This week on Not Your Granny’s Quilt Show, my guest is Ian Danger Capstick, host of the Art Against Empire podcast, quilter, and former political pundit.

Like many of us in the fiber arts world, Ian’s introduction to making began in his grandmother’s craft cupboard. He learned cross stitch and rug hooking, and put it all away as an adult while he worked in Canadian politics. He famously brought his cross stitching with him to work in the meantime of appearing as a political pundit on Canadian television. It was not until the 2020 lockdowns that Ian fully dove into quilting.

As his quilting skills grew alongside major shifts in his professional life, Ian created a quilted banner as part of his capstone project for the horticulture degree he completed during lockdown. That project opened the door to a deeper exploration of banners, textiles, and the long history of fabric as both a cultural and political tool. Quilted banners became a focal point as Ian studied the origins of textile traditions and the ways fabric has been politicized, controlled, and reclaimed.

Through Art Against Empire, Ian examines how textile art has been used across time as a form of power, resistance, and reform. He speaks with artists from around the world, guiding listeners through the global landscape of fiber and textiles. When people reclaim mastery of textiles, Ian believes, it becomes an act of resistance and a path toward freedom.

Ian is also doing powerful work at The NOOK alongside Zak Foster and others, creating spaces that invite thoughtful conversations, including the uncomfortable ones.

To learn more about Ian, follow him on Instagram at quiltqueerly, visit iancapstick.net, and be sure to listen to the available episodes of Art Against Empire. Please enjoy this episode.

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