About Us

ABOUT US

Tuft the World was established in 2018 by Tiernan Alexander and Tim Eads, Texas-born artists and business owners living and working in West Philadelphia. The company was founded to provide tufters with the high-quality tools, materials, and instruction they need to make their own tufting projects. Tiernan and Tim’s collective experience as crafters and educators, as well as their uniquely creative approach to art and life, inspire their mission to make the craft of tufting accessible to a broad audience, while staying true to their values of equity and sustainability.

We believe in people, community, and the health of our planet over profit. We’re committed to building a workplace ecosystem where our team can thrive, and in supporting and connecting a larger community of makers. We believe that creative thinking is the seed of growth, and that everyone is innately creative. It’s our hope that tufting might awaken that spirit in both the most confident artist, and the person who never thought they could make anything. 

Since February 2021, 1% of every web shop sale is donated to a non-profit, beginning with several here in West Philadelphia. A new feature on our website allows you, Tuft customers, to participate in a “round up” at check-out, in support of an organization of your choice from a rotating list. And our team is working toward greater direct engagement with local orgs in and around Philadelphia by taking on a new giving project every six weeks. These have included letter-writing on behalf of refugees, canned food drives, book donations for incarcerated persons, and direct monetary donations. We’re excited to continue expanding this list over the coming months and years. 

In November of 2022, Tuft the World started Shred the World, an avenue where we can upcycle a waste product that would otherwise be bound for the landfill. We continue to develop sustainable options to further our mission.

The first ever tufting convention, TuftCon was hosted by Tuft the World March 24-26, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA. TuftCon brought together over 100 people to learn, share and develop a deeper passion for tufting.

Since March 2023, Tuft the World has been using artificial intelligence to create larger tufted projects to people across the country and beyond. Tuft's robotic tufting machine can create a tufted piece that is 10 x 13 feet. Stay tuned for how to collaborate with us!

 

AS SEEN ON

Bookhou  Trixie Motel      Julie Robert

INSTITUTIONS WE'VE WORKED WITH

Massachusetts Institute of Technology   Tyler Art + Architecture   The University of Chicago   The New School Parsons