Over the past months, we have been exploring heirlooms through ongoing Journal posts. Our intention is to look at the things we hold dear and examine how we find meaning in our personal heirlooms and mementos—even if those things don’t necessarily have great monetary value. The Heirloom series is meant to celebrate things that last… Read on

Through our Journal’s Heirloom series, we’ve been exploring the things we value and why we hold them dear. Each story reveals the value of tradition and honors possessions that were made to last. While these items may not be valuable to the world-at-large, to the owner they are priceless. This week, Kasey, our Production Coordinator… Read on

As part of our ongoing Heirloom series that focuses on the precious things we treasure – even though they might not be considered valuable by the rest of the world – we continue to tell stories of items that have been passed down through families, from one generation to the next. Today, we hear from… Read on

Our Heirloom series highlights personal items or mementos that hold a special meaning, regardless of monetary value. Our hope is to reveal the incredible value of family, memory, and things that last. This week Erin, our Director of Media Services and Special Projects, shares the story of her grandmother’s kerchief. From Erin: My grandma, Nancy… Read on

Our newest Journal series highlights our personal heirlooms – things that hold special value and meaning to us personally, regardless of their monetary value. Alabama Chanin wants to honor things that last and things that we choose to keep in our lives and our homes as reminders of family, friends, or important moments. This week,… Read on

Alabama Chanin has always aimed to make products that will last a lifetime – even multiple lifetimes. We create things that are both beautiful and durable and we embrace the ideas of Slow Design. But, once upon a time, Slow Design did not exist as a theory or a process; rather, it was simply how… Read on

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… Read on

When I was younger, creation was a part of the everyday lives of the women and men living in my community, especially for my grandparents. People—most often those living in rural communities like my hometown—were deeply connected to the land. They made their own bread, got milk from their own cow, and grew everything they… Read on

“For the artisan, craft is an end in itself. For you, the artist, craft is the vehicle for expressing your vision. Craft is the visible edge of art.” — David Paul Bayles  At Alabama Chanin, we have enlisted the craftsmanship of skilled artisans for two decades. These artisans, who are independent contractors, craft our heirloom-quality Collection garments utilizing hand-sewing skills. As we celebrate Natalie’s… Read on

“The Alabama tomato is truly a wonder. It takes on the color of the deep, red soil and the taste borders somewhere between sweet and tart. I grew up eating these tomatoes straight out of my grandparents’ garden in Florence, Alabama, and after having lived away from home and in Europe for over 20 years,… Read on

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”   –Desmond Tutu  In these unprecedented times, hope has become a pivotal emotion for all of us. There is so much wrapped up in our hope for the future, our hope for change, our hopes for well-being. Hope has always been… Read on

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow – Audrey Hepburn  Originally planted during World War I and World War II, victory gardens offered food security, reduced pressure of the food supply, and encouraged morale during wartimes. They have made a resurgence amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with many citizens of communities across the world going… Read on

One garment. One sewer. One piece at a time. The acts of making and manufacturing have a rich history in our community, and at Alabama Chanin we are carrying on those traditions by creating our heirloom garments locally. Utilizing our American-made organic fabrics, our team of skilled sewers carefully crafts each garment, with one sewer… Read on

“Alabama Chanin as a business was founded on the idea of a quilting stitch. And although it took me months to realize that I was actually quilting as I pieced together those first cut up t-shirts, the knowledge of those quilting stitches came from my most elemental childhood experiences. Growing up in the South, at… Read on

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.” ― Alfred Austin This Saturday, January 25th, is National Seed Swap Day. Founded in 2006 by Washington Gardener editor Kathy Jentz, National Seed Swap Day… Read on

This year – 2020 – will mark the 20th year of the company now called Alabama Chanin. While we have changed and grown over the years, our purpose has largely remained the same. Our values are steadfast. What began as a kind of experiment has grown into a company and a way of life that… Read on

In honor of the autumn season (and national dessert day this past Monday), we’re taking a look back at our favorite cookbooks and recipes. A favorite of The Factory is Jamie DeMent’s The Farmhouse Chef: Recipes and Stories from My Carolina Farm. Jamie DeMent and her partner, Richard Holcomb, own and operate Coon Rock Farm,… Read on

As part of the recent School of Making update, The Starter Poncho Kit was introduced to the DIY Sewing Kit collection. Perfect for novice and advanced sewers alike, The Starter Poncho is a versatile cover-up and a great layering piece to help carry your wardrobe into the colder season. The simple placement of the stencil… Read on

Growing up in South Carolina, chef Sean Brock was surrounded by family gardens and people living off the land. As he says in his cookbook Heritage, published in 2013, “If you grow up like I did, you learn to appreciate food on a different level. You see firsthand the work that goes into getting the… Read on

“Alabama Chanin has evolved into a community… a company of farmers, fabric makers, artisans and our customers who support what we do.” — Natalie Chanin from the archives: W Magazine, 2011 With the excitement of a new Collection at the forefront of our minds, this week we take a few moments to reflect on all… 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

Beauty and practicality are at the heart of countless Alabama Chanin garments, accessories, and goods. The School of Making adds that same philosophy to your sewing kit with the introduction of new Gingher scissors and sewing tools to the Maker Supplies + Stencils section of our website. Delicate details adorn the Gold-handled Embroidery Scissors, making… Read on

We have often expressed our preference for cooking with cast iron. Cast iron pans are workhorse tools that, when properly cared for, can last for decades. It is a sustainable choice and a well-seasoned skillet forms a non-stick surface. Plus, once it’s hot, it really stays hot. While we have not abandoned our heirloom skillets… Read on

While our basic, unadorned garments provide a great foundation for your wardrobe (and are quick and easy to stitch up), it’s the embellishments you add that make them truly unique and turn them into statement pieces for your growing hand-sewn wardrobe. Beads, sequins, and decorative stitches can transform a simple hand-sewn garment into an heirloom…. Read on

Our most recent Friends of the Café Dinner, helmed by Ashley Christensen and her team, was another memorable milestone in our ongoing friendship and professional relationship. We have always proclaimed Ashley to be a badass, and she proved herself worthy of the description, once again. She has dedicated such an enormous amount of time, energy,… Read on

We are constantly surprised and honored by the talented and generous chefs that agree to be a part of our Friends of the Café dinner series. A look back through our Journal shows just how many brilliant individuals have traveled to our corner of Alabama and offered their time, energy, and creativity for a good… Read on

We have, over the years, done quite a bit of experimenting with natural dyes, and we try to integrate naturally dyed fabrics into our collections of low-impact dyed yardage whenever possible. We have also been lucky enough to benefit from the wisdom of many natural dye experts. Picking up from a conversation we had last… Read on

We love the idea that items can have a sort of sense memory or be associated with a specific moment in time. It is something we explored in our Heirloom series—and author Erin Byers Murphy goes deeper into that concept in her cookbook, A Colander, Cake Stand, and My Grandfather’s Iron Skillet. The concept is… Read on

It is (finally) the time of year to begin the Tomato Sandwich Diet. THE BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER TOMATO SANDWICH Wheat bread Homemade mayonnaise (see below) Heirloom tomato slices – patted dry Salt & pepper to taste HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE – from a recipe by Scott Peacock 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature (very important)… Read on

While we are known for our elaborate hand-sewn, hand-embellished garments, collaboration has long been an integral part of our philosophy. My cousin’s family owns MTM Recognition in Princeton, Illinois, where they make an array of hand-made jewelry pieces produced by skilled craftsmen. When the opportunity to create jewelry together came up, the idea of capturing… Read on

The Alabama Chanin, Heath Ceramics, and Boiler Room teams have been working together over the past few months in preparation for our show in San Francisco, which opens tomorrow evening. Needless to say, we are very excited. The show, Alabama on Alabama, is the fourth ever exhibition in Heath Ceramics’ new event space, the Boiler Room. Heath… Read on

Once our garments are born and leave the nest, they have rich lives. At least that is what we hope—what we believe. We work hard to design and construct pieces that will last for many years and become heirlooms, passed down from one generation to the next. For owners of Alabama Chanin garments, it’s common… Read on

This week, we feature another in our series of posts from makers we admire highlighting Alabama Chanin garments—specially tailored for the wearer, using techniques outlined in Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns. Previous posts from Amy Herzog and Heather Ross reveal what we really already know: we are not defined by our garment fit issues and owning… Read on

Last Friday night, we hosted our second “Friends of the Café” dinner, which also served as our first Piggy Bank Dinner fundraiser for the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA). Chef Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer restaurant and the Peabody-award winning television series A Chef’s Life traveled to The Factory from North Carolina for an evening of delicious food, cocktails, much… Read on

This month, we launched our “Friends of the Café” Dinner Series with James Beard award-winning chef Chris Hastings. When searching for like-minded chefs and restaurants to collaborate with for our ongoing chef series in the café, Chris was one of the first people who came to mind. His dedication to locally-sourced ingredients is something we… Read on

Nothing tastes like summer quite like a fresh, home-grown tomato. In fact, I embark on a tomato sandwich diet each summer. While I’m still patiently waiting for my own garden plants to get ripe enough for picking, I’m enjoying the vegetables from my CSA share each week (and of course, our locally-sourced café ingredients). Good… Read on

At Alabama Chanin, we believe DIY projects are integral to sharing creativity and promoting sustainable heirloom-worthy pieces. Bibliocraft: A Modern Crafter’s Guide to Using Library Resources to Jumpstart Creative Projects is a great guide to DIY crafts that utilize a range of library resources for inspiration. Written by rare book librarian Jessica Pigza, this book… Read on

Those of you who have followed Alabama Chanin for years know that this company was built around the concepts of expert craftsmanship, beauty, function, and utility. Focusing on using sustainable, organic, and local materials and labor, we have committed ourselves to producing quality products made in the USA. As we grew, the company developed a… Read on

Update: The class is no longer available on Craftsy due to the discontinued pattern; however, Natalie does teach additional online courses that you can find on Craftsy and Creativebug.  Heirlooms aren’t created overnight, and it’s the time that goes into embellishing and constructing an artisanal garment that gives life to its one-of-a-kind beauty. Join me,… Read on

On Monday, Sara wrote her thoughts on fashion and designing for real people with different body types. We’ve written before ‘On Beauty’ and the comeback of pin-up style. Even though media representations might make you feel differently, the fact is that women come in so many beautiful shapes and sizes. This is a deeply important… Read on

Thank you to the Wall Street Journal for including me for their “In My Kitchen” series. “Crafty Cook Natalie Chanin”  by Charlotte Druckman (who was a pleasure to work with). Here you have the full interview (with a small disclaimer) and the recipes for the full menu we cooked that day: “I GOT MY NICKNAME… Read on

Last week, during a photo shoot at my house for our new Indigo + Carmine pieces, my son Zach took time from his busy day of new fatherhood and running his growing catering company to make us lunch: a simple, delicious pizza piled with tomatoes. This summer has been hard on my garden. Many of… Read on

Kristina’s Rose is one of our newest fabric designs and stencil patterns, seen in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. The undulating circular pattern is reminiscent of the Circle Spiral Applique from page 156 of Alabama Studio Style, but translated using more elegant techniques. Highlighted in Chapter 8 of Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.: Fabric + Fabric… Read on

As we posted last Tuesday, I highly recommend that you start a library to document your design work. As you create your samples, make them the same size so that your (master) pieces can be easily stored. And even if you don’t want to keep the samples for posterity, you can work towards making a Sampler Throw like… Read on

After a few months and a busy holiday season, I’ve finally begun to process the experiences of my momentous trip to Oxford, Mississippi, for the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium. I left the event full of delicious food and copious amounts of knowledge. More specifically, Elizabeth Engelhardt’s talk, “Tales from the South’s Forgotten Locavores,” filled my hungry… Read on

In follow-up to our EcoSalon post last Friday on Punks + Pirates, Alabama Chanin (AC) held a Facebook chat with Richard McCarthy (RM) of Market Umbrella to explore his interesting perspective on cultural assets, punks, pirates and the Spanish Armada.  I was first made aware of Richard’s work at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium last… Read on

Thanks to all the HEATH Ceramics team for this lovely piece on Alabama Chanin in their November Newsletter: Slowing Down (and Sitting Down) with Alabama Chanin Stitch and clay intersect to create modern heirlooms in our newest collection Slow down. This may feel like an impossible pursuit, particularly in this season, but when Heath Ceramics… Read on

It’s officially launched. From the HEATH website: “The point of intersection between stitch and clay. A collaboration between Natalie Chanin and Heath Ceramics yields an anthology of carefully crafted modern heirlooms in a new and permanent dinnerware line. This collection celebrates texture and a range of layering possibilities in thoughtfully curated place settings, plates and… Read on

In 2006, Leslie Hoffman of Earth Pledge asked me to write a short paper for inclusion in their Future Fashion White Papers.   I recently came across the volume while browsing my library and the essay stirred up so many memories from that time.  As the last of my tomatoes drop to the ground, I wanted… Read on

According to friends, I might be the only person in North Alabama still harvesting tomatoes.  I was angry at myself for not getting them in the ground earlier this year; however, it seems that my busy life made the perfect storm for a great harvest.  One of Zach’s friends gave me a load of heirloom… Read on