Natalie Chanin

June 16, 2010, at 7:30pm

Natalie Chanin will speak to Shakerag Workshops participants and other guests on Wednesday evening, June 16, 2010, at 7:30 in the James Agee Library.

Born and raised in Florence, Alabama, Natalie has a degree in Environmental Design from North Carolina State University. For over twenty years, she lived both here and abroad, working as a stylist and costume designer. She has made documentary films, is a mother of two, and is an avid gardener and enthusiastic cook.

In the year 2000, Natalie returned to her southern roots after 22 years of travelling, living, and working as a costume designer, with the intention of producing a short documentary and 200 one-of-a-kind hand-sewn t-shirts. She produced a film, Stitch, which focused on traditional quilt-making in the South, with stories told by those who stitched and were warmed by those quilts. Each "character" in the film tells a unique story; each quilt tells of joys and hardships, friendships and family bonds, specific times and places.

The 200 one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted t-shirts and garments launched the original Project Alabama, but in 2006, Project Alabama shuttered production in Alabama. Natalie then launched a new company, Alabama Chanin, with the intention of preserving American traditions and community-based culture.

Alabama Chanin is a lifestyle company that focuses on creating an array of products while emphasizing slow design and sustainability. Limited-edition products for the individual and the home are constructed with care by talented artisans who live and work in communities in and around Florence, Alabama. All products are made-by-hand using a combination of new, organic, and recycled materials.

Each Alabama Chanin product comes numbered in a one-of-a-kind or limited edition series and is signed by the artisan who made it.

Natalie continues to live and work in Alabama while designing, writing, and lecturing about craft traditions, or "living arts," using them to bridge generational, economic, and cultural boundaries.

Alabama Chanin website: www.alabamachanin.com