Tales from an urban-farmgirl

urban-farmgirl hooks it up!

Hi, I'm Erinn, pal of Kacey, Queen City Craft contributor, and crochet fanatic. And this is my first post here. I'm a little nervous actually. But, like in junior high, I should probably just be myself. So here goes...
My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was 7. She made many a granny square afghan in those late 70s, early 80s staple brown, tan, green, orange, and mustard yellows and I loved curling up in them. I spent an entire summer making chains from one end of her living room to the other, but then school started and I kind of forgot all about it.
Until the year 2000, when I was suddenly overcome with the need to crochet myself a red scarf. My friend Matthew (an unbelievably talented knitter) found me a pamphlet at a thrift shop titled "I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting!" Yeah, it really had the exclamation point. We both found the title, and the accompanying photo of a lady in a crocheted vest kneeling on the floor of a living room holding up a crocheted afghan surrounded by piles of crocheted home accents hilarious. I took it home and put it on my coffee table. And there it sat for several weeks. Then late one night after a long drunken party at my apartment, just as everyone was leaving, Matthew and I decided it was the perfect time for us both to relearn how to crochet. We got out the pamphlet and the hook and yarn I'd picked up somewhere and made some wobbly chains, and some wildly uneven rows, and if I remember correctly even a few sloppy spirals. I was (and I am so sorry for this) hooked. I've been crocheting ever since.

Life has changed a lot since that fateful party. I've gotten married. Moved twice. Had two incredible kids. Started urban-farmgirl. My aesthetic has changed. I make more kid stuff now and fewer handbags. I don't throw drunken parties anymore (sadly). But I can't stop crocheting, nor can I let go of the idea that crafting can and should be a way of life for those who love to make stuff.
I love Vermont, and I love the artists and crafters who live and work here, and I'm proud to count myself among them. So my mission here is to discover, promote, and learn from all of the talents folks in our awesome state.
I hope you like what you find at Queen City Craft! And I hope you make something today!
-erinn

Drops of inspiration

This week I am inspired by
beauty and gloom
darkness and light
the lustful temptation / and then the first bite.


xoxo,
kacey

hello, fabulous by k. hendrix

Golden Pheasant by PapuszaCouture


in honor of Bella and Edward
Vampire - Neck Corset by Recycled by Hyena

Rock N Roll Print Set
theblackapple.etsy.com

Crafter Spotlight

Gretchen Verplanck, Burlington VT

Big Girl Company
biggirlco.etsy.com
gretchen@biggirlcompany.com

1. What is the name of your business, what do you create and sell and how did you get started?
Big Girl Company. I make anything I can, sandblasting glass, hand built and slip cast ceramics, as well as the occasional sewing,knitting or cooking project. I started selling objects at my local Art Festival as a kid, went to college for Art and started my studio about a year after graduating in 1993. I originally shared a space with 3 other ceramic artists, which was great because it kept me inspired by others but I saw the wear and tear on the people doing production style businesses and it scared the crap out of me.... is it better to do what you love for work or for yourself? Still working on that question.

2. What/who inspires you?
I get inspired by the things around me, patterns, color, fabric, yarn, interior spaces, walks in the woods, walks downtown and of course all the people in the world making cool shit.

3. Give us a peek into you work space. Where do you create? Describe your work space or studio.
When sewing and knitting I can work in my comfy living room (which I am totally in love with) when cooking I can work in my awesome kitchen (which I am totally in love with) and when blasting or working with clay I am in my Studio (which is dirty and dusty). My Studio is in a one car converted garage outside my house, which makes it really convenient, close but away. It has a lot of different supplies and projects jammed into a relatively small space, boxes of slip, boxes of clay, underglazes, glazes, molds, glassware, a kiln, raw materials, slabroller, sandblast cabinet, compressor and all the projects finished and not sold as well as projects not finished. Organization is key and it sometimes gets away from me.


4. Where do you sell and promote your work?
I sell mostly through Studio sales and Etsy, one of these days I might get my shit together develop "a line" and be able to sell to retail shops.

5. What are three things you can't live without?
I can not live without my slabroller, red and a cup of tea. I can make good things with those three.

6. What are your three favorite things about Vermont?
the lake, the people, the city of Burlington.

7. What does the term indie craft mean to you?
someone who is making things regardless of salability but they make them because it makes them happy, selling things and recognition is secondary. Although it gives you a rush to know other people like what you do.

8. Any new products, projects or news you want to share?
I am back working in clay after a year respite working with sandblasting glass. I love the immediate gratification with sandblasting, as well as the fact that the mistakes are few and far between... (since I just unloaded a kiln full of work that was totally ruined). But I am totally in love with the tactile feel of clay and they way you can shape it and the cracked bleeding knuckles it gives me are pretty awesome too! Oh and I am trying to create a set of dinnerware... plate, salad plate and bowl. I'm pretty amped up on that right now, so now that all my trials came out of the kiln ruined, back to the drawing board.

Etsy Buy Handmade biggirlco

Submission Info

Bulletin Board
Would you like to promote an event, sale or product news? If you have an announcement that you think might be perfect for the Bulletin Board email me at queencitycraft@gmail.com with the subject of Bulletin Board.

Make sure to include:
1. Name of the announcement
2. Date/time of event (if applicable)
3. Details of the event and or news
4. Photos or event poster (if applicable)

Crafter Spotlight
Would you like to be considered for the Crafter Spotlight? We feature Vermont indie crafters for this feature. If you think you might be a good fit please send an email to queencitycraft@gmail.com with the following info:

1.Crafter Spotlight as the subject line
2.link to your online shop(s) and blog if you have one
3.a brief description of your work/style

If you do not an online shop, please attach 2 photos of your most recent work.

I will try to get back to you within a few days of your submission.

xoxo
Kacey

Drops of inspiration

Inspire me Wednesday is where we share a bit of what gets us going. Color and design taken from all over the world to share with you for a bit of inspiration. On this cold and wet Wednesday in Vermont I was inspired by warm colors to keep my brain toasty.

enjoy

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade subsixstudios.etsy.com

Save the date

The 19th Annual Women's Festival of Crafts is coming soon!

Erinn and I will be sharing a booth at this amazing craft show November 29th and 30th. There are three floors of amazing crafters selling their wares.

Mark your calenders and come on down.

About

Welcome to Queen City Craft. A place to spread the word about indie craft in Vermont.

Indie craft is about pushing the limits, finding your own line, reusing, recrafting, and creating. It is about offering an alternative.

What is indie craft? To quote Wikepedia " The indie design movement is made up of independent designers, artists and craftspeople who design and make a wide array of products without being part of large, industrialized businesses."

To me indie craft is a break away of your typical "grandma crafts", and even of "fine" craft which is typically found in VT. Large shows like Renegade Craft Fairs, Bazaar Bizaare have helped spread the word about indie craft. Products seen at such events tend to be a bit hipper, punker and edgier than your typical craft show.

I believe fine craft has always had a home here in VT but indie craft is a different culture that also deserves to be supported and promoted. I hope to create a space where all indie crafters in Vermont feel welcome. I want to give us a voice, support, teach, and spread the word.

************************************

Kacey is the girl behind Queen City Craft. No stranger to the craft scene, she was one of the founding members of the Burlington Craft Mafia. After the group disbanded, she wanted to continue the mission of promoting indie craft in Vermont and created Queen City Craft as a way to keep spreading the word.

Contact
rockergirrl@gmail.com



Founder/Producer

Kacey lives in Burlington VT and is the owner of an indie craft business called Subsixstudios. Her primary focus is making new and recrafted jewelry, crotcheted and sewn accessories.

She is a balancing act of creative and business juices. With a background in sales and web project management, and web analytics, she is also a full time Web Analyst for a local company.
Kacey is the mother of two boys, and wife of a rockin' web developer. Her other hobbies include crafting (of course), gardening, reading, photography, playing guitar and writing poetry.




History:

Queen City Craft was created to provide a home for indie craft in Vermont. If it looks a bit familiar that's because it is. Kacey used to co-produce the Queen City Craft Bazaar with Sara DeFilippi of the late Made Boutique & Gallery. Through her store and the creation of the Queen City Craft Bazaar Sara provided local indie crafters with a place to sell their handmade goods. Sara has since closed down the store and is moving on to other adventures so the torch has been passed to Kacey to carry on the message. Sara's entrepreneurial spirit will be missed in Burlington but her voice will still be heard from time to time as a guest blogger on Queen City Craft. You can find Sara blogging about her latest adventures here.

Thanks Sara! You will be missed.


The main focus of Queen City Craft will be to blog about indie craft in general, share event info, and highlight crafters and shops throughout Vermont. If you are an indie crafter or store and think you might want to be featured on this blog check out the submission guidelines.

Welcome

Welcome to Queen City Craft. A place to spread the word about indie craft in Vermont.

Indie craft is about pushing the limits, finding your own line, reusing, recrafting, and creating. It is about offering an alternative.

Craft has taken on a whole new meaning over the past few years with the boom that has taken place across the country. With a punkier edge indie crafters are breaking the mold of traditional craft.

Vermont is our home. It is also home to many talented writers, artists and musicians. So far though we don't really fit into any of the existing creative groups. We hope to create a space where all indie crafters in Vermont feel welcome. We want to give us a voice, support, teach, and spread the word.

Join us.