Community in the Time of Coronavirus

While COVID-19 has thrown us all off balance, people are helping each other get back on their feet in some lovely ways – sharing their art, connecting people with resources, checking in on family and friends, donating where they can, helping the “helpers” on the front lines, and buying from their local mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. (All from a safe distance, of course!)

 

Coffee thank you

I’ve rounded up a list of various goodies to help you stay well, support independent artists and businesses, and give back.

 

Breathe background for Zoom video
Courtesy of Saywells Design + Why I Love Where I Live.

Free to Download

Adobe: Resources for creativity at home!

  • Coloring book pages by designers and illustrators. Each week, there’s a new set of pages with themes like “gratitude” and “alphabet.”
  • Short films about design.
  • Public domain images and fonts to liven up your paper craft projects!
  • Tips for photographing your plants and pets.

 

Badge Bomb: Fun stay-at-home-themed coloring pages, activity sheets, and stickers you can print and color.

 

Face masks
Face masks via Bluprint.

Bluprint: Patterns for sewing face masks and instructions for folding no-sew masks.

 

Native Seeds/SEARCH:

 

Why I Love Where I Live:

 

Lisa Congdon sketchbook via CreativeBug
Lisa Congdon sketchbook via CreativeBug

Workshops

Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Founded by Debbie Allen of Fame fame, DADA is a non-profit organization with programs to expand young people’s access to dance + theater.

 

Lisa Congdon: A couple of free online classes from an artist whose work always makes me smile.

 

MyIntent:

 

Rohit Gijare: Virtual dance classes on Sundays…

  • $5 semi-classical or Bolly fusion workshop with the Bollywood Boulevard choreographer.
  • $8 for both classes with code BOTH.

 

Skillshare:

  • Free classes demonstrating a variety of art, craft, cooking, entrepreneurship, and other skills.
  • Premium membership free for 2 months. (New members only.)

 

 

Arts + Artisans shop in Chicago
Arts + Artisans shop in Chicago

Shop

Arts and Artisans: 40% off everything through April 30.

 

Badge Bomb:

Stay Home Reward Sticker Sheet by Gemma Correll
Stay Home Reward Sticker Sheet by Gemma Correll on Badge Bomb.

 

Bookman’s: For every $25 gift card purchase, Bookman’s will add a $5 reward. For every $100, get a $25 reward!

 

Doggie Drawings Shop: Artwork by Lili Chin 20% off. This includes Dogs of the World prints and cute enamel pins of different dog breeds.

 

Corgi pin by Lili Chin.

 

Dogs and Donuts: Free delivery in Tucson for orders over $15.

 

Downtown Tucson Partnership: DTP Gift Card Incentive Program…

  • Buy a $25 gift card for one of over 60 downtown businesses through the Downtown Tucson Partnership + receive a free $10 bonus!
  • Participating businesses include restaurants, museums, shops, bars/breweries, salons, fitness centers, a hotel, and a theater.
  • DTP will announce each round of gift card sales on its site. (Hint: They’ve mostly gone on sale on Fridays starting at 6am and sold out FAST!)
  • They’ve also gathered a lot of resources to help Tucsonans navigate life during the pandemic.

 

hotel congress

Hotel Congress: Additional $25 when you purchase a $100 gift card.

 

L.A. County Yarn Crawl Shops:

  • Knitting Tree – Sale on discontinued and overstocked items.
  • Wildflower Studio – Shibui Knits Maai $14/skein (regular $17.50) + free digital pattern for M.1 scarf by Shelli Anderson with purchase of 4 skeins.
  • Zoe’s Knit Studio – Free shipping (or curbside pickup) on select kits. Email info@zoesknitstudio.com for details.

 

MAST (at Mercado San Agustin): Free shipping on U.S. orders with promo code MARCHON. Or 25% off any one item made by Mellow, Sofie, or Tasha with code LEANON.

 

MyIntent:

  • 50% off sitewide with code HERWORD50 (through May 10).
  • We featured a MyIntent necklace in a previous gift guide.

 

Arizona Hearts art print
Arizona Hearts art print by Phoenix Supply Co.

Phoenix Supply Co.

  • Today: buy 1 art print, get one 50% off!
  • Free domestic shipping on orders $40+.
  • I know founder/artist Melissa through the Phoenix design community, and she is a stellar human being!

 

Not Just Quiltz:

  • Bolt of the Week 25% off.
  • All bolt BATIKS and precut bundles 15% off (half-yard minimum).
  • Select colors of King Tut thread $19.95/2000 yard cone (regular $29.95).
  • Closeout fabrics $8/yard, while supplies last.
  • We met this vendor at the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival.

 

Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas:

  • 20% off Bai Long Xu (White Dragon Whiskers) Loose Leaf Sheng Puer tea.
  • Free delivery within the continental U.S.
  • Select tea ware on sale.

 

Spirit of the Artisan:

 

Why I Love Where I Live:

 

Republica Empanada in Mesa
Republica Empanada in Mesa

Food (Arizona)

Phoenix Area

Cartel Coffee Lab, Tempe:

  • Free shipping (except subscriptions) with code STAYHOME.
  • Pickup available at original downtown Tempe location (on Ash).

 

Crown Public House, Phoenix: Weekday specials on green chili mac, wings, pizza, and more.

 

Peixoto Coffee, Chandler:

  • Buy 3 bags of coffee, get one free.
  • Free shipping or curbside pickup.
  • Make a donation to help them provide hot coffee to overnight hospital workers.

 

Republica Empanada, Mesa: $2 beer or $10 mix-and-match six pack with any order.

 

Tucson To Go: Reforma

Tucson

Several Tucson restaurants are offering $30 takeout meals for two, as part of Tucson To-Go! Even though it’s presented by Sonoran Restaurant Week, this deal is ongoing.

 

Agustin Kitchen (at Mercado San Agustin): Burgers and sandwiches (a.k.a. “handhelds”) are buy one, get one free from 2-4pm daily. Walk-up or call-in orders.

 

Beaut Burger (at MSA Annex): Buy one, get one free vegan burgers weekdays from 4-5pm. Walk-up orders only.

 

Cartel coffee

Cartel Coffee Lab, Tucson:

  • Free shipping (except subscriptions) with code STAYHOME.
  • Pickup available at Grant and Campbell.

 

Cup Cafe (in Hotel Congress):

  • 20% off Cup Cafe dishes to-go. New menu includes family style meals!
  • $2 off all pies and cakes by the slice.

 

Check out Tucson Foodie’s takeout guide or the lists that Brunch Babes Tucson has aggregated of current food, coffee, and alcohol options!

 

Julieannas In Yuma
Julieanna’s Cafe patio in Yuma

Yuma

Julieanna’s:


What is helping you find a sense of community during this time?

 

Chalk board sign
Good Oak Bar in Tucson

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Part 2

While the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival has great fabric and pattern vendors (some of which we featured in Part 1 of this post), that’s not all that’s there.

Quilt shop clock
Quilt shop cuckoo clock from Cheryl Ann’s Design Walls booth

You can find booths for guilds and organizations devoted to keeping handmade traditions alive. There also are lots of vendors selling tools, embellishments, and materials that go along with quilting and other types of crafting. It’s impressive how many of them have invented, made, or designed the products they’re selling!

 

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric

Pauline Rogers of Pauline's Quilters World.

Tools

Pauline Rogers demonstrates the Sasher.

Pauline’s Quilters World – Pauline Rogers invented the Sasher, a small plastic tool, shaped to make it quicker to fold and press strips of fabric. She also created the Quilt As You Go technique and wrote The Quilt As You Go Handbook (QAYG).

Crafting for Australia

 

Sewing machine extension

Tailor Made Tables, LLC – Sewing machine repair and sewing extension tables custom-made to fit your machine by Dean the Table Guy.

  • Made in San Tan Valley, AZ.

 

Thread Cutterz sewing machine Thread Cutterz

Thread Cutterz demo

Thread Cutterz  – Invention featured on Shark Tank to easily cut thread or fishing line. You can wear it on a ring, or it can mount flat to the side of your sewing machine.

 

Susan Brown from Lakeside Scissors Sales

Lakeside Scissors Sales Products

Lakeside Scissors Sales – Specializing in hard to find small tools, they have bins and bins of scissors, pliers, magnifying glasses, and other gadgets.

 

Portable design walls

Cheryl Ann’s Design Walls – These are portable, freestanding fabric surfaces for laying out quilt squares. Instructors can use them for demonstrations. They’re also helpful at quilter get-togethers where design wall space is limited – like quilting classes, retreats, and guild meetings.

 

Uniquely Crafts LLC kits

Embellishments + Accessories

Stan from Uniquely Crafts LLC

Amy from Uniquely Crafts LLC

Uniquely Crafts, LLC – Family-owned business specializing in 5D Diamond Art Kits, a craft project where you create a picture using a special tool and a type of beads (“diamonds”) with a flat, sticky back. It’s kind of like paint-by-number with rhinestones.

  • We met both Stan and Amy Regal at their booth.
  • Amy designs their kits.
  • They offer a selection of 5D diamond kits for kids.
  • FB: UniquelyCraftsLLC
  • IG: uniquely_crafts

 

Custom Keepsakes baby dresses

Custom Keepsakes – Heirloom sewing and machine embroidery in the style of vintage handiwork. They had lots of adorable little dresses on display to showcase their Heirloom Collection.

Fountain Square Signs

 

Rashawnda Ogwel of African Everything

African Everything / Maendeleo Imports – I met Rashawnda Ogwel, who was standing in for her mother-in-law, the entrepreneur and importer known as “Basket Mary.” They continue to offer gorgeous handcrafted products from across Africa, like Ghanaian baskets and batik wall hangings from Tanzania.

Phoenix from the Convention Center

 

Wooly Felted Wonders Wooly Felted Wonders bag

Wooly Felted Wonders – A reusable alternative to dryer sheets or fabric softener, Wooly Felted Wonders are dryer balls made from 100% New Zealand wool and ethically handcrafted in Nepal. The company also sells other felted wool accessories, like bags, hot pads, and cat caves.

 

Nannette from Chenille-It

Chenille-It – This bias tape comes in a rainbow of colors and provides a shortcut for getting the frayed-edge look of of chenille in quilting and sewing projects.

 

Cork bags
Sew Many Creations projects

Sew Many Creations specializes in natural cork fabric, which is a renewable material that’s sturdy enough to use as a leather alternative for bags and wallets, yet thin enough to stitch with a regular sewing machine. They sell different colors and sizes of cork fabric, as well as patterns and hardware kits for bags. Owner Jessica VanDenburgh has also designed fabric lines for Windham fabrics and leads workshops and weekend bag-making retreats.

 

Threads of Courage series of novels by Jodi Barrows

Square in a Square – A series of quilting-centric novels by Jodi Barrows, who is also the creator of the Square in a Square quilting technique.

 

quilt craft sew - Nolke jewelry

Karen and Chuck Nolke were back with their ever-changing array of unique handcrafted earrings and scarf rings!

2018 Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

 

EGA Desert Threaders needlework project

Guilds

These organizations are devoted to a particular type of craft. They are usually open to anyone interested in it, regardless of skill level. While they may have annual dues or membership fees, you can almost always attend a meeting or two for free to see if you’d like to get more involved.

 

EGA Desert Threaders wall hanging

Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA), whose raison d’être is “because a world without needle art would be pointless” was represented by local chapter EGA Desert Threaders.

Modern Embroidery

 

Cactus pincushions

Phoenix Area Quilters Association (PAQA) – Organization with quilt programs, speakers, quilt challenges, blocks of the month, quilts for charity, prizes, and these adorable little cactus pincushions!

  • Meets on first Thursday of each month in Phoenix.
  • FB: PhoenixAQA

 

Lace making with the Lacey Ladies Lace project

Lacey Ladies of Arizona – Gathering of women who craft with or make lace. They host an annual Lace Day celebration in the Phoenix area in November.

  • Chapter of the International Organization of Lace, Inc. (IOLI).
  • Hosting the 2020 IOLI National Convention in Mesa in July.

 

ADWSG members with spinning wheels

Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners Guild (ADWSG) – Friendly fiber arts group that sponsors informational activities and demonstrates weaving and spinning skills at schools, craft fairs, and other community events.

  • Phoenix meetings on the first Saturday of month (October through May).
  • FB group: ADWSG

 

Craft Camp

YarnFlowers sweaterkits
YarnFlowers sweaterkits. 

 




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

Crafting for Australia

Eucalyptus trees at arboretum

Wildlife rescue centers in Australia and the animals they’ve taken in have found some unlikely allies.

Kangaroo joeys
Joeys hanging around. Photo: Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc.

Caring for injured Australian fauna requires a very specific supply list, which includes things like marsupial sleeping pouches and mitts to protect burnt paws. These can’t be made out of just anything. It has to be soft, breathable 100% cotton fabric – exactly the type of material that quilters are experts at working with.

NotJustQuiltZ
NotJustQuiltZ’s aboriginal-designed fabrics at the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival in Phoenix.

Jeltje van Essen, owner of Quilt Shop 100 Rozen in Deventer, Netherlands, realized this and recruited a group of volunteers to sew for wildlife centers overwhelmed by Australia’s intense fire season.

I learned about their efforts through Pauline Rogers, who comes all the way from Australia to have a booth at the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival in Phoenix.

Pauline Rogers
Pauline Rogers demonstrates her products at the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival in Phoenix.

Jeltje’s quilt shop crew in The Netherlands started by making mittens for injured koalas, using cheery fabrics to make their carers smile. They have since moved on to other projects, like sewing wraps for rolling up recovering bats into cozy little fabric burritos (bat-ritos?) that make them feel like they’re snug inside their mothers’ wings.

Bat wraps
Bat wraps! Photo by Animal Rescue Freecycle Craft Guild.

The Dutch quilt shop volunteers certainly weren’t the only crafters to pick up their needles to help, however.

Donations of handmade items have been pouring in to the Rescue Craft Co. (RCC), based in New South Wales, which has been sharing patterns and coordinating shipments from around the world.

Handcrafted bird nests.
Nests by Nicole Jarczewski.

In fact, the reason the Netherlands quilt shop group switched projects is because the koalas in Australia are all stocked up on mittens. RCC has actually been so inundated that they’ve asked that people stop sending them.

Instead, they’re requesting veterinary supplies, a select list of crafted items, and monetary contributions to their logistics GoFundMe or other trusted  organizations working to help Australia heal.

Photo: Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc.

How to Help Australian Animals (via Rescue Craft Co):

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric

It’s Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival weekend in Phoenix!

Orange Dot Quilts
Orange Dot Quilts

 

Last year, I went to two days of the Festival – one with my Mom and one with sister-in-law Dinah and friend Kelli.

az state fairgrounds

The first day, we ended up parking in a lot that was actually meant to be for a dog show, which we needed to walk through to get to our Festival.

Scottie dog

The second day, I parked there on purpose. We walked past booths of dog stuff and people with impeccably groomed and well-mannered dogs. I really wanted to ask one of them if their dog was available to tutor our little rascal Quijote. But that’s not why we were there.

Quilt craft and sewing festival

Walking into the Festival building meant being surrounded by a dazzling array of colors and patterns, handcrafted items, crafty inventions, and big ticket items like long arm sewing machines. It was fun to check in with favorite vendors from the past, meet new ones, and see things I hadn’t before.

Pocket Change booth
Pocket Change Fabric

Here are some of the fabric and pattern exhibitors we saw in 2019, plus their booth numbers at the Phoenix 2020 show. (Info about vendors for tools, accessories, and food is in Part 2!)

quilt
Orange Dot Quilts

Patterns

Orange Dot Quilts

Lace shawls at Orange Dot Quilts

 

Orange Dot Quilts has original quilt and bag patterns by owner/designer Dora Cary. I love her bold, modern designs!

 

On Williams Street Quilts

On Williams Street – Sisters Kimie Tanner and Missy Winona offer quilt patterns, longarm quilting services, and even custom quilts!

 

 

Quilted parcheesi board Deb Eggers of The Cottage Rose Quilt Pattern Originals

The Cottage Rose Quilt Pattern Originals – Deb Eggers of The Cottage Rose created a pattern for a fabric Parcheesi board! You can just roll it up and take it with your for camping or traveling. The kit comes with the game pieces and pattern includes a little pouch to keep them in. She also made some adorable little fabric owls.

 

Quilts by More the Merrier

More The Merrier Designs – Offers patterns for art quilts and embroidery, with instructions meant to be usable by crafters at any skill level.

 

Embroidery by Bobbie G

Bobbie G. Designs  – Embroidery, cross-stitch, and quilting patterns in a shared booth space with More the Merrier. I was drawn in by their cute vintage camper cross-stitch!

 

Calico Patch Designs Calico Patch Designs

Calico Patch Designs – Vicki McCarty is a pattern and MARCUS Fabric designer, who likes to incorporate wool and cotton appliqué into her quilts. Her “Homespun Appeal” pattern (above) was featured on the cover of Quilt Sampler Magazine (Fall 2018). Currently, “Rabbit Patches Runner,” made from a pattern she designed and fabrics from her line, is on the cover of Primitive Quilts (Spring 2020).

 

England quilts

England Design – Cynthia England was back with examples of her signature picture piecing method of quilting. True to its name, you can use this technique to make a quilt that looks like picture instead of the abstract shapes you traditionally see in quilts.

  • #641-642

 

Fabric

Bear Paw Quilts Bear Paw Quilts Team

Bear Paw Quilts – Their (multiple) Seattle Seahawks fabrics caught my eye, and, yes, owners John and Shyla King are based in Washington. They had a large cutting board right there in their booth, so you could get exactly the amount of fabric you wanted – whether it’s a ‘Hawks design or not.

  • Booth #900-902

 

Elkhorn Quilt Company

Elkhorn Quilt Company quilt

Elkhorn Quilt Company – It’s always great to stop by and check out what new fabrics and quilts Debbie Dominy has!

 

Gale from Spirit of the Artisan

Spirit of the Artisan

Spirit of the Artisan – A gorgeous collection of textiles imported from Southeast Asia by shop owner Gale Carson, who maintains a personal connection with many of the suppliers and artisans. Her wares include scarves, bags, tops, patterns, hand-woven Burma batiks, and ornate Hmong collars.

  • #628-630

 

Desert Stitchin

Desert Stitchin – Quilts, kits, southwest-themed fabrics, and “desert delights,” which are sets of 2.5-inch color-coordinated fabric strips.

  • Based in Goodyear, AZ.
  • Online store and quilt shows only.
  • IG: desertstitchin
  • #148-149

 

 aboriginal-designed fabrics
“Brolga Dreaming” by Nambooka + other aboriginal-designed fabrics
Fabric by Nambooka, Narelle Kitson, Colleen Wallace + Vanessa Inkamala
Fabric designs by (l-r) Nambooka, Narelle Kitson, Colleen Wallace + Vanessa Inkamala
fabric
Fabric design “Bush Banana” by Donna Abbots

NotJustQuiltZ – Largest U.S. collection of aboriginal-designed fabrics from M+S Textiles in Australia. The designs are are created — usually hand-painted — by artists of indigenous Australian descent, drawing on their cultural traditions. Artists receive commissions on their work as long as it’s in print (longer than usual in this industry), and many make their living this way.

  • Shop located in the Historical District of Niles in Fremont, California (Bay Area).
  • They also have long arm services, embroidery, custom, quilts, notions, and gift items.
  • FB: Notjustquiltz
  • IG: notjustquiltz
  • #540-542

 

Samara Elkins of Second Chance Fabrics  Second Chance Fabrics

Second Chance Fabrics – New and pre-owned fabric, as well as patterns and gift items. You can trade in fabrics from your stash in exchange for store credit. Anyone who sews probably has excess material around, so it’s great that there’s a place to give it a new home, while picking up something you’ll actually use!

 

Julie's Sewing Corner & Quilt Shop

Julie’s Sewing Corner & Quilt Shop is located in Miami, Arizona, which is a historic mining town near Globe. Julie and Don Reiman’s shop specializes in unusual, drive-out-of-your-way fabric.

 

Sun Valley Quilts booth

Longarm sewing machine

Sun Valley Quilts – Sewing machines, wooden sewing tables, fabric, notions, and a book section. The store is large enough for groups to visit together during events like quilt shop hops and then go to one of the nearby restaurants.

  • Shop in Sun Valley, Arizona and online.
  • A rep from The Grace Company was also there, demonstrating their quilting  frames and Q’nique line of quilting machines with handles designed for more control.
  • FB: SunValleyQuilts
  • #718-721

 

Traditional Primitives Fabrics

Traditional Primitives – Missie Carpenter developed a starch basting technique for English paper piecing and has her own lines of rustic quilting fabrics and other quilting products.

 

The Copper Needle

The Copper Needle – Shop focused on providing a welcoming, creative environment. Offering fabrics, threads, patterns, notions, Bernina sewing and embroidery machines, and classes in quilting, embroidery, and painting.

 

Stay tuned for Part 2!


Quilt show panorama

More Info

IG: quiltcraftsew and #quiltcraftsew
FB: quiltcraftsewingfestival
Our previous Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival visit.

Phoenix Event

  • January 30 – February 1, 2020
  • Admission: $12 for all 3 days. Printable $2 off coupon online.
  • 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.

What’s Your Favorite Mural? #LocalArtLoves

Mural wall in fountain hills
The Sacred Heart of Tucson mural
The Sacred Heart of Tucson by Alexandra Gjurasic (@lexgjurasic).

 

February is coming up, which means it’s time to take a moment to appreciate the art around you!

Share photos of your favorite murals (and other art from your neighborhood) by using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves.

 

Mural by Chip Thomas (@jetsonorama) in Yuma, Arizona.

What’s Local Art Loves about?

Local Art Loves is an annual online celebration of art and artists from different corners of the globe. During the month of February, anyone can join in by using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves to share art they love from wherever they are.

 

Mural
Mural by Jet Martinez in Clarion Alley, San Francisco.

 

The purpose is to be more aware of the art around you and the artists in your community.

I was inspired by all the colorful walls around Tucson to make murals the focus for 2020. What mural(s) do you love seeing near where you live?

 

Citrus mural Downtown Tucson
By Isaac Caruso in Tucson, AZ.

FAQs

How do I participate in Local Art Loves?

Take a photo of a mural, post it on Instagram with #LocalArtLoves, and boom! you’re part of this.

 

Only murals?

Nope! Murals are just a starting point. You can share any art from your neighborhood that you really like.

More ideas: sculptures in the park, paintings in your favorite cafe, street art, exhibitions at your local library, comics, chalk art, mixed media pieces at an art fair…

 

Sonora sculpture in Tucson
Sonora sculpture by David Black in Tucson, AZ

 

Can I share my own art?

Yes! Please do! Every year, several artists participate and share their latest pieces or work in progress.

If there are other artists in your community whose work you admire, feel free to tag them and share some of their work too.

 

What counts as local? What if I’m traveling / not in my hometown this month?

“Local” is wherever you happen to be in the world. How broadly you define your neighborhood is up to you.

 

Greetings from Tucson
Greetings Tour mural, Tucson, AZ.

 

Can I share more than one piece?

Yes!

 

What if I’m not on Instagram?

You can also post (and hashtag) photos on Twitter and Facebook – make sure your post is set to public. Or contact me directly.

 

Mural
Mural by Bumble Bee Loves You in Yuma, AZ

 

Anything else I should know?

  • Please only share your own photos of the work.
  • Mention the artist if you know (or can find out) who it is.
  • Don’t take photos where it’s not allowed. If you’re not sure, ask the artist or venue. While you’re at it, find out their Instagram so you can tag them!
  • I’ll be re-posting #LocalArtLoves on social media throughout February and rounding up highlights here on the site at the end of the month.
  • Follow along on our new @TravelcraftJournal Instagram!

 

Mural
“Color Gives Life” mural by Oliverio Balcells (@olibalcells), IN FLUX installation in Tempe, AZ.