Handmade Nation, the book

I love watching people become more and more accomplished.

I started emailing with Faythe Levine at the end of 2004. I was searching for indie shows to participate in and discovered Art vs. Craft in Milwaukee. I sent an email to the general email address.

Hi,
I just found out about art vs. craft and I’m curious to hear how it went and if you plan on doing it again next year.
I live in Atlanta and I’ve done a few shows here this season but I’m looking to expand for next year.
Can you tell me how much it cost to participate this year?
Does this email go to Faythe Levine? If so, I love your website. I do a lot with felt also–your stuff is super cute!
Thanks for any information and Happy Thanksgiving,
Christy Petterson

Faythe replied:
Hello,
We are planning a spring/summer event in June, with details still to come. The cost is still to be determined for the next round, depends of funding, etc.

I will put you on the mailing list.

Oh, and thanks for the compliments on the felt, I’m totally addicted!

And that’s how we started to get to know each other. We met in person the following year at Renegade. Since then we’ve hung out in New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Atlanta.

I was so excited when I heard she was going to create a documentary about the new wave of craft. Excited, but not surprised. She’d shown early signs of a desire to pull the community together. It might seem hard to fathom now, but back just a mere four or five years ago it was much more challenging to connect with other indie crafters. There are so many more craft markets and websites now. Back then, there just simply were not as many options and it was more difficult to find out about them. In early 2005, Faythe presented the following idea:

Also, I wanted to somehow make a list … that has all the d.i.y. events, dates and contacts as well as a list of exclusively (or almost) boutiques-any ideas? Possibly I could be the contact and compile all the info. then it could just be a word doc. available to whomever to post on there site…what do you think about that?

Filming for the documentary started in June 2006 at the Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta. I wrote an overview of the project for Get Crafty last year here, and called the documentary “the largest, most important project the indie craft scene has been a part of.” I still agree with this statement and was so excited to hear that the project was becoming even bigger when Faythe told me last summer that Princeton Architectural Press had approached her about a Handmade Nation book. And now the book is a reality!

So here we go … the dedication …

… the all important Craftifesto written by Amy Carlton and Cinnamon Cooper of the DIY Trunk Show …

… the map showing the Southeastern crafters (*insert throat clearing* that’d be me!) … and the lovely ladies behind the book, Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl …

The amazing Kate Bingaman Burt did all the illustrations for the book. This little drawing might not look like much here, but please click on it and then click “all sizes”. This amazingness is a time line of the new wave of craft.

I can’t help it but this is my most fave page of the book. Basically it just makes me very happy!

Faythe is coming to Atlanta as part of her book tour. On November 20, there will be a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Alpharetta and ( … get excited! … ) she’ll have a book signing at Young Blood Gallery and Boutique on November 21. Let’s show her how much the ATL loves indie craft … please show up on the 21st and invite your friends, too!

Congratulations Faythe! I think you’re such a rock star!

Read more about Faythe and the documentary in the New York Times here and watch the trailer for the documentary again …