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

Powering the Creative Economy with Spoonflower: Robert Mahar

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On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about growing a sewing pattern business with my guest Heather Lou.
Heather has been passionately making her own clothes since 2010, and discovered she loved sewing so much she left a career in interior design to start Closet Core Patterns. Over the years, the company has grown and evolved and now offers standalone sewing patterns, online sewing classes, and an inspiring pattern membership and private community called Crew, where new sewing patterns and tutorials are released each month based on a changing annual design concept. This year, they also acquired the French pattern company Deer&Doe, and they plan to release future patterns through this new sister brand. Heather also started Core Fabrics with her business partner Tereska Gesing in 2021, an online fabric store that focuses on sustainable, eco-friendly, and artisanal textiles and supplies for garment sewing. She is proudly based in Montreal, Canada.
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.

Episode #265: Heather Lou

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 1 at h+h americas 2024 in Chicago. With about 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 conversation among four industry professionals each of whom has a unique vantage point and perspective.
Our panelists included Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Crafts, Gina Pantastico of Cloud9 Fabrics, Virginia Johnson of Gather Here, and Scott Stone of Gemporia Craft.  We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation and we invite you to join us at h+h americas 2025 which will be held May 7-9 in Chicago.

Special Episode: State of the Industry 2024

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we're talking about marketing, retail, and stationery with my guest Lauren Tilden.
 Lauren is a marketing coach for small business owners struggling to consistently market their businesses. Also a maker, retail shop owner, and podcast host, she’s on a mission to help small businesses do better marketing so they can make a bigger impact on the world. An ex-corporate marketer, Lauren fell in love with small business through her first small business, the plant-inspired stationery business Good Sheila. A couple of years after starting Good Sheila, she took the reins of her mom's Seattle retail shop, Station 7. As of 2020, she hosts Making Good, a podcast for small businesses who want to make a big impact.
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This episode is sponsored by Craftsy.
Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. March is National Craft Month. Take advantage of this special promotion! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!
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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

Episode #264: Lauren Tilden

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about embroidery and illustration with my guest Sara Barnes.
 
Sara is an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, an embroidery studio stitching pet portraits and other beloved creatures. Her work has been recognized in American Illustration, Embroidery Magazine, and Uppercase. Sara chronicles the creativity of others through her blog Brown Paper Bag and weekly newsletter, Orts.  Her newest book is Threads of Treasure: How to make, mend, and find meaning through thread. When she’s not stitching or writing, she enjoys planning things that bring people together, including Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops.
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Today's episode is sponsored by the Show Up Society. If you are ready to overcome perfectionism and overthinking so you can grow your creative business, join the show up society today. This supportive community helps you build confidence in your craft, in yourself, and in promoting your work. You’ll get a perfect mix of practical tips and mindset hacks to grow your business without feeling salesy and without burnout. You’ll have fun and feel supported while taking your creative business to new heights. Go to showupsociety.com/join today.  
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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

Episode #263: Sara Barnes

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about buttons with my guest Beau McCall.
Proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man,” Beau McCall creates wearable and visual art by applying clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks offer commentary on topics such as pop culture and social justice. On March 30th his first-ever retrospective exhibition debuts at Fuller Craft Museum titled, Beau McCall: Buttons On! 
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Calling all crafters! Are you ready to dive deep into your favorite crafting projects and learn new techniques along the way? Then it's time to join Craftsy Premium Membership. March is National Craft Month. Take advantage of this special promotion! For ONLY $1.49, you'll receive a full year of access to expert-led tutorials, patterns, and projects in every category you can imagine. With a massive library of resources at your fingertips, you'll be able to create your best work yet and bring your crafting dreams to life. Don't wait – sign up now at CraftsyOffers.com and discover the endless possibilities of Craftsy Premium Membership!
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To get the full show notes for this episode visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Join today.

Powering the Creative Economy with Spoonflower: Robert Mahar

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