Podcast! This time, I'm delighted to be joined by Melissa Santiago-Val founder and CEO of Sew Positive. What began during the pandemic as a community effort making face masks to raise money for NHS charities has grown into an inspiring charity using sewing, mending and up cycling to support peoples' mental health and wellbeing.
In our chat, Melissa shares her own creative journey, the story behind Sew Positive and how stitching can be more than simply making something with our hands. We talk about creativity as a tool for connection, confidence and community, and explore how sewing can help people through difficult times while also encouraging a more sustainable approach to the clothes we wear.
You can find out more about Sew Positive over on their website and you can find lots of other information on their linktree here.
Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!
For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/
To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

Upstairs in an historic industrial building in the centre of the West Yorkshire town of Slaithwaite is a vast collection of handmade items, tools and publications charting the history of knitting and crochet in the UK. The Knitting and Crochet Guild Collection was started in 1991 and is cared for by a team of dedicated volunteers.
Hidden away in this fascinating archive is an extraordinary collection of handmade garments, patterns, yarns, tools, publications and shade cards, all connected to the rich history of knitting and crochet in the UK. Thousands of items have been donated by makers from across the country, preserving not just beautiful pieces of work, but also the stories, skills and social history behind them.
The collection has grown into a real treasure trove, an invaluable research resource for academics and historians, but also an endless source of inspiration for contemporary designers, knitters and crocheters.
I feel hugely privileged to have been invited along to see some of the Collection for myself. I loved chatting with Angharad Thomas a Volunteer Textile Archivist and Isobel Holland a Collection Volunteer over in Slaithwaite, and am very grateful to them for speaking to me for Making Stitches Podcast.
You can find out all about the Knitting and Crochet Guild over on their website along with all the information we chatted about in our conversation about the Collection including when their upcoming events will be happening.
Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!
For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/
To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

This time on Making Stitches Podcast, I’m joined by Kit Giroux, semi-finalist from the 2025 series of The Great British Sewing Bee. In our chat, Kit talks about their sewing journey, from first learning as a child to rediscovering a love of making a year or so before appearing on national television. We also chat about what it was really like to take part in series 11 of The Great British Sewing Bee.
Kit shares some brilliant behind-the-scenes insights from their time in the Sewing Bee sewing room, including the story behind the unforgettable paper dress created for Pop Art Week, which went on to win Garment of the Week. We talk about the pressure of choosing and getting your hands on the right fabric when the challenges start, stepping through the screen to appear on a show you've loved for years, and the joy of making clothes that truly reflect personal style.
As well as looking back on Sewing Bee, Kit also talks about their hopes for the future, including plans to release an original range of sewing patterns. 
Thank you so much Kit for allowing me to come and visit you and for speaking to me for Making Stitches!
You can find Kit on Instagram and TikTok.
Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!
For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/
To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns designed by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson.
Making Stitches Podcast is presented, recorded and edited by Lindsay Weston.

I'm taking you out on the road with me today to Stockport to visit a fabulous yarn shop, Manchester Wool & Yarn. The shop celebrated its 2nd birthday earlier this year and is owed and run by Gareth, a passionate maker and supporter of the yarn community.
Stocked with familiar brands and products from independent yarn dyers based across the North West of England, it's a positive treasure trove of colour, squishyness & is such a lovely place to visit. Regular 'Bitch and Stitch' socials support a welcoming community of yarn lovers, and Gareth is always happy to help answer any yarn or pattern queries he encounters from customers. 
It was so lovely to visit Gareth at Manchester Wool & Yarn, and I'm so grateful he took the time to speak to me for the podcast - thanks again Gareth!
You can find Manchester Wool & Yarn's website here and Gareth is also very active on social media, find him on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.
Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!
For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/
To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson

My guest for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast is the wonderful Anna Nikipirowicz. Anna first learned to knit and crochet as a child in Poland, but she says she found it boring - luckily for us, as an adult she found a new passion for both crafts and is passionate about sharing her love and knowledge of them.
Anna has published a series of books on crochet techniques, embroidery onto crochet, Tunisian crochet as well as a book on crochet & knitting too. Her passion for her craft is truly infectious and she loves to meet makers and help them improve their techniques and try new things in workshops across the UK and also abroad.
Shawls, socks and blankets are Anna's favourite items to make and she wants everyone else to join her on her brilliant yarny adventure too. 
Thanks so much for Anna for finding the time to speak to me for this episode of Making Stitches Podcast!
You can find Anna's website & Instagram account here.
Thank you for listening to Making Stitches Podcast!
For full show notes, please visit https://makingstitchespodcast.com/
To join the mailing list for the Making Stitches Newsletter, please click onto this link
The theme music is Make You Smile by RGMusic from Melody Loops.
The Making Stitches logo was designed by Neil Warburton at iamunknown.
You can support Making Stitches Podcast with running costs through Ko-fi.
Making Stitches  Podcast is supported by the Making Stitches Shop which offers Making Stitches Podcast merchandise for sale as well as Up the Garden Path crochet patterns created by me & illustrated by Emma Jackson