card catalog, and knitting classes are
taught at a 12-foot-long table around
which students gather in 1950s
schoolhouse chairs. A hot pink deer
head, crocheted by local graffiti
artists Ladies Fancyworks Society,
sports coatrack-size antlers and
presents a bright contrast to lush
gold floral wallpaper.
Fabric offerings include quilting
cotton, Liberty of London lawn,
Pendleton and garment-weight wool,
waxed cotton, denim and chambray,
silk noil, and knits. Japanese fabrics
are favorites, including Kokka and
double gauzes from Nani Iro.
Along with fabric, Fancy Tiger Crafts
carries an extensive collection of
yarn and materials for embroidery,macramé, crochet, and English paper
piecing. The shop is known for its
wide range of independently
produced patterns. Quilt samples
show up on walls, while garment
samples are likely to be worn by the
shop’s 20 staff members.
Neither Jaime nor Amber were
experienced sewers when Fancy Tiger
Crafts opened, and Jaime sees that
as a strength. “We’re compassionate
toward people who are trying
something they’ve never done before,”
she says. She notes that customers'
skills have grown along with their
own. “We’ll challenge ourselves to
do more complex projects, then
challenge our customers to do
the same.”“WE WANTED TO CREATE
A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE
FEELS WELCOME—
NO MATTER WHO THEY
ARE OR WHAT THEY KNOW
ABOUT CRAFTING—WHERE
THEY CAN COME IN AND
GET HELP AT ANY LEVEL.”
— Amber Platzer Corcoran, ownerHand-painted typography on the walls, by local artist
Eric Johnson, accentuates the artistic spirit of the shop.72 | Quilt Sampler FALL/WINTER 2019