Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: local fabric shop

  • New tools of the trade

    New tools of the trade

    I cannot tell this story without addressing the issue of AI in the context of the fiber arts community. Many fiber artists get angry anytime Artificial Intelligence (AI) is mentioned, so we don’t talk about it in public. The vitriol and intolerance for AI is widespread, and in some corners, it’s considered sacrilegious to use…

  • Retreat countdown

    Retreat countdown

    As the Northeast moves more fully into Fall, engaging with fiber arts activities will be an important piece of managing the seasonal “meh” that can set in this time of year.

  • A simple holiday gift idea

    A simple holiday gift idea

    I recently acquired a new pattern for a little fabric container, of which I’m going to make a few different versions. I’ve identified this as the prototype for a “gift bag” for the candy and gift cards that I generally give to my employees at the holidays. This is straightforward (2 squares of fabric), is…

  • A quilting we will go

    A quilting we will go

    My sister and I are signed up to attend another 2-day, “sleep in your own bed” quilting retreat at the end of September. We attended our FIRST one back in March, and had a blast! The same local quilt shop is offering the Fall retreat, so we’ve begun to plan our retreat projects. We’re planning…

  • A birthday day out

    A birthday day out

    This week was my birthday, and I decided to take the day off and just do things I wanted to do with no time pressure or deadlines. I started the day out to breakfast with my parents, which is always nice. It was a rainy day around here so a day spent traveling to stores…

  • A loss of community

    A loss of community

    Crafters are creative and can transform simple things into works of art. As we continue to process the stages of “grief” around the loss of community that once resided in our neighborhood Joann stores, we can move on into new ways of being in community, finding and/or creating activities and small groups that promise a…

  • Shopping my values

    Shopping my values

    Last weekend I decided to treat myself to some “me” time, so I mapped out a half-day excursion to an independent fiber store a decent distance from my house. I was excited because I had not been there since they changed hands, and was looking forward to seeing what the new owners have done with…

  • Craft Economics – a primer

    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…

  • Caring for local fiber businesses

    Caring for local fiber businesses

    NOTE: I originally wrote this specific to yarn shops, but in light of the closing of Joann stores, I have updated it to include BOTH yarn and fabric. Do you have a local fabric or yarn shop in your area, and by “local” I mean an independent store that is not part of a national…