EPISODE 35 :: Tal Fitzpatrick - Creativity's Role In Community Resilience & Viewing Craftivism through a Constructive and Hopeful Lens

February 28, 2018 by Ani Lee in Podcast

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

Just a quick note to say thank you so much to those who have pledged on the close knit patreon so far, your support means so much to me, and will mean a better quality podcast that I can sustainably produce long-term. For those of you who are unfamiliar with patreon, it’s similar to the way that community radio gets funding- it’s a way to give me as little as $1/month to say thanks. Your pledges also give you access to content I’ll be creating just for patrons and sneak peeks at content I’m creating. If you’d like to support the podcast through patreon, you can do so here!

photo courtesy of Fairfax Media from Tal

This week I spoke to Tal Fitzpatrick, a textile artist working primarily in appliqué quilting. Tal’s story is one that I’m so excited to share, as she found textile and fibre art later in life than many guests I’ve spoken to on the podcast, (though you’ll learn she has a family history of pretty amazing fibre art) Tal explains how working in natural disaster community resilience projects eventually led her to pursing her PhD and how she looks at Crafitvism in her active, participatory research. Tal has been working on a number of incredible, large-scale social engaged craftivism projects in addition to her PhD, and she talks us through her research on craftivism, her working definition, and how she sees craftivism as a mode of DIY citizenship. This conversation with Tal was one that had me reeling for days after - I was trying to explain the conversation to other people in my life, family members and friends, how everything Tal mentioned just resonated so deeply for me. I can’t wait to hear what the podcast community thinks of this episode!

People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
Edit to our convo about gay marriage: Australia was the 26th country to legalise same sex marriage!
Tal and Stephanie's UDHR quilt project: http://talfitzpatrick.com/udhr-craftivism-project #UDHRquilt
CRAFTIVIST MANIFESTO Tal's Craftivism Manifesto will be available as a free download online on the 9th of March here. && a shout out to Betsy Greer and Sayraphim Lothian whose work Tal drew on when writing her definition of craftivism.
Male textile artists that inspire Tal: Ben Venom and Lucas Gorgan
Artists in Tal's family: Dawn Fitzpatrick (My paternal grandmother) Her book: Dawn Fitzpatrick “Folk Art Applique Quilts” (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1990). Sofia Fitzpatrick @toffyfitz @skullsbysofiafitzpatrick
Tal's supervisor (and baddass artist and feminist) Kate Just @Katejustknits
Tal's friend the amazing textile artist : Hannah Gartside @hannahgartside (Australia)
Craftivist project to follow/support: Social Justice Sewing Academy - @sjsacademy www.sjsacademy.com

UDHR artists to look out for:
Stephanie Dunlap @eliminatembroidery (USA)
Janine Heschl @textile_wildlife_art (Austria)
Helen Fraser @Helenfraserartist (Australia)
Bolivia Vega @lechienbinair (Venezuela)
Willemien De Villers @willemien_de_villiers (south Africa)
Karin Ruut @kerart (finland/Estonia/UK)
Alicia Lyes @Craftle_grayskull (USA)

Find Tal: instagram | website |

FIND TAL IRL:

TAL'S PHD EXHIBITION:

CRAFTIVISM HQ, GALLERY: KINGS ARI DATE: 7-10 March 2018, WED-SAT, 12-6PM

ADDRESS: LEVEL 1, 171 KING STREET, MELBOURNE 3000

WWW.KINGSARTISTRUN.ORG.AU

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Until next time!

ani

Minisode - EP 34 Continued :: Friendship Chats with Sam Ives and Abbey Rich

January 26, 2018 by Ani Lee in Podcast

there's no Sam in this pic because she was taking it <3

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about the ways we use fibre to process events in our lives and in the world.

This episode (minisode kind of, though it's still like 40 min long so not that mini?) is a little different.

If you have not, first listen to episode 34 (part 1) to get to know Abbey and Sam and then come back and listen to this chat, which is the second half of my floor sitting Hobart conversation with Abbey and Sam from last year.

We talk about

+ internet friendships, how we met each other and became friends + how we navigate internet personas and IRL personas (spoiler we dont have any boundaries between them, and we all have a lot of feelings)

+ sam tells us about her first business making t-shirts as a 16 year old

+ we have a pee break (which I edited out because it got too weird to share on the internet)

+ Australianisms vs Americanisms - how our voices have changed over time (Sam and Ani are American and lived or are living in Aus)

+ Our embarrassing nicknames from different points in our lives

abbey's tattoo on ani (given the day before this chat)

Find Abbey: instagram | website

Find Sam: instagram | website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY FOUR :: Pillow Talk with Sam Ives - Maker & Mineral and Abbey Rich - Creating Clothing Thoughtfully & Tattooing Friends

December 28, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our wider communities.

A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Sincere Sheep.

Sincere Sheep is run by Brooke, who I had the pleasure of taking a walk around Lake Merritt with recently, where we talked about all things wool and community. Brooke is deeply connected to her work and it shows in everything that she does, most obviously in Sincere Sheep. Started in 2003, Sincere Sheep was founded on principles translated from the slow food movement, a concept that was gaining regional momentum. Brooke applied ideas of traditional and regionally sourced ingredients to textiles to create her offering with Sincere Sheep. Their primary focus remains single-source, breed-specific and custom-made yarns and fibers dyed with color extracted from responsibly sourced plants (and occasionally from insects).

Until the 31st Dec 2017, you can sign up for Sincere Sheep’s Made Here! 2018 quarterly club. Made Here! is a special quarterly yarn club featuring domestic and small batch yarns and custom-made goodies, thoughtfully designed and packaged for minimal environmental impact. Made Here! is designed to offer exclusive and pretty darn amazing US-made custom products. Three of next year's 2018 Made Here! yarns are sourced from California. This unique club experience will deepen your understanding of where the fiber originates and the people who grow the products, as well as the dyes used in making the colors you receive. Along with all that, Sincere Sheep has teamed up with talented friends to create custom goodies and provide pattern codes for each shipment. Whenever possible, they source products here in the US to support independent, small businesses.

Click for the complete Made Here! 2018 Listing on www.sinceresheep.com.

A huge thank you again to Sincere Sheep for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit Podcast.

In episode 34, I speak to two dear friends of mine - Abbey Rich and Sam Ives. In a slightly different approach than I usually have, Sam, Abbey and I recorded this chat in person, sitting on the floor in my old house in Hobart. Because of the format of this chat and the fact that we have a well established friendship, this chat developed differently to the usual podcast.

We talk about tattooing and how both Abbey and Sam have used stick and pokes to process life and friendship, and how tattooing a mate is such a permanent act - this is juxtaposition to both of their clothes-making practice, which feels more transient, and ultimately is more transient in the world of fast fashion that we all ultimately live in.

Sam and Abbey both talk us through their practices with clothes making and how they’ve grown and changed their businesses over the last few years, as well as the compromises this requires of them. We discuss sustainability from many levels - for the planet, our immediate communities and ourselves, as well as communities not physically proximate to us.

Having this conversation with Abbey and Sam meant so much to me, and honestly getting to come back to it over the last couple of weeks to edit it has felt really healing, as I personally transition my life from Tasmania to California. I cannot thank Sam and Abbey enough for their ongoing friendship and for being willing to share this conversation with me in the week before I left Tassie.

Find Abbey: instagram | website

Find Sam: instagram | website

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Until next time!

ani

EPISODE THIRTY THREE :: Nate of Loop'nThreads - An Unexpected Introduction to Knitting & Co-facilitating 'Our Maker Life'

November 09, 2017 by Ani Lee in Podcast

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our wider communities.

A huge thank you to this week's epsiode sponsors : Threads of Peru & 100 Acts of Sewing.

Threads of Peru is a social enterprise that connects the world to handcrafted treasures of Peru, helping to strengthen ancient craft techniques and empower artisans.

By marketing the work produced by weavers in remote Andean communities and by sourcing products from like-minded organizations across Peru, Threads of Peru is providing an opportunity for artisans, particularly women, to earn an income while continuing to live a traditional lifestyle and care for their children. Something I’m particularly excited about sharing is Threads of Peru’s trips to visit Peru, tours designed for those who are passionate about culture and who want to experience the Andean weaving tradition first-hand. You can join the Threads of Peru team as they take you behind the scenes to visit some of their weaving partners and experiment with weaving and natural dye techniques.

See Peru through the eyes of people who live and breathe this country every day, and who are working to keep traditions alive and make a better life for those who live here. This is an experience not to be missed – an exclusive and very special introduction to the vastly rich culture of Peru!

You can find out more about these tours by visiting their website threadsofperu.com

As a special offer for close knit listeners, Threads of Peru is offering 20% off anything in their online shop (except Clearance items)! Just go to threadsofperu.com, and enter coupon code CLOSEKNIT at checkout.

And a huge thank you to 100 Acts of Sewing for sponsoring this episode!

100 Acts of Sewing is a pattern company making simple sewing patterns for a handmade wardrobe, designed by Sonya Philip. The patterns are geared towards beginners with pieces that are easy to wear and modify. I have personally sewn the dress No2 from 100 acts of sewing and every time I see a new pattern by Sonya I get so excited because of their ease of construction and versatility. Reading Sonya’s instructions was like having a seasoned sewer in the room with me, walking me through the process step by step, something I feel is often missing from sewing patterns and online tutorials.If you’re interested in hand making your clothes and aren’t sure where to start, or even if you’re a really good sewist, I can’t recommend 100 acts of sewing patterns highly enough! You can find 100 acts of sewing online and follow Sonya’s handmade wardrobe chronicles on instagram at @sonyaphilip.

Thanks again to this week's episode sponsors!

This week I spoke to Nate Bryant of Loop N Threads, and Our Maker Life. Nate shares with us the story of how he found his way to knitting, rather unexpectedly and how that love of knitting became something more than a side hobby for him, at first out of necessity, and then out of love.

We discuss some of the details of how he chooses to run his business alongside a day job, and how he manages his time between these things. Nate also helps to run an organisation called Our Maker Life, alongside other makers, who get together yearly to share experiences and ideas and work together on their craft. Nate describes for me his experience of working in the knitting world as a man and how his expression of his gender shapes his work and how others might view his work as a result of gender expression. Nate has this really calming voice, and it was a treat to get to chat to him about the many things that make him uniquely him.