sewing circle – photographer unknown
There’s something quite lovely about getting together with a friend and making stuff. Sewing, knitting, cutting, filing. Your hands are busy, and your mind has space to enjoy the peace and conversation. And there is the added bonus of a fresh set of eyes and ears to toss ideas around with. Share tips and tricks. Learn from each other. Offer suggestions for improvement. And there is the opportunity to pass on skills (like mother to daughter, but to a broader group).
There should be more of it.
We used to do this much more often before the middle of the 20th century, before the consumer age really kicked in. Before we became ‘self-sufficient’ and self-focused. Craft groups are having a small revival, but it is still small. With the resurgence in handcrafts around the world, are our lives that busy that we can’t meet up? It seems to me that we are too easily lulled into a false sense of ‘connectedness’, and instead we are insulated by the internet. Youtubes and e-courses have their place, but there’s nothing quite like the tactile, one-on-one experience.
Because other people’s opinions are valuable, and
because not everything you make is wonderful.
True, some crafts are more suited to this than others; embroidery, knitting and crochet are highly mobile; jewellery and ceramics might be a bit trickier. But there are always aspects of every craft that are mobile. Could you set up a co-op to cater for jewellery, woodworking, or participate in an existing open access workshop? Instead of saying “my craft (sewing/jewellery/woodwork/ceramics/whatever) is not portable enough”, try and figure out ways to make it work. Or just invite a friend over to your workspace.
Watch and do, immediate feedback – what better way to learn a craft is there?
Go on, it’ll be fun.
grrlandog – vaucluse house guerilla knit