On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about the art of wrapping gifts with my guest Megumi Inouye.

Megumi is a gift-wrapping and packaging artist. Known for her sustainable wrap-ping designs and creative innovations, she encourages repurposing, utilizing everyday things around us, and using organic and recyclable items. She attributes her passion for gift wrapping to her Japanese heritage and the cultural values that underlie the meaning behind the art of giving.

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This episode is sponsored by Linda's.

At Linda’s, you’ll find an extensive collection of fabrics in every color and print imaginable, as well as unique notions and embellishments to add that personal touch to your projects. They also carry quilt kits, ready to help you get started on your next masterpiece.

No matter if you are a seasoned quilter or just starting out, come join the family at Linda's. There, you can stitch the fabric of your lives, one quilt at a time.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking with two more of the winners of the Golden Scissors Awards. These new awards recognize excellence in the crafts industry and are given out annually at h+h americas. Nominations were open to everyone and the winners were determined by an independent panel of judges made up of craft industry professionals. 

In this second episode, we'll hear the stories of our Innovation Award, Masey Kaplan and Jen Simonic of The Loose Ends Project. These two co-founders have come up with an organization that eases grief, creates community, and inspires generosity. The Loose Ends Project matches volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability and now has more than 20,000 volunteers globally who have completed 2,000 projects. 

 

We'll also hear the story of our Social Impact Award winner, Allyson Allen. Allyson is the organizer of the Piece-ful Protest Quilt Exhibit which features 36 quilted textiles of protest art. Recognized by the State of California as an award-winning Master African American textile artist and culture bearer, she organized this exhibit to be shown in Laguna Beach California where it had a significant impact in furthering the understanding of open-minded diversity and inclusivity. 

We hope you are inspired by both Masey and Jen's and Allyson's stories! Nominations for the 2025 Golden Scissors Awards will open early in the year and we encourage you to nominate yourself or someone else, and to attend the awards ceremony at h+h americas in Chicago May 7-9, 2025.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about buttons with my guest Beau McCall.

Proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man,” Beau McCall creates wearable and visual art by applying clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks offer commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice. On March 30th his first-ever retrospective exhibition debuts at Fuller Craft Museum titled, Beau McCall: Buttons On! 

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Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. March is National Craft Month. Take advantage of this special promotion! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a yarn shop, both online and brick-and-mortar, with my guest Kathy Elkins.

Along with her husband Steve, Kathy is the owner of WEBS – America’s Yarn Store located in Northampton, MA.  WEBS was founded in 1974 by Steve’s mother and in 2002 Kathy & Steve assumed ownership.  Kathy holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. from Suffolk University.  She has extensive marketing experience in consumer products as well as prior committee and board experience on various community organizations.  Her most important role is that of being a mom to her two sons, Jackson & Jonathan.

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This episode is sponsored by Makerist. Makerist is your new favorite online craft destination and Europe’s largest online pattern marketplace, and now they’re expanding into the global market to bring their huge selection of PDF sewing, knitting, crochet, and embroidery patterns to crafters everywhere! Use the coupon code CA20 to take 20% off your first purchase for any full-price patterns. The coupon is applied at checkout.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building an audience as a sewing blogger with my guest Alexis Bailey.

Alexis is a DIY sewing blogger, sewist, and recently handsewist. She is passionate about sustainability, intentional making, and natural fibers. Entering the online sewing scene in 2017, Alexis has built a truly impressive audience in a short time and created a blossoming business out of her passion as well.

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This episode is sponsored by Makerist. Makerist is your new favorite online craft destination and Europe’s largest online pattern marketplace, and now they’re expanding into the global market to bring their huge selection of PDF sewing, knitting, crochet, and embroidery patterns to crafters everywhere! 

Take 20% off your first purchase for any full-price patterns with the coupon code CA20. The coupon is applied at checkout.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking with Anne Oliver of Lolli and Grace.

 

For Anne, drawing, painting, and crafts have been a part of her life since almost the very beginning. She spent several years out of college working at a small independent craft store (a dream job, for sure), then started her own business hand-painting clothing, custom murals and furniture. For her, color has all always been a source of inspiration, and years later serendipity led her to blend that love of color with embroidery, designing, and writing to offer hand embroidery patterns and kits for all levels of stitchers. She’s been featured in several publications, including Homespun magazine and the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Crafts issue.

To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building a knitting business with my guest Louis Boria.

After going viral for knitting during his daily subway commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan late in 2017, 45-year-old Puerto Rican Knitwear Designer and Philanthropist Louis Boria, also known as Brooklyn Boy Knits, has turned his passion for fiber arts into a platform where he now works with the community. He uses his platform to break down gender norms and tackle issues related to diversity and inclusion within the fiber arts community.

Throughout his journey from novice knitter to designer to Tedx speaker and influencer, he has focused on helping others. He believes that creativity can help heal wounds, both our own and society’s. Boria has collaborated with fiber artists, fiber industry leaders, community partners, and school districts to provide an interactive, engaging, and fun program that teaches young students to value differences. Be sure to check out Louis’ Tedx talk, “Making the most of your moment” which can be found on YouTube.

 

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This episode is sponsored by Jimmy Beans Wool. Started in 2002, Jimmy Beans Wool has been your go-to local yarn shop online for nearly two decades! They’ve got thousands of yarns to choose from in a variety of brands, weights, colors, and price points, along with everything you need to create and finish the perfect project. They’re now offering free US shipping to our listeners. Head to JimmyBeansWool.com/CraftIndustryAlliance to get crafting!  

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcas,t we're talking about running a brick-building a business in crochet with my guest, Twinkie Chan.

Twinkie is a San-Francisco based crochet designer and instructor known for her colorful, food-themed accessories like cupcake scarves, hamburger mitts, and slushee cup purses. She has two published crochet books and currently has a crochet installation on view at Sweet Tooth Hotel in Dallas, TX.

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This episode is sponsored by Muezart, unique, natural, sustainable yarn & fibers. For makers who love to create. Muezart is a small yarn and fiber company that works closely with women partners in the villages of Meghalaya. Muezart's mission is to promote Eri silk, a unique, natural, and sustainable fiber known to have the world's smallest carbon footprint, to the makers of the world.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building a multi-faceted craft business with my guest Kathy Cano-Murillo.

Kathy Cano-Murillo is an author, artist & founder of the award-winning brand, CraftyChica. She spreads the gospel of glitter – literally through her DIY projects and figuratively through her speeches, workshops, books, and essays.

A former syndicated columnist for The Arizona Republic, she is now a full-time creativepreneur which has led to multiple Crafty Chica mass retail product lines, and collabs with Coca-Cola, HSN, HP, WordPress, Disney & many others. She has authored seven craft books, two novels, and recently, Forever Frida: A Celebration of the Life, Art, Loves, Words, and Style of Frida Kahlo. She has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed+ more. Kathy is Mexican-American, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, mom of two, a wife, and owner of three Chihuahuas.

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This episode is sponsored by Flowsmith. Flowsmith creates a QuickBooks portal for companies to streamline the process of managing wholesale orders. Especially developed for small and mid-sized businesses, your new portal will allow you to easily reduce costs, improve internal communication, and keep a professional atmosphere. Stay up to date with information at your fingertips by visiting flowsmith.us and start your 90-day free trial TODAY!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a career as a textile artist and creativity coach with my guest Clara Nartey.

 

Clara's textile artwork has been widely exhibited in solo and group shows in museums across the United States. Her work is held in both private and corporate collections.

 

Clara is a self-taught artist who learned by stitching together a curriculum of workshops, art lessons, and several hours of studio practice. She’s an artist, an educator, and the creator of The Clara Nartey Blog – a Top 20 fiber art blog. She holds a bachelor’s in Computer Science/ Statistics and a master’s in Business Administration.

 

Clara is known for her heart-centered teaching and her ability to unlock people’s undiscovered creative potential which leaves her clients with confidence. Clara believes in equipping creative people with skills that go beyond techniques. She’s the creator of training programs like Clarity to Create, which teaches you to get into the right mindset for creative excellence, and Innovate to Create, which teaches you to build systems so that you can enjoy creative and financial freedom.

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This episode is sponsored by Search Press. Find your new skill in 2020 and use code BESTSKILL for a 30% discount on Search Press books on our website, www.searchpressusa.com.

See Search Press books in your local fiber arts and craft store or view our whole catalog at Search Press North America. Search Press are sold through Sommer Street and are available at industry events.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

Today on the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a life and career as an artist with my guest Courtney Cerruti.

 

Courtney is an artist, collaborator and Editor-In-Chief at Creativebug, an online arts and crafts education site. She's authored 5 books, one of which was released earlier this year and is called Make Art Where You Are and her new one, One Color a Day releases in September.  She's a new mom but still attempts to do something creative everyday and can be found on Instagram as @ccerruti

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This episode is sponsored by VM Wasek – financial system strategists for Shopify sellers.

Veronica Wasek and her team at VM Wasek help Shopify sellers to set up, organize, and streamline their financial systems. Whether you’re looking for DIY, done with you, or done for you financials.

To learn more about VM Wasek and how they can help you get control over your Shopify financial systems, visit vmwasek.com or download the free Shopify Bookkeeping Blueprint – the Shopify seller’s guide to confident bookkeeping.

Craft Industry Alliance members get a 10% discount on all services.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business in knitting with my guest Gaye Glasspie.

Gaye Glasspie a.k.a GGmadeit better known as GG is a 50-something-year-old who fell in love with knitting late in life - in just the last 9 or 10 years. 

She is self-taught via YouTube and some wonderfully friendly yarn stores and she is obsessed with all things orange. GG discovered knitting during a very challenging time in her life -knitting is her ride or die, her BFF, her kind of therapy. Knitting has also become a beautiful bridge into a world of wonderful people and a way to universally connect with others.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Alive with Purpose. Alive with Purpose provides beautiful, high-quality hand-dyed yarns for a cause: a portion of all sales proceeds benefits mental health supporting organizations in Minnesota. While the name doesn’t necessarily “scream” yarn, your purchase will effectively reaffirm that all persons, regardless of diagnosis, are indeed, “Alive with Purpose”.  From now through August 31st, enter coupon code CIA2020 for a 15% discount on any purchase! Go to alivewithpurpose.org to learn more. 

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building a business in ceramics with my guest Emily Reinhardt.

 

Emily Reinhardt created The Object Enthusiast in 2011 right after graduating from Kansas State University. The greatest gift of all was the mentorship and guidance of professors and teachers in the ceramics department at Kansas State, and without these mentors, The Object Enthusiast would not have been born. Emily focuses primarily on creating functional objects that elevate the everyday while also branching off into some sculptural and conceptual pieces. Over the last year, the focus has shifted from mass production to a slower pace of creation - making sure each piece is brought to life with love and intention.

 

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This episode is sponsored by Schacht Spindle Company.

 

Schacht Spindle Company has been manufacturing hand weaving looms and spinning wheels in Boulder, Colorado since 1969. Schacht products are beautifully crafted tools designed with the craftsperson in mind. Sign up for their monthly newsletter at schachtspindle.com to be entered into a drawing to win a Schacht Lilli Loom. Their newsletter includes free patterns, product updates and Schacht news.

 

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about hand-dyed fabrics with my guest Karla Overland.

 

Karla is the owner of Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics in Baxter, Minnesota. She is the “colorist” who creates all the dye formulas and gradations of the gorgeous trademark bundles. Karla has been sewing since she was a little girl and holds a degree in Graphic Design. She applies her combined passions to all aspects of Cherrywood; web and print design, color theory, marketing, pattern design, and The Cherrywood Challenge. She has self-published nine exhibit books and over a dozen patterns. Cherrywood travels all over the U.S. vending at quilt shows where Karla also gives presentations and teaches classes. She has taught at the Australasian Quilt Festival in Melbourne, Australia, and hosted a bus tour of The Netherlands, Belgium and France for The Van Gogh Cherrywood Challenge.

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This episode is sponsored by Craftsy.

Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. March is National Craft Month. Take advantage of this special promotion! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business in bag making with my guest Ellie Lum.

Ellie Lum is an accomplished creative entrepreneur, artist, and skill-building educator based out of Portland, Oregon. Ellie’s passion lies at the intersection of education, art, creative business, and environmental justice. Along with her passion for creating, she is deeply committed to sharing her skills with those who want to learn.

As a business owner of 20 years in a craftsman-based business, R.E. Load Bags, she has honed her skills as a leader and teacher instructing those who worked with her how to master the craft of industrial sewing as well as small business management. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Ecoliteracy, where she studied adult hands-on learning theory in garden education. For the past few years, she’s been teaching sewing and mentoring folks on their creative business ventures through her DIY Workshop and handmade goods brand, Klum House.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business in cross stitch with my guests Lizzy and Spencer Bean.

Lizzy and Spencer are the founders and owners of Stitch People, which began in 2013. They both share a great love of entrepreneurship, dog rescue (they have 3 shelter dogs!), and performing which they share as their "capital "D" Dream." They got their start on the stage, but now Lizzy more frequently performs on-screen, and Spencer has become a talented voiceover artist.

Stitch People has been their source of hard work and joy for the past 7 years and they are absolutely stunned by the amazing creations of the incredibly talented and supportive Stitch People Community.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business in rug hooking with my guest Amy Oxford.

Amy Oxford is the owner of The Oxford Company in Cornwall Vermont. She’s been making punch needle style hooked rugs since 1982 when she worked as an at-home rug hooker for McAdoo Rugs, a cottage industry in North Bennington, Vermont. She worked as a traveling rug hooking instructor for 26 years and also started a teacher certification program. After developing carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis, Amy worked with an engineer to develop her own ergonomic rug making tool, The Oxford Punch Needle, which is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. In 2013, Amy settled down and started her own school, The Oxford Rug Hooking School, in Cornwall in a 200-year-old farmhouse.

Her work includes everything from dollhouse rugs to a room-sized rug and a stair runner. She’s the author of six books on rug hooking including her latest, Punch Needle Rug Hooking - Your Complete Resource to Learn & Love the Craft, which will be released in the fall of this year by Schiffer Publishing. She lives in an off-the-grid wind and solar-powered home in Cornwall, Vermont.

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Today's episode is sponsored by WHITNEYMANNEY. WHITNEYMANNEY is a fashion and textile label creating wearable culture inspired by the aesthetics of street art and cultural movements. Through every garment and accessory, WM challenges you to wear your statement. Use code WMPOD for $10 off of orders over $50 through June 30th.

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 To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business crocheting dolls with my guest Allison Hoffman.

Allison Hoffman has been crocheting and designing fun amigurumi for over a decade, has written five crochet books, and lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and three sons. She spends her workdays crocheting weird stuff, writing down how she did it, and you can find out all about it at her website, craftyiscool.com. Her two newest books are “Crochet 'The Golden Girls'” and “‘Friends' Crochet”, both to be released Fall of 2020.

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This episode is sponsored by Timeless Treasures. Timeless Treasures is recognized for its unique novelty prints, bringing fun and playful designs to life. You can browse Timeless Treasures diverse collections, novelties, batiks, patterns, and large library of free projects on ttfabrics.com and follow us on Instagram @TimelessTreasuresFabrics. Look for Timeless Treasures next time you visit your favorite fabric store.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

Today on the show we’re talking about building a quilting business with my guest Amy Smart.

Amy has loved sewing as long as she can remember. She started quilting in earnest after the birth of her first baby 21 years ago, craving a creative outlet and something that 'stayed done' at the end of the day. While enjoying quilting as a hobby, she feels so lucky to have dovetailed this interest into a strong business. She's experienced multiple aspects of the quilting industry, including working in a local quilt shop for 10 years, starting a blog - Diary of a Quilter - in 2008, teaching locally and at large events like the Fat Quarterly retreat, QuiltCon, and Riley Blake's Garden of Quilts, writing and selling her own quilt patterns, publishing a book, and eventually designing fabric collections for Riley Blake Designs. It has been an exciting ride - full of unexpected opportunities and lots of lessons learned along the way.

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Janelle Hardy is the creator and teacher of transformational memoir-writing course The Art of Personal Mythmaking.

Sometimes it feels daunting to write your lifestory down. So let’s start sorting through and organizing all the details you need to structure your memoir inside Outline Your Memoir, a free on-demand video workshop. The workshop will take you through your vast, storied and varied life to get you started with writing it all down.

Janelle’s courses cater to highly creative curious people who have a desire to write their memoirs and heal from the difficult parts of their lifestories at the same time with her Outline Your Memoir workshop, Keep Writing circles and the Art of Personal Mythmaking. Use the coupon code CIA10 for 10% off any of Janelle Hardy’s courses, through the end of 2020.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a crochet business with my guest Toni Lipsey.

Toni is the designer and instructor behind TL Yarn Crafts. Through her printable patterns and cheery video tutorials, she strives to make crochet accessible to makers of every skill level. Toni learned to crochet as a teen but honed her skills after graduating from college. She was bitten by the entrepreneur bug in 2015 and began TL Yarn Crafts as a finished product business. Designing soon became the focus and she was able to quit her day job in 2017. At present, Toni spends her time nurturing her community of over 175K makers across platforms by offering approachable crochet patterns and handmade business wisdom. 

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Today's episode is sponsored by Amy Barickman. Amy is the founder of Indygo Junction and authored the award-winning book Vintage Notions: An inspirational guide to needlework, cooking, sewing, fashion and fun! Visit Amy’s blog and sign up for her newsletter to follow her journey as she curates and shares fabulous images and projects for you to create. Amy’s will newsletter notify you about upcoming Vintage Made Modern videos and Vintage Notions LIVE events.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about fabric design and illustration with my guest Heather Ross.

Author and artist Heather Ross has won fame exploring themes of resourceful and creative living, the natural world, and handmade. Best known for her collectible fabric designs and books that appeal to the handmade and craft markets, she also hosts a wildly popular series of craft retreats held across the country.

Heather’s critically acclaimed memoir How To Catch a Frog chronicles her childhood spent in a remote corner of Vermont, in a wilderness setting that remains a major influence on her creative work. She is also a celebrated illustrator of numerous children’s books, including the best-selling Crafty Chloe series, winner of the Kirkus Star. Heather Ross was a regular guest on The Martha Stewart Show and one of the most-viewed artists featured on the how-to video channel Creativebug. She regularly speaks on a wide range of topics that include creative living, the modern craft movement, and handmade.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Stockabl. Stockabl is a curated wholesale marketplace for handcrafted goods, built by makers like you, not by Silicon Valley. We’ve got convenient features like risk-free Net 60 buyer terms without the hefty commissions, and orders are always paid within 3 days so you don’t have to worry about cash flow.

With the average wholesale order being worth $250 and some platforms charging commissions as high as 25%, switching to Stockabl helps you put an extra $62.50 per order in the bank. How? As makers ourselves, we understand how every dollar counts so we’re waiving our transaction fees.  

Learn more at stockabl.com/craftindustryalliance. Apply to sell today and get your first month free.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building an ecommerce apparel business with my guests David and Holly Lesue.

Holly is a quilter. She runs Maker Valley—a brand for creative makers (quilters and sewists)—where she designs graphic quilting/sewing tees, writes quilt patterns, curates custom quilt kits and fabric bundles, and designs enamel pins and stickers.

David is a graphic designer. He runs Stately Type—a collaborative t-shirt brand—where he designs graphic tees with the help of his social media followers.

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Today's episode is brought to you by Troll Brothers Quilt Designs. Troll Brothers Quilt Designs is a Canadian online quilt shop located on picturesque Vancouver Island, BC, focusing on today's modern fabrics and trending designers in the quilting industry.  Stacie Wilson, the owner of Troll Brothers, provides you the best online shopping experience and personalized customer service to bring you the fabrics, patterns, and notions you are looking for!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about building a sewing pattern business with my guest Norma Loehr.

Norma is the founder and creative director of Orange Lingerie. After a career in financial services, she started Orange Lingerie and began making custom bras for individual clients in 2010. In 2013 she published a book on how to sew and fit bras and then began releasing her own line of bra sewing patterns and teaching her techniques in weekend workshops all over the U.S. 

Her company’s mission is to enable sewists to make their own beautiful and professional looking lingerie.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by Therm O Web, maker of some of the craft industry’s most enduring and innovative brands, including HeatnBond, ZOTS, iCraft and Deco Foil. Based in the Chicago suburbs, second-generation, family-owned Therm O Web is proud to have served the creative community for nearly 50 years with quality products for sewing, quilting, embroidery and paper crafts. Visit thermowebonline.com to learn more.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building a business as a paper flower artist with my guest Kate Alarcon.

Kate Alarcón is known for her signature designs of uncommon paper botanicals. She teaches flower crafting workshops through her company, The Cobra Lily, and her remarkable pieces have appeared on sites including Martha Stewart Living, Design*Sponge, Poppytalk, and The House That Lars Built, among others. She lives in the Seattle area.

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This episode is sponsored by Darice.

With over 45,000 arts and crafts items across hundreds of product categories, Darice is your one-stop source for wholesale supplies for your craft hobby, business or store.

Whether you make items to sell at craft fairs and your Etsy shop or you teach workshops or make craft kits to sell, find all the supplies and products you need for your handmade business. Darice is offering an exclusive promotion for Craft Industry Alliance listeners. Visit Darice.com and use promo code CIA15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Offer valid through 3/31/20.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about creating a sewing business with my guest Jess Barrera of Sallie Tomato.

Jessica is an author, designer, educator, and entrepreneur who has been creatively sewing and crafting since the age of five. She studied entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and now operates her own sewing pattern and supply company, Sallie Tomato. Her innovative designs and products aim to attract the next generations of sewing enthusiasts while appealing to current makers. Aside from running a business, she’s a mom of two boys, loves coffee, home decorating, boutique shopping, traveling, yoga, being outdoors, and is a fan of classic, black and white movies.

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Today's episode is sponsored by The Handmade Book Club.

The Handmade Book Club is a vibrant community of crafters who create their own handmade journals using modern materials and traditional techniques. Learn to combine your love of hand stitching and fabric into your own custom journals. Join our free Bookbinding Book Camp at www.handmadebookclub.com

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about​ building a business in rug hooking with my guest Rose Pearlman.

Rose is an artist and teacher who focuses on textile design. Her workshops center on ways of making beautiful home objects with simple, inexpensive materials. As the daughter of two artists, her parents taught her to value a life filled with creating, tinkering, and playing. She lives in New York City with her family.

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This episode is sponsored by Darice.

With over 45,000 arts and crafts items across hundreds of product categories, Darice is your one-stop source for wholesale supplies for your craft hobby, business or store.

Whether you make items to sell at craft fairs and your Etsy shop or you teach workshops or make craft kits to sell, find all the supplies and products you need for your handmade business. Darice is offering an exclusive promotion for Craft Industry Alliance listeners. Visit Darice.com and use promo code CIA15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Offer valid through 2/29/20.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about fostering creativity through daily practice with my guest Windy Chien.

Windy Chien is best known for her 2016 work, The Year Of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to majestic, room-sized installations that are sought after by private collectors. Following long careers at Apple and as the owner of legendary music shop Aquarius Records, she launched her studio in 2015. Select clients include IBM, the National Geographic Society, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times and Martha Stewart. Windy’s book about her work was published by Abrams in 2019.

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This episode is sponsored by Search Press. Find your new craft in 2020 and use code NEWCRAFT for a 30% discount on Search Press books on our website, www.searchpressusa.com.

 See Search Press books in your local fiber arts and craft store or view our whole catalog at Search Press North America. Search Press books are sold through Sommer Street and are available at industry events.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about collaborations with my guest Angela Smith and Liz Gipson.

Angela founded Purl & Loop in 2012 after realizing her “ladder was against the wrong wall” in her sales career and she was determined to find a calling that brought joy and creativity to the world.  While she enjoyed needle crafts, she was more focused on the idea of creating a business from them rather than actually doing them. Since she focused on operations and process in graduate school, the world of manufacturing always had a special attraction.  Purl & Loop was originally a fiber related e-commerce site.  Upon discovering the world of laser cutters in 2014, Purl & Loop moved into the business of creating portable weaving looms and accessories.  Her goal is to create fun, cute and simple weaving products to help makers use up their yarn and thread stash.  When her mind is overactive with creativity, usually in the middle of the night, she reads mystery novels........she averages about one per week.

Liz Gipson has an educational background in community development, wool science, and adult education, and a lifetime of exuberance for introducing beginners to the art and craft of weaving. She hosts a community-funded, online weaving school for rigid-heddle weavers and a resource-rich website. She has written many books about rigid-heddle weaving both self-published and for established publishers. Liz has worked for herself for the past 8 years and before that worked in the yarn trade in publishing and manufacturing. Having spent nearly 20 years in the yarn industry and more than 30 as a weaver, she really enjoys collaborating with yarn makers, tool suppliers, and fellow makers to create unique learning experiences.

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This episode is brought to you by GourmetQuilter. GourmetQuilter has been bringing original quilt patterns to the quilt world for the last 20 years, as well as many quilting tips and techniques video tutorials via GourmetQuilter on YouTube. 0nline projects are a specialty such as Block of the Day, what's in the Box Mystery quilts, Sew Alongs as well as many other delicious items. Go to www.gourmetquilter.com to learn more and use code CIA20 to receive a 20% discount on the GourmetQuilter book, That Town and Country Quilt, through Feb 29th 2020.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a business as a paper artist with my guest Abigail McMurray of Yeiou Paper Objects. I visited Abigail in her studio in Arlington, Massachusetts to record this interview which was a lot of fun.

With paper as a medium, artist Abigail McMurray combines her background in graphic design and sculpture to create papercraft kits, unique greeting cards, architecturally-inspired artwork, and custom house portraits under the name yeiou paper objects. Abigail’s custom house portraits were awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2019 Etsy Design Awards. These heirlooms capture a home or other building, rendering the details and dimensions in a one-of-a-kind paper sculpture. Abigail lives and works in Arlington, MA with her husband, sister, and cat, who are all very gracious about the tiny bits of paper that end up all over the house.

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​This episode is sponsored by Search Press. Bringing you the finest in art and craft instruction books to improve your skills or ignite a new passion.

For 50 years, Search Press has delighted crafters with detailed instruction books for knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, fiber crafts, painting and drawing. Start 2020 off with some of the finest books in craft. If you would like to learn more about selling Search Press books in your store or on your website, check out our website searchpressusa.com.

See Search Press books in your local fiber arts and craft store or view our whole catalog at Search Press North America. Search Press are sold through Sommer Street and are available at industry events.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

Today we have a special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast recorded at Fall Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. International Quilt Market is a trade show for the fabric and quilt industry. It takes place twice a year, in October and May, and is a time when quilt shop owners from all over the country and all over the world come together to see the forthcoming fabric collections from all of the manufacturers, try out the latest sewing machines, embroidery machines, and long arm machines from all the big machine brands, and discover new notions, buttons, trims, storage solutions, and other neat things they might want to carry in their shops in the coming year.

I attended Fall Quilt Market and recorded interviews with shop owners about how 2019 was for them, what's selling particularly well, and what challenges they're facing coming into 2020. Some of the shop owners I talked to have been in business for three decades, and some for just a few years. Some are full-service quilt shops with a dozen employees, some are very small shops, and some are online only. I enjoyed hearing the diversity of their experiences and I think you'll get a snapshot of the industry by listening to what they have to say.

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This episode is sponsored by Marcus Fabrics and Studio 37 Fabrics. For well over 100 years, Marcus Fabrics/Studio 37 has created beautiful fabrics for quilters and crafters, offering innovative, expertly designed BOM programs, designer fabrics and museum collections for today’s creative market, from Traditional to Trendy! Visit MarcusFabrics.com to view the collections, download some great free projects & more. And follow them on social media @marcusfabrics and @studio37fabrics.

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 To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a fiber business with my guest Felicia Lo.

Felicia is a designer and entrepreneur, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. Her lifelong passion for knitting, color, and design led her to start the sweetgeorgia blog in 2004. A year later, SweetGeorgia was founded at her dining room table with nothing more than three skeins of sock yarn for sale on Etsy. Since then, SweetGeorgia has become a way of life where work and play are inseparable.

In 2017, she published her first book “Dyeing to Spin & Knit” with Interweave Press and currently, she is developing the School of SweetGeorgia to offer online fiber arts education to color-obsessed crafters. When she’s not playing with yarn or hunting tacos and ramen, she’s chasing her two young children around with her orange-loving husband.

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This episode is brought to you by Darice, a premiere distributor and manufacturer of wholesale arts and crafts supplies with over 45,000 items across hundreds of product categories. Darice is offering an exclusive promotion for Craft Industry Alliance listeners. Visit Darice.com and use promo code CIA20 at checkout for 20% Off your order. Offer valid through 12/31/19.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about goal setting and getting things done with my guest Elise Blaha Cripe.

Elise Blaha Cripe lives with her husband and two young daughters in San Diego, California. She has been sharing thoughts and DIY projects online since 2005, running an online shop of handmade goods since 2008 and in 2015 launched GET TO WORK BOOK, a day planner + goal setting journal. Her book, Big Dreams, Daily Joys, a guidebook to goal-setting, productivity and finding more space for the things you love, just launched this October.

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This episode is sponsored by VAWAA. Book a mini-apprenticeship with a master artist or craftsperson in 23 countries worldwide. Anyone can choose an artist from the site and spend 4-7 days immersing into the daily life of an artist, learning a new skill or collaborating on a project. From block printing in India, natural textile dyeing in Vietnam, or mandala weaving in Spain, your creative vacation awaits. Discover the VAWAA that calls you. Craft Industry Alliance listeners get $100 off their first booking. Enter CIA100 during your booking request to redeem.

+++++ To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today!

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about discovering the life you’re meant to live as a maker with my guest Melanie Falick.

 Melanie Falick is an independent writer, editor, and creative director—and a lifelong maker. She is the author, mostly recently, of Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live, as well as several other titles, including the seminal Knitting in America and bestsellers Kids Knitting and Weekend Knitting. She is the former publishing director of STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books, an imprint of Abrams, where she spearheaded books by many of the DIY world’s most esteemed authors, including Natalie Chanin, Lena Corwin, Kaffe Fassett, Lotta Jansdotter, Clara Parkes, Heather Ross, and Denyse Schmidt. She is also the creative director and editor of Mason-Dixon Knitting Field Guides. Find her on Instagram @melaniefalick and at melaniefalick.com.

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Hello Bargello is dedicated to bringing back the vintage needlecraft of bargello! Working from vintage patterns, we modernize classic bargello techniques for today’s makers, with fresh color palettes and fun projects from fashion accessories to home decor. Visit hellobargello.com for free how-to videos, kits, digital patterns, and everything you need to discover your new favorite needlecraft! Use code ALLIANCE for 15% off orders just for Craft Industry Alliance podcast listeners!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about quilting and activism with my guests Sara Trail and Juan Tapia.

We recorded this episode in person at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts where there is an exhibit up through December 1, 2019 of the Social Justice Sewing Academy Quilts called Piecing Together Youth Voices in a 21st Century Sewing Circle. 

Sara Trail is the founder and executive director of the Social Justice Sewing Academy. Sara learned to sew when she was a toddler and had a sewing career as a teenager when she wrote Sew with Sara, a book that teaches teens and tweens how to sew clothes and accessories. She also starred in nationally published DVDs called Cool Stuff to Sew with Sara, designed two fabric collections with Fabri-Quilt and a pattern collection with Simplicity. While attending UC Berkeley, Sara created a quilt in memory of Trayvon Martin and her love for sewing and passion for social justice intertwined. After graduating from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, she founded the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) to be a platform where youth create art that engages and educates communities. 

 

Juan Tapia is one of the students who has been a participant in the Social Justice Sewing Academy. Juan just graduated from high school and is now working for a non-profit called Courage, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, that works with formerly incarcerated. He’s a digital design associate and is hoping to become head of the communications department at the organization

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This episode is sponsored by Search Press. Bringing you the finest in art and craft instruction books to improve your skills or ignite a new passion.

 See Search Press books in your local fiber arts and craft store or view our whole catalog at Search Press North America [www.searchpressusa.com]. Visit Search Press at New York Sheep & Wool Festival, Quilt Market, Embroiderers’ Guild of America, TNNA and many more craft industry events. Use code nap0819 to receive 15% off your book purchase on our website Search Press North America.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's show, we’re talking about the history of Quilts, Inc. with my guest Teresa Duryea Wong. Teresa has authored two books on Japanese quilts and textiles and in early 2019, she published American Cotton: Farm to Quilt.

She currently travels to Japan and throughout the US to research, write, and lecture. She holds a master’s degree in liberal studies from Rice University and in 2014, was named the ‘Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Scholar’ by the Texas Quilt Museum and the Bybee Foundation.

Teresa is a regular contributor to Curated Quilts magazine and also writes for Art Quilt Quarterly. She is a passionate quilter and also loves making bags and garments.

Next month, she will debut another new book at the International Quilt Festival titled Magic & Memories: 45 Years of International Quilt Festival. This book shares the story of the history Quilt Festival and two women who founded the event.

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This episode is sponsored by Why We Quilt: Contemporary Makers Speak Out, a new book by Thomas Knauer. 

In a world of same-day delivery, cutting fabric into small pieces and stitching them back together makes little practical sense. Yet the quilting community thrives.

In Why We Quilt, Thomas Knauer highlights 40 contemporary makers who share not only their stunning quilts, but also powerful insights into what compels them to keep quilting.

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about collage and mixed media with my guest Drew Steinbrecher.

Drew has enjoyed working with his hands and being creative from a young age. He has a university degree in graphic design. Along with being a full-time artist he is also freelance graphic designer. He's an avid knitter, photographer, and traveler. He currently lives in Cincinnati with his partner Greg and their Schnauzer Fred. 

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Today's episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

In this short solo episode, I make an important announcement: the name of this podcast is changing. After 153 episodes as the While She Naps podcast, going forward this show will be called the Craft Industry Alliance podcast. Very little else about the show will be different. Tune in to hear what led up to this decision (a lot of careful consideration!). I'm really excited about this change! We have some new theme music which you can hear at the end of the episode. 

 

I invited you to visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today’s episode of the While She Naps podcast we’re talking about building an illustration business with my guest, Stacie Bloomfield.

Stacie Bloomfield is the founder of the company Gingiber, based in Springdale Arkansas. She is an illustrator and printmaker who sells prints, stationery, fabric, and homewares in over 500 retail outlets around the country. She has collaborated with many retailers, including West Elm, Brooklyn Industries, The Land of Nod (now Crate & Kids), Moda Fabrics, Chasing Paper Wallpaper, and has been featured on Design Sponge, Martha Stewart.com, and others. She is also one of the founders of the Creative Social Retreat.

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Today’s episode is sponsored by AmyBarickman.com.

Amy’s award-winning book, Vintage Notions: An inspirational guide to needlework, cooking, sewing, fashion & fun! shares lessons and wisdom from The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences which was founded in 1916 by Mary Brooks Picken, who Amy coined “the fairy godmother of modern sewing”.   Amy’s site offers a wealth of inspiration and information based on her extensive collection of vintage sewing and fashion treasures. Follow her blog and newsletter as she curates timeless wisdom, fascinating stories, and handmade style. Join & receive the “Welcome” printable which includes labels and recipe cards as well as a Magic Pattern for the Cropped Jacket.  Subscribe to the Amy Barickman Studio YouTube Channel for more Vintage Made Modern inspiration.   +++++  

Get the full show notes for this episode on my blog, whileshenaps.com, where you can sign up for my email newsletter to get the best in sewing, blogging, and small business delivered right to your inbox each week. 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a business in the sewing industry with my guest, Pati Palmer.

Pati is the driving force behind the Palmer/Pletsch publishing company which has published dozens of sewing books and how-to DVD’s and creator of eight Palmer/Pletsch sewing notions products, including PerfectFuse™ Interfacings.  Pati has been designing for the McCall Pattern Co. since 1980, and Vogue prior to that. She has written the guide sheets for over 250 patterns that include fit and sewing tips. Palmer/Pletsch workshops are offered in several cities around the country. Pati is so excited that her daughter Melissa Watson is following in her footsteps, joining a number of talented young women new to the fashion sewing industry.

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This episode is sponsored by Cheryl Lynch of Cheryl Lynch Quilts. Cheryl started quilting in 1992 and is an award-winning quilter and published quilt designer. She enjoys devising solutions for creative projects. Her most recent innovation has been Mini Mosaic Quilts that are suitable for young and old as well as novice and experienced Quilter. Cheryl sells her kits and projects in her Etsy shop. She is offering While She Naps readers and listeners a 20% discount. Just use the code whileshenaps at checkout to save! 

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

 

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about making a career as an artist with my guest, Lisa Solomon.

Lisa Solomon is a mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited and collected all over the world. She received her BA in art practice from UC Berkeley and her MFA from Mills College, and has been a professor in the Bay Area for 15+ years. As a Hapa [her mother is Japanese and her father is Jewish Caucasian] she is profoundly interested in personal identity, and all things chroma. Her work reflects this as well as an incredible love for textiles. She regularly uses “craft” materials and techniques in a “fine art” context. Another important focus of hers is bridging the gaps between being creative, living creatively, and making a living as a creative.

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This episode is sponsored by Hobbs Bonded Fibers. Hobbs Bonded Fibers has been making high-quality batting for quilters since 1978. They manufacture all their own batting in Waco, TX and you can find out more about all of their batting and crafting products at www.hobbsbatting.com/products.

For more recommendations - and a chance to win a collection of Hobbs Batting & Crafting Products! – send an email to shackney@hobbsbondedfibers.com letting us know you’d like to win the collection of our batting. Stephanie will reply with a handy reference batting selection tool you can use and share with your quilty friends! And if you love giveaways, be sure to follow @HobbsBatting on Instagram, where they have a giveaway in progress!

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about running a brick-and-mortar and online yarn shop with my guest, Laura Zander.

Laura is the co-owner of Jimmy Beans Wool. Along with her husband Doug, she worked as software engineers during the dot-com boom in the San Francisco area. When Laura and Doug saw the boom begin turning into a bust they quit their jobs and moved to Lake Tahoe to begin a new adventure, opening a small yarn shop. Today Jimmy Beans Wool has been named one of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US and Laura is one of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women. She was invited to the White House for a forum addressing the American Jobs Act where Jimmy Beans Wool was recognized as a notable Nevada business.

When not knitting or working, Laura spends her time on the ski hill, running, playing tennis, or relaxing with Doug and their 10-year-old son, Huck.

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This episode is sponsored by Search Press. Bringing the finest in art and craft instruction books to improve your skills or ignite a new passion.

See Search Press books in your local fiber arts and craft store or view our whole catalog at Search Press North America. Visit Search Press at New York Sheep & Wool Festival, Quilt Market, TNNA and many more craft industry events. Use code nap0819 to receive 15% off your book purchase on our website Search Press North America and enjoy free shipping during the month of August 2019.

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about making a living as an artist and surface pattern designer with my guest, Sarah Golden.

Sarah is a painter and surface pattern designer living in Sacramento, California with her husband and 5-year-old twin girls. She paints abstracts, lots of plants and is a fabric designer for Andover Fabrics.

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This episode is sponsored by BrewStitched Fabrics.

Located online at BrewStitched.etsy.com, BrewStitched Fabrics offers fun and modern fabric for all of your sewing and quilting projects.  Now carrying the all-new Ruby Star Society collections.  Check out the Preorder and New Arrivals sections for the best selection. Use the code ABBY25 for 25% off fabric, notions, patterns, and gifts through July 31st.  Most orders ship next day and orders over $70 ship for free in the US! Check it out at BrewStitched.etsy.com

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a new sewing blog and business with my guest, Sarah Kirsten Anderson of the blog and sewing pattern company SARAH KIRSTEN.

Sarah is a sewing educator, sewing pattern designer, photographer, and a believer in the magic of making your own clothes. She’s passionate about making sewing and simple pattern drafting accessible to beginners, because she believes sewing is one of the most powerful ways to love your body, show your beauty, and express who you.

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This episode is sponsored by KAI Scissors. KAI Scissors are the premier sewing, quilting, tailoring, and craft scissors available today.

Made of hardened stainless steel, they are smooth, light, and offer fatigue-free cutting for all of your cutting needs.  KAI manufacturing has been making quality cutting blades for over 100 years.  So, remember, all orders on KAIScissors.com have free shipping (inside the United States).  Use the code naps to save 20% off on kaiscissors.com

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about running an indie sewing pattern business with my guest Taylor McVay of Blueprints for Sewing.

Taylor McVay is a designer, artist, and educator. She creates sewing patterns for unique, architecture inspired garments. Along with running Blueprints, Taylor teaches fashion design, pattern making, and sewing in the Boston area. Taylor creates one of a kind garments, experiments with techniques like weaving and embroidery, and loves to repurpose and recycle textiles. She spends a lot of her time thinking, writing, and talking about ‘slow fashion’.

Taylor lives not too far from me and she was able to come to Wellesley and spend some time with me in my studio to record this episode which was such a treat.

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This episode is sponsored by KAI Scissors. KAI Scissors are the premier sewing, quilting, tailoring, and craft scissors available today.

Made of hardened stainless steel, they are smooth, light, and offer fatigue-free cutting for all of your cutting needs.  KAI manufacturing has been making quality cutting blades for over 100 years.  So, remember, all orders on KAIScissors.com have free shipping (inside the United States).  Use the code naps to save 20% off on kaiscissors.com

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about quilting as an art form with my guest, Denyse Schmidt.

A former graphic designer and graduate of Rhode Island School of design, Denyse Schmidt began creating quilts in 1996. Intrigued by the rich historical nature of quilts and inspired by beauty born of necessity, Denyse adds her distinctive aesthetic sensibility – clean, spare lines, rich color and bold graphics – to this rich art form, and has won acclaim from the world of art, design, and craft. In addition to designing and making quilts, Denyse is an author, fabric designer, lecturer and teacher. Denyse’s studio is located in a historic textile building in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

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This episode is sponsored by Okan Arts of Seattle, specializing in vintage Japanese textiles for adventuresome sewists and quilters. Check out the gorgeous yukata cottons in the Okan Arts online shop Okan Arts online shop and enjoy a 20% discount with the code NAPS20, good until August 4, 2019.

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On this episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about running a fabric, notions, and gifts company with my guests, Mark, Brian, and Josh Dunn of Moda and United Notions.

Mark Dunn got his start in the fabric industry in 1966 working with his father William Dunn at Sewing, Sales, and Services which they founded together.  In May of 1975 when Mark was 29, he moved to Texas to start United Notions Inc.  He started with a five-man operation where he would take orders in the morning and fill them at his warehouse in the afternoon. In 1991 he started Moda Fabrics, a company that created a new product category of precuts with their famous Jelly Rolls.  Brian Dunn started working at United Notions during the summers and officially started full time in 1986.  He managed and operated the Denver warehouse for 15 years as Vice President of Operations until they closed that warehouse down to consolidate all of their warehousing in their home state of Texas.  He moved back and has handled all fabric buying since then.  Josh Dunn started with the company 8 years ago after graduating from the University of Southern California with a major in Photography and business administration.  At Moda Fabrics, he is the director of international sales. 

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This episode is sponsored by Mitzie Shafer at Jittery Wings Quilt Co. Mitzie has authored and illustrated a new book titled Improve Your Practice: Free-Motion Quilting. She believes that quilting your beautiful quilt top doesn’t have to be frightening once you learn to stop fighting with it. Visit jitterywings.com and use the coupon code WHILESHENAPS to get 20% off your own signed copy.

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a knitting business with my guest Willie Smith.

 

Willie Smith discovered knitting in 2007. He believes he’s been given a gift to entertain while teaching and his purpose is to spend his life enriching other people’s lives. Knitting is the vehicle he is using to achieve that end. Willie’s vision is for makers to get closer to making exactly what they want through the acquisition of a skill set. Willis is the owner of WNK and he aims for that brand to soon be a household name.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Artistic Artifacts. 

Artistic Artifacts specializes in Creative Finds for Creative Minds. Shop a wide variety of fabrics, BERNINA machines and products, plus the tools and techniques to enjoy a full range of fiber arts and mixed media. Visit our store in Alexandria, VA or shop securely online at www.ArtisticArtifacts.com

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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a career as artist who makes quilts with my guest, Jane Sassaman.

After a varied career in the design world, Jane Sassaman began to quilt in 1980. She found that these “soft paintings” satisfied the draftsman, the craftsman and the artist in her.  Consequently, she is now a dedicated (some say “obsessed”) quilt artist and fabric designer.

Her art quilts have been shown in many national and international exhibits, including Quilt National 1989 through 2005 and Contemporary American Quilts, the first major exhibit of American art quilts in England. Her quilt “Willow” was named as One of the One Hundred Best American Quilts of the Century. Jane is also the author of The Quilted Garden. The book includes twenty years of her work and exercises for making nature-inspired quilts.

Jane’s love for historic decorative arts can be seen in all facets of her work, but it is especially evident in the exuberant fabric she is currently designing for FreeSpirit. Her designs are oversized and colorful and have been coined as “William Morris on anti-depressants”. They are created for quilts, wearables and home decorating. Her latest book, Patchwork Sassaman Style, beautifully illustrates her fabric “in action."

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This episode is sponsored by Sewing Studio. From fabric and tools to patterns and gifts, Sewing Studio’s full online studio continues a tradition of sharing sewing with future generations.  Curated by Karleen, this community hopes to help make your sewing experience the very best.  Visit www.sewingstudio.com and be sure to follow on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Remember to use the code Abby10 at checkout to receive a 10% discount off your entire order.

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a retail fabric and yarn shop, both online and in a brick-and-mortar setting, with my guests Joelle Hoverson and Page Marchese Norman.

Joelle and Page, along with Jennifer Hoverson Jahnke, are co-owners of Purl Soho, a fiber arts supply company that brings a modern sensibility to traditional needlecrafts.

 

We begin by talking about the story of how Joelle came to found Purl in 2002 as a small knitting store on Sullivan Street. Joelle explains how her vision for the store was different from most other yarns stores in existence at that time. Bringing her background as a stylist to curating the merchandise she says, "I really envisioned a shop that when you went in you felt that the shop had a vision."

Her sister, Jennifer, started the ecommerce side of the business not long after. Joelle explains how high-quality tutorials presented on the company's blog really drove the business's growth. The business grew into a second storefront, Purl Patchwork, and the two later merged into a single location on Broome Street. Purl Soho also has a large warehouse in Tustin, California that's open to the public.

Page and Joelle became friends while working together at Martha Stewart and have now been business partners for 11 years. They talk about how to have a successful partnership by listening to and respecting one another.

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This episode is sponsored by Needle Sharp. Needle Sharp is a subscription service that let’s you sew your own style with carefully curated sewing kits, set directly to your door. Each month they pick a fabulous sewing pattern from independent pattern companies then pair high-quality fabrics to that pattern, gather all the notions you need, and put it one convenient box. Let Needle Sharp do all the hard work for you so you can get straight to the fun part: Sewing your own clothes!

And just for listeners of this podcast, they are offering an exclusive discount of 15% off your first order of a subscription box. Simply use the coupon code WhileSheNaps (all one word) at checkout. Try it today!

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a handmade business with my guest, Jessica Marquez.

Jessica is a life long maker who found her way back to textiles while working on an MFA in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology. After countless hours working digitally, retouching images and staring at a computer screen she longed for hands-on analog making. She taught herself embroidery and then never stopped stitching. In 2008 she started a creative handmade business, Miniature Rhino, named after a young cousin's imaginary friend, a dentist she called Dr. Rhino. Miniature Rhino became a symbol of creativity and imagination and seeks to inspire and teach hands-on skills through a line of embroidery kits, patterns, classes and books.

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This episode is sponsored by Hobbs Bonded Fibers. Hobbs Batting has proudly produced batting in Waco, Texas since 1978. Hobbs batting provides superior integrity to quilts and quilted projects and they invite you to contact them for a complimentary sample pack. Send your sample batting request to sales@hobbsbondedfibers.com

Enter to win a collection of Hobbs Tuscany Batting products! To enter, simply send an email titled 'While She Naps Giveaway' to Stephanie at shackney@hobbsbondedfibers.com She'll draw a winner on the Hobbs Batting Instagram account (@hobbsbatting) on April 15, 2019. 

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Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.

 

To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.