Couching is a traditional embroidery technique that’s been used for hundreds of years. Historically, yarn (or some other form of rope) was laid on top of a surface and sewn into place with a satin stitch. At The School of Making, we define couching as a type of appliqué in which cotton jersey ropes are… Read on

Couching is one of the more sculptural techniques that we use to embellish garments at Alabama Chanin. The effect adds a unique texture and visual appeal. Traditional couching is a very old technique where yarn (or another material) is laid across fabric and sewn into place, creating shapes and patterns. Our process of couching involves… Read on

Couching is another age-old technique that we employ over, and over again as a design practice at Alabama Chanin. When embellishing, we often use cotton jersey pulls as appliqué to give weight and a sculptural quality to our crafted garments and home goods. From page 110 of Alabama Studio Sewing + Design: “At Alabama Chanin,… Read on

At The School of Making, we use the term appliqué for a variety of techniques used in combination with organic cotton jersey. For some designs, we construct our garments or projects first and apply appliqué and other embellishments afterwards.  Find instructions for applying appliqué before construction of the garment or project here. APPLIQUÉ INSTRUCTIONS |… Read on

Appliqué /ap·pli·qué/  noundecorative needlework in which pieces of fabric are sewn or attached onto the top of another piece of fabric to form patterns and/or pictures verbthe act of decorating a garment or fabric with pieces of fabric sewn or attached to form patterns and/or pictures At The School of Making, we use the term… Read on

One of our favorite holiday DIY silhouettes, the Long Skirt is now available in Couched Anna’s Garden inspired by November’s Swatch of the Month. Shop the new Anna’s Garden Couched Long Skirt Kit (or give a year of swatches to the makers in your life). #MeMade Holiday: Long Skirt Highlight

Swatch of the Month inspiration featuring (from top left): Bead Mix in Natalie’s Mix; Fabric Swatch in Large Paradise Ochre with Couching and Accent Beading; Stars Alabama Sweater Tunic Kit; “Interior detail of Natalie’s kitchen”, 2019 by Rinne Allen; July’s Swatch of the Month featuring Beaded Satin Stars in Forest; “Andrea”, 2010 by Sissi Farassat… Read on

Inspired by bold graphics and the natural world are the Abstract and Canopy stencils – both new this year to The School of Making. With graphic shapes and leaf motifs throughout, Abstract (35.5” x 31) is available as both a Mylar stencil and a downloadable PDF that can be used to create your own stencil. Abstract’s… Read on

Expanding on design programing, we developed three new stencils for The School of Making that build on the design series’ connection to nature and geography. Inspired by strong graphics and the natural world are Abstract and Canopy. With bold shapes and leaf motifs throughout, Abstract (35.5” x 31) is available as both a Mylar stencil and a… Read on

For millennia, from the Great Plains of North America to the southern regions of Africa (and all the cultures and continents in between), beads have been used as a way to adorn garments and to communicate with others. The definitive guide to these beading traditions, The History of Beads, was first published in 1987 and… Read on

Natalie has a deep history with Penland School of Crafts where, more than 30 years ago, she first received a studio assistantship—an experience that opened her eyes and mind to the incredible world of design and craft. In 2012, she revisited the North Carolina mountain school to teach a course on hand sewing. Natalie documented… Read on

We are still receiving responses to Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns and are delighted to get great comments from Linda Lee, a notable maker who has quite a design collective of her own. Linda—who has become a friend over the years—is owner of The Sewing Workshop sewing school and produces a pattern collection under that same… 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

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

On the heels of MAKESHIFT 2013, we are inspired and invigorated by the conversations around design, fashion, food, craft, and DIY that took place last week during New York Design Week. We hope that you have followed our explorations throughout the events this year and have used our discussions to begin conversations of your own…. Read on

Monday, we wrote about artist Tilleke Schwarz’s New Potatoes as inspiration for the week. However, Tilleke’s textiles have been a source for inspiration for me for years. When New Potatoes landed on my desk about a year ago, we started the skirt you see above as homage to Tilleke and her work. We have produced narrative work… Read on

I first saw Tilleke Schwarz’s work in an exhibition called Pricked: Extreme Embroidery at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York. The needlework was displayed proudly as contemporary art by extraordinary female artists. Boundaries were pushed as textile art was made. Friend, Maira Kalman, also had work on view. Tilleke’s work resonated with… Read on

The word “star,” with its many meanings, occupies several places in my mind (and the universe): First, a star is simply a shape- the most common being five-pointed. As I was taught in geometry class, it is constructed from points, proportions, and folds. Seen in patriotic prints of the 1960s and 70s, its contour was… Read on

It seems unbelievable to me that 2011 is coming to a close.  The Alabama Chanin journal has covered so many topics over the 2011 year and we have been so grateful for the opportunity to share our thoughts, travels, milestones and inspirations with you. As the year’s end approaches, we thought we would recap some… Read on

There has been such a buzz around the studio these last weeks as we prepare for the holidays. So much buzz, in fact, that I have not really had time to sit down with our new book,  Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. Last night, I remedied that with a quiet house, a  cocktail, and my… Read on