Casey Engel: Evidence of the hand

In this episode, quilter and multidisciplinary artist Casey Engel moves between fibre, ceramics, printmaking and painting – chasing that “magnificent wobble” only handwork can hold. In this conversation, she reflects on embracing imperfection, trusting risk, and making work that resists utility while staying deeply intimate. From thrifted textiles to residencies without internet, Casey shares a practice built on courage, surprise, and renewal.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Making courage through the process. Learn how working with forgiving materials and repeatable processes can reduce fear, loosen perfectionism, and build confidence to take bigger creative risks over time.
  
  
• Designing for surprise. Understand how planning an order of operations – what must stay intact and where unpredictability is welcome – allows experimentation without derailing the work.
  
  
• Rethinking front, back, and function. Explore how quilts and objects can be designed to be experienced from multiple angles, challenging ideas of utility while creating richer, more immersive viewing experiences.
  
  
• Letting materials carry memory. See how thrifted and lived-with textiles can hold emotional and historical weight, and how intentional choices about what to preserve can guide composition and meaning.
  
  
• Sustaining a long-term practice. Gain practical insight into balancing large, time-intensive works with smaller, sellable pieces, and using residencies and community to support both creative growth and financial stability.

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