we talk about community a lot in the world of handmade business. most of us work alone, but we all know neither our businesses nor ourselves can thrive without the support, inspiration and advice from our peers. delilah and i could never have built patchwork and craftcation without our amazing vendors, volunteers and the whole handmade community. over the past eight years we’ve been lucky enough to build relationships with some of the most inspiring, hilarious and knowledgeable human beings in the world. we’re happy to announce that we’ve invited some of these people to share their stories, knowledge, inspiration and awesomeness with you! september will be overflowing with guest contributor posts on diy craft and food tutorials, interviews with makers, tips on starting and growing your handmade business and stories of living and working from scratch. it all starts tomorrow with the mind blowing eleanor whitney, a writer, rock musician, educator, arts administrator and author of GROW: how to take your diy project and passion to the next level and quit your day job.

-nicole s.