Los Angeles

Printing Tote Bags at Common Thread in LA

April 30, 2015

Most of you know that my background is originally grounded in fine art printmaking. I sold my prints on paper online well before I founded Cotton & Flax, and I still get so much joy from sharing my knowledge about printmaking with others. With that in mind, I had a great time teaching my printed tote bag workshop at Common Thread earlier this month! It was a great group of creative folks, and I was completely blown away with the cool designs my students created in class.

Thought you might like to see some behind the scenes photos from the workshop – a big thank you to Ryan and Matt from Read Coterie for taking these photos!

I’ll be teaching more workshops here in LA and in San Francisco in June – sign up for email updates to be notified when those classes debut.

Patterned Tote Bag Workshop in Los Angeles

March 23, 2015

For all you LA folks who want to learn about printing patterns on fabric, I’ll be teaching another workshop at Common Thread Studio on April 17th! This class will be focused on creating your own patterned tote bag using hand carved linoleum blocks, and you’ll learn the basics of block printing on fabric in a fun, casual environment.

Sign up on the Common Thread Studio site to reserve a spot in the workshop! If you want to sign up with a friend, use the code BUDDY10 to save 10%!

Academy of Handmade Awards

February 9, 2015

Have you heard of the Academy of Handmade Awards? It’s a local group that takes time each year to acknowledge great work being done in the maker community, with a special focus on makers in Southern California. The nominees cover lots of categories: they honor retail shops with a focus on handmade offerings, like Cotton & Flax stockist Rare Device, craft book publishers and authors like Yellow Owl Workshop, as well as favorite individual makers like PF Candle Co., A Question of Eagles, and Melanie Abrantes (pictured above).

I was so surprised and honored to find out that the Academy of Handmade have chosen me to receive a Master Maker award at their awards show on March 7th! You can read my interview with the leaders of the Academy on their blog, where I talk about how I’ve grown Cotton & Flax over the last few years.

I’m excited to attend the ceremony on March 7th, let me know in the comments if you’re planning to be there, too!

New Stockist: The LA Library Store

October 6, 2014

Excited to announce another very special stockist – The Library Store here in LA! These folks run a retail shop inside the central downtown library, and the sales from the store benefit the Los Angeles Library Foundation. You might not know that many of my previous jobs before I founded Cotton & Flax were in bookstores and libraries (I’ve worked in four different libraries!), so being able to work together with the Library Foundation is pretty exciting for me.

The shop itself is adorable, and chocked full of awesome finds. Book bags are only the beginning: the library store has a great selection of stationery and paper goods, plus awesome gifts for anyone who enjoys a good book. They also have a store on wheels – a bookmobile of sorts; more like a mobile version of their amazing retail shop.

If you live in LA, check out the Library Store next time you’re downtown!

Cotton & Flax at Individual Medley

June 26, 2014

Very excited to add another fantastic stockist – Individual Medley in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. This Eastside LA gem is one of my favorite shops. They stock beautiful clothing for men, women, and children, as well as gorgeous handmade jewelry and gifts.

The owners, Monica and Justin, have created a beautiful retail space, filled with the work of indie designers, many of whom make their work in LA. I can always find a great gift in this shop, whether it’s a birthday gift for my best lady friend, a special treat for my mom, or a new shirt or trinket for the boyfriend. Plus, they carry the work of some of my favorite designers, including Tracy Wilkinson and Chaparral Studio.

One of my favorite things to do when I have some free time is to stop at Proof, the bakery down the street, pick up an iced coffee and a chocolate croissant, and then stop by Individual Medley to see what’s new.

If you live nearby, go check out their shop this weekend, they’ve got Cotton & Flax coasters, tea towels, and notebooks in stock, in case you’ve been wanting to check them out in person.

Visit the Cotton & Flax website to see a full list of retails shops that carry our goods.

Weekend Recap + LA Modern Quilt Guild

February 4, 2014

I spent a couple days recharging after shipping out my largest wholesale order ever on Friday. It was great to step away from work for a moment, work/life balance is something I’m trying to recalibrate in a thoughtful way this year. For me, that means more time spent with friends, and reading more of 1/3 of all the books I check out from the library… working on it!

Yesterday felt like a continuation of my fun-filled weekend: I had the opportunity to speak to the LA Modern Quilt Guild about how I run my business, and what it’s like to print and sew textile home goods from a cozy 10 x 6 foot studio space. The members were so welcoming, and it was a pleasure to chat with everyone about their own textile projects. Plus, the meeting was held at Sew Modern in West LA, a great little shop with a lovely selection of quilting cottons. I hope to return to the shop soon to add them to my ongoing series of favorite fabric shops in LA!

Don’t forget: I’m hosting a giveaway over on the Cotton & Flax Facebook page this week! Enter by 2/6 to win a pair of pillows from the shop!