Weekend Review: The Creative Instigator's Handbook

 

The Creative Instigator's Handbook / Leanne Prain
Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, c2022. 
272 p.

This is a read that followed along with the last two books I reviewed in 2024. And it's my favourite one. This is the craftivism book I was looking for - with lots of case studies, photographs, and practical tips. So many practical tips! 

This is a softcover, kind of squarish, and nice to hold and read. It is so full of information, divided up into chapters that follow a logical progression. It goes from figuring out what drives you, to finding collaborators, to research, prototyping, executing, promoting, concluding and memorializing a project. Really from start to finish. Prain has a lot of experience doing public art projects and it shows. 

There are tons of examples and interviews included in each section, with many clear photos of the projects and participants. The originator shares how and why the project came to be and there are often sidebars with hints and tips. All through the book, the text blocks are in colour and the whole experience is bright and refreshing and encouraging. 

The projects are focused on public, participatory art projects, whether that's visual arts, theatrical or performing arts, craft based activities, or music. Not all of them are "Protest" art; while some are specific to social issues, while others are aimed at building community and connection. So there is a good mix of ideas here for many different kinds of projects. If you want to learn from experience, and have a great roadmap to follow if you are new to creating public art projects, this is the one to read. I loved it. 

Prain has written other books on craftivism, whether that's embroidery, yarn-bombing or textiles in general. They are all worth checking out as an introduction to different styles and practictioners. But this one is exactly what it says it is - a complete handbook for any creative instigator who needs a hand! (Preview here)

Top Five of 2024!

 

I'm back to blogging after a little holiday break. It was a lovely relaxing time to eat and doze and perhaps even sew a bit ;) But to cap off the year, and start a new one, I wanted to look back over my 2024 sewing and see what I liked about it. 

What were my favourite makes of 2024? For the last few years, I have put together a Top Five post of my faves -- it's a good way to see what worked and why, and what to try next! 

Without further ado, here are my fave projects of the last year: 

Butterick 6655 - this is my favourite piece. The fit is great, the fabric is really comfy as well as being a print I love, and the colour means it goes with everything. This is the second time I've made this pattern and I love both versions. 

Simplicity 9601 - this is one I also love - it's a 90s pattern and made from an upcycled duvet. The colour is amazing and it turned out to fit me well. Love it. I would use this again.

Oxford Dress by Treize Coquelicot - I made this for the Spring Literary Sewing Circle project, and it turns out that I really like this pattern! I used some stash fabric and it just worked beautifully. Cool and comfy, I've worn this a lot. 

Butterick 6727 - this was one I made as part of the Fabricville Blogger program, but I really enjoyed this cotton fabric. It was great to sew with and the pattern suited the print well. Such a cute and colourful one. 

Factory Dress Top by Merchant & Mills - this is one of those projects that I had in mind long before I made it. I think that the print and the silhouette work together very well here. Also a repeat of a pattern I've made before. 

And one little bonus fave, the bag I made in a workshop with my Garment Guild! It was fun and I used fabric from other participants as the lining, which was extra nice. 

The less successful projects of the year were ones that I ended up not liking the fit of (no matter how I try, I just don't like flowy oversize things!) or that I just chose the wrong fabric for. Only a few duds, not too bad. 

I also took a look at my year of sewing and compiled some interesting stats. I made 21 items (most of them shared on the blog).  That's quite a few less than in previous years. There was a mix of 9 indie, 5 big four, and 6 Burda. And I made one patternless project, the bag above!

I don't usually repeat patterns but this year I did make frequent second or third versions of patterns I've used before, with 2 of them ending up in my best 5! The patterns I used for another go round were Butterick 6655, Factory Dress Top by Merchant & Mills, Style 4037, the Style Arc Lacey Dress, and Burda 115-11-2018. Fully a quarter of my projects this year were repeat patterns, a record for me, I think. 

And I used Burda the most in my sewing this year, with 6 patterns coming from magazines or envelope patterns. Then Butterick with 2, and everything else was one each from varied companies. 14 of my projects were made with stash fabric, and 7 were made with new to me fabric either bought or received as blogger partner projects. But I bought much more fabric than I used this year (some fabulous thrift store finds) so I've got to get busy sewing down the stash in 2025. 

I had a lot of sewing slumps in 2024, and sort of let most of my original plans go by the wayside. I'm hoping to get back on track this year, and be able to both plan and execute my ideas, whether those are wardrobe pieces for me, for others, or art pieces that I'd like to complete. Looking forward to being more efficient and motivated this year! 

 

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays to all! I will be taking a short blog break during this busy season and be back with you in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the holidays whatever you do, and don't forget to spend some time relaxing as well. 

Making over Knit Dresses

As some long-term readers might know, one of my favourite knit patterns is Kwik Sew 3559, an older OOP pattern that I've made 10+ times. Two of my 3559 dress versions haven't been worn much, so I decided to remake them into tee length tops instead. I really need more comfy tees, and these were easy fixes. 

The first was a plain black short sleeved version. I never wore this, as I had added a band on the bottom to get it to the right length, and somehow it just didn't sit right. The hem curled up after a couple of wears and I just couldn't sort it. Perfect candidate for a chop! I sewed the pocket openngs shut from the inside & then cut off the pocket bags. This one I cut to a high hip tee length, and just ironed on some knit interfacing to keep the hem smooth, I didn't sew it at all. Quick and easy, and will mostly be worn under a cardigan or jacket anyhow. 

The second one was a little bit fussier. This knit is really lightweight and springy, which is why it never worked well as a dress. I wore it a couple of times, but I found that once I put the sash on, the back of it clung to my bottom more than I liked. Also it is a bit static which doesn't help. So I wasn't reaching for it often, but I love the pretty fabric and how soft it is to wear. I thought if I made it over into a tunic, I wouldn't be tying it around my waist and the fabric could fall more naturally. So I did the same with the pockets - sewed the seam shut and then cut off the pocket bags. I then measured down from the yoke and cut this one a bit longer than the black one. I also added hem tape to the bottom of this. 

I then took the 9" that I cut off and sewed into a tube for a quick infinity style scarf that I can add to this if I want a little extra coverage or just a different look. This was fun to do and I'm glad I could use the fabric for another piece. I think I will get a lot more wear out of this tunic version! 

Weekend Review: Crafting a Better World

Crafting a Better World / Diana Weymar
NY: Harvest, c2024.
167 p.

Another book about craftivism, this is one that I was looking forward to, as soon as I saw it in my library's catalogue. It's a little book, about the size of a paperback although it's hardcover, with a cute cover, too. 

It's written by Diana Weymar, creator of the Tiny Pricks Project using embroidery to make a political statement after the 2016 election. And so this book is US-centric, both in the crafters included and the political references. There are interesting stories with a few from around the world as well, but to me it read very American. 

It features some of the usual suspects, like the Pink Pussyhat project, with a brief description of the project and sometimes an interview of sorts, in which those involved answered a few questions put to them by Weymar. Some of the people included really didn't answer many of the questions, though, and those are very short highlights indeed. There is a focus on the people who Weymar knows, also, and some of the 'craft' that is highlighted isn't what I had expected from the use of the word 'craftivism' which generally indicates fibre arts in some form (and the cover images too). There was a story about a woman making and selling chocolate vulvas, which, I guess. And some famous people were included, like Jamie Lee Curtis, with a short profile. 

The book is a series of profiles of 25 crafters, artists or just activists who the author finds inspiring and wants to share. Some of them don't have much connection to traditional craft at all. The plus is that you can then search out anyone who seems interesting and find out more about them online. And there were LGBTQ+ and people of colour profiled, too, which was nice to have included. 

I did find the small size a bit off-putting, making this book harder to read. And I suppose it just wasn't quite what I was expecting - I was hoping for some conversation about craftivism, aka slow activism, as discussed by people like Sarah Corbett - maybe even a few ideas for projects. But this book isn't that. There aren't projects in it, except for the mention of the ones spurred on by the personalities profiled here. So as a record of activism, this is fine, but if you are looking for more in-depth discussion or inspiration for actual craftivism, I'd say try another title. I think the "DIY Projects" from the subtitle got lost somewhere in the mix. Get this one from the library if you can, so that you can skim through and see if it's the book for you. 

Basic Black with Burda

November brought a new contest challenge over at PatternReview, the Mini Wardrobe challenge, in which you were to make 5 coordinating items in 5 weeks. I was thinking about it for a while, and realized it would be very unlikely for me to make that many things in such a short time frame. However, I did put together some fun ideas, the initial one being the Merchant & Mills Factory top that I just shared. The whole concept was built from that piece. 

I thought of making a red blouse, a cream sweater or jacket, and a black skirt to go with it, and maybe a fun print dress. Of course I just finished the top, but now have completed the black skirt. The other projects will have to have their turn another day ;) 

But I am very pleased with the black skirt that I chose for this outfit. I had just enough black twill left from another project to make a new Burda pattern - I used #117 from the Dec 2022 issue. This skirt has everything I like - slash pockets, a waistband that sits at the natural waist, and a lining. I was able to make the whole skirt from fabric from my stash, which was an added bonus. I realized after I'd cut the waistband that I added seam allowance to it, as with all the other pattern pieces - but the waistband is a rectangle that already includes S.A. so I had an extra wide and long piece. But this worked out in my favour! 

The front of the skirt has two pleats on each side, just before the pocket openings. This is quite nice. I did find the pocket bags a little shallow and will extend them if I make this again; I like to be sure my keys aren't going to fall out. 

The zip closure is at centre back, and is supposed to be a 9" invisible zip that goes up to the top of the waistband. I find that messy sometimes, though, so I used the 8" zip that I had and inserted in only in the skirt piece. 

This is where the excess waistband came into play. Because my waistband had extra length, I was then able to create a 2" underlap on the left side, and add a skirt hook and eye. I prefer this closure over trying to force a zip up past a bulky seam. Plus I like to add the waistband after the skirt and lining are sewn/basted together, as I find it's a much neater finish, for me. It worked out perfectly but I do find in wearing that the back is a little tight and so I have wrinkles - should have added another inch to the back width. Still wearable though, especially if I iron it before taking pictures ;) 

I also lengthened it by 2" but because there is a slight A-line shape to it, I didn't have to add a walking slit to the back (the shorter length wouldn't need it so there wasn't one in the pattern). I actually love this skirt a lot and would definitely make iy again. I love the way it fits (slightly higher waisted to work with shorter tops like my Factory top) and the pocket/pleat combo sits really nicely on the body, no puffy bulges to worry about ;) I can always use a basic black skirt, and this pattern might just be my new winner. It's comfortable, pretty easy to sew, and I like the details. Very happy with it. 

Weekend Review: A Little Book of Craftivism

 

A Little Book of Craftivism / Sarah Corbett
London: Cicada, c2013. 
63 p.

As the world continues on its troublesome way, I think more and more about ways for introverts or busy people or overwhelmed people to continue to participate in civil life, and to have their voices heard. One way that has always appealed to me is craftivism, the melding of craft work with activism. It's slow activism, a way for people to engage deeply, and in a long-term way, with social causes, according to Sarah Corbett, founder of the Craftivist Collective. 

I picked up this book recently, being a big fan of Sarah Corbett and her Craftivist activities. It's exactly what it says it is: a little book, about 4x6, full of photos and explanations of various projects the Craftivist Collective has undertaken (up to the 2013 pub date, anyhow). If you want updates and new things, do check out the website as well. 

This book is charming to look through, and it's an easier reference than old blog posts, too. It shares 9 different projects (including my long-time favourite, the I'm A Piece art project); tips on how to take care of yourself as a craftivist and run activities successfully, instructions on learning to cross-stitch and backstitch, and ideas on words and phrases you might like to use in your own projects. 

It's small but a delightful inspiration, and a good introduction to the world of craftivism. Many of the projects are based in embroidery, as this slow process fits in with Corbett's craft+social action+self-awareness ethos. For anyone new to the idea of craftivism, this is a good intro, not overwhelming but visually appealing, and with enough info to get a reader started in this area. 

You can also find more info on the Craftivist Collective on youtube and on IG.