Carla Sinclair
Welcome
>> Carla Sinclair is editor-in-chief of CRAFT magazine.
carla@craftzine.com
The Crafting of Craft:
Welcome to the new magazine for the new craft movement.
Originally, CRAFT magazine was and KnitKnit to build community, exchange ideas, and
supposed to be a one-off craft-themed sell their projects. They’re also networking at real-life
issue of MAKE magazine, featuring craft/DIY fairs like Bazaar Bizarre, Renegade Craft
some of the cool but “craftier” DI Y projects that Fair, Stitch, Swap-O-Rama-Rama, and Felt Club.
enthusiastic readers sent in. When MAKE had its first Maker Faire in San Mateo,
For instance, Ph. D. student Leah Buechley from Calif., last April, we were blown away by the attention
University of Colorado at Boulder sent us photos our special craft areas received. An excited crowd
of her programmable LED tank top that flashes the swarmed our craft demonstrations (like how to use
Game of Life. This project definitely has the elements a Gocco printing machine), our tech-geek-meets-
of a MAKE project — it involves soldering, LED haute-couture fashion show (featuring Diana Eng’s
technology, and programming. But there are also amazing clothing), and craft booths that offered
craft elements that don’t quite jibe with MAKE’s handmade treasures such as reed switch necklaces,
harder-edged sensibility: it requires a sewing machine, skull-patterned baby clothes, one-eyed monster dolls,
sewing skills, fabric, and a pattern. And unlike the espresso-charged soap, and scads of other items.
projects in MAKE, where the end result is more about It was during the Faire that we decided to turn
function than form, it’s essential for this project to be CRAFT into its own quarterly magazine — a sister
as aesthetically attractive as it is useful. publication to MAKE. This first issue of CRAF T
We also received a bunch of simpler projects that has over 20 projects, including how to make an
had MAKE’s DIY tech flavor but, again, also involved LED shirt, how to embroider a skateboard, how to
“craftier” skills, materials, and an emphasis on the convert a dud pair of shoes into awesome knitted
visual outcome. Some of these include hacking boots, and how to make a felted iPod cocoon.
action figures, knitting steel medieval armor, making Beyond projects, CRAFT is also filled with features
notebooks out of floppy disks, and building lamps on topics such as crocheting math equations and
out of vintage kitchenware. the fascination with knitted robots, zombies, and
While we were putting our CRAF T issue together, other creepy-cute creatures.
we became aware of the exploding craft movement The new craft movement encourages people to
taking place all around us. This DI Y renaissance make things themselves rather than buy what thou-
embraces crafts while pushing them beyond sands of others already own. It provides new venues
traditional boundaries, either through technology, for crafters to show and sell their wares, and it offers
irony, irreverence, and creative recycling, or by using original, unusual, alternative, and better-made goods
innovative materials and processes. to consumers who choose not to fall in step with
Crafters are creating websites like Craftster, Get mainstream commerce. Crafting empowers people by
Crafty, Crafty Chica, The Anti-Craft, The Church of allowing them to create something useful. If you need
Craft, Sew Darn Cute, Hobby Princess, Extreme Craft, something, just make it yourself. And make sure you
The Craft Mafias, The Switchboards, SuperNaturale, check out craftzine.com for more crafty resources. ×
