Handcrafted America
Season 1
TV-G
Host Jill Wagner travels the country to seek out talented artisans who continue to make products the traditional way...with their own two hands. In every half-hour episode, Jill meets three gifted craftsmen and gets a behind-the-scenes look at how their products are created. Along the way, viewers learn about the history and cultural heritage that inspire and influence the design of their handcrafted items.
14 Episodes
- Clocks, Chairs and Blacksmithing
E1Clocks, Chairs and BlacksmithingHost Jill Wagner travels the country on a quest to find talented craftsmen who still make incredible items by hand. First, she travels to Traverse City,Michigan, to meet Nathan Bower, an award winning clock maker who makes skeleton clocks with exposed inner workings. Next, she is off to Woody's Chair Shop in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, where she helps owner and seventh generation woodworker Scott Woody build traditional chairs without glue or nails. Finally, she heads northwest to Cle Elum, Washington, to help female blacksmith Maria Cristalli bend, twist, and shape iron bars into beautiful and functional items. - Quilt Maker, Rifles and Stone Carver
E2Quilt Maker, Rifles and Stone CarverHost Jill Wagner travels the country on a quest to find talented craftsmen who still make incredible items by hand. Her first stop is Bastrop, Texas, where young quilter Maura Ambrose is fanatically dedicated to the traditions of hand sewing quilts and dying fabrics. In the hills of Morganton, North Carolina, Jill meets gunsmith Bobby Denton who creates elegant replicas of flintlock long rifles. Finally, Jill travels to Elgin, Illinois, to hang out in the workshop of acclaimed artist Walter Arnold, one of the few stone carvers in the United States who apprenticed in the marble carving studios of Italy. - Wood Pens, Leather Boots and Doors
E6Wood Pens, Leather Boots and DoorsHost Jill Wagner travels to Illinois to meet a couple who fashions pens from reclaimed wood; in California, she hangs out with a custom cowboy boot maker; Wagner visits a New Mexico business, where vintage doors get a new lease on life. - Sgrafitto Ceramics, Wood Tables and Steampunk Lamps
E7Sgrafitto Ceramics, Wood Tables and Steampunk LampsHost Jill Wagner visits a New Jersey ceramicist who scratches designs into pottery; in Wisconsin, she meets a woodworker who makes wood flow like fabric; Wagner watches a Minnesota lamp maker make new lamps from old machine parts. - Woven Rugs, Sunglasses and Billiard Tables
E8Woven Rugs, Sunglasses and Billiard TablesHost Jill Wagner visits a Minnesota weaver who makes rugs with geometric designs; in San Francisco, she learns how to make handcrafted sunglasses; in New Jersey, Wagner meets a man who left a career in engineering to make billiard tables. - Stained Glass, Baseballs, Footballs, and Jewelry Boxes
E9Stained Glass, Baseballs, Footballs, and Jewelry BoxesHost Jill Wagner meets a Minnesota artist who makes stained-glass panels; in New Jersey, she visits an entrepreneur who makes vintage baseballs and footballs; Wagner helps a Wisconsin woodworker make intricate jewelry boxes. - Denim Jeans, Wood Marquetry and Metal Bedframes
E11Denim Jeans, Wood Marquetry and Metal BedframesJill visits a North Carolina clothing designer who makes custom blue jeans; in Boston, Jill learns how to create elaborate designs using thin sheets of wood veneer; in Oregon, she meets a man who makes custom steel bed frames. - Silver Flatware, Aviaries and Fly Fishing Rods
E12Silver Flatware, Aviaries and Fly Fishing RodsJill Wagner visits a Massachusetts silversmith who makes heirloom flatware; in North Carolina, Jill meets a craftsman who builds amazing aviaries; in Oregon, Jill learns how to make traditional bamboo fly rods. - Outdoor Furniture, Flutes and Handmade Paper
E13Outdoor Furniture, Flutes and Handmade PaperJill Wagner visits a North Carolina woodworker who turns whiskey barrels into rustic outdoor furniture; in Boston, artisans turn precious metals into world-class flutes; in Oregon, Jill transforms old rags into fine handmade papers.
