Today I’m happy to highlight a new stockist of Arroyo fabric, Gather Here in Cambridge, MA. I connected with shop owner Virginia B. Johnson to talk about her vision for Gather Here, and to hear more about her lovely store. Beyond just fabric and notions, Gather Here hosts creative workshops, and has a unique, community feel. This shop is really something special, and if you live in the Boston area, I hope you’ll stop by and see Arroyo fabrics in person.
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It’s so exciting to see your Arroyo sewing projects start to appear on social media — thank you so much for sharing your projects with the #ArroyoFabric hashtag. I wanted to share some of my recent favorite projects that have been shared to the feed! If you’re sewing anything with Arroyo, I hope you’ll tag me in the photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
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This month, I’m thrilled to be partnering with The Crafter’s Box, to bring you another fun workshop: Stenciled Linen Throw Blankets! This is my second time collaborating with The Crafter’s Box for an online workshop, and I still love their format: you receive a box of high-quality craft materials in the mail, and log-in to enjoy the online workshop at your own pace. If you’ve been curious about stenciling on fabric, or creating your own large-scale designs on fabric, this is the workshop for you!
The Crafter’s Box is different than a lot of other creative workshops out there. They focus on workshops led by experts, who guide you through every step of a creative project, and provide live feedback during a monthly maker chat in their forums. The materials they send for each project are always beautiful — this month, we’ll be sending a gorgeous flax linen throw, which will look beautiful with the vibrant cobalt blue and black inks we’re including for the project. It can be used as a blanket, or a tablecloth for all your summer adventures!
I hope you’ll join me for this workshop! You can sign up from today through June 20th — after that, enrollment closes, so they can pack up your boxes, and get them delivered in July. It’s a short sign-up window, so don’t delay. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create!
It’s been a creative whirlwind in the studio lately! After four years of designing and producing textiles for Cotton & Flax, I’ve been branching out in 2016 by taking on projects that are stretching my creative muscles. While I’m still creating lots of new work for Cotton & Flax, this year I wanted to spend time learning some new skills. I love taking up a new creative hobby — it brings fresh ideas to all my creative work!
One way I’ve been trying out new techniques is through a new creative subscription box called The Crafter’s Box. I was introduced to this company last year, and I’ve tried three of their craft projects: Rya Weaving with Maryanne Moodie, marbled clay pots taught by Emily Reinhardt, and this giant arm knitted blanket taught by Elise Blaha.
The quality of the materials in every Crafter’s Box has been amazing. Supplies and materials are sent along with instructions for each project, and they source materials from some of the best manufacturers around. The wool roving and yarn was particularly gorgeous, and I’ve been saving up the leftovers from my projects to use for something special.
I’m excited to share that I am partnering with The Crafter’s Box this month to teach block printing! When you sign up for a subscription to The Crafter’s Box, you’ll receive all the materials and supplies you’ll need to create a gorgeous block-printed linen table runner. You’ll gain access to an exclusive video tutorial showing you how to carve a linoleum block, and print a repeat pattern of your own design.
Sign up to receive this block printing kit today, it will only be available to purchase for a week or so! This box is an incredible value, so if you’ve been dying to take one of my classes in LA, now’s your chance to have me beamed into your home studio.
Are you making any of your holiday gifts by hand? I tend to make at least a few gifts each year, although I never seem to have enough time, and end up buying the rest of my gifts on Etsy or at local craft fairs and holiday markets (like Renegade!) When I do have some free time to work on DIY projects, I love to turn to The Purl Bee, one of my favorite DIY project resources, for inspiration.
If you’re like me, and are starting the holiday season with the best intentions to make your gifts by hand, maybe these DIY projects from The Purl Bee will get you started!
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I’ve been hard at work preparing for Renegade Craft Fair the last few weeks, which means long hours cutting fabric, silkscreen printing, sewing, and ironing. Don’t get me wrong – I love my work, and the feeling of flow I get while I’m working is incredibly fulfilling – but it’s also pretty exhausting when I am preparing for a big show.
One of the hardest things about that grueling schedule is that LA has been pretty darn hot lately, getting into the mid 90’s most days. I drink lots of ice water during the day to stay cool (the AC unit in the studio is unreliable, to put it nicely), but in the evenings, I’ve been cooling off with my favorite cocktail, a Moscow Mule. While I don’t drink it in a copper cup, which is apparently the traditional presentation, it’s just as cool and refreshing in a regular glass.
The recipe is simple: 1/2 ounce lime juice, a few ice cubes, 2 oz. vodka, and 4-6 oz. ginger beer (not ginger ale)
I may even make a non-alcoholic version to enjoy during the day! A little sparkling ginger lemonade sounds pretty good as well. If you have a drink to recommend to help me stay cool, let me know in the comments!
