I must confess, it all started with the first season of Serial, a podcast produced by This American Life and one which took the world by storm. Serial was my gateway drug. It took just the first episode to reel me in. And now listening to podcasts while I sew is an addiction that has continued to grow ever since.

So in the interest of sharing the addiction love, here’s some other great podcasts that are perfect for listening to while you get crafty.

Seamwork Radio

Sewing your own clothes is the theme that ties all Seamwork Radio‘s episodes together, but it’s so much more than that. Sarai Mitnick explores topics as broad as self-expression, homosexuality, identity, fat shaming, chronic illness, creating a fashion label, sustainability and so much more. It’s honest, raw and wonderful storytelling in the vein of This American Life. If you’re into any form of crafting, particularly sewing, you will really enjoy this podcast, produced by Colette Media and released in conjunction with each issue of Seamwork Magazine.

Welcome to Night Vale

My cool, crafty friend Emily introduced me to Welcome to Night Vale a few weeks ago. It’s a warped, funny and disturbing podcast set in the fictional US desert town of Night Vale. Told as a series of Community Radio news announcements by the silver tones of Cecil Baldwin, there’s something eerie, and not-quite-right about the fictional characters. Episodes are released fortnightly. As it’s been broadcasting since 2012, there’s a massive archive of episodes to listen to, which is perfect for binge-listening while addressing your UFO pile (that’s UnFinished Objects, in case you were wondering).

Invisibilia

I’ve only listened to this single episode of Invisibilia, entitled The Secret Emotional Life of Clothes, which is all about how the clothes we wear both shape and reflect our identity. The episode included interviews with a man whose addiction to wearing sunglasses all. the. time. contributed to his marriage failures and inability to form close relationships. It also delves into the private life of standup comic Will Franken, who identified publicly as transgender, for a time, and then no longer felt that identity suited who he was. It’s interesting stuff.

Science Vs

Previously produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and now part of the Gimlet Media stable, Science Vs is hosted by Australian science journalist Wendy Zukerman. According to my friend Carmel, this podcast cuts through the populist crap and tells it like it is. In my other life, I’m a science and environment writer, so I’m rather looking forward to checking this one out!

This American Life

My friend Clare really enjoys This American Life, and as I’m a HUGE fan of Serial, which is produced by the good folk at This American Life, I’ll have to check out their other shows. Thanks for reminding me, Clare!

A Great Recipe For Life

As a multi-tasking multipassionate person, I'm always interested in how other people manage to cope with the various demands on their time. Writer, producer and blogger Mel Kettle launched A Great Recipe For Life a few months ago, and I really enjoy her conversations with some very interesting, and often high-profile, guests. I'm particularly interested in how they find balance in the chaos of modern-day life. 

That’s six new podcasts I think you should listen to while you work or make things. It’s a pretty varied list, don't you think? I hope you find something you’ll like. And if you’ve got a recommendation for any other podcasts that you think are worth listening to, please let me know!

What are your favourite podcasts? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to include links to them!