I have been intrigued by the Slow Food movement for quite some time now, and although we do occasionally order a pizza, I believe I am much more aware of what and how my family eats. After reading In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore (also found at our local library), I began thinking about how the Slow Movement could be applied to crafts. It turned out I was not alone:
"Slow Craft might best be described as a return to the philosophy embraced by the practitioners of the original Arts and Craft movement over 100 year ago: simplicity, craftsmanship, respect for environment."
(Debra Roby, Slow Craft/Slow Cloth: Is This the Birth of a Movement?")
In the introduction to her beautiful project book, Sewn by Hand, Susan Wasinger contemplates:
"I wonder what a pair of hands, armed with nothing but a needle and thread, can accomplish. I believe this little seed of a question was planted in my head by my restless hands. Hands that were tired of the tyranny of machines, the indifferent touch of the keyboard and the mouse. Hands that wanted to be of use, from fingertip to palm, for some purpose higher than typing another email or white-knuckling the steering wheel through rush-hour traffic."
What I find the most intriguing is that the Slow Craft movement is less about the product (i.e. how long it took to finish the product: one hour or ten...), but more about the process--the mindfulness of crafting that sets a steady rhythm in our daily lives. With two small children, two dogs, two cats, one husband (thank goodness!), and a growing small business, I feel that Slow Crafts are a vital piece in the puzzle of my life.
As much as Slow Crafting is an emotional priority, it is also very practical during this season of my life. I have a sewing machine, which I cherish especially since it was given to me by my late grandmother, but I'm hardly able to use it: my crafting time is typically in the evening after my children have gone to bed. Unfortunately, the noise from my sewing machine wakes them up. Besides from being quiet, I have also found that many Slow Crafts--hand sewing, embroidery, knitting and crochet--are also highly portable. The practical side in this is that I am able to take my projects to the park, my work, my parents' house, then back home. I feel that I am able to have more time to craft when working on Slow Crafts then when waiting for the "perfect" time to set up my machine.
So, I am curious: what does "Slow Crafts" mean to you? What do you view as its positives and negatives? What craft genres would you apply to the Slow Craft movement?
Warmly,
Katie
