Blog - Cotton & Flax

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Karina Bania at Cotton & Flax

Karina Bania paintings on display at Cotton & Flax in San Diego

I’m excited to host a show of new paintings from Karina Bania at the shop this month! Karina is a talented local artist, and her abstract mixed media pieces feature beautiful pigmented washes and expressive textures.

We’re now displaying some of her newest mixed media paintings, which we hung in time for Art Around Adams, a two-mile art walk around San Diego’s Adams Ave! Her four original paintings are hung throughout the shop, alongside our range of handcrafted home decor.

Come discover the range of affordable art we carry in-store! Plus, you’ll find new arrivals from Melanie Abrantes Designs, Wolfum, Fruitsuper, Knit Wit Magazine, and more.

Cotton & Flax
3180 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116

How to shop off-registry for millenial weddings

Millenial Wedding Gifts

I’m in the season of life where every summer is filled with weddings. I’ve been lucky to travel all over the country to attend some pretty memorable wedding receptions (and after-parties).

I’ve noticed that lots of my friends have not signed up for traditional wedding registries. It might be a generational turn towards prioritizing experiences over things (a typical Millenial stereotype) or the reality that many couples live together for years before getting married. Regardless, it seems like many of my friends already bought that Kitchen-Aid mixer one winter when they got obsessed with making every recipe from the Tartine cookbook… so what else could I get for my favorite couple that will help them start their next chapter together?…

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Spring at Cotton & Flax

Cotton & Flax - home decor shop in San Diego

We’re making plans for Spring at our retail shop in San Diego! Lots of fun creative workshops coming up in January and February, including our popular block printing on fabric class. If you can’t make it to class, don’t worry — we offer an online screenprinting class too!

Lots of new products have arrived this month, so there’s lots to discover when you come. You’ll find new decor pieces from Fruitsuper, beautiful minimalist ceramics from Clay + Craft, and there’s tons of cutting boards from San Diego woodworkers Aroara.

Cotton & Flax shop in San Diego

Hope to see you at 3180 Adams Avenue soon! We’re open Wed-Sat from 12 – 5pm, or email us to set up a personal appointment.

 

Shop Small with Uncommon San Diego

Shopping small with Uncommon San Diego

This season has been a fun one for me at Cotton & Flax. Opening my new retail shop and studio has brought so many new friendly people into my life, and offered me the opportunity to return to teaching workshops, one of the most enjoyable parts of my work as an artist.

In the spirit of inspiring San Diegans to shop local and explore their community, I created Uncommon San Diego, a holiday shopping adventure in the spirit of Small Business Saturday and Little Boxes. If you’ll be doing your holiday shopping in San Diego this year, I hope you’ll stop by any of the amazing retail shops on our curated map, and support the indie businesses that make this city unique.

Happy holidays, and thanks for shopping small!

Featured Arroyo Stockist: Craft South in Nashville

Arroyo fabric at Craft South - fabric store in Nashville, TNIt’s been such a treat to get updates about the fabric shops carrying Arroyo. When I heard that Craft South in Nashville was carrying Arroyo fabrics, I reached out to the owner of this lovely shop (who also happens to be a fabric designer!) to interview her for my featured stockists series.

Founded in 2015, Craft South a a beautiful combination of fabric and yarn store, indie gift shop and creative workshop space. The Craft South blog chronicles all the fun things taking place in the shop, and highlights the caliber of creatives that are coming to the shop to teach. So many of my favorite artists and craftspeople have taught at this shop: Carolyn Freidlander, Sarah K Benning, Kristine Vejar from A Verb For Keeping Warm, and Heather Jones have all taught classes in this lovely shop. It looks like an incredible space, and it would be my first stop on a trip to Nashville.

Below is my interview with Craft South owner, Anna Maria Horner.
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How to Shop Small for the Holidays

holiday gifts from Cotton & Flax

Editors note: Today we’re welcoming a new contributor to the Cotton & Flax blog: Alexandria Austin! She’s a maker, and a small business strategist currently living in Portland, Oregon. Check out her shop filled with handmade products of her own, Midland Co. You’ll find her inaugural post below. -Erin

Small Business Saturday will soon be here, and in the past few years, we’ve been hearing a lot more calls to “Shop Small” and “Buy Local.” For many people, Small Business Saturday signals a return to supporting small businesses, and an effort to make more thoughtful purchases. But some of you might be thinking, “What’s the big deal?”

Supporting small businesses like Cotton & Flax makes a huge difference, and the holidays create a perfect opportunity for you to choose meaningful gifts. Here’s what happens when you shop small:

You encourage creativity, diversity, and higher quality products. When you make a purchase from an artist or maker, you are voting with your dollars to see more of their goods in the marketplace. Shopping small encourages businesses to offer unique products, and supports companies that are doing high-quality work.

You strengthen the economy and your community. Shopping small allows a small business to create jobs, and make purchases from other small businesses, strengthening your community. When you buy from Cotton & Flax, you’re also supporting dozens of other USA-based companies who supply everything from our fabrics to our shipping supplies.

You’ll receive great customer service. This is where a small business can do amazing things! Small businesses depend on word of mouth, and are often run by a very small team, so they can provide friendlier and more helpful service.

You’ll have a unique story to tell about where you found your gifts! When you shop small, you’re purchasing a gift that has a unique backstory. Your purchase from a small shop is more than a run of the mill item that was made in a factory, it’s a thoughtfully-designed, handmade piece that is rich with meaning. A gift from a small shop like Cotton & Flax carries with it the story of the maker who created it.

You’ll be putting a smile on a business owners face. When you shop at a small business, you’re sharing in someone’s dream. Every single sale encourages their creative work and shows them you support their vision. While you may not see this smile in person, I can promise you that your purchase made their day!

So, how can you shop small for holiday gifts? There are many small shops that stock beautiful, meaningful pieces that would make great holiday gifts. Online shops, like Cotton & Flax, make it easy to shop directly from an artist, and provide a variety of gifts that can be wrapped and mailed straight to your friends and family. If you enjoy buying in person, you can stop by a local craft fair, or visit one of our stockists, where you’ll find hundreds of artisan-made gifts.

We hope this gives you some insight and inspiration as you hunt for gifts. In case you’re looking for more inspiration to shop small, check out our archives of amazing Cotton & Flax stockists! We’ll continue to highlight our favorite small shops and stockists as the holiday season goes on, and don’t forget to share your favorite Cotton & Flax gifts by tagging us on Instagram!