Craft Wisely

Crafty Mama

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:47:00 -0800

When I realized I was going to be interviewing someone about crafting, I was excited about the idea of talking to one of the little old ladies from my tiny country church Unfortunately I keep strange hours this semester, and never could catch one of them long enough to keep my answers. So I turned to the craftiest person in my family… my mother of course.

Me: “What is the first craft you remember making yourself?”

Mama: “At Vacation Bible School we had to make these little baskets to hold fake flowers. They were made from soap and beads. They even had handles and legs.”

Me: “What crafts are you currently involved with?”

Mama: “ I’m not expert at anything but I enjoy some sewing and machine embroidery from time to time. I mostly do scrapbooking lately though. And next week I’ll be starting a quilting class.”

Me: “When did you learn to craft?”

Mama: “ I learned to sew in Mrs. Newkurk’s home economic class in 9^th grade, which would have been 1977. Some girls at work got me started scrapbooking after our first trip to Hawaii, so Fall 2001. And my coworker, Nurse Smith, has me wrapped into this quilting class, but we’ll have to see how that goes.”

Me: “Is there any craft you wish you could learn?”

Mama: “ I said I could sew, but I honestly would love to learn to sew better.”

Me: “ Was there any craft you have tried but failed at or never developed, and if so did you ever try it again?”

Mama: “I’m bad at most everything I’ve tried, or I at least started that way. I did try to learn to crochet at bible school, I couldn’t even chain. My teacher got frustrated and took it away from me to do it herself. I tried again later, but it never worked for me.”

Me: “ Do you usually craft for yourself or others? “

Mama: “I have usually sewn, crossstiched, and embroidered for gifts for friends and family, but I guess I scrapbook for myself.”

Me: “Do you work better/faster alone or when you work in a group or circle with others?”

Mama: “ I’ve never really worked in groups, so I guess will know next week… I think having a group will motivate me to finish more of what I start though.”

Me: “What project are you most proud of?”

Mama: “ Oh, well let me think about it for a second… I’m most proud of two things, my wedding sampler cross stitch & the 40’s Army costume I made for your senior pageant

Spring

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Sat, 3 Dec 2011 09:43:00 -0800

I grew up listening to my parents’ collection of music which varied from the classic genre to Alan Jackson to Debussy’s Clair de Lune. But one of the songs that became imprinted on my brain the most was the first movement of Vivaldi’s Spring violin concerto from The Four Seasons; the song was so catchy I would catch myself singing it internally many a time. When I was little, Marie, my sister, and I would put on tutus dancing to Spring while we were pretending we were ballerinas. However, I never dreamed that I would get the chance to play this wonderful piece.

Learning to play the violin was a second choice because originally I wanted to take voice lessons. Since they said my voice was not mature enough to begin vocal training, I stated that I then wanted to learn the violin instead. So I began my sojourn into the musical world. Learning to play the violin is one of the most difficult things that I have ever learned to do because it requires the coordination of the smallest muscles and the control of two different hands. Upon beginning to play, I knew that I wanted to learn Spring, but it seemed such a monumental task as seeing I was a mere beginner and I would not have the skills needed to play Spring for a long time. On my 14^th birthday, my mom bought me the sheet music to Spring complete with the piano accompaniment. Excitedly I took it into my violin lesson, but my teacher Drew said that it was too difficult for me. The music sat on my shelf for three years, until my senior year of high school. The same teacher Drew told me that he wanted me to learn a violin concerto so I went home and pulled out Spring. He gave me the ok to start working on it.

I became very well acquainted with Spring, and I gained a deeper understanding of the music. Listening to the music as a kid, I thought it was just a pretty melody with an exciting tempo, but I was not fully aware of all the emotions and imagery tied into Spring. The first few lines, the main melody, tell the story of a few nymphs frolicking about in celebration of Spring; then Vivaldi takes a few lines to catch the sounds of happy birds singing in the trees. He accomplishes the birds by having a trio of three violins answering back and forth to each other. The scene with the birds is followed by a slower, more subdued section which represents flowing fountains. All of sudden, the gorgeous celebration of Spring is interrupted by a thunderstorm where the musical key switches from major to minor chords. Then the storm abates, and the original melody returns with a bunch of happy nymphs picking up their celebration. Vivaldi captures the imagery so well through his music.

I never thought I would be able to learn this piece because the thunderstorm section was especially difficult. The rain exists as a bunch of difficultly fingered arpeggios that required me to shift my whole hand up and down the finger board. But I loved the challenge of learning to play. Once I mastered the thunderstorm section, I was so thrilled that I would play it over and over again. Spring was one of the last pieces I learned to play on the violin before taking a break from the instrument for awhile. But I am proud that I overcame the challenge of learning the piece, and I also appreciate the ability to understand the intention of the music. It is a musical ode to the wonders of Spring.

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Thu, 1 Dec 2011 12:32:00 -0800

Let me preface this by saying that novice doesn’t even begin to cover my inexperience in the knitting and crocheting realms, but I really do love them! There had never been so much as a single pair of knitting needles in my home prior to me joining this class, I had never held a crochet needle or bought any length of yarn. I have now 3 FFO’s (FINALLY finished projects). I am very proud of each of them, but I think my smallest and latest exposé is the most impressive to me.

My two scarves helped me with overcoming the initial learning curve, allowing me to work out the kinks and gain experience, but I felt more relief in finishing them than pride. With that said I never really want to see either of them again… which is a good thing since they are both destined for charity. My headband however, is a different story. I learned how to knit ribbing, to intentionally increase and decrease stitches, and how to crochet (chain, single, double, and V-stitch) in order to complete it. Not to mention that it took the least amount of time to create! I spent weeks and weeks maybe months on each scarf, but the headband only took a week and a half.

I enjoyed making an item I that was trendy and fun while functional. Everyone who saw me with it in class or in my friends circles complimented it—despite their initially mockery of my new hobby. Since I did give it away in the CASA buy one, give one sale, I have already started on a new one. I am about ½ way there now, and it looks even better than the first (probably because I worked out the kinks last time and bought better yarn the second time around). I loved seeing how people’s perspectives changed when they saw the versatility of handcrafting.

I also prize this new pattern because it is something I never imagined I would be able to make on my own. I made the band with no outside help, and the embellishment only took a little coaching. The autonomy I found through its creation has given me some confidence after a shaky start in my crafting experience. I am a perfectionist, and can still see some flaws in the work—despite ripping out row after row to restart—but seeing others admiration of my work at this rather primitive stage really encourages me to continue trying to improve and expand my work.

Another element that I enjoyed about my knitting is knowing that it will help us raise money for our cause. As a future educator, my passion is for children, especially those who have had to work to overcome many problems in their lives that were not consequences of their own decisions. I really want the monetary donation that would potentially come from this piece to make a child smile and feel important and loved. I enjoyed making an item to show the boys and girls that we put time and effort into a specific piece for them, but my continual fear with my scarf project was that the 12 year old girl I made it for would be disappointed in my lackluster attempt, since I am so new at this; however, since the children will receive benefits from the money from my headband, I feel like they will gain something they truly need or want.

Prized Craft

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:25:00 -0800

I have now finished a total of three objects since I have started my knitting life; in knitting years I am about ½ year old. The three objects that I have finished, in chronological order, were a scarf, a baby hat, and a baby blanket. All of the objects I have made I have given away, and I have absolutely no regrets with those decisions. I am an extremely giving person, and I would give something away before keeping it for myself (in most cases). But anyways! I would have to say that of those three objects, the baby blanket is my most prized work of art. There a few reasons for this. The first reason is that it is one of the few knitted objects that I have created. Trust me; it was an accomplishment for me to just learn to knit, so the fact that I have made three objects far exceeds my starting expectations. The second reason is that it looked dang good! I do not like to brag, but that thing looked like a blanket! It even had a little design around the edges that came from the pattern that I chose. It looked something like this picture…

… but better of course!

The third reason that this baby blanket is my proudest object, is because of the amount of time that I put into it! It took a full 3 days straight of what seemed like non-stop knitting to create this amazing work of art. Finally biggest reason I made this blanket was the purpose behind the blanket. I made this blanket for a 1 year old boy in the CASA organization. This little boy has gone through a hard life for what little life he has lived, and that made making this blanket so much easier. This made making the blanket so much easier and so much more worth it! Knowing that this blanket was going to a kid who needed it much more than me gave me purpose and determination. I think that is the driving factor behind anything that we make from our own hands. I can easily say that each stitch that I put into that blanket meant much more than the entire scarf that I made, even though the scarf took much more time. It is this idea of service and giving back to the community that we live in that stitches a much tighter and better town in which we reside.

The Almost Dreamy Crafting of Glass

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:56:00 -0800

My dream craft would have to be glass blowing. I have always been interested in how glass was made, even as a child. When I asked my parents how glass was made, they told me that people melted materials like sand in a very hot fire and then blew the glass into shape through a hollow rod that resembled a huge metal straw. I thought that this was really cool, but that was all the experience that I could get as a child growing up in a small rural town. Recently, my family took a huge family vacation and drove all the way up to Niagara Falls, then down to New York City and Philadelphia and back to Arkansas. We made a lot of stops along the way, including some spur-of-the-moment stops. After we were driving away from the wonderful Niagara Falls, my dad suggested we stop at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. He said it was a very interesting and awe-inspiring place that would be worthwhile to see. We all agreed, so we drove off to the museum. When we got there, we discovered that they actually had live shows and demonstrations of their special glass blowing techniques. We bought tickets to one of the shows and watched in amazement as the man wielding the long metal stick with its glowing orb of glass slowly, but surely molded, reheated, molded, reheated, added color, molded, reheated, and molded the superheated glass over and over again in order to create a wonderfully artistic and multicolored vase! From that moment on I wished that I could learn how to blow glass. After the demonstration, we wandered around the unbelievably complex and beautiful glass museum where there were hundreds upon hundreds of glass sculptures on display. When we left the displays, we found a place where Corning was selling a lot of different art sculptures.

We bought glass flowers that were expertly crafted and delicate looking. We went to one of the visitors desks to see if there was anything that we had missed, and there was something we missed. Corning offers paid lessons on how to blow glass! I couldn’t believe that we had missed that even though it was fairly pricey. Unfortunately it was close to closing time at the museum and there were no more lessons being offered that day. I was so disappointed that we did not have the time to learn the basic techniques of glass blowing. Ever since that day, I have been determined to go back to Corning Museum of Glass and learn my dream skill of glass blowing.

My Dream Craft: Jewelry Art

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:04:00 -0800

If I could had the time, ability, and resources, I would love to complete the craft to the right of the page. As anyone who visited my room last year knows, I have a love for designing cute and artsy ways to display my jewelry. In my bathroom my sophomore year, I organized my jewelry (as well as Shelby's, as we shared a sink) in a cool design next to our bathroom mirror. I was often complimented on it, and immediately decided I wanted to do something cool this year.

Sadly, I haven't quite figured out what I want to do with our jewelry. I know; I know: it's November. How much more time can I take? It's ridiculous how long it's taken me, but I just can't seem to make a decision on how I want it organized. Ideally, however, I would love to do this arrangement. I think the idea of taking a picture frame (or old mirror, in this particular case), removing the middle, and stringing lace across the frame to hang jewelry on is so cool! I saw this picture on Pinterest (one of the most amazing websites in existence, if you ask me!), and I fell in love immediately. I have also stumbled across a craft much like this one, where the crafter used a picture frame instead of a mirror frame. In that case, the crafter used branches instead of lace to hand jewelry on. I love both ideas! I think this idea is perhaps a bit more classy and sophisticated, but both are amazing, and so innovative!

The main reason I haven't tried this yet is because I haven't managed to come across a cool frame like this one. I also don't really have the time or money to try to put something like this together. However, if I stumbled upon a great deal for a frame, I would absolutely do this craft! I think it would look amazing in our bathroom here at school. Shelby and I both have extensive jewelry collections, so we need something cute to collect and display our pieces on. We rarely wear our jewelry because we can never untangle all of the different pieces of jewelry, so this would be a great solution to that problem! I really hope that I can do this someday in the future - and if I do, I will definitely post a picture to the blog so others can see I finally realized my dream!

My Crafty Roommate

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:26:00 -0800

In my quest for someone to interview about crafting I considered a variety of people, including my mom and my grandmother, but in the end I decided to learn about someone new. When I began thinking I realized that I knew that my roommate Allison likes to redecorate rooms in her house and cross stitch, and my roommate Ashley likes to create her own costumes for parties, but I had no idea what my third roommate Laralyn liked to do, or if she even crafted anything.

I interviewed Laralyn over dinner at IHOP. I found out that she did indeed craft something, vases, from an interesting medium. It turns out that Laralyn practice upcycling, even if that’s not what she calls it. She told me that she liked to make vases from old liquor bottles, which are considered a hassle to recycle in Conway because you have to drive them to the recycling plant. She informed me that she liked to use materials like rhinestones, ribbon, and fake flowers to make vases and flower arrangements for them to use as decorations in her rooms. Unfortunately she can’t keep any of them in the dorm because it’s against school regulations to have liquor bottles, even if they have been repurposed.

When I asked Laralyn why she liked to craft she said “I enjoy making things that aren’t sparkly, sparkly, and making things that I think are ugly pretty.” Beauty is behind her medium as well. When I asked her why she choose liquor bottles her answer was simple “Because I think they bottles are pretty.” It’s a sentiment she seems to share with a lot of people. If you search Etsy you can find a variety of items people have made from liquor bottles.

My last question to Laralyn was if she had any crafters in her life. She told me “My mommy made cross stitched things for me when I was a baby, I have a baby blanket that has a bear on it, it was ugly, but it was sweet.” I can see the evidence that her mom still crafts in our room. Her mom decorated her initials with paper and rhinestones and they’re hanging on her door, and they reflect her personality perfectly.

An Interview With My Mother, the Crafter

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:33:00 -0800

Me: What is your earliest memory of crafting?

Mom: My grandmother's hands. They were always in mid stitch. Whether that was crocheting, knitting, tatting, or quilting.

Me: Has someone in your life inspired you to be a crafter?

Mom: Both my grandmother and my mother were 'handy' with a needle, but in very different ways. My mother is my most direct inspiration. She was never a pattern follower, where my grandmother followed design.

Me: What is your favorite type of crafting?

Mom: I enjoy the creation process, the design. I'm not a pattern follower either. So, for the most part I enjoy sewing items I can design, like curtains, pillows or other home design items.

Me: How often do you do this craft?

Mom: I'm sporadic. Sometimes I go months between projects.

Me: Do you prefer to do this craft alone or with others?

Mom: I like to sew alone, but have others validate me with their approval.

Me: Is there any specific craft you would like to learn?

Mom: I learned tatting as a teenager. I'd like to re-learn. I think it's a lost art that definitely reminds me of my grandmother.

Me: Do you find importance in passing on the crafts you have learned?

Mom: Yes, like my mother, I am comfortable with the creation process without a pattern to restrain my design. I think she has passed this on to me.

Me: Do you wish you had more time to craft?

Mom: Yes. I look forward to more time in my retirement... but I still have a few years to wait!

Interview with a Crafter

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 9 Nov 2011 11:32:00 -0800

For my interview, I talked with a friend of mine, Brandon, in the physics department. He’s a junior from Little Rock. Turns out he has some pretty crazy interests… and a pretty crazy sense of sarcasm.

Me: What kind of crafting do you do?
Brandon: I actually really enjoy ice sculpting. Or sculpting in general. Usually sculpting in general.

Me: Ice sculpture? Why!?
Brandon: Well… I like the cool side of the pillow. *laugh* But for real, ice sculpture seems natural to me. I love cold weather. Creating something in ice lasts for a short time, but it looks really cool. Plus there are power tools involved!

Me: But seriously…. What do you sculpt with?
Brandon: I like to use Sculpy clay. The kind you buy at Hobby Lobby. I’m a really simple guy. I’ve wanted to try that Crayola clay too.

Me: What types of things to do you sculpt?
Brandon: Birds. Specifically herons and cranes. I find their delicate features to be a striking contrast of beauty in the normally dark world.

Me: Who taught you how to sculpt?
Brandon: A French-Canadian fur trapper by the name of Jacque. I met him at the Museum of Discovery when I was eight. I was on a field trip and he was talking about his hobbies and things he created.

Me: Seriously?
Brandon: No. I saw television show on sculpting and that stuck with me.

Me: So… where do you sculpt?
Brandon: I like to sculpt in my apartment. Vinh and I have a portion of the living room dedicated to “crafting”… he’s really into origami actually.

Me: That’s cool. Do you guys teach each other?
Brandon: Yea. He’s taught me how to make that little swan. And I’ve taught him how to sculpt a swan. Crafting is a mutual endeavor in our apartment.

Me: Well. That’s really cool. I’m glad we got to talk about this.
Brandon: Yea. Me too! You’ll have to show me how to knit sometime. Always worth adding another craft to the pile.

Better than Storebought

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:42:00 -0800

When I had to think about which crafty person in my life I wanted to interview, my paternal grandmother immediately came to mind. Although we have always lived very far apart, and because of that we have not gotten the opportunity to do a ton of crafting together, she has always been an extremely creative individual who is more than willing to share her skills with those that she loves.

My grandmother learned to crochet and sew when she was a child from her mother, and has been perfecting those skills for the past seventy years. Interestingly, my grandma never learned to knit, but because of this class we have had a bond created between us and she has demanded that next time I find my way up to Michigan, I teach her. :) When asked what she gets out of the crafting that she does, my grandmother draws a lot of connections to making friends and family happy with the items that she makes. Whether she is sewing buttons onto a sweater for my grandpa, crocheting lace doilies for her friends, or diligently copying the patterns of American Girl Doll clothing, my grandmother has stated that the backbone of her crafting experience is showing love to others.

Up until the age of eight, my grandma sewed every single one of my halloween costumes. Of course, the majority of those were princess dresses, but nonetheless, she did a fantastic job. :) We still have some of them packed away somewhere in the attic- I hope to one day be able to show either my children or my neices and nephews the fantastic costumes that their great-grandmother created.

When I was little, we lived in Wisconsin, and we would go to a Renaissance Fair in Minnesota each year. It was absolutely amazing- this place was huge and felt even bigger because of my young age and the magic that it inspired. The most exciting part for me was being able to dress up in costume, which of course my grandma made for me. :) The picture is me at age three, wearing a dress that my grandmother sewed.

Rock people

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Thu, 3 Nov 2011 10:19:00 -0700

No one in my family seems to be very "crafty." However when me and my sisters were little, wewould go to my grandma's house during the summer. She loved to paint and we loved to get into the paint. After her finding me and my younger sister in the kitchen, placing our painted handprints all over her cabinets, she decided to teach us to use paint correctly. I remember the first craft we ever did with paint: make rock people!

She took us outside for a walk and we searched for the flattest rocks we could find. After finding a few rocks a piece we went inside and sat at the kitchen table. We covered the table in newspaper and got out all the materials. Paint, brushes, a cup of water, a hot glue gun, and a package of small eyes she had purchased from hobby lobby. She told us that when she was little, she used to make rock people with her brothers and sisters. Each day for about two weeks, we would come over and dilligently work on our rock people. We would make indians, cowboys, girls,boys, anything we could think of! We would paint on their faces: hair, checks, mouth expression. When we were done our grandma would let us pick out the eyes we wanted and she would glue them on the rock. When we were done, we had our very own rock people. By the time the two weeks were up, we had a rock village.

The picture at top is one of the last remaining rock people from my childhood. His name is froggie and we have managed to keep up with him for 15 years. He's pretty special.

Lisa Frank vs. the Imagination

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Tue, 1 Nov 2011 20:37:00 -0700

As a kid, I was never really the crafty one in my family; that role was mainly claimed by my little sister to the extent that she had all of her craft supplies organized and labeled a label maker. Crafting was not a terribly thrilling prospect for me other than the occasional Lisa Frank craft kit from which I could weave multicolor potholders on a loom or oven melted stained glass window art. My domain of crafting if it could be defined as such was my imagination. My sister and I would envision extremely complex stories for our Barbie games which varied from Oregon Trail to houseboat, but my Barbie houses were always built from different materials I could gather around the house. A simple item such as a contact case could be turned into a food/water dish for a Barbie pet or a swatch of fabric could be cut down into a rug for a room or a bedspread. If I was given the materials my imagination would allow me to craft it into something quite elaborate. When my little brother received some large wooden building blocks, my sister and I used them to build various pieces of furniture for our dolls varying from couches and tables to mattresses and bathtubs.

Not only did my imagination lead to wonderful Barbie games, it could also turn a simple wooden child’s puzzle into a baking sheet covered in a bunch of small cookies which could then be used to create a bakery specializing in cookies or make horrid household chores in to something remotely enjoyable. Through my imagination, I traveled the world and back while accomplishing an astounding amount of feats such as going back in time to the colonial period or rock climbing. Although my form of crafting was not quite as tangible as drawing a figure on paper, it allowed me to do anything I wished.

Turkey Hat!

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:21:00 -0700

The first (or at least one of the first) crafts that I can remember making was a Turkey Hat back in Kindergarten.

---- I'm pretty sure they used mine as an example on Google---

The school commemorated, although two months apart, the holidays of Thanksgiving and Grandparents Day on the same day. So, since my actual grandparents were away looking at new homes in Chicago, I brought with me two people who I considered my grandparents. The Stockights were members of my church, and Ms. Darlene had been my Sunday School teacher, and my Nursery caregiver since I was born, so it seemed appropriate to invite them along. I remember thinking of myself as a spy the entire day, because I had snuck in a pair of elderly people who weren't actually my grandparents and I figured no one would figure out. The old "church member" in the grandparent disguise. Needless to say, I had a blast making this craft, and I remember it so vividly. Not because the craft is that great (although who wouldn't wear a turkey hat??), but because of the event that craft stood for when I made it. I think that is the most important thing to to have when you are making something; a purpose. Define a purpose for a craft, such as remembering an event, defining a cause, or celebrating a loved one, and the craft will last much longer than ever before.

If you feel compelled to create your own Turkey Hat, here is the link to the instructions!

http://fun.familyeducation.com/thanksgiving/childrens-art-activities/35220.html

Proudest In-process Project

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:03:00 -0700

I am not, by any means, an experienced knitter. Before this class began, I had never even so much as picked up a set of knitting needles. To be honest, I didn't have too much of a desire to knit. Since entering this class, I have developed a love for knitting I never thought I would possess. Sometimes I become frustrated with the activity, but I love it. At the moment, I have yet to actually complete anything. I am continuously jumping from project to project, and I can't seem to finish a single one. In my defense, I quit most recent project so that I could focus on my project for CASA. I fully intend on returning to it once I finish my work on items for CASA.

However, my scarf that I am currently working on for the CASA project is a project I am very proud of. While it is rather simple - and definitely still in the beginning stages - I learned a new technique in order to be able to do it. Likewise, I have ripped it out and started it over several times, so I've put a lot of effort into it. I want this to be as close to perfect as it can be, so it's taking me more time. I'm really excited about where it has come thus far! I learned to pearl for this, which I was really intimidated about at first. I didn't even want to try because I thought it would be more difficult than it really was, so I simply... didn't. However, now I am working away at this scarf and pearling like a pro!

The pattern is slip one in the beginning, then knit two, pearl one for the duration of the row, finishing with one knitted stitch. It's relatively simple, but a whole new world for a beginner like me! Here is a pciture of my work thus far.

Proudest Project Proudly Modeled by Domino

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:36:00 -0700

I would have to say that out of all the projects that I’ve made since I learned how to knit that my favorite project would be the dog sweater I made for one of my miniature chocolate dachshunds. I had been knitting for a couple of months at the time and I was so excited about having the ability to knit that I wanted to knit all of my Christmas presents for that year. The only trouble was deciding what projects I could make (and more importantly complete) for my family and friends before Christmas morning. I found easy patterns for presents for everyone except my sister, Sabrina. I had no idea what she wanted for Christmas. I spent several days pondering about what to make for her when I got the idea of making something for her beloved dog and call it hers. The weather had gotten really cold and our dachshunds live indoors 99% of the time so they were not used to the cold weather. Whenever me and my sister would take them out to do their “business,” their tiny bodies would shiver the whole time we were outside and we felt really bad for them. We didn’t really know how we could help them except buying warm dog clothes for them, but we could not find any that would fit them. Dachshunds have really long bodies and have keeled, or pointed chest, that made finding store bought clothes that fit difficult. I decided to make Sabrina’s dog, Domino, a little sweater for Christmas and give his sweater to Sabrina as her Christmas present. I found a pattern on Ravelry.com that was worked in two pieces so I could modify the pattern to fit his body shape. I worked on it at night so that my sister wouldn’t see what I was making for her dog. My dad helped me measure little Domino because he got too excited and wiggly whenever I tried to put the half-made sweater on him by myself. The top piece of the sweater was really easy to make and I just added enough rows to the pattern until the sweater was long enough. The bottom chest piece was the challenge. I had never modified a pattern before, so what better place to start? I taught myself how to increase and decrease stitches via several YouTube videos and before I knew it I was inventing a new pattern for the bottom part of the sweater! There were so many time that I messed up and had to redo the entire section of sweater because I had either decreased too little or increased too much and vice versa. Throughout all of these trials and errors, Domino thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention and model of his developing sweater. I was just starting to doubt that I would ever get the sweater to fit when one of my attempts actually fit him perfectly! I was super excited and my excitement got little Domino so happy and hyper that he started running circles around me and barking! Thankfully he didn’t unravel the sweater while he was running around and only got me tangled in the dragging yarn that was pulled from the remaining skein. After untangling myself, I sewed in the loose ends of yarn, wrapped his sweater in wrapping paper and waited for Christmas morning to see how Sabrina would like her present. She opened the wrapping paper to see what I had made and was so pleased by the sweater that she put the sweater on Domino immediately and took lots of pictures. I was proud that I was able to make a sweater that my sister loved and that helped a beloved pet stay warm. I was especially proud that I was actually able to make a sweater that I initially thought was probably too advanced for me to complete beautifully. Who would have known that one little sweater could teach me so many skills and please other people and animals at the same time?

Proudest Craft

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:35:00 -0700

When I was in the eighth grade I had to have surgery, which prevented me from being involved in my usual extra-curricular activities. I'm the type of person that always has to be doing something, and I couldn't stand being stuck at home watching TV all the time, so, instead of doing that, my mom drove me out to my granny's house everyday for a week so she could teach me how to crotchet. At first, I created lopsided, lumpy "scarves," most of which were never actually finished. However, about six months after learning how to crotchet, I found out that my aunt was pregnant; being the only one in my immediate family who was even remotely crafty, I was commissioned to make my soon-to-be cousin a blanket.
Needless to say, I was in over my head.
I started out by going through some of granny's pattern books; I'm pretty sure I started about seven blankets before I actually found one that I liked and stuck to it. Because my aunt wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise, I chose to use green yarn and finally got down to business. I remember getting about half-way through the blanket pattern that I had chosen and thinking that I would never get it finished.
I started the blanket when my aunt was approximately four months pregnant and didn't finish it until the week before her due date. A fact that could be because with every mistake, I had to rip it and start again. But. Finally, five months later, I had my first actual completed project: a green baby blanket with a white edging. While I'm sure I'll complete much more complex and challenging products in the future, I feel like this will still be the object I'm the most proud of because it was my first.

FO For the Win!

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:39:00 -0700

I’ve been knitting for about two years now, and I can honestly say that each project I finished during that first year was my proudest finished object. Before I started knitting, I had trouble finishing projects. I tried to learn to crochet and started blanket after blanket (which all ended up shaped like a triangle). With knitting, I found something that made since to me, and it was one of my deepest desires to finish an object. I still remember the feeling I had when I finished my first scarf, which was a lumpy apple green mess with a hastily embroidered “A” on it for my cousin Allyson. But after all the projects I have completed now, I can honestly say that my proudest finished object would have to be the sweater I completed this summer.

The construction of the sweater wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Since most of it was knitted in the round, there was a lot of brainless knitting that occurred after I had made it around the arm area. The simple stockinette stitching through the body and the ribbing on the neck and waist make the sweater look so cohesive that I had almost convinced myself that someone could have paid money for it. The thick white and turquoise stripes contrasted against each other so well that my aversion to using multiple colors was starting to wear away. I think I was so proud of finishing it because when I started knitting, I had the image that only the most skilled and amazing knitters could make sweaters, and let’s face it, I didn’t think I would ever be one of those people. But in this project I found not only a beautiful finished object, but confidence in my self and in my own abilities. This project broke down many of the barriers I had set up for myself in my knitting ability, and by doing so has allowed my to continue trying more difficult projects.

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:16:00 -0700

My Favorite Crafting Memory…

My mother is the superwoman of crafts, no lie. She made everything when I was little, from clothes (including these awful sunflower dresses she made for me and two of my cousins that we had to get pictures in), to comforters and everything else you would need to decorate a room like throw pillows, curtains, dust ruffle, pillow shams, picture boards, etc. Needless to say, when I was growing up, there was always a project going on. My mom's love for crafting has definitely spilled into my life. I look at all of the wonderful things she has made, and it motivates me to start making things too!
The most memorable craft from my childhood was the comforter she made me when I was about 10 years old. My room at the time was still baby girl pink, and had ballerinas on the wall paper, and I hated it! I was going through my tom-boy stage and I hated pink, so, my mother, being as incredible as she is, decided to redo my bedroom! I wanted to paint my walls bright yellow, and then decorate with several different colors (blue, green, red, purple). The comforter had to come first, so that we could decorate accordingly and it would be the focal point of the room. I remember my mom drawing out several different designs for it, and she let me help her narrow down the ideas until we decided on one.
The comforter we decided on was denim on one side (the underside) and on the top is was thick, diagonal stripes of yellow, red, purple, blue, and green fabric. She topped it all off with cute little ribbons and buttons.
It was so much fun "helping" my mom with this project. She let me hold the button while she stitched, and I helped her tie some of the bows. I just remember feeling so accomplished when it was over, even though I didn't really do much!

Dream Craft: Cosplay

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:27:00 -0700

I wish I could make awesome costumes.

One of my biggest wishes is to be able to go to comic book conventions and other nerdy galas and wow people with my costume. The best costumes are handmade, tailored to fit an individual, not a jumpsuit you buy online that's "one size fits all." Not only does a handmade costume look better, but it shows dedication to your fandom of choice. It shows that you put time and money into looking like a character, becoming a character, and now you get to be looked upon by jealous eyes and get thousands of pictures taken with you and possibly win some money for having a damn good costume.

Plus you could get together with friends and be badass like these guys.

In this case, handmade > mass-produced, hands down. But since costumes are a luxury and not a necessity, my issue with being picky about whether something is handmade doesn't apply.

Smithing

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:16:00 -0700

I’ve always had a deep seated fascination with swords and armor. I love to read novels and watch movies set in medieval settings. From the complex patterns of chainmail to the ability to make daggers small enough to conceal in a lady’s fan, the works of art blacksmiths are able to create using metal are awesome to me. So if I could learn any craft I would learn the skills necessary to become a blacksmith that is capable of making armor and weaponry.

Today swords and helms aren’t practical, they’re merely relics of the past. We idealize them. When I was looking up information on swordsmiths I came across the faq on angleswords.com that asked potential swordsmiths to consider why they wanted to create weapons. The authors of the site pointed out that no matter how cool we think they are swords are still weapons, they are items that are made to kill people, and even decorative ones are dangerous. I had to reach a personal conclusion to that question for myself. I decided that my interest in sword and armor smithing is based upon my interest in the skills of the past. I want to learn the skills to become a blacksmith, not just the ones that would allow me to make implements of death, but as many of them as I could to help ensure that the skills I envy don’t die out. I think they are an important part of the history of crafting and are worth preserving.

Dream Craft.. Maybe Someday.

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:43:00 -0700

One of my grandmothers was married in a pant-suit, another was married on the beach in a sundress. And my mother and father eloped and never had a formal wedding ceremony. Because of this, I unfortunately have no beautiful, vintage, wedding accessories with any familial importance. However, I have always considered the thought of having something such as a beautiful, handmade lace veil to be something that could be passed down through the generations lovingly and forge bonds between mother and daughter.

I was never able to recieve such as item, but I would eventually like to learn the process behind making handmade lace so that I can begin a family tradition. As I understand it, creating homemade lace is a fantastically difficult process. It requires skill, patience, quality materials, and the imagination to create beautiful and unique designs. I would absolutely LOVE to gain the knowledge to make such an amazing product someday. Although it will undoubtedly be a challenge, my knitting skills have progressed more quickly than I ever would have considered possible.. Maybe I can eventually do the same with lace? :)

The drive behind my desire to learn this skill stems from the hope that I will be able to create a product that will last behind my time on this earth. Everyone wants to make a difference in the world that they live in. Hopefully, through my career as a teacher, I will be able to have an impact on students and other people that I interact with in the future. However, I also want to create something that can be passed down from generation to generation. I want to learn a skill that I can teach future members of my family, and I want to learn to creat a product that is visually stimulating, aesthetically pleasing, and well-appreciated. I want to make something that can be a part of my family long after I am gone. And hopefully someday this dream craft will become a reality. :)

Magical Modeler

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:21:00 -0700

My dream craft would be making models. I would love to be able to build intricate miniaturized replicas of ships (stellar and seaworthy), buildings, trains... anything! The attention to detail that is required for this craft is incredible... Take for instance, Ian Lawrence's 1:650 replica of the NCC-1701-E, featured in Star Trek Nemesis. (below) The picture is ridiculously large, but I think it helps show the detail that Lawrence put into this work. This isn't a snap together kit like the one I got for Christmas last year... this is a work of art. Each individual window cut, each individual "metal flap" painted by hand (not to mention every other detail that was hand painted onto the ship), each LED light installed to bring to life Gene Roddenberry's vision. The work must have taken forever. Lawrence also crafts models of buildings (like the 1:100th scale rendition of the Phoenix Temple, also below). To be able to complete this craft would require incredible patience and extreme attention to detail... which are both qualities I lack... and that is probably why this is my dream craft and not my current hobby! :)

The Sound of Music

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Thu, 6 Oct 2011 17:36:00 -0700

When I realized that I would have to interview someone I knew who crafted, my mind automatically jumped to my boyfriend Jimmy who really enjoys building small elaborate wooden objects. While I was studying abroad in Canada, he designed and built me a magnificent mahogany piano music box which is one of the best presents I have ever received. And upon interviewing him I also learned that he is an artist as well as a craftsman.

Question: what is the first craft you learned?

Answer: Sketching/Watercolor. I used to take magazines and try to copy the pictures from them. Apparently when I was little I was good at sketching things.

Question: Any other crafts that you do now?

Answer: Funny you should ask, I do wood working primarily, carpentry if you call it that. I build model planes with my dad, I have helped furniture with my dad, and repair work on cuckoo clocks. I also have built music boxes and model ships.

Question: What got you interested in wood working?

Answer: With my dad, we have built planes since I was in first grade. But with boats, I started in the beginning in high school. Frankly, as a little kid, I did not have the patience to put little pieces of wood together. When I was little I would sketch a lot more than do wood working.

Question: Has your dad been your biggest influence in wood working?

Answer: My dad has been doing it ever since I can remember, but I think he started wood working in high school. But he didn’t start working on boats until I was older.

Question: What other crafts/hobbies do your family members do?

Answer: My brother keeps salt water aquariums; my mom paints with oils; my dad and I do wood working; my Uncle Steve is a professional artist. For my family it is a hobby to have hobbies.

Question: By definition what is the difference between a hobby and a craft? What is a craft to begin with?

Answer: The only way to define it is a hobby in which you devote a huge amount of effort, time, and material into doing something where one tries to have a definite outcome. For example music is a craft because one has to invest a ton of time and effort in the form of practicing and lessons. When it comes to a hobby is for fun where I am merely doing it for fun, but I am not trying to get anything out of it.

Question: If you could do any other craft what would it be and why?

Answer: Pottery I could definitely attempt, maybe sculpture…something with clay. I like creating things and working with my hands. It is basically what I d with wood working but with a different medium and technique.

Question: What is your favorite thing that you have built to date?

Answer: My favorite thing would be my music/jewelry/secret compartment/ piano box. I like because first of all it is the most difficult thing I have ever built with the inlay, and I came up with it without any instructions. It was mine; it came from my mind and writing things down on a piece of paper. Plus I enjoyed the challenge. The music box was difficult, but the hardest part was the fact that I had to improve.

Question: Do you prefer handmade gifts vs. store-bought?

Answer: I would definitely say that I prefer handmade gifts, and I love giving them. But I understand store-bought gifts because the ultimate thought counts. Every gift should have an element of the handmade whether it is a silly card or object.

oohhhhhh grandma

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Wed, 5 Oct 2011 21:55:00 -0700

So I decided to interview my Mammaw for the Blog. I was expecting short answers from her, however i'm pretty sure she answered all of my answers in her first response ha. Telepathy? I think so. But anyways, here is the first question I asked, and her response! Enjoy!

Me: What was the first craft that you remember making?

Mamaw: I remember starting with a donkey lamp made out of wood. You pulled the tail down to turn on. I finished that and the tail broke the first time I tried it out in class so needless to say I started over with and new project. It was wood cut in the shape of a teapot that held keys or hotpads.I love working on the projects so it wasn't hard for --except that darn tail. As you know I'm still proud of my wall teapots. I gave that to my mom and she used it until I got married and then gave it to me. It is still used in my kitchen today and this year is our 50th anniversary. Needless to say I made an A in my class from a teacher who was kind and wanted all of us to be the best we could be. Since it took me the whole 6 weeks to complete 2 projects I was so happy and proud of both--if only the tail hadn't broken on the lamp!!!

Me: What were some other crafts that you have made since then?

Mamaw: I did cross stitching for canning jars and made some purses. Covered a few pieces of furniture but I realized I do not enjoy crafty projects at all.

Me: If you had the ability to do any craft, what would it be?

Mamaw :I enjoy beauty so if I had the talent to do anything I would be a interior designer. That is a special craft that few people have without spending lots of money; only using what you have and making a home beautiful.

Needless to say, my grandma has crafty items all around her house and doesn't even realize it. Adorned with quilts, decorative plates, and paintings, her house is a craft playground. She is much more crafty than she makes herself out to be. That's my modest grandma :) She is absolutely obsessed with blue and white plates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_and_white_porcelain

In fact, I'm surprised she didn't mention anything (as a side note) about the fact that my papaw repairs and makes clocks as a side business. Their house is FULL OF THEM. Needless to say, everyone goes deaf around noon and midnight haha.

"WWJD?" Bracelets

donnadb@gmail.com (Donna Bowman) — Sun, 2 Oct 2011 01:03:00 -0700

As a child, crafts weren’t really a major part of my life. My mother has never been

a crafty person – unless you count her yearly trips to War Eagle to purchase crafts others made. However, when I was younger, I absolutely adored making bracelets are church. Before we had our Sunday school lesson, my Sunday School teacher would

always allow us to do some sort of craft. I always chose to make bracelets out of the beads our teacher had there for us. Usually I made bracelets that said “WWJD,” but sometimes I would branch out and make them say “I heart Jesus,” or even my own name. I had so much fun picking out what I wanted my bracelet to say, how many letters I needed to use, etc.

My mom purchased a bracelet-making kit for me when I was six or seven, and I do still have that kit

somewhere in the depths of my closet at home. I haven’t used the kit in a very long time, nor have I even really looked through it since I was much younger. However, now that I’ve thought about this memory, I really want to go back and look at the box.

Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of my bracelets, nor do I have any of them to this day. We moved houses when I was younger and I suppose my bracelets were lost in the chaos. Here is an example of the sort of bracelets I made, as well as a picture of me from around the age I started making the bracelets, just for fun. (: