Friday, April 03, 2009

Handmade Nation = INSPIRATION!

Last night I hopped in the car with Kristy of Hands on CRAFT & puttered the 8 miles to the Accident Gallery in Eureka to view a screening of the crafty documentary Handmade Nation. And how lucky that we got to see the indie DIY film before Portland, where it is headed next, got it! As if the fact that there was beer available wasn't enough, on top of that OUR screening was presented GRATIS, as opposed to the 10 clams folks have to cough up to see it elsewhere. Who do we have to thank for our good fortune? Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft and the Clay Club of College of the Redwoods, that's who.

If you haven't heard about it yet, HN is the brainchild of Faythe Levine of Art vs. Craft fame, who traveled over 19,000 miles to interview 80 artists in their habitat: craft fairs, studios, galleries, & boutiques. Some of the biggest names are featured from crafting traditions as diverse as embroidery, print-making, knit-tagging, & lampwork.

What did I think of the movie? I adored it! What better way to get inspired & motivated to make shit than to see others talking about their adventures in the DIY world. Highlights for me were the braille embroidery work being done by Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching; Whitney Lee's Soft Porn, a latch-hook rug of a Playboy reclining nude; and the cowgirl clothes adorned with embroidered ASL alphabets (sorry, couldn't track down the artist's name). Only thing I think it lacked was YARN!!

Watch the trailer, then get in your car & find the nearest screening. See if Handmade Nation is comin' to your town by checking out their blog for details.



4 comments:

  1. Interesting post! Thanks for participating in Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival. You are like a fiber rockstar!

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  2. I second the movie recommendation - I got to see the Milwaukee premiere and even dragged my husband along who was very reluctant but admitted afterwards that he too thought it was really good. So not just for the crafty set!

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  3. Aw man! I missed it? So sad for me.

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  4. i cant wait to see this - i read the book cover to cover - such inspiring stories! it really gets my crafty juices flowing when i hear about others and what they are doing!

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