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...
I came of age at a time when the United States functioned as a country of makers. We made steel, and textiles, and cars and appliances, and did it so well. American makers designed and produced an array of products that in turn enriched lives, families, and communities. From the rural South and our maker-farms to regional factories, and beyond, American-made most often meant well-designed, well-made goods that could last a lifetime—and in some cases, many lifetimes, through the generations of families. In my own community of Muscle Shoals, friends and family members grew cotton, which was transformed into...
Read (or listen) along with us. #AlabamaChaninBookClub (Updated August 2, 2024) Some of the links below contain affiliate links. By purchasing a book or audio recording at these links, Alabama Chanin, The School of Making, and Project Threadways may receive a portion of the purchase price. Thank you.— This season—with its long days and travels and afternoons too hot to be outside—is the best time of year for reading (and watching, listening, visiting, and shopping). Here’s what’s on our list. Every Man for Himself and God Against All, by filmmaker and author Werner Herzog. Listen on Libro.fm, where he reads...
Last year, as we were considering the future of this organization as a non-profit, I knew we couldn’t build that future alone. We needed honest feedback and buy-in from our community. We needed to know what people valued about this work and what they wanted to see from it going forward. Thanks to a generous donation, Project Threadways’ leadership team conducted a Constituent Engagement Study over the course of six months, interviewing board members, employees, artisans, guests, and collaborators. In the spirit of transparency, I want to share some of the findings with this broader community. People When asked...
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...
Who benefits from purchasing an Alabama Chanin garment? The short answer is “everyone,” but let’s take a closer look at who is impacted by the production and sale of our sustainable garments. If you’d like to learn even more, join us at the Project Threadways Symposium (virtually or in person) or read about our supply chain in detail here. Organic cotton is grown using natural biological cycles and without harmful chemicals that can negatively affect wildlife and people. It accounts for roughly 1-2% of cotton worldwide, with only a fraction of production occurring in the United States. Since 2004, we’ve...
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...
For the 2023 Project Threadways Symposium, Dr. Katie Knowles delivered a keynote presentation at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in downtown Florence. Titled “Assembling a Life: Sarah Tate’s Things,” the presentation centers on a collection of items that once belonged to a woman named Sarah Tate, who was born enslaved and died in 1915. Tate saved many items that were important to her—her mother’s scissors, a string of beads, her wedding dress, her daughter’s infant gown, her emancipation dress, and her Bible—which were collected by her white employer after her death and now sit in the Witte Museum in...
An excerpt from Embroidery: Threads and Stories, by Natalie Chanin. The origin of the word Alabama is still debated. Some believe it is derived from the Choctaw language, translated as “thicket clearer”—hinting at the agriculturally adept tribes that cleared the thicket for cultivation. As a child, I was certain that this was the best interpretation, as, left untouched, the mesophytic forest of our region produces a landscape so dense and thick with vegetation that it can be difficult to navigate. With an annual rainfall just four inches shy of rainforest designation, the woods and creeks are deep, dark, breathing organisms,...
Original Publication Date: October 27, 2016Updated: May 22, 2023 There is a lot you can say about Scott Peacock: James Beard Award-winning chef, engaging storyteller, collaborator and co-author to Edna Lewis, budding farmer, writer/filmmaker, experimenter with indigo, and the creator of the inspiring Alabama Biscuit Experience in Marion, Alabama. As we launch our 2023 Summer Indigo collection, I was inspired to look back at some of the indigo experiments we’ve created over the last 23 years. I came upon the post below, originally published in October of 2016, and am inspired anew in reminiscing about this weekend adventure. With a group...
