Craft Industry Alliance

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about growing a weaving yarn company with my guest, Sarah Resnick. Sarah is the founder of the weaving yarn company Gist Yarn , and their newly launched sister brand Zollie. Since 2017, their small, creative team has been making yarn, patterns, and projects that weavers and makers are proud to bring into their homes. Sarah st...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about owning a local yarn shop with my guest Sally Moore. Sally is the owner of Parker Avenue Knits , a local yarn shop in Detroit, Michigan. She opened the shop in December 2021. Sally is also a litigation attorney and has been practicing law since 1986. To Sally, litigation is an advanced selling exercise. Evaluating facts...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about product development with my guest Jamie Trinier and Jessica Drain of SewTites. An oil and gas engineer for most of her career, Jamie discovered the love of quilting after watching her mom sew many Halloween costumes, Christmas PJs, and quilts as a child. She started sewing when she made a king-size log cabin quilt for h...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about the quilting industry with my guest Jaren Gibson. Jaren joined Grace Company as its first manager in 1998, soon after graduating from Weber State University with a degree in Communication.  At the time the company had approximately 15 employees. As President of Grace Company, now with 25 years of industry experience, Jar...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about craft fairs and plush taxidermy with my guest, Jen Gubicza. Jen is the designer and maker behind the handmade brand Zooguu . She graduated with a BFA in graphic design from Massachusetts Institute College of Art in 2001 and worked as a graphic designer and creative director at Big Blue Dot and the Boston Children’s Muse...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about yarn and media with my guest Dana Williams-Johnson .   Dana Williams-Johnson is a knitter, newbie crocheter and college professor. She holds a PhD in Communications, Culture, and Media Studies and researches issues with online communities, feminism and the impacts and use of social media by minority women. She also writ...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about sewing, quilting, and embroidery with my guest Bianca Springer .   Bianca Springer is a garment sewist, pattern designer, sewing instructor and experimental quilter. She is the creator of unique sewing pattern weights to improve sewing efficiency and speed. Bianca is a contributing writer for Sew News magazine, Creative...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about YouTube with my guest Laura Coia . Laura is the host and creator of the YouTube channel Sew Very Easy. The channel has 454,000 subscribers and 976 videos that she’s produced over the last nine years, all focused on sewing and quilting. Laura has over 45 years of sewing experience. She’s written for several sewing and qu...

We're so pleased to bring you this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast recorded at h+h americas 2023 on June 21 in Chicago. The trade show opened with this State of the Industry panel discussion with over 500 people in the audience. Our four panelists are: Hedi Ehlen, Kamaca Champion, Steve Jeffery, and Jan Hurwitz. We discuss where we are as an industry right now, what challeng...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about quilting with my guest Victoria Findlay Wolfe . Victoria’s work balances between art quilting, traditional & modern quilting styles, and reflects her passion for exploring the fine art of quilting in the modern age.  A farm girl raised in Minnesota, her influences are heavily based on her grandmother’s scrappy colorful...

In this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we are very excited to bring you a recording of our Day 3 keynote at h+h americas 2023, a fireside chat with Justine Tiu, co-founder of The Woobles .  The Woobles is a company that makes learn-to-crochet kits for complete beginners. Through The Woobles, Justine has taught over 200,000 people how to crochet. Before starting The Woobles...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a subscription with my guest Mary Granbenstatter. Mary is the owner of Needle Sharp , a monthly subscription sewing box service she founded in 2017 that offers curated garment projects as well as fabric and patterns.  The company is a culmination of Mary’s love of crafting in her youth, her knowledge of compute...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about folklore with my guest Diana Baird N’Diaye. Diana is a senior curator and cultural heritage specialist at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. She previously held positions as folk arts program analyst at the New York State Council on the Arts and curator-in-chief at the Muse Community Museum of Br...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about surface pattern design with my guest Elizabeth Silver . Elizabeth is a professional surface pattern designer with 20 years in the industry. Her colorful patterns and illustrations are regularly featured in major retailers like Target, Michaels, and Walmart and she licenses with over 30 partners. She uses her experience...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about owning a yarn shop with my guest Cadence Kidwell. Before Cadence opened her yarn shop, Fuzzy Goat , she was at Florida State University – where she taught Creative Writing, Multicultural Literature and designed a certificate program for students to develop cultural competencies. University life instilled a strong core o...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about cross stitch with my guest Stephanie Rohr. Stephanie Rohr is a cross-stitch designer, artist, and author. She is known as StephXstitch in the craft world, after giving that name to her Etsy shop in 2010. Stephanie's work fits into the subversive cross-stitch movement, with a focus on traditional design elements paired wi...

Today on the show we’re talking about sewing glamor with my guest Gretchen Hirsch . Specializing in vintage glamour, Gretchen “Gertie” Hirsch is a designer who infuses her passion for sewing into glamorous creations that can be customized for anyone. She got her start as a blogger with the popular Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing, and has collaborated with Butterick and Simplicity on the “Patte...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about modern quilting with my guest Libs Elliott .   Elizabeth (Libs) Elliott is a textile artist exploring the intersection of technology and traditional craft by using generative code to design and make handmade quilts. A deep appreciation for craftsmanship, design history and future-focused applications are all reflected i...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about knitting cute things with my guest Anna Hrachovec.   Anna is a Chicago-based designer and artist who loves to knit little creatures. Just about everything is more fun in tiny knitted form, so she’s inspired by everything! Under her designer brand, Mochimochi Land, Anna has created hundreds (and hundreds!) of knitting pa...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a subscription box with Cheryl Ham. Cheryl Ham is a self-taught knitter who learned the craft with a bit of help from YouTube and a pair of her mother’s long-forgotten and slightly bent, size 9 needles. Cheryl is also the owner of Hypnotic Yarn, which came to life in 2017 after discovering the existence of hand...

In today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re discussing developing a specialty notion with my guest Jenn McMillan of  Sew Fine Thread Gloss . Jenn is a graphic designer, quilter, and fabric-obsessed sewist living in rural Ottawa, Ontario Canada. She likes to call herself the thread whisperer.   Sewing since she can remember, Jenn was taught to sew on an old Singer Featherweight...

Today on the show we’re talking about modern quilting with my guest Porfiria Gomez. Porfiria is a sewing enthusiast, self-proclaimed designer, and blogger. A native New Yorker, Porfiria learned to sew from her mother and how is a modern quilter, teacher, and author.  +++++ This episode is sponsored by Sublime Grafx . Sublime Grafx is the printer of choice for your pdf sewing patterns, digital artw...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about creating a craft magazine with my guest Meghan Fernandes, a co-founder of the independent knitting magazine Pom Pom . Meghan Fernandes is a knitting designer and instructor, as well as creative director at Pom Pom. After 10 years in London, she is now based in Austin, Texas, where she lives with her husband and young da...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about slow stitching with my guest Samantha Hoyt. Samantha Hoyt is the owner and creative director of A Gathering of Stitches , a series of small-scale immersive retreats in Maine for quilters and garment sewists. She has been running the Slow Stitching and Slow Fashion retreats since 2015. The business began as a Maker Space...

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about handmade marketplaces with my guest Jon Lincoln. Jon is the founder of Goimagine . He earned many accolades with his prior technology venture within InsurTech including “Insurance Innovation of the Year” and “Top 10 InsurTech Leaders of 2017” which led to a company exit valued at over $44 Million. Never a stranger to ne...