Events

Los Angeles: Renegade Craft Fair is THIS WEEKEND!

December 8, 2014

It’s finally time for Renegade’s Holiday Market here in Los Angeles! I’m looking forward to spending the weekend catching up with my favorite makers from around my community, and talking with shoppers about the hard work and love that goes into my work for Cotton & Flax. Plus, I get a chance to buy gifts – it’s always more fun to buy directly from local artists and makers than to brave the mall at the 11th hour.

Renegade’s Holiday Market takes place at the beautiful Grand Park (Downtown LA between Broadway and Spring St.) from 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday. There’s no entry fee, so bring a friend or two, and support local designers while you finish your holiday shopping!

Cotton & Flax will be at booth #164 all weekend, with tons of giftable coasters, tea towels, napkins, trivets, and pillows – plus a special sale section just for Renegade. Stop by and say hello!

West Coast Craft in San Francisco this weekend!

December 1, 2014

I’m excited to be taking part in a new holiday event this year called West Coast Craft! This is it’s second year at the Fort Mason Center, and the lineup is absolutely stellar. West Coast Craft takes place on December 6 & 7, from 10am to 6pm in the Herbst Pavilion in the historic Fort Mason Center on the San Francisco waterfront.

I’m looking forward to spending the weekend catching up with old friends in the Bay Area, plus shopping for holiday gifts from some of my favorite makers. Cotton & Flax will be at booth #108 all weekend, with tons of giftable coasters, tea towels, napkins, trivets, and pillows – plus a special sale section just for WCC. Stop by and say hello!

Upcoming Holiday Events in California

November 19, 2014

I hope you’ll come visit me at one of my upcoming Holiday events in San Francisco or LA!

First up, we have West Coast Craft, a new craft & design show in San Francisco featuring carefully selected artists & craftspeople living and working on the West Coast. The show takes place Dec. 6th + 7th at Fort Mason Center. The lineup is absolutely stellar, so if you live in the Bay Area, you’d be remiss not to stop by and get your holiday shopping started.

I’ll also be participating in Renegade’s Holiday Market in Los Angeles, which is taking place on Dec. 13th + 14th at Grand Park in DTLA. As always, there will be tons of food trucks and free crafting activities, so bring the whole family for a fun afternoon of holiday shopping.

Both shows are free and open to the general public – hope to see you there!

Upcoming Workshop: Print Your Own Fabric in LA

September 8, 2014

Want to learn to print your own patterned fabric to use in your craft and DIY projects? I’ll be teaching a workshop on how to print your own patterned fabric at Common Thread Studio in South Pasadena in just a few weeks!

In this two hour class, you will learn how to carve simple printing blocks and transfer your designs onto fabric. We will provide all the materials: linoleum blocks, carving tools, printing ink, and 2 panels of 20″x20″ fabric, plus paper for those interested in stationery design. You’ll leave with your own, custom-printed fabric, ready to be transformed into pillows, scarves, tote bags, or whatever you can dream up!

You are welcome to bring additional fabric to print on, as well. I’d recommend light and medium-weight fabrics that aren’t too roughly textured, made from cotton or other natural fibers. Can’t go wrong with a quilting cotton or a lightweight linen.

Click here to sign up for the class! Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions before the workshop, you’ll find my contact info on the About page.

Adventures in NY – Cotton & Flax at NY NOW!

August 28, 2014

It’s been a crazy couple of months — back in June, I was delighted to receive an invitation to be part of the inaugural Etsy Wholesale booth at NY NOW (formerly the NY International Gift Fair). This was my first opportunity to participate in NY NOW, and I was excited but also really nervous. Planning for a show like this is an incredible task, and I hadn’t planned to tackle my first trade show until 2015… but the awesome Etsy Wholesale team offered to handle almost all the details, so I signed on!

You may have seen me mention on Twitter or Instagram that I was doing some prep work for NY NOW over the last few weeks. One of the most fun and challenging projects was putting together my first print catalog (with help from the ever-talented Laura Carignan – the designer who created my logo). I think it turned out wonderfully – if you have a retail shop and would like me to send you a copy, send me an email!

Photo credit: Laura Pardo Photography

The show itself was amazing! I met so many fantastic shop owners and fellow makers, it was a whirlwind of a weekend. I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience. The Etsy Wholesale team created a beautiful showcase for us, and every aspect was thoughtful and cohesive. There were 23 other Etsy sellers in our pavilion, and it was so enjoyable to chat with many of them and learn more about their businesses.

I also had the opportunity to tour Etsy’s headquarters, and meet a bunch of Etsy admin and staff, including the CEO, Chad Dickerson. Their offices were very charming, filled with handmade details from Etsy sellers. I particularly loved the mural created by Kate Bingaman Burt of Etsy shoppers’ favorite purchases.

Now I’m back in the studio, working on new wholesale orders, and getting things ready for the fall. I’m looking forward to debuting some new pieces in the coming months, including a special collaboration with one of my favorite Made in USA brands. Sign up for email updates to make sure you don’t miss any of the excitement!

Los Angeles Design Festival

June 30, 2014

I was invited to speak on a design panel last week as part of the LA Design Festival! The event was hosted by West Elm, and I was delighted to sit alongside Claire and Aaron of MFEO, Eric Trine, and Brendan Ravenhill as we discussed our design process, and how our businesses have grown over the last few years.

It was fascinating to hear the similarities and differences in our backgrounds. My big takeaway from our conversation was that the internet has led to a complete revolution in the way that designers approach collaborations, as well as the way we operate our businesses as a whole. Much of what we do would not be possible without the support of the huge creative community we can reach online!

While I’m taking the summer off from selling my work at the usual round of craft fairs, I hope to find time to do more pop-up events like this. It’s wonderful to connect with other LA-based makers, and to hear their stories.