I remember as a kid, my mom sewing us matching clothes for family pictures. Macrame jute strung all over the living room. Grandma's knitting sitting by her chair, and her beaded doilies.
My aunt was in a Craft-of-the-month club. I loved it! Because I would get a lot of those little boxes of goodies from her so I could finish them.
*sigh* Ah, those were fine days. Days that I remember very fondly. And when I look back at everything I've crafted over the years! Wow.
Macrame (of course) wall plaques and plant hangers. Embroidery, crochet and knitting, soaps, lotions...among other things. But over the last 6 years my crafts have turned towards glass, starting with stained glass, then lampwork, and now fusing! There's nothing the dangerously hot glass to keep things interesting! Ha!!
What is your crafting history and experience? I'd love to hear it.
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My brothers and I grew up in a home filled with handmade-everything. My father was self-employed as a sign painter, so because money was tight, instead of us kids getting toys from the store, he made them all: from large cardboard boats big enough for my two brothers and I to run around the back yard in, to cereal box guitars, and hand carved race cars. My mother made all of our clothing, and in general, we used what we had on hand and used our imaginations a LOT. My mom always told us that "giving the gift of something handmade is the best gift you can give".
To this day I still believe in her words, and have tried to instill her wisdom in my own children.
My grandfather is a painter - landscapes mainly, my grandmother used to do the most amazing tapestries and my mum was a sewer for a long long time, she used to make all my clothes. My mum also knit, crocheted, cross stitched etc, and she taught me how to do it too. I took little bits from all of them, and have always been interested in creating, and it is wonderful to have family members that understand the need to make things and inject something of yourself in them.
Had you asked me a few years ago, I would have said that I'm so not a crafter. I began in librarian school. I used up too much paper doodling, so I took up knitting instead. Started with a complicated pattern and real fine yarn, too. I still knit when I have one of the "phases".
Then I stumbled over a picture of a wire crochet piece, I ordered a book immediately, got me some wire and there you go.
One year ago everything just changed.
I grew up with clothes and warm quilts made by my mother. My grandmother crocheted angels for our Christmas tree and made beautiful afghans as gifts. My other grandmother embroidered pillow cases and tablecloths for my hope chest. All of them passed along their love of handmade to me in some way, shape, or form. And now, I'm passing it on to my kids.
I grew up in a home where everything was practically handmade! We grew our own veggies & canned them. All my clothes were hand made or hand-me-downs. My mother, aunt & grandmothers all sewed, knitted, embroidered, quilted, crocheted, grew gardens for food, canned, baked...and I was expected to learn too! I can still remember being about 5 and mom making me embroider! Back then what were normal everyday ways of being frugal and making ends meet is called "living green & upcycling" now! My folks got into stained glass shortly after that and I made my first suncatcher when I was eight. My parents have always been encouraged to try new things. I am doing what I am today thanks to my fathers encouragement!
I grew up always holding a crayon - then paint...and don't forget the play-doh :) My dad was an artist...well, a dentist, but always an artist too.
In high school I got away from it all, but did enough creative cooking that I'd perhaps call it crafting :)
College had me painting lots, until I switched majors to cience.
It wasn't until I had my son & when he was 3, he wanted a costume I could not find...so I started sewing.
Mom never did much more than repairs when I was growing up - so I had to teach myself. And got hooked. He's 14 now, and I have yet to stop :)
My mother was into crafts but I don't remember anyone calling it crafts I think they always used the word "hobby". She crocheted, made macrame and bought used things and reburished them. Somewhere along the way I caught the bug. I started off with latch-hooking and moved on to many other things throughout my life and I continue to look for new things to try but jewelry is where my heart is.
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