Slow Craft, Deep Roots: Rediscovering Punch Needle Art | Micah Clasper-Torch (Bonus Episode)
Minimalist Moms Podcast | Simple Living for Overwhelmed Moms
Diane Boden
4.8 • 952 Ratings
🗓️ 24 June 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For those that are new around here, I release bonus episodes that serve a niche part of my audience so if this topic is something that doesn’t fit what you’re looking for, check out one of the hundreds of other episodes in the podcast archives OR join me back here next week for a conversation that you don’t want to miss!
Micah Clasper-Torch a fashion designer and punch needle artist joins the show to talk about her creative journey and the resurgence of heritage crafts in modern life. Micah shares how her background in fashion design led her to discover punch needle—an old rug-making technique now finding new life in both art and fashion. She explains the history and evolution of the craft, its meditative nature, and why it's become especially meaningful in a fast-paced, mass-produced world. Both she and Diane explore the intersection of slow craft, sustainable fashion, and mindful consumption, discussing how punch needle work offers both creative expression and a way to reconnect with intentional living.
Links Discussed in This Episode |
- Connect with Micah:
- Web: www.micahclasper-torch.com & https://www.punchneedlefashion.com/
- @claspertorch & @punchneedle.world
- Book: Punch Needle Fashion: 15 Punch Needle Projects for Crafting Accessories and Wearables
About Micah|
Micah Clasper-Torch is a Los Angeles-based artist, designer, and educator helping to lead the modern revival of punch needle rug hooking. With a background in fashion design from The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, Micah blends fine art, heritage craft, and wearable design to create one-of-a-kind textile pieces that range from coats and accessories to wall hangings and soft sculpture.
In 2019 Micah was formally trained as an Oxford Punch Needle Instructor at the Oxford Rug Hooking School in Vermont, and in 2020 she launched Punch Needle World, an online community, shop and educational platform dedicated to uplifting the craft and its history, and making high quality supplies and training accessible around the world.
Her debut book, Punch Needle Fashion, comes out in June 2025 from Quadrille and brings punch needle into the world of contemporary fashion through 15 original projects and a beautifully photographed exploration of the medium.
Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
Questions |
- You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.
- Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
- If you’ve been struggling with motivation to declutter or work through bad habits that keep you stuck, I’d love to help you achieve your goals! We’ll work together (locally or virtually) to discover what areas in your life are high priority to get you feeling less overwhelmed right away. For more info on my processes, fees, and availability please contact!
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns Early: https://acornsearly.com/MINIMALISTMOMS
* Check out Moon & Skin and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://moonandskin.com
* Check out Mr. Pen and use my code MINIMALIST10 for a great deal: https://mrpen.com
* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.org
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/minimalist-moms-podcast-all-things-minimalism-intentionality-and/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | If you're pregnant postpartum or planning to be, or you've got a friend in that season, listen |
| 0:04.3 | up. There's a lot in motherhood that we can't control, but your nutrition, that's a powerful |
| 0:08.9 | place to start. That's why I've been raving about the company needed. I wish I'd had needed |
| 0:13.8 | when I was in that chapter. Their starter plan is a total game changer, a comprehensive prenatal |
| 0:19.4 | multi, plus the high quality omega-3 designed to meet |
| 0:22.7 | the real nutritional demands of pregnancy and beyond. It's not the bare minimum stuff that most |
| 0:27.3 | prenatals offer. This is optimal evidence-based nourishment that actually supports mom and baby. |
| 0:32.9 | Trusted by over 6,000 women's health practitioners from midwives to obese, they're raising the bar for women's |
| 0:38.6 | wellness. And personally, because I'm out of the prenatal and postpartum, I love their women's |
| 0:43.6 | omega-3, collagen, and stress support. They have an entire section for women's health supplements |
| 0:49.1 | on their website. So if you've been looking for a supplement that checks all the boxes, |
| 0:53.1 | head over to this is needed.com and use code minimalist for 20% off your first order. That's T-H-I-S-I-S-N-E-D-D-D-com and use |
| 1:03.8 | code minimalist for 20% off your first order. I mean, to me, Punch-Tedal is such a moment of calm. |
| 1:10.2 | And I know, again, with all of our busy lives and no one busier than moms and families with so much on their plates, it's something that you can also do while talking to other people, which I love. It's a silent craft. It's a slow craft. You can be around other people. You can be in community and also work on this. It's something you can pick up, |
| 1:28.5 | work on a little bit and put down. It doesn't take up a large footprint. And yeah, that ability |
| 1:33.6 | to have something to return to that is slow and satisfying and involves something tangible and |
| 1:40.0 | working with our hands, yeah, it feels important to be present and definitely something that can |
| 1:45.4 | be accessed by anyone who needs that in their lives. Hello and welcome to the Minimalist Moms podcast. |
| 1:51.6 | Joining me today is Micah Clasper Torch, a fashion designer and punch needle artist, and she's |
| 1:57.3 | here today to talk about her creative journey and the resurgence of heritage crafts |
| 2:01.1 | in modern life. Today, Micah shares how her background in fashion design led her to discover |
| 2:06.2 | Punch Needle, an old rug-making technique now finding new life in both art and fashion. She explains |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Diane Boden, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Diane Boden and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.