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Making things has always been a part of my life. As a little girl, my mom would have informal “crafts clubs” where my friends and I would try different things. I don’t have any of the results but I remember some of the crafts — piggy banks made from bleach bottles, linoleum block printing, pushing ink around paper with a straw, . . .
My grandmother sewed for a living, and for her hobbies she knitted, crocheted, and made assorted crafts. My brother probably still has the felt “elf boots” she made for us one year as additions to our stockings.
I relish what I call “evidence of the maker’s hand.” I get excited about hand-made ornaments, I love my folk art nativities, and I’m proud that our stockings are all hand-made.
In a recent piece from Make magazine, Gareth Branwyn reflects on what it means to make something instead of buying it.
As I sit here surrounded by my needlework, with watercolors painted by my mom and a little cabinet made by my great-grandfather, I’m so pleased I’m from a family of makers.
If you aren’t think about how your stitching is starting this tradition in your family.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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