Quilt Shop Hops: Northern Arizona

landscape designs on quilts — Picture Piecing quilts by England Design Studios at the Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival.

What’s a Quilt Shop Hop?

In case you’re not familiar, you can think of a quilt shop hop as kind of like a pub crawl, only with less alcohol and a lot more fabric.

Different quilt shops in a region will participate with demonstrations, prizes, and fun activities. You “hop” around to the different ones. Instead of tickets or admission, you can purchase a single passport that allows you to join in the extra festivities at each shop.

Fabric banner — Banner project via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

Northern Arizona Shop Hop

The Northern Arizona “Beat the Heat” Shop Hop is actually going on across northern Arizona through today (Saturday, July 29).

To join in, you just start in any of the 6 participating shops and buy a passport for $5. That gets you entry into prize drawings and a 10% discount on merchandise, as you visit the rest of the shops (or as many of them as you’d like).

The Plan

My mom wanted to go check out that Northern Arizona Shop Hop, so we hatched a plan to make a day trip while I was visiting her recently.

The plan was to time our two-hour drive from Phoenix so we’d arrive as the shops were opening. We wouldn’t get to all of them, but we might be able to go to 3 or 4 out of the 6, and then get back to her house in time for Phillip and I to drive home to Tucson (two hours in the opposite direction).

What actually happened was a different story – more on that in a minute.

While the day did not go as planned, I had looked up a bunch of stuff about the shops ahead of time. And had done some deep dives into Google Maps street views of our destinations, because even map apps can be confusing!

Let’s Go to the Hop

In case you’d like to plan your own Northern Arizona quilt store expedition (during a shop hop or not), I wanted to share the information I found about the shops I was planning on going to.

Before you drive across the state, it’s always a good idea to check AZ511 for road closures because of construction, weather, wildfires, etc.

highway — Exit to Chino Valley, via Google Maps.

Start here!

Take the I-17 north out of the Phoenix area.
When you get to Cordes Junction, peel off onto AZ-69 North (take exit 262 for Cordes Lakes) towards Prescott.
You’ll get to Prescott Valley first, and that’s where you’ll find the first two shops on our list…

Trails going through a park. — One of the town trails via Prescott Valley Parks + Recreation.

Prescott Valley

In case you’re not familiar with the area, yes, Prescott Valley is a different town than Prescott, which is almost 100 years older!

Via Quilt N Sew Connection. — Via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

1. Quilt N Sew Connection

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm / Sat 10am-4pm
Contact quiltn@quiltnsewconnection.com / Facebook / (928) 775-9580

Find them at 6546 E. Second St., Suite A, Prescott Valley

From Cordes Junction, stay on AZ-69 for about 30-40 minutes.
Take a left onto Valley View Drive – which may look less like like a street and more like the entrance to the Mattress + Furniture Gallery parking lot.
Quilt N Sew Connection is in one of the Santa Fe style buildings on Second Street, across from the Post Office.

2. ClothPlus Quilt Shop and Home Decorating Fabric Shop

In their words:

“A great selection of quality quilting fabrics, battings, books and supplies,” as well as “a passion for batiks!” On the home decorating side, they carry an assortment of upholstery fabrics for both DIYers and pros – and (heads up, cosplayers!) they also have an entire foam department.

Open Tue–Sat 10am-5pm
Contact: bill@clothplus.com / (928) 772-5010

Find them at 6479 E. Copper Hill Dr., Prescott Valley

From Quilt N Sew, cross AZ-69 and turn onto Copper Hill Drive.
ClothPlus is in a warehouse-looking building on the south side of the street.

Prescott

Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza is home to craft fairs, festivals, and lots of other outdoor events! It’s surrounded by a town square full of quirky shops and restaurants, historic hotels, and old-timey saloons. We were hoping to be there by lunchtime.

3. Prescott Quilt Works

In their words:

A new full-service quilt shop with “a curated selection of both traditional and modern fabrics, patterns, and supplies.” Their goal is “to inspire and help you create your vision while having fun from start to finish.”

Open Tue, Thr-Sat 10am-4pm / Wed 10am-6pm

Contact hello@prescottquiltworks.com / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / (928) 515-2276
Find them at 1781 E. AZ-69, Suite 29, Prescott

Get back on AZ-69 North until you spot Frontier Village Shopping Center on your left.
Prescott Quilt Works is a couple doors down from Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Stars come out at dusk over a valley. — Overlooking Chino Valley in Northern Arizona at sunset. Via Discover Chino Valley.

Chino Valley

If we had time to squeeze it in, this would be our final stop of the day.

antique sewing machine on an old sewing table — Antique sewing machine at Sew-n-Sew Fabric in Chino Valley.

4. Sew-n-Sew Fabric, Notions + More

In their words:

“This store has been a dream of mine for over 30 years and to see it come to fruition has me beyond words. Our goal is to provide a one stop shop for all your basic sewing needs.”

Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

Contact yoursewnsew@yahoo.com / Facebook / (928) 636-3769
Find them at 1120 S. Hwy 89, Suite E. Chino Valley

Get back onto AZ-69, but prepare to take a pretty quick right.
Exit onto AZ-89 North.
Go through like 6 traffic circles. Make sure you’re still on AZ-89 when you come out the other side of each one!
At the stoplight intersection with Rt 2 S, make a U-turn. (Where are those traffic circles when you finally need one?!)
Sew-n-Sew will be on the right, in a strip mall with a blue roof.

Quilter's Quarters, Cottonwood — Quilter’s Quarters shop, photo by Paula Fleming via Google Maps.

Cottonwood + Flagstaff

The other two participating shops that we knew we wouldn’t be able to fit into our day trip…

5. Quilter’s Quarters, Cottonwood

6. Odegaard’s Sewing Center, Flagstaff

blossoms — Vine blooming during the summer in the Mesa Urban Garden.

How Our Day Actually Went

Usually, going to Northern Arizona in the summer means cool weather instead of Phoenix heat.

However, as the shop hop got closer, the whole state seemed to be scorching. Even in the high country, they were expecting temps of 98-100, which is not cool. But cooler than Phoenix by about 20 degrees, so that’s something.*

I checked in with Mom.

Me: If it’s hot up north, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

Mom remembered she had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the morning of our trip. It would mean heading north a bit later, but we could make it work if the appointment didn’t go too long.

Me: If we leave straight from your doctor’s office, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

The appointment went too long. It was midday before Mom finally reappeared in the waiting room. We started talking about if it made any sense to try to drive up just for the afternoon. Then Mom had an idea.

Mom: Instead of making a long drive, do you want to visit a couple nearby quilt shops and then go see the Barbie movie?

Me: Sure!

That was a plan that worked out perfectly. The Barbie movie was great! And I’ll fill you in on the Phoenix-area (East Valley) stores we visited in the next few weeks.

Barbie pink fabric from Elkhorn Quilt Company. I took the photo at the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival.

*Temperatures were around 37 Celsius in the normally-much-cooler northern Arizona region. Hot. But slightly less hot than the Phoenix area, where it was 47 C!

July 20, 2023July 16, 2023

Voyaging Across the Ocean Without a Map

Polynesian wayfinding https://hokulea.com/polynesian-wayfinding/

“We … find our way on canoes as we travel across the ocean where there are no street signs.”

Even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no land in sight – and no GPS – Lehua Kamalu knows where she’s going.

double hulled canoe on the ocean — Hōkūle’a was designed to replicate traditional Polynesian voyaging canoes. Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

I learned about Lehua through an interview on the Overheard at National Geographic podcast. As part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS), she has learned to find her way across the waves by employing ancestral knowledge and constant, keen observation of her surroundings.

Lehua Kamalu on a boat — Captain navigator Lehua Kamalu before departing on a voyage from Hawaii to California in August 2018. Photo by Hye Jung Kim / Polynesian Voyaging Society.

“Wayfinding for us really is the idea that with the naked eye, with all of your senses, [you] immerse yourself into the signs of the natural world around you.”

The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in the 1970s, part of a Hawaiian cultural renaissance of pre-colonial arts, language, knowledge, and skills. They re-learned how to build the large, ocean-going canoes that had originally brought Polynesians to the Hawaiian islands centuries ago, as well as the navigational methods that guided them.

“Waves create regular, readable patterns in the ocean that are long range and very consistent, particularly in the tropics, particularly here in Polynesia, and are very reliable to find your way.”

The first voyaging canoe PVS built was the 62-foot long Hōkūleʻa, which was launched in 1975 and has since traveled over 140,000 nautical miles! The next canoe, Hikianalia, was built in 2012.

Close-up view of a voyaging canoe on the water with its name, Hokule'a, printed on the side. — Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

In 2018, after years of honing her navigational skills, Lehua Kamalu became the first woman to captain one of these canoes on an extended voyage.

It was fascinating to hear her describe what it’s like to sail across the Pacific Ocean without present-day navigational equipment.

“The navigator’s job is to spend as little time sleeping as possible. And as much time watching for consistency, watching for patterns in the sky and in the ocean, and also for changes and comparing what’s going on between the two.”

Currently, she’s one of the 400 crew members of two Polynesian voyaging canoes (Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia) that are circumnavigating the Pacific on the 43,000-nautical-mile “Voyage for the Earth,” Moananuiākea.

You can track their progress on the Polynesian Voyaging Society site and see maps and updates of where they are.

2 canoes — The two Polynesian voyaging canoes built by the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Photo courtesy of the PVS.

PodRec!

A podcast episode recommendation for you…

Overheard at National Geographic
Episode 19 from May 9, 2023
“She Sails the Seas Without Maps or Compasses”

All quotes are by Lehua Kamalu, from her Overheard interview with Eli Chen. All photos courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

April 15, 2023July 22, 2023

10 Things to Know About Gem Shows in Tucson

Large mineral at the UArizona Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum. — Mineral on display at the Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

1. The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® (TGMS) is the original.

When the Tucson Gem + Mineral Society held their inaugural show in the 1970s, it was the first of its kind, welcoming both professionals and the public. It continues to be the largest gem and mineral show in the world!

2. TGMS takes place annually in mid-February.

The 2024 show is scheduled for February 8-11.
Show hours are typically 10am-6pm, except for the final day (Sunday), when it closes at 4pm.
It takes place at the Tucson Convention Center in Downtown Tucson.

Ticket sales for the 2024 show will start January 11, 2024. Purchase through the TCC Box Office (520-791-4101) or Ticketmaster.

3. Regular TGMS admission is $13, but there are discounts!

Single-Day Admission Prices

$13 for adults and teens (ages 15+).
Free entry for youth (ages 14 and under) with a paid adult admission.

Where to find TGMS Discounts…

Coupon: Your best bet is to watch the TGMS page closer to the event date for a flyer that includes a $3 off coupon.
2-day pass: If you’ll be spending a couple days at the show, buying a 2-day pass ($22) will save you $4.
Military + Senior Citizens: There’s a discount day during the show when anyone who is over 62 years old and/or active or retired military receives $3 off admission. (In 2023, it was the Friday of the show.)

These discounts are an either/or situation. They can’t be combined.

On a tight budget? Don’t forget to factor in parking costs! See #9 below to learn about the lowest-cost options and transit alternatives.

4. A single show has sprouted several weeks of shows!

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show may be the original, but it’s far from the only show in town! Over the years, more and more shows have sprung up around it, creating an entire gem and mineral show season. In fact, there are dozens that take place from about late January to mid February.

Some shows might specialize in a specific type of gem or minerals imported from a certain part of the world.

Booths in the African Village marketplace at the Tucson Gem Show — Phillip walks through the African Art Village.

To avoid confusion with the original Tucson Gem & Mineral Show [registered trademark], these other shows are collectively known as the Tucson Gem, Mineral + Fossil Showcase or simply the “Gem Show.” Most of them are free, open to the public, and take place about late January to mid February.

5. An entire African art marketplace pops up during the Gem Show!

One very special show is the African Art Village, which happens on the Mercado District Festival Grounds.

Jewelry designer Aissatou Bamba Kemoko — Jewelry designer Aïssatou Bamba Kemoko.

It’s an outdoor marketplace with many different vendors selling artisan products imported from Nigeria, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Morocco, and across the African continent.

Abstract artwork. — Abstract paintings by artist Harouna Ouédraogo.

While some of the items would fit under the “gem and mineral” heading, there is much more variety than that.

Abstract artist Caszi B. with his paintings. — Abstract artist Casimir Bationo (“Caszi”) and some of his work.

You can find beautifully carved wooden furniture and figurines, jars of shea butter and black soap, baskets, bags, traditional masks, textiles, oversized necklaces, djembe drums, and even contemporary art!

6. There’s a lot to see in the Mineral District, where it tends to be less hectic.

As you head north of Speedway on Granada/Main/Oracle, you’ll start to see some gem shops and warehouses. This is where you’ll find the 1801 Oracle / Mineral Village Show, Rock Yard Show, and Mineral City Show, which boasts over 100 mineral vendors in one location. Even with all that, these shows tend to be a bit less crowded and easier for more casual shoppers to just pop in and out of.

7. Gem Shows set up in some unusual locations around Tucson.

You can find them outside warehouses, taking over hotel parking lots, crammed into a jewelry store or lobby, on festival grounds, and inside ginormous tent-like structures that are assembled solely for this purpose.

Visit Tucson creates a full list each year of show dates and locations and which ones are wholesalers-only.

8. Hotel rooms fill up fast.

If you’re coming in from out of town, make sure you have a place to stay well in advance. Hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and all types of lodging get more difficult to find and more expensive as you approach the gem show dates.

In fact, February is the most expensive month to stay in Tucson, according to Google Hotels “When to Visit!”

Apparently, you can call Visit Tucson Visitor Information Services at 1-800-638-8350, if you have trouble finding accommodations.

9. You’ve got a wide range of options for getting around.

Sun Link Street Car:

Currently free to ride – and will be through at least June 30, 2023.
Easily get to the 22nd Street Shows and African Art Village by riding to the western end of the line in the Mercado District.
Also convenient gem show stops at the Tucson Convention Center (where TGMS happens), 4th Avenue, and Main Gate Square.

GemRide Shuttle:

The free shuttles that traveled between gem show locations in past years were discontinued during COVID. I’m not sure if/when this will resume.

Driving:

If you do drive, take it slow! Streets near shows can get congested with sudden stops due to bottlenecks at entrances or trucks loading/unloading. In addition, there are more people walking around and wandering across the street where you wouldn’t expect them to.

metal figurines — Metalwork at the African Village in Tucson.

Where to Park…

Gem Show parking isn’t super expensive, but it is something to factor in if you’re on a tight budget. Or if you just don’t like unexpected costs popping up.

TGMS: Parking at the Tucson Convention Center is $10/day. Other parking options in the area will be around $3-10.
22nd Street Mineral, Fossil, Gem + Jewelry Show makes a big deal about their free admission. But it costs $10 to park there. Which is kind of like charging admission for your car.
Parking for the Mercado District (including the African Village) is $5 during the Gem Show.
Shows in the Mineral City area typically have free street parking.
Park Tucson has more information on downtown Gem Show Parking.

empty tent structure — A gem show exhibition space in the process of post-show disassembly – with Downtown Tucson buildings in the background.

10. You can see gems and minerals in Tucson year round!

After Gem Show season, once all the crystals have been crated up and tents taken down, rockhounds can still find some hidden gems!

mineral museum display — Minerals on display at Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum

This University of Arizona museum features illuminating displays and hands-on exhibits. The collection began in 1892!

Located: 115 N. Church Ave. in the Old Pima County Courthouse
Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm
Admission: $15/adults, $5/children

crystal — Crystal display at the Alfie Norville Gem + Mineral Museum.

Tucson Fine Mineral Gallery

I haven’t been inside yet, but the newly-opened space has 5 different dealer showrooms, a cafe and bar on site, and promises to be a “perfect setting in which to relax and enjoy a stunning selection of the world’s finest mineral specimens.”

Located: 465 W. Saint Mary’s Rd.
Open: Monday – Friday, 10am-4pm and select weekends (next up: May 12-14, 10am-6pm)

Tucson Geodes + Gems

Large gemstone art wall hangings, floor lamps, and sculptures and other home decor items. We happened to walk by just after they’d moved into La Encantada – even before it was on the mall’s directory!

Located: 2905 E. Skyline Dr., Level 1 of La Encantada Shopping Center (just a couple doors down from Creative Kind)
Mall hours: Monday – Wednesday, 10am-7pm / Thursday – Saturday, 10am-8pm / Sunday 11am-6pm (Store hours may vary.)

Drutopia

A curated selection of crystals, plants, and handmade plant hangers at the Dunbar Pavilion by the sweet and knowledgeable Drew Berryhill. His shop is outdoors year-round, centered under a large ramada.

Located: 325 W. 2nd St. is the Dunbar’s address. However, you’ll find Drutopia closer to the northwest corner of University and 11th Ave.
Open: Thursday – Sunday, 10am-5:30pm

Mineral Artisan

Home goods made from polished stones and geodes. Their display is the first thing you see as you walk into the merchant collective Proper Shops, which just opened at the end of 2022.

Located: 300 E. Congress St., inside Proper Shops, across from Hotel Congress
Open: Thursday – Friday, 3-8pm / Saturday 11am-9pm / Sunday 11am-5pm

Earrings by Little Toro Designs, who made This Is Tucson’s list.

Check out #ThisIsTucson’s list of 9 places to get gems, jewelry, minerals, and meteorites year-round for more recommendations!

Fall Show

Finally, if you just can’t wait a whole year to get your Gem Show on, there is a smaller fall gem show that happens in time for holiday shopping.

The next one is August 31 – September 3, 2023. It’ll include JOGS Gem + Jewelry Show at the Tucson Expo Center (tickets $15 general public, free for wholesalers) and Colors of the Stone with To Bead True Blue + Artisan Workshops at Casino Del Sol (free).

March 23, 2023March 22, 2023

Color Story: Deep Teal

Updated March 2023.

Originally published January 2020.

While Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year is Classic Blue, I feel like I’ve already explored that in my 2018 Blues color story. Instead, what’s been on my mind – colorwise, at least – is teal.

It’s a tricky one to define exactly.

Teal resides at the divide between blue and green, undulating from one to the other, like waves over the border between sea and ocean. The side it falls on depends on who is seeing it and how.

You might find dark, dramatic shades of teal in a flowing river, in paint and pottery, in flora and fauna. Maybe it’s made its way into your home.

Teal can feel tranquil. Like a deep breath. Like that time after the holidays but before you’ve completely resumed your regular routine. Like the peace we need more of in 2020.

For now, maybe we can start by simply taking a moment to breathe deeply and take in some gorgeous teal tranquility.

1. A dramatic shade of natural stucco paint made with minerals sourced in Europe. / via Kromoxi (H/T A Girl Inspired)

2. Diving kingfisher near Kirkcudbright, Scotland. / One of over 720,000 photographs Alan McFadyen shot during his 6-year quest to perfectly capture the birds’ dive into the water. / via Daily Mail

3. Detail of VisionShift, Sonia King’s mosaic installation for the HALL Arts complex in Dallas.

4. Mudstone font sample. / I’m not sure whether this festival actually exists, but I kinda hope it does. / via You Work For Them

5. Tips for making a eucalyptus leaf bundle to hang in your shower. (Or purchase a ready-made one.) / Photo via Healthline

6. Prickly pear cactus earrings created by Australian artist Amelia Marks. / via e.g. etal

7. Tiled steps at The Dreamcatcher Guesthouse in Ocean Park, Puerto Rico. / via BLDG 25 + Dreamcatcher on Facebook

8. DIY tropical wreath with paper foliage by Lia Griffith.

9. Ceramicist Gwendolyn Yoppolo shows the lovely variation from different glazes and firing techniques.

10. Hand-printed vintage camper tea towel by Cara Hibbs. (Her Etsy shop, ohlittlerabbit, is taking a break. More fun, hand-screened tea towels here.)

11. Sea lions and pelicans enjoying a sunny day at Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, California. / I took this photo when we were there in 2012. We stayed in a cute little vintage camper that looked a bit like the lower right one on the tea towel above.

12. Lacinato kale + recipe for kale and sausage skillet via The Rainforest Garden.

13. 1960s brushed metal pendant lamp by Doria Leuchten via VNTG.

14. “You Belong Among the Wildflowers” embroidered Tom Petty lyrics wall hanging by BreezebotPunch on Etsy. (Currently out of stock but you can get on the waitlist or request a custom order.)

15. Abstract sketchbook painting of the Smith River in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (Northern California) by Heather Day. / Her work is more about sensory experience than the literal represensation of a scene. She camped + painted in a spot overlooking this river in 2017. / via VSCO

16. The Vintage Turkish Over Dye Rug by Cadrys is one of the accessories “Interiors Addict” Jen Bishop selected to help your home feel cozy over the winter. (H/T The Home)

17. This adorable little square planter is handmade in Maine by Elizabeth Benotti.

Teal we meet again!

Photo sources: the Monterey and Venice photos are mine. Others are as cited.

This post contains Etsy affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission on purchases – at no extra cost to you. So shop away!

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022

Antique Gold and Forest

Updated December 2022.

Originally published December 2017.

Since my recent autumn and indigo color palette article received such a great response, I thought I’d keep up the color-themed posts with a more wintery entry this time.

Currently on my mind is the combination of vibrant greens (from kelly to forest) paired with softer golds – think mercury glass, champagne, heirloom jewelry, candlelight.

Small table with cakes that look like birchwood. — Cake table via Elizabeth Anne Designs (photo: Jacque Lynn Photo)

While this combination could go modern, I particularly love it as a complement to rustic decor. It looks fabulous with natural materials like birch bark, adding just enough sheen to make it all feel chic and festive.

For a woodsy vibe, you can bring in the classic evergreen boughs and pinecones or whatever’s growing outside your door. Twigs, olive branches, rosemary sprigs, eucalyptus leaves, berries, potted cacti, or mossy driftwood could all work well.