When I returned home to Florence in 2000 to begin the work that became Alabama Chanin, The School of Making, and Project Threadways, I could not have imagined the path these last 25 years would take. What I did know, even then, was that the strength of this work would come from the people who chose to walk alongside it. Today, we’re realizing all that has emerged from those first hand-stitched garments and community action. We are still creating. Still resisting. Still evolving. Still rooted in Florence and the Shoals community. Still connected to a wider world of makers, thinkers,...
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Collecting and Connecting for a Sustainable Future The following interviews were published in the Southern Cultures “Future of Textiles” issue, guest edited by Natalie Chanin. Fibershed is a non-profit that fosters regional networks, with a stated focus to build local textile economies, grow climate-beneficial agriculture, and support education and advocacy. Project Threadways started the Southeast Fibershed affiliate to connect growers, producers, and makers across the US South, with the goal of building stronger and more equitable futures. By creating a database of people and entities working in the regional fiber industry—from farmers and mills to gins and dye houses—they aim...
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This week, Project Threadways launched its Design, Hand-Sewing, and Embroidery workshop in partnership with the Continuing Education Department at the University of North Alabama (UNA). Over six classes, an inspiring group of students—including entrepreneurs, teachers, professors, and craft enthusiasts—are exploring hand-sewing, appliqué, stenciling, garment construction, and artisan practices. We’re deeply grateful to UNA’s Fashion Merchandising and Design faculty and the Joel R. Anderson Foundation for funding five scholarships, along with two from Project Threadways. Thanks to this support, seven of the twelve students in the course are attending on scholarships. These may sound like small numbers, but to us, they are monumental. Those seven...
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In the year 2000, when I returned to Florence and my family home at Lovelace Crossroads to begin the work that has become Alabama Chanin, The School of Making, and Project Threadways, I could never have imagined this story unfolding over 25 years. From the first hand-sewn garments crafted by local artisans to the growing nonprofit we are today, this journey has been shaped by a deep belief in the power of craft to transform lives and communities. As we approach 2026, it is my vision and deepest hope that we will celebrate 25 years of this work by moving...
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As guests come to Florence for upcoming workshops and for the Project Threadways Symposium, we wanted to share some of our favorite places in town—a kind of community guide for visitors, whenever your travels bring you to The Factory. Alabama Chanin and The School of Making have been hosting workshops and events here in Florence for over 15 years, and we’ve built a community of connections to bring our guests the best of the city. Our team is here to help plan your trip and workshop experience from start to finish. StayWe recommend The Stricklin and Gunrunner, both boutique hotels downtown with easy access to restaurants and coffee...
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Conversations. Storytelling. Inspiration. Last spring, when I first began imagining a new future for Alabama Chanin, The School of Making, and Project Threadways as an integrated nonprofit, our team went into research mode. We launched a Constituent Engagement Study to inform the values, goals, and structure of the future organization, interviewing stakeholders across our community about what they want to see from this work—in programming, in the workplace culture, and in the industry at large. We spoke to board members, employees, artisans, collaborators, partners, and guests. We’ve learned a lot, and we’re still going. For me, one of the biggest...
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Above: from The Quilts of Gee’s Bend by William Arnett, Alivia Wardlaw, Jane Livingston, and John Beardsley; quilts by Loretta Pettway. Photograph by Abraham Rowe. The 2023 Project Threadways Symposium will be held April 20-22 in Florence, Alabama. ORIGINS AND VOICE OF THE 2023 PROJECT THREADWAYS SYMPOSIUM Last spring, a group gathered in Florence for the 2022 Project Threadways Symposium to explore textiles and activism. Among the presenters was Aleia Brown, an interdisciplinary scholar who studies ways that Black women—through collective making—have experimented with different models of freedom. Her talk drew on narratives from quilting cooperatives to show how Black...
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