Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras is one of the very first business books I ever read. I sat down at my desk one morning and got up when I finished reading. It was at a time when I was thinking about how to turn a “project” into the kind of business I would like to own and run. It inspired me to read that often times, making the right decision for a business is about making the right choices in life. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies Jim Collins also wrote another inspiring book about...
Preparing for my journey to New York and looking forward to the adventure.
Plan your adventure and journey to Brooklyn to join us for events@ Spacecraft and Etsy.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain
Perianth (noun): "envelope of a flower"
Inspired by the often bright and fragrant outer parts of a flower, Perianth is the second of two new fabrics from Collection #72. The design offers an abstraction of the classic floral motif, deconstructing flower shapes into a mosaic of figures.
Variations feature mixed metallic paints, glass beading, and assorted embroidery and appliqué on navy or tea-dyed fabric. Each garment and its technique are artisan-crafted by hand.
Find Perianth in the Collection here.
The longer days of Spring always bring a burst of excitement, and inspiration, both within the organization and outside of it. Inspiration. Regeneration. Spring. I’m deeply grateful to for our artisans and team for Collection #72—it’s a joy to be a part of this work. The 2026 Project Threadways Symposium, titled Regeneration, is quickly approaching on April 23-25. If you haven’t already, make plans to join us for two days of inspiring talks, meals, conversation, and workshops. Ahead of the weekend, read about Stephen Satterfield’s project COMOCO, a company reviving Black-grown cotton in the U.S. Browse the current issue of Selvedge magazine, curated...
The intersection of art and geometry.
Fields is one of two new fabrics from Collection #72, the latest release from Alabama Chanin. Hand-painted rectangles form the foundation of the design, each one artfully layered using earth tones on tea-dyed fabric or metallic paint on navy fabric.
Variations include the all-over painted motif, beaded and sequined accents, and embroidered appliqué. As always, garment construction and fabric techniques are crafted mindfully by hand.
Discover Fields in the Collection here.
A curation of images that capture the aesthetic of the new collection, offering a closer look at the fabrics, garments, and creative process.
Explore the Lookbook here.
Shop Collection #72 here.
Questions? Reach out to studio@projectthreadways.org to schedule a virtual appointment.
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History. Legacy. Healing. Frederick Murphy is the founder of History Before Us, a project that aims to capture, preserve, and advocate for influential history. His film Echoes of the Forks of Cypress follows his own research to trace his ancestry back to the Forks of Cypress, a storied North Alabama plantation, and the journey of both Black and white descendants as they reckon with their shared past to consider a healing path forward. On April 24, as part of the 2026 Symposium, Project Threadways partnered with Florence Arts and Museums to stage a screening of Echoes of the Forks of Cypress at the Shoals Theatre in downtown...
"This is the work of many, many hands bringing everything together."– Natalie Chanin The future of craft rests in the hands of young makers. At Project Threadways and Alabama Chanin, we are working to foster that connection, to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, and to train the craftspeople of tomorrow. For many years, Project Threadways has partnered with schools and universities to educate students, record oral histories, and share knowledge. A meaningful and long-standing collaboration has been with Florence High School and its cooperative education program, Launch. Today, we highlight two Launch students, Grant Billingsley and...
We believe in the power of making. Making connects. Making restores. Making transforms. Whether through garments, farming, stories, or systems, this work holds the power to reshape the world. — from the Project Threadways Manifesto For 25 years, this organization has committed to making by hand in the U.S.—supporting artisan work, preserving generational knowledge and skills, and nurturing a domestic supply chain of 100% organic cotton. 97% of clothing sold in the U.S. is made overseas. Our organic cotton is sourced, ginned, spun, knitted, and dyed in the American South before behind hand-sewn by artisans in the Shoals. This plant,...
“I realized that the hand-embroidered shirts I’d been making were really little more than a quilting stitch. I wanted to go back to the community of my childhood in North Alabama. I wanted to talk to my grandmother and the other ladies like her who had quilted their whole lives.” — Natalie Chanin Since 2000, the work of Project Threadways has been made possible by artisans in and around the Shoals. Collaborating with these skilled sewists is one way that we fulfill our mission to preserve craft, provide economic opportunities, and honor the cultural heritage of this region. All Alabama Chanin pieces are...
