Craft Industry Alliance

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about running a brick-and-mortar stationery store with my guest Kristina Burkey of Calliope Paperie in Natick, Massachusetts. Kristina owns Calliope, a fun and quirky stationery and gift shop in Natick, MA. Calliope started as an online shop in 2014, opened as a brick-and-mortar location in 2016, and just recently moved into a new and bigger location in downtown Natick. Kristina has loved paper and pens and stickers for about as long as she can remember and her 8-year-old self would be freaking out right now if she knew what we were doing. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Schiffer Craft, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing. Schiffer Craft’s books provide expert knowledge and inspiration on topics ranging from ceramics to fiber and, floral design, glass art, wood working, metalcraft, leather, and more. Follow @schiffercraft on Facebook and Instagram to unlock your inspiration! +++++ 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 fashion design with my guest Whitney Manney. A Kansas City, Missouri native, Whitney Manney graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2012 with a BFA in Fibers. With a desire to create art in a wearable format, Manney creates garments and textile designs under her independent label WHITNEYMANNEY. Manney's work has been featured in major press outlets and numerous art and fashion blogs. She is featured in the PBS show Make48 & My World Too and has work featured in the new Peacock series Bel-Air. Manney is a member of the 2021 American Craft Council Emerging Artists Cohort and recipient of the 2020 JOANN Minority Creative Grant along with numerous other grants. Her collections have been retailed at boutiques including Halls Kansas City, and showcased in more than a dozen runway and gallery shows. Creating a narrative between color and pattern is a signature of Manney's work. She believes her job isn't done until everybody in the world believes fashion is art." +++++ Today's episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 yarn bombing with my guest London Kaye. Born in Los Angeles, California, London received her BFA in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating London realized that her love for crochet, and unexpected joy, came together harmoniously when she began using crochet to interact with the environment and surrounding community. She began installing art daily on the streets of Brooklyn and New York City. Through her time leading workshops and teaching crochet, London came to realize the best qualities of her favorite crochet hooks and combined them together using 3D printing technology to create a unique new style “Crochet Hook with a Twist.” She received a patent for the design. London’s career has expanded to collaborating with brands like Starbucks, The Gap, Disney, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Her book is out now, Crochet with London Kaye. +++++ Today’s podcast is brought to you by Schiffer Craft—An imprint of Schiffer Publishing. Schiffer Craft’s books provide expert knowledge and inspiration on topics ranging from ceramics to fiber and textiles, floral design, glass art, wood working, metalcraft, leather, and more. Follow @schiffercraft on Facebook and Instagram to unlock your inspiration! +++++ 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 special episode of the podcast, we are focusing on the Etsy strike. I sit down with Kristi Cassidy, one of the organizers, in order to learn how it came to be and the impact it might have. If you haven’t heard about the Etsy strike yet, it’s a petition created by a group of Etsy sellers with a list of demands they want Etsy to meet. These include canceling the latest fee increase which brought transaction fees from 5% to 6.5%. Other demands include cracking down on resellers, improving seller support, ending the Star Seller program, and letting all sellers opt-out of Offsite Ads. As of right now, when we recorded this interview, the petition has 72,334 signatures or just about 1% of Etsy’s total active sellers. Kristi Cassidy is one of the creators of the Etsy Strike petition, along with fellow sellers she connected with on Reddi. Kristi sells steampunk gothic fantasy costumes that she sews herself in her Etsy shop, Auralynne.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about creating craft media with my guest Anne Merrow. Anne Merrow started off as a book editor but has turned a series of hobbies—knitting, spinning, and weaving—into a beloved career. She is a founder and partner of Long Thread Media, which publishes Handwoven, Spin Off, PieceWork, Little Looms, and other content related to fiber arts. She serves as the company’s editorial director and host of the Long Thread Podcast. Anne lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and naughty cats. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 community through knitting with my guest Jewell Washington. Jewell Washington is the Chicago-based maker and entrepreneurial designer of Northknits. She learned to knit in college and launched Northknits in 2014. Jewell pursues simple living through her passion for DIY, pattern design, stacking her yarn shelf, and providing business and entrepreneurial advice to fellow crafters. As the founder of Our Maker Life, a global maker movement, she has connected more than 120,000 fellow fiber creatives in the knit, crochet, and yarn industry via maker meetups, published books, and social media. She enjoys traveling and sweet cuddles with her kitten Dewey. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Bernet International. Have you outgrown your textile wholesale supplier or want more control in your supply chain? We provide art concept to delivery services with expert manufacturers. From textiles and fiber to notions, we've supported the quilt, home goods, garment, and craft industries for 40 years. +++++ 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 online learning with my guest Craig Swanson. At the age of 18, Craig founded Swanson Tech Support and worked as a tech consultant for 6 years before founding CreativeTechs which lead to over a million dollars in sales. Soon after Craig co-founded the creative online learning platform CreativeLive, an idea that was birthed from a failed video training program for his IT business. CreativeLive would grow from a small start-up team to 70+ employees offering workshops with top industry leaders like Tim Ferriss and Brené Brown. Now Craig partners with creators, educators, and influencers by providing the missing piece that they need to get to the next stage of their business and is helping build $1 million dollar businesses one step at a time. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Divine Social. Divine Social is a marketing agency that helps eCommerce stores who sell to makers, creators, crafters, artists & DIY enthusiasts. They are behind some of the biggest brands in the creative industry, responsible for strategies to move your online traffic from prospects to buyers to raving fans. The team at Divine Social is offering a customized review of your shop to help you uncover what’s keeping you from selling more. Go to divinesocial.com/cia for more details. +++++ 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 blurring the lines between art, craft, design, and poetry with my guest e Bond. e makes digital spaces by day, handmade books by night, hangs out with trees on weekends, and writes something close to poems in the spaces between. Under the studio name roughdrAftbooks—created in 2003—she makes one-of-a-kind artist books, printed pieces, and abstract drawings that merge and blur the boundaries of art, craft, design, and poetry. e holds a BFA in graphic design and art history from Moore College of Art & Design and an MFA in Creative Writing and Book Art from Mills College. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 as an art practice with my guest Heidi Parkes. Heidi Parkes was born into this world the proud recipient of a collaborative family quilt, organized by her grandmother. Now, Heidi lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and works within the quilt world, the art world, and the maker's movement. Hand piecing and hand quilting imbue her work with the personal, and contribute to her themes of diary, self-help, materiality, and abstraction. Heidi recently completed a yearlong ARTservancy artist's residency, is a two-time Mary Nohl Fellowship finalist, and has received multiple awards from the Modern Quilt Guild. Heidi lectures and teaches with a passion for the beginner, and her unique improvisational style promotes the qualities of allowing, savoring, hinting, manifesting, and documenting. Whether on-site or via a self-hosted workshop on her website, Heidi incorporates hand yoga and body care as an essential component of learning to sew. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Divine Social, a marketing agency for craft and DIY enthusiasts. Divine Social is a marketing agency that helps eCommerce stores who sell to makers, creators, crafters, artists & DIY enthusiasts. They are behind some of the biggest brands in the creative industry, responsible for strategies to move your online traffic from prospects to buyers to raving fans. And now, the team at Divine Social is offering a customized review of your shop to help you uncover what’s keeping you from selling more. Go to divinesocial.com/cia for more details. +++++ 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 knitting business with my guest Safiyyah Talley. Safiyyah is the creator of the popular blog thedrunkknitter.com. She has an independent Ravelry store, hosts a podcast, and her design work has been featured in online publications such as The Bobble Club, The Fiber Company, LoveKnitting, and Darn Good Yarn—and in Warm Hands, a book of knitting patterns. She teaches knitting classes virtually and at knitting shows including Vogue Knitting Live. Safiyyah's new book, 2 Socks in 1, comes out this year with Storey Publishing. Safiyyah lives in Indiana. +++++ 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 are replaying an episode that originally aired a few years ago. We learned this evening about the passing of Melanie Ham. Melanie was truly a bright light in the craft world. Her warm, smile welcomed everyone to learn from her craft videos, whether it was crochet, sewing, or quilting. Melanie was also a wife and mother. I was lucky enough to interview Melanie in February of 2018 and wanted to replay that interview today as a way to celebrate her life. Listeners may note that the podcast had its former name and theme music when this episode aired. Thank you for listening. I hope this interview is a small way to honor Melanie Ham’s legacy.

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about h+h americas, a brand new trade show for the crafts industry, with my guest Darrin Stern. Darrin Stern has worked for Koelnmesse (Cologne International Trade Fairs) Inc for 18 years. In that time, he has supported hundreds of clients from more than ten unique industries to grow their business worldwide. One of the industries Darrin supports is fiber arts. Since 2015 Darrin has helped companies from North America exhibit and visit the h+h Cologne show in Germany. In Darrin’s role with Koelnmesse Inc, he services as the Director of Business Development, IT & Systems Manager, and the show Director for h+h Americas. Before Koelnmesse, Darrin was a University Professor, Service Consultant, and Business Owner. Darrin lives in the greater Chicago area with his two daughters and wife. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Divine Social. Divine Social is a marketing agency that helps eCommerce stores who sell to makers, creators, crafters, artists & DIY enthusiasts. They are behind some of the biggest brands in the creative industry, responsible for strategies to move your online traffic from prospects to buyers to raving fans. And now the team at Divine Social is offering a customized review of your shop to help you uncover what’s keeping you from selling more. Go to divinesocial.com/cia for more details. +++++ 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 craft studios for kids with my guest Nicola Day, owner of the kids' crafts studios, HipStitch. Nicola has been sewing since she was 11 years old when she learned to sew at school. Sewing has always been part of her life. In college, sewing for people helped her to make money to support herself. After college, she designed a line of pocketbooks and sold them all over the US in boutiques. When her daughter was born, she wanted her to be as passionate about sewing but found there was no studio in my town and so she founded Hipstitch, a sewing and craft studio for children in Newton, Massachusetts. HipStitch has been in business now for 12 years, opening its second location in Wellesley and a third location is due to open in January in Brookline. HipStitch has expanded its offerings to include knitting, crochet, and fiber arts as well as their own DIY hand and machine kits to create at home. In addition to offering classes at their studios, they offer the program offsite to 15 schools in Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Cambridge, and Brookline. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Divine Social. Divine Social is a marketing agency that helps eCommerce stores who sell to makers, creators, crafters, artists & DIY enthusiasts. They are behind some of the biggest brands in the creative industry, responsible for strategies to move your online traffic from prospects to buyers to raving fans. The team at Divine Social is offering a customized review of your shop to help you uncover what’s keeping you from selling more. Go to divinesocial.com/cia for more details. +++++ 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 beading with my guest Jill Wiseman. Jill Wiseman lived a traditional, “8-to-5” corporate existence until a chance encounter with beads in 2001 changed everything. She was mesmerized. She found her local bead store and started taking every class offered to learn new skills, including stringing, wirework, and her later specialty, beadweaving. Before long, Jill couldn’t contain her beady joy another moment and had to share the world of beads with others. She became a full-time beadweaving jewelry designer and teacher in 2004, and had the pleasure of teaching at national bead shows like Bead & Button and Bead Fest, as well as traveling to bead stores and bead societies all over the country for classes full of laughter and bead learning for over a decade. She is the author of Jill Wiseman’s Beautiful Beaded Ropes, and was honored to be chosen as one of Beadwork Magazine’s Designers of the Year for 2013. In 2013, Jill started a YouTube Channel which now boasts more than 170,000 subscribers where she educates beaders around the world with videos showing techniques, tips, and projects. After the YouTube Channel launched, viewer demand for bead supplies influenced Jill to open an online bead store which has now grown into a 6,000 square foot warehouse facility with 4 employees. Beading has taken her from coast to coast, and internationally to places like Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, and China. But the rest of the time Jill makes her home in Austin, Texas, with her mother (employee #1,) as well as two spoiled dogs who only occasionally eat the beads. +++++ This episode is sponsored by The Academy for Virtual Teaching. The past two years have taught us how important virtual technology is to our lives. We can make connections with our friends and develop new skills and hobbies using a computer or even a phone. Isn’t it amazing? Many business owners and creative craft and art teachers were able to save their livelihoods through virtual workshops, both on-demand and live via zoom. I tell you what, so many people have fallen in love with taking virtual classes. Online workshops are here to stay. If you love to make things, and love to teach people how to make things, but have been overwhelmed thinking of all the equipment and technological know-how you need, I invite you to check out the Academy for Virtual Teaching. It can be so much easier than you think! We are a community of Virtual Teachers who help teach, lift, and encourage each other as we become more proficient, professional, and yes, profitable virtual teachers. Please go to AcademyforVirtualTeaching.com and you’ll be surprised. +++++ 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 tech editing and mentoring with my guest Tian Connaughton. Tian is a Massachusetts-based knit and crochet designer, a technical editor working with magazines and major brands, and a business coach for handmade and fiber artists. She lives by the motto, "a rising tide lifts all boats," and this is evident in all that she does, from writing books to creating online courses and coaching programs. Her work prioritizes helping women - particularly Black women and women of color - to create the life they want doing work that they love, which society doesn't always encourage. Tian currently has a new free course out, Get Published, created in partnership with Knit Picks and We Crochet. Get Published is a 6-part video series for aspiring and experienced designers who are ready to take their designing to the next level by adding 3rd party publications. Each video takes you through the process from creating your proposal all the way to the publication going live. The course is available now to binge-watch on-demand. Tian also teaches classes on Creativebug. +++++ This episode is sponsored by goimagine. goimagine is a handmade marketplace donating 100% profits to charity. With a mission to help children in need, goimagine is a movement of makers & artists growing their own handmade businesses while supporting a marketplace focused on social good. Learn more about goimagine's new concept for a caring economy at goimagine.com +++++ 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 our final episode, we talk with three key players at Spoonflower to find out how they do their jobs. First up is Sarah Ward, Senior Vice President of Marketing. Then, we chat with Alyssa McNamara, a research and development engineer at Spoonflower. And finally, we talk to Anitha Kothandaraman, the Sewing Operations Manager. These three interviews together shine a light on different aspects of Spoonflower as a business. + 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 as creative expression with my guest Zak Foster. Raised in rural North Carolina and now living in Brooklyn, New York, Zak is a self-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions while incorporating found fabrics and natural dyes with an eye for sustainability. He practices an approach to design that is intuitive and improvisational and he is drawn to preserving the stories of quilts and specializes in memory quilts and burial quilts. His work has been featured in various magazines, websites, and galleries. His online community, The Quilty Nook, connects and inspires quilters all over the world. +++++ This episode is sponsored by the Academy for Virtual Teaching, a vibrant community of aspiring and experienced creative arts teachers. There you’ll find virtual teachers hosting practice teaching sessions and gaining valuable feedback from their peers, monthly live open-topic roundtables, guest seminars, professional development courses, and other activities designed to help you be a more proficient, profitable, and professional online teacher. Join our community to learn how you can increase your income without increasing your workload. Craft Industry Alliance members can use this link for a permanent 20% discount on Academy membership. +++++ 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 conversation, we’re taking a deep dive into clothing design with our guest, Andrea Greer. Andrea is a Rochester, New York-based fashion and clothing designer. She creates original artwork through painting, photography, and digital drawing then has those designs printed on a large scale. She and her team take those fabrics and create a line of women’s clothing that is carried by boutiques all over the country. + 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 conversation, we’re taking a deep dive into creative embroidery with our guest, Robert Mahar. Robert Mahar is an artist and designer who teaches imaginative do-it-yourself projects through high-quality video tutorials. Robert is also a proud season one alumni of NBC’s crafting competition show Making It! Co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. + 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 conversation, we’re taking a deep dive into surface design with our guest, Jo Kalute. Jo works lives and plays in Clovelly, a small idyllic coastal suburb of Sydney, Australia. She is a surface pattern designer and illustrator and her work is inspired by her Kenyan heritage. + 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 interview, we’re taking a deep dive into creative embroidery with our guest, Nancy Mac. Nancy is the founder and owner of Freon Collective, an eco-conscious, minimalistic beauty and lifestyle brand. “Freon” comes from old English, meaning “friends or friendship and she’s incorporated all facets of her interests in beauty, design, and art into this label. + 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 empire with my guest Jenny Doan. Jenny Doan is the smiling face of Missouri Star Quilt Company. Stitching together simplified quilts full of love and laughter, she makes quilting easier, more accessible, and friendlier than ever before. Watching her tutorials feels like coming home again. With over 750,000 YouTube subscribers and more than 230 million views to date, Jenny has sparked enthusiasm for quilting and warmed her viewer’s hearts across the globe. When she moved with her growing family to Missouri over 20 years ago, she never imagined that someday they’d have a successful quilting business. Like many small towns across America, employment was scarce, so in November 2008, on a modest budget, the Doan family bought a building in Hamilton and started Missouri Star Quilt Company. At first they offered basic quilting supplies and machine quilting services, but business picked up when they started posting videos of Jenny teaching quilting tutorials online. From that time on her life changed forever. Almost 13 years later, Jenny now teaches quilting tutorials on YouTube once a week and continues to share her story everywhere she goes. It’s a labor of love and a dream come true for her. Hamilton, Missouri, has become a quilter’s paradise, attracting visitors from around the world. With the help of Jenny’s husband, Ron, her seven children, and 25 grandchildren, this family business has grown to include an entire community. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Divine Social. Divine Social is a marketing agency that helps eCommerce stores who sell to makers, creators, crafters, artists & DIY enthusiasts. They are behind some of the biggest brands in the creative industry, responsible for strategies to move your online traffic from prospects to buyers to raving fans. Just in time for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday rush, the team at Divine Social is offering a customized review of your shop to help you uncover what’s keeping you from selling more. Go to divinesocial.com/cia for more details. +++++ 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 sustainability and sewing with my guest Wendy Ward. Wendy is a writer, designer, maker, and educator. She has worked as a designer in fast fashion and for a small sustainable brand. For her master’s degree in 2004, she explored novel ways to recycle textiles and in 2007 she moved into education and has taught numerous garment-making, textile recycling, and garment alterations classes with adults. Wendy has her own line of sewing patterns called MIY Collection and has written five best-selling sewing books including her most recent, How to Sew Sustainably which was published in June. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Bungalow Quilting carries the highest quality and most recent fabric releases. Your order will ship in less than 24 hours and we are centrally located. Curated by a 5-time author for C&T Publishing, and designer for Studio e fabrics, Judy knows how to select great fabrics for her shop. Shop online and use the discount code BUNGALOW to receive a 10% discount on your purchase for the month of October 2021. +++++ 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 weaving loom and spindle company with my guests Jane Patrick and Barry Schacht of Schacht Spindle Company. Jane Patrick has been in the weaving and the textile arts field for over 40 years. Between 1981 and 1992 she was an editor at Interweave Press where she edited HANDWOVEN magazine, books, and Design Collections. Jane is an ardent enthusiast of both the art and craft of the textile arts, with interests in both contemporary and traditional work. Jane is the Creative Director for Schacht Spindle Company. Her current project is developing a textile school at Schacht in Boulder, Colorado. Barry Schacht, CEO of Schacht Spindle Company, came into the weaving and spinning world by chance, in 1969, when his brother’s girlfriend wanted to learn to spin. From a first commission to make a drop spindle, to creating a loom with little knowledge, Barry has been the guiding light of Schacht Spindle Company, now housed in a 33,000 square foot building and employing 50 employees. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Wunderlabel, your one-stop-shop for professional custom clothing labels and personalized branding products. Visit wunderlabel.com to customize your own clothing labels, hang-tags, gift ribbon and other branding items. Our interactive online design tool will walk you through the design process. Recycled options, small batch quantities and OEKO-TEX certified labels are just a few of the amazing options we offer. Use discount code CIA15 for 15% off your entire purchase. +++++ 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 embroidery and design with my guest Karen Barbé. Karen is a designer, embroiderer, and author from Santiago, Chile now living in Chicago. Since 2007 she’s been inspiring and teaching thousands of makers through her blog and Instagram account, with in-person and online classes, and with her book Colour Confident Stitching. Noticing how her students felt frustrated about their color choices, Karen set out to teach about color in an accessible way. Her book —published in four languages—and her Domestika online class present a simple and hands-on method that helps makers understand color and create palettes for their own textile projects. She’s now exploring embroidery on paper, creating digital patterns, and collaborating with diverse Latin American craftspeople through the Chilean platform Artesanos en Feria. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Flying Fibers. Flying Fibers is a mother-daughter-operated wool company based in Central Pennsylvania. They focus on premium, breed-specific, British and American fibers, and yarns. You will find yarns from their farm of rare breed sheep, as well as from sustainable wool companies like Brooklyn Tweed and West Yorkshire Spinners. +++++ 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 Craft Industry Alliance podcast episode, we’re talking about building a values-based business with my guests Meg and Patrick McElwee. Meg started sewing after finishing an undergraduate degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in education. While living and teaching in rural Mexico for three years, she studied pattern drafting and made her own clothes - first out of necessity, then because of the sense of empowerment and joy it brought to her life. The meditative act of stitching continues to bring her a deep sense of well-being. Her passion for slow fashion has expanded over the years to include the Sew Liberated sewing pattern line, two books, a sewing course with Craftsy, and her own online course, The Mindful Wardrobe Project. She enjoys supporting the slow stitching community through blog, her popular Instagram account, as well as live classes from time to time. Patrick has been Meg's best friend and partner since they met in French class at age 19. A historian, computer programmer, and breakdancer, Patrick manages the technical and business side of Sew Liberated and is often the one behind the camera. Meg and Patrick have three kids, three cats, a dog, and the incredible luck to be able to work creatively together every day. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Paper and Spark. Paper & Spark is the go-to financial resource center for makers & artists. Download their popular bookkeeping templates that import in your sales from Etsy, Amazon, Shopify, and other e-commerce platforms. All designed for makers by a CPA and handmade seller. Use code CIAPOD10 to save 10% off your purchase. +++++ 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 group of craft brands with my guests Mark Hyland and Ursula Morgan. Mark Hyland is the CEO of Premier Needle Arts. He's a seasoned marketing, sales, and corporate executive with 30+ years of experience building brands and successful organizations. Mark’s hands-on leadership style found him in various leadership positions implementing strategic direction and execution guidance at multi-million to billion-dollar brands and companies during his career. Today, Mark continues to provide his leadership to the brands and companies of Premier Needle Arts, where is focusing on growth initiatives, long-term strategy, and M&A opportunities within the needle arts world. Ursula Morgan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Crafts Group. Ursula is a global award-winning seasoned technology and craft business executive. Before joining Crafts Group in January 2020, Ursula led the digital innovation and marketing team as Senior Vice President at CSS Industries. Previously Ursula held the CEO role at Creativebug, a Subscription Video On Demand platform, and led the acquisition of Creativebug by JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores in 2017. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Wool and Waves. Wool & Waves is an online yarn, needles and notions shop. Based on Vancouver Island, they offer a wide variety of Canadian Indie Dyed yarns and products from a host of talented small businesses. They’re crafters too and can help you make your project dreams come true! Listeners can save 15% off regular priced yarn, needles, and notions with code CIA15 until November 30, 2021. Visit them at woolandwaves.com or Yarn.ca +++++ 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 business pivots with my guest Kristi Schroeder Larson. Texas native Kristi Schroeder Larson is the creator of Initial K Studio, offering modern quilt patterns and needlepoint designs to the market. Her designs are inspired by travel as well as by putting her modern twist on classic quilt blocks. Kristi’s book Southwest Modern was published by Lucky Spool Media in 2017, blending a quilting book with a travelogue in the form of a beautiful coffee table book. You can follow her daily life with her two young sons and product development on Instagram @initialkstudio +++++ Today’s podcast is brought to you by Schiffer Craft. Since 1973, Schiffer Publishing has provided the craft industry with world-renowned authors and insightful books. With topics ranging from ceramics to fiber and textiles, floral design, glass art, wood working, metal craft, and more. Turn to Schiffer Craft for expert knowledge and inspiration! +++++ 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 community space for crafters with my guest Leigh Metcalf. Leigh is the owner of Topstitch Studio and Lounge in Atlanta, GA, a fabric and sewing studio (formerly an in-person physical space at Ponce City Market), author of London Stitch and Knit, A craft lover's guide to London's fabric, knitting and haberdashery shops, and she's also the host of the online sewcial community, Topstitch Makers. +++++ This episode is sponsored by C&T Publishing. C&T Publishing has a bit of everything for every maker! Quilting, sewing, cosplay, embroidery books and products... and so much more. On their podcast, Behind the Seams, C&T bring on their world-class authors who share their creative journeys and crafty tips & tricks to inspire. Explore C&T Publishing and their podcast by visiting online at ctpub.com. Take 25% off anything you fancy using code whileshenaps25. +++++ 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 digital magazine with the founders of Make Modern Magazine. Make Modern is Australia's only modern quilt magazine. It began in 2014 when a group of passionate quilters had a dream of producing a magazine for quilters, by quilters, filled with beautiful patterns and articles to inspire quilters to make more modern quilts! Six years on and Make Modern magazine is read by thousands of quilters in over 70 countries around the globe. Each issue is 100+ pages jam-packed with modern quilt patterns designed by a huge team of international quilters, articles to inspire and teach you something new, and interviews with your favorite quilt designers. +++++ Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 brand collaborations with my guest Tisa Jackson. Tisa Jackson is the colorful brains behind This Is Tisa. Tisa is a stationery designer and DIY craft content creator and workshop instructor. She’s inspired by color and has a passion for bright, colorful, happy designs and DIY projects. Tisa has collaborated with brands such as HP, Michaels, Cricut, Beacon, and Silhouette. Visit her blog and you will come away learning quick and easy crafts, even if you don’t consider yourself a crafter. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Classes for all maker levels and interests. Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 textiles as a spiritual practice with my guest Christ Johnson. Christi Johnson's art combines cosmic visions and botanical beauties, a hypnotic dance of symbols stitched slowly and methodically into fabric. She is the woman behind Mixed Color, a textile studio providing functional pieces that are thoughtfully made. Christi also shares her skills so that others may do so themselves. Christi creates kits and booklets and leads textile art workshops to educate others on these ancient skills and share the methods of her own creative practice. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Dream Maker Creative. Dream Maker Creative designs and produces a monthly crafting subscription box for tweens and teens called Terra Create. Winner of a Best in Category award by Cratejoy in 2020, Terra Create kits feature quality materials along with real artisan tools and techniques to inspire the next generation of makers. New for 2021, Dream Maker Creative is now curating craft kits from other indie artisans and small businesses. These will be featured in their Bremerton, Washington boutique and website alongside their original Terra Create line of craft kits. Dream Maker Creative will also return to teaching craft workshops in the greater Seattle area. Follow them on Social: Facebook | Instagram +++++ 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 sustainable fashion with my guest Katrina Rodabaugh. Katrina Rodabaugh is an artist, author, and slow fashion advocate. Her work examines social and environmental issues through craft techniques like hand-stitching. Since 2013, she's focused on sustainable fashion by using mending, natural dyes, and redesign in her fiber arts studio. She teaches classes, designs and makes goods for her online shop, and writes books including her newest, Make Thrift Mend. Katrina currently lives in the Hudson Valley of NY with her husband, two sons, nine chickens, hive of honeybees, and many dye plants. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Craftsy. Whether you’re new to making, or looking to advance skills in a favorite hobby, Craftsy is the place to learn. With over 1,500 classes, there’s something for everyone, from knitting and sewing, to baking and cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting and more! Visit CraftsyOffers.com today and get a full year of Craftsy Premium Membership for just $3! That’s 97% off the regular price! Start turning ideas into projects you can be proud of. +++++ 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 an inclusive craft community with my guest Cecilia Nelson-Hurt. Cecilia is a proud Afro Latina who was taught to crochet as a child by her Grandma Sophie and learned to knit many years later. Known to many in the fiber community as ‘Creative Ceci,’ she is a global knitting and crochet enthusiast. Ceci is a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner for global brand L’Oreal and has over 15 years’ experience developing and executing initiatives to create an equal opportunity workplace. She leverages her training and experience as a speaker at many fiber events and is also an inaugural member of the ‘Vogue Knitting Live!’ Diversity Advisory Council and on the Board of Knit the Rainbow, an organization founded to provided knitting garments, crafting instruction and support to homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Ceci loves to travel and ensures she visits a yarn shop wherever she goes. To date she’s visited over 150 shops both across the USA and internationally. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Digits & Threads, the member-supported online magazine for Canadian fibre and textile arts. Digits & Threads is the member-supported online magazine for Canadian fibre and textile arts. No matter where in the world you are, there’s something crafty in the Great White North for you. Use the code ALLIANCE for 10% off your first year at digitsandthreads.ca. +++++ 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 knitting magazine with my guest Hanna Lisa Haferkamp and Claire Walls. Hanna Lisa is the CEO and owner of Making Stories, an independent, knitwear design publisher focusing on the intersection of sustainability and knitting. The cornerstone of her work at Making Stories is the biannual Making Stories Magazine, filled with modern knitwear patterns and sustainable yarns, which is complemented by the Making Stories blog and podcast, both relaunched in 2020. Implementing sustainability, transparency, fairness, and equity in all parts of her work is incredibly important to Hanna Lisa. She lives with her 18-month-old and her partner in Berlin is fueled by coffee and sunshine and loves taking her knitting out to the playground, park, or balcony. And Clarie Walls is a maker and designer of nice things originally from the UK, but now living in Nova Scotia. In 2017 she published her first knitting pattern and completely fell in love with designing knitwear and over time became increasingly interested in working with natural fibers and exploring sustainability. When Claire discovered Making Stories, she was instantly excited and intrigued by the work they were doing, so she jumped at the chance to work for them when a job opportunity came up. +++++ Today's episode is sponsored by Appalachian Baby Design. Appalachian Baby Design offers U.S. organic cotton and designs to create heirloom baby and family gifts for the knitter, crocheter and weaver. See their selection of yarn, patterns and kits at appalachianbaby.com and use code CIA421 for a 20% discount from 4/5/21 to 4/30/21. +++++ 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 mixed media artist with my guest Mou Saha. Mou Saha is a mixed media artist and teacher. She has been published over 700 times in print media, appeared on PBS TV shows and created several coloring books of her own. Her academic background in clinical psychology fuels her ongoing quest for wellness through creativity. Mou is a mom of three and lives in New Jersey with her family. She can be found online at https://mousaha.com and on Instagram as mou.saha.studio +++++ This episode is sponsored by Reprint and Repurpose, a small fabric business. At Reprint and Repurpose, they have so much fun getting to create up-cycled fabric, offering crafters like you an earth-friendly fabric choice, that can be used in all your projects, from quilts to apparel. Shop online at reprintandrepurpose.com, use the code PODCAST10 for a discount for your order! +++++ 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 running an indie craft show with my guest Tricia Brancolini-Foley, the Executive Director of Handmade Arcade. Tricia believes in the power of making things by hand. She has been a maker and crafter her entire life. She started at Handmade Arcade in 2010 as a volunteer and in 2014, she spearheaded the organization’s transition from a volunteer-run LLC to an official 501(c)3 and became its Executive Director. Since then she’s grown its budget significantly and doubling the number of makers the organization serves. During COVID Tricia successfully guided Handmade Arcade through the process of creating a virtual craft fair, which we’ll talk about. Supporting and participating in the arts continues to be a central theme in all aspects of Tricia’s life. She is on the board of directors for the Brentwood Library, has volunteered for ten years as a Girl Scout leader, and is continuously creating new collaborations with artists, small businesses, and other nonprofit groups to bolster Pittsburgh’s maker community. +++++ This episode is sponsored by OnlineLabels.com. OnlineLabels.com gives business owners the flexibility to design and print their own labels. They have 1000s of sizes so finding the label for your job couldn't be easier - whether it's a shipping label or a product label. The best part is, they have no minimum orders and bulk pricing so you can order as few as 1 sheet. Visit onlinelabels.com/craftindustryalliancepodcast today for an exclusive $10 off your next purchase of $25 or more. +++++ 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 this episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about building a career bringing people together through yarn with my guest Shelley Brander. After a successful career as a copywriter and broadcast producer, creating campaigns for brands like AT&T and Hard Rock, Shelley Brander followed her passion and started an improbable "side hustle"—she opened a local yarn store. She and her team of Loops Troops have since grown Loops into a global brand that's on the forefront of the modern maker movement, and includes LoopsLove.com, LoopsClub.com and Knit Stars, a global, online learning adventure. She's on a mission to Knit the World Together. Her second book, Move the Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur is a Wall Street Journal best-seller. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and at least three dogs, and has three very creative, grown children. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Esther’s Fabrics. Esther's Fabrics is located on Bainbridge Island, just a short ferry ride from Seattle. Since 1959, Esther’s has offered old fashion service with a modern sensibility. They offer a range of sewing and crafting supplies including modern quilting cottons, gorgeous apparel fabric, knitting yarns and embroidery supplies and more. They buy what they love, and they think you'll love it too. Esther’s is also online at esthersfabrics.com. +++++ 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 scrapbooking and photography with my guest Azzari Jarrett. Azzari is a photographer and designer who is inspired by simple, everyday moments. You can usually find her chasing natural light with one too many (film) cameras. She enjoys a good morning run, a daily cup of coffee, and evenings on the beach. She lives with her husband and three daughters on the North Carolina Coast. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Creativebug.com. Stop the endless scroll through Netflix and start a new creative practice instead with Creativebug. Creativebug is an online streaming service with thousands of art and craft classes taught by industry-leading artists and makers. Learn to paint, knit, sew, bake and more -- all from the comfort of your own home. From the avid finger-painter to the experienced sewist - all ages and skill levels are welcome to watch. Use code CRAFT21 at checkout to get your first two months free at Creativebug.com. +++++ 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 watercolor artist with my guest Anne Butera. Anne Butera is a self-taught artist who finds inspiration in the beauty of her garden and the magic of nature. She works primarily in watercolor but also loves challenging herself to try new things. She strives to seek out and celebrate life’s little joys and daily graces. Anne writes the blog My Giant Strawberry; teaches in person and online; and sells her art, designs and fabric on her website and elsewhere on the web. Anne’s paintings have been exhibited across the country and her art and writing have been published in magazines and in the book Botanica. +++++ This episode is sponsored by Verve Leadership. Verve Leadership provides creativity-based coaching to individuals and organizations seeking to make greater impact in their work and have more fulfillment in their lives. Verve Leadership is pleased to offer a 20% discount on select coaching packages to CIA podcast listeners. Visit VerveLeadership.com/Craft to learn more. +++++ 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 textile magazine with my guest Polly Leonard. Polly Leonard is the Founder of Selvedge, an internationally renowned textile magazine that was launched in 2003 and now has almost one hundred issues to its name. From its modest beginning on Polly’s kitchen table, the magazine revolutionized the way textiles are presented and quickly became the world’s leading textile publication. It now has a readership of over 75,000 and a dedicated international following. As well as a magazine, Polly has since launched an online artisan emporium, as well as The Selvedge World Fair and creative collaborations with the likes of Liberty, Anthropologie, The National Trust, and the V&A. Polly has specialist knowledge in all aspects of textiles, with a particular interest in the role textiles have played in the evolution of humanity. Her own textile practice encompasses using weaving embroidery and basket making to produce sculptures. She has taught and lectured around the world. Selvedge combines her passions for social history, fine art, and craft. +++++ Today's episode is sponsored by h+h cologne @ home - 100 % digital From 26 to 28 March 2021, Koelnmesse will present the latest trends and product innovations as part of the new, comprehensive h+h cologne @home digital marketplace. you will find all fully updated information about your participation possibilities, new contents and prices of the digital h+h cologne 2021 in the coming weeks on www.hh-cologne.com +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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! +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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! +++++ 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. +++++ 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. +++++ 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 +++++ 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. +++++ 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.