Interview With Marisa Lynch of a New Dress a Day

Marisa Lynch of New Dress a Day can make even the most hideous of thrifted dresses look gorgeous. Sure it helps that she is a cute as a button, bubbly, redhead that models all the clothing - but for serious she works some muumuu magic. I have never seen frumpy go fabulous quite the way Marisa does it. If you have not already become a devotee to her blog or picked up her new book New Dress A Day: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos from Thrift-Store Don’ts I highly suggest you get on that, you will never vintage shop the same way again.

Glitterville Christmas - An Interview With Stephen Brown

It is rare that I pick up a craft book these days that I can't put down. Maybe I have been around the crafty block one too many times and seen it all. Then along comes Stephen Brown and Glitterville. You have seen his amazing sisal trees staring back at you from the shelves of Anthropologie this winter. You have probably pinned his glass octopus ornaments. More importantly you need to move his new book right up to the top of your Christmas list. Not just for you, but for all your crafty friends. Take out a pen and paper right now....Dear Santa, For Christmas this year please bring me a copy of Glitterville's Handmade Christmas: A Glittered Guide for Whimsical Crafting. You can thank me later.

Craft Fail - Talking Handmade Adventures That Go Horribly Wrong With Heather Mann

Translating something from Pinterest to 'real life' is often times not near as easy as the pinners make it look. I can attest to that from first hand experience. Hooray for Heather Mann and her new book Craft Fail. This hilarious book let's crafters, bakers and makers know that they are not alone when their great idea goes horribly wrong. Frying a heart shaped egg inside a piece of toast or stiffening yarn into a lamp shade can make even the most seasoned of DIY professionals throw their hands up and shout more than a few expletives. I recently got to ask Heather a few questions about her new book, her website Dollar Store Crafts and how she manages to be a crafty icon and raise four kids at the same time!

Bound Away - An Interview with CAKE's Gabe Nelson

Before I did crafts I wrote music reviews and interviewed bands for various magazines, websites and my own zine. It has been a long time since I had a chance to chat with someone in the music industry since my focus has shifted from music to crafts over the years. Recently I discovered a project that combined both my love of music and my passion for all things handmade. "Bound Away" is a new project by the band CAKE and BANDmade Books. I got the chance to chat with CAKE bass player Gabe Nelson about their new CD book and all the DIY touches that went into making it.


Bound Away is a CD single made into a handmade book. BANDmade Books brings together musicians like CAKE with book artists to turn a song into a limited-edition handmade book. Bound Away, which is a song from CAKE’s most recent album Showroom of Compassion, is tailored perfectly to the band. CAKE was closely involved in every step, from creative concept, through the various stages of production.

Let me break down the awesomeness of this handmade/eco friendly/charity donating little gem for ya...

24 illustrated pages using linoleum blocks hand carved by the band and volunteers.

Type is handset in Alternate Gothic No. 2 and Universe.

Printing: two-color letterpress Vandercook proofing presses, by members of CAKE and volunteers

Text pages: 100% post-consumer recycled paper

End sheets: hand made paper made from reclaimed jute coffee sacks from a local coffee roaster.

Covers: handmade paper made by the band using their old cotton clothing

Binding: hand stitched with local hand spun thread waxed with bees wax from a local beehive

Edition: 1000 numbered copies signed by all members of CAKE 51⁄4 x 51⁄4” hardcover book Includes a CD single of the song Published in San Francisco, 2011

A portion of the sales of each edition of Bound Away will benefit 826 Valencia and the Hamilton Type Museum.


So let’s get on to that interview with Gabe. Somewhere between teaching bass lessons and touring with the band he found time to answer a few of my hot burning questions about Bound Away.

How did you guys hook up with Bandmade Books? Is CAKE the maiden voyage for the project? Do you know who is coming down the turnpike after you guys?

Pam Deluco called us up with the idea. It was timed perfectly because our album release was eminent therefore we could use a brand new song for the project. It was pretty flattering that Pam thought to ask us first. The book turned out great and is an excellent partner for the song. Regarding the next BANDmade edition... I know Pam is talking to several artists, although we are not certain who will follow next.


From what I understand you guys were very involved in the making of Bound Away both conceptually and physically. Most bands would have just ok-ed the use of their song and then that would be it. Why was it important for CAKE to be involved in every step from picking red and blue as the primary colors to doing pulls of the prints?

Pam's entire vision was complete band inclusive -- and we believed that was really the only way forward. We embraced that part of it, as we have always done much of our own labor in CAKE. John has worked a lot with print, and I have worked with paper, so we could help the other guys learn those parts. Carving the linoleum blocks was a really interesting experience as well.


How did you choose “Bound Away” as the song to make the book about? Was there a song that was a close first runner up?

"Bound Away" was the only choice for this project. It is an old fashioned song and making books by hand is also old fashioned craft. Sometimes, the right track is the obvious track. I don't recall even discussing a different CAKE song for the project.


What is your earliest crafty/DIY memory. Macaroni necklaces for your mother count. What is your earliest musical memory?

Earliest craft project was a "Happy Father's Day" plaque in 2nd grade. It was made from salt-dough. It was so salty and savory that I ate part of it on the way home from school. I remember my dad completely cracking up when I gave him his " appy Father's Day" gift. Earliest musical memory is watching the "Jerry Lewis Telethon". They had Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Charro, Bobby Vinton, and a host of others. I just remember connecting with the music and thinking to myself that I wanted to make those types of sounds someday.


Besides making music do you have any other hobbies in the artsy craftsy world? Do you knit on the tour bus or paint oil portraits between tours?

Music takes up all my time. I have tried to get into other things, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. So it's pretty narrowed down at the present time.


I love that the band’s old cotton clothing was recycled to make the paper for the covers of the CD. What type of clothing did you use? Could a super stalker fan tell themselves that perhaps a pair of cotton boxer shorts were used in the making of this CD cover?

I gave some old sheets that we had -- which made the paper green.


All proceeds from the sale of Bound Away go to 826 Valencia and the Hamilton Type Museum. 826 Valencia helps students with their writing skills and the Hamilton Type Museum is dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type. How did you choose the recipients of all the loot?

We thought something that had to do with book making was appropriate. The whole experience was a journey to the past when people had to be more creative if they wanted something. You couldn't just pop into a store a make a purchase, you had to use your wits and your hands. I think science has confirmed that keeping your brain active is essential to good health. Hopefully the money will help those who are interested and have a chance to explore this old fashioned craft.


How do/did you encourage your children (if you have them) to be creative? Do you play music with them? Craft with them?

My son, Max, has always been self motivated to do art. When he was three or four he would be on the floor of his room at 6 a.m. drawing, or writing a story. He can paint water colors very well now. He also taught himself computer animation. I think he prefers it if i don't try to involve myself in what he does. He is a pretty independent spirit. He has done a little music too, but usually goes back to the visual side of art. I think perhaps the practice involved with playing an instrument doesn't suit him. I never try to push anything on him when it comes to art. Homework and chores usually require encouragement from me, but not art.


Thanks so much Gabe for taking the time to chat with me about Bound Away!


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Having a Craft Social with Sister Diane Gilleland

Diane Gilleland has her finger on the pulse of all things crafty, and I mean ALL things. She is the Editor in Chief of Craft Zine, She has authored several E-books, runs the successful blog and podcast Crafty Pod (check out mine on marketing online), is known to some as Sister Diane from her days running the Portland Church of Craft and anytime you see the hash tag #craftsocial on Twitter she is behind the scenes running the show.

Needless to say I was pretty excited to get a chance to chat with her about crafty matters like Kanzashi flowers and plastic canvas. She is also a wealth of knowledge about social networking and running a successful blog. All this and she is cute as a button and a heck of a nice person, what's not to love!


So how are you liking your new gig as head honcho over at Craftzine? Are you going to continue to write your fabulous business column for CRAFT? How did your new gig as Editor in Chief come about?

It was a big surprise! Natalie Zee Drieu, who many of us know and love, made the difficult decision in April to step down from her position at CRAFT and focus on her family. She suggested me as her replacement. Within about 14 days, I was Editor in Chief! I'm still working to get my feet fully under me, but thoroughly enjoying the process. It feels in many ways like what I've always done with my personal blog, but about 500% larger.


Explain Craft Social. I keep hearing about it and seeing the hashtags on Twitter, but to be honest I am not sure how it works.

Craft Social is a monthly Twitter chat that I've co-organized with Barbara Forbes Lyons for a little over a year now. It's open to the public. Each month, we have a different crafty discussion topic, and we have a big, freewheeling conversation about it. It's really fun to hear all the different points of view, and it's a great way to meet interesting new people to follow. Anyone who wants to join us needs only to follow the #craftsocial hashtag on Twitter, and add that hashtag to any tweets they want to contribute to the discussion. A really good place to join in is TweetChat.

We'll be on hiatus for July and August, but you can keep up on the dates of our future Socials at CraftSocial.net.


You recently had a book come out called Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-and-Sew Projects to Wear and Give. How did you get started making Kanzashi flowers?

I stumbled onto this iconic post on Craftster, and that whet my appetite. I then did a ton of searches and trial and error to figure out how to do a simplifed version of the traditional Japanese method. And then I taught a few Kanzashi classes here in Portland. There's nothing like teaching to help you learn a whole bunch! My students helped me see all the places my process needed refining.

Interestingly, Clover took the process in my book and refined it even more. They just came out with these cool Kanzashi Maker templates, which make the process unbelievably simple.


You have written several Ebooks on your website Crafty Pod. Why the decision to write an Ebook rather than talk to a publisher about a physical book? Which one is your best seller?

Well, as much as I love my Kanzashi book, there are some downsides to traditional print publishing. For one thing, it takes about 18 months to get a book from contract to bookstores. And I wanted to write about blogging and social media, and let's face it, in those 18 months, everything can change!

I also wanted to experiment with self-publishing because I wanted to be able to write about subjects that might be too niche for a print publisher. Because print books cost so much to produce, a mainstream publisher very understandably needs to make books that will appeal to the widest possible audience. But I don't easily think mainstream. I think in niches.

My ebook Making a Great Blog: a Guide for Creative People is my best-seller. It's written from a crafter's perspective, and it covers the aspects of blogging I don't see covered in other blogging guides – namely, exactly how you go about creating interesting, valuable blog content. Good posts and beautiful images are really the foundation of any successful blog.


How did you get started podcasting? What kind of set up would an aspiring podcaster need? You collection of interviews is vast, who are few of you and your listeners faves?

My partner Katin first introduced me to podcasts, way back in 2005 when they were first coming on the scene. I immediately started a little show called SpinsterSpin, which was about being a woman who's chosen not to marry or have children. And within a couple months, I had the idea to start up a crafty podcast. And that one quickly took over a big chunk of my life!

To start a podcast, for the most part you just need these things: a microphone that plugs into your computer (or, is built into your computer). Some kind of audio recording and editing software (like Audacity. A place to host your finished podcast files. (Libsyn or Podbean are good.) The real magic is in how you adjust the settings of all these things to get the best sound quality. So, make a lot of test recordings, try various setting combinations, and keep good notes.

I have way too many favorite interviews to list here! Really, every show taught me something new, and gave me new things to think about. I really miss making podcasts!


Do people refer to you more as Sister Diane rather than just Diane? I find in certain situations I get referred to as “the Naughty Secretary” more than I do Jennifer. What ever happened to that branch of the Church of Craft? Have you ever preformed a wedding ceremony since you are ordained and all?

HAHAHA! It actually sounds pretty cool to be referred to as The Naughty Secretary! And yes, I'm referred to as Sister Diane all over the place. I always joke (perhaps mobidly) that it'll be on my tombstone.

The Portland Church of Craft closed down in 2007. I think two things happened: first, Portland is blessed with an amazing bounty of crafty-event resources. This is great, but then any event that happens regularly, like Church of Craft, seems to sooner or later fall victim. People start thinking, "Oh, I can go to that any month, but this weekend, I should go to this new event instead." Our Church of Craft just dwindled in attendance over time. And frankly, after 5 1/2 years of organizing it, I got pretty burned out.

I did perform one wedding, which was lovely! I officiated the ceremony for my dear friend Susan Beal and her husband Andrew Dickson.


What do you think it is about Portland and Austin being such crafty hot beds of activity? I have heard them called sister cities and in the craft department this especially seems to be true.

I've heard that, too! I've visited Austin, and loved everything about it except the heat. (Should've come out in October instead of July!) I think both cities have a wonderful creative vibe - not just for crafting but for all kinds of making, including food and technology and robotics. I think they're places where a creative person can go and live fairly inexpensively while they persue their dream projects. And since there are so many other creative folks around, all kinds of interesting cross-pollination happens.

Both cities also seem to embrace their "weirdness." There don't seem to be a lot of constricting social conventions – if you're original, then rock on!


How do you think Etsy has changed the Indie craft scene?

Well, on the one hand, Etsy has made it very easy to start a small craft business. This is a good thing, because I think a taste of entrepreneurship can be very beneficial for most of us.

I do see a certain downside, and it's not really Etsy's fault. Since so many crafters have turned to starting small businesses, I've seen the general conversation in the online craft community turn from excited sharing to marketing. I see so many crafters trying to market handmade things to other crafters – instead of reaching into the vast markets of non-crafters (who might actually be much better customers). I just see a lot of us smearing the communities we reach out to for support with the markets we reach out to for income. It's all a tricky balance, but I do feel like, when I wander in the crafty community anymore, I'm hit with so many more marketing messages than genuine attempts at conversation. I suppose all that will balance out over time.


You write a lot about Social Networking. If someone only had the time to focus on one social networking outlet to promote their craft business or blog would you tell them to pick Facebook, Flickr, Twitter or Pinterest?

I would tell anyone to try them all out, and pick the one they enjoy using the most. Any social marketing tool will work well if you're taking the time to actually talk with people instead of endlessly telling them to check out your online store. Twitter and Facebook are engagement marketing tools, not broadcasting tools. It's really about the conversations you have with individuals.

So, the magic ingredient here is time. Make sure whatever tool you use, you're able to enjoy the time you're putting into it.

All that said, I don't necessarily see Pinterest as a marketing tool so much as a very good organizing and archiving tool. Look at how your profile page is constructed there - your website is a very tiny presence. And I think Pinterest users are there for the eye candy more than the conversation.


I have heard through the crafty grapevine that you have a real soft spot for plastic canvas. Are the rumors true? I too see the brightly colored plastic sheets at the craft store and rack my brain for crafty possibilities.

Plastic canvas is the Rodney Dangerfield of craft supplies. And by that I mean, it doesn't get respect, AND it's capable of wearing loud plaid pants and starring in Caddyshack.

But it's a medium with amazing structural possibilities, and you don't have to do needlepoint on it! You can put it inside fabric or felt. You can adhere thick paper to both sides. You can wire buttons and beads to it. And you can construct so many interesting shapes! Just look at the work of Nicole Gastonguay. She's my total plastic canvas hero.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Diane! I can't wait to play along with the next Craft Social, I need to read one of those E-books on blogging and maybe just maybe I'll pick up some plastic canvas next time I am at the craft store.



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The Ins & Outs of The Renegade Craft Fair - an Interview with Sue Daly

The Renegade Craft Fair is coming to Austin this weekend and I can hardly wait! Last year was the show's first visit to Austin and it was such a hit they are coming back for round two (and a Christmas show this fall). I don't have a booth this year since I am doing the baby thing, but that does not mean I won't be there getting my shop on!

The Renegade Craft Fair is one of the most well known and well respected craft shows in the country (heck they have a UK show now too). I was super excited to get a chance to chat with Sue Daly one of the shows founding producers about the ins and outs. Ever wonder about the intricacies of running a craft show? How do they choose the vendors? How did Austin get chosen as a location over Dallas or Houston? What is the best way for a craft show vendor to help promote themselves and the event? All these answers and more!


Why did you start the Renegade Craft Fair?  I know from running Stitch that it couldn’t have been for the fame and fortune :)

I first started the Renegade Craft Fair in 2003 as a one time event I wanted to do just for the heck of it, just for fun.  I was making jewelry at the time, and started selling some things online at cutxpaste.com .  I knew a lot of contemporary crafters out there like myself were selling their work online, but I didn't know of any cool markets where you could set-up shop for a weekend and sell your work that way.  All I could find were fine art fairs or country craft fairs, which I didn't feel was a good fit for me.  So, in true DIY fashion, I decided to start the Renegade Craft Fair so that there would be a fresh venue for people like us to get out there and be seen!


The Renegade Craft Fair started in Chicago, now you are in several cities across the US.  When and how did you decide to expand?  What was your second city and how tricky was it to coordinate an event the size of The Renegade Craft Fair on new turf? 

I decided to expand to Brooklyn in 2004, when I was visiting there on vacation with a friend of mine.  We were walking past McCarren Park just by chance, and it reminded me of Wicker Park in Chicago where Renegade got its start.  That's what gave me the initial spark to expand the fair, and so I just started working on figuring out what it would take to organize an event in another city from Chicago.  It all seemed pretty feasible, and I was able to do most of the coordinating online through the website and email.  And so we got to work, and in 2005 we held our first successful event there in the park! 

From there I got the itch to expand to other cities I loved to travel to and visit.  San Francisco was next on my list, and so I made a couple of trips to scope out venues, and found a former naval pier on the bay in a beautiful setting with views of Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.  I was really inspired to hold the fair there - So, I got to planning, and in 2008 we had our first west coast fair.  Los Angeles seemed like the next logical step, since it's such a huge city with a lot of DIY enthusiasts and makers looking to sell their wares.  So, the following year in 2009 we expanded to LA.

The idea to expand to Austin came by suggestion from several crafters living there, who were really enthusiastic about it being a great city to hold Renegade.  It's well known that many Austinites pioneered the way for the craft movement to be where it is today, and it's such a DIY hub within the scene.  So, it made perfect sense to make it a stop on our "tour" - and boy are we glad we did!

The largest leap I've taken in expanding Renegade will happen this October, when we take Renegade to London, UK.  I always dreamed of having a fair there, even from the very early stages of doing RCF.  It's such a great city, there is a whole slew of crafters there, and markets are already so engrained into their culture.  I was just there figuring out the last bit of logistical planning, and I'm excited to see how it will go!


There are several people on the “about” page for Renegade.  Is running the Renegade Craft Fair all of your full time jobs?  Who does what?

Renegade has become its own little cottage industry, where we organize the craft fairs (10 this year) and some of us also work managing Renegade Handmade.  There are six of us who work on the craft fairs - myself and two other people work full-time just on the fairs, and one part-timer.  Then, two other gals who work double time on the fairs and the store.  We all jury and curate each fair, and travel to the events to run the show.  

I am the Co-Founder & Director of both companies, overseeing the big picture and implementing new ideas to make Renegade as awesome as it can be.  I work closely with "the gang" to produce all of the fairs, as well as research new cities/venues to expand to. 

Mat Daly works with me on Sponsorship Coordination.  He also makes all of our beautiful handmade silkscreened posters for each event, all featuring a unique owl (Renegade's Mascot).  

Sara Wright is the Director of Vendor Relations, and corresponds with everyone and their mother about their event participation.  She's the go to person for all of our artists and workshop participants - over 2,500 people per year!

Justin Rathell is our Production Coordinator and handles the behind-the-scenes logistics, including everything from wrangling event supplies, to wresting generators, to coordinating food and DJs, trouble-shooting at the events and more.

Madelon Juliano is our Curatorial Associate for the fair, and the Store Manager of Renegade Handmade.  For the fair side of things, she executes plans for our Info Booth, RCF Workshop, Raffles - in addition to finding new artists to carry in our store.

Sarah Spies Manages our Online Store - and is our Media & Marketing Liason, working to get the word out about our upcoming events in each city.  She is also currently in training to become my right-hand lady in the coming year.


Tell me a wee little bit about Renegade Handmade. 

Renegade Handmade is our brick + mortar boutique based in Chicago, which was created as an extension of the fair back in 2007.  We carry a curated selection of handmade goodness from over 300 artists from across the country and beyond.  We also have an online shop - RenegadeHandmade.com


Since I am an Austinite I have to ask how your experience in Texas has been?  We are super excited to have you here!  

We are super excited to be there!  Austin is great because it has a small town feel, with all the cultural bustle of a large city.  There's so much going on there in the way of music, food, art, craft - and it's so laid back and friendly.  It's a very pretty city too - we love to go swimming at Barton Springs while we're there.  Oh, and you have the best BBQ - yum!!


Any cities that Renegade is looking to expand to?  How do you choose a new city and decide it is in dire need of the Renegade Craft Fair?

I get inspired by a city either because I've been there before or have the desire to travel there.  So, I will research it some and if I feel like it is a promising place for a fair, I will go and visit to check it all out with the fair in mind.  I like urban settings, and I think holding the fairs in big cities offer people a more comprehensive snapshot of what our movement looks like in a marketplace setting.  Cities are easier for more artists and attendees to go to, and they obviously have more people who will come to the event to shop and make it a success for the artists.

As far as expanding to new cities, right now we are just soaking it all in having added two new events this year (London and Austin Holiday!).  I have some cities in mind, maybe another city abroad.  But right now we're just focused on this year, and I want to be sure we can handle more fairs before diving in.


I have an article on my blog about promoting yourself at a craft bazaar.  What are some suggestions you have that vendors can do to help not only promote the event but also themselves?

I think if artists approach the packaging, branding and marketing of their crafty business as creatively and thoughtfully as they approach their craft, it will make all the difference in how successful their venture will be.  Designing a logo, business card, website and branding aesthetic in general that is appealing and compliments your work is key.  

Same goes for setting-up a booth display at a craft fair.  You want the whole package to look cohesive and striking to people as they're browsing.  That's what will draw in their attention, and make people remember you after the fact.  Think of your booth as your own little storefront, and make it stand out.

Get the word out about your social network outlets and your online presence so shoppers can come back to your work long after the event is over.  If you have a little card or sticker or something they can take home with them to refer to later, you may just make a customer for life!


How do you guys choose who will be vending at each Renegade Craft Fair?  I know it can be so difficult to choose between all the amazing designers.  

We typically receive twice as many artist applications than we can accept for each fair, so it can be a daunting task to wade through all of the applications and make our decisions.  We have a process that seems to work really well for us.  We each grade each application individually, and accept the artists who have the majority votes.  Then, we usually have a selection of artists who were on the cusp and had split grades across the board.  So for those applicants, we will go through them all as a group one by one and hash it out to make the final cut.


Do you have certain cities that you tend to select certain types of crafts for?  More jewelry for Chicago, printers for Brooklyn or soap makers in San Francisco?

Our focus is to just have the best of the best at our fairs, so we rarely pinpoint things in that way.  We do that in certain instances though - like when it comes down to two borderline applicants and we have to chose one over the other, we will choose the artist who has something more distinct than what we've already juried into that specific fair.


Which fair had the biggest turn out ever?  Was there some piece of press or just awesome luck that lead to the massive turn out?

Our Chicago events have the biggest turnout, probably for a couple of different reasons.  One, is that it's our hometown city and the fair has been happening there the longest (since 2003).  It seems like year after year the fairs seem to get busier and busier.  That fair also is held in the heart of Wicker Park - which is one of the busiest shopping/eating/drinking neighborhoods in the city.  It would be like shutting down South Congress for the weekend in Austin, and setting-up shop!  Because of that, it's so visible that it doesn't become just a destination event at that point.  We get all sorts of passer-bys and looky-loos strolling through the fair and hanging out.  We probably get at least 75,000 people to that event throughout the weekend!


How do you choose the “special features” portion of each Renegade Craft Fair?

We are always on the lookout for cool features to add to the fairs.  We receive a lot of emails from interested groups, non-profits, sponsors, museums, arts organizations and the like who want to do interactive workshops at the fairs - and we highly encourage that kind of thing.  We also research things ourselves, and sit down and brainstorm people who we could get involved to add something special to the fair and engage people.  It works the same for food + drink vendors, dj's, roving performers, and other entertainment features.  We like to have fun with it!

Wowsers Sue thanks for such a fun and informative interview! Check out the Renegade Handmade blog for lot's of features on some of the vendors you will find at this weekend's Austin show. Plus some tips for what to do and where to eat in Austin. You can always check out our articles on Austin as well. Plus wanna see my round-up about the Austin Renegade Craft Show from last year? What about all the loot I scored!


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Vintage Craft Chat with Cathy Callahan of California

Cathy Callahan may be the one crafter I know who appreciates kitschy vintage crafts as much as I do. As if I didn’t love her enough with her amazing flower loom kits on Etsy and the plethora of vintage craft book goodness on her blog Cathy of California – she goes off and writes my new favorite craft book. If you too have a penchant for vintage crafts you are going to want to get your hot little hands on a copy of Vintage Craft Workshop: Fresh Takes on Twenty-Four Classic Projects from the '60s and '70s stat!

I have a vast collection of vintage craft books that I pride myself on, apparently so does Cathy Callahan. If we got together with our stash and a cup of Sanka or a can of tab we could chat & craft it up for hours. We couldn’t do it in person so instead we had a chat over email which I thought I would share.


When I think of designers taking vintage crafts and re-working them you are always the first person that comes to mind.  Your gorgeous loom flowers, perky mushroom pincushions & constant treasure trove of vintage craft book images on your blog.  When did your love of vintage crafts begin?

Why thank you Jennifer! You will be able to read the whole story in my book but basically a few years ago (while I was preparing for my first craft fair) one thing lead to another and I discovered that the crafts I was making were very much like the ones my mom made in the 60s-70s. A friend mentioned that the stuff I was making reminded her of the crafts her family made from a particular line of kits when she was little. An eBay search lead me to a few of the how to books from the same company that made those kits. I bought one of the books and I discovered that the crafts featured in those books were just like the ones my mom made when I was little. I then set out on collecting craft books of the 60s and 70s both for inspiration and as a way to honor my mom.


Choosing which vintage crafts to make for Vintage Craft Workshop must have been like Sophie’s Choice.  There are so many out there.  How did you decide which to use in your book?  Are there any projects that broke your heart not to include and we can expect to see in Vintage Craft Workshop Part 2?

The process of choosing which crafts to use in my book was both really fun and somewhat daunting all at the same time!  Fun because I love looking thru vintage craft books and daunting because there was just so much to choose from. I tried my best to match projects up with each contributors special talents and love for a particular type of craft. Take Diane Gilleland's plastic canvas place mat project for example. It's Diane's mission to make plastic canvas cool so she was the perfect person to do a project inspired by "Serendipity in Hi-Straw" (plastic canvas projects made using raffia). Oh yes I would love to do a part 2! Truthfully I probably have enough ideas for a whole series.


I love the segments in the book about various pioneering crafty ladies.  Two of my faves: Aleene Jackson and Enid Collins are profiled.  I’m a collector of Enid Collins bags, I have a gut feeling you too have a stash.  Am I right?  Also is it just me or does it seem like Aleene and her Tacky glue invented every vintage craft ever?  I once posted a picture on my blog of a Christmas tree covered in giant ice cream cones and Aleene’s daughter Tiffany Windsor emailed saying that was her.  How did you decide which people to profile?

Why yes I do happen to have a few Enid bags and some of her jewelry. Working on the profiles was so much fun. Many of the women who started craft companies in the 50s and 60s have some pretty amazing stories - especially Enid and Aleene. The profiles really just grew from my research and they all ended up being extensions of the projects. Take for example my Flower Waste Paper Basket project. It was inspired by something my mom used to make as well as a photo  found in a Hazel Pearson book. So naturally I had to profile Hazel. Also I am curious by nature and had always wondered if there was actually an Aleene. My mom used Tacky Glue in her crafts so I more or less grew up with it. A few years ago I discovered that Aleene was an actual person (as opposed to a Betty Crocker-like invented persona) and of course had to find out more about her.


The Vintage Craft Workshop has several contributing crafters reinterpreting classic crafts.  How did you decide who would do what? Did you know Susan Beal had a love of mushrooms or that Nicole Vasbinder made a mean bulletin board?  

I reached out to my friends and crafters whose work I admired. I had a pretty good idea what everyone enjoyed doing and what their areas of expertise were so it was easy to match people with projects. But some delightful and unexpected things also happened. I had the tissue paper tray project in mind for my friend Tom Early - who is a painter. When I went to meet with him about doing a project he showed me some new things he had been working on - tissue paper collages. It just worked out perfectly! Another cool thing  happened when I was researching Enid Collins. I contacted her granddaughter to get some information. It turned out she was a crafter (who is very influenced by her grandmother) so it was just all to perfect that she do a project for the book.


I adore all the images in The Vintage Craft Workshop.  The set ups and backdrops reflect the vintage feel of the book in a hip modern way.  Inquiring minds want to know: are any of the goodies in the pictures from your own home or did you help style the photo shoot? Chronicle always makes the most wonderful books, yours is no exception.

I was beyond thrilled when Chronicle hired Meiko Takeshi Arquillos to photograph my book. I had long admired her photographs in many of Lotta Jansdotter's books. We hit it off right away. Her style and sensibility were just perfect for my book. Yes many of the props are my stuff. I basically loaded up about half of my home in my car  and took it over to her studio. And yes some of the shots were done at my house.  I love everything that Chronicle does and it was so nice to work with them.


Along with photos of the original projects & the crafty ladies profiled there is quite a bit of craft history included in The Vintage Craft Workshop.  I love that not only are the readers learning a craft, they are learning about the history of craft.  Was doing your homework for the book hard?  Did you have a difficult time finding the information and crafts?

I was so happy that my publisher liked my idea of giving a little bit of history to go along with the projects. I felt it was important for readers who might not be familiar with what was going on in the 60s - 70s to have a little background. That way they could be inspired  even more.  The homework was not hard at all - I just turned to my collection of vintage books and magazines. I also reached out to some of ladies (and in some cases their families) who I profiled and got a lot of information from them. Tiffany Windsor (Aleene's daughter) was super helpful. One bittersweet note is that Jean Ray Laury just passed away. I did a couple of phone interviews with her last year and she was just the sweetest lady. She was still working on book proposals and her quilting. I was so looking forward to sending her a copy of the book.


For people interested in expanding their own vintage craft workshop where do you suggest they go to find more information?  Do you have any favorite websites, books, Etsy stores ect for vintage supplies, books or information?

Ebay is by far the best place to find vintage craft supplies, fabric, books and magazines.  It also serves as an amazing research tool. Figure out what you are looking for, sign yourself up for "saved searches" and your email in box will be filled with great finds everyday!


What is your most prized vintage craft treasure?  Do you have any supplies that you just can’t bring yourself to use because you have not found the perfect project?  I have tons of vintage jewelry supplies, kitschy wrapping paper and cupcake toppers that I can not seem to bring myself to part with.  No craft project ever seems worthy. Yes I am a border line craft supply hoarder.

My most prized craft supplies are my mom's fabric scraps. I made a mini quilt using some of them last year - just as a way of preserving and documenting them. I also used some of that fabric for the project I did for for Crafting a Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco.

I got an email a couple of years ago from a guy who said his aunt had worked for Hazel Pearson (who I profile in my book) and that he was having a sale. There were tons of supplies from the 60s still in their original packaging. I bought a big box full of them which I am saving just because I like the packaging so much.


What does the future have in store for you?  Any new books on the horizon?  Has Martha Stewart called and asked you back for a repeat performance?  Teaching any classes?  For those of us that can not get enough Cathy Callahan tell us where to find you.

I will be doing a mini west coast book tour in May. I have just started a little blog devoted to the book where I will be posting all of the latest info. I do have a few book ideas in mind that I have started to develop. Fingers crossed I get to go on Martha again!


Like reading interviews with your favorite crafty peeps? I got lot's more for ya!


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