Quickie Question: What’s the Thing That Appeals To You the Most?
By Twistie
We all come to our various crafts in different ways, and for different reasons. We all enjoy making things with our hands, but what appeals about it for me may be quite different from what appeals to you.
Why bobbin lace? Well, for me there are multiple reasons. I love the tools. They’re pretty. They feel good in my hands. They add to the beauty of my home. But that’s not my only reason. I also adore the finished product. It’s delicately beautiful, yet surprisingly sturdy. I’ve always been fond of the obscure, and let’s face it: bobbin lace is one of the more obscure handcrafts going. I had been making lace for the better part of a year before I met another person who did it. I love knowing something other people don’t, and knowing how to make lace pretty much assures I know something that somebody else in the room doesn’t.
But I think what I love the most is the process. I love the way I feel when I’m tossing bobbins. It’s a zen feeling. I feel at peace and joyful when I’m crossing and twisting those threads. Stress just falls away and my brain becomes a harmonious place. It’s the same feeling I get when I’m kneading bread dough or rolling out pie crust. It’s that absolute sense of peace that comes when my hands are doing something that matters to my heart.
So what about all of you? What is it about sewing or knitting or crochet or carving or creating books or making prints or scrapbooking… whatever your craft may be, what makes it your craft above any other?
March 7th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
I paint and embellish shoes and purses and it’s a tie what appeals to me most. First is the transformation that occurs when I take something ordinary, even old or ugly, and like an alchemist, turn it into gold. The other half of the tie is COLOR! I love adding color to my life, and to the lives of the women I teach. No more black or brown shoes just because they’ll go with everything! I experiment with color — and sometimes the combinations don’t work, that’s what experiments are about. But more often, something magical happens!
March 9th, 2011 at 3:58 am
I dabble in many crafts, but I learn most from weaving. Patience, for one. Not giving up immediately but trying again and again until things work out. And giving my perfectionism a break and not pointing to every “&%#¦!! mistake in my scarf every time somebody comments on the lovely pattern.
I also pick up things on the street: washers, ribbons, buttons, unidentified little pieces of plastic or metal. They hang around until I get a lightbulb moment and make something out of them (necklace of embroidery-covered washers, earrings from flattened bottle caps, etc. etc.). I LOVE the idea of making something pretty out of what is basically garbage!
March 9th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
@ Margo Silk Forrest: What could possibly be better than combining color and alchemy? BTW, my mother taught me as a child that orange is the best neutral shoe to own. I was dubious at first, but then finally found a pair of orange shoes that fit me correctly. They went with EVERYTHING and made me feel fabulous to boot. I also once had a glorious pair of flat electric blue mary-janes that were amazingly good with every color of the rainbow. I cried when those shoes finally bit the dust.
@ dinazad: You know, in some parts of the world there’s a tradition that you should never, ever make something completely perfect. You need to leave at least one flaw because perfection belongs to God, not man. You can always tell yourself that you’re finding religion. ; )
And I’m so with you about the found objects! There’s a tremendous amount of beauty to be found in humble things that people take for granted. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m so drawn to handcrafts.