all about patchwork show
Since 2007, Patchwork Show has been where creativity, community, and small business come together. What began as Orange County’s first alternative craft fair—a scrappy market in a Santa Ana parking lot—has grown into a multi-city festival celebrating local makers, food, music, and hands-on crafting.
Patchwork Show isn’t just a market—it’s an incubator for creative businesses and a space where connections are made and creativity thrives. Vendors grow their brands and followings, while attendees discover unique handmade goods and the people behind them.
Whether you’re here to shop, snack, or get inspired, Patchwork Show welcomes you with open arms. Because it’s not just about the goods—it’s about the community that brings them to life.
OUR STORY
In 2007, Nicole Stevenson was tired of hauling handmade goods from her business, Random Nicole, to big-city craft fairs.
Alongside her former business partner, she set out to create something closer to home. With just 25 vendors and a parking lot in Santa Ana, the first Patchwork Show was born. It was small but mighty—a day filled with creativity, connection, and handmade magic.
Over the past two decades, Patchwork Show has gone through many evolutions. We produced a food festival (Patchwork Edible) and hosted events in cities throughout California, including Culver City, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Tustin, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Redwood City, Costa Mesa, Sacramento, San Pedro, El Segundo, San Francisco, and Ventura.
We’re getting back to our roots—fewer locations, deeper impact.
That means more intentional events that support local communities, empower creatives, and boost the economy. We’re also partnering with nonprofits that share our values of inclusivity, sustainability, and creative empowerment.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
We’re queer and allied-owned and run
Patchwork Show is a proudly LGBTQIA+ and allied-owned and run business. We support and uplift queer makers, artists, and community members through our events, partnerships, and platform—and are committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces where everyone is welcome, seen, and celebrated.
We offer up to seven booth scholarships each season for makers from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities and we donate a percentage of our proceeds to The Trevor Project to help support queer youth in crisis.
We’re woman-owned and 95%+ woman-run
From our founder to our team to the majority of our vendors, Patchwork Show is powered by women.
We believe in building equitable businesses that support people of marginalized genders at every stage of their creative journeys—with transparency, collaboration, and a lot of heart.
We prioritize inclusive hiring, spotlighting women- and nonbinary-owned brands, and creating opportunities that help our community thrive—creatively, professionally, and personally.
We’re committed to racial equity
We actively support BIPOC artists, makers, and small business owners through scholarships, community partnerships, and a commitment to equity and representation at every show.
We offer up to seven booth scholarships each season for makers from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities and we donate a percentage of our proceeds to The Loveland Foundation, which provides therapy and healing resources to Black women and girls.
We believe in commerce with conscience
Patchwork Show isn’t just about shopping—it’s about supporting handmade, small-batch, and ethically made goods. We’re here to connect conscious consumers with artists and makers who care about sustainability, integrity, and community over mass production.
We embody this by curating our vendor lineup with intention, prioritizing independent makers who create with care and purpose.
*Booth scholarships begin in our fall 2025 season.
OUR TEAM
nicole stevenson
Nicole Stevenson is a multi-passionate creative, first-time mama, and the CEO and Creative Director of Dear Handmade Life. She turned her passion into a career at 24 with Random Nicole, a six-figure handcrafted clothing line carried in over 250 shops worldwide.
In 2007, she co-founded Dear Handmade Life to connect and empower creatives through events, workshops, a blog, and a podcast. When she’s not working, you’ll find her art journaling, thrift store shopping, or dreaming of life by the beach—with Korean BBQ always on her mind.
leann foss
LeAnn is the Director of Operations for Patchwork Show and Craftcation Conference, where she blends her love of creativity with a talent for organization. She joined the team in 2018 while working an uninspiring day job and dreaming of something more meaningful and has since become a passionate advocate for conscious consumerism and creative community.
When she’s not wrangling spreadsheets or market logistics, you’ll find her thrifting, upcycling, dressing up for the Renaissance Faire (or no reason at all), and building a life rooted in creativity and connection with her chosen family in an intentional community.
lauren durr
Sewing mama trying to keep the machines running for the next generations. Mom to two great kids, adopter of cats, I sew cloths because I believe in the transformational power of fashion, and I will never turn down caramel (unless it’s flan, gels and I don’t gel). I ice dye rainbows onto denim because we all need some heavy-duty hope.
Brittany Stump
Brittany is our Creative & Admin Assistant, where she keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and supports the creative magic that powers Craftcation and Patchwork Show. With a background in social media and marketing for women-owned businesses, she thrives on organization, systems, and uplifting creative communities.
A Southern California native, she’s also a maker herself, crafting polymer clay earrings. When she’s not managing inboxes or calendars, you’ll find her cooking or exploring new restaurants with her fiancé, and spending time with her dog.
our event staff
Our event staff keep Patchwork Show running smoothly from setup to breakdown. They handle everything from vendor check-in and info booth support to behind-the-scenes logistics and troubleshooting. Whether they’re helping a vendor find their booth, answering attendee questions, or stepping in wherever needed, they help create a welcoming, organized, and supportive environment. They’re essential to making sure the show runs well—for everyone involved.
BIG CRAFTY NEWS INCOMING! 