textile-arts – The Fábrica

A Month of Abundance

There’s nothing special about early August on the list of holidays in my calendar app. No federal holidays. No well-known religious observances connected to this part of the solar year. And yet, here in Santa Cruz,–although we still have a month or two of nice weather and natural abundance yet to come–the summer break from school is over and kids are heading back to classes.

Among the Fábrica Collective Members, some of us are blissfully detached from the school year schedule. And some of us, as parents or workers–are facing the reality of a changing season. Is summer really over?!?

In fact, there is a sort of calendar that honors early August as one of four important yearly times for celebration and transition. The traditional Celtic cycle of the year marks this approximate midpoint between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox as the festival of Lùnastal or Lúnasa (in Scottish Gaelic and Irish respectively, and various other names in neighboring linguistic groups).

Lùnastal is a time of abundance and of transition. The end of summer!! And the beginning of the harvest season, Autumn. The days are still long, but they will grow much shorter during this season. There is warmth and plentiful food at this time, but we are cavorting towards the colder and darker part of the year.

In Santa Cruz, perhaps our seasons vary less dramatically than those at more northerly latitudes, but we will also see much change at this time of year. Of course, the kids are back to school. Soon enough, the tourist season will draw to a close and the university students will return. Farmers’ markets and backyard gardens will be at the peak of their bounty over the next few months before retreating to a monotony of leafy greens for the winter. The days will indeed grow shorter. And eventually, we hope, the rain will return.

At the Fábrica, we have a lot planned for the next few months–a lot of which is outside in the courtyard that we share with the rest of the Hub. But, soon enough, it will be too cold or too wet for outside events. Savor these late summer goodies while they last!

Events at the Fábrica:

Art Show at Little Giant:

“Thread Bare”

@ Little Giant Collective
115 River St S, Santa Cruz

Friday, August 7, 2026, 6pm – 9 pm

Our comrades at Little Giant are hosting the Thread Bare show for the second year! “Make your way to LGC for a collection of suggestive pieces from local sewists, weavers, knitters, crotcheters, and embroidery artists.”

More info on our Events Page!

Ongoing workshop:

“Mending Circle”

@ The Fábrica
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Wednesdays! August 12 & 26, September 9 & 23, 2026
6pm – 8 pm

Bring something to mend and learn some new mending methods! You’re also welcome to join with any hand-stitching project (knitting, crochet, embroidery, etc.).

Two Indigo WorkshoPS!!

“Indigo Mothers & Others”

Saturday, August 22, 2026, 1 – 4pm
* Limited to 6 participants!

“Big Blue Community Indigo Vat”

Sunday, August 23, 2026, 12:30 – 3pm

Find a full description of both workshops on our Events Page.

@ The Fábrica
(Outside in the Courtyard)
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

The Workshop is Open!

Open Hours:

Saturdays 2pm – 5pm
Sundays 3pm – 6pm
Mondays 12pm – 3pm

Weird hours in the near future:
SHOP CLOSED Saturday 8/22, Monday 8/24

Please check the Hours/Calendar page for the most current information.

Mil Gracias & Big Thanks:

We hosted our annual yard sale last month and it was a great success! Thanks to everyone who helped out with the event or came to buy supplies. We made some money for our rent fund! And we cleared out a lot of space to make room for new donations of fabric and supplies. We hope you found something nice that inspires you to create and repair!

Support The Fábrica !

Making a recurring donation of $5 or more helps us a lot! Thank you for your support!

Miscellanea:

If you haven’t done so already, save this phone number in your phone: (831) 239-4289. This is who you should call if you think you’ve spotted an ICE or DHS raid in Santa Cruz County. If you want to join the network of legal observers, you can find info about YARR (Your Allied Rapid Response) trainings on their website and socials.
Our lovely neighbors Subrosa are a small arts venue and meeting space that hosts concerts and classes almost daily.
Our other neighbors The Bike Church are like the Fábrica for bikes! If you’re new to bike maintenance, check out their monthly “Intro to Bikes” workshop.
Check out the Free Skool Calendar.

Follow us on Instagram!

Yard Sale!!!

The most important think you need to know about the Fábrica right now is that we’re having our annual Super Crazy Extra Cheap Stash-Busting Yard Sale this Saturday. Details and more treats below.

Red, purple, and white flags with liberatory slogans hang from a front porch and flutter in the breeze. The flags are from this years May Day printing event with The Fábrica and Little Giant Collective.

Events at the Fábrica:

Fábrica fundraiser:

“Fábrica Yard Sale”

Saturday, July 11, 12-4pm

@ The Fábrica
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

The Fábrica’s 3rd (approximately) annual TEXTILE ARTS YARD SALE is coming up on Saturday, July 11 at 703 Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz. The sale will be in the courtyard of The Hub and inside The Fábrica and SubRosa from 12-4pm.

We will have tons of fabric, sewing patterns, knitting and crochet tools, yarn, notions, sewing machines, and vintage clothes for sale at great prices! This is a fundraiser to support the continued operation of our community textile arts workshop. And this year our friends at LGC will be joining with some bargain prints and live silkscreening at the event. Please share!

Ongoing workshop

“Mending Circle”

@ The Fábrica
703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Wednesday, June 29, 2026
6pm – 8 pm

* Starting in August, the mending circle will be every 2nd and 4th Wednesday.

Bring something to mend and learn some new mending methods! You’re also welcome to join with any hand-stitching project (crochet, embroidery, knitting, etc). No machines during this time.

Knitting is a Summer Sport

A motley collection of blue, gray, green, and black yarns of varying thicknesses and textures are perfect for the 3 Day Pullover. All of these were salvaged/donations from the Fábrica.

I recently heard someone refer to knitting as a “Winter Sport” and, while I understand that sentiment entirely (it is certainly slow and fuzzy compared to many warm weather activities), I’d like to argue that knitting is just as enjoyable and practical during the summer.

If you’re an avid knitter, you are probably familiar with the need to have multiple knitting projects going on at the same time. Different knitting projects require different levels of focus and space, so they’re suitable for different environments.

For example, when you’re by yourself, lounging on the porch and enjoying the long June and July evenings, work on your more intricate and bulky project, something that requires counting or reading a pattern and changing colors. I’m working on the King Salmon Sweater from Boyland Knitworks. It’s my first stranded colorwork project in a long time and it definitely requires some attention to detail!

During the summer of 2026, you might also find yourself watching a thrilling World Cup match at the pub with a crew of friends. If you absolutely must bring a handicraft with you, bring something so simple that you don’t even have to look at it! A simple scarf would be perfect, but I’m working on the deceptively simple 3 Day Pullover by Laerke Bagger. This is an excellent project for using a bunch of different yarns you find at The Fábrica, or leftover from your other projects.

And if you’re taking a plane, train, or (the passenger seat of an) automobile on a summer trip, bring something small and complicated that will help you pass the hours without taking up too much space in your bag. Some folks might prefer a lacy shawl or a colorwork knit cap, but I usually opt for socks. I have been using the Muleteer Sock pattern for years and years. It’s a very simple toe-up pattern, but you can change things up to make it more interesting. Sometimes I do seed stitch across the instep, use a self striping yarn, or change up the length and ribbing pattern for the ankle.

By the way, when making socks, I highly recommend knitting both socks at once on two setfs of needles. This will make it easier to knit both the same, without keeping meticulous notes. And, best of all, when you’re done, you’re done!

By Elaina, one of the Fábrica’s co-founders and Collective members.