We last shared about The School of Making on Instagram in March, and we’ve been thrilled with the increase in sharing your projects through #theschoolofmaking. Here are some of our recent favorites from our online maker community. P.S.: Follow us on Instagram: @theschooloofmaking, if you don’t already. And tag and share your projects with #theschoolofmaking Thank you to… Read on

We are constantly inspired and impressed by our DIY community and what you make and share. We loved sharing your projects as a part of #MeMadeMay and wanted to highlight more of our recent #theschoolofmaking favorites from Instagram. With the weather (finally) cooling, now is the perfect time to settle in and sew something new…. Read on

The most important thing is that you love what you are doing, and the second that you are not afraid of where your next idea will lead. – Charles Eames  At The School of Making, we preserve the Living Arts through educational and open source initiatives and programs. We work at the intersection of fashion,… Read on

From top left: Asymmetrical Peacoat in Verdant made from The Peacoat Bundle from The School of Making; Color Palette Bundle #4 from The School of Making; “Things had changed for the better, which is not always the case. But sometimes is.” from Sara Berman’s Closet, 2018 by Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman; “Maira Kalman sweeping… Read on

“Most of our lives we live closed up in ourselves, with a longing not to be alone, to include others in that life that is invisible and intangible. To make it visible and tangible, we need light and material, any material. And any material can take on the burden of what had been brewing in… Read on

Clockwise from top left: “Khruangbin” by Mal de Mar from Lux Aeterna: Latitudes of Reverence to an Endless Sun, 2005–2018 by Mal de Mar; Abstract Camel Fabric Swatch from The School of Making DIY Kits; hand-stitched interpretations of cliffs and Italian roof tiles from The Intentional Thread: A Guide to Drawing, Gesture, and Color in Stitch, 2019 by Susan… Read on

The recent launches of our Corset Pattern, The Baby Doll Corset Bundle, and The Corset Bundle have us looking back at Corset projects and designs over the years. We’re resharing the Printed T-Shirt Corset post from 2012 for some early gifting inspiration:  In our “old-school” company design style – and perfect for holiday gifts – make our Sister Shirts using mirror-image or mix-and-match sections of… Read on

Clockwise from left: The Baby Doll Corset Bundle in Bloomers Dove from The School of Making; Appliqué Rose Stencil Design and Facets Camisole Dress featured in Textile Futures: Fashion, Design, and Technology, 2010 by Bradley Quinn; Embroidery, Appliqué, and Reverse Appliqué Bloomers Fabric Swatch from The School of Making. From page 57 of Alabama Studio… Read on

From left: “Corset illustration” by Sun Young Park for The School of Making Book Series and Patterns; “Original Corset” from the Alabama Chanin archives; Bloomers Fabric Detail in Natural/White Reverse Appliqué; “Corset” from Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns by Natalie Chanin (pages 74–75); “Corset”, 1870–89 by Maison Léoty via the Metropolitan Museum of Art; DIY Corset… Read on

“Untitled”, 1947 by Ruth Asawa at Black Mountain College; Keyhole Dress Kit from The School of Making; Left: “Group IX/UW, The Dove, No. 12”; Right: “Group IX/UW, The Dove, No. 13” from The SUW/UW Series, 1915 by Hilma af Klint. Photograph from Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future, 2018 by Tracey Baskhoff for The… Read on

“Inspiration comes from everywhere, it’s how you process it that’s important.” – Rob Ryan  The development of our patterned fabrics has taken years, as we’ve carefully curated fabric color, ink color, and stencil design to create an inspiring combination for use in making. Our patterned fabrics utilize 100% Organic Medium-weight Cotton Jersey and are printed by Spoonflower with eco-friendly, water-based inks and… Read on

It’s hard to believe that we are more than halfway through 2020 and The School of Making’s Year of Color. Such a year, we could never have fathomed—and, in so many ways, still cannot. Contemplation, making, and gathering inspiration for the future have become a go-to coping mechanism for me—which has been expressed through adding… Read on

Image from left: Detail of the A-Line Top + Tunic Kit in Abstract Peacock with Reverse Appliqué and Backstitch Embroidery; The Lucy Top and The Palm Wrap Skirt from Alabama Chanin’s Spring/Summer 2020 Collection; “1958 Le Trapeze ad campaign for Spring 1958″ by Yves Saint Laurent; “1950 Dior Ad campaign“, 1947 by House of Dior,… Read on

After announcing our Year of Color, we shared more the inspiration behind the first Color Palette Bundle with trend forecaster Li Edelkoort. With limitless combinations and possibilities, there’s so much opportunity for color and design exploration in our Year of Color series. Our Sample Swatches complement the exploration process—pair unstenciled and stenciled swatches in the… Read on

As part of The Year of Color, 2020’s yearlong exploration of creativity through color, we are delving more deeply into one of our inspirations, Lidewij – or Li – Edelkoort, one of the world’s most trusted trend forecasters. She has worked for a wide array of companies, from Coca-Cola, to Nissan, to Prada, Disney, Shiseido,… Read on

Pumpkin carving has a deep-rooted history in American culture. Whether you are a fan of the traditional butcher knife or more fine-tuned supplies for more detailed carving, today there are specialized carving tools available from a range of sources. Martha Stewart, a lover of all things Halloween, has brought pumpkin carving to a new level, offering creative… Read on

To help you add even more color options to your home design studio, The School of Making introduces three new embroidery floss colors: Sage, Dogwood, and Forest. Complementing our Button Craft Thread, each 100% cotton color is wound by hand onto a wooden spool. Curated bundles like the Design Bundle—which gave us inspiration for our… Read on

Just in time for spring, the second installment of the 2019 Build a Wardrobe debuts today with The Jumpsuit Pattern. This utilitarian design features a comfortable drawstring waist, flowing wide legs, and a flattering, fitted bust. The Jumpsuit pattern includes three style variations: the jumpsuit, shirt dress, and shirt, with the jumpsuit also offered in… Read on

2019 marks the fourth time The School of Making welcomes the new year with an inaugural Build a Wardrobe pattern debut. With its modern style and relaxed, yet tailored fit, The Fractal Dress is flattering to a full range of body types. Made up of expertly designed panels, The Fractal Dress allows the maker the… Read on

Our 2019 Build a Wardrobe subscription launches today with modern, brand new styles to add to your closet. In planning for 2019, The School of Making design team set the tone with our color of the year: Verdant. They have also developed three new stencils: Abstract, Canopy #1, and Canopy #2. And they combined these elements… Read on

The new year can refresh the mind and the blank slate it offers can inspire you to plan for the year ahead. Arriving just in time for the new year, and offering inspiration for projects you are planning for 2019, is The School of Making’s Design Bundle #6. Like the bundles before, this Design Bundle… Read on

Always striving to help you expand your own hand-made, sustainable wardrobe, The School of Making has released its much-anticipated coat pattern, the Ezra Coat, as the fourth (and final) installment of the 2018 Build a Wardrobe. The Ezra Coat dates back to 2012 when we first created the pattern inspired by the photographs of Jim and Nancy… Read on

The third quarter of 2018 Build a Wardrobe kicks off today with the launch of the Frances Dress pattern. The Frances Dress has three body variations—the top, T-shirt dress, and baby doll dress—along with two sleeve length options, an optional collar, and optional side seam pockets. The simple silhouette provides a blank canvas for embellishment—or… Read on

“The fair maid who, the first of May, Goes to the fields at break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will ever after handsome be.” – Mother Goose nursery rhyme from The Children’s Mother Goose From its beginnings as an ancient Celtic ritual to modern day parades, festivals, and workers’ right… Read on

Our Craftsy virtual learning courses dive into hand embellishment and construction in The School of Making techniques. In The Swing Skirt: Techniques & Construction, Natalie walks you through each step of creating a hand-sewn garment. Creative Embellishments gives an in-depth look at our most popular hand embellishing techniques including quilting, reverse appliqué, whipstitch appliqué, and… Read on

Custom DIY has always been a resource to design your own garments and accessories—personalizing everything from fabric and thread color to stencil design and treatments. Now, you have even more control over what you receive once you place your Custom DIY Kit order. The new programming provides even further customization, allowing you to take into account… Read on

Our last Craftsy virtual learning class—The Swing Skirt: Techniques & Construction—has been very popular among our community of makers, and because of it, we’ve welcomed many new followers. We were often asked on the class discussion board for more instruction, and our newest class—Creative Embellishments—released this past Tuesday. The course covers four key stitches and… Read on

2018 Build a Wardrobe kicks off with our beloved Panel Tank Pattern. The Panel Tank flatters all body types with a fitted bust and generous flare to the bottom hem. The thin straps and scooped out neckline well to layering underneath a cardigan or jacket, or over a long sleeve tee or turtleneck. The pattern… Read on

It’s been a busy year for The School of Making—new packaging, new products, workshops at The Factory (and away), new patterns through Build a Wardrobe, a new website, a Craftsy course (with 2 more in the works), and our brand-new book—The Geometry of Hand-Sewing. We’ve shared it all along the way with our maker community… Read on

Featured on the Quarter 4 Design Bundle, the newly released Tartan stencil is available today through The School of Making(along with the re-released Fern). Originally released in 2012, our natured-inspired Fern stencil has been featured over the years on garments, home goods, and Swatches of the Month. This customer favorite is again available in physical and… Read on

The final quarter of our 2017 Design Bundle series is now available, filled with a bright color palette of Apple, Ruby, Burgundy, Carmine, and Plum—perfect for the holidays. The Design Bundle includes basic sample blocks as well as stenciled, in your choice of metallic or tonal paint, with our re-released Fern stencil and the newly available… Read on

As the final installment of our 2017 Build a Wardrobe subscription, we introduce the Drawstring Pant Pattern. Flattering on all body types and adaptable to any wardrobe or season, the pattern offers four length options for the pant (shorts, knee-length shorts, cropped pant, and long pant), three skirt length options (short, mid-length, and long), and… Read on

Inspired by the work of French naïve artist, Henri Rousseau, and originally used in our 2015 Collection, the Large Paradise stencil is now available through The School of Making. The stencil features a tropical-inspired motif that harkens back to Rousseau’s lush, jungle setting of his 1910 painting The Dream. The Large Paradise stencil is available cut… Read on

Universally flattering and a staple of any wardrobe, the Wrap Dress is the focus of the third quarter of Build a Wardrobe 2017 and is available for the first time today as a digital pattern download. Offered with five sleeve options and five length variations, the pattern is available in sizes XS through  XX-Large. The… Read on

Since our Indigo Dye Kit launched, we’ve loved seeing dye projects pop up on social media. The kit comes with enough materials to dye 6 yards of our 100% Organic Medium-weight Cotton Jersey, but you can also use it to give rarely worn garments a new life or to overdye a DIY project. Dyeing yards… Read on

The School of Making launched in October 2014, and over the past 2 ½ years it has grown into a flourishing division of the Alabama Chanin Family of Businesses. In the time since its launch, we’ve increased DIY kit offerings, introduced new programming like Build a Wardrobe and Host a Party and expanded our workshop space… Read on

Once offered exclusively in the Alabama Chanin Collection, Aurora is now stenciled, along with Small Polka Dots, on the fabric of our latest Design Bundle. Aurora has an art deco feel and gives movement to any project. It works up beautifully in different techniques including negative reverse appliqué (shown above), whipstitch appliqué (shown below), and… Read on

Build a Wardrobe 2017 continues in the second quarter with our Car Coat Pattern. Offering a fit that is flattering to all body types, the Car Coat is a great transitional piece that can be worn throughout the year—going from basic to statement-making with the addition of stencils, embroidery, and beading. The digital version of… Read on

We have a long history of loving and working with indigo at The School of Making and Alabama Chanin. We’ve used it in previous collections, worked with and learned from Artisan Natural Dyeworks in Nashville, and even had a special indigo-focused exhibition at Heath Ceramics showcasing upcycled antique quilts and one-of-a-kind indigo garments. For the… Read on

By popular demand, we have created a sleeve for the Factory Dress for those of you who have either subscribed to Build a Wardrobe or purchased the Factory Dress pattern online. The sleeve was drafted to fit the existing armhole on the pattern, so no adjustments will need to be made before attaching your sleeve…. Read on

Our Design Bundle was announced last week and includes hand-stenciled swatches in two designs: our popular Anna’s Garden stencil and a new stencil for our DIY community: the Daisy stencil. Once only offered for our Collection garments, the Daisy stencil is a now available through The School of Making as a Mylar stencil and as a… Read on

Our 2016 Build a Wardrobe silhouettes are now available to order through Custom DIY and select kits on our website. Since these projects are new and not included in any of our books, we’ll share the instructions for each project on our Journal over the next few weeks. This week, we’re sharing instructions for the… Read on

We’ve been loving our Limited-Edition Printed Cotton Jersey—part of our collaboration with Spoonflower—which we debuted a few months back. Since then, we have used it to create a Swing Skirt, and here we utilize it to introduce the Factory Tunic. We used a variation of the Factory Dress pattern—now available through our 2017 Build a… Read on

With one successful year of Build a Wardrobe behind us, we are excited to offer the 2017 subscription with four brand new garment patterns. The first quarter introduces the Factory Dress pattern—a long-time staff and customer favorite—with its flattering fit, princess seams, and high neckline. In addition to being included in our 2017 Build a Wardrobe… Read on

We’ve stated before how much our maker community continues to inspire us, and we’ve been so excited to see how you’ve used our programs and patterns to expand your creativity throughout the past year. Host a Party opened up new opportunities for reaching out in your own communities and teaching sustainable practices in a way… Read on

In 2016, The School of Making successfully expanded our Swatch of the Month Club and other hand-sewing programs into a larger experiment—Build a Wardrobe. This project offered our maker community the opportunity to take things they have learned from our Studio Book Series, workshops, and our Journal and create pieces they could fold seamlessly into… Read on

The Magdalena Classic Jacket DIY Kit is the newest addition to our (recently updated) DIY Collection. Featured in Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns, our Classic Jacket hits at the hip and has a relaxed fit—making it a great everyday jacket. This kit comes with everything you’ll need (including variegated embroidery floss that we’ll match for you). We’ve… Read on

Last October, we launched our Host A Party program to expand the sense of fellowship we create here at The Factory through our workshops, dinners, and events by inviting friends and colleagues to host their own workshop and event (surrounded by friends, family, and good food). When you decide to host a sewing party for… Read on

Today, we launch updates to our DIY Collection with new kits, colorways, patterns, and designs. We’re introducing new silhouettes while offering some of our customer favorites with new stencils and treatments. New projects include the Anna’s Garden Maggie Tunic and Polka Dot Walking Cape. Our expanded selection includes a range of projects for the home, like the… Read on

This year’s Build a Wardrobe program has allowed us to expand the options in each of our closets. So far, we have introduced three new garment patterns—the DIY Maggie Dress, DIY Alabama Sweater, and DIY Walking Cape—and offered several of our own variations on each piece. Build a Wardrobe provides hundreds of options for how… Read on

Anyone who is familiar with our company knows that Alabama Chanin is built on the beliefs of collaboration and the open exchange of information. Our connections and relationships with fellow designers, makers, customers, and suppliers run deep, and we appreciate every opportunity to learn from, be inspired by, and to teach and work with others…. Read on

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.” – Charles Dickens Our Walking Cape is the perfect all-weather staple, and it lives in my closet all year long. It is the ideal companion for the… Read on

The third quarter of our Build a Wardrobe program has arrived, with our beloved Walking Cape pattern. The individual garment pattern, which includes instructions for selecting fabric, cutting, and constructing, can be purchased for $18 – $24 online, depending on format. This pattern is designed for use with our Studio Book Series. The Build a… Read on

We previously shared The History of Tailoring and continue our series on fit with a comprehensive history of pattern making. In order to survive, human beings had to master the arts of creating and sustaining food, clothing, and shelter. As time went on, we became better at those tasks and began to create standards for what… Read on

Like many Alabama Chanin garments, the Alabama Sweater was created because it fit a specific need in my own wardrobe. Years ago, I bought a cashmere sweater that became a well-worn, beloved staple. I wore it and washed it a thousand times; accordingly, it shrank and stretched—and became perfectly mine. Rather than search the world… Read on

We’ve had a fun (and colorful) month exploring natural dyes with Kristine Vejar through a series of projects from her book, The Modern Natural Dyer. Here’s a quick recap from our Journal, before we close out the month (which Kristine has tagged as #alabamachaninapril on Instagram) with a final project. – You can learn more… Read on

We continue our month-long exploration into natural dyeing with Kristine Vejar, author of The Modern Natural Dyer. Last week we created a Maggie Tunic project from fabric that was printed with flowers, and this week we highlight another project in The Modern Natural Dyer: the Iron Age Tank and Gilded Cardigan. Kristine chose to over… Read on

“If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal — that is your success.” – Henry David Thoreau Recently, longtime friend and collaborator Kristine Vejar created fabric for us using a technique from… Read on

The fourth month of 2016 launches the second quarter of our Build a Wardrobe program and, with it, the Alabama Sweater garment pattern. Available for individual purchase for $18 – $24, depending on format. The PDF download includes the nested pattern in sizes ranging from XS to XXL and comes with tips on fabric selection,… Read on

Our maker community has grown substantially in the past few years thanks to an increased interest in slow fashion and a do-it-yourself attitude. We’ve seen engagement, respect, collaboration, and beautifully-made contributions from many of you in The School of Making, which includes both a design and manufacturing service that facilitates production for other, smaller designers… Read on

We’ve received questions from many of you about our design choices for the Maggie Dress images pictured above. We share them for inspiration—and to make your fabric, stencil, and thread choices a little easier. From top left to right: 1. Garment – Maggie Dress (no center front or center back seam) Fabric weight – 100% organic… Read on

We have used stencils to transfer designs onto fabric since the earliest days of Alabama Chanin. There is a section of The School of Making devoted to the art of stenciling, and you can read about making and using our stencils on our Journal here: #stenciling. And while we’ve developed stencils of all sorts and used… Read on

When joining our Build a Wardrobe program, participants make design choices for each of the four garments they create. When planning a design for any garment, the first decision you make is whether the garment will be made with a single- or double-layer of our organic cotton jersey. Some embroidery or embellishment choices will make… Read on

I assume that most folks imagine that the Maggie Top/Tunic/Dress is named after my daughter Maggie—and they would be right, in a way. What few people know is that the garment is named after an apron/smock dress that my Maggie wore and loved as a three-year-old. One day as I was dressing her and life… Read on

Today, we launch our Maggie Dress garment pattern—available in PDF format through our website. Part of our Build a Wardrobe programming and available for individual purchase at $18, the PDF download includes the nested pattern and comes in sizes XS to XXL along with instructions for fabric selection, cutting, and garment construction. Our PDF patterns (more styles… Read on

New Years’ Eve is a big (if quiet) night for me. It’s been a long time since I was that girl that danced until sunrise. These days I’m much more into getting up at sunrise, writing, scheming, drinking coffee, and, on some days, simply cleaning house. That being said, I’ve very often had big changes… Read on

Looking back on 2015, it’s clear that this was the year of collaboration for Alabama Chanin. We expanded upon work that we have been creating with others for many years, added major new initiatives with new partners, and built upon our partnerships across all parts of our business. Partnership has always meant growth for Alabama… Read on

Over the past two years, The School of Making has evolved into a community of creators who experiment together with a diverse range of sewing, stitching, and embroidery techniques, design concepts, dyeing methods, and a widening array of practical skills. Through our Swatch of the Month and our Host a Party programs, we’ve watched our community of makers… Read on

December has arrived, and with it come holiday parties, family get-togethers, and plenty of reasons to cook and bake. The Factory’s calendar is a little less packed this month, simply because we all have so much to do at home and with our families. But—great news! December is National Egg Nog Month. No matter what… Read on

I looked down at my calendar recently and was stunned to realize: this year is almost over. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was thinking summer vacations and tomato sandwiches. Now, I have to shift gears and get into holiday mode—quickly. It seems the older I get, the more I seem to… Read on

October is here and—finally—we are beginning to get a reprieve from the heat of summer. By now, my house has gotten back into the school, work, homework, bedtime routine. (I think every year Maggie manages to negotiate a later bedtime, while mine gets earlier and earlier.) October is one of my favorite months, because it… Read on

September comes as a bit of a relief this year, as it brings more routine, less travel, and a few moments to relax. While I’ve enjoyed my unforgettable summer with Maggie (especially our cross-country train trip), most parents will agree that there’s just the slightest feeling of liberation when your child goes back to school (albeit… Read on

Those of you who frequent the Journal have read and learned about our Makeshift initiative—which is a series of events, talks, workshops, and gatherings that seek to get makers of different minds and from various fields in the same room together for discussion. As design and craft professions evolve, sometimes walls develop between the makers;… Read on

The months of June and July were wonderful and hectic in lots of beautiful and fun ways. There was plenty of travel, including our trip to Blackberry Farm and the cross-country train trip that Maggie and I took to San Francisco. With August comes a welcome bit of calm, just before our house gets back… Read on

Makeshift is a series of events, talks, workshops, and gatherings that invite a dynamic group of participants to explore the ways in which the fashion, art, and design worlds are inextricably linked to the world of craft and DIY, and how each of these worlds elevates the others. In its fourth year, Makeshift conversations create an intersection where we can… Read on

This week we reach the three-year anniversary (and the 10,000-follower milestone) of our Instagram account. We’ve enjoyed the projects you’ve shared through #theschoolofmaking and the meals you’ve had at The Factory through #alabamachaninfactorycafe. Thanks for all of the ongoing conversations and for following along… xoNatalie P.S. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Summer is now officially in full swing. As adults, we rarely get to indulge in a full-scale month of vacation—as our children often do. But, in July I like to take a few extra days to enjoy summer with my family and friends. Maggie absolutely loves July (and July 4th festivities are some of her… Read on

If there’s something we have learned from our DIY community and The School of Making programming, it’s that our fellow makers can be passionate and prolific. In a world focused on “fast fashion” we are constantly inspired to see so many taking time and effort to create meaningful things. Quite a few of you have… Read on

I’ve been toying with the idea of scale and pattern recently. This thought arose because of a presentation I gave in March on Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis Group. The talk was part of the monthly On Design Lecture Series that we host in our studio as staff development but is also open to our community… Read on

I am happy to greet May, partly because April came “as advertised”—dropping buckets of rain—but also because May is filled with so many good things. So many, in fact, that I might feel differently by month’s end, but for now I am ready. There are workshops, both at home and afar. Maggie finishes school at… Read on

Since the launch of The School of Making, our team has been inspired to create new resources, to design more beautiful DIY kits (that complement our newest book), and to give our online store a new look. Shop our updated Maker Supplies section here and find tools and materials to inspire your next project. And… Read on

With the arrival of April (and the announcement of our partnership with Nest), it feels as though we are finally settling into the year. April’s warmer weather is also welcomed with open arms (and horseback rides). April is a busy month. April is National Poetry Month. Poetry lovers can begin a project using our Poetry… Read on

February is technically a short month, but it was so fast and furious that I had to make conscious efforts to be mindful AND productive. March looks to be just as busy, but in the best way—full of things I want to do and people I want to see. It is National Women’s History month,… Read on

Our On Design conversation in December focused on the practice of stenciling—including examples of designs throughout history and various techniques used over time. Stenciling is at the core of our Alabama Chanin collections; currently it is the sole means by which we transfer decorative patterns onto our fabrics. We have explored DIY stenciling in our… Read on

We began our 2015 Swatch of the Month back in January but neglected to write about the swatch and share pictures here on the Journal. Many of you reached out to let us know that you missed these posts. We heard. We listened. And herewith, our February post (and the slightly late January below). Here’s… Read on

Our final Swatch of the Month for 2014 combines several techniques explored (and hopefully mastered) in previous months’ swatches—including appliqué, negative reverse appliqué, and eyelet beading. The design, titled Natalie’s Dream, is beautifully intricate and one of my personal favorites (hence the name). To create the swatch, begin by stenciling the design to the top… Read on

In 2014, we were inspired by our extensive fabric library—and readers expressed interest in trying new techniques—to create our first Swatch of the Month Club. Our library of sample swatches archives over 500 techniques, embroideries, fabric treatments, and colorways that we have experimented with or used in past and upcoming Alabama Chanin collections. If you… Read on

The Swatch of the Month for November highlights one of my all time favorite designs, Climbing Daisy. The technique uses ribbon embroidery, which beautifully adds dimension and detail to projects and garments. The concept is simple: we use cotton ribbon rather than thread or embroidery floss to stitch the design. This technique can be applied… Read on

The October Swatch of the Month highlights one of our most popular embroidery treatments—Alabama Fur. The technique, first presented in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, combines our Spiral stencil with backstitch-worked embroidery floss, and incorporating exposed knots and tails. Simple, yet time consuming, the end result is a hypnotic continuation of curves that is both… Read on

As a designer, I am constantly in search of inspiration for new patterns. Often, I find ideas in nature. Other times, I’m drawn to simple geometric shapes—such as circles or dots—and how they interact with one another. Polka dots, with their equal size and relative spacing, create a classic pattern on a garment. In fact,… Read on

The Swatch of the Month for September continues August’s emphasis on texture as it relates to an overall design perspective. Couching has a sculptural quality and it places significant focus on the stencil or design motif it highlights. This stencil, Anna’s Garden, works well with the couching technique, as it has lots of curved shapes… Read on

Each month, we invite our fellow stitchers to create a favorite Alabama Chanin pattern, embellishment, or embroidery technique through our Swatch of the Month Club. As a companion to that monthly series, we are also offering DIY projects that you can create with your completed swatches. Past projects include DIY Swatch Pillows, DIY Book Covers,… Read on

Clockwise: Studio Bundle #2 from The School of Making; Fabric Swatch in Natural/Bright White Kristina’s Rose with appliqué and beading; “Roses and Revolution” featuring the iconic Tina Modotti photograph “Roses, Mexico” (1924) from Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit; Kristina’s Rose stencil artwork; Fabric Swatch in Bright White/Natural Kristina’s Rose with appliqué and beading; Detail of… Read on

The July Swatch of the Month demonstrates one of our popular beaded embroidery techniques, the Satin Stars design. This technique is highlighted in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, where you can view an in-depth fabric map of the embroidery. Use the Satin Stars design to add embellishment using either an allover or placement technique, as… Read on

Each month, we feature a favorite Alabama Chanin embroidery technique as part of our Swatch of the Month Club. Additionally, we offer suggestions as to how you might put your completed swatches to use. Past month’s project offerings have included the DIY Clutch, DIY Book Covers, and DIY Swatch Pillows. This month – with 6… Read on

The Swatch of the Month for June combines a number of embroidery techniques into a single design. This stencil, appropriately titled June’s Spring, combines both basic techniques, like backstitch embroidery and appliqué, with more elaborate treatments, like beading and Feather stitch embroidery. The combination of these elements on one swatch results in a lush, rich… Read on

The Swatch of the Month for May demonstrates our beaded ruffle stripe technique. This is a variation of our random ruffle technique, featured in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. You can add several rows of ruffles for a more elaborate textural design or use just one if you want to highlight the technique itself. Detailed… Read on

The Swatch of the Month for April allows you the opportunity to experiment with a basic, traditional appliqué technique in our Anna’s Garden stencil design. Appliqué is a way of “applying” one fabric on top of another. We use appliqué for many reasons – to add color, texture, dimension, and more elaborate design work to a… Read on

Each Thursday on the Journal we post DIY projects and ideas. On Thursdays following our highlight of the Swatch of the Month, we will be creating projects made from our completed swatches as a source of inspiration for those of you following along. At Alabama Chanin, swatches start out as a design concept for new… Read on

Each month, as part of our Swatch of the Month Club, we are demonstrating some of our most popular techniques so that you might try your hand at creating new designs and embroideries. If you join the Swatch of the Month Club, you will receive a ready-to-sew package each month with the supplies needed to… Read on

February’s Swatch of the Month illustrates a variation on Alabama Chanin’s basic reverse appliqué technique in our Anna’s Garden design. With a membership in our Swatch of the Month Club, you can try out a different technique each month. You may purchase a Swatch of the Month membership at any point in the year and… Read on

January’s Swatch of the Month incorporates Alabama Chanin’s basic reverse appliqué technique with our Paisley stencil. Explore our techniques and build your skills with a membership to our Swatch of the Month Club and follow along here on the Journal. The photograph above shows one of many options you can create when making your own… Read on

I’ve written before about our Fabric Library, a collection of sample blocks and swatches that our company has created over the years. Each swatch starts out the same way, as a basic 10” x 16” rectangle of our organic cotton jersey. Then each one is embellished with embroidery, stencils, beading, and/or appliqué. These sample blocks,… Read on

Our finished Alabama Chanin garments, made from 100% organic cotton jersey, are beautiful when worn as unembellished Basics; however, through the years, most of our designs have highlighted the incredible number of stencil patterns in our growing library. These stencils are the cornerstone of both our design process and our business model. From page 10… Read on

Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry. – Richard P. Feynman My life tends to run in patterns.  Sometimes I dream of patterns. My favorite subject in design school was the study of pattern & repeat. One… Read on