Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric

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

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

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.

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.

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!)

Patterns

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

Etsy Shop
IG: orangedotquilts
#916-917

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

FB: onwilliamsstreet
IG: onwilliamsstreet

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.

Original patterns.
FB: cottagerosequilt
#805

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

FB: MoreTheMerrierDesigns

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 – 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).

Calico Patch Quilt Shop located in Morehead, Kentucky.
FB: calicopatchdesigns
IG: calicopatchdesigns
Tw: CalicoPatchDsn

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

Shows and festivals only.
IG: elkhornquiltcompany
#225-226

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 – 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

“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

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

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!

Store in Fresno, California.
FB: SecondChanceFabrics
#310-311

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.

IG: juliessewingcorner
#839-841

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

FB: TraditionalPrimitives
IG: traditionalprimitives
YouTube: Missie Carpenter of Traditional Primitives
#910-911

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.

Store in Payson, Arizona.
FB: copperneedle
IG: ginaperkes
Tw: gina_perkes
#634-636

Stay tuned for Part 2!

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.

December 12, 2019May 23, 2023

Mesa’s Merry Main Street

Mesa’s annual holiday celebration, Merry Main Street, includes concerts, an arts and craft market, food trucks, visits from Santa, and – most surprisingly in an Arizona desert city – an outdoor ice skating rink.

O Christmas Market

While there are Merry Main Street activities throughout the downtown, the centerpiece of the celebration is the 40-foot-tall Christmas tree and market that takes over Macdonald on the north side of Main Street.

What you’ll find here…

Mesa’s official Christmas tree – this is where you can see Santa Friday and Saturday evenings.
Mesa Christmas Market – 30 local vendors selling handcrafted items, food and gifts in booths set up around the Christmas tree.
Concert stage with free performances on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“sELFie” Station photo backdrops. (Turns out, you can’t spell selfie without an “elf.”)
Extended store hours — Some downtown shops stay open late, so you can browse antique furniture or comic books while you’re in the neighborhood.

There are additional, ticketed holiday concerts and performances of The Nutcracker Ballet nearby at the Mesa Arts Center.

When Phoenix Freezes Over

Most of the time, you’ll only find an ice rink in Arizona inside a large, air-conditioned building. So, the temporary Winter Wonderland Ice Rink installed for the holidays in Mesa City Plaza is a downright novelty. It’s really fun to watch people skating around there, even if some of them are wearing shorts.

Speaking of Arizonans’ winter apparel (or lack thereof), Winter Wonderland just assumes you don’t own ice skates (and you probably don’t), so they automatically include skate rental in the ticket price.

Free Rides

You can ride the mile stretch of the Light Rail between Country Club and Mesa Drive free on December weekends from 5-10pm.

This weekend (December 13-14), there will also be special decorated “Polar Express” light rail trains with Santa, elves, cookies, and singing on board. Pajama-wearing is encouraged. No tickets are required.

Pioneer Park

The weekly Mesa Feastival Forest in Pioneer Park turns into Jack Frost’s Food Truck Forest on Friday and Saturday nights during the holidays. Check their Facebook page for updates on the food truck lineup.

Also in Pioneer Park…

The Mesa Farmers Market and Flea will continue to be held in the park on Saturday mornings – with a few extra festive touches like additional vendors and photos with Santa from 9-11am.
Kiddos can ride the trackless Main Street Express Train there for free during food truck or farmers’ market hours.

mesa mini train — Merry Main Street’s little train (at its old City Plaza location).

In past years, you could sometimes hear the choir singing outside the LDS Temple across the street. This year, however, the annual Christmas Lights display and concerts have been suspended due to major renovations of the buildings and grounds, which are scheduled to be completed in 2020.

The Space Between

Like a microcosm of the City of Mesa itself, Merry Main Street is a bit sprawling (although it’s gotten less spread out than in previous years).

Activities are just close enough together that you’re not sure you want to wait for even a free light rail ride, but far enough apart that you have time to regret it as you traverse the vast, vacant expanses of sidewalk between things.

How to Merry Main Street

The the best approach might be to enjoy different parts of Merry Main Street throughout the season, instead of thinking of it as all one event. Stop by the food truck forest before heading over to a performance at the MAC. Have an ice skating night. Do some holiday shopping and take some photos in front of the tree (or in the selfie stations or with Santa).

Why not go multiple times? There’s no admission cost, parking is free, and each time the weather will probably be so nice you could wear shorts to go ice skating.

November 17, 2019November 17, 2019

Big Boy Trains with a Big Fanbase

Big Boy No. 4014 is a 78-year old Union Pacific locomotive that’s currently touring the Southwestern U.S.

It was part of a series of 25 extra-large steam engines built between 1941 and 1944, and it’s one of the only two still in operation.

This particular Big Boy was sitting in a museum in Pomona, California when, in 2013, Union Pacific decided to buy it back, restore it, and get it running in time for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad earlier this year.

When we heard it was making a stop in Tucson, we decided to stop by there as well.

I think they may have underestimated the number of train enthusiasts in Southern Arizona. We certainly did.

The normally quiet roads surrounding the depot were choked with lines of cars waiting to get in – and then out.

It was cool seeing the train, even though we weren’t able to get in to see the displays inside. One of the rail cars has been turned into kind of a mini museum. The line to get in stretched about half the length of the train, and we were out of time.

I wondered about the stories of the people who had made the trip there. Had they traveled far? Did they have a connection to the Big Boys? Or a passion for all steam locomotives? Or, like us, did they just happen to live in Tucson and think it would be an interesting thing to see?

Whatever their reasons, Big Boy No. 4014 certainly has plenty of fans, and I hope it rolls into town again.

Steam train engine — Photo of Big Boy No. 4014 – without the crowds – via Union Pacific.

– More Steam Train Info –

Big Boy No. 4014’s 2019 appearance schedule and current location.
Union Pacific steam locomotives.
The 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Experience the Union Pacific – museum on a rail car. Short video on their site with a glimpse inside.

October 20, 2019October 21, 2019

Hong Kong’s Commuter Escalator

Central–Mid-Levels Escalators in Hong Kong. — CCL photo by Chris Yunker.

Escalators may not be what comes to mind when you think of mass transit. However, the Mid-Levels Escalator in Hong Kong moves over 70,000 pedestrians each day from one part of the city to another.

HK Central Cochrane Street Central-Mid-Levels escalators — CCL photo by WingLuk.

I first heard about the Mid-Levels Escalator while watching the film Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong and had to find out more.

Shelley Street Central-Mid-Levels escalators in Hong Kong — Shelley Street in Hong Kong. CCL photo by Maucaine.

Turns out, it’s the world’s longest covered escalator system. In fact, it’s so large and so widely used that shops, bars, and other businesses have sprung up alongside it to take advantage of the built-in foot traffic.

Sai Ying Pun Centre Street Escalators — CCL photo by Rome Picasso 2018 MDUHSYE.

The 800m- (1/2 mile-) series of outdoor escalators and moving walkways connects the Central District’s skyscrapers with the residential area up the hill, known as Mid-Levels.

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Asia Hong Kong 21 Lyndhurst Terrace Central-Mid-Levels escalators interior — Lyndhurst Terrace Central-Mid-Levels escalators interior. CCL photo by Tpechncoam.

Just like reversible lanes on a roadway, the direction changes to accommodate the daily commute – one-way escalators moving downhill for the morning rush hours and then uphill the rest of the day.

Hong Kong – Central-Mid-Levels escalators. CCL photo by Deror avi.

It opened in 1993 and is currently undergoing renovations a section at a time.

Sai Ying Pun Centre Street August Escalators — Sai Ying Pun Centre Street. CCL photo by Rome Picasso 2018 MDUHSYE.

Like a funicular (without any sort of tram car), it’s another clever way to get up a hill!

– More Info –

Hong Kong Mid-Levels Escalator

History and How-to (a step-by-step journey)
Why Use the Mid-Levels Escalator
Construction updates
Central-Mid-Levels Escalator “Connect‧Community‧Culture” Drawing Competition Artwork

Hong Kong street at night — Scene from the film Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong.

Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong film

Now available on Amazon Prime
My review

October 9, 2019June 29, 2020

Our Tucson Food Favorites

While we’re still getting to know Tucson and have more eatery exploring to do, here are some local spots we find ourselves recommending when people visit…

Frequented Faves

Seis Kitchen

Serving fresh, flavorful food based on 6 regional cuisines of Mexico, Seis has become a regular stop for us!

We especially like: tacos (poc chuc, cochinita pibil, and/or barbacoa), burritos with adobo steak, a side of calabacitas, “cochata” (which is their horchata with a shot of cold brew coffee), or watermelon cucumber aguas frescas on a hot day.

Location:

Mercado San Agustin (130 S. Avenida Del Convento) is one of our favorite hang out spots. There’s only outdoor seating (with shade and misters) or take-out.
The new location in Joesler Village shopping center (River Rd/Campbell) has happy hour specials and both indoor and patio seating.
The food truck, which is where the restaurant got its start, is now used for catering.

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 8am – 8pm
Friday – Saturday 8am – 9pm

Serves: breakfast, lunch, dinner

El Guero Canelo

Where we go to indulge in (or introduce others to) local specialty, Sonoran dogs – bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with pinto beans, cheese, onions, and tomato, and served in a top-split roll. One time, Phillip and I and a couple friends took a day trip to Tucson specifically to eat Sonoran hot dogs at El Guero Canelo.

We especially like the Sonoran dogs, of course. The tacos are good, as well.

Locations:

2480 N Oracle Rd is where we usually go. The large, warehouse-like space is always hopping!
There are also a couple locations in South Tucson, an east location at 22nd St/Craycroft, and one in west Phoenix. (There weren’t any Phoenix locations yet when we took our road trip.)

Hours:
Sunday 12-6pm
Monday – Thursday 10am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 8am – 12am

Serves: lunch + dinner

Rincon Market

Vintage market (opened in 1926) turned mostly into a restaurant and coffee bar. It would also be a great place to pick up a la carte items for a picnic!

We especially like their lunch selection and lovely dessert case. Recently, I had a delicious grain bowl there. We were big fans of their weekend breakfast buffet, but I think they’ve discontinued it.

Location: Sam Hughes neighborhood. 2513 E 6th St, Tucson

Parking: street or lot behind the building

Hours: daily 7am – 9pm

Serves: breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, beer + wine

One-Time Wonders

These are places that left us wanting more in the best possible way. We’ve been to each of them once and plan to return!

Cafe Poca Cosa

I had heard several people rave about this place, and it did not disappoint. The menu changes twice daily, based on what’s fresh and in season. Your server brings over a chalkboard that lists the current offerings and explains each item to you personally. We chose to share the Poca Cosa, which means the chef puts together a surprise sampler of several dishes for you. It was fabulous.

Location: 110 East Pennington St, Tucson.

Parking: street or Pennington Garage.

Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 9pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

Serves: lunch + dinner

El Molinito

While there is definitely an old school feel to this place, the food was a cut above most restaurants in this Arizona Mexican food genre. On the suggestion of our tuxedoed waiter, I ordered the enchiladas de la casa, which were delicious.

Locations:

We went to one in Oro Valley.
There are also locations in northeast, northwest, and central Tucson.

Serves: lunch + dinner

Maynard’s Kitchen

This is, of course, the Maynard’s where people convene on Monday evenings for the Meet Me at Maynards walk.

We had a superb brunch there, and I wrote all about it with my Agave Heritage Week articles.

Location: 400 N. Toole Ave, Tucson

Parking: If the on-site lot is full, we usually park in the Depot Plaza/MLK Apartments Garage off 5th Ave.

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 5 – 9pm
Friday – Saturday 5pm – 12am
Sunday 9am – 2pm

Serves: dinner, happy hour, + Sunday brunch

Cup Cafe

Located inside Hotel Congress with a floor paved with pennies, Cup Cafe is a place where you can have an exceptional sit-down dinner or grab a coffee to go on your way out in the morning. We went during Agave Heritage Week, when the menu included dishes with agave ingredients.

Location: 311 E. Congress St, Tucson

Parking: street or Depot Plaza Garage

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday 7am – 10pm
Friday – Saturday 7am – 11pm

Serves: breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour

Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery

We made an unexpected road trip stop here. I loved the back patio and the mac and cheese. Phillip was less into it, but we need to give it another try.

Location: 266 E. Congress St, Tucson

Hours: daily 11am – 12am

Serves: lunch, dinner, + weekend brunch

Ten 55 Brewing Company

We had lunch here during the most recent Arizona International Film Festival. I got chicken salad sliders with white barbecue sauce, which was good for a bite or two, but too much for a whole sandwich. Phillip ordered a bratwurst or something off the sausage menu, and, next time, I’ll do the same.

Location: 110 E Congress St, Tucson

Hours:
Thursday – Saturday 11am – 11pm
Sunday – Wednesday 11am – 9pm

Serves: lunch, dinner, + Sunday brunch

Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails

We had an amazing tasting menu meal here several years ago. It’s been awhile but I haven’t forgotten it.

Location: 135 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson

Serves: dinner + happy hour

——-

Our meals at Cup Cafe and Maynard’s Kitchen were compliments of Hotel Congress.