Craft Industry Alliance

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about ecommerce with my guest Claudia Martinez. Claudia is the owner of Snuggly Monkey , a craft supply store specializing in hand embroidery, Sashiko, and unique threads and notions from around the world. With over 13 years of experience, she has built a thoughtfully curated collection that reflects her passion for hand stit...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about building a fabric company with my guest Arvin Pairavi. Arvin is a visionary entrepreneur and the driving force behind  Shannon Fabrics , a leading name in the textile industry known for its luxurious, high-quality Cuddle fabrics. Under his leadership, the company has redefined the market, setting new standards for innov...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about punch needle with my guest Micah Clasper-Torch .   Micah Clasper-Torch is a Los Angeles-based artist, designer, and educator helping to lead the modern revival of punch needle rug hooking. With a background in fashion design from The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the Polytechnic Institute in Milan...

We’re so pleased to bring you this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast. This is a recording of the State of the Industry panel discussion which took place live on stage on May 7 at h+h america s 2025 in Chicago. With over 800 people in the audience, our panelists dove into the biggest issues and ideas the crafts industry is wrestling with right now. It was an exciting conversati...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about museum exhibitions with my guests Nora Palermo and Pam Weeks of the New England Quilt Museum. Nora has served as Executive Director of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts since 2013. Her broad experience in development for museums, cultural organizations and teaching hospitals brought a strategic approa...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about quilt kits with my guest Michael O'Dell.    Mike is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist who administers anesthesia in a pediatric hospital, but his passion has always been art.  He has worked with every material he’s ever had a chance to get his hands on, and quilting came to the fore in 2018 when his wife took up...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about creating a best-selling art and illustration company with my guest, Mary Engelbreit. Over 40 years ago, Mary Engelbreit launched her own company with a strong desire for creative freedom and a line of 12 greeting cards. The head of a highly successful business bearing her name, Mary is one of the country’s premier desig...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about running a brick-and-mortar yarn shop with my guest, Annissa Essaibi-George. Annissa is the owner of Stitch House . She taught at East Boston High School for 13 years before being elected to the Boston City Council. In 2021 she ran for Mayor of Boston. Annissa recently served as CEO and president of the Big Sister Associ...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about product and surface design with my guest Hollei Hayes. Hollei is the owner of Hollei Anne Design Co. After honing her craft for over ten years in the design industry, she made the leap from working in Fortune 500 corporations collaborating with esteemed brands such as Toys R Us and Skip Hop. Now, she's fully immersed in...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about activism with my guest Omakri Williams. Omkari Williams is the Gold Nautilus award-winning author of  Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World (Without A Bullhorn) . Her book helps readers identify their “activist archetype" and map a personal action plan for engaging in small, change-making activities...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about embroidery with my guest Melissa Galbraith. Melissa is the fiber artist behind MCreativeJ . She was born and raised in the desert of Washington state where her mother instilled a love of making things by hand at an early age. Melissa shares her love of nature through whimsical and modern hand embroidery kits, hands-on w...

In this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we are talking with a variety of industry players about the second bankruptcy of JOANN Fabrics including: Grace Dobush , our business reporter for our corporate newsletter Craft Industry Insider Molly Hamilton from Folkwear Patterns Aaron Leventhal, former CEO and owner of Hero Arts Venture capital investor Elizabeth Caven And Kansas...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about sewing machines with my guest Jason Zielke.   Jason Zielke is the Chief Product Officer for SVP Worldwide , where he leads global brand marketing, new product development, and industrial design for iconic sewing machine brands Singer, Viking, and Pfaff. A seasoned executive with expertise in strategic planning and engin...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about starting a fabric company with my guest Tracy Krauter.   Tracy is the founder of Splash Fabric . Raising three boys, Tracy knew there had to be a better solution to everyday messes. When she couldn't find the perfect fabric—one that was soft yet waterproof, durable yet sewable—she didn't just settle. She innovated.  Tod...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about craftivism with my guest Shannon Downey. Shannon is an artist, activist, craftivist, community builder, and general instigator. Her work moves people from passive consumers of art into engaged creators and leverages craft-based art forms to bring people together, present opportunities to transition from makers to change...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about weaving with my guest Jen Duffin .   Jen is the designer and teacher behind Nova Mercury Design . Jen has been creating fiber art full-time since 2016, specializing in frame loom weaving. Inspired by color and whimsy, Jen loves creating art that brings joy to people's lives and homes. She aims to create beautiful heirlo...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about designing fabric with my guest A nna Maria Parry . Having grown up in a creative home, Anna Maria Parry earned an honors BFA in drawing from the University of Tennessee in 1995 before opening a small clothing shop with her mother the same year. Designing and sewing a clothing label while managing a shop primed her for a...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about owning a yarn store with my guest Sara Ingle. Sara founded Boston Fiber Company , a local yarn store in Boston’s South End neighborhood, in 2022. Now finishing its second year, the store focuses on indie-dyed yarn, supporting local crafters, and fostering a strong community through numerous low-cost and free events and...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about publishing books with my guest Deborah Balmuth. Deborah retired from Storey Publishing on September 30 after 31 years with the company. She began as an editor, become editorial director in 2003, and publisher in 2013. She especially enjoyed expanding Storey's library of craft and herbal titles, working with authors incl...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about making and teaching art with my guest Julie Fei-Fan Balzer . Based outside of Boston, Julie is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look.  Julie works in layers, both physically...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about documentary filmmaking with my guest Jenifer McShane. Jenifer McShane is an independent filmmaker committed to using film to bridge understanding in situations where structural or cultural divisions typically keep people apart. Jenifer's current film  The Quilters , a documentary short about a quilting group in a men's...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about the art of quilting with my guest Andrea Tsang Jackson .   Andrea is a textile artist, quilt designer, author, and educator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. After working in various design fields and settings ranging from architecture to museums, the quilting medium called to her as a way to explore place, belongin...

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 wrappi...

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 episo...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking with two 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 first episode, we...