I have some pre-Christmas annual leave this week, starting from today. I have a mental to-do list (by which I mean it is all dangerously in my head rather than written down and so long that it is, well, mental!) but I decided to start my "holiday" by having breakfast in front of the telly, watching the Great British Sewing Bee Christmas special that I recorded earlier this week. Oh, my! It's so good, everything I hoped the original series would deliver that maybe it didn't always quite do. There were lots of lovely projects and you could just feel the cosy comfort of communal crafting oozing through. If I didn't have so much darn crochet to do (so far behind!) as well as many other more boring jobs, I'd be getting my embroidery hoop out right now. Oh, yes, and Patrick, letting a little bit more of his personality become visible, is the perfect tailored-suit/Christmas-jumper wearing Christmas crush. I'd say, "Phwoargh," right about now, but I doubt Patrick would approve... Anyway, if you like any combination of craft and Christmas and handsomely well-dressed men, you should definitely catch it on iPlayer while you can.
Lately I've been craving the feeling of making things while surrounded by other people also making things. I know it seems a strangely specific thing to crave, but it is an actual feeling. Patrick (lovely Patrick) even described the same feeling happening while sewing for a living in Savile Row. I remember getting this feeling during art classes at school and when I did evening classes in embroidery at the art school. I also get a glimmer of it when my best friend lets me arrange a crafty activity for us once every 18 months or so. I'm hoping I'll be able to find some regular or semi-regular activity to satisfy this urge in 2014, but I'm not sure exactly what that will be yet. I have looked into evening classes at the art school again, have contemplated "crafternoons" a la My Paper Crane, have pondered crafty associations like the Scottish Handcraft Circle (with their mysterious lack of online presence/information) but so far haven't unearthed THE ONE. I think I'm looking for something that will take some level of commitment/regular attendance but that will give me the freedom to make whatever I want, something that will be sociable but not too sociable, something formal but informal... What am I looking for? Just that feeling of doing my own thing, quietly creating while surrounded by others doing the same thing, chatting in quiet and crafty companionship. Do you know what I'm looking for? Please let me know if you do!
Right, off to tackle the first item on my to-do list... which is to write down my to-do list! Wish me luck :)
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How about a meeting of crafty people in a pub somewhere? Drinks and crafting together. Much better than knit and natter as that won't exclude no knitters (even though it doesn't really) Pip from Meets Me At Mikes used to do something called Brown Owls which was a craft group - similar to Heidi's crafternoons I think. Pity I don't live near you as I would like something like this :) How about WI? A bit old fashioned but there are some hip and trendy groups out there!
ReplyDeleteI think the Glasgow WI are TOO trendy for me! I don't want to have to worry about my outfit and the quality of my chat. I would be really happy if someone else set up a Brown Owls type idea round these parts (though no doubt it would quickly out-trendy me) but I'm not sure I want to be the one to start it - I am not well connected enough, am too socially awkward and also would like to be able to just rock up when I fancied it and stay at home when I didn't. Too much to ask? Ha!
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