When the Color of the Year Isn’t the Star

Pantone’s Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, may seem subtle at first glance, but for textile artists and craft professionals, its power lies in what it supports rather than what it demands. This article explores how Cloud Dancer functions as structure, negative space, and a creative catalyst across knitting, quilting, dyeing, and textile design.

The h+h americas Experience 2026: An Information Session

Join us for an evening information session about h+h americas, the premier trade show for the crafts industry. Hear from past exhibitors and attendees, ask questions, and learn about the opportunity to attend the 2026 show.

Resilience in Bloom: What Sola Flowers Taught Me About Craft, Growth, and Possibility

After her 2020 wedding was canceled, Samantha Friedrich turned leftover sola wood flowers into a creative practice that reshaped her career. This reflective essay explores resilience, slow growth, and how skill-building and quiet consistency can turn craft into a sustainable livelihood for makers and creative business owners.

As Quilt Market Ends, h+h americas Introduces New Fall Trade Show in Houston

Koelnmesse has announced the launch of h+h americas Fall Edition, a new craft industry trade show debuting in Houston, Texas, October 1–2, 2026. The event will feature a streamlined format with education, hands-on activations, and a strong roster of committed exhibitors, arriving amid major shifts in the trade show landscape following the closure of Quilt Market.

Inside Frocktails: Where Handmade Clothes and Community Take Center Stage

Frocktails events bring sewists together to celebrate handmade garments, build community, and connect in person. Learn what frocktails are, why they matter to the sewing world, and practical tips for planning, marketing, and hosting a successful event—from choosing a venue to creating activities attendees love.

Crafting Accessibility with Beth Gorishek

Discover how accessibility advocate Beth Gorishek empowers makers to adapt their craft, remove barriers, and build a more inclusive fiber arts community.

SewShare: A Brand New Sewing Community and Marketplace

SewShare is a new online sewing community and marketplace created by Creativebug founders Ursula Morgan and Julie Roehm. Bringing together education, supplies, patterns, and community in one place, SewShare supports sewists and independent designers with forums, technique libraries, a robust pattern marketplace, and interactive storefronts.

How to Organize a Community Art Project

Learn how three artists organized community art projects, bringing people of different backgrounds and levels of experience together around creativity.

Embroydica Connects Global Embroidery Traditions in One Online Destination

Discover Embroydica, the online encyclopedia for all things embroidery, founded by mother-daughter duo Lilia Filkov and Roza Goltser. Explore embroidery’s rich history, modern artistry, and global techniques through curated articles, tutorials, and community features connecting stitchers worldwide. Celebrate creativity, culture, and connection—one stitch at a time.

Halloween Trends for 2025

We take a look at creative trends to expect this Halloween, including gothic romanticism/witchcore, botanical/floaral elements, quilted patchwork ghosts and neon colors.

“Color You Can Hold”: Why Artists Love the Playful Power of Polymer Clay

Once considered a children’s craft material, polymer clay has evolved into a respected art medium embraced by jewelry designers, sculptors, and fine artists. Its versatility, affordability, and vibrant color possibilities make it a favorite among creatives seeking freedom to experiment. In this feature, writer Roberta G. Wax explores how polymer clay artists such as Adriana Allen, Michelle Butler, and Dr. Ron Lehocky are pushing the medium’s boundaries—from intricate floral earrings to heart-shaped pins that have raised thousands for charity. Discover how polymer clay’s accessibility and expressive potential continue to inspire a thriving global community of makers and collectors.

The Smithsonian Honors a Century of Making at the State Fair

What makes something art or craft? Gwen Bortner explores this question through State Fairs: Growing American Craft at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, celebrating generations of makers whose work blurs the line between artistry, skill, and tradition.

Sewing Patterns Rise from DGA Bankruptcy Ashes

After months of uncertainty, the “Big 4” sewing pattern brands — Simplicity, McCall’s, Vogue, and Butterick — have been saved. Rubelmann Capital and longtime Simplicity executive Abbie Small are leading a relaunch of the historic pattern company, preserving jobs, archives, and the last U.S. tissue pattern presses while modernizing for a digital future.

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