ever since they started this little venture called superette, ann and dabney have tried to articulate to others what it is about craft and the DIY culture that appeals so much to them. which brings them to the following craft manifesto, courtesy of hobbyprincess. there is some interesting and smart discussion about the whole crafting phenomenon, mostly in response to the manifesto. in italics are ann and dabney's equally clever responses:
1. People get satisfaction for being able to create/craft things because they can see themselves in the objects they make. This is not possible in purchased products.
this is true. ann and dabney are nothing if not small, functional and japanese-inspired.
2. The things that people have made themselves have magic powers. They have hidden meanings that other people can’t see.
little do they know it, but these two young women will live long and happy lives because of their handmade superette purchases.
3. The things people make they usually want to keep and update. Crafting is not against consumption. It is against throwing things away.
the things ann and dabney make will apparently stay around until they die, because dabney has a hard time getting rid of anything. have you seen her workspace? this is it, clean.
4. People seek recognition for the things they have made. Primarily it comes from their friends and family. This manifests as an economy of gifts.
ann and dabney do nothing but seek recognition. that pretty much sums up superette and its shameless attempts to court attention for ann and dabney's activities, crafty or non. that pretty much sums up their blog readership too.
5. People who believe they are producing genuinely cool things seek broader exposure for their products. This creates opportunities for alternative publishing channels.
ann and dabney do genuinely believe they produce genuinely cool things. and those genuinely cool things can be found on etsy. please buy them. now.
6. Work inspires work. Seeing what other people have made generates new ideas and designs.
work mostly inspires ann and dabney to drink. when they do work based on others' designs, ann and dabney like it call it "creative modification" or "craft evolution."
7. Essential for crafting are tools, which are accessible, portable, and easy to learn.
essential for sewing is a decent sewing machine. ann and dabney are still mourning the loss of lucy's sewing machine, which got returned to its owner a week ago when she wanted to make some curtains. if anyone has thoughts on what they should get as a replacement, please comment. in the meantime, see here and here for some of their other tools.
8. Materials become important. Knowledge of what they are made of and where to get them becomes essential.
ann and dabney are material whores and buy fabric, zippers, and beads whenever and wherever they are for sale. they also try to justify their around-the-world trips by labeling them as opportunities to find new supplies. here's a photo of some of the materials they bought during their last excursion to manila.
9. Recipes become important. The ability to create and distribute interesting recipes becomes valuable.
ann and dabney still haven't mastered this one, unless the recipe calls for zucchini.
10. Learning techniques brings people together. This creates online and offline communities of practice.
ann and dabney always try to get friends to take classes with them. there is a beginners quilting class starting on november 10 and ending right before christmas that dabney has her eye on. it's through the boston center for adult education. no seriously, sign up.
11. Craft-oriented people seek opportunities to discover interesting things and meet their makers. This creates marketplaces.
the renegade craft fair in june was ann and dabney's "coming out" to the crafting community. they loved meeting crafty folks. next up on the superette itinerary are the handmade arcade and the bazaar bizarre.
12. At the bottom, crafting is a form of play.
enough said.
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