Crafty Chicas: Creating Women’s Space in Today’s World
"Girls Knitting a Blanket", 1943. Courtesy of the Newark Public Library.
Historically, women gathered to do handicrafts (“women’s work”) such as knitting, crocheting, and quilting in community. I’m certain there was an element of increasing the productivity of domestic tasks, but I believe that the true reason women got together like that was for the excellent gossip & emotional support: the stuff of community-building! Every couple of months, a group of my women friends - we go by the moniker #craftychicas - gets together to do arts & crafts projects. When we are together, time unspools at a different pace, creative flow commingles with deep conversation (and laughter, both frequent and loud). What does it mean to intentionally create these spaces together as women?
We started the #craftychicas with the goal of intentionally carving out time in our busy schedules to hang out, learn new skills from each other, and make cool stuff! I’ve noticed that #craftychica space provides grace to the perfectionists among us who bravely try new techniques, knowing that the outcome is not as important as the process.
The Household Magazine, October 1936.
We celebrate each other’s pieces. There is something deeply satisfying about making something - start to finish -and walking away with something you’ve handcrafted. How often do we get to reflect on and create beauty, even if it is a bit lopsided or unfinished or imperfect. I mean, aren’t we all? The overall vibe is one of gentle reassurance that whatever you make is fine. That you are doing JUST. FINE.
In a recent #craftychicas vision board workshop, we answered the question: “Where and with whom did you feel the most safe and seen in 2023? A friend in the group answered Women’s Wellness Camp, a weekend retreat organized by YMCA of Silicon Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains that we’ve cultivated over the years. What is is about camp that engenders safety, exploration and celebration of women? For sure, we craft (tie-dye, collage, clay, wood burning) - the stuff of old fashioned summer camp!) but we also dance and write and cry and share our fears and swap clothing and books and then we dance some more.
"The Witches Sabbath". Woodblock Print. Circa 1510. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
There is often a pure connection, a sense of play and nurture, a yearning to learn together, to be better together when women gather in these ways. Is this a modern day version of witches’ covens or feminist communes? Sign me up, baby!
And so it goes with my community of #craftychicas: we commiserate and we craft. Our imperfect (though sometimes gloriously beautiful and artistic) creations reflect our layered, complex lives and celebrate the space we’ve created to nurture our friendships.
