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 Enjoy: Fabric, Quilting, and Craft Supplies
With the recent liquidation announcement of one of America’s largest fabric and craft stores, many makers feel the grief of losing their favorite place to stock up on supplies, find inspiration, or even connect with their local creative community. Fortunately, Evanston is home to several fantastic locally owned stores that offer high-quality materials and creative inspiration.
Allow us to introduce you to a few of our favorites:
Vogue Fabrics - An Evanston Legacy Business
📍 618 Hartrey Ave, Evanston, IL🖥️ voguefabricsstore.com
A cornerstone of Evanston’s sewing community, Vogue Fabrics has been serving makers for nearly 80 years. This massive fabric warehouse offers a wide range of textiles, including fashion fabrics, quilting cotton, upholstery materials, and specialty fabrics for cosplay and historical costumes. They also provide sewing notions, patterns, and services like scissor sharpening, sewing machine repair, and custom button covering.
With bridal season, prom, and graduation coming up, Vogue Fabrics is the perfect place to find apparel fabric to make your dream outfit or simply create your dream summer wardrobe. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced sewist, Vogue Fabrics is a must-visit!
Hot Tip: Sign up for their catalog and keep it stocked in your studio. You can browse for inspiration or use to place an order.
Evanston Stitchworks
📍 906 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL🖥️ evanstonstitchworks.com
If you're looking for curated, high-quality fabrics and a cozy crafting space, Evanston Stitchworks is the perfect spot. This boutique fabric and yarn shop carries beautiful natural fiber textiles, including organic and Japanese imports. They also offer knitting supplies and embroidery kits. Plus, their sewing and fiber arts workshops make this a fantastic place to learn new skills and meet fellow makers.
The Waste Shed
📍 1245 Hartrey Ave, Evanston, IL🖥️ thewasteshed.com
For eco-conscious crafters, The Waste Shed is a hidden gem. This nonprofit creative reuse store provides affordable second-hand art, craft, and school supplies. You’ll find fabric, yarn, paper, paints, and all sorts of unique upcycled materials for your projects. Not only is The Waste Shed a budget-friendly option, but shopping here also helps reduce waste and support sustainability in the arts.
Sew on Central
📍 1937 Central St, Evanston, IL🖥️ sewoncentral.com
For those interested in sewing classes, community, and high-quality fabrics, Sew on Central is a fantastic resource. This creative sewing studio offers a variety of workshops for all ages, from beginner sewing to advanced garment-making. They also sell fabric, notions, and patterns, making it a great place to shop for both supplies and inspiration. If you're looking to build your skills in a supportive environment, Sew on Central is the place to go.
Hot Tip: Sew on Central offers classes for adults and kids! If you have a mini maker, consider signing them up for the half-day sewing classes this summer.
Support Local & Keep Creating
The closing of a big box store is a huge loss. However, when supporting small businesses, you’ll find unique supplies, contribute to a vibrant creative scene, and even discover new ways to craft sustainably.
 North Shore Restaurant Month Returns!
Have you been wanting to try a new dinner spot in Evanston? North Shore Restaurant Month is the perfect time! Enjoy special prix-fixe menus and discounts at participating restaurants from March 1-31, including many right here in Evanston!
 Apply for Cultural Fund Grants
The Evanston Arts Council invites non-profits and community organizations to apply for up to $8,000 in Cultural Fund Grants to support arts programming or general operations. Individual artists may also apply for grants up to $2,000 through the Special Projects Fund.
Want to learn more? A free virtual information session will be held on Thurs., March 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. via Zoom.
Apply today: Apply at cityofevanston.org/culturalfund. Applications are open through Tues., April 1. Please read the guidelines and eligibility information before applying.
 Enjoy S'mores in Fountain Square March 8
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Downtown Evanston and City of Evanston Parks and Recreation are excited to cohost S'mores on the Square, a delightful and cozy community event around open fire pits at Fountain Square. The festive gathering will take place Saturday, March 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. Residents and visitors of all ages are invited to join in the fun, bringing their enthusiasm and a sweet tooth to the event. The event is free, but please register here.
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 Evanston Made First Saturday Art Events March 1
Join Evanston Made this Sat., March 1 for their First Saturday Evanston Art Events, a free self-guided tour of Evanston’s creative community. See art on display, shop for art and handmade goods, meet small business owners, enjoy a delicious meal, learn to sketch and make art Friends!
Evanston Art Map: Updated the First Saturday of every month, scroll this Google map for locations to see and shop for art in Evanston.
See below for upcoming events and start planning your weekends! You can find the full calendar of events on the Enjoy Evanston website.
Downtown Evanston
Central Street
Main-Dempster Mile
Ashland Arts
West End
West Village
Enjoy Evanston
Have a upcoming event?
Help us add to our calendar! We encourage you to submit all your upcoming events through our website.
Please review the following submission guidelines:
- Only public events may be listed
- Cannot be solely retail in nature
- Cannot be solely religious or political in nature
- Cannot be solely fundraisers or networking events
- Should be leisure time or recreational activities
Event eligibility is also evaluated on a case-by-case basis. At this time, we are only able to accept event listings in English.
 Meet Rachel and Benoit Angulo, La Cocinita
Meet Rachel and Benoit Angulo, owners of La Cocinita, a Venezuelan restaurant located in Downtown Evanston. They have been serving up Latin American street food to Evanstonians for nearly a decade and recently moved to a bigger location at 521 Davis Street. In additional to grabbing world famous tacos and arepas, you can now expend to find expanded seating and a full bar.
La Cocinita has been featured on several major network TV shows, in the Wall Street Journal, and been voted both the best food truck in New Orleans and one of the 101 best in the country. Go see for yourself what all the hype is about and check out their new space!
 Celebrate Women-Owned businesses in Evanston!
March is International Women’s Month, time to celebrate the incredible women who own and operate businesses in Evanston! From beloved bookstores and renowned steakhouses to unique jewelry shops and personalized fitness studios, these women entrepreneurs bring passion, creativity, and excellence to our community. Join us in supporting and uplifting these amazing businesses—not just this month, but all year long!
Find women-owned business Downtown, in the Main-Demspter Mile, or on Central Street.
 What do YOU enjoy about Evanston?
With ten unique business districts, there is something for everyone to enjoy! We want to hear about your faves. Tell us about your favorite places for health and fitness, your favorite store or art gallery to explore, or your favorite place to eat! Send us an email about your favorite spots at hello@enjoyevanston.com.
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