EPISODE 49 :: Charlotte X.C. Sullivan - May West: Leading with Curiosity & Magic of Milkweed

June 07, 2019 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

In episode 49 of the Close Knit podcast, I spoke to Charlotte X C Sullivan, one of two folks who run May West: a textile innovation collaboration between Charlotte and Alayna Rasile-Digrindakis. Charlotte walks me through how May West formed, through connection and feeling, and how this has continued to inform their work with milkweed. We discuss the way that clothing, and fashion, can serve as armor, a way to cloak and protect yourself through circumstances in life.

Alayna with milkweed in her studio in Montana

She explains to me how her collaboration with Alayna began, and how their expression of feeling has impacted their process, and how they intend to imbue their clothing with purpose and meaning through each stage of production.

Harvesting milkweed at Borderview Research farm in Vermont

Charlotte tells me about the evolution of May west’s design studio, from drop spinning of milkweed fibers, to its current iteration: jackets using milkweed batting as insulation, how this iterative process has unfolded over time, through prototypes and experiments. We discuss the importance of local manufacturing and how they’ve managed this production process thus far.

What I think is most special about this chat is the way that it unfolded from a place of curiosity- something I am realizing is such an important part of my own practice and this podcast, and it was interesting to see that mirrored in the way that Charlotte tends to work. I knew very little of milkweed & its practical uses, and I found it incredibly intriguing to hear Charlotte and Alayna’s collaborative approach towards May West. I feel I need to disclose that the circumstances of this podcast making were a first for me- I recorded it in a friend’s house in Hobart & had little control over the external auditory circumstances, so please bear with me if the audio quality is a little less than you’ve come to expect.

This was an experiment in dedication for me- seeing if it’s possible to continue creating content as usual, without my safe set up. So thank you for giving me space to try that

Listen on for my whole chat with Charlotte, thank you so much for tuning in

The Close Knit Podcast is supported by the following people (& more!) through Patreon. If you'd like to support the podcast and get access to sneak peeks + additional content for patrons-only, please check out patreon!

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Things we Mentioned:

The Norwegian Sweater Detective

Find May West: Instagram | Website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE 48 :: Erin M. Riley - Exploring identity, pleasure, and family structure through weaving

May 03, 2019 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process life and world events

In episode 48 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Erin M. Riley. Erin is someone whose work I’ve followed and admired for literal years, and if I’m being completely honest, I was so psyched when they agreed to come on the podcast. Erin’s work has always deeply intrigued me, and their internet presence was always focused on their work, so I was especially excited to get to talk to them and hear more about how they make their incredible, gigantic tapestries, and how their life experiences have informed their work.

Erin takes me all the way back to middle school, when they were a restless teen sewing seed beads onto clothing and winning sewing machine threading competitions at school. We talk about how their family dynamics, and how their family’s journey with addiction has impacted them and the type of work they’ve created. We discuss the early internet and how it’s changed, how their work engages with various forms of pleasure, and themes that are not often talked about publicly. And we discuss the ways that people have engaged with their work online and off and the importance of making work that can be engaged with in person.

Erin was so deeply candid with me in this episode, and I so deeply appreciated their perspective on their own art and its interaction with the world.

Find Erin: Instagram | Website

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ani

EPISODE 47 :: Jewell Christine of North Knits & Our Maker Life

April 05, 2019 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process world and life events

Jewell is a knitter, designer, and founder of Our Maker Life. We talk about Jewell’s family history - her grandmother’s amazing crochet legacy and how that’s informed her own work.

She’s super ambitious and strong-willed- she always has been, and has always had a lot of clarity around what she wants in life. Studying journalism, Jewell found the strong voice she has today, and uses that skill set to inform her work through her social media and maker meet ups with Our Maker Life.

We talk about the place that spirituality and faith have in her knitting, and how she’s used knitting to quiet her mind and ease her through periods of difficulty and sometimes depression.

Jewell speaks so candidly and openly about her own journey and her experiences and that was part of what really drew me to her, I love the way she sees the world - through this lens of goodness - and it really shows in her work.

Jewell knitting her Nortknits Koigu Cowl.JPG

Find Jewell: NorthKnits | Our Maker Life

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ani

EPISODE 46 :: Sara Trail of the Social Justice Sewing Academy - Intergenerational Textile Art Activism

March 03, 2019 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process world and life events

In Episode 46 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Sara Trail of the Social Justice Sewing Academy. Sara is incredible - a complete powerhouse of passion and ambition, she’s been sewing since age 4, making quilts under her grandmother’s direction, and teaching quilt making from the age of 12 - just let that sink in for a moment. Teaching sewing classes, she started to notice how monochromatic her students were, and how there were many issues of access and affordability existed and perpetuated this student make up.

She started SJSA as a response to this - a way to teach quilting and social justice topics through textiles for free to youth. Sara talks me through the nuts and bolts of how the organization operates, and how its grown over the last few years. We discuss the incredible things that happen both in the classroom with the students she works with and in Quilt exhibits like QuiltCon, which she recently attended in Nashville.

Exit Wound - Audrey Bernier (17 years old)

I just constantly found myself remarking at how deeply inspired I am by Sara and her commitment to this work - on a personal and professional level. Running this not for profit on the weekends in addition to working with incarcerated adults to earn their high school diplomas. Sara schooled me in this episode, and it was awesome.

I’m really excited for you all to listen to Sara and the SJSA’s incredible story.

And don’t forget to check out her instagram, because seeing these quilts, seeing this work is what really makes it all hit home, I think.

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Blood, White, and Blue - Bryan Robinson 2018

Find Sara and SJSA: website | instagram

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE 45 :: Adrienne Antonson of State the Label - Scrappiness, making mistakes, and scaling a business

February 01, 2019 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation about the ways we use fiber to process world and life events

Screen Shot 2019-01-22 at 1.45.46 PM.png

In Episode 45, I spoke to Adrienne Antonson of State the Label. Following on my interest in production and where that’s led me in terms of guest lately, I wanted to speak to Adrienne about how she began and continues to run her clothing label, State.
So part of this curiosity for me is how a person gets interested in and finds themselves working in fiber and clothing production. Adrienne talks me through her entire journey of working with fiber and clothing-making - beginning as a middle schooler sewing simple clothing, to working on an alpaca farm and sewing garments and felting by night, to putting into place some of the bones of State as we know it today.
Adrienne shares the process of growing and scaling the business, from figuring out how to work with a factory to hiring a small team to support production, locally. Her approach is and has always been scrappy, and many parts of her process are not scalable. She revels in the small details and talks me through what it’s like to design and produce a collection of surface-designed goods (spoiler: it’s a lot more logistically complex than you might imagine)
Adrienne reveals an exciting upcoming launch for state, which I imagine a LOT of listeners will be very excited about. I love the arc of Adrienne’s story - how really genuine and approachable it all feels - how the pieces of State have come together over time and with a lot of effort, but also with a lot of just sticking to your gut.

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Aleksandra Alex Alicia Alison C Alison S Amanda Bee Belle Brittany Caitlin Carolina Carolyn Casey Cath Catherine Chantale Chase Elizabeth Ellen Emily B Emily P Emily T Hanna Lisa Heather James Justice Laura Lauren Lawral leah Lyle Marta Morgan Natalie Natasha Niki Ocean Rachel Sandy Sarah B Sarah H Shelby Shelly shivani - THANK YOU SO MUCH!