A Craft for Me

[plumtreeblossom]

I'm back from Rochester, having been whisked away by beloved beowabbit for a fun journey home that included a stop at the mecca that is Wegman's flagship store, and an impromptu dinner visit with some old friends of mine in Southampton, MA. It was a delightful way to spend my birthday. beowabbit gives a more detailed account of our fun on the road in his LJ. All in all, the week spent in Rochester was more positive than negative, and I came away with a bit of fresh inspiration.

If you've been reading me for a while, you've likely seen me complain along the "everybody has a craft but me" lines. My friends knit, crochet, sculpt, make glass art, make web art, make jewelry, and all manner of things lovely and creative. I was always the one looking on, being impressed and a bit envious. I've long wanted a craft to feel passionate about, but I'm not much of a craft-for-therapy kind of person -- it had to be something I can actually use and share, perhaps someday sell (or just give away), but definitely something with a clear and practical function.

This year I became completely smitten with reusable fabric gift bags. I've long been a fan of reusable paper gift bags as a greener alternative to throw-away wrapping paper. The bags make the rounds of friends and get used over and over until they wear out. This Christmas season marked my first discovery of fabric gift bags, which take greener gift wrap to the next level. I bought several, and enjoyed using them as gift wrapping as well as studying their patterns. Lots of crafters are making them -- just look on Google. I think it's a splendid way to avoid years worth of garbage bags stuffed with once-used-and-discarded wrapping paper.

Some wonderful friends, as led by my darling beowabbit, have joined together to buy me a new refurb sewing machine for my birthday (my current machine is a piece of crap from Craigslist that barely works). I may have it as soon as tomorrow. I've missed sewing, and though I'm not skilled enough for complex clothing design, I've always liked making hats, catnip toys, clothing from patterns, and other small projects. Fabric gift bags are something I can use and share. Choosing fabric that can be washed and ironed would allow people to re-gift them over and over, hopefully eliminating a great deal of paper wrap waste. Choosing recycled or other environmentally gentle fabric would make them just plain awesome. (weegoddess, did I not I say you are an inspiration? :-))

So, that's a thing I plan to do with my new sewing machine. Finally I can has craft!

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

You've always seemed like a pretty crafty woman to me ;)

Congratulations on finding inspiration!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I was very craft-oriented as a kid. I always had a craft kit of some sort -- those weave-a-pot-holder looms come to mind, and a circular crochet thingy on which one produced a long and rather useless tube of crochet. I perpetually had something going. But as an adult that went away. For the last few years, though, I've really been thinking how nice it would be to have something handmade by me to give to people, or even occasionally sell at local craft fairs.

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Re-usable fabric gift bags are a *wondeful* idea! Go you!

And a belated happy birthday to you, hon. Glad it was a good one.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I'll make sure to give you one, and you can test out it's re-gifting powers. :-)

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Thankee!!!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I LOVE your userpic! Fuzzy otter love!

[mud-puppy.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about doing this for a while as well. They're *really* easy to make and I have a metric ton of fabric to choose from.

The only think I haven't quite figured out is, since the gift is being given with the bag it goes with the gift. That means the receiver of the gift needs to reuse it, not me, which means I need to make new bags each year. Or, I suppose I could just ask for the bag back, but that doesn't feel right to me.

Ah well...

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Choosing recycled or other environmentally gentle fabric would make them just plain awesome. (weegoddess, did I not I say you are an inspiration? :-))

::touched and amused smile::

Ping me off-LJ and I'll shoot you some URL's of organic fabric sources. Admittedly, though, eco-friendly fabrics aren't as shiny or sparkly or varied, and would make plainer bags. You could also consider using fabric found in thrift-stores, as 'reclaimed/recycled' fabric. It's an idea that I've been dying to try once I'm back in the US with regular access to decent thrift stores. Ask noire about the best thrift stores in town if you feel like you want more info there.

::many proud hugs::

PS - Just wait til you see what ideas I have for the next direction I want to take the business. Likely it'll be next winter before I get it all sorted and implemented, but...OH!! So FABULOUS!!

[earthling177.livejournal.com]

Cool! And if you want another hobby to add to the ones you already mentioned, you will love to have your own quilts and even gift them. I am sure that I (or any other quilter you know) will love to teach you whatever we know -- if we recruit another couple of quilters, we get a toaster oven! :-P

And whether or not you want to quilt, take a look at www.sewingwithtom.com for a bunch of info. Good luck and Happy New Year!