Hello yarn friends -
I’m so excited to share this episode of the podcast with you as it’s a bit of a departure from the the yarn shops, super sports fan sweaters and bespoke yarn brands that have been talked about so far.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking with Canadian textile artist Alexandria Masse who is pushing the boundaries of crochet with her enormous projects, from giant insects and wormholes, to love confessions and dim sum - seriously, just check out her portfolio to see her incredible creations.
Alexandria has been building and sharing her practice online, which is how I came across her birth control tapestry project, tentatively called Terms and Conditions, wherein she’s crocheting word for word the medical information pamphlet that comes with her birth control. Alexandria spent six months testing and swatching to figure out her approach to the project, exploring quilting and knitting before deciding on crochet and starting the piece in January 2025. Crucially, she only works on it when she has her period, and anticipates a finish date of 2030. Alexandria has even created her own pattern for the alphabet she’s using, which can be downloaded from her website (there’s even a YouTube tutorial!).
We had an amazing conversation about the positive message about birth control and women’s choices that Alexandria is spreading through her work, and also about how the project has changed her - particularly when capturing the attention of less open-minded parts of the internet. At the same time, she also knows that dedicating her practice online means that more people will have the opportunity to experience her art than if it were only available to view in a gallery.
Alexandria’s work is proudly feminist, exploring and challenging preconceived notions of craft and textiles. She strongly believes that our hobbies and our craft IS art - that just because it may not be on the walls of a gallery doesn’t make it any less valuable. And I know that’s a sentiment that will resonate hugely with fellow makers in the Make Joy audience!
If you want to keep up with Alexandria’s progress on her birth control tapestry or any of her other projects, you can give her a follow on Instagram or TikTok.
Enjoy the episode!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit champagneqiviut.substack.com
