So, last Saturday I participated in the first ever Craft Rave. It was awesome. 200 people came to craft all day and night in an old warehouse. It was hosted by my fabulous friend, Cyndi Coon. You can see her blogs here and here. From 2 p.m. to midnight, participants created make-and-take projects with the fourteen artists there (think preschool arts ‘n crafts tables for adults …but with coffee and good music.) The projects ranged from needle felting (which was very cool and people were so super into it- see here,) to shrine-making, book-making, and Cyndi’s awesome project of turning home-made t-shirt yarn into jewelry and headbands…super cute!
I hosted a handmade, free-form embroidered holiday greeting card activity. I had people at my table for all ten hours. We sat and sewed. It was really fun to learn from all the peeps at my table. I think we here in this modern craft movement are all attracted to the idea of the erstwhile quilting-bee– community crafting groups…the connection…the relationships…the chance to share information and ideas about handmade things with people of all ages and backgrounds and political affiliations and religions. Sitting together and working with your hands really is the great equalizer and I think we young (can I call myself young?) crafters really crave that. So, this Craft Rave really satisfied that. I had people sitting at my table for three and four hours embroidering cards. Look at what they made! Unbelievable. Each person’s cards were a complete reflection of their maker. Some people followed the examples I had created and some people just raided my stash and came up with their own designs. For me, it is always really honorific to be in a position to empower people to use the creativity and talent they already possess.
I’m pretty sure my mom was having more fun than anyone else. Among other things, she made this adorable bunting for Ro’s room at Sarah’s table: