Maddie Ballard: Patchwork-A sewists diary

Maddie Ballard: Patchwork-A sewists diary

From Sew-organised-style by Maria Theoharous

May 18, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 517

About this episode

Maddie Ballard discusses her journey as a writer and her upcoming works in the sewing and literary fields.

Maddie Ballard (she/her) is a writer of mixed Chinese heritage from Aotearoa New Zealand. Her debut essay collection was published as Bound: A Memoir of Making and Remaking (The Emma Press, 2024) in the UK and Patchwork: A Sewist’s Diary (Tin House, 2025) in the US. She co-edits Starling, a literary journal for emerging New Zealand writers, and writes a sporadic Substack. She currently lives in Melbourne.

People in this episode

Host: Maria Theoharous

Guest: Maddie Ballard

Topics covered

  • patchwork
  • sewing
  • memoir
  • literary journal
  • writing

Keywords

  • Maddie Ballard
  • sewing
  • patchwork
  • memoir
  • literary journal
  • Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Melbourne

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Starling, The Emma Press, Tin House

Books & works: Bound: A Memoir of Making and Remaking, Patchwork: A Sewist’s Diary

Places: Aotearoa New Zealand, Melbourne

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