Posted by microsinger on 2005-10-06 10:49:33
Post Subject: New Simplicity-type Blog
The recent devastation in the South along with other personal losses this summer has me reevaluating my current path. If you are in the same boat, check it out.
Posted by jennjitsu on 2008-04-12 18:27:28
Post Subject: Making replacement Britax carseat cover
I've googled and dogpiled and yahoo'd and I can NOT find a tutorial on making a replacement cover for DD's Britax Marathon. I know that they exist, I see lots of customs on Ebay but I'm not interested in paying a wad for a new one, as much as I like supporting WAHMS. We are about to go on a serious roadtrip and with the freshly learned business of The Potty, we just really need some extra covers! I've seen the kind that slip over the existing, but I need a whole new one in case of a pee accident.
I've thought about trying to draw out my own, and my sweet supportive hubby says "You can do that!", I'm not so sure. It looks like I might have to, unless I can get someone to divulge the secret. So, any pattern drawing/drafting pointers?
This is also xposted in Domestic Bliss. Thanks!
Posted by microsinger on 2006-04-18 12:22:11
Post Subject: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title
I am preparing to present a proposal to a regional newspaper/magazine in my area. The newzine iteslf is called "Heartland Women" and it features articles/columns about local events, health and wellness, business, investing, etc., all geared towartd a female audience. My column would be a monthly or bi-monthly (depending on my options) one featuring an array of topics that revolve around the home; cooking/shopping, crafting, decorating, budgeting & simple living, gardening, recycling, etc. It would be similar to Martha's newpaper column; new subjects each week, a few recipes, a craft tutorial, hints and tips. The only names I have come up with are "Heartland Home" which fits well but is a little too 'pre-Freidan' for my tastes, "The Domestic Dabbler" which is ok, I guess. My audience is not likely to be too "hip" so I have to keep it somewhat tame. "The Renegade Hausfrau" would probably require too much definition and I would probably either offend the homemakers, the feminists, or both. Any thoughts, suggestions, tips??
Posted by cincinnaticraftmafia on 2006-02-23 14:43:44
Post Subject: Please Join My Art Project - Postcards From Cletus
http://www.fetopia.net/postcardsfromcletus.jpg
Introducing Postcards From Cletus, an online interactive art project starting this summer.
We are looking for participants starting right now!
Here's how it works:
Participants (both domestic and international) will be sent a 100% FREE Cletus Fetus. In return, they will take their Cletus Fetus around their hometown, taking various photographs that show what it is like to live there. We need Cletus Fetuses catching flies at ballgames, standing in line at rollercoasters, running through sprinklers, whatever you can think of, we need it! Starting June 1st, the Postcards from Cletus Fetus livejournal community will come alive with weekly entries, which members can then vote on. Winners will receive glorious, glorious prizes. Oh the prizes you will win!
All you need to participate is access to a digital camera, a Cletus Fetus, and a hometown. Some imagination would help, too.
Join the Community: http://community.livejournal.com/cletuspostcards/profile
Posted by sallypeep on 2007-08-10 10:36:43
Post Subject: Swag Bag Submissions & Adverts for Made For You, NJ
You may have already read my post about "seeking vendors" but since the vendor app is closed, you may be interested in contributing to our swag bags or advertising in our event guide booklet. Please visit www.madeforyoushowcase.com or email us at info@madeforyoushowcase.com and we'll send you our sponsor and/or advertising kits (pdf files).
And in case you didn't read the previous post, this is what we're about:
Announcing an upscale big city style shopping event in a hot NJ town.
Made For You will feature 13 independent designers selling everything handmade and awesome: from jewelry to handbags to baby items to home goods and more!
Made For You will be held in a swanky restaurant lounge, and the event will feature a live DJ, complimentary drinks, free food, and swag bags. $5 of ticket sales will go to 180 Turning Lives Around, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in Monmouth County, NJ.
And of course, if you just want to come out for a great day of shopping, Made For You is Sunday, October 14th from 1:00 to 5:00. Visit the website to purchase your tickets and get directions and other info.
Posted by totinette on 2004-11-19 12:19:28
Post Subject: *Crafting for a Better World!* holiday craft drive
Crafting For A Better World
Portland Super Crafty has set out to save the world, and we need your help! We’re collecting donations of handmade items and craft supplies to give to some amazing organizations around Portland and could use your crafting superpowers. Please help us brighten the holiday and warm up the winter for some less fortunate men, women, and children by giving them the gift of craft!
Types of items to donate:
This is a comprehensive list of what the organizations could really use, but feel free to be creative and send in other items as well!
Donations must be received by Monday, December 15.
Please send your items to:
Torie Nguyen
One Centerpointe Dr., Suite 550
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Questions? Email us at pdxsupercrafty@yahoo.com. If you live in the Portland area and would like to submit your donation in person, please drop us an email to make arrangements.
*If you would like a receipt for your donation, please include a note with your name, address, and the retail value of the item.
About the organizations:
The Goose Hollow Shelter
The Goose Hollow Family Shelter is a temporary emergency shelter for homeless families in the Portland metropolitan area. They take in anyone who has a child under the age of 18, as well as pregnant women. The shelter currently operates from November to May and is hoping to one day have the resources to stay open year round. In the evenings, they have “kid time” where volunteers lead the kids in various activities, one of which is crafting.
p:ear
http://www.pearmentor.org/
p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.
Community Action Organization
http://www.communityaction4u.org/
Community Action exists to ensure that low-income families have a place to turn for help as they strive to get back on their feet and achieve a better life. They offer the following services: A Kid’s Domain: Before and after school care, Early Head Start/Head Start Preschool, Energy and Emergency Services, Homeless and Housing Services, Opening Doors: Maternity outreach and pregnancy support.
Buckman SUN School
http://www.sunschools.org
http://www.buckmansite.teacherhosting.com
Buckman Arts Magnet Elementary School is one of the community schools serviced by the SUN Program (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods). The mission of the SUN program is to improve the lives of children, their families and the community through partnering with local school communities to extend the school day with a variety of classes and develop schools as “community centers” in their neighborhoods. We are specifically asking for donations for their Winter Craft & Gift-making Night on Wednesday December 15th at Buckman Elementary School. Families are invited to return to school in the evening and create unique handmade gifts for the holidays with the help of parent volulteers and local artists (including the girls of Super Crafty!)
One more organization collecting craft supplies and handmade gifts is La Casa de las Madres, a San Francisco-based group that offers emergency services to women and their children escaping domestic violence.
They have women of all ages there, and children from newborn to age 18, so items of all sizes and colors would be welcome. They would take blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - all the standard handmade stuff. If you do not knit or crochet, you are welcome to sew any donations. Machine washable is good, so is warm wool, but they are not picky and would take anything. You are welcome to wrap stuff if you want, but please put a tag on the outside indicating what is inside, and the size, etc., and attaching a tag indicating the fabric content, care instructions, and maybe a little pick-me-up message would be wonderful.
They are also looking for donations of art and craft supplies - fabric, yarn, needles, paper, crayons, hooks, glue, markers, etc. NO magazines, they already have plenty.
About La Casa: La Casa de las Madres offers emergency residential shelter to battered women and their children while providing counseling, family-based services and referrals. Our Emergency Crisis Shelter has the capacity to shelter and support 35 women and children per night. La Casa's downtown San Francisco office houses our two 24-hour Crisis Phone Lines, a Drop-In Counseling Center, the Teen Intervention & Prevention Program, and the Community Education & Outreach Program. All services are offered free-of-charge in English and Spanish.
Please send donations directly to the shelter by December 17:
La Casa de las Madres
1850 Mission Street, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
PDX Super Crafty won’t be delivering these gifts, we’re just handling donations for the Portland organizations! Thanks for your generosity this holiday season!
Posted by sarabell on 2006-09-08 15:41:50
Post Subject:
the thing was that we were basically assigned certain forums. like i got domestic bliss, share a craft, and consuming pleasures. but this wasn't indicated under the subject heading in the index of forums home. we're just basically supposed to concentrate out non-spam detection moderator duties in those areas which we were assigned. then the crafty swaps forum was a new one, and for_esme was the one assigned.... so that's the deal on that. i would like it if we were all included in that forum, that way we can all moderate/remove spam/move topics as needed.
$5 donation at the door to benefit the Portland Women's Crisis Line for
sexual assault and domestic violence.
Vendor Information:
Vendors will be provided with a space approx. 4'x4'. The spaces are free,
you keep all of your profits, we just hope you would donate something to
the raffle! Door money & raffles money will go to the PWCL. Bring your
own table and displays. It is not yet known if there will be outlets for
your own plug in fixtures.
If you are interested email Amber at amberbrook1@hotmail.com with:
Name, website if you have one, description or photos of what you sell, and an email address to contact you at. I will email you back with updates!
Posted by sallypeep on 2007-07-10 10:43:02
Post Subject: Seeking Vendors - NJ Shopping Event
Announcing an upscale NYC style shopping event in a hot NJ town.
We''re seeking vendors who sell quality handmade items at various price points to join this exciting independent designer showcase.
Made For You will be held in a swanky restaurant lounge, and the event will feature a live DJ, complimentary drinks, free food, and a swag bag. $5 of ticket sales will go to 180, Turning Lives Around, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in Monmouth County, NJ.
Vendor fee includes table and full page ad in event guide booklet. This is a juried show and space is limited. The vendor deadline is July 27th, so please sign up soon. Check out www.madeforyoushowcase.com for application and more details.
We also need sponsors, advertisers, and contributions for the goodie bags. If this interests you, please visit the website or email us at info@madeforyoushowcase.com.
Posted by Miss E on 2005-08-04 16:18:28
Post Subject: Donations for a non-profit art auction!
Hey Everyone!
My friend has a non-profit organization called Africa Aid. (http://www.africaaid.org./ ) He's very dedicated to it and believes in it. It's a really great organization.
They are having a fundraiser selling American Apparel tee shirts and having an art auction in December. If any of you are interested they are taking donations for the art auction. They will label everything with your name (and your website if you have one). It's a great way to get your name out there to another audience and to help out a good cause. Also list what you think would be a fair starting bid.
One of our main goals is to raise awareness of Africa, so anything along the lines of Africa will be an added bonus.
We are gearing the art auction towards a high class audience, so anything of extremely high quality will probably be auctioned during the main auction, which other smaller pieces may be sold at set prices throughout the event.
Anything that is not sold can be sold at the Africa Aid online store or on an Africa Aid ebay auction. And we will consistently promote the arts and artists, so anything donated now or in the future will be put to use to support Africa Aid and our cause.
If you want to submitt something just pm me whenever you are ready and you can just mail it to me or my friend.
From his website, http://www.africaaid.org./ :
Africa Aid is a nonprofit organization that enhances the quality of life in underprivileged African communities through sustainable development initiatives, while enriching domestic communities by promoting awareness and cultivating international partnerships.
Africa Aid creates intimate partnerships between underdeveloped African communities and American sponsor cities. The Africa Aid model is unique in its ability to take the large-scale issues of extreme poverty such as:
* AIDS and Malaria
* Dehydration and Hunger
* Inadequate Sanitation and Irrigation
* High Child Mortality Rates and Low Literacy Levels
and scale them down to a manageable community level.
Rather than relying solely on our own aid programs, we develop a network of support and utilize valuable domestic resources:
* Universities and Research Institutions play a critical role in Africa Aid program design, with projects implemented into course curriculum. The development of aid programs in the classroom takes advantage of faculty experts and gives students real world experience.
* International Aid Organizations provide proven methods of humanitarian aid. In return, Africa Aid offers university designed programs and intimate knowledge of African communities.
* Public and Private Sectors team up with their local communities to tackle the problems of a third-world partner.
By forging these essential community to community partnerships, Africa Aid works towards developing is own innovative style of nonprofit aid that benefits all who are involved.
Posted by DevilDoll on 2005-06-14 00:10:55
Post Subject: smells like ... domestic bliss
Did you know there's actually a scent called domestic bliss at Caswell Massey? It's pretty yummy. They sent me a little sample of the lotion last time I ordered from them.
Posted by insistal on 2005-04-18 10:43:43
Post Subject: Anyone want this book?
How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=dK8n3MJB9T&isbn=0786867973&itm=1
I paid 35$ for it- and I'm not happy with it. If someone would like to, I am interested in swapping.
Posted by craftfetish on 2006-04-18 13:41:06
Post Subject:
I like Heartland Home - perhaps you can connect it to more modern domestic sensibilitites with an additional adjective?
New Heartland Home? Modern Heartland Home? Heartland Home Today?
Your Home? At Home? Creative Heartland?
That sort of thing?
I would save fabulous expressions like Renegade Hausfrau for individual column titles - where you will have an opportunity to write a bit about it. Go with something a bit tamer for the title you will have to stick with week after week.
Posted by voodoopinupqueen on 2007-01-23 13:27:38
Post Subject: Just wanted to say HI!
Hello!
I'm not new to the site, but it's been a couple years and I don't even remember who I used to be, so I'll just say hi again.
My New Year's resolution was to be more domestic, and as I type this I've got organic oatmeal raisin cookies in the oven, (for a friend who's sick) AND I'm wearing my awesome, patch-and-pin apron that I found while dumpster diving!
It's been awhile since I've made any of my own clothes, but in high school and early college I did it all the time. The most recent thing I made was I sewed a Morrissey patch and tee-shirt print onto a hoodie my mom gave me, and it looks awesome. I pulled out my old DIY book and now that I have some free time (I worked 4 jobs last semester) I can get back into it!
I'm hoping to organize enough stuff to write a book; I'm very into the "New Domesticity" and since most of my friends are guys, I love baking for them (I made mini lasagnas for finals week!), mending clothes, and generally, being the woman of the house. Being a woman is such a lost art on the next generation, and it makes me really sad. I look at teenagers at the mall and the teen center where I work and they all just seem so lost and loose, living on fast food and cell phones.
That's my rant for the day, and it's nice to meet you all!
Posted by onaridge on 2008-01-26 14:22:50
Post Subject: Broken Bone
My son broke his clavicle snow boarding Wednesday. I guess that's not domestic bliss but he's feeling ok now. He is convinced that the gods don't want him snow boarding as his newish board was stolen a few weeks ago. The year before he had a knee injury that prevented him from boarding at all. <sigh> I am inclined to agree with him! Anyway all the new and photos of him are on my onaridge blog.
Posted by Katalatabata on 2007-10-15 01:03:14
Post Subject: Animals: cloth, knit, crochet, and the rest
Alright folks, I am new to getcrafty and new to using forums so please forgive me if I''m not very good at this...I''ve been searching and can''t seem to find the things I am looking for.
I need patterns/instructions for animals. I want crochetted animals, knitted animals, and hand sewn animals. They can be exotic, domestic, or imaginary but I need a wide variety.
Any pointers? If you have any of these or know where I can find them, please let me know! That would be amazing.
Posted by brdgt on 2006-03-27 14:45:19
Post Subject:
Well, it's a hell of a long time before the 1940s and 1980s, but The Age of Homespun : Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is amazing.
Perhaps you need to interview your mom and grandma to find out where their interests came from. For example, did they learn some in home economics class? Then you may want to look into the history of home economics and in that realm I recommend From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart : A Cultural History of Domestic Advice.
Posted by india*romeo on 2006-05-03 11:46:06
Post Subject: The Handmade Market - THIS SATURDAY in Raleigh, NC
The Handmade Market: Because MALL is a four-letter word
Saturday, May 6, 2006
12pm - 5pm
Vintage 21 (209 Oberlin Rd, near NCSU)
http://www.thehandmademarket.com
The Handmade Market will feature handcrafted goodies from 40 of the best and brightest local and regional independent designers and crafters.
Come shop for art, apparel, jewelry, accessories, housewares, paper goods, and more! Find a unique handcrafted gift for Mother's Day or Graduation, or treat yourself to something special.
Donations from local businesses and vendors will be raffled to support Interact, an agency that provides support services for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The first 200 visitors will receive a complimentary copy of BUST Magazine, so come early!
For more information, including directions, a list of participating vendors, and maps to free event parking, please visit our website: http://www.thehandmademarket.com
--
Sponsored by The Handmaidens, a collective of NC designers (http://www.thehandmaidens.com), The Dirty Dish, an online magazine for women http://www.dirtydishonline.com), and BUST Magazine, for women with something to get off their chest (http://www.bust.com).
Posted by microsinger on 2006-04-18 12:26:55
Post Subject: Need input, opinions, and ideas for 'newzine' column title
I am preparing to present a proposal to a regional newspaper/magazine in my area. The newzine iteslf is called "Heartland Women" and it features articles/columns about local events, health and wellness, business, investing, etc., all geared toward a female audience. My column would be a monthly or bi-monthly (depending on my options) one featuring an array of topics that revolve around the home; cooking/shopping, crafting, decorating, budgeting & simple living, gardening, recycling, etc. It would be similar to Martha's newpaper column; new subjects each week, a few recipes, a craft tutorial, hints and tips. The only names I have come up with are "Heartland Home" which fits well but is a little too 'pre-Freidan' for my tastes and "The Domestic Dabbler" which is....ok, I guess. My audience is not likely to be too "hip" so I have to keep it somewhat tame. "The Renegade Hausfrau" would probably require too much definition and I would probably either offend the homemakers, the feminists, or both. Any thoughts, suggestions, tips??
Edited to add: Sorry for the double post. My pc froze up and I guess I hit submit twice.
Posted by quornflour on 2006-11-03 11:07:45
Post Subject: anyone have dehydrator recommendations?
I posted this is domestic bliss but it probably makes more sense here...
I want to get a dehydrator primarily for peppers, fruit leathers and possibly herbs.
I would like to spend $100 or less on it. Does anyone have any good recommendations?
I am fine with got to Target or such to get one or buying it on-line as long as shipping does not push it over the $100 mark.
I am OPPOSED to buying used home appliances (it's a quirk) so new recommendations only please.
Posted by brdgt on 2005-06-24 10:34:25
Post Subject: Pillow cases and Duvet covers
I just finished some curtains for my office and started on some matching pillowcases. I was searching for some instructions on how to do those pillowcases with the flap, so I could easily wash/replace them and came across these great instructions, including a link for making duvet covers, so I just thought I would share!
Posted by sarabell on 2005-10-15 20:04:11
Post Subject:
I would love a gardening forum, and it's a bit awkward trying to bring it up in the other topic forums.
Domestic bliss is a great forum but it seems pretty reserved for family type topics.
I live in a 3 story townehome in a city and don't have a yard but I love balcony gardening. I wouldn't call myself domestic just yet even though I am engaged.
So in conclusion a gardening forum could make all women from different walks of life comfortable in asking questions and showing off pictures of our prized plants.
I have many questions like what plants would survive in low light, or in a bathroom without an outside window, etc.
Please reconsider or maybe we'll just have to start flooding the domestic bliss forum with our plant and gardening ideas and questions. :)
thanks for reading.
"domestic bliss
keeping house, growing a family (however you define family!), crafty babies and kids, decorating, cleaning and creating a wonderful home. talk about it all here."
Posted by CraftinFool on 2005-06-09 08:05:14
Post Subject: At-home loneliness?
This new board has been supremely helpful for this mom to be. You guys always have great suggestions. I hope I haven't been a "domestic bliss board hog."
Anyway, b/c I've had to work offsite for the last few days b/c our building is being sprayed with chemicals, it's gotten me thinking about maternity leave and such. I like a little alone time, but start to feel down if I'm too isolated, you know? And I started thinking about how my only non-9 to 5 friend is moving to Ohio in July, and that when I'm on maternity leave for 12 weeks, am I going to be hideously lonely? Or is it so crazy those first few months that you don't notice it?
I'm also going down to 4 days a week and I wonder about that day at home.
How have folks, esp those who don't work outside of the house, dealth with being isolated if you have been? Do you tend to connect with other moms thru organized groups? I just figure if I have a bit of a plan it may keep me from getting too lonely and having a meltdown later.
Posted by art_skoolgirl on 2005-10-15 18:45:02
Post Subject:
I would love a gardening forum, and it's a bit awkward trying to bring it up in the other topic forums.
Domestic bliss is a great forum but it seems pretty reserved for family type topics.
I live in a 3 story townehome in a city and don't have a yard but I love balcony gardening. I wouldn't call myself domestic just yet even though I am engaged.
So in conclusion a gardening forum could make all women from different walks of life comfortable in asking questions and showing off pictures of our prized plants.
I have many questions like what plants would survive in low light, or in a bathroom without an outside window, etc.
Please reconsider or maybe we'll just have to start flooding the domestic bliss forum with our plant and gardening ideas and questions. :)
Posted by sarabell on 2005-07-06 10:39:19
Post Subject:
crocheting strips of plastic bags
#6 food containers can be used as shrinky dinks
cutting up and felting old wool sweaters
refurbishing/repurposing old furniture
stuff made with bottlecaps
" " " old bottles, jars, or soda pop cans
the possibilities are endless and there's lots of threads dedicated to a lot of different recycled craft ideas. you could also check the "what do you reuse/recycle in your house" thread in domestic bliss.
is there something in particular that you're interested in making, or materials you have or want to use? i usually get an idea from something that's just sitting there, or save stuff and wait for the inspiriation to strike.....
Posted by audreypillow on 2005-10-12 15:53:27
Post Subject: "CRAFTY CULTURE" Chicago panel discussion on "
Hi craftistas! What follows is a press release for an event I am putting together at work (Columbia College Chicago) that may finally give us crafters some serious cred as culture-makers and agents of social change. Transcripts of the discussion will be available in January for out-of-towners, but if you're in Chicago -- be there! --XOXO, Audrey Michelle, amast@colum.edu
For Immediate Release October 7, 2005
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal 312-344-7383
or Elizabeth Burke-Dain 312-344-8695
A HANDMADE REVOLUTION
Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media Presents Panel Discussion at Columbia College Chicago
That Explores Political Implications and Possibilities of “Craftivism”
WHAT: Crafty Culture: Feminism, Activism, and the DIY Ethic
A panel discussion with local women active in the Chicago DIY (do it yourself) arts community: graphics professional and “craftivist” Cinnamon Cooper; Time Out Chicago magazine “Check Out” editor Annie Tomlin; and painter and poet Alejandra Velera. Moderated by Annette Ferrara, cultural content provider and managing editor of Flavorpill.net. Q & A follows.
Jane M. Saks and Audrey M. Mast of the Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media are available for interviews.
Crafting – knitting, needlepoint, beading, scrapbooking, sewing and more – can be a hobby, a way to unwind and a creative outlet. It can also be a way to reclaim traditional women’s work with a modern spin, start one’s own business, save money, reject prepackaged/sweatshop-produced merchandise, recycle, raise funds or donate goods for charitable causes, and mobilize for political action. Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media presents a panel discussion that will explore the possibilities of “craftivism.”
While crafting is often a solitary activity, the popularity of such groups as Stitch ’n’ Bitch, indie art/crafts fairs, magazines like ReadyMade and Web sites such as craftster.org has helped likeminded women (and men) to network, exchange ideas and market their products. While these communities and media outlets mostly exist outside the mainstream media, there has been a less political, yet no less pervasive DIY lifestyle trend in mainstream media as espoused by Martha Stewart, Home Depot and the glut of domestic-themed cable TV offerings.
Crafty culture is part of a centuries-old history of women connecting, organizing and effecting change through handicrafts. It has been suggested that during the Civil War era, African American women’s quilt designs were coded maps of the Underground Railroad. But as domestic prowess has become less of a requirement and more of a choice, modern women can approach it with a healthy dose of irreverence. Today’s indie crafters are grounded in postmodern self-awareness.
Crafting can be examined as a new phase in the DIY phenomenon, with its ideals of empowerment, accessibility and community, which began with the self-publishing of the Beats and Situationists, mail art, pirate radio in the ’60s, the anti-consumerist politics of punk rock, the rise of independent record labels, zine culture, and the ’90s Riot Grrrl movement. Yet crafty culture may present a reverse rebellion: instead of the sharp critique of domesticity offered by second-wave feminists, contemporary crafters are embracing and celebrating the domestic arts as relevant, viable and creative work.
What does crafty culture mean for a post-third wave generation of feminists? Why is this trend happening now – might crafts be more popular in times of war, economic downturn and political conflict? How can we channel our creative passions into activism? In an aesthetic environment obsessed with high design, what place do our handcrafted objects have – and are they truly valued in our economic system? Do they have any cultural capital? Does crafty culture attract a wide range of participants in terms of race, class and gender?
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 6 – 8 pm
WHERE: Film Row Cinema theatre, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor
HOW MUCH: Free and open to the public
MORE INFO:
Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, 312-344-8829 or amast@colum.edu
WHO:
The Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media is a new entity at Columbia College Chicago and the first and only institute of its kind in the US. Our mission is to research, debate, archive and investigate significant societal and cultural issues related to women and gender in the arts and media.
Posted by happyhats on 2005-09-01 16:52:06
Post Subject: Floor Rug Advice and Ideas
I didn't know whether to post this here or in the domestic bliss section, but I think here may be more appropriate. Move this is you need to!
My apartment has stained, icky carpets and is in need of floor rugs, badly. I found one the other day on my way to work. It's in good shape (no rips, strong back, not well worn) and I think I could work with this. The only problem is that it does have a few stains. They look to be dirt/mud stains, and they are on beige coloring. (The rug is beige and bordered in black geometricish squares.) Some of the dirt came up when I gave the rug a good vacuuming, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on stain removal.
If I can't remove these stains, I'd like to cover them somehow. I've thought of a few options. I could use fabric markers, or some kind of paint, and color over the stains, making a design. I could somehow dye the entire rug, at least minimizing the look of the stains at that point. I could also somehow adhere another fabric to the rug, essentially making a new rug, but that seems extreme due to the fact I don't have a sewing machine and this is heavy stuff.
Any ideas on decorating this rug? What kind of paints or dyes that may work, etc?
Posted by meexie on 2004-12-12 12:35:30
Post Subject:
I think it may have been a graphic design magazine, but I still get nothing but embroidery magazine hits on google. The artist was, I believe, exploring the domestic arts of...Romania? Somewhere in that area.
Posted by brdgt on 2005-10-31 13:15:18
Post Subject: What did you read in October 2005?
I'm up to 76 this year total :)
October:
Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano - The comic that the movie "Constantine" was based on. I found the movie entertaining enough to look into its source.
Y the Last Man: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Pia Guerra (artist) - Love this series
Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule in India by Gauri Viswanathan - For school. Yawn.
Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman (writer), Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove (Illustrators) - Very good, loved the Captain America twist.
Y the Last Man: One Small Step by Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Pia Guerra (artist) - The best thus far, great humor and character development.
Imperial Bodies: The Physical Experience of the Raj, C.1800-1947 by E. M. Collingham - Excellent book using domestic manuals as sources to prove that the home and body were not only sites of colonization but also changed over time, reflecting the changes in colonial rule.
From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart: A Cultural History of Domestic Advice by Sarah A. Leavitt - Great book - although a chapter on Feminist Domesticity (like Jean's book ;) would have been a great epilogue.
The Grand Domestic Revolution: A History of Feminist Designs for American Homes, Neighborhoods and Cities by Dolores Hayden - Is it just me or are people not as radical anymore? My favorite "characters" in this book were a group of women who formed a domestic co-op, in which they all did each others housework - and then charged their husbands.
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin - Recommended here on the Book Worms forum :) I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading the whole series.
Domesticity in Colonial India: What Women Learned When Men Gave Them Advice: What Women Learned When Men Gave Them Advice by Judith Walsh - A good book, but it would have been a better article (too much repetition of the same point).
Posted by sunshyne on 2006-01-13 22:43:25
Post Subject: MARTHA: KEEPIN IT REAL stencil
I had this thought a LONG time ago, but didn't get around to making it until recently. . .we spray-painted this stencil above my washing machine, for a little domestic inspiration. . .what do you think??
Posted by saint nora on 2006-05-23 12:51:16
Post Subject: what to wear?
i posted this in domestic bliss but maybe this would work too!
so me and my girl are having a big reception party mounths after our wedding for all our friends who didn't get to go to our tiny wedding, we are holdding it in the warehouse/punk club where we met, and it is gonna be fun!
but we are a little lost on what to wear.
do we wear our wedding dresses?
somthing white?
we are both girly-girls and crafty and punky and a little fashion dumb
thanks in advance
we want to stand out because....well its our party. but we don't want to be in costumes (unless costume is cute and simple and easy to move in)
Posted by marvy on 2004-07-12 07:46:51
Post Subject:
I caught just the tail end of it- I hope it's on again soon! I recognized the guy from Surprise By Design, but please tell me who the heck the two other hosts were, and why they were qualified to judge domestic god/goddessness?
Posted by Athos on 2004-10-29 17:20:04
Post Subject: Craftivism:shelter for battered women & their children (
hey crafty peeps,
i've decided to make a donation this year to la casa de las madres, a san francisco based group that offers emergency services to women and their children escaping domestic violence.
i've spoken with the donations coordinator, and this is the information that i received.
they have women of all ages there, and children from newborn to age 18, so items of all sizes and colors would be welcome. they would take blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - all the standard handmade stuff. if you do not knit or crochet, you are welcome to sew any donations. machine washable is good, so is warm wool, but they are not picky and would take anything. you are welcome to wrap stuff if you want, but please put a tag on the outside indicating what is inside, and the size, etc. i also suggest attaching a tag indicating the fabric content, care instructions, and maybe a little pick-me-up message.
they are also looking for donations of art and craft supplies - fabric, yarn, needles, paper, crayons, hooks, glue, markers, etc. NO magazines, they already have plenty.
they accept donations year-round, but if you would like to have your gift as a holiday thing, they need it by dec. 17th. if you live in the area, i would be happy to coordinate a drop-off for gifts. i will be leaving for ohio on dec. 18th, so i would need donations by DECEMBER 11th to get them over in time. if you are not in the area, you can mail a donation directly to the center (address below). if you would prefer to send it to me, let me know and i'll give you my address.
any questions, please let me know. i know many of us are making gifts for our families and friends this year, and i encourage you all to find time to make a little hat for a baby or something else. the war against women that goes on every day (especially in this political climate) is something we can fight with our votes, and with our tangible support of women in need.
thanks for everything!
http://www.lacasa.org/index.html
http://www.lacasa.org/wish_list.html
About La Casa: La Casa de las Madres offers emergency residential shelter to battered women and their children while providing counseling, family-based services and referrals. Our Emergency Crisis Shelter has the capacity to shelter and support 35 women and children per night. La Casa's downtown San Francisco office houses our two 24-hour Crisis Phone Lines, a Drop-In Counseling Center, the Teen Intervention & Prevention Program, and the Community Education & Outreach Program. All services are offered free-of-charge in English and Spanish.
La Casa de las Madres
1850 Mission Street, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
Posted by canary on 2005-05-12 11:27:42
Post Subject:
Ah, well the artist was displaying them in an art gallery---and the feathers were from migratory birds, which are protected. There seems to be a loophole in the law with Native Americans to possess certain types of feathers, nests, etc. with permission.
You can find feathers in craft stores from domestic birds (canary? yikes!) and avoid the risk from using illegal feathers.
Craft on!!!!
Posted by silverfish2007 on 2004-07-12 09:10:17
Post Subject:
i watched it, and thought it was pretty stupid.
all of the people were already professionals in the "business," esentially. Steve Kembal is on Whose Wedding is it Anyway? on Style already. The people are professional event planners and the final challenge was to plan a wedding? Plus, Steve's wedding was much cooler and they had a lot more negative things to say about Frank's. I really don't see Frank as the next Domestic personality or whatever they were aiming for.
Posted by brdgt on 2007-02-08 08:13:30
Post Subject:
Well the folders are a guide-post - if it's craft related (like "know any good patterns for ____?") it should go in "share a craft." If it's lifestyle related (like "What's up with this crazy weather?") it should go in "freestyle." If it's related to home and family (like "who else uses cloth diapers?") it should go in "Domestic Bliss."
You'll see descriptions of each folder on the forum main page. And if all else fails, we moderators move topics so they will get noticed by members.
Posted by delqc on 2005-10-14 15:01:30
Post Subject:
I agree with the comment that women are less physically active.
I think everyone today is less physically active than our great-grandparent's generation. What I objected to in the portion I quoted was the insinuation that women are no longer responsible for domestic duties and that this means that women do less. That opinion discounts the many women who have kids, houses, and careers, not to mention women in physically demanding jobs that were inaccessible to them years ago (and which are still difficult to access) such as carpentry, firefighting, police work, etc. I think, in total, women today have more demands on their time than they did 100 years ago - becuase now they can choose to do some additional things, but are still the ones primarily responsible for everything else in the house.
By the same token, I found the point relevant that I should not eat the same amount as my partner does - becuase intrinsiclally, metabolically, whatever, he burns more calories than I do (even doing nothing). So if we eat the same amount I will get fat and he won't. That was an important point.
What I really find fascinating is that most of these articles that have anything to do with women somehow seem to either reinforce women as negative. Simone de Beauvoir I think was the first to describe how genders are treated as "asymmetrical". What is masculine is ideal - what is feminine is simply not. This article does that by pointint out what women no longer do (housework) and equating this with women';s medical problems. THe artile also offers no objective comparison of women's overweightiness vs. mens, but seems to suggest that women have a much bigger problem with obesity than men, because of our "laziness" in using time-saving gadgets and our gluttony in eating as much as our partners.
Ok, that was just my take on the subtext between the lines of the article... I'd love to be wrong ...
Posted by sarabell on 2006-12-25 20:06:39
Post Subject:
i'm moving this to 'domestic bliss'
so it doesn't get lost in freestyle. perhaps someone there will have some good advice. myself, i have a small immediate family and am no longer have inlaws....
Posted by moggins on 2005-07-29 03:52:22
Post Subject: Hi
Couldn't see a place for introducing myself but I'm here anyway. I found a link to your site on a UK website that also has a few US members.
I hit the big 40 in April, I have 3 kids, 21, 12 and 4 and the little one is due to start full-time school in September so I will have some time on my hands to do some of the things I've always wanted to do.
I'm currently studying for a Life Coaching Diploma but worked for a domestic violence unit until I had the littlie.
Posted by Becky65301 on 2004-06-30 09:59:24
Post Subject:
Jasmine, being domestic is a learned skill... I think maybe some people might be born just knowing how to do that stuff, but surely not me. Really cool that you found someone to teach you.
I do some freezer cooking/ once a month cooking type stuff and once you understand the concept it's very handy and also saves money. But I read like 3 books to understand it- would have been so much easier just to have someone explain where I could ask questions.
Posted by paola sangio on 2005-04-14 12:45:40
Post Subject: easy recipes for a recent convert to New Domesticity
Hi!
i need your help because for years and years i have been boasting my non-domesticity and showing off how bad i was at cooking (my life was somewhere else... so on and so forth).
i have recently converted to new domesticity (knitting did the trick) but i am too new to know much. now, next tuesday night my former boss and his wife (who have always know the pre-domestic me) are coming to dinner, and i would love to:
1. cook edible food, even good food if at all possible;
2. avoid stressing out at the last minute (something that i can cook the night before as i will be coming home from work approx 10 mins before they show up), AND I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE I WILL NOT PUT MY FOOD DOWN when i offer it to my guests (I always seem to do that).
now, do you have any good advice for easy but impressive recipes? i live in italy so i have no access to fancy ingredients, but cheap access to italian stuff.
Posted by sarabell on 2005-08-16 17:35:54
Post Subject:
we've got a few gardening-related threads in the 'domestic bliss' forum. haven't been quite a lot of them, though. feel free to post them there. personally, my green thumb has been kind of browning at the edges. i'd love to learn more and maybe you'd be able to help answer our queries!
Posted by Allan on 2005-03-31 20:26:27
Post Subject: Hello Everyone!!!
I work for the Do It Yourself Network. We are looking for groups of local crafty people who excel in needlework-- by needlework, I mean, crochet, sewing, embroidery, felting, anything with a needle. We are the same people who produce Knitty Gritty-- it's a really great show, if anyone's seen it. We really want to highligh some super fun snazzy crafters who are revolutionizing the domestic arts. If you are interested, or know of anyone who is contact me at
Screen Door Entertainment
6312 Variel Ave #201
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
818.887.3001 ext 119
Posted by cannibalsandwich on 2005-05-27 13:30:40
Post Subject:
Yes yes yes canibalsandwich!
I forgot about blue cheese!!! Do you have a particular kind you like? I always feel a little unsure/creeped out, but not enough to stop eating.
Oooh no, don't be creeped out. Think of the wonders of penicillin! But once the slime turns red, it is too late alas.
I buy it bulk from a little local market, very good and affordable. I look for imported, because generally the domestic is too mild. But cheaper, so i have been known to buy the domestic and leave it in the fridge for a couple of months before eating it.
I dream of visiting France and Italy and everywhere near there, lands of delicious unpasteurized cheeses.
Posted by StinkerbelleRock on 2005-08-18 23:12:37
Post Subject:
On the snipping of the scent glands..... I see where you are coming from and what that article could have made you think. Though, it's really not that bad. My vet says that it's just a little snip, like a vesectomy... with no more risk (actually less) of infection than any other minor surgical procedure(granted, slightly uncomfortable for a few days). I would, however, NEVER get little Meatball nor my cat declawed. I think that it's terrible. It's even worse (though both are downright unnacceptable) for a skunk. They have hands.... they use their claws (which are not sharp at all) in order to walk on different surfaces and hold their food while they eat it among many other things. I am a HUGE activist when it comes to the happiness and well being of my animals and if I thought that there was anything inhumane about owning a skunk, I wouldn't do so. Please don't worry about her! She is healthy as a horse, blissfully happy, spoiled to death, and loved to pieces!
On the subject of being rabies-infected vermin.... again, completely understandable! However, domestic skunks are a different breed than the wild ones with MANY distinctive differences in personality and instinct (though both wild and domestic skunks are bright and amazing creatures). There is even a 10-15 year gap between the average life span of wilds and domestics. Skunks have been bred domestically for over a hundred years. Skunks used to be bred for their fur. When the government passed the label law on fur, no one wanted a skunk coat. So all of these fur farms were like, "What do we do with these hundreds of thousands of skunks?". Knowing that they were intelligent and very interesting animals, they decided to start selling them as pets. This is the line that she comes from. It is bred into her to be a domestic animal. To love and be loved. If you met her.... you would fall head over heels!! :)
Speaking of chicken's eggs, Meatball loves them. Only she prefers them hardboiled with olive oil, peas, rice, and tuna mixed in there!! I hope that you all don't think I'm awful for adopting her! She is just so sweet and loving that it breaks my heart.
Posted by Athos on 2005-08-11 15:09:07
Post Subject:
maybe setting some boundaries would work? he sounds like he is doing that already - like NO cash assistance, ever. and limiting the amount of time he spends with them. ideally the time-limits would come naturally as your boyfriend filled his time with more productive things for him. threatening to kill his wife? i think for me this would be the dealbreaker. your boyfriend should call the police immediately. and also let the wife know what, if any, support he can give her and the boys.
good luck! i would also examine very closely why you feel that his relationship with this family would cause you to never want a family with him. do you think it indicates a lack of maturity? priorities? judgment? all of those are things that can be learned.
you know, reading this all again - i think it sounds worse and worse. i highly suggest reading "the gift of fear" - this "friend" of your boyfriend's sounds terribly unstable and possibly violent. not to panic you, but if your boyfriend refuses to loan him $$, he might come after you as being the cause of it. this is well beyond thinking your boyfriend's friends are jerks, and is escalated into the possible threat category.
if my partner considered one of my acquaintences a possible threat, and was even the tiniest bit justified, i would take the safe road and cut of all contact with the person in question. no sense in learning all of life's lessons the hard way, you know?
Posted by cackalackie on 2006-05-01 15:55:23
Post Subject: OK - This is wierd!
Do you ever have a flashback - midway through the day - when you just realise something you dreamed about?
Well I just remembered that last night, I dreamed I was on getcrafty, and there was a new forum. I don't recall what the subject was, but it was in between freestyle and domestic bliss.
Ha ha! That's so funny. (Just had to share!)
(I also dreamed of ordering a CD off Amazon - but can't recall which one!)
Posted by charmschool on 2004-07-21 18:15:34
Post Subject: just got my free martha tee!
I LOVE IT!! It is pink with a black silouette/line drawing thing of her - I got it from y que trading post
http://www.yque.com and it is great! They have a great rant on the page with all the martha shirts that I totally agree with - I can't wait to wear it!
Anyone THAT driven has to be as crazy as a shithouse rat, man or woman. And I don't care! I feel for her daughter cause it would suck to have a mom that nutty, but we all have our burdens to bear! She sure knows what she is doing (up until the fib) and I love what she has done for handcrafts, 'domestic arts' and gardening. Her stylists rock - I may not like every project but there are loads that I really love.
Amanda
http://www.charmschool.biz
modern style with vintage charm
Posted by Mathias on 2004-05-28 08:55:17
Post Subject:
It took me about six months to land my first full-time job out of college.
My final semester of my senior year was spent doing an unpaid 600 hour internship with an anti-domestic violence organization. Because it was unpaid, I worked 4 days a week as a waitress. After I graduated, they offered me a part-time job working in their shelter. You had to have a social work/human services degree to have the job, still it only paid $6.27/hr. That meant, of course, that I still had to keep the waitressing job in order to pay the bills and feed myself. I would work the 5pm-7am shift at the shelter (don't worry, I could sleep during part of it if circumstances permitted) and then go into work at my waitressing job at 9:30 am. And sometimes, I'd have to leave straight from my waitressing schtick to the shelter. It was painful. All the while I was applying for jobs, but it's hard to get hired when you have little experience....
But then I landed the job I have now and I've been here for 3.5 years.
It's so discouraging at first (non-response after non-response after rejection after rejection), but stick with it! You'll find something!
Posted by nerf on 2005-09-21 17:18:38
Post Subject:
I guess this might also not fall strictly under freebie, but I didn't pay for it, so to me its free.
I used to work at a bookshop and some of the bigger publishing houses had a presentation once a year showcasing their new titles. One of them used to give you a little pamphlet with all the new stuff, and at the end of the evening, you ticked the 3 that you wanted and they sent them to you free.
The best 2 I got were 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' and this awesome coffee table book called 'Full Moon' with photos from all the lunar missions in it. People though I was weird not asking for fiction, but when my packages came with expensive hardcover books for free, they didn't scoff too much. I'm just kicking myself now that I didn't get Nigella's 'Forever Summer' when I had the chance. I just thought the cover sucked.
Posted by jennjitsu on 2005-06-23 23:12:41
Post Subject: How do YOU work the tax system??
My husband and I were talking about how much FUN it will be to do our taxes next year since we will have a kid and a house. We found out that some of our up front expenses from housebuying are deductable and that got our penny pinching little brains wondering what else is there?
I have heard that you can claim donations as deductions? Is it true, because I swear I'm on a first name basis with the Salvation Army. How is that done, what do I need to do to get a reciept?
What else can we do/count? Suddenly tax season is fascinating.
Thanks, Jennjitsu (and I'll crosspost this in Domestic Bliss so I leave no stone unturned!)
Posted by Katrin on 2005-09-12 22:17:58
Post Subject:
A couple years ago, when I'd first learned to knit, someone in a coffee shop commented, "Oh, you're so domestic!" Huh? If I were "domestic", wouldn't I be doing this at home? (Never mind that I was in the coffee shop to get out of my horribly messy apartment.)
When I knit on my breaks at work (a different coffee shop), customers often stop to talk to me and look at what I'm making. I don't mind the attention and am happy to answer their questions, but I have so little time, I'd really rather be left to knit in peace than carry on a conversation. Probably the most frequently asked question, which always surprises me, is "Are you knitting or crocheting?" I can't believe how many people can't tell the difference between two needles and a hook.
If I'm out with one of my craft groups, at least one person invariably comes up looking very interested in what we're all doing and wants to know how to join us. Which I think is great!
Posted by elixirbeth on 2005-11-14 18:19:13
Post Subject: pity party & everyone's invited.
it feels like my fiance is always working late... im not a clingy person, but im starting to get irritated.
i love cooking for the two of us, so after work i went to the gourmet market & picked up some delish odds and ends for a nice meal. began cooking and the phone rings-- "taking a client out for dinner, will be home late" he says. no doubt a fucking fantastic restaurant, as we live in NYC. and here i am with a half cooked meal and no one to feed.
i called all the ladies, and no one's available (go figure, its 730).
i guess i just never thought id be in the position-- home, alone, waiting for some man to come home. ive never been the domestic/committed type, but made the compromise and "settled down" for this man. sometimes it just feels like a big fucking mistake and im so TIRED of it.
Posted by delqc on 2005-08-22 10:28:51
Post Subject:
It breaks my heart so only because she is so amazingly sweet and wonderful. I really wish that they didn't have such a bad reputation. I know that if more people had the opportunity to meet a domestic skunk that virtually EVERYONE would have one.
Just to clarify, I think they are super-cute as well. Neighbours of ours have a cat that has made friends with a wild one, which is pretty adorable and incredible.
It's more that I question the fact that they have to have a surgery (albeit a mild one) as babies to become domestic pets. That is what I personally take issue with. I have no doubt that the end result is a loving, sweet, affectionate animal.
Posted by moon_lemming on 2005-09-07 20:31:40
Post Subject:
ooh, I love them too. here's a cut and paste of some of the ones on my bookmarks list (all of the ones mentioned above are on there, they're great!)
The Food Palate: http://www.thefoodpalate.com/
A Full Belly: http://www.afullbelly.com/
The LJ Cooking Community: http://www.livejournal.com/community/cooking/
80 Breakfasts: http://80breakfasts.blogspot.com/
bakingsheet (try the Nutella cupcakes!): http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/
I Heart Bacon: http://www.iheartbacon.com/index.php
Jesser (glitterati!): http://jesser.org/
On My Plate: http://www.onmyplate.org/
The Amateur Gourmet: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/
Seven Spoons: http://www.sevenspoons.net/
Chez Pim: http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/
Domestic Goddess: http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/
I Was Just Really Very Hungry: http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/
The Flying Apple: http://www.theflyingapple.typepad.com/
I think there's a really old post somewhere on here about this very subject; I'll try to find it and bump it.
Posted by brdgt on 2007-10-01 20:04:39
Post Subject: What did you read in September 2007?
Comics:
Runaways, Vol. 1 by Brian K Vaughan (Author), Adrian Alphona (Illustrator), and Takeshi Miyazawa (Illustrator)
Y: The Last Man (Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons) by Brian K. Vaughan (Author) and Pia Guerra (Illustrator)
Y: The Last Man (Vol. 9: Motherland) by Brian K. Vaughan (Author) and Pia Guerra (Illustrator)
The Walking Dead, Vol. 6: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman (Author), Charlie Adlard (Illustrator), Cliff Rathburn (Illustrator)
Non-Fiction:
The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up too Much? by Leslie Bennetts
Pretend We're Dead: Capitalist Monsters in American Pop Culture by Annalee Newitz
Audio:
The Terror: A Novel by Dan Simmons
For School:
Clare Hanson, A Cultural History of Pregnancy: Pregnancy, Medicine and Culture, 1750-2000
Molly Ladd-Taylor, Mother-Work: Women, Child Welfare, and the State, 1890-1930
Judith Walzer Leavitt, Brought to Bed: Childbearing in America, 1750-1950
Jacqueline Wolf, Don’t Kill Your Baby: Public Health and the Decline of Breastfeeding in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Rima Apple, Mothers and Medicine: A Social History of Infant Feeding, 1890-1950
Janet Golden, Message in a Bottle: The Making of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Susan Cayleff, Wash and Be Healed: The Water-Cure Movement and Women’s Health
Allison Hepler, Women in Labor: Mothers, Medicine, and Occupational Health in the United States, 1890-1980
Judith Houck, Hot and Bothered: Women, Medicine, and Menopause in Modern America
Sandra Morgen, Into Our Own Hands: The Women's Health Movement in the United States, 1969-1990
Dianne Glave and Mark Stoll, editors, To Love the Wind and the Rain: African Americans and Environmental History
Theodore Steinberg, Down to Earth: Nature’s Role in American History
Donald Worster, The Ends of the Earth: Perspectives on modern Environmental History
William Cronon, editor, Uncommon Ground: Toward Reinventing Nature
Virginia Anderson, Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America
Joyce Chaplin, Subject Matter: Technology, the Body, and Science on the Anglo-American Frontier, 1500-1676
Alfred Crosby, The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492
Carolyn Merchant, Ecological Revolutions: Nature, Gender, and Science in New England
Posted by CraftyChicaAZ on 2004-10-24 21:14:33
Post Subject:
what great ideas! thank you!
i did ask about pt, but i was told i would have to wait for something to open and then apply for it. wierd! kids are busy with homework and chores (helpful!) and i am lucky in that my mom in law comes to help with laundry once a month and hubby usually cooks our meals. i feel guilty for getting out of these domestic chores. even though i do all this other stuff i feel like i'm missing out on the stuff moms are known for...i have a feeling now that i'vce acknowledged the situation, a change is coming around the corner.
those are great points about college, scholarships - duh! i should be checking into those soon for them. and i think it would be a great pt job for them to help with basecoating and stuff. hmmm...
Posted by lilmissthrifty on 2006-01-16 21:21:23
Post Subject:
Thanks Alison...
Congrats to you for such a great accomplishment $500! I wish I could do that, atleast I could try! We all have to start somewhere...I have nothing to lose...I just need to make the commitment, and continue to give myself "pep talks". *lol, I will check out esty! and do it myself! woo hoo! also, I began to pet sit, and volunteering at a domestic violence hotline which I get a stipend for...Im trying!! $$$
Posted by xuli on 2004-07-14 11:08:20
Post Subject:
When we moved with my cat, we lucked out a bit on the cat and found that he was more mellow about the whole thing than we thought. We only gave him tranquilizers twice the entire time, but those two times we were definitely glad to have them (we got them from the vet). He meowed a *lot* in his carrier, but was otherwise OK. And usually when he meowed, he would calm down if someone spoke to him for awhile in a soothing voice.
Anyway, here's what we did:
* Bought one of those kitty harness things a month before, and got him gradually used to it (putting it on him for a few hours a day). During the move itself, we didn't take it off him at all, and he was OK with it. At first he *really* hated the harness, but by the time we moved he was fine with it because he was used to it.
* We didn't use a disposable litter box, just a regular litter box and several layers of litter box liners with a drawstring. We also brought along a lot of newspaper. While driving, we left the litter box on the floor of the back seat of my Corolla, with the drawstring shut. At motel rooms, we just put it down on a *lot* of newspaper. (And no, we didn't tell any of the hotel managers we had a cat. We were getting in after 10 and leaving by 6 or 7, so what was the point?)
* Whenever we stopped for gas or anything, we let the cat out of his carrier on a leash (on the harness) to stretch his legs, and we offered him water.
* We only stopped for long meals at places where we could eat outdoors (which sometimes meant eating in parking lots, but oh well), and we let the cat out on his leash. For these long stops, we got out the litter box, food and water and offered it to the cat. He didn't eat much or use the litter box much during the day ... only at night at the motel. But he did drink water.
He definitely knew what was up, because every morning when we were about to leave the motel rooms he would calmly get into his carrier instead of putting up a fight ... he did not want to be left behind.
Feral cats sleep for at least 16 hours a day, domestic cats sleep more. So if you think about it, your cats are going to sleep for most of the time that you're driving. (Of course, this also means they're going to keep you awake at motels at night ...)
Posted by amaryllis on 2006-05-25 09:35:16
Post Subject: Describe your craft area
I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the Domestic Bliss forum. Anyway, any of you care to describe your crafty workspace? I am looking to set up a sewing/craft area in my house and I"m kind of at a loss. Our house is a decent size but it's old and the rooms are tiny leaving me with very little space to set up a good area. The hus works at home so has to use the guest room as his home office. I guess I'm just looking for inspiration on how to make the most of a small space and how to make a crafty space look attractive enough to have "out in the open".
Posted by delqc on 2005-09-27 08:54:23
Post Subject:
One a side note, my uncle raises sheep for meat - not for wool - but they do seem happy and don't seem too upset by the clipping process. I suspect their lives are better than many cows or chickens who are raised for meat in the commercial food industry. However, this is a small farm, and I don't know many of the details of larger farms.
I just wanted to add that not all farmers are horrible. :) Unless of course you are a vegan and you feel that keeping any domestic animal captive is horrible, which you are allowed to think, if you want. But I'm satisfied these animals are happy and healthy and very humanely treated.
Posted by sparklingallison on 2005-01-08 16:38:07
Post Subject:
I think the big, bad Martha is the Martha that I truly respect. I like the fact that she's as hardcore as she is, both about "domestic crafts" and business. I'd love to see a reality show where we could see her other side as the savvy business woman. :)
Posted by sarabell on 2005-04-02 11:33:06
Post Subject:
it's crazy how this has morphed - it's like playing that game 'telephone'!
i have no intention on this being ANYTHING related to parenting other than stuff like playdoh recipes, and other craft ideas for kids. as far as the whole parenting thing would go, i just don't think that this would be the place. (i'm working on making a place where that WOULD be appropriate, to a certain extent. if anybody's interested, PM me and i'll give you the details if you want, but i'm still in a very initial planning phase, having started on it after seeing the responses this thread has gotten. but even there, i still have no interest in the whole bodily function thing other than a crafty idea or two to get your kid to use the potty. )
(thanks for watching my back knittymomma!)
the forum would just be home related stuff - not parenting, and not just for moms...... i say to include stuff for mamas because a lot of us are at home, and it just seems to be the appropriate spot for stuff for moms to do; mom projects (or things to make for other people's kids), and kid projects - instead of getting lost in or clogging up other forums.
in response to any implied reverse sexism, none was intended. it's just that this site seems to cater to the "fairer sex." believe me, i give my props to the men who stay home and/or are crafty in their own right, though i have yet to see any boys around here. (....and the 'today show' domestic diva was a MAN, but perhaps we should be more PC and use the term "domestic engineer"? of course, i'd prefer to go the other route with something like house goddess. but that's just me, and again, no sexism intended. really.)
Posted by bluealvarez on 2004-12-07 15:16:36
Post Subject:
check out this thread on the Knitty boards.
Here's a quote from one of the posters on that thread:
The Curse, as I understand it, has to do with men that are afraid of commitment, and the show of time and effort (and domestic skill?) put into creating a sweater for them scares them away. I guess they think the sweater means you're waiting for a sparkly ring, big house, and babies.
If your boyfriend is ASKING you for a sweater, you're probably ok.
Posted by delqc on 2005-06-14 12:59:30
Post Subject:
Historically, only men were Artists. I recently read the book The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine. If I remember correctly, it describes how embroidery became an "occupation" at a time when it became fasionalbe to have embroidered clothes, linens, etc. At that time, the males wished to exclude themselves from women and ensure that only they could obtain profitability. They therefore defined themselves as "artists" and became a guild; they were the only ones officially allowed to sell their embroidery for money. Women embroiderers were limited to doing so for their own enjoyment, but not for profit.
Also, while painters, poets, etc were "artists", women traditionally have been viewed as untalented, and their efforts in this area written off as "hobbies", etc. I firmly believe that the view of the crafter as a domestic hobby is simply a devaluation of women's labour. Similarly, would you call a male chef a domestic worker? No. "Culinary artiosts" is often used. So why is a female who prepares food not an artist? Only because as society we devalue her labour.
I create beautiful things that are a pleasure to look at, to touch, to use. Therefore IMHO I am an artist, specializing in textiles. But I do not consider myself to be a professional artist as I do not make my living from my work.
Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2005-09-28 14:09:51
Post Subject:
i've had no trouble with crochet stuff. and you can use nail clippers (not the scissory ones, but the other kind) to cut the yarn if you need to. to be extra safe, bring plastic or bamboo hooks instead of metal (I've had no trouble with metal, but you never know).
apparenly you're allowed to have a razor (like the kind to shave your legs or a man's face) in your carry-on (due to hue and cry from business people who only carry on), which I didn't know until my carry-on-only-but-clean-shaven sweetie told me.
they have new annoying baggage weight restrictions, so if you're travelling with lots of heavy stuff, it is better packed in two smaller bags than one large one that they will charge you for being overweight.
i carried 2 weeks worth of stuff in one bag over the summer and it wasn't overweight, so unless you're toting books or rocks, you'll probably be fine.
as far as your carry-on goes, make it nice and small, and don't bother with the wheely ones because if your flight is full they will often make you check those anyway when they run out of room in the overhead storage bins.
that's all i've got! i think that the idea that carry-on is faster and easier than check-through (at least for a domestic, non-stop flight) is NOT true. I like them to take my heavy stuff away from me so I can just fly with my little bag of fun things. i haven't had any trouble with losing luggage or it taking forever to come off the conveyer belt lately either...
Posted by mrs_stroozi on 2006-01-03 13:52:55
Post Subject:
anthrogirl, I do hear you when you say you feel like a fish out of water, with your age at odds with your interests to the world in general. Me, too. I remember back in my mid 20's I sewed most of my own clothes and was a monster baker. I experimented with quilting, applique and t -shirt art. This was in the 80s when everyone else on the planet was interested in making a corporate buck, and I felt I was the only one of my species. I remember a friend of mine teasing me for being so domestic, and I honestly looked at her with a blank stare -- for me it wasn't about being domestic, but being CREATIVE. But try to tell a corporate diva that...
And now the (40s-50s YOs) knitting group I sometimes visit thinks I'm nuts for wanting to crochet a heart with sneakers on a leash, or a pregnant doll, even though one of them gave me the idea. It's too out of the box for them.
One of my most cherished memories was having a midnight meal in an LA downtown bohemian cafe about 20 odd years ago, and my friends, who co-owned and ran a non-equity theater, raved to the waiter that the cake they were eating was almost as good as mine. The waiter was impressed, and said that most of the young women in his circle could argue politics but didn't know how to bake a cake. My friend replied, "Oh, she can do that, too." Made my day.
I raise my cup of lapsang souchong to you, anthro/birthday girl, and wish I could pour you one in person myself. I wish we could be realtime friends, since I think we have a bunch of stuff in common with some interesting clashes for spice, even though I suspect you are WAY over and out of my league. (Hope that comes out as a compliment.)
Posted by cackalackie on 2006-08-14 13:18:14
Post Subject:
Since we're on the subject of responses......I mentioned earlier that my rep voted against the FMA, and I wrote him to thank him for doing so. Here is his response:
Thank you for contacting me about the Federal Marriage Amendment. I appreciate hearing from you and apologize for the delay in my response.
I agree that the proposed amendment to the Constitution is unnecessary. The laws governing marital relationships are generally state, not federal laws. Massachusetts is the only state that now recognizes same-sex marriages, although other states have passed domestic partner legislation. I see no need for a constitutional prohibition of such legal recognition by the states.
I voted against this legislation and the effort to amend the Constitution has now failed both in the House and the Senate. Please contact me about other issues important to you. Thank you.
Posted by carolyn_japan on 2006-08-24 17:49:51
Post Subject:
Hi, I am writing because I have carried on the thread cutter pendant on domestic and international flights for the last two years with no problem at security (and I have flown twice since the new liquids rule). Same with knitting needles and hooks. Only once was I asked to store the needles, but that was only during takeoff.
Posted by CraftinFool on 2005-08-01 14:12:53
Post Subject:
I love my mom but she didn't prepare me a whole lot domestically. I didn't learn to cook (still don't do much of it) or budget from my family. Had to learn some $ lessons the hard way. Did learn to craft and clean though.
My mom worked part or full time when we were kids and I think both my folks raised me to be a competitive achievement oriented person who would have a challenging career outside the home. Which is all well and good, but there are still some domestic-oriented life skills one needs, no matter how ambitious you plan to be.
However, they gave me so many other positive things I can't complain. Also, I never asked to learn to cook, either - I suppose I am partly to blame for that. Luckily my husband's mom taught them to cook from an early age!
Posted by Athos on 2004-04-29 17:49:46
Post Subject:
actually, i did see some press i think on CBS for a craft reality show where the winner would be the "new domestic diva." i'll try to find something on it!
i think reality shows are low-class and kind of pathetic. but i also think that about most regular tv shows as well. ;)
Posted by brdgt on 2005-07-25 14:50:40
Post Subject:
I learned a lot from my mother and grandmother but the real test was cohabitation. My husband grew up in a household where chores were split 50/50 and not along gender lines (his mom mowed the lawn, his dad did the dishes) and I learned a lot when I had someone else's opinions interjected into my domestic routine: "why do you use that brand? why don't we try this one and see if we like it?" and you know what, it was better. I realized that a lot of my routine was just blind repetition of what my mother did and not necessarily what worked for us. My husband learned the same thing. Now we do some things that we were brought up doing, but a lot of things we figured out on our own too. We are also both crafty people who like to be self sufficient, so we've learned a lot by trial and error and not wanting to bother the maintence man, who won't come for a week anyway...
I think I keep a pretty good home, especially when my mother in-law visited a few weeks ago and couldn't stop complimenting me on my decorating, most of it DIY :)
Posted by Christy Petterson on 2006-11-10 17:39:48
Post Subject:
this is so exciting!!!! a big HUGE thanks to Anthrogirl and Artgeek for getting the ball rolling!!!!
Everyone, keep in mind that the holidays are a great time for cooking, crafting, getting your home in order quickly for company, trying extra special decorating, etc...it's quite possibly the most domestic time of year! So be sure to really pay attention to the special things you are doing that pertains to the topics of this book. Even if you don't have time to post them during the mad rush, just jot down a few reminders to yourself so you can share with us later.
The Get Crafty Ladies Volunteer Brigade rocks!
xoxoxoxoxox, Christy
Posted by dalva on 2005-05-29 17:11:51
Post Subject:
ok, i saw an episode of this show about pie crust where he said that lard is actually better for you in some way than butter-- anyone remember this? does it have less cholesterol? i have been quoting the episode without really remembering in what way lard is healthier.
I think that lard has less saturated fat then butter. Nigella Lawson says the same thing somewhere in How To Be A Domestic Goddess (runs to consult the goddess of baked goods, finds no entry in index for lard, proceeds to scan every single recipe, spends 20 minutes doing this, to no avail.)
In honor of the thread topic: I love Alton Brown. I had to get over his drama-quirk, but once that happened I loved him. I understand things better if I understand why I am doing something, and he explains the whys. He approaches cooking like chemistry, which really works for me.
Posted by FauxChina on 2005-11-02 14:47:15
Post Subject:
Oh shoot, sorry I suppose I should have posted this in Domestic Bliss, but it isn't exactly a blissfull situation, if somebody could tell me how to move it so I don't get into trouble with the moderators, that would be super.
Posted by lilyblue on 2004-04-29 18:40:49
Post Subject:
actually, i did see some press i think on CBS for a craft reality show where the winner would be the "new domestic diva." i'll try to find something on it!
i think reality shows are low-class and kind of pathetic. but i also think that about most regular tv shows as well. ;)
then you really don't want to see the reality show where 5 couples via for the rights to adopt a teenage girl's child.
Posted by Athos on 2004-10-29 17:37:34
Post Subject:
here's my craftivism conclusion! i also posted this in the craft-up section, hoping to entice some local people into donating.
i've decided to make a donation this year to la casa de las madres, a san francisco based group that offers emergency services to women and their children escaping domestic violence.
i've spoken with the donations coordinator, and this is the information that i received.
they have women of all ages there, and children from newborn to age 18, so items of all sizes and colors would be welcome. they would take blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - all the standard handmade stuff. if you do not knit or crochet, you are welcome to sew any donations. machine washable is good, so is warm wool, but they are not picky and would take anything. you are welcome to wrap stuff if you want, but please put a tag on the outside indicating what is inside, and the size, etc. i also suggest attaching a tag indicating the fabric content, care instructions, and maybe a little pick-me-up message.
they are also looking for donations of art and craft supplies - fabric, yarn, needles, paper, crayons, hooks, glue, markers, etc. NO magazines, they already have plenty.
they accept donations year-round, but if you would like to have your gift as a holiday thing, they need it by dec. 17th. if you live in the area, i would be happy to coordinate a drop-off for gifts. i will be leaving for ohio on dec. 18th, so i would need donations by DECEMBER 11th to get them over in time. if you are not in the area, you can mail a donation directly to the center (address below). if you would prefer to send it to me, let me know and i'll give you my address.
any questions, please let me know. i know many of us are making gifts for our families and friends this year, and i encourage you all to find time to make a little hat for a baby or something else. the war against women that goes on every day (especially in this political climate) is something we can fight with our votes, and with our tangible support of women in need.
http://www.lacasa.org/index.html
http://www.lacasa.org/wish_list.html
About La Casa: La Casa de las Madres offers emergency residential shelter to battered women and their children while providing counseling, family-based services and referrals. Our Emergency Crisis Shelter has the capacity to shelter and support 35 women and children per night. La Casa's downtown San Francisco office houses our two 24-hour Crisis Phone Lines, a Drop-In Counseling Center, the Teen Intervention & Prevention Program, and the Community Education & Outreach Program. All services are offered free-of-charge in English and Spanish.
La Casa de las Madres
1850 Mission Street, Suite B
San Francisco, CA 94103
Posted by brdgt on 2006-11-18 09:39:30
Post Subject: Re: stovetop drip pans
anyway, point being, the drip pans on the stove have ancient filth on them, and i have got to clean them so i don't get smoke and bad smells every time i turn on the stove, but i have no idea how to remove them, as they aren't the kind that have a notch where the burner coil goes, but instead a little hole. am i really gonna have to take apart my stovetop, or does someone know a better way? help me, domestic goddeses!
I clean my stovetop and the burner mechanism with baking soda and vinegar. Recently I tried my OxyFoam bathroom cleaner on my drip pans (they are coated black, not stainless steel) and it worked wonders.
Posted by it_grrl on 2006-11-18 04:29:23
Post Subject: stovetop drip pans
so i thought i was a GENIUS for not having a maid come in and clean before i moved in my apartment, because it saved money the apartment people would have taken out of my deposit. but now, i'm noticing things. i thought the chick who lived here before me just lost her deposit b/c she painted the walls, but apparently she also did a real half assed cleaning too.
anyway, point being, the drip pans on the stove have ancient filth on them, and i have got to clean them so i don't get smoke and bad smells every time i turn on the stove, but i have no idea how to remove them, as they aren't the kind that have a notch where the burner coil goes, but instead a little hole. am i really gonna have to take apart my stovetop, or does someone know a better way? help me, domestic goddeses!
Posted by elixirbeth on 2008-07-03 09:46:29
Post Subject:
nothing is WRONG with it I guess... but its more well-traveled than I am. I've always avoided 'fancy' water in plastic bottles (ex: Fiji), but allowed myself to drink San Pellegrino because it's 1) mineral water and 2) in glass. Silly reasons, I know. But I got to thinking: Is it really necessary to drink water thats been shipped from Milan? In this age of carbon foot prints, CSAs, and sky rocketing fuel prices, should I really be drinking water that needs to cross oceans and continents to get to me? No. Especially when Saratoga Spring Water (the blue bottle) is so readily available. It's domestic (made in NY!) and delicious... great as a special treat.
Posted by marvy on 2005-01-03 12:52:12
Post Subject:
You know what? I do not find anything unfeminist about doing domestic activities. Why? Because I did all of them as a part of my independant life. I sewed my own clothes, painted my own house, changed the oil in my own car, all as a part of being an independant woman. And now that I have a partner, one who helps out around the house, one who does his own laundry and cooking and car repair, does it make me any less of a feminist? No. Because I have the option of doing these things or not. I am not expected to fulfill any domestic duties, but I do, because it enriches my life, and makes my home more pleasant to live in. We are a partnership, and if he thought any less of me than an equal partner, I wouldn't be with him.
I respect and thank the women who fought for feminist causes before me- I appreciate that they broke ground so that I could go to college, and have a career, and so that I could take up sewing as a hobbie, and not as a necessity. And I don't think that feminism's job is done, by a long shot. I work in a career and an office that is 90% women. The few men in the office do the exact same job- same education, same experience, same background, they earn more than the women. That's just one small example of the ways in which women are slighted on a daily basis. I've also seen sexist remarks, sexual harrassment, bias on the part of male attorneys/managers as well. This stuff continues in every walk of life.
I consider myself a feminist, and I refuse to act as though it is a dirty word.
Posted by Becky65301 on 2004-08-31 16:11:19
Post Subject:
The women in my family have a long history of crafting, and I was around it from very early on.
My great-grandma worked many years doing factory sewing, and later worked at an alterations shop. She used razor blades instead of a seam ripper, and she used to draft her own patterns on old newspaper. Had a sewing room, total firetrap in retrospect, I spent many hours in there making Barbie clothes out of scraps. She had me on the sewing machine when I was about 8. Until I hit about 5th grade, she made ALL my clothes (except underwear, haha), all of them, an entire collection of classic polyester pantsuits appropriate for the 70's.
Likewise, my grandma and mom can both sew, although they never took it to the same level as she did. They had other crafts they preferred. Mom can paint really well, and does ceramics. My grandma was a locally very well-known china painter and also made porcelain dolls. So I was exposed to those things as well. It seemed natural and obvious that I majored in Costume Design, combining the drawing skills with the sewing. I was the first to pursue a degree in it and kinda took the whole thing in a different direction.
My "heritage" story: When I started kindergarten, my great-grandma made me a jumper to wear for Valentine's day. It was a basic red gathered skirt and waistband, with a bib and straps. The bib was shaped like a heart and she embroidered "I Love You" with white thread. I wore it to school kindergarten, and every year she would get it back out, let out the waist a bit, let down the hem a bit, let out the straps... I wore that same jumper every year thru 5th grade! I have no idea how she made it to let out <that much> but it always managed to fit, it must have had like a 2 foot hem. In 6th grade I rebelled and refused to wear it. Years and years later, we were cleaning out her house, she was quite a packrat and Depression-era, and I found the jumper. The "I Love You" bib is in my display cabinet. It is so tiny!
Edited to add: The women in my family can't cook for s**t, and are not known for any other domestic skills. So I was on my own with those things. We (DH and I) are also now creating new traditions for our kids, like at Christmas and such, because neither one of our families had huge traditions like that, and I really want to do that for our kids.
Posted by soapandwater on 2005-06-07 11:08:01
Post Subject:
Do mods not have the power to do that? If they don't, maybe Jean could "Grant" that "power" (sorry, I feel like we're talking about genies and superheroes).
I mean, I think for "freestyle" and "Domestic bliss" those are KIND OF interchangeable, but for other forums, it's painfully obvious. I've had this problem awhile and bring it up all the time, which is probably annoying on my part, but I'm anal, too!
Posted by little_farm_girl on 2006-08-22 00:05:50
Post Subject:
I really identify with Dorothea Callum, from the Swallows and Amazons books, because she is a novelist, but she has more idea's than she can deal with, and rarely gets past the opening lines. Also, she likes to sail, but she barely ever gets a chance, and isn't very experienced. I would never write novels like Dorothea, though. Her's are very dramatic, and romantic. I like my storys full of adventure, rather than emotion.
Also, Nan Linnet, from Linnets and Valerians, by Elizabeth Goudge. She's very domestic.
Posted by EarthTones on 2004-05-26 07:16:35
Post Subject: What "Causes" Are Near and Dear to You?
Hello There *wink*...
What causes, organizations/charities, social issues, etc are of particular interest to you? (i.e. you have donated/volunteered, you just have an interest, you have a personal connection to that particular cause, you work in that field, etc).
I am hoping that we can not only inspire one another by sharing our civic activities/interests, but we may even teach one another about some of the things that are going on out there in the universe.
I'll start...
*National Multiple Sclerosis Society (local chapter)...my mommie has MS so this is the nearest and dearest to me. I donate $$$ to the local chapter and my family/friends participate in the annual Walk. I am contemplating participation in one of their 3-day walks this coming Fall or next Fall.
*The dance school where I danced from age 3 to 18...they provide scholarships to all dancers who are graduating high school.
*I work with the hungry/homeless and previously worked with people living with HIV/AIDS and their famillies. I love, love love my work...although it can be emotionally challenging at times.
*Juvenile Diabetes Foundation...my 8 year old cousin is diabetic. My family walks in their annual walk-a-thon and participates in other activities and fundraisers
*I always donate clothing (never ever throw it away unless it is so raggedy that someone else shouldn't be wearing it) that I don't use for crafty purposes.
*I am a sucka for the kids at the grocery store who are selling candy. I usually don't take the candy, but will give them a couple of dollars :)
*I have volunteered as a rape crisis counselor.
*other issues/movements of interest are the fight for racial and gender equality/consciousness; domestic violence; gang violence; disability awareness; and quality public education in low income areas
Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-08-31 18:05:47
Post Subject:
As a little kid, my mother was the leader for my sister's Camp Fire Girl group. They did so many crafty things, in part because she didn't have anyone to tell her they didn't have to make all of the ideas Camp Fire Girls gave them. They had seasonal bazaars and learned embroidery and hiked nature trails. Lots of stuff like that.
My mother grew up in the Depression. Girls back then learned fine hand sewing, gardening, cooking, decorating, etc. Her mother and five sisters all did stuff like that. Her father had a workshop in the basement with neat old tools and things I played around with as a child.
I embroidered way before my first recollection of it, oddly. I can remember way back to something that happened when I was 18 months old, but can't remember learning to cook or to embroider. Let's say I had to be under five years old.
So with Camp Fire Girls, I played with paints and clay and beads and whittling and natural dyes, made collages and wreaths and Xmas ornaments. I read anything remotely crafty that came in the house, so even my brothers' Boy Scout books were fair game.
My father's mother was a cook who never measured anything. Not particularly crafty otherwise as i recall. But a few of her many kids had some talents in needlecraft and art. My Dad danced and told stories, but was otherwise not very creative.
My mother's sisters had a lot of influence on me, too. Some had very elegant homes and expensive tastes so I learned some high end domestic stuff from them, like old Lena who had her brass switchplates refinished every year. Her husband gardened with some unusual old world methods that still stick with me. Bertha was eccentric and well off. Also well-travelled. She was an excellent cook. She and I could analyze a dish of something we'd never tasted before and figure out proportions of spices and cooking methods. Anna was a nut-job who was a scrounger extraordinaire, but also a psychotic clean freak. We foraged for wild asparagus and mushrooms, made birch syrup and scrubbed the stove vents every day. Charlotte crochets and sews beautifully, and bakes terrible but pretty cakes. Rickey watched soap operas. Oh, and sewed like fifty versions of the same dress.
My mother's cousin Bobbi sewed semi-professionally. Back then, women really didn't work outside the home if they could help it, but her talents with a machine kept her busy helping neigbors for a little pin money. There are photos and memories of dresses she sewed for me. Smocking and pinafores and plackets, dotted swiss and batiste and velvet.
One of my first cousins on my mother's side is an artist. She was told in the mid sixties that she needed a practial degree, so she went for nursing which she still does. She is very like me in that she'll just decide to move that tree over here and make a topiary of it, and paint one wall eggplant just because. We both have done things that we have only heard the other talk about. It's interesting to see what we come up with, but that's not why we do it. Actually, once I was commenting on the way cool lamp she made out of a gilded stack of books tied with ribbon. Her mom looked at me and said I was the one who told her about it. We both just brim with ideas, way more than we can execute. She doesn't paint much anymore, but I have a few canvases she did in her teens, one of peonies, one of lilacs, and one of an historic building in her old town, and I wish I knew where her very primitive southwestern seraped boy with donkey that hung in my grandparents house is now. I'm sure she had to be like ten when she painted that one. Admittedly, I don't want any of my paintings from when I was ten, either.
My sister has picked up creative efforts only as a mature adult. PTA and Amway crap. Someone needed to do posters or decorate the hall, so she got some advice over the phone and just did it. And has continued to do it for years. Her cooking sucks, although she gets major points for trying. She just forgets to do things like cook the rice before adding to that recipe, or that 5lbs of flour is not the same as five cups.
Not only did the family members teach me and teach others, but people I've taught have taught others as well. You learn certain types of things and then extrapolate to another medium. I was a good cook. I taught myself to homebrew. I taught others who weren't good cooks to home brew.
My nieces and nephews are not very crafty. Not yet, anyway. THey like my crafty things, but are not motivated to do for themselves yet. Huh, save one. She's 8 and her mother buys those crappy craft kits where they follow the box directions and make the suncatcher or potholder. She can't translate that to random raw materials yet.
My second oldest niece is married. Her MIL is kinda tacky nouveau riche. She has this butt ugly Santa hooked rug hanging that she f*d up and needed some rescuing. The niece said she'd get her mother to give it to her aunt (me) to fix it because I can fix anything. Damn, the repairs are elevating this piece of crap to a new level. But I've pawned it off on my mom now. I have the concept, the pieces cut, the trim, the method to hang it, etc, and she's my slave labor.
I tried to get a creative circle journal going between my sister, niece and me, but the other two couldn't manage to put f'ing stickers in it and send it on. Kind of wasted my time in collaging pages for them and writing bits of poetry for it. I even enclosed stickers and pens and ribbons and tape, but nada.
My sister's history of shared crafting with me has been frightening. If I were normal I would disown her. She gave me a pinafore for her daughter that had to be embroidered in three hours before the wedding we all attended. She wanted satin stitch. My ass. She invited me for the Christmas holidays and I wound up wrapping all the gifts, cooking all the food, including staying up until 4 am boning chicken and mincing carrots for a terrine she didn't know how to make but thought would look cool.
Her daughter's DIY wedding turned out to be a get auntie to do-it-herself wedding.
But I will say she does fine self taught calligraphy.
Posted by sarabell on 2005-08-02 15:44:09
Post Subject:
we've got some more tips in a similar thread in domestic bliss.
msfish - your comment reminds me of a dutch housekeeper we had for a while when i was a kid - my mom told her to keep an eye out for cobwebs and she was freaked out, thinking we had cockroaches!
