2018 Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

When the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival was in Phoenix earlier this year, I went with my official quilt/sewing expert – my mom, Cyndee – to see what was new since the last time we went.

The textile-arts-focused expo moves around the western United States throughout the year. It features a mix of local and national/traveling exhibitors, demos, and seminars. Some exhibitors offer open make-and-take projects for a small materials fee (usually $3-5).

Here is a sampler of who and what we saw at the Festival…

Fabric and Patterns

Elkhorn Quilt Company – Based here in Mesa, Arizona, Debbie Dominy specializes in modern quilts and a curated collection of contemporary fabrics. You have to catch her at an exhibitor booth, since she sells exclusively at quilt shows and festivals.

IG: elkhornquiltcompany

African Everything was founded by Mary Ogwel (a.k.a. “Basket Mary”) to help women lift each other out of poverty. Her imports span the continent and include coiled bowls, hand-painted batik fabrics from Tanzania, beaded wire bowls from Kenya, and artisan baskets from Ghana and Tanzania.

Online shop.
IG: @africanbaskets and #basketmary
IRL: Saturdays at Downtown Phoenix Public Farmers Market (8am – 1pm) + Uptown Farmers Market (9am – 1pm)
Extension of Maendeleo Imports and Thank You and God Bless (TYGB).

England Design Studios – Designer/owner Cynthia England developed her own style of quilting called “picture piecing” for her beautifully detailed quilts. The technique allows you to reuse your pattern, does not waste fabric, and makes it easy to fix mistakes. She now sells her patterns, kits, and books to help others learn picture piecing.

Spirit of the Artisan – Formerly Stitch in Time, Gale Carson continues find and import gorgeous artisan textiles from Southeast Asia, including vintage Hmong embroidery and Thai silk batik, as well as hand-loomed silk, Ikot, cottons, and wools.

the-sampler.com’s booth is covered with day-glow quilts and vibrant All About Color fabrics! They also sell patterns and quilt kits.

FB: AllAboutCColor

Rochelle’s Fine Fabric and Quilting had all kinds of odds and ends, but what really caught our attention was the woman with the scissors through her head! It’s just one of the gag headbands they offer – you can also choose from options like cleavers and plungers. They sell other novelties, as well as handmade aprons, mesh totes, and patterns.

FB: rochellesfinefabrics

Embellishment + Decoration

Chenille-It: Nannette Holmberg invented a type of bias tape that allows you to easily get a chenille-edge effect. She had examples of it lining quilt squares and embellishing sweaters.

Laura Murray Designs– Just as we were visiting this booth and puzzling over a product called “Paintstiks,” we heard Laura Murray was about to give a workshop about them. So we rushed into the seminar building and slid into some seats. After watching the demo, Paintstiks seem pretty neat – kind of like a sophisticated crayon that you can use to make patterns on fabric (or other porous surfaces like paper).

FB: lauramurraydesigns

Taylor Made Iron-on designs has all kinds of bling for embellishing fabric. They also had a t-shirt with a U.S. map captioned “Been there, done that,” so you can decorate the states you’ve visited with iron-on rhinestones or embroidered RVs, etc.

Jewelry

Bob Miller continues making rad steampunk accessories! He also does custom craft-themed jewelry with teeny scissors or sewing machines or knitting needles. You can make a fob to decorate your keychain or claim your favorite crafting scissors at his booth’s make and take.

Karen and Chuck Nolke – It was great to see these artists again and talk to them about their team process for creating the one-of-kind jewelry pieces in their collection. She chooses colors, he fires them, and she then adds paint, which creates a unique layered look.

Etsy: karennolke

Guilds

The Lacey Ladies of Arizona (chapter of the International Organization of Lace, Inc.) were super excited to show off their different types of lacemaking, often talking over each other!

Their annual Lace Day event this year will be on November 17, 10am-4pm at Beatitudes Life Center in Phoenix.

Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners Guild demonstrates traditional spinning and handweaving techniques. They have monthly fiber artists’ meetings October through May.

FB Group: Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners Guild

More Info

Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

Upcoming 2018 shows:

Orange County, CA September 27 – 29
Puyallup, WA October 18 – 20
Tucson, AZ November 15 – 17

Phoenix event

January 31 – February 2, 2019
Admission: $10 for all 3 days.
Largest of the Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festivals.
Held at the Arizona State Fair Grounds.
The closest parking is the South Lot at the Fair Grounds. Enter through the McDowell Gate at 17th Ave and McDowell Rd.)
Parking $8.

We were guests of the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival.

September 8, 2018May 23, 2023

5 Museum Day Picks in Arizona (+ a few elsewhere)

On September 22, many museums across the U.S. are offering free admission and/or planning special events as part of Smithsonian magazine Museum Day. You can search their list and then download a ticket for a free general admission (good for 2 people) to the participating museum of your choice.

I found 5 Arizona museums – 1 in Tucson and 4 in the Phoenix area – that I’ve visited and would recommend. They’re listed below in alphabetical order, followed by a few bonus suggestions from Indiana, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

1. Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix

While not a museum in the traditional sense, the Desert Botanical Garden participates in Museum Day and was actually where we went last year.

There are cactus and succulent galleries, a wildflower trail, a contemplation garden, exhibits on historical peoples of the Sonoran Desert, cafes with patio seating, and art sprinkled throughout. Located in Papago Park near the Phoenix Zoo, it beautifully showcases the plants of the Arizona desert and is one of the top places I recommend to Phoenix visitors.

2. Heard Museum
Phoenix

Another place at the top of my Phoenix must-see list is the Heard Museum!

It’s an extensive museum of American Indian art, culture, and history, focusing on the tribes of the Southwest. They display both traditional and contemporary art, including jewelry, ceramics, katsina dolls, and textiles. There is also an immersive exhibit on the Indian boarding school experience.

3. i.d.e.a. Museum
Mesa

Formerly known as the Arizona Museum for Youth, the i.d.e.a. Museum is an art and science museum with interactive activities and exhibits for kids.

It’s also where I’ve given my journal workshop during Southwest Maker Fest the last few years.

4. Museum of Contemporary Art
Tucson

Tucson’s MOCA hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions in an airy space converted from an old fire station. They also have a fabulous little gift shop with jewelry, prints, and gift items by local artists.

It’s located in Downtown Tucson, just across from the Tucson Convention Center (and Tucson Music Hall, where we saw Riders of the Purple Sage).

5. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
Scottsdale

SMoCA is an art and event space with a permanent collection and exhibitions in the areas of contemporary art, architecture, and design.

Bonus non-Arizona recommendations:

Fishers, Indiana–

Conner Prairie

Conner Prairie in Central Indiana is a living history museum that I loved visiting as a kid! I remember candle-dipping demonstrations and sitting in on a lesson in an old-timey one-room schoolhouse. Even though I haven’t been there in years, it made me smile to see it on the Museum Day list.

Seattle, Washington–

Museum of Pop Culture

The Experience Music Project (EMP) was recently re-named the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). It makes sense, because, while they do have an atrium devoted to constantly-playing music videos (“Sky Church”), a towering guitar sculpture, and galleries for Seattle legends like Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, there are also exhibitions on sci-fi, video games, fantasy genre archetypes, and other subjects besides music.

Housed within a striking building designed by Frank O. Gehry, MoPOP is located at Seattle Center, near the Space Needle.

Washington, DC–

I think DC’s lesser-known museums can sometimes get lost in the shadows of the more imposing, free-admission Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall. If the cost of admission is what’s keeping you away, then Museum Day is a great opportunity to finally visit!

National Museum of Women in the Arts

My mom and I loved participating in a National Museum of Women in the Arts community day. I hope to visit again and check out more of the artwork!

Newseum

I very much wanted to visit the Newseum while we were in DC, but I just couldn’t fit it in. It’s a museum about the news, specifically how breaking stories are covered and the importance of a free press.

For more exhibitions and museum events, check out this fall’s Happenings List!

At the Museum of Pop Culture/EMP, we were guests of Visit Seattle.

July 19, 2018July 17, 2018

A Dozen DIY Planters

Part of the fun of container gardening is actually the containers themselves! There are lots of ways to form, fold, build, stitch, tie, repurpose, and personalize new homes for your plants.

Here are a twelve pots and planters that you can make!

1. String Garden

Create a hanging garden in the Japanese kokedama style with low-light houseplants, moss, peat soil and bonsai soil. / via Design*Sponge

2. Clay Pots

These little succulent pots are fashioned out of oven-baked clay. I think the small ones are super cute, but you could probably enlarge the plans if you wanted to make them for bigger plants. Tutorial and templates are on sayyes.com.

3. Mason Jar Wall Planter

This would be a great way to put an herb garden in your kitchen without taking up counter space! / via Not Just a Housewife

5. Kitchen Garden Colander

You can also repurpose flea market finds, like kitchen items, by planting a small garden in them. This lettuce-filled colander could double as a centerpiece on an outdoor table. / via House of Hawthornes

6. Newspaper Seedling Pots

With a few folds, you can make your own biodegradable pots for starting seedlings! I first saw these at Phoenix Chile Fest and later got to make my own at CraftHack.

7. Paint Can Planters

Dress up any old can with some colorful fabric for a cheery place for a houseplant to live. / via Design*Sponge

8. Coconut Plant Pot

This is actually carved from a coconut! There’s also another coconut planter project in the same post on the Jungalow.

9. Square Hanging Planter

This is a project that’s simple to make with a chic result! / via Fall for DIY

10. IKEA Hack Planter

We actually have more of these IKEA Gorm shelf units than we are currently using, and I’d love to turn one into a planter or garden storage box. / via IKEA Hackers

11. Flower Pot Cozy

These folded fabric covers are like coffee koozies for your plants! / via Sotak Handmade

12. Address Number Planter

A sign with your house numbers and a little planter is such a welcoming touch for an entryway! To keep costs down, you can use succulent cuttings and scrap wood. / via Shanty 2 Chic

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018

Color Story: Blues

When it comes to the summertime blues, the best kind are the rich shades of sea and sky and distant mountains.

Here’s a collection of those blues, in art, craft, and beautiful places.

1. Big Sur, California. 2. Cyanotype workshop, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 3. Owl art print by Elizabeth Graeber. 4. Plate collection, Ibiza, Spain.

5. Mount Rainier, Seattle from the air. 6. Bird mosaic by Smashing China Mosaics. 7. Not a Dozen Even cyanotype print by Tom Loeser.

8. Pebble ring by KT New. 9. Denver Botanic Gardens, Monet Pool. 10. Plant vase by Andrew Ludic. 11. Mural by Isaac Caruso.

12. Cloud earrings by Wolf + Moon. 13. Schloss Hollenegg castle near Schwanberg, Austria. 14. Fringe garland DIY by Oh Joy! 15. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee via National Park Service.

16. San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm by Angela Oliver. 17. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Consuelo in Altea, Spain. 18. Desert container garden via Agave Heritage Festival. 19. Indigo Dye Kit by Anna Joyce.

What blues make you happy?

May 1, 2018April 11, 2025

AZIFF Showcases What’s Exceptional About Festival Films

Film Festivals Past

Last year, Stephanie and I happened to be in Tucson at the same time as the Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF) and were able to squeeze in a viewing of the film Given but nothing else. We decided to return to see more films this year.

It was the first film festival I’d been to in a long time. During college, I studied Judaism and got a chance to attend several Jewish film festivals in the Phoenix area.

What I came to appreciate about many of these (usually foreign) films was how they challenged the viewer in ways that I was not used to seeing in American movies. Even the comedies had existential bite.

For example, one English comedy was about an adopted man raised in a Jewish household, who finds out that his biological father is an English pig farmer. While it had its funny moments, it also had some deep reflections on identity.

Present

As I sat in the theater watching films for the AZIFF this year, I felt my brain being stimulated in much the same way.

The first screening I saw was a group of short documentaries on Sunday, April 22. Not only were the films entertaining, there was an intentionality and originality to them that I seldom find in mainstream cinema.

Short documentary is an incredible medium for communicating.

No matter how good a film is, I’ll often get restless about an hour into it, so a short documentary is perfect.

Cor de Pele

Cor de Pele was one of the standouts for me. This 16-minute film about Kauan, a boy born with albinism in Brazil, encapsulates what documentaries can do so well: make the viewer relate to someone (or something) that is far outside your own experience. The breathtaking views of his Brazilian city transport me. But the stories about how Kauan is both sweet and “annoying” bring me back, humorously reminding me how boys can act around the world, regardless of genes or nationality.

Lost & Found

One of my favorite feature films was Lost & Found. It’s told as a series of interconnecting stories centered around a train station in Ireland. The entertaining and highly original film is laugh-out-loud-funny at points and heartachingly moving at others.

Sin Cielo

More sobering – and timely – was the short film Sin Cielo from writer and director J.S. Maarten. The emotional and cultural immersion into the terror that women have experienced during the drug wars in Mexico was relentless. The fate of one character was frustratingly ambiguous at the end. In this way, it was true to life.

While not necessarily political, the film explores the consequences of political decisions made at the highest levels. It deserves a wide release.

Future

If you’ve never been to a film festival before, I think the AZIFF would be a great introduction.

For those of us who live in Arizona, it has the advantage of being close! Yet, don’t let its proximity fool you into underestimating the type of talent it attracts. Filmmakers and others travel from all over the globe to attend. We met film artists from Canada, England, Ireland, and South Korea.

At AZIFF, there’s a surprising amount of light (yet thoughtful) films, in addition to the more intense and serious ones you might associate with independent cinema.

Also, the hosts were great. Many of the staff at The Screening Room are volunteers. They do it for the love of the art of cinema.

Photos 5-7 via their respective films. Other photos by Phillip.

Stephanie was a guest of Arizona International Film Festival.