DEC
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2013
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Stash offers local option for crafty quilters
by Serena Runyan Staff Reporter
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o get the supplies they need, crafty Walla Wallans can turn to several places in town to find everything from beads to sewing machines. However, Walla Wallans are lately left with fewer local choices, mostly chains like Jo-Ann Fabric Store. Stash, a quilting supply store on Main Street, is one of the few remaining independent crafting stores in Walla Walla. Stash opened in 2009 and has been the go-to specialty quilting and sewing store for many Walla Wallans ever since. They sell books, sewing machines, ready-made quilting kits and, of course, fabric. For quilters, Stash is a cozy establishment with an overwhelming selection of colors and patterns. On its website, Stash has links and instructions to create everything from dresses to pillows to quilts. Stash also has someone in the store for sewing machine maintenance. But Stash isn’t just a supply store. It also hosts monthly and single-time classes throughout the year to introduce people to quilting and further the skills of old-timers. For a fee, these classes are open to quilters with all levels of experience. “We wanted to open a business that would share our love of all things hand-made, teach classes and inspire others to learn how to sew. Providing a large mix of high quality, fun designer fabrics,
notions, patterns and books along with Bernina sewing machines allows customers to create something that is fresh and modern using traditional and newer methods of sewing and quilting,” said Stash owner Kathy Hamada in an email. The chain business Jo-Ann Fabric Store also offers classes, but not at the Walla Walla location. However, the Walla Walla branch does offer good deals on supplies to students, making them a popular destination for crafting needs. “I go [to Jo-Ann] partly because they offer a lot of discounts,” said junior Anna Stebbins, who knits hats. “They do a 10 percent student discount, and they send coupons.” For many, part of the appeal of Jo-Ann is the familiarity of a chain store. Students from out of town already know that Jo-Ann exists and can quickly find it in Walla Walla. “I went there once, and found that it was exactly like most other Jo-Ann Fabrics that I had been to,” said junior Christa Lee, who likes to alter and design clothing, among other crafty hobbies. Stebbins also goes to Jo-Ann because she knows they have what she wants. “Jo-Ann has a decent selection of yarn and fabric, and that’s the only place I’ve been,” she said. Unlike Jo-Ann, Walla Walla’s independent craft store scene is suffering. In the past several years or so, Walla Walla has seen many of its previous independent crafting stores close down. Specialty stores such as
Norton’s Knits or Suzy’s Art Beads are no longer in business, and Walla Wallans are left with chain stores to supply them. Mary Lou Norton, previous owner of Norton’s Knits, said there wasn’t enough of a consumer base to keep Norton’s Knits going. “There was not enough traffic,” she said. However, Norton doesn’t attribute the low customer base her store had to the presence of chain craft stores. She says the low business she got was knitting-specific. “I sold knitting machines, and there’s just not as much of a market for those anymore,” said Norton. Despite a tough market, Stash is still going strong with a supportive local consumer base. “We have a lot of great local people who support us by shopping and taking classes from us. These customers appreciate having small businesses in their hometown and they buy locally when they can.” Stash also has business from Walla Walla’s tourist traffic. “The wine industry also brings us many customers that travel from Seattle, Portland, Spokane and all over the Northwest. Our online business is growing and many of the people that shop when they are in town visiting also shop with us online,” said Hamada. While many businesses have suffered recently, hope is not lost for local Walla Walla craft stores. While many businesses have suffered recently, hope is not lost for local Walla Walla craft stores.
Stash, an independent quilting supply store downtown, offers a wide selection of fabrics and patterns for crafty sewers who want to shop locally. Photos by Volpert
Annual craft fair creates community for vendors by Isabel Mills Staff Reporter
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ust in time for the holiday season, crafty students and staff will come together under one roof to sell their unique homemade products. On Monday, Dec. 9, the Whitman College community will have an opportunity to view and purchase items created by fellow students and staff. They range from people who are participating just to have fun to those who want to raise money for charity, and each person has their own unique craft to share. Katharine Curles, director of student activities, is organizing the craft fair this year. “This is the fourth annual arts and crafts fair, and it’s been growing every year! We have handcrafted artworks, crafts and homemade food items,” said Curles. Telara McCullough, manager of compensations and benefits of human resources, will be selling hand-dyed wool and other various hand made items includ-
ing felt birds and pin cushions. “You have to buy special dye that will react well with wool. Then we buy wool fabric. We prepare the wool by washing it with a product that will make it more absorbent. Then we go through a dying process. No two times does the color come out the same because we like to mix the colors to create something original each time,” said McCullough. Another vendor is Ruth Ladderud, an administrative assistant in the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculty, who will be selling handmade tote bags made from old animal feed bags. She acquires many of her materials from various local farmers who donate their used feedbags to her. “Sometimes I show up at home, and lo and behold there are three empty chicken feed bags sitting outside, which is perfect because it gives me variety,” said Ladderud. At the end of each year, Ladderud donates the proceeds from her sales to a charity.
Sophomore Brennan Johnson will be running a photography booth at the crafts fair. He is glad to have found a hobby that gives him an opportunity for self-expression. “I got into photography in 10th grade because my brother was in it. I was looking for some kind of creative outlet. I took a class and I’ve been doing it ever since,” he said. Juniors Clint Vorauer and Luke Hedlund feel similarly connected to their craft, though it is arguably more different than photography. Together, Hedlund and Vorauer brew kombucha, a drink made from a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, also known as SCOBY. “So we start with a big pot of tea and then we add sugar which dissolves. We have a secret ratio of sugar to tea. When the water cools we add the SCOBY, and you leave it alone for one to four weeks and just let the SCOBY do its thing,” said Hedlund. Much like photography allows Johnson to explore his creative abilities, brew-
ing kombucha allows Vorauer and Hedlund a chance to explore their scientific curiosities. “We like making stuff. We’re renaissance men. We’re both science majors, so we have a lab book for notes on the flavors,” said Hedlund. At the fair, they will be selling three flavors: lavender grapefruit, plain and grapefruit ginger. “We’ve experimented with different store-bought juices, concentrates, fruits, ginger and lavender. All the people who have tried the lavender thus far have been pleasantly surprised, so we hope that the rest of the Whitman campus will enjoy it like we have,” said Vorauer. For these vendors, profit is not the only benefit of selling wares at the fair. They also enjoy the sense of togetherness that a craft fair inspires. “It’s not really about me profiting. It’s a fun way to put my art in to the world. It’s also really about the community. Bringing people together through art is really important to me,” said Johnson.
Ladderud also has a good time interacting with buyers and other sellers. “I’ve been doing this for about three years. What makes it all the better is they’re all recycled and it’s fun to sit at the craft fair. It’s a great community,” she said. Vorauer and Hedlund want to use this community to spread the word about their unique brewing hobby and the tasty drink it creates. “At this point I’m just excited about spreading the word of kombucha. We were thinking about having some samples available because a lot of people don’t really know anything about it. But I’m confident that if people try our kombucha, they will love it,” said Vorauer. Despite their different talents, all of the vendors are passionate about their crafts and sharing their skills with the world. “I’m always inspired by the opportunity to create things ... even more so if I can do it with other people. That combination is part of life now. I can’t imagine not doing it,” said McCullough.