Sustainable, second-hand textiles now at The Stashery

Textile Center in Southeast Minneapolis is known far and wide as a hub of excellence for all things fiber, and has been for more than 30 years. As of Friday, May 30, 2025, it’s also a place where shoppers can find secondhand fiber supplies at reasonable prices.
The newly opened Stashery is a re-purposed Textile Center classroom that is well-named. Director of Operations Erin Husted said, “Most people involved in fiber arts have a stash of yarn, fabric, or whatever their passion happens to be. It’s easy to over-accumulate, especially if you’ve been working in a medium for years. But if you’re just getting started, or you’re on a budget, the costs of new fiber materials can be daunting.”
Husted’s introduction to the work of Textile Center was through their twice-yearly garage sale back in 2022. Members and supporters contribute materials for this event, which is hotly anticipated in the Twin Cities’ fiber community. She said, “We get phone calls weekly with people asking if they can donate secondhand materials, but we haven’t had a way, other than the garage sales, to sell them. With the opening of The Stashery, Textile Center will be able to offer affordable, secondhand fiber supplies year-round.

Sustainability is key
Husted was quick to point out that having a lower price point was only one of the reasons for developing The Stashery. She said, “Our current strategic framework champions environmentally healthy and sustainable textile art practices. Environmental stewardship is crucial in the field of textiles. The mass-manufacture of clothing creates a huge amount of environmental toxins, and so much waste is produced – especially by the current fast-fashion trends.”
Fast fashion is a business model that produces and sells cheap, poorly made, trendy clothing. It’s estimated that consumers of fast fashion wear their clothing items only seven times on average before disposing of them.

A different shopping experience
On The Stashery’s shelves, fabrics are grouped by type and color. The amounts are non-standard, so don’t expect bolts of fabric, but there was enough selection to support all kinds of projects. There are used sewing machines for sale, patterns (including some vintage), and all kinds of notions from appliques to zippers. For knitters and crocheters, expect a selection of needles and a variety of yarn types and colors, with an emphasis on natural fibers.
Every purchase made at The Stashery supports Textile Center’s artistic and educational programming for all ages, including their scholarship fund.

Donations welcome
If you’re looking to de-clutter your home-stash of fiber supplies, sign up for an appointment at Textile Center here: www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44ABA82DA2F5C16-57237561-thestashery. Contribute to the sustainability of the fiber arts community while simplifying your maker space at home.

Volunteer
Kathy Mack has been a Textile Center volunteer for years, and was helping customers on grand opening day at The Stashery. She said, “I think people will be drawn to this space because it’s bright, colorful and inexpensive. As a designer, one of my favorite things to do is to come in without a set idea in mind, find a piece of fabric I really like, and figure out how to make something creative with it.”
Textile Center welcomes volunteers to support The Stashery by answering customer questions, cutting fabric, organizing notions, and sharing information about the organization. Volunteers are essential to fostering a welcoming, creative environment for all.

Offerings
A nationally recognized center for fiber art, the center has a mission to honor textile traditions, promote excellence and innovation, nurture appreciation, and inspire widespread participation in fiber arts. Their resources include fiber art exhibitions, an artisan shop, the region’s only accessible professional-grade dye lab, a natural dye plant garden, and one of the country’s largest circulating textile libraries open to the public.
Other upcoming sustainability/reuse events include the Slow Fashion Sale on July 10-12. Do you have garments you’ve made or mended that don’t quite fit or suit you anymore? Find new homes for these garments by donating them to the Slow Fashion Sale. Donation Day for this event is Thursday, June 26, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. The sale is free and open to the public, with all proceeds going to support Textile Center’s artistic and educational programs.
Interested in learning a new skill? Choose from more than 200 classes per year for all ages and skill levels, including a monthly Craft Night that costs $15. The goal with Craft Night is to provide accessible, welcoming, low-price-point ways to get introduced to the world of fiber art. Visit Textile Center’s class schedule online at textilecentermn.org or email questions to info@textilecentermn.org.