Whether you craft for fun or profit, decisions about what you purchase and make are undoubtedly affected by the state of your bank balance. For hobbyists in particular, a crafty outlet might feel like an indulgence but, with clever management, it can actually prove to be an asset (not to mention a form of therapy).
Lisa Johns is an ex-radio journalist who, along with her husband and three
children (aged between two and eight), is consciously living a simpler, more sustainable life in rural New South Wales. Through her online diary, The Tin House (www.thetinhouse.com [tinhouse.com]), Lisa records some of the techniques she employs.
“In 2005, when we had two children, I decided to give up full time work,” says Lisa. “I wanted to be connected to my family and couldn’t do that living the life we were, making a 50 km commute and doing long hours.”
Lisa and her husband decided not just to save money in their new lifestyle - living in the Zincaloom house he built - but to do their bit to save the planet too. “We have an ethical standpoint that not everyone agrees with but we think that, as a family, we should do whatever we can to live a more sustainable life,” she says.
Interestingly Lisa has discovered along the way that frugality, sustainability and creativity are wonderful bedfellows. “I couldn’t even knit 12 months ago and I certainly had zero interest in what I would have called ‘granny’ things such as needlepoint and stitchery. Now I find myself refashioning old jumpers to become woolly nappy pants.”
There’s not much that Lisa won’t have a go at whether that’s planting her own veggie patch or giving handmade items as gifts. The more she travels her new path the more discoveries she makes, connecting with like minded mothers and crafters via the internet and leading by example in her local community.
“Recently I was looking for a particular fabric and I went into a local craft shop where they had something that was beautiful but cost $30 to $50 a metre,” says Lisa. “I went around the corner to the op shop, found two off-cuts of fabric then used an old bag pattern I had and created a really great bag as a Christmas present. The fabric cost $3 not $30 and it went to charity via the op shop.”
During a 2007 Christmas blog swap where she and a woman in Holland made aprons for each other Lisa used a swatch with an Australian wildflower on it as the focus of her piece, matched with pieces from a $2 bag of off-cuts she’d bought at a St Vincent de Paul shop. The recipient was over the moon with the result.
Suggestions for frugal crafting roll off Lisa’s tongue but she says one “prime” tip for anyone on a tight budget is to let those around you know you will be the happy recipient of their fabric, wool and other cast-offs. “A lot of people wouldn’t feel comfortable asking you if you want their old stuff but if they know you’d really appreciate it, it makes it easy for them to clean out their cupboards. It’s a win-win,” she says.
While she concedes that going from two incomes to one was “a shock” Lisa says it’s actually forced her to reconnect with her ingenuity. “I’ve had to turn the square inside out and look at it from the other side and I’m enjoying learning new skills along the way,” she says.
This wonderful by-product of reigning in the purse strings is also seen by those involved in craft from a professional standpoint. Marlene Blessing is Editorial Director of the Interweave publications - ‘Beadwork’, ‘Stringing’, and ‘Step by Step Beads’. While her base of Colorado, USA, is a long way from Lisa’s Tin House, she says that “hard times force people to be more creative in their lives across the board”.
“Right now there’s a real renaissance in handmade goods,” says Marlene, “and we’re all getting real, paying attention to the things that matter. I think it’s more soulful and satisfies both the heart and the mind.
“I think of all the homilies my mother used to plague me with and, in particular, ‘Waste not, want not’ rings so true in these times. And I think it will be a long-lasting, if not permanent, change in our collective consciousness. We will still buy, of course, but in a reflective, not a reflexive way.”
A passionate beader herself whose dining table groans under various projects-in-progress, Marlene says her magazine will address the new fiscal situations of its readers in both upfront and more subliminal ways. “We’ll address it front and centre through articles and the like but we’ll also have more projects using affordable products.”
According to Marlene, ‘found’ objects in craft are an important trend and one that will come in handy when there’s less money around. “Mixed media, polymer, cloth, resin - they can all be used to make cool charms and pendants. Making your own components and, importantly, using your stash becomes more significant.”
Because of her unique position in the beading market in the USA Marlene is privy to interesting feedback from major retailers in her area and she says that peripheral sales, maybe things to do with major holidays and the like, are dropping but dedicated crafters continue to shop.
“Once you’re addicted other things take a back seat to beads,” she says with a laugh. “But I think you become a more mindful buyer, you’re not as impulsive. I know myself that I am making sure that every purchase counts. I’m buying things for specific projects not just to hoard and I am being open-minded about re-using elements of old projects so taking things apart. People are making more frequent, smaller, purchases at stores. Whenever you bead a design you never have everything you need but often you only need a few items to supplement your stash.
“I think Christmas 08 was a good indication of things to come. People really wanted to make gifts rather than buy them. After all these gifts truly express how we feel.”
One gift that many people would love to receive is a quilt but this pastime is one that can suck up your hard earned dollars with alacrity. Mother of four, quilt designer and teacher, Michelle Yeo, knows this all too well so makes sure her fabric affair is handled with care.
“Certainly teaching brings a more profitable element to my quilting,” says Michelle who, last month, taught her first classes at the Australasian Quilt Convention. “Not many people could say they really re-coup their costs on sold quilts when you consider how much time goes into them.”
Michelle says getting involved with the quilting community not just results in great friendships but can actually prove a money saver too. “If you join a shop based class you often get discounts on the fabrics plus beginner mistakes can be salvaged along the way. If you’re on your own, working out of a book at home, that doesn’t always happen,” she explains.
“Also if you join a local quilting group they normally have trade tables where fabrics are sold at good prices. Sometimes friends will even swap fabrics.”
The stash is always the bane of the quilter’s existence. As Michelle puts it - “She who dies with the most fabric wins” - but she says making smaller quilts such as wall hangings serve as great gifts and allows you to use your stash.
“If you make a scrappy quilt - one featuring lots of different fabrics - you actually get to use designs you really love but you’re not buying or using so much of them. You may be able to buy a small length of a gorgeous and expensive fabric and supplement it with other cheaper options.”
When the Australian dollar was strong Michelle concedes to making some great buys over the internet but says that’s no longer a great option. “It can be a trap too because sometimes the colours, as they appear on your monitor, are not true to the real colours that turn up in the post. Also, when we’re all going through tough times, I guess I think it’s important we support our local shops. They can’t offer good deals without our custom.”
Find out more
Lisa John’s blog: www.tinhouse.com [tinhouse.com]
Marlene’s magazines: www.beadingdaily.com [beadingdaily.com]
Michelle’s website: michelleyeoquiltdesigns.com [michelleyeoquiltdesigns.com]
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