2025 Golden Scissors Awards Recognise Outstanding Achievement in the Crafts Industry

Nominations for the awards opened in January of this year and were open for a month. In March, each nominee was considered individually and confidentially by a panel of seven judges nominated by the Craft Industry Alliance Board of Advisors. Judges for this year's awards were Anne Merrow, co-founder of Long Thread Media; Lisa Woolfork, founder of Black Women Stitch and the Stitch Please Podcast; Vivika Hansen DeNegre, former content director for Golden Peak Media; Melanie Falick, author of Making a Life; and Liana Allday, general manager of Creativebug.

Each award winner received a beautifully engraved, personalised pair of golden scissors made for them by Famore to honour their achievement. There were five categories of awards given this year: Emerging Leader, Innovation, Sustainability, Social Impact, and Lifetime Achievement.

For Innovation, the award winner is the creator of Pattern Projector, a free, open-source web-based app that allows users to project any digital sewing pattern quickly and easily. Described by users as 'the software of our dreams', Pattern Projector has exploded the adoption of projector sewing, making it accessible to all users regardless of income or location. Volunteers have now translated the software into nine languages in just its first year on the market. The winner is Courtney Pattison.

For Emerging Leader, the award went to someone who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in sustainable fashion and textiles. She's committed to facilitating conversations on racial and environmental justice, ensuring that Black-led initiatives have visibility and support within the broader industry. Her namesake fashion brand, MAHDIYYAH, focuses on upcycling discarded textiles. She also serves in a leadership role at the Black Fiber & Textile Network. This year's winner is Mahdiyyah Muhammad.

For Sustainability, the award goes to the founder of Scraplanta, a non-profit creative reuse centre in Atlanta, Georgia. Scraplanta has collected and redistributed over 150,000 pounds of art and craft supplies to hundreds of teachers, students, artists, and makers across metro Atlanta. Not only is Scraplanta keeping art from the landfill, but they're also helping crafters achieve financial stability by offering affordable materials. The winner is Jonelle Dawkins.

For Social Impact, the award goes to the founder of Quilts For Survivors, an organisation that honours the survivors of the trauma suffered by indigenous children sent to residential schools. This organisation honours each survivor with a quilted hug. So far, Quilts for Survivors volunteers have made and donated over 6,300 quilts. A member of the Missanabie Cree First Nation who is affectionately known as "the quilter with a heart of gold," the award goes to Vanessa Genier.

The Lifetime Achievement award winner is someone who started his career in the crafts industry in 1981, winding yarn in his wife's yarn shop. After becoming a sales rep for yarn companies, he purchased inventory from one and started his own distribution company, Bryson Distributing. He travelled as a rep for 20 years while building Bryson into a leading accessory and yarn distributor catering to independent retailers. Described as a champion of the underdog and someone who relishes the opportunity to serve as a mentor and help those in need, the Lifetime Achievement award goes to Jim Bryson.

Craft Industry Alliance co-founder and president, Abby Glassenberg, says of this year's awards programme, "It's truly an honour to be able to present these awards. Now in its second year, this programme has become a highlight of our year. I'm incredibly impressed by the dedication and hard work of our winners, each of whom demonstrates how craft and creativity can change lives."

The Golden Scissors Awards will be given annually each spring at h+h americas. Nominations for next year's awards will open in January 2026.