Material Culture: A Weaving Podcast Rachel Snack

mark your calendars! 📯 You’re invited to the first ever Fiber Craft Holiday Market in Philadelphia!

Saturday, December 9th, 2023

10am - 6pm

Bok Building Gym & Auditorium — 821 Dudley St, Philadelphia, PA 19148

this market boasts all things fiber craft: yarn shops, craft supplies & kits, indie dyers & spinners, handmade items, fiber art, textile wearables & jewelry, and more!

with 60+ vendors, you can shop all your favorite fiber and textile related gifts (it’s the holiday season!) and celebrate the craft of handmade goods. The first 150 attendees will receive a complimentary goodie bag. Free and open to all ~

Happy Holidays from the Material Culture Podcast! In this frenzied season of consumerism and deal after deal, what does it look like to practice generosity while still being mindful? What would it look like to give in a way that values our loved ones, without making it about monetary value, or societal expectations? How can we foster relationships that honor everything that the other brings to the table and needs, and how can we give in a way that we can feel good about? In this episode of Material Culture, Rachel and Rachel talk about the holiday season from the perspectives of business owners, artists, and consumers. We also got the chance to hear from some of you about meaningful gifts you've received and what practices you've developed to be generous and conscientious of others. Topics discussed include: the fast-paced holiday expectations small businesses have to live up to, the value of a good Christmas thrift, when giving is more self-indulgent than generous, and how to get the most out of your packaging supplies.

The Material Culture podcast explores narratives of weaving, (text)iles, art, manufacturing, history, and the people, workers and artists whose stories create the framework and understanding of living with cloth. Material Culture is produced by the yarn shop, textile studio and weaving school, Weaver House. If you have a question, comment or other feedback - you can leave a message for the podcast at weaverhouseco.com/podcast.

If you're interested in Jennifer Mao's "pay-what-you-wish" sales, check her out on Instagram at @jjj_mao.

Thanks to Philadelphia-based musician Michael Myers for the use of his song, Weave off the album This is Only Light. 

current call for submission • deadline 11/24:

the next episode of the Material Culture podcast will focus on topics surrounding holiday consumer practices: shopping (big or small), the act of gift giving, tactile gifts vs acts of service, and reciprocity.

here’s what we’d love to hear from you — what is a gift that you’ve given or received that was special or impactful? What does giving mindfully mean to you? As a maker or craftsperson, how do you perceive the act of making an object to give to another person?

to learn how to submit your written or recorded voice memo, go to weaverhouseco.com/podcast-submit.

How do you keep the joy in your creative process? How can you embrace the imperfections of weaving, letting each piece become what it's meant to be, rather than what you will it to be? In this episode of Material Culture, we talk to Saori weaver Lisa Shobhana about her creative process and way of thinking when it comes to creation and consumption - as well as what it means to reclaim the art of making as a descendant of enslaved peoples. This episode asks the question - what would it mean to live into abundance, generosity and rest, rather than always striving to make everything productive and profitable? Topics discussed include: healing through the pains of our ancestors, how to price your work by knowing your audience, finding your voice in weaving, and the one and only Nap Bishop, Tricia Hersey.

The Material Culture podcast explores narratives of weaving, (text)iles, art, manufacturing, history, and the people, workers and artists whose stories create the framework and understanding of living with cloth. Material Culture is produced by the yarn shop, textile studio and weaving school, Weaver House. If you have a question, comment or other feedback - you can leave a message for the podcast at weaverhouseco.com/podcast.

This week's episode is sponsored by Portland Textile Month - the first of three episodes in partnership with their celebration.

Lisa Shobhana is a Baltimore-based knitter and weaver trained in Saori weaving. You can find her on Instagram @shobhana_weaves, or at her website www.everydayimaketheworldanew.com .

Thanks to Philadelphia-based musician Michael Myers for the use of his song, Weave off the album This is Only Light. 

You can find more information on Portland Textile Month at https://www.portlandtextilemonth.com, and look out for our next episodes with them later this month. You can submit voice memos on this months' question to media@weaverhouseco.com.

Have you ever thought about where wool first starts off - the sheep itself? In this episode of Material Culture, we talk to Navajo shepherd and weaver Nikyle Begay to hear all about not only the process of raising sheep and processing wool - but also the deep spiritual connotations that it has within Navajo culture. This episode is complete with beautiful stories of family, tradition and what it means to live in connection with your materials. Topics discussed include: the origin of sheep, yarn and roving production, connection to our ancestors and our traditions, and living in gratitude and appreciation for all parts of the process.

The Material Culture podcast explores narratives of weaving, (text)iles, art, manufacturing, history, and the people, workers and artists whose stories create the framework and understanding of living with cloth. Material Culture is produced by the yarn shop, textile studio and weaving school, Weaver House. If you have a question, comment or other feedback - you can leave a message for the podcast at weaverhouseco.com/podcast.

This week's episode is sponsored by Portland Textile Month - the first of three episodes in partnership with their celebration.

Nikyle Begay (they/them) is a Diné shepherd, fiber artist, as well as the Director of Rainbow Fiber Co-Op. You can find them on Instagram @navajoshepherd, or at the Rainbow Fiber Co-Op website: rainbowfibercoop.org .

Thanks to Philadelphia-based musician Michael Myers for the use of his song, Weave off the album This is Only Light. 

You can find more information on Portland Textile Month at https://www.portlandtextilemonth.com, and look out for our next episodes with them later this month. You can submit voice memos on this months' question to media@weaverhouseco.com.

current call for submission ~ deadline 9/29:
We’re partnering with Portland Textile Month to bring you a special series of episodes in October focusing on the theme of New Traditions. As we think about New Traditions, we’re considering the questions that shape this contemporary moment and its broad implications.
In this moment of rapid transformation what traditions do we preserve and build upon and what do we rethink and rebuild anew?
How can we transform our textile practices, collections, materials, businesses, institutions, and educational systems to serve a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and connected purpose?
What is the future we want to weave and how do we build it together?


HOW TO SUBMIT
record your voice memo in a quiet room that does not echo. Speaking directly into the phone, instead of wearing headphones, normally produces the highest quality audio. We find this is easiest using the voice memos app on the iphone, or by downloading an audio / voice recording app on an android phone. You can also record via email, which you can learn more about here.email us the voice memo at media@weaverhouseco.com. To make sure we see it, please write ‘voice memo recording’ in the subject line. In the body of the email include your name (or indicate if you’d like to be kept anonymous), age and city you live in. If we have multiple calls for submission listed on the website, please also note which topic you’re discussing. listen to the pod, to see if we share your recording!