In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Vanessa Marr, an artist, researcher, and lecturer whose work explores the invisible labour of women through textiles.

In this half of our conversation, we dive into the challenges people face when learning embroidery, including how gender and past experiences shape their confidence with stitching. We explore how embroidery can be a tool for storytelling and activism, and Vanessa shares insights from her PhD research on the connection between textiles and invisible domestic labour. We also discuss the ongoing impact of the Domestic Dusters project, from international collaborations to the need for an official archive. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, be sure to check that out first!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:30 - Teaching ...