why do you craft?
This is something I have been contemplating recently, you see I have been reading "The Crafter Culture Handbook" by Amy Spencer.
I have had it for quite a while and I had intended to offer up my thoughts long before now but it has been quite hard to know where to start. You see the book isn't just a straight forward 'how to' of crafting, as the title accurately states it is also a book that looks at the whole culture of crafting today. I had thought I would probably just be posting some photos and going 'ooo I want to make that' and 'isn't that a lovely idea'.
Instead I found myself actually reading the book, rather than flicking from project to project, and thinking about why I craft. Am I making my own stance against consumerism? Am I part of a radical social resistance movement? Or am I nurturing my innate domesticity albeit with all its modern connotations. It certainly makes for a thought provoking and debate inducing read.
But don't panic this isn't some subversive book offering up anti-globalisation diatribes. It is after all is said and done a craft book and it does offer some wonderful projects. All the projects are supplied by the great and good of the crafting world and cover every possible theme. There is sewing from garment making, to refashioning, to embellishment, to cross-stitch, to adornments.
There is knitting and crochet with projects for hats, scarves, bags. As well as advice on kool-aid dying, setting up your own knitting groups. There is paper craft which delves into the world of Gocco printing (I would dearly love a little Gocco of my own). And shows you how to coptic bind a book or even a papier mache bangle amongst other things.
How about making your own soap, bath bombs and beauty preparations? - this book has that covered too.
Then there is the electro-craft section, that seems to me, a mysterious world of soldering irons, LEDs, batteries and the like. I just love this idea 
it would certainly make answering emails much more fun. The whole list of projects featured in the book can be viewed here.
Each section is suffused with essays and introductions by the contributors on how and why they craft. There are lots of colour photos of the projects and clear, well laid out instructions. I really like a lot of the projects in this book and I plan to try some of them out in the not too distant future. The book is readily available from Amazon or you can order it direct from the publishers.
I have had it for quite a while and I had intended to offer up my thoughts long before now but it has been quite hard to know where to start. You see the book isn't just a straight forward 'how to' of crafting, as the title accurately states it is also a book that looks at the whole culture of crafting today. I had thought I would probably just be posting some photos and going 'ooo I want to make that' and 'isn't that a lovely idea'.
Instead I found myself actually reading the book, rather than flicking from project to project, and thinking about why I craft. Am I making my own stance against consumerism? Am I part of a radical social resistance movement? Or am I nurturing my innate domesticity albeit with all its modern connotations. It certainly makes for a thought provoking and debate inducing read.
But don't panic this isn't some subversive book offering up anti-globalisation diatribes. It is after all is said and done a craft book and it does offer some wonderful projects. All the projects are supplied by the great and good of the crafting world and cover every possible theme. There is sewing from garment making, to refashioning, to embellishment, to cross-stitch, to adornments.There is knitting and crochet with projects for hats, scarves, bags. As well as advice on kool-aid dying, setting up your own knitting groups. There is paper craft which delves into the world of Gocco printing (I would dearly love a little Gocco of my own). And shows you how to coptic bind a book or even a papier mache bangle amongst other things.
How about making your own soap, bath bombs and beauty preparations? - this book has that covered too.
Then there is the electro-craft section, that seems to me, a mysterious world of soldering irons, LEDs, batteries and the like. I just love this idea 
it would certainly make answering emails much more fun. The whole list of projects featured in the book can be viewed here.Each section is suffused with essays and introductions by the contributors on how and why they craft. There are lots of colour photos of the projects and clear, well laid out instructions. I really like a lot of the projects in this book and I plan to try some of them out in the not too distant future. The book is readily available from Amazon or you can order it direct from the publishers.
posted by caroline at 10:37 am
6 Comments:
oh no. Another tempting book. You bad, bad girl.
I craft because it makes me happy, I like the planning as well as the creative process. I also like to have something individual and enjoy recycling fabrics and jumpers, breathing new life into them as something new.
I've got this book on my wish list. looks like it's a good one
i craft because i need to create. idealy, i think it would be with more 'serious' medium - paint, clay, ink. But this is what i can do now, and that's okay.
i've also found such joy in creating things that make my everyday life a little more beautiful.
What a great idea for a craft book, good use of a tenner.
One of the nicest things about creating with your hands is the time amount of time is takes to MAKE. This gives the mind plenty of time to contemplate, and wander...
It's one of the times when I'm happiest; make something individual and pretty and do a spot of meditation at the same time. No wonder many people say that craft is therapeutic!
Great review, i'm tempted.
Sounds like a very interesting book!
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