Do you know about Handmade Nation? It’s a documentary movie (and book) about the indie craft movement. Faythe Levine traveled thousands and thousands  of miles to all the big craft fairs like Renegade, Felt Club, Bizarre Bazaar and interviewed all sorts of designers and artists. She also visited many of them in their studios and the results are fascinating. Some of the designers you will recognize like Austin Craft Mafia founders Jenny Hart (Sublime Stitching) and Jennifer Perkins (Naughty Secretary Club) and also Susan Beal of West Coast Crafty and Susan Stars. Here is a sneak preview trailer for the film which is being screened on March 11th by the San Francisco Film Society. I can’t wait! Hope to see you there!

Following the screening there will be a conversation with Lisa Congdon, owner of retailer Rare Device; Tina Barseghian, editor-in-chief of Craft magazine; Derek Fagerstrom, co-owner of the Curiosity Shoppe and the Craft and DIY editor of design*sponge; and Stephanie Syjuco, fine artist and professor. Also, local artists and vendors (such as Needles and Pens, Dutch Door Press, Diana Fayt, Miss Natalie, and Little Otsu, just to name a few) will be on hand to sell their work. It promises to be a fun night! You can find more information about the event here:

http://www.sffs.org/events/films/film_handmade_nation.html

Tickets are $8 for SFFS members and $12 for non-members; must be 21+ to attend. Mezzanine is located at 444 Jessie Street in San Francisco.

We just marked our first anniversary and we are celebrating with a sale on fabrics, patterns, notions and more! In this scary economy surviving is definitely something to celebrate! From today through February 28^th all full priced supplies are 20% off. In the past year at StitchCraft, hundreds of adults and kids have learned to sew for the first time or have improved their skills to new levels and we look forward to teaching hundreds more this year! So come on down and took a look at the new fabrics that just came in this week (new Amy Butler!) and sign up for some of our new classes like Serger Basics and the Frenchy Bag!

Thanks Petaluma for making our first year such a success. Couldn’t have done it without you!