Beyond Joann Fabrics!
Sewing stores near you, some epic art classes, the power of quilts from Ken Burns, and small studio updates.
A couple of things from around the studio. I was on vacation most of the time between my last newsletter and today, but jumped right back in! A huge pile of baskets going out next week and some updates to my fabric books.
Joann Fabrics is closing their stores. I don’t personally have a Joann’s near me so on the one hand the closures aren’t going to affect my ability to get supplies. On the other hand, I know it’s a place that’s easily accessible for many Americans and without it, access to fabrics and notions is going to be made more difficult. That’s a huge bummer to me, I think we all deserve hobbies and a way to express ourselves. I know sewing fills that space for many people. However, there are loads of mom-and-pop fabric stores in the country, and this is a great moment to find your local shop and divert all of your fabric shopping energy into a small business.
I’m updating The Rolodex, my massive spreadsheet of artist resources, to include as many local sewing shops as I can in the next few weeks. Leave a comment or send me a message with your favorites!
Below are a few of the sewing shops I’ve found so far, plus a few cool classes that I’ve listed in The Rolodex.
The Rolodex is the one of the perks of a paid subscription to Studio Sundays, it’s got hundreds of listings for stores, classes, YouTube channels and more!
As always, if you cannot afford a subscription, please reach out and I will comp it, no questions asked. If you are in a position to pay for a month or year, that support means I can continue to find ways to support living artists, dig up even more resources and create my own art.
Sewing Stores!
Sew-ciety Castle Rock, CO
Sew-ciety is my mom’s favorite quilting store. They have serious stock of fabric and quilting notions, and they offer sewing machine repair which is harder and harder to find!
M&L Fabrics Discount Store Anaheim, CA
I love these mega warehouse fabric discount stores, you have to go in ready to hunt for stuff, but the hunt is so exciting! M & L Fabrics
Main Street Quilting Bozeman, MT
Main Street Quilting Company is a full service quilt shop, located in the heart of historic downtown Bozeman, and it’s the largest quilting store in southwest Montana
Robin’s Sewing Shoppe Birmingham, AL
Robin’s Sewing Shoppe is a local sewing shop with special expertise in Bernina machines.
Your favorite store here
Send me your recs! I want to know all the great small sewing and art supply stores in America (and beyond!).
Ken Burns on Quilts
“I’ve spent my entire professional life asking the essentially simple question: Who are we? Who are those strange and complicated people who like to call themselves Americans? And all of my films are attempting not so much to answer that question, but to deepen it. So as an avocation, as a hobby, I have pursued collecting what I think is the cleanest, simplest, and most authentic expression of who we are as a people.”
-Ken Burns
This ten minute short of Ken Burns and his quilt collection made my day last week. A great reminder that something as simple as a quilt can create a connection between multiple generations or between people across the country.
Cool Classes coming up
Kelli Anderson on Paper Engineering
If I had the time and extra cash, I would sign up for this in a heartbeat. Kelli is one of the greatest artists I know and this class would expand any creative practice. You have no idea what paper is capable of until you see what Kelli can do! Sign up here.
Gee’s Bend Quilting Retreats
Join the legendary Pettway family of Gee's Bend Quilting Collective at a week long retreat for any level of quilter. You work on your own project and receive one-on-one guidance from China and Mary Ann Pettway.
“Retreats have historically served as spaces for renewal, learning, and reflection. Rooted in religious and creative traditions, they offer time away from daily routines to focus on artistic expression. Whether fostering contemplation or creativity, retreats provide valuable opportunities for personal exploration and community connection.”
One more way to get the supplies you need!
My last suggestion for getting some new-to-you supplies is to host a fabric (or any art supply) swap. It’s a win-win-win. You and your friends get to clean out your stash, everyone gets something to take home, and no new resources are used in the process. Oh, and you get to hang out with people who have similar hobbies.
See this article on Curiously Conscious for their tips on a clothing swap that could be easily adapted for other types of swaps.
That’s it for the week. See you soon :)
Bekka