Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Are You a Social Crafter?

Run little Orange Run

After a lot of thinking this weekend I began to wonder. Do you have people you get together with and do your crafy things with?

I tend to do all my crafting alone and in the middle of the night. My friends around here are not to keen on any crafty things and the few (very few) do not want to get together. I do wish that there were people close to me that I could share things with and learn things from (not that I do not love you guys). More of a hey I am bored let's make something. I would love to hear what you do.
~B

12 comments:

IamSusie said...

I work alone, my real life friends don't really understand crafty obsessions, but I joined a MeetUp group last year, and our group is really fun. Maybe a MeetUp group meets in your area?

http://www.meetup.com/

Rebekah said...

Thanks. To bad the closest one is 40 miles away one way and it is for scrapbooking and I have no patience for scrapbooking love the end result just do not like all the hair I pull out in the process.

Thanks though I hope others can make use of it.

Anonymous said...

Miss Bee,

You are a sweetie! I do all my embroidering at home alone with my TV or in airports alone. Sometimes I wonder if it is making me old before my time but then I think what the hell I previously watched TV without the embroidery by-product. I've thought about searching people but truth be told I am just not that friendly...I like the solitude and zen-ness and then sometimes I feel like Snow White's mother.

My girlfriends all love my crafts but are not keen themselves -after all crafting is messy. I think I do crafts because I have a lot of pent up artistic frustration -I think people who don't have other outlets for their creativity or they just aren't that compulsively artsy. My musician friends tend to be more collaborative but craftster and flickr really seem to be enough for me right now.

If you ever bring your trailer north though drop me a line and we will do some serious stitching ;)

rectangel

Rebekah said...

I was starting to feel like I was the only one but you gals have made me feel normal. I am a fairly social person I like to be on the go and with people all the time but since I have started doing crafts do a lot by myself. Of course I got into crafts more when we moved 6 hrs away from all our friends so my hubby could go back to school. Now that we are back I have become a recluse.

rectangel you seem like a friendly person to me.

My hubby is a musician so he gets his outlet there and I guess this is the best I can do. I am to much of a perfectionist I never like what I do an agonize over what I should do.

Hey I might hold you to that.

~Bee

Julie said...

Ack. Despite being a social beast, I work and craft alone. I've tried going to stitch groups but for one reason or another I can't find a common bond beyond the stitching. It might be more about timing though. Some groups I've been interested meet while I'm putting kids to bed. I'm going to try to get some mommy friends together for a coffee sip n stitch and see how that goes.

floresita said...

Ditto on the crafting alone - I have one knitting friend, but so far in real life, no embroidery, sewing, or otherwise crafty friends. I think it would be great to craft with other people, but I also must accept it doesn't always fit my shy personality...

And, thanks Rebekah, for taking part in The Great Comment Expedition on Feeling Stitchy! Your generosity and kindness has inspired so many others! :)

Anna - Three Sneaky Bugs said...

My crafting has actually increased dramatically over the last year due to a friend of mine puting on pARTies. (Find out about them at her site - http://paintedfishstudio.com/?page_id=72 )Maybe you would want to start one of your own. This has really increased both the number of items I create as well as the variety. I'm now starting a low key project night that friends can stop by to work on their own projects along side me. Your right in that it has a lot to do with timing and the people in the group. I've been in groups that just don't stick. Another idea I'm toying with is starting a kid's art group like artfulparent.wordpress.com.

That's not to say I don't really enjoy knitting by myself late at night in front of the tube. It's very relaxing.

Kitten's Lost Her Mittens said...

It's so funny that I just read this post of yours, because the most recent (and second!) post that I wrote was called "Craft Day." I have two different groups of people who I get together with to craft. One is with my mom and her friends, and the other is with friends my age. I think it's really fun, but I get way more crafting done when I'm on my own. :) The craft days almost seem more like a chance to eat goodies and socialize. However, I like them because I drag out projects for them and then keep working on them once the craft day has ended.

Typically I like to curl up in bed with knitting or crocheting, and put on a favorite movie. And I also like to scrapbook (not in bed, though. That'd be hard). But the scrapbooking I definitely do on my own, because it takes too much concentration for me to do it in a social setting.

So I guess the short answer is - I'm lucky to have other people in my life who enjoy crafting and who inspire me and help me, but I get most of my work done when I'm on my own!

Unknown said...

I work very much alone, but as a teacher I find myself involved in a monthly group which is great fun and i often come away feeling enthused but I'm also expected to run workshops quite often. When I do get 'time off' I prefer to spend the time on my own working on my own projects, listening to the radio enjoying my own company.....a bit sad maybe?
Sue
www.susie1205.blogspot.com

Rebekah said...

I'm slowly turning my friends into crafters. They aren't as crazy or as into it as I am, but they are slowly turning the corner. I have a good balance of crafting with others and doing it on my own. I have a friend who lets me visit once a week and she does little projects around her house while I sit and knit or embroider. It's a good match.

Anonymous said...

Hi

I work alone too - part of me enjoys this 'me' time but I do wonder if it would be fun to get together with other likeminded people (I'm always blown away by the blogging community and how supportive we all are of one another.) I fantasize about being part of one of those quilting circles where ladies get together and make bridal quilts, telling stories and giving support and gossip!

Rebekah said...

It is so nice to know I am not alone with the crafting late at night and alone. I was starting feel a bit on the strange side. We are all normal and the rest of the people who do not do crafts are the strange ones.

jo2308 - I know it would be cool to be part of those old time quilting circles and gossip about everyone in town and how horrible their lawn is cut. hehe