Notebook on Radio 4BC

This week on 4BC I was asked to comment on Notebook Magazines column the Homemade Revolution.

The Magazine  stated "Borne out of the Global Financial Crisis, our throwaway society has come full circle and has embraced the sanctuary that is home. In particular, people are making things again – sewing, knitting and fixing – with their own hands." It profiles the return of our crafty ways, and how long-held traditions that managed to skip a generation (or two) are also being influenced by the Internet. It may be what Grandma did, but you can also blog it, pledge it, and Twitter it.

 I caught up with Rebecca Cason from Edward and Lily who is a Brown Owl.  The Brisbane Group has 63 members however it seems to be climbing every week so there's been a lot of interest in it. The members range from experienced through to beginner/hobbyist, with probably 75% beginner.

Rebecca said most Owls are aged 25-40 with only a handful over 40. A lot of them want to learn crochet which Rebecca thinks is a bit of a trend at the moment, a lot had grandmothers who crocheted plus it's portable so they can carry it around with them. Not a huge amount sew but are definitely keen to learn. A few are into papercrafts. The crafts the Brown Owls will be doing this year are crochet, knitting, embroidery, paper crafts, applique, macrame, softies so this probably is a bit of an indicator of what they're into.  Above all they just love to get away from it all for a couple of hours, do a little crafting and chat with like-minded people.

Ali Ward said that she wasm interested in the hand made crafty thing skipping a generation. Our parents were baby boomers. They could afford brand new and brought it. The world was speeding up and women started working outside the home. Ali said "My grandma went through the war and knew what it was to go without and make do with what you could make from things around you. I grew up in clothes she made for me as I watched her sew at the kitchen table. Now with the amazing skills she taught me, and the ancient machine I inherited after her death, I sew for my own children one off special things that fit their needs and wants and are individual. A different motivation from my granmothers but one that brings me great joy. Here's to making things with a little bit of love in them! "

Debbie from Jaffajaf had a different crafting experience while growing up. Debbie related this story "I'm really lucky in that both of my Grandmothers are very handy, my Paternal Grandmother was a Milliner and my Maternal Grandmother sold her own hand-sewn clothes out the back of my Grandfathers van. But it
hasn't seemed to skip a generation. I don't know if was because my folks didn't have money, or that Mum was just into crafts but I grew up in hand-made clothes and lot's of DIY jobs around the house."

Debbie has the final word on the new craft wave. "I'm glad that all the women in my family are big crafty bods it's made it almost like working within my own little arts group, but it's all my own family :)"