Both authors work at Deakin University in Australia. They seem to spend a lot of time researching and writing about their finds, although Minihan seems to be more of a writing and Wolfram Cox does more editing. The essay "Stich'nBitch" comes from the Journal of Material Culture, a cultural studies and anthropology focused publication but not necessarily limited to those two disciplines. Because it is about material culture, artifacts and how they influence culture account for a lot of the journals content.
I think readers of this journal would be interested because DIY goes against the industrial structure that have become the standard in today's society. People are beginning to value the process that goes into their products. On top of that, Stich'nBitch is a social movement. Participants create these products while socializing, and have created their own sub-culture surrounding crafting and socializing.
I would say my approach to crafting so far has been progressive- I craft to express myself creatively. My first couple of crafting projects were focused on re-purposing items I already had, such as a headband made of braided t-shirt scraps, a bracelet made of braided necklace chains and fabric, etc. I wanted to create something unique, something I would be proud to say I had made. I also started to crochet a bit. I find that I like the act of crocheting... its calming. I am not as focused on the end goal with this project as I was with the others. I like that it takes a little more time, its something I can work on here an there to relax. I don't really know what I want it to be yet, I feel like when it's done I'll just know.
As for the Craftifesto, I really like the idea of craft being more personal. Lines like, "Anything you want—clothing, jewelry, art, music—you can probably get from a real live person here in Chicago" and "To know that something was made by hand, by someone who cares that you like it, makes that object much more enjoyable" really struck me. We really have no idea where our products come from before they make it to the store.
While I find their desire to change the world, corporate culture and consumerism inspiring, I can see it being a bit extreme to some visitors of the craft show. Corporate culture and consumerism is very much a part of our culture. I suppose the word "rethink" could have variety of meanings, depending on the consumer.
I would love to support local crafters as much as possible. As I mentioned before, I like the idea of knowing where my products come from. If I was a crafter I would love to embrace the social aspect of the crafting community of small businesses and artisans working together.
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