Wysh is a lovely new gift shop and boutique, not too far from the Cotton & Flax studio in San Diego. I’m delighted that they’ll be carrying our notebooks, coasters, and tea towels. Located in Carlsbad Village, this sweet little shop is filled with clothing, jewelry, and gifts made by artisans from all over the US.
Wysh is hosting their grand re-opening after remodeling the space, so stop by on 4/7 and shop their affordable range of unique gifts if you’re in the area!
Otherwild is part retail shop, part design studio, and part event space, founded in 2012 by Rachel Berks. Known for their iconic “The Future is Female” shirts and merch, Otherwild also carries a selection of jewelry, ceramics, perfume, home decor and original artworks. They are dedicated to showcasing goods made with care by individuals, and I am so pleased to have them stocking Cotton & Flax tabletop goods and pillows.
As a gathering space, Otherwild hosts a variety of creative workshops, dance and music performances, readings, publication launches, and more. This month, the LA store is hosting Tarot workshops and silk scarf dying workshops, while the NY store hosts a magazine launch and a indie-clothing brand pop-up. I love that Otherwild is so tied to the concepts of creative community.
Stop by Otherwild in Los Angeles or New York City to do some holiday shopping!
Otherwild LA
1768 N Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Otherwild NYC
35 E. 1st St.
New York, NY 10003
It’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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Spotted this lovely arrangement on the Need Supply Instagram feed last week, and I fell in love with their styling. They’re currently carrying the Hills + Valleys pillow, the Confetti napkins, and lots of other pieces. I love when my stockists embrace the vibe of my handmade textiles.
Lately I’ve been consumed by thoughts of travel, and it’s been such a fun experience to travel vicariously through my fabric collection! Today I want to share an Australian fabric store that caught my eye: Fibresmith in Yarraville!
Fibresmith opened in August, and it’s a fresh and modern take on a traditional fabric and yarn store. This fabric shop carries a beautiful selection of high-quality, natural fabrics (including Arroyo!), yarn, and craft goods, and the shop is just gorgeous. As you can see from their Instagram page, the shop is flooded with light, and neatly stocked with modern fibers. I hope I can take a trip to Australia someday, because this shop would be at the top of my list of things to see.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the Fibresmith’s owner, Leslie Keating, to learn a little more about her store.
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Chase Clark, owner of The Black Squirrel in Berkeley, CA, was one of the earliest and most outgoing supporters of Arroyo, my first fabric collection from Robert Kaufman. The Black Squirrel is an independent, woman-owned yarn and fabric shop, which shares many of the same core values that I’ve embraced with Cotton & Flax. Issues like sustainability, supporting other woman-owned businesses and US-based manufacturing are all a focus in Chase’s business. She chooses every item in her shop with care, including yarns purchased from small, independent, local dyers whenever possible.
I’m planning a trip up to her lovely shop later this year, and I’m delighted to share this interview with her, which highlights the unique qualities of her fabric and yarn shop.
Erin: When did you start sewing?
Chase: I started sewing when I was 10 years old. Actually, I started doing a lot of crafts that year! My mom got a subscription to Martha Stewart Living for the first time, and I think I made something from every single issue. A beautiful embroidery sampler inspired me to learn to hand sew, and my mom purchased a bare bones sewing machine for me shortly after, which I used for almost 20 more years before upgrading.
What were some of your early sewing projects?
My first hand-sewing project was a heart-shaped pincushion, which I still have, and a pincushion project is what I now use to teach others to hand sew since it’s a useful start to your sewing career! My skills progressed to aprons and Halloween costumes once I learned how to use my machine, and in high school I made elaborate cosplay and bellydance costumes for myself and all my friends!
What makes your store unique?
We have a super-curated stock of unique fabrics, yarns, and DIY supplies. Every item is chosen with utmost care, and much of it won’t be found in any other shop! We love our little fabric section – we try to choose the most versatile and wearable fabrics for today’s specific breed of sewist in mind. And everyone who visits our shop loves its light, bright, welcoming feel, no matter what craft you do!
Do you have a favorite time of day to be in the shop?
We have a really well-attended and super fun Stitch & Bitch meet up every Thursday night, and it’s my favorite thing about the shop. We wanted to be as much a community space as a retail shop, and we’ve definitely managed to bring together our amazing crafty community! It’s better than most regular knit nights because we welcome all crafts, skill levels, and people, and we always have a blast!
What’s your current favorite sewing project?
Right now I’m obsessed with all kinds of apparel sewing. In August I hit my one year anniversary of eschewing fast fashion from my life – all of my clothing and shoe acquisitions over the past year have been either secondhand or handmade by artisans. This year I hope to have more time to sew and knit my own wardrobe, and I’m starting simple with a couple Scout Tees from Grainline Studio made from a couple of my favorite Arroyo fabrics!
