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PODCAST

Making Meaning

Making Meaning is a podcast exploring the meaning behind what we make. Artist Ruth Singer talks to creative people about why they make and create. Ruth loves finding out how artists, writers, coaches, researchers and others use challenging and complex stories within their work. She is interested in what matters to them and why they choose to create what they do. Ruth Singer has been making textile art professionally for 18 years and before that worked in the museum sector and has wide ranging

arts visual arts

All Episodes

51:17

#68: Material Histories, Making in the Home with...

Making Meaning ·

2026/09/26

In this episode we are talking about what it means to work from the home, to work alongside domestic life and how that worked for women makers in the past. We both share our very different experiences of home / work life and how our domestic environment impacts the creative choices we make. Buy Tangled here Maker Membership: Maker Membership Please join my email list for more: Email

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44:15

#67: Tangled - Textile Stories of Care & Connection

Making Meaning ·

2026/09/12

In August I launched my new self-published book Tangled. It's been a long journey from idea in 2018 to finally having the books in my hands in 2026. In this episode I'll read extracts from the book, explain how it came about and respond to some questions asked in my online and in-person book launches about my work, the book and the making of it. Buy Tangled here Maker Membership: Maker Membership Please join my email list for more: Email

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57:34

#66: Material Histories, Showing and Sharing Textiles

Making Meaning ·

2026/08/22

This episode is the second of the occasional mini series Material Histories with Deb McGuire. In this one we have a wonderful wide-ranging conversation starting with what we look for in quilt shows but covers far more than that. We talk about the power of connecting through making and about showing and sharing textile works. Maker Membership: Maker Membership Please join my email list for more: Email

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01:02:04

#65: 21 Years

Making Meaning ·

2026/08/01

This week I reflect on 21 years working as an artist and writer. (Oops, I realised after I recorded this that I talk about it being episode 64, when in fact it's episode 65!) Tangled is available for pre-order now: Tangled: Textile Stories of Care & Connection Maker Membership: Maker Membership Please join my email list for more: Email

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37:07

#64: Where Do I Get My Ideas From?

Making Meaning ·

2026/07/18

I have been asked about my ideas and where they come from more than anything else in my 21 year career (although "How long did it take to make?" must be a close second). It's really hard for me to define where each idea came from but I've given it a go in this podcast. Tangled is available for pre-order now: Tangled: Textile Stories of Care & Connection Maker Membership Maker Membership Please join my email list for more https://ruthsinger.com/email/

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48:07

#63: Introducing Material Histories with Deb McGuire

Making Meaning ·

2026/06/13

Making Histories is a new mini-series of Making Meaning Podcast with special guest co-host Deb McGuire. Deb is a brilliant historian, specialising in emotional histories of quilting, but she's incredibly knowledgable about all kinds of things. We have so many overlapping interests and things we really want to talk about in the world of textile making, textile histories and human stories. I've been thinking about a podcast co-host for a while, and when I talked to Deb for episodes 48 and 49, I

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32:18

#62: Reading & Writing

Making Meaning ·

2026/05/30

A few weeks ago someone told me that she didn't know I had written several books, so I realised I don't talk enough about my writing! The podcast is about the writing of those books; three with traditional publishers and three self-published books about my work. The third self-published book is coming very soon, it is with the designer now and I hope to have it in my hands before the end of the summer. I've also written other exhibition catalogues and project publications and all kinds of things

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52:47

#61: Accomplishments and Imagined Mementoes

Making Meaning ·

2026/04/22

This week's episode is about the new body of work I made for Mary Linwood; Art, Stitch & Lift exhibition. Alongside researching, curating and writing the first exhibition of Mary Linwood's work in 75 year, I also created seven new artworks reflecting elements of Mary Linwood's life and legacy. These pieces fill in gaps in Mary Linwood's story, explore themes I find fascinating and allow me to express my own thoughts and feelings about Linwood's work and life. Sign up for my course Embroidered

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32:21

#60: Reflections on Mary Linwood

Making Meaning ·

2026/04/08

Making Meaning is back with a new series. It's almost five years since I started making this podcast and this is series 6. In this episode I'm solo, talking about what I've learned from the Mary Linwood Rediscovered project, from studying Mary Linwood and from sharing her story with the world. Sign up for my course Embroidered Herstories: Rediscovering Mary Linwood Buy the exhibition catalogue, Lost Threads, Mary Linwood's Legacy Find out more about my Maker Membership Join Ruth's email list

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36:39

#59: Making Meaning with Rachel Whitworth

Making Meaning ·

2025/11/09

In this episode I'm talking to Rachel Whitworth, the curator of Fashion and Textiles at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. Find out about the Mary Linwood project and events programme Find out more about the Stitch Weekend, 22nd - 23rd Nov, Leicester Guildhall Find out more about my Maker Membership Join Ruth's email list Visit Ruth's website

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01:01:55

#58: Making Meaning with Emily Jo Gibbs

Making Meaning ·

2025/10/11

I’m so pleased to share this conversation with Emily Jo Gibbs, a fantastic textile maker who I have admired for many years. It won’t surprise you that I love Emily’s work and we had a really interesting, broad-ranging conversation about the why behind the work. Emily's website and online course Find out about the Mary Linwood project and events programme Find out more about the Stitch Weekend, 22nd - 23rd Nov, Leicester Guildhall Find out more about my Maker Membership Join Ruth’s email list Visit

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57:13

#57: Making Meaning with Jayne Emerson

Making Meaning ·

2025/09/27

In this episode I’m talking to the brilliant creative textile designer Jayne Emerson, known to many of you as the creator of the No Rules Textile Society - a membership group full of inspiration and creative play. Jayne is also a textile designer for fashion and interiors, she’s written six craft books and creates courses and workshop both online and in person. We have a lot in common and had a great time exploring our shared and differing approaches and projects. I hope you enjoy this conversation

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01:05:15

#56: Making Meaning with Heidi Strobel

Making Meaning ·

2025/09/13

Dr Heidi Strobel is my guest in episode 56 about Mary Linwood. Heidi joined me from The University of North Texas, USA where she is is Professor of Art History. She is also the author of Mary Linwood: Embroidery, Installation, and Entrepreneurship in Britain 1787-1845 which has been invaluable for my exhibition research. Heidi and I have been in touch throughout this project and she’s been an amazing support in the development of the exhibition and in the general excitement I feel about being able

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01:08:17

#54: Making Meaning with Dr Isabella Rosner

Making Meaning ·

2025/08/31

This episode is more of the summer of stitch series, this time with the brilliant Dr Isabella Rosner, Royal School of Needlework curator, podcaster and all round historic embroidery enthusiast. She has been part of the Mary Linwood fan club for years and we had a wonderful time talking about all the complexities of Linwood’s career and making practice, and reflecting on her legacy and why she’s been so ignored in the last hundred and fifty years. Dr Isabella Rosner is the curator of textiles and

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51:36

#54: Making Meaning with Claire-Louise Hardie / The...

Making Meaning ·

2025/08/16

Today’s episode is more in the summer of stitch series, this time with a very different kind of maker. Claire-Louise Hardie is a costumier and sewing teacher, expert in making clothes and understanding how clothes work and how they make us feel. This is a really fun conversation exploring very different things than this podcast usually covers and it was great to talk to Claire-Louise and share this with you. It's a great excuse for me to think about clothing construction, the importance of fabric in

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01:07:47

#53: Making Meaning with Jennifer Collier

Making Meaning ·

2025/08/02

Continuing with the summer of stitch theme, in this podcast episode I am talking to the brilliant maker Jennifer Collier, who makes amazing objects in paper using textile techniques. I’ve known Jennifer for years and we’ve worked together and supported each other plenty but still needed to twist her arm to do this podcast, for which I am really grateful. We had a fantastic conversation about making and meaning and exploring the heritage of stitch and creative practice. Jennifer Collier Unit

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01:09:38

#52: Making Meaning with Wendy Ward

Making Meaning ·

2025/07/19

Wendy Ward - researcher, maker and campaigner around clothes, sustainability and emotional connection to the things we wear. Wendy is a PhD researcher at Sheffield Hallam University investigating product attachment, craft and broken-ness in fashion. Prior to her PhD she taught sewing to adults and wrote five best-selling sewing books. Wendy has long had an interest in sustainability within fashion, she worked at both extremes of the fashion industry: as a designer in fast fashion and for a small

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16:40

#51: Making Meaning - Project books and sharing research

Making Meaning ·

2025/07/12

This episode is a reflection on how I chose to create Cultures of Care Gathering and the sessions, talks and workshops it involves. I also explore the idea of project books, my way of collecting inspiration and ideas into sketchbooks. I'll be sharing a number of project books at the Gathering, alongside my finished works. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a

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09:32

#50: Making Meaning - Cultures of Care Gathering

Making Meaning ·

2025/07/05

It's episode FIFTY! and the podcast's 4th birthday this week. This is just a mini solo one, sharing some of the story of the Cultures of Care project and how I've brought it all together to create Cultures of Care Gathering 19-20 July. Find out about Cultures of Care Gathering Join Ruth’s email list Find out more about Maker Membership ruthsinger.com/membership Full details of the episode, including a transcript

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57:35

#49: Making Meaning with Deb McGuire - Part 2

Making Meaning ·

2025/06/28

Deb McGuire is back! We recording a long conversation and I've split it into two episodes, of which this is the second. I suggest you start with Episode 48 first, as that's where Deb introduces herself and her work. This is a continuation of our chat which focusses more on Mary Linwood and my forthcoming exhibition about her (opening 13th September at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery). Much like the first episode, this is a fun chat between two people really fascinated by Mary Linwood's life and

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