On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about starting a fabric company with my guest Tracy Krauter.
Tracy is the founder of Splash Fabrics. Raising three boys, Tracy knew there had to be a better solution to everyday messes. When she couldn’t find the perfect fabric—one that was soft yet waterproof, durable yet sewable—she didn’t just settle. She innovated.
Today, her signature laminated cotton transforms ordinary items into spill-proof shields, creating beautiful, practical solutions that protect your tables, reduce your laundry, and add a splash of joy to daily life.
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In this interview, Tracy begins by talking about being creative as a child, creating gifts for family and friends out of handmade things she’d come up with in her bedroom. Tracy studied Chinese and design while an undergrad at Stanford then went on to work making scale models at a design firm. She also spent two years working as a park ranger and still has an enduring love of hiking and nature.
Once she had children, Tracy taught art in schools and talks with fondness about the projects she pursued with the children during those years. She went on to create a children’s clothing line for many years and it was then that she learned about the different kinds of fabrics on the market and how to wholesale them.
When she began working with laminated cottons, she fell in love. This substrate could be used to create waterproof products for parents and for the outdoors. She quickly realized that there was a whole in the market that she could fill by really investing in laminated cottons, creating a much larger variety of prints and a non-toxic, environmentally friendly cloth.
Tracy traces the journey she went on to figure out how to source the fabric reliably and affordably, and how to create the assortment of prints and patterns she was looking for. It was a learning process all the way!
Today, Splash Fabrics supplies laminated cottons wholesale to independent shops and sells the fabric, as well as finished goods sewn from it, direct-to-consumer on the company’s website and at shows. Splash Fabrics has also done some great collaborations, including a new one with Missouri Star. Tracy has an inspiring business story!
In this conversation, we mention:
- Moda
- EE Schenck
- ByAnnie
- Malden Mills
- Union Bay
- “Vintage” by Splash Fabric
- High Point
- Sew Very Easy YouTube video collaborations
And, of course, I ask Tracy to share great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Tracy recommends:
- cold water swimming
- watercolors
- the book Rediscovering the WPA Poster Art of National Parks
Keep up with Splash Fabrics on their website, on YouTube, and on Instagram for updates.