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You can sew with a fabric for years and still be surprised by how much you don’t know about it. Ryan and Matt are back for a fabric quiz that digs into the specs, terminology, and secrets, while uncovering some surprisingly useful things to consider when choosing materials for your next project.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• A surprisingly difficult fabric quiz covering everything from hydrostatic head and solution dyeing to UHMWPE blends, fabric weights, and warp vs. weft
• Why some of the specs we obsess over may matter less in the real world than we think
• The fabric application triad and the tradeoffs between price, weight, and durability when choosing materials for a project
• A head-to-head backpack fabric draft where every point earned in the quiz becomes buying power for main, accent, stretch, and liner fabrics

Play along, keep track of your score, and see if your fabric knowledge can beat Ryan and Matt.

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Repairing gear requires a different mindset than making it from scratch. But one of the greatest benefits of sewing skills is being able to get more out of the things you already have. Our guest breaks down how to confidently tear into finished gear, diagnose what actually failed, and make repairs that can keep your favorite equipment going for years.

Here's what we cover: 

• What you need to look for before grabbing the seam ripper 
• Why sometimes the best repair starts by seam ripping something that isn't broken
• The repair-specific tools and tricks worth adding to your sewing kit
• What years of repairing failed gear can teach us about better design
• How repair can make you a better gear designer 

Whether you do this for environmental reasons or to have fun, gear repair has some tangible benefits to makers of every skill level. 

Guest: 

Maddy Hem from Black Bear Gear Repair

New Products: 

X-Pac®UX20ST

 1.8 oz Venom™ Ripstop Hybrid Nylon 6.6 

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Technical fabrics are changing fast, but what’s actually driving the next generation of materials? We sit down with Taylor and Yann from X-Pac® to go behind the laminate and talk hyperTEC, UHMWPE, sustainability, and where performance fabrics are headed next.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why the industry is shifting back toward high-performance materials—and what that means for the fabrics makers will see next
• What makes the new hyperTEC line different, including 100% UHMWPE face fabrics, UHMWPE X-Ply®, and the development behind them
• The surprising truth about “recycled” fabrics, including why two materials carrying the same certification can contain drastically different amounts of recycled fiber
• What makers misunderstand about laminates, delamination, and the decades of development happening behind fabrics that might look deceptively simple

Listen in and get a rare look behind the materials you’re cutting, sewing, and building with every day.

Products:  VX21OE, UX10, X11 | Shop All X-Pac®

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Many of us don't make it to the sewing machine until 8 or 9 p.m., after a full day of work. By then, it's hard to think like a product developer (and even harder to stay creative). Marc Shatalow joins us to share how he balances a full-time job with a growing bag brand, along with the design process, production habits, and mindset that help him keep creating without burning out.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• How to balance a 9-to-5 with a bag company—and why small, consistent progress beats marathon sewing sessions
• Marc's workflow for designing new bags, from paper models and 3D CAD to finished prototypes
• Production habits, lean manufacturing ideas, and shop tweaks that save time without sacrificing creativity
• Honest conversations about pricing handmade work, building products people value, and why following your curiosity often leads to your best designs

Listen in and discover why building a successful maker business isn't about finding more hours, it's about optimizing the time you do have. 

Marc Schatalow | Mrs. Marc Bags

Products: 

• Venom™ 200 HPU Tan 
• Merino Wool Jersey Knit

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Great products don't happen by accident. They happen because someone obsesses over hundreds of tiny decisions that most never notice. In this episode, Jenna Lagonigro pulls back the curtain on how professional products go from sketchbook to production line, sharing the design principles, development process, and tech pack secrets that every maker can apply to their own projects.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• How to build your first tech pack
• Why empathy is the best skill for product designers 
• What professional product developers do to choose fabrics
• Behind-the-scenes insights from overseas factories and sample rooms

Listen in and start thinking like a product developer. The way you approach your next project may never be the same.

Guest: 

• Jenna Lagonigro
• Product Developer at: Moment and Long Weekend

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Most people see a finished backpack as the end of a project. Today's guest sees it as the beginning. Kenn Walker is a modification expert, known for taking a scalpel to the seams of $400 backpacks and making them even better than before.

From his background in parachute rigging to turning a World Cup soccer ball into a bag, Kenn brings the kind of creativity and problem-solving that every maker can learn from.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Which techniques Kenn uses to confidently seam rip and modify finished bags
• The one tool Kenn cannot live without
• How he turned custom modifications into a thriving business
• What parachute rigging taught him about sewing, load paths, and building gear that lasts
• Kenn's favorite shop hacks, machines, and workflow for tackling one-of-a-kind projects

Kenn Walker is a Custom/Modification Designer | Instagram | Website

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What happens when a blacksmith becomes obsessed with making backpacks? In this episode, Ethan Goss of Goss Handmade shares the unconventional ideas, hard-earned lessons, and creative rabbit holes that have shaped his approach to designing packs that blend heritage aesthetics with modern performance.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why some vintage backpack designs still outperform modern alternatives—and which features deserve a comeback
• Ethan's surprisingly effective wood frame stays and what they taught him about comfort, durability, and pack design
• The anatomy of a great shoulder strap, from foam selection and fit to the small details that make packs more comfortable under load
• How classes, community, and studying other makers can dramatically accelerate your growth as a gear maker

Listen in and lend a few ideas from Ethan's playbook. You might just find your next rabbit hole. 

Guest: Ethan Goss from Goss Handmade (Instagram, Website)

Shop the latest fabrics and materials here. 

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Most sewing machine problems don’t start with catastrophic failure—they start with the small maintenance habits makers ignore for too long. In this episode, Matt Evans joins us to break down the practical upkeep, adjustments, and troubleshooting skills every DIYer should know to keep their machines running smoothly and sewing clean.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The maintenance habits that actually matter
• How to diagnose common sewing issues like skipped stitches, poor tension, and fabric feeding problems 
• The simple machine adjustments makers should feel comfortable making themselves 
• DIY tools, cheap shop hacks, and unexpected hardware store finds that can make patterning, cutting, and machine upkeep easier

Custom UL Hiking Gear for Dogs and Humans - Red Paw Packs 

Guest: Matt Evans, Red Paw Packs 

Shop the latest fabrics and materials here. 

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Most of us like the idea of American-made production, but very few of us understand the complexity (or the role DIY makers can play in rebuilding it). This conversation explores what it actually takes to build sewn products sustainably in America without losing sight of the people behind the products.

The Carolina Textile District helps businesses (big and small) create amazing products here in the US through educational courses, businesses connections, and operational support. 

Sewn Goods 101 Course

Industrial Sewing Program

[email protected]rg

Shop the latest fabrics and materials here. 

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Any project is a serious undertaking—but sewing everything for your thru-hike is next level. That’s exactly what Eliza did for the CDT. She breaks down what it actually takes to design, sew, and trust a full 15-piece kit when failure isn’t really an option.

In this episode: 

• Where to start when you want to make something big 
• Why the failed prototype helped in the long run 
• How Eliza approached fabric selection
• What she did this project for

Listen in to get inspired and see where your next build can take you. 

Guest: 

• Eliza Sweeney

Shop the latest fabrics and materials here. 

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