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The Work Done: March 2026
- Brice Gaston
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Building a Resilient Community
March was a defining month for the Men’s Textile Collective Foundation. As we look back, it is clear that our mission to normalize textile arts and foster mental wellness is gaining significant ground. From school classrooms to regional fiber festivals, the message remains the same: creative craft is a powerful tool for stability and connection.
MTCF in the National Spotlight
We are incredibly excited to finally announce that the foundation was recently highlighted in Quiltfolk, a national quilting magazine. I had the opportunity to sit down with their team to share the MTCF story, our mission, and our vision for the future. Being featured alongside so many talented local artists is a huge honor. We hope this exposure helps spread our work far beyond the Houston area and encourages the wider quilting community to join us in breaking stigmas.
Youth Education and Skill-Building
Our partnership with Montrose Grace Place continues to be a cornerstone of our community outreach. We spent the month handing out kits and teaching the healing power of crochet and knitting. The enthusiasm from the youth there is infectious. If you want to get involved, our next events at MGP are scheduled for April 16th and April 30th. We are always looking for volunteers to help us share these skills.
We also deepened our ties with Tomball High School. Their textile club student leaders are taking initiative on projects that will help the club thrive. MTCF will be visiting once a month to teach the basics of sewing, quilting, crochet, and knitting. Along with our work at Hamilton Elementary, these students are helping us develop a curriculum blueprint. This resource will eventually help other schools start their own programs from scratch. We look forward to launching this educational initiative more broadly in the 2026 to 2027 school year.
Finally, we returned to YesPrep in North Houston to work with 35 art club students. Watching a student’s eyes light up when the crochet rhythm finally "clicks" is exactly why we do this.
Validation on a Regional Scale
March was a true test for our team as we attended two major fiber festivals. We met makers from across the Texarkana area, including Houston, Dallas, Austin, and even Oklahoma City. We even had visitors from as far away as Lafayette, LA, and Shreveport, LA.
The response was deeply validating. When we spoke about the stigma men face in textile arts, we were met with nods of agreement. The community at large recognizes the need for these mental wellness tools to be accessible to everyone. These festivals allowed us to network with local fiber leaders and build the foundation for future collaborations.
Stronger Partnerships
We rounded out the month by joining Pathways for their Pancakes and Pinwheels event. It was a great opportunity to connect with the Houston branch and help them create pinwheels for their community partners. We are currently discussing ways to create a more stable, year-round partnership with Pathways and look forward to sharing those details as they are finalized.
On the Horizon
We are busy working behind the scenes on several programs to bring to life in the coming months.
We are partnering with Tania Andrews to release a beginner-friendly shawl pattern. This free resource is designed for those ready to take the next step in their crochet journey.
Additionally, we are developing a repeatable kit and curriculum for local schools to help them launch student-led fiber clubs with the full backing of MTCF. We hope to launch a test program for this in the 2026- 2027 school year.
Finally, we are preparing for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month in June. We are excited to partner with Kate from Scout & Skein for the Brazos Bookstore sit and stitch collection drive, which will help us connect even more deeply with the local community.
Shop Highlight: MTCF Glossy Mug
We’ve launched the MTCF merchandise store. We’ve kept it simple: every item has a modest $5 markup. That $5 goes directly toward putting one creative kit into the hands of a person in our programs. When you wear our gear, you’re literally handing a craft to someone else.
This sturdy, glossy ceramic mug is built for your daily coffee or tea, with a vivid print that is both dishwasher and microwave-safe. Available in 11 oz, 15 oz, or 20 oz sizes, each lead and BPA-free mug is made to order to help reduce overproduction and waste. By choosing this on-demand piece, you are supporting thoughtful consumption and the MTCF mission with every sip.
Financial Stewardship
MTCF remains in a healthy financial position with revenues staying well above our expenses. Currently, the majority of our funds are directed toward educational materials for Hamilton Elementary and Montrose Grace Place.
As we look toward June and our Men’s Mental Health Month initiatives, we expect fundraising and development costs to increase. We remain committed to full transparency, ensuring that every donation is used to build a culture where creativity and well-being go hand in hand.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
How You Can Help
Our ideas are only as strong as the people who help us carry them out. We are currently looking for dedicated individuals to join our Board of Directors. Specifically, we need:
A Board Secretary to help keep us organized and transparent.
Marketing & Graphic Design support to help us tell our story more effectively.
Volunteers for our ongoing work at Hamilton Elementary and Montrose Grace Place.
If you believe in our mission and have the time or skills to help us grow, please reach out. We need people who are ready to help make these ideas a reality.
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