last weekend, i attended the first-ever Alabama Stitch Workshop with the incomparable natalie chanin of Alabama Chanin. natalie has been an inspiration to me since i first learned of her original company, Project Alabama, around 2000. meeting her, hearing her stories, and learning how she works was a dream come true…
i was actually chosen to participate in the weekend on scholarship, for which i am so thankful. it was an amazing experience, as you can probably see here!
the workshop was held at the incredible GAS studio, the workplace of photographer robert rausch, who is natalie’s friend and who photographed her beautiful book. the studio was three stories tall and had formerly been a department store.
all of the women who attended were of different ages, backgrounds and locations, and we all came together and stitched. most of us made the quintessential Alabama Chanin style, the reverse applique corset. i think the hands tell the story best…
every color combination looked spectacular. 9-year old anna made this beautiful skirt!
diane is the sewing master who works closely with natalie to oversee the production of their line. she’s full of tips and techniques from her years of experience in the textile industry.
i am still finishing my corset and will post on its progress. i also plan to make a flickr group so that all of the participants can share our photos when they are finished…
while we stitched, there was a cooking workshop taking place as well, and we got to feast on the results of their hard work! i will do a separate post on the food later this week, as it was a vital part of the weekend.
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