Author: Betsy

Roosevelt Elementary’s 2nd & 3rd Graders Rule!

| Betsy

“Because of her career as the Elementary Spanish program teacher and because of her passion for quilting, Detroit Lakes teacher Pat Link is introducing her students to bringing a smile to those less fortunate.

Through Cultural Collaborative, Amy Tervola Hultberg’s second/third grade combo class made two quilts that will be sent to those in need.”

“Each student was given a block of fabric and fabric markers to draw a picture of hope that would make someone else happy. Those drew smiley faces, rainbows, a butterfly, flower, fish, sailboat, family and more.”

Ms. Link and Ms. Hultberg from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, might just be some of the awesome teachers ever. They not only had their students literally made something from happy, they also turned the quilting into a learning experience!

“Besides the quilts, the group also held a bake sale and raised $174. The money was used for materials, shipping the quilts and the remainder will be donated to some program, one they haven’t decided on yet. But students got to learn about paying bills — materials for the quilts — what profit is, and they got to count and add up the money they made at the sale.”

I think the only thing I knew about bills at that age was that it seemed like lots of old men were mysteriously called Bill even though their name was really William. (It’s still a mystery to this day. I mean, really, where does that B come from!)

(Text from article)

Also:
*Embroidered plastic bags (!!!) by Maria Cornejo
*I love this post by Alabama Weaver about why she quilts.
*Amazingly awesome post by Jo Bourne about knitting in the 1700s
*Did you know Union City, New Jersey, is the EMBROIDERY CAPITAL OF THE US?
*School knitting club knitting chain mail shirts (I told you knitting’s not for wusses!)
*Timeline for Guilford Mills’ textile plant’s history since 1946: The rise and fall and rise (and fall) of one North Carolina textile plant

Tough Dudes, Soft Craft: Men Getting Crafty

| Betsy

This story has made its rounds on the US craft blogosphere yesterday, but for those of you farther afield, I wanted to post about it in case you haven’t seen it, Idle Pastime: In Off Hours, Truckers Pick Up Stitching. I especially adore that when the man in the video was interviewed he was waiting to pick up his next delivery load: 45,000 pounds of Spam, which, seems quite manly, don’t you think?





I think timing is quite interesting given the Quilts 1700-2010 show at the V & A Museum that just opened is showing off the work of some stitching inmates trained by Fine Cell Work. There with all the historic quilts is a quilt made by the tough guys. There is a lovely video about their work over here, if you haven’t seen it already, please go check it out. There is also a little bit more about the truckers sewing above over here.

Just as craft hit a point 10 years ago where feminists began to embrace craft, have we reached a point where men are beginning to embrace it more and more? Just like feminists took back the kitchen and the knitting needles, are men finally getting hassled less now that craft has been in vogue for a decade? I’d like to think so.

Although, just like with the feminists, as we heard such gender stereotyping nonsense like, “You?! You knit? I thought you’d be off giving people tattoos or in a mosh pit or not shaving your legs?” I think that the novelty factor inherent in men embracing craft is a bit sad. Why can’t men make “soft” things if they want to? After all, soldiers are given sewing kits to repair things in the field and wasn’t the toughest dude of the 80s, MacGyver, one hell of a crafty genius? And who could forget, everyone’s favorite male stitcher former pro-football player Rosey Grier? And his 1973 book, Needlepoint for Men?

Hopefully, just like all us feminists who finally get asked less and less why in the heck we’re knitting instead of doing something rough and tough, men who get their craft on will soon enough be seen as just normal (albeit awesome) guys that like to be creative. Because after all, there are plenty of single ladies (myself as well as many of my friends and peers) who think that a guy who can craft with the best of us, is pretty darn hot. So maybe next time you see a guy trying to impress a girl or guy they fancy by being reckless, you should take away the fire/speed/mass amounts of alcohol and hand them some needles and thread.

And these truckers and inmates aren’t the only dudes who craft. Here are some other awesomely mantastic craft links:
*I Knit
*Manspun
*Fiber Beat
*Stitchstud
*Dudecraft
*Mr. XStitch
*Crochetdude
*Manbroidery
*Franklin Habit
*Men Who Knit
*Extreme Craft
*It’s a Purl, Man
*Brooklyn Tweed
*Shane Waltener
*The Man Who Knit
*Brian Sawyer (Check out the DVD about knitting men!)

And I’m sure there are loads I have forgotten to list here. Have any other examples of guys stepping out and up to the needle or hook?

Button’s Bit (How A Patriotic Pup Helped Knit His Bit!)

| Betsy

“Button’s Bit”

I cannot sew, I cannot knit,
I wish that I were wiser;
But I resolved to do “my bit”
To help to down the Kaiser.
The days grew warm, my hair was long
And softer than chamois;
They sheared my coat, and spun soft wool
And knitted socks for Sammy.

Every so often, some sends you the most amazing thing in the world. And sometimes that most amazing thing in the world gets eaten by your inbox and you discover it later only to be kicking yourself that you didn’t see it properly the first go-round. I’m blaming inbox monsters. If they can exist under your bed, why not in your inbox, too?

This is one of those very times, as this book is absolutely incredible and about a wee little dog. A very special wee little dog with super soft fur everyone compares to fleece, so like a sheep he is shorn so his fur can be made into wool which will be knit into items for soldiers at war.

Thanks so much, Erica! You are awesome.

When was the last time you actually took time to listen to other people share their stories? Learn how it can be a rare gift over here at Make & Meaning. Added bonus: Details on places to find herring, Civil War reenactors and fancy peanuts included.

Knitting Video (Pimping Natural Gas)

| Betsy

I wish my house suddenly transformed into the house in this video. I wouldn’t have to wear socks 24/7, my toys would look even cooler than they already do, and my radiator would be extra warm. This was forwarded on by a high school friend, thank you Facebook!





Some of my favorite lovely crafty/creative things of late:
*Caroline Hwang
*Dave Blumenkrantz
*Ink and Spindle
*Empower Playgrounds
*Bead For Life (Thanks Mary!)
*The Creative Lives (via Hwang’s blog)
*Blown glass with knitted wire by Emmy Gai Palmer


P.S. Need to find pattern for tiny lovely knitted alligator!

Crocheting Together More than Just a Square

| Betsy

Even though the photo gallery for the story does have a glaring error (mistaking crochet for knitting), the story is so amazing that doesn’t matter. My mom sent me a clipping of this article in the mail and it arrived today. Excerpts and photo below are from the article, Nobody Comes Here Just to Crochet.

I think the most touching thing is the way it started:

It started by accident.

A homeless woman came to Charlotte’s Harvest Center soup kitchen one Tuesday, and instead of mingling with the hungry crowd, she sat in a corner, crocheting.

Weeks passed, and at some point, the staff noticed another homeless woman beside her, also crocheting.

The two eventually became three women, then six, then 10.

Four years later, nearly 30 women can be found in that corner every Tuesday, and no longer are they just the homeless.

The Crochet Ministry, as it’s called, has become a family of sorts, one that welcomes those often forgotten by the rest of Charlotte: the homeless, the elderly, the disabled, the impoverished, the displaced and, most of all, the lonely.

I also love the kindness in the story of Teresa Davis, the homeless woman who used to crochet on the streets. While she died a few years ago with no family, thanks to these ladies, she certainly had a circle of friends. I like the quiet way this circle formed, organically and by accident. How true that sometimes we don’t find what we need most, it finds us.

It was the center’s outreach director, Rosa Marion, who first spotted Davis living on the streets, carrying a large afghan stuffed in a bag. Marion was intrigued when she found out Davis had made it, and the two struck up a friendship. Later, Marion invited Davis to move into a group home sponsored by Women of Vision, a volunteer ministry that helps women in need.

“She asked me if I’d buy her the stuff to crochet another afghan, so I did,” recalls Marion. “She’d always be sitting there by herself in that corner, crocheting. People called her ‘the lady pulling on those strings.'”

You can read more about the work of The Harvest Center here (Although there is a syntax error that shows up on the screen, I know it will be up and running soon!) and about the Women of Vision over here.

Also:

*Slow Textiles
*The Daily Aphorism via The School of Life
*The beauty of Naoki Okamoto’s photography
*Gladys’ longevity secrets: Crafting it up at 104!
*How to make a project keeper by Diane Gilleland
*Coat hooks on Etsy.com (Random, yes, but so cool!)
*Slide show of Renwick Gallery exhibit: The Art of Gaman (Awesomely inspiring)
*19 tips for cheering yourself up… From 200 years ago via The Happiness Project

Thanks for the heads up, Mom!