Rephonic
Artwork for Sew What?
Embroidery
Textiles
Needlework
Language
Naval Embroidery
Colonialism
Fine Cell Work
Haptic & Hue
Horatio Nelson
Georgian Fashion
Sailor Art
Cambodian Textiles
Rehabilitation
Mental Wellbeing
Bayeux Tapestry
New Zealand
Elizabeth Hall
Quaker Schoolgirl Needlework
Jewish Fashion Makers
The Modern Venus

A podcast all about historic needlework and those who stitched it, hosted by your local historic needlework expert, Isabella Rosner.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes99Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignVisual ArtsArts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Sew What?

Latest Episodes

In this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Eleanor Houghton about her new book Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes, published by Bloomsbury.

Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a ... more

In the second part of this two-part episode about needlework in India, Isabella interviews the staff at Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC, based in Bhuj. 

Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast ha... more

In the first part of this two-part episode about needlework in India, Isabella interviews the staff at Chanakya, based in Mumbai.

Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a website, sew... more

In this episode, Isabella interviews Dr Elizabeth Way about her exhibition Art X Fashion, on display at the Museum at FIT until 19 April 2026.

Images and sources are available at @sewwhatpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The podcast has a... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Eleanor Houghton
Fashion historian, writer and illustrator; historical costume consultant for film and TV
Author of Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes, Bloomsbury
Episode: Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes: An Interview with Dr Eleanor Houghton
Sunen Shahani Vaidya
Leads communications, PR, outreach and programming at Chanakya
Chanakya International/Chanakya School of Craft
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 1: Chanakya International and Chanakya School of Craft
Ragini Vijay
Leads communications at Chanakya
Chanakya International/Chanakya School of Craft
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 1: Chanakya International and Chanakya School of Craft
Monica Agarwal
Professor Dr., Dean Chanakya Foundation/Chanakya School of Craft
Chanakya Foundation/Chanakya School of Craft
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 1: Chanakya International and Chanakya School of Craft
Ami Shroff
Head of Shrujan and LLDC; founder's daughter; central figure in organizational leadership
Shrujan LLDC
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC
Avni Devdar
Associate Curator and Researcher
LLDC
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC
Vimal Trivedi
Researcher on social and cultural aspects of craft
LLDC
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC
Shraddha Thakkar
Research team member focusing on community history and migrations
LLDC
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC
Mohan Manjariya
Archivist and designer/prop maker for LLDC
LLDC
Episode: Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC

Host

Isabella Rosner
Historic needlework expert and host of the show, guiding conversations on textiles, embroidery, and fashion history.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 146 ratings
  • wow

    just when i think i cannot love this pod more you give us the episode on cambodian textiles. thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LeeLee Lauree
    United States2 years ago
  • Knowledgable Interesting and entertaining

    I really enjoy this podcast, Isabella Rosner is knowledgeable and entertaining and that is a difficult trick to pull off. Her guests are fascinating and well chosen. She makes the best of them and gets them to articulate thoughts and information abut a variety of subjects that can’t be found in many other podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    awovenfabric
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Enjoy!

    This is a great podcast for needleworkers, textile enthusiasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Stitcher2
    United States2 years ago
  • Sew What

    When I’m sewing, love to listen to this most informative podcast. The commentary & interviews are well researched... thx for the time you take on this subject

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    omegamegan6
    New Zealand4 years ago
  • Perfect combo

    History + textiles/needlework + the people behind them = a winning podcast. I love the topics and interviews and always learn something new (like the collaboration between Amish and Hmong women needleworkers).

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Needlework nerd
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Professional, engaging host with clear enthusiasm for historic textiles.
High-quality guests and well-researched topics that deepen understanding of craft cultures.
Great mix of scholarly insight and practical craft perspective.
Thoughtful, accessible exploration of textile history and needlework.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#217
United States/Arts/Visual Arts
Apple Podcasts
#165
United Kingdom/Arts/Visual Arts
Apple Podcasts
#194
Canada/Arts/Visual Arts
Apple Podcasts
#39
Germany/Arts/Visual Arts
Apple Podcasts
#82
Australia/Arts/Visual Arts
Apple Podcasts
#153
Italy/Arts/Visual Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sew What? Goes to India, Part 2: Shrujan and Shrujan LLDC
Q: What led you to work at Shrujan LLDC?
Ami Shroff discusses family involvement, the founding of Shrujan and LLDC, and the collaborative path that brought her to leadership, emphasizing a long-term commitment to craft and community.
Collecting Samplers: An Interview with Alexandra Peters
Q: Can you share a memorable discovery from your research?
Finding a large family register with a free Black family and uncovering links to abolitionist activity, which demonstrated how these artifacts carry multi-layered social histories beyond their stitches.
Collecting Samplers: An Interview with Alexandra Peters
Q: How did you start collecting samplers and what drew you to this field?
I began collecting after finding one in a shop and realizing you could literally hold a piece of someone's life from centuries ago; Betty Ring's work also inspired me as a model of scholarship and passion.
Chinese Textiles in 18th-Century Britain: An Interview with Shilei Zeng
Q: How did you come to that topic?
Shilei discusses the understudied nature of textiles in Sino-British history and her experiences that led her to focus on this subject.
The History of Punch Needle: An Interview with Micah Clasper-Torch
Q: What's in your Punch Needle book?
The book teaches the basics of how to punch and includes 15 unique fashion and accessory projects combining art, craft, and historical context.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Sew What?

What is Sew What? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful exploration of historic needlework, textile history, and the people who steward these stories. Each episode blends scholarly interviews with practitioner perspectives, covering museum curation, conservation, regional crafts, and the social contexts behind fabrics, samplers, and embroidery. Listeners get rich narratives about how textiles illuminate culture, gender, trade, and design, with episodes that showcase researchers, curators, and craft makers from around the world. The show stands out for its accessible yet rigorous approach, integrating archival inquiry with hands-on craft experience to illuminate less-told histories.

Potential listeners can expect deep dives into garments, samplers, and textile movements, alongside c... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Sew What??

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Sew What?. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Sew What? and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Sew What? get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Sew What?, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Sew What??

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Sew What?, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Sew What? have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Sew What? has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Sew What??

These podcasts share a similar audience with Sew What?:

1. Haptic & Hue
2. The Long Thread Podcast
3. Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably
4. Threads Magazine Podcast: "Sewing With Threads"
5. Dressed: The History of Fashion

How many episodes of Sew What? are there?

Sew What? launched 6 years ago and published 99 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Sew What??

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Sew What??

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Sew What? from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Sew What??

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Sew What?. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Sew What??

Recent guests on Sew What? include:

1. Eleanor Houghton
2. Sunen Shahani Vaidya
3. Ragini Vijay
4. Monica Agarwal
5. Ami Shroff
6. Avni Devdar
7. Vimal Trivedi
8. Shraddha Thakkar

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days