On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about product development with my guest Jamie Trinier and Jessica Drain of SewTites. An oil and gas engineer for most of her career, Jamie discovered the love of quilting after watching her mom sew many Halloween costumes, Christmas PJs, and quilts as a child. She started sewing when she made a king-size log cabin quilt for her husband over a decade ago. In April 2021, Jamie made her lifelong dream of owning a quilt shop co...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 201
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about the quilting industry with my guest Jaren Gibson. Jaren joined Grace Company as its first manager in 1998, soon after graduating from Weber State University with a degree in Communication. At the time the company had approximately 15 employees. As President of Grace Company, now with 25 years of industry experience, Jaren has helped transform Grace Company from its beginnings as a woodworking firm in the quilting indus...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 200
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about craft fairs and plush taxidermy with my guest, Jen Gubicza. Jen is the designer and maker behind the handmade brand Zooguu . She graduated with a BFA in graphic design from Massachusetts Institute College of Art in 2001 and worked as a graphic designer and creative director at Big Blue Dot and the Boston Children’s Museum. In 2004, Jen started designing and sewing her own creatures as a hobby to get back to the enjoym...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 199
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about yarn and media with my guest Dana Williams-Johnson . Dana Williams-Johnson is a knitter, newbie crocheter and college professor. She holds a PhD in Communications, Culture, and Media Studies and researches issues with online communities, feminism and the impacts and use of social media by minority women. She also writes about her love of all things yarn on her blog, Yards of Happiness. +++++ Today's episode is sponsor...
Aug 21, 2023•59 min•Ep. 198
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about sewing, quilting, and embroidery with my guest Bianca Springer . Bianca Springer is a garment sewist, pattern designer, sewing instructor and experimental quilter. She is the creator of unique sewing pattern weights to improve sewing efficiency and speed. Bianca is a contributing writer for Sew News magazine, Creative Machine Embroidery magazine, and is a fiber artist. Bianca shares her talents as a Brand Ambassador f...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 197
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about YouTube with my guest Laura Coia . Laura is the host and creator of the YouTube channel Sew Very Easy. The channel has 454,000 subscribers and 976 videos that she’s produced over the last nine years, all focused on sewing and quilting. Laura has over 45 years of sewing experience. She’s written for several sewing and quilting magazines, written two books with C&T publishing, and was awarded the Silver YouTube Awar...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 196
We're so pleased to bring you this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast recorded at h+h americas 2023 on June 21 in Chicago. The trade show opened with this State of the Industry panel discussion with over 500 people in the audience. Our four panelists are: Hedi Ehlen, Kamaca Champion, Steve Jeffery, and Jan Hurwitz. We discuss where we are as an industry right now, what challenges and opportunities we're facing, and where we need to go in the year to come. We hope you enjoy th...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 195
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about quilting with my guest Victoria Findlay Wolfe . Victoria’s work balances between art quilting, traditional & modern quilting styles, and reflects her passion for exploring the fine art of quilting in the modern age. A farm girl raised in Minnesota, her influences are heavily based on her grandmother’s scrappy colorful double knit polyester quilts. Victoria considers her process as an artist/storyteller by incorpor...
Jul 03, 2023•59 min•Ep. 194
In this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we are very excited to bring you a recording of our Day 3 keynote at h+h americas 2023, a fireside chat with Justine Tiu, co-founder of The Woobles . The Woobles is a company that makes learn-to-crochet kits for complete beginners. Through The Woobles, Justine has taught over 200,000 people how to crochet. Before starting The Woobles, Justine was a User Experience Designer at Google. Drawing on her background in user research and pr...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 193
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a subscription with my guest Mary Granbenstatter. Mary is the owner of Needle Sharp , a monthly subscription sewing box service she founded in 2017 that offers curated garment projects as well as fabric and patterns. The company is a culmination of Mary’s love of crafting in her youth, her knowledge of computers and design from her editing experience, and her invaluable experience in retail from Barnes and No...
Jun 19, 2023•57 min•Ep. 192
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about folklore with my guest Diana Baird N’Diaye. Diana is a senior curator and cultural heritage specialist at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. She previously held positions as folk arts program analyst at the New York State Council on the Arts and curator-in-chief at the Muse Community Museum of Brooklyn, New York. Dr. N’Diaye is also a maker, creating quilts, necklaces, clothing, bags, and every...
Jun 05, 2023•58 min•Ep. 191
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about surface pattern design with my guest Elizabeth Silver . Elizabeth is a professional surface pattern designer with 20 years in the industry. Her colorful patterns and illustrations are regularly featured in major retailers like Target, Michaels, and Walmart and she licenses with over 30 partners. She uses her experience in numerous product categories to teach beginner surface pattern designers how to move past overwhel...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 190
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about owning a yarn shop with my guest Cadence Kidwell. Before Cadence opened her yarn shop, Fuzzy Goat , she was at Florida State University – where she taught Creative Writing, Multicultural Literature and designed a certificate program for students to develop cultural competencies. University life instilled a strong core of service to people seeking to improve their lives. One of her favorite pieces in her yarn shop is a...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 189
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about cross stitch with my guest Stephanie Rohr. Stephanie Rohr is a cross-stitch designer, artist, and author. She is known as StephXstitch in the craft world, after giving that name to her Etsy shop in 2010. Stephanie's work fits into the subversive cross-stitch movement, with a focus on traditional design elements paired with humor, pop-culture references, and feminist and political themes. Stephanie created cross-stitch ...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 188
Today on the show we’re talking about sewing glamor with my guest Gretchen Hirsch . Specializing in vintage glamour, Gretchen “Gertie” Hirsch is a designer who infuses her passion for sewing into glamorous creations that can be customized for anyone. She got her start as a blogger with the popular Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing, and has collaborated with Butterick and Simplicity on the “Patterns by Gertie” line of sewing patterns, and designed fabrics for Joann Fabrics, Spotlight Stores and...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 187
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about modern quilting with my guest Libs Elliott . Elizabeth (Libs) Elliott is a textile artist exploring the intersection of technology and traditional craft by using generative code to design and make handmade quilts. A deep appreciation for craftsmanship, design history and future-focused applications are all reflected in her work. She studied Material Art & Design at OCAD University and lives and works in Toronto, C...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 186
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about knitting cute things with my guest Anna Hrachovec. Anna is a Chicago-based designer and artist who loves to knit little creatures. Just about everything is more fun in tiny knitted form, so she’s inspired by everything! Under her designer brand, Mochimochi Land, Anna has created hundreds (and hundreds!) of knitting patterns that can be found in books and on her website ( mochimochiland.com ) and Ravelry. When she’s no...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 185
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a subscription box with Cheryl Ham. Cheryl Ham is a self-taught knitter who learned the craft with a bit of help from YouTube and a pair of her mother’s long-forgotten and slightly bent, size 9 needles. Cheryl is also the owner of Hypnotic Yarn, which came to life in 2017 after discovering the existence of hand-dyed yarn while watching knitting podcasts. Later, Cheryl founded Yarnable , a monthly hand-dyed ya...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 184
In today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re discussing developing a specialty notion with my guest Jenn McMillan of Sew Fine Thread Gloss . Jenn is a graphic designer, quilter, and fabric-obsessed sewist living in rural Ottawa, Ontario Canada. She likes to call herself the thread whisperer. Sewing since she can remember, Jenn was taught to sew on an old Singer Featherweight and has dabbled in various forms of textile arts her entire life. Growing up around family members who...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 183
Today on the show we’re talking about modern quilting with my guest Porfiria Gomez. Porfiria is a sewing enthusiast, self-proclaimed designer, and blogger. A native New Yorker, Porfiria learned to sew from her mother and how is a modern quilter, teacher, and author. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Sublime Grafx . Sublime Grafx is the printer of choice for your pdf sewing patterns, digital artwork, personalized mugs and graphic tees. We offer a variety of paper choices and fast turnaround. Che...
Jan 16, 2023•41 min•Ep. 182
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a craft magazine with my guest Meghan Fernandes, a co-founder of the independent knitting magazine Pom Pom . Meghan Fernandes is a knitting designer and instructor, as well as creative director at Pom Pom. After 10 years in London, she is now based in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her husband and young daughters. She revels in the challenge of making and enjoying knitwear for a hot climate. +++++ Today'...
Jan 02, 2023•57 min•Ep. 181
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about slow stitching with my guest Samantha Hoyt. Samantha Hoyt is the owner and creative director of A Gathering of Stitches , a series of small-scale immersive retreats in Maine for quilters and garment sewists. She has been running the Slow Stitching and Slow Fashion retreats since 2015. The business began as a Maker Space in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood in 2013. Before A Gathering of Stitches, Samantha was a par...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 180
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about handmade marketplaces with my guest Jon Lincoln. Jon is the founder of Goimagine . He earned many accolades with his prior technology venture within InsurTech including “Insurance Innovation of the Year” and “Top 10 InsurTech Leaders of 2017” which led to a company exit valued at over $44 Million. Never a stranger to new ventures in 2020 Jon entered the world of ecommerce with the launch of goimagine.com; a new online...
Dec 05, 2022•59 min•Ep. 179
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about creating a lifestyle blog and brand with my guest Brittany Watson Jepsen. Brittany is the founder and creative director of The House That Lars Built , an award-winning website focused on artful living and making. She is the author of Craft the Rainbow and her work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Vogue, Martha Stewart and more! She is the mother of Jasper and Felix and lives with her family in Provo, Utah....
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 178
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about knitwear design with my guest Andrea Mowry . Andrea is was lucky enough to learn how to knit as a child from her Grandma Ginny. By her late teens, guided by the wisdom of the great Elizabeth Zimmerman and her many books, she began trying to work out her own patterns. After leaving her life as a pastry chef to start a family with her husband, her hands found the necessary freedom to begin creating with fiber instead of...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 177
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a yarn business with my guest Amy Small. Amy is a business owner, hand spinner, yarn lover, obsessive knitter, and podcaster. Along with making things, she’s passionate about creative small businesses and yoga! At the heart of her business, Knit Collage is the idea that making things makes us better. This might look like more creativity and confidence or patience and peace in your daily life. In a nutshell, i...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 176
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about card making with my guest Simon Hurley. Simon Hurley started cardmaking when he was 12 and loved that each card was a unique canvas to work on. After sharing his work on YouTube, he slowly grew a loyal community of crafters who watched his videos. This led to him filming a cardmaking class at Scrapbook.com when he was 14 and several more thereafter. At age 16, Simon partnered with Ranger to launch a line of inks, stam...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 175
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about kits and craft books with my guest Cynthia Treen. Cynthia Treen's charming felt animal designs are classics in the making, with their own stories waiting to be imagined. Explore her threadfollower kits and patterns or her new book, Wind in the Willows Felt Friends . Her passion for teaching and drafting comes through on every page, with detailed instructions and illustrations perfect for guiding beginners and advanced...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 174
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about knitwear design with my guest, Julie Robinson . A more inclusive fiber industry isn’t just possible, it’s a necessity. Designer and educator Julie Robinson is leading through example. Julie is known for publishing fashion-forward knitting patterns in an inclusive size range. And her courses on the creative and technical aspects of knitwear design are training a new generation of technical editors and knitwear designers...
Sep 05, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 173
On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about quilting and teaching with my guest, Sandra Lee Chandler . Sandra embarked on her teaching career 38 years ago at Santa Ana Community College. She now teaches at many national shows including Quilt Canada, Stitches West, QuiltCon, Festival of Quilts, and Squam, as well as teaching a weekly virtual quilting class through Saddleback Community College. Sandra’s work has been published in numerous magazines and she has ma...
Aug 15, 2022•58 min•Ep. 172
