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A trip to the library
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A new era for local shops
I wrote the blog post below after visiting New Orleans for business almost 2 years ago and posted it on my previous blog site. Today, as the news in the fiber arts community is overflowing with store closures, retail bankruptcies, and economic scares, I am thinking of how the larger crocheting and knitting communities as…
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Lessons in yarn
One of the most troubling aspects of the advances in technology that have brought phone and face-times to our back pockets is that they have also promoted a (false) narrative of how life works. Social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) is a platform for bragging. The perfectly-placed photos of vacations, of grand meals and other…
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The end
This weekend the crafting and sewing world faced the reality of the beginning of the end for a retail staple. The retailer Joann entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time in less than a year. Liquidation sales began in the 500 stores slated for closure under the agreement with another 300 or so remaining…
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Finding peace in fabric scraps
I have taken a serious break from listening to the news. This means that I find myself heading to my sewing room in the evening instead of catching some national or international news after work. In addition to my enjoyment of crocheting and knitting, I’ve had a lot of fun making the triangle coin purses…
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Craft Economics – a primer
Many people are taking to YouTube and other social media sites to raise the hue and cry to “Save Joann’s“. While I will be among the sad when (not if) they finally close their doors for the last time, I think it’s really, REALLY important to understand what factors went into this final implosion. I…
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Healthy distractions
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The 3-C’s of Fiber Self-Care
The term, “self-care” emerged in the mid-20th century. It came out from the Civil Rights movement, and the Black Panthers, specifically, are credited with mainstreaming the concept. Today it remains a popular description of activities we are encouraged to engage in – or refrain from – in support of our own emotional, mental, physical and…
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Stash half-full (a perspective)
The rumors have been flying for some time, and yesterday on Reddit, the details started trickling out. By this morning there were full posts on the decision by Joann’s corporate overlords to declare bankruptcy for a second time in a year. First of all, I want to state my deep and heartfelt sympathy for the…
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It’s all in the timing
