sometimes they come back
I haven’t been as active here as I should be during the last couple of months. But now I have two new projects to share with you!
This first one is a simple cross stitch that I made some week ago, just to get myself going after a long period of zero inspiration. It’s a quote from some graffiti in the bathroom of a pretty run down Indian restaurant where me and my friends used to go to drink cheap beer a couple of years ago. I think it’s funny and serious at the same time – as a Swedish writer once said; to be a woman and not be a feminist is like shitting yourself in the face. All women should be feminists by birth, then it’s up to you to decide how hardcore you wanna be about it…
This second one is inspired by a song from Swedish punks Sju Svåra År, and they got the quote from Joan Jett – I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation! I love both songs and I think that this cross stitch turned out really well. I wrote a little statement about it on my own blog:
But more important is the fact that a woman that’s not afraid of expressing herself in any way, especially sexually, is still seen as a “bad woman” in societies eyes – she’s a whore, a slut, a sinner & if something bad happens to her, well maybe she deserved it. It must be very confusing growing up in todays (western) world, where the girls are bombarded with images of the “perfect” female body, with the demand on being sexy, being available, to always dress & act according to the expectations of the male eye, but at the same time balance on that thin line that separates them from “loose women”. Not to recognize their own sexuality & say fuck it, i like sleeping around, i like being myself in any way, because if they do they might be marked for life. It is amazing that the notion that a woman who sleeps around is a whore & a man that does the same is a stud is still such a unchallenged part of society. So, to not give a damn about one’s reputation, whether it be sexually or in any other way, is one of the things that might be most important in the feminist struggle today.
$2 Love you long time!
In the weekend Radical Rags had its 50th sale!
So to celebrate I’m having a sale. For a limited time, all patterns have $2 off. This sale won’t last long so get in quick.
Thanks to everyone who has been a customer. Hope you all are enjoying your radical cross stitch!
xox
Corporate Assistance
Not only are the big banks getting free handouts from the state but petrol stations in LA are getting free PR help!
Genius
props: Wooster Collective
A Crafty Fringe
Woah have you seen the Fringe guide? It makes the bible look like a freakin leaflet.
And the good news is there’s tons of crafty stuff (also a ton of zombie stuff I might add). And to save you dear reader, the effort, I’ve compiled all the crafty ones into one convenient wee post. This is just the crafty stuff, mind. There is a bajillion other events and you should absolutely go see them. Especially if you have an income. The first people to feel the pinch of an economic slowdown are usually artists. And this one is gonna hurt. On that note you should also be registering your good fine self to the much-anticipated Economics 4 Activists 2008.
Now on to the craft!
A Working Life in Arts: For Love & Money FREE
Ok so this first one isn’t exactly about crafts but I reckon this still might be interesting to those who have their own craft business.
Fringe Furniture 2008 – Make Your Mark
I don’t think I know anyone in this in 08 but I did last year and they were Crafty with a capital C, so I’m thinking this year will be too.
K2TOG (knit two together – but you knew that already) FREE
Think Knitta in Melbourne. I’m holding out to see if they make any of it political…
The Craft Exchange Salon FREE
A postal craft project. Think feminist craft postal projects of the 80s but not. Brought to you by the Safari Team. You can still get involved in this one.
The Happy Project
Have some happy people at your house. Maybe even do crafts with them.
Totem – Dolls With Souls FREE
A big bunch of people make dolls of themselves, including me! See you at the launch.
(Page 19 of the program has a crochet doily on it, craft is so hip!)
The Playroom
The description is a materials list, so a good start. Although not all craft rooms would stock this stuff. Sounds crafty to me.
The VnV Boudoir
The warning reads “Nudity, Sexual Reference, Comedy, Gunfights and Blue Steel” gosh!
Deception – Anna Taylor FREE
Suspended, knitted wire arty goodness
Prohibition – Pamela See FREE
I know some paper crafters who are already wetting themselves over this one.
Textures in Landscape FREE
Yeah I like blurry stuff too. Anyone seen all my Uluru trip pics? This one makes even the shiny stuff fluffy.
Woven Fields FREE
Weaving and drawing collide in a beautiful way.
Seamstress
Conceptual dance at Thread Den, yay ace people! I like crafters supporting other artists. Nice work people.
Other stuff ’cause I know people in it or it’s just so freaking weird, you should have a peek.
Digital Fringe FREE
Fringe Garden!
Op Shop Tour of Melbourne
Al-Kinda FREE
Deceased Estate
Hitlerhoff
New World Order (bonus points for giving discounts to Iraq and Afghanistan vets)
The Talking Vagina
Under a Neon Globe
Get Real Estate
The Bad-arts Mofo Rap Party
Beaconsfield: A Musical in A-flat Minor
The ‘G’ in Goth, the C@#t in Homewares
Who is Abdul Smith
Dance-a-thon 6000
Whew! And that’s me using a pretty strict definition of crafty. There’s tons of other stuff that has a crafty feel to it or I know crafters would like. But I didn’t see the point of duplicating the whole program. So consider this my selective curation of a wonderful looking 19 days.
Now YOU get your ass on over to the Fringe website, check out the rest of it and fill your diary!
Celebrating Suffrage
This dispatch fresh from the awesome crafty crew in Otautahi (Christchurch):
Do join us to celebrate Women’s Suffrage Day with an evening of craft at Manuka Cottage!
7pm onwards
Friday 19 September
Manuka Cottage (45 Dickens Street, Addington)Please B.Y.O stitching!
The evening will also feature a guest speaker sharing a woman’s perspective on Addington life.
A light supper will be provided.
All welcome!
Why not bring a friend or two!Please forward this message to others who may be interested.
I so wish I could go! And maybe someone there will be inspired to expand this page on the wiki.
Any other crafty suffrage events on?
More Free Tibet XStitch love
I haven’t had time to visit Craftster in a while but this morning Johanna sent me an email going ‘seen this?’
Holy freaking wow!
It’s by craftster user cface23. She had this to say:
I made 2 separate cross stitching patterns, one for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan flag, and I made up the dove and text by taking inspiration from the internet (google image search anyone?). Then, I combined all of the patterns using my creativity and math skills. Unfortunately, my ambition got the best of me, and I was unable to finish my cross stitch before the contest deadline- finishing 2.5 weeks too late, just in time for the 2008 Olympics. But not I have this wonderful cross stitch to show off and share with you.
This is an amazing piece and has come out really well. I especially like the use of backstitch around the glasses on the Dalai Lama and the dove, makes it look quite striking. A wee bit late for the comp, but I reckon a winner anyway.
Awesome!!!
Pro choice stitching
With a capital CHOICE!
This is the latest cross stitch from Rachel and it’s certainly created a wee stir. Which is good to see! I think my favourite comment from the long discussion on her post would be this one:
I’m anti-abortion…
but until all the more than half million or whatever kids in foster care are love, cherished and adopted…
and until BOYS (cause real men don’t force themselves on a woman) stop forcing themselves on women…
and until parents start treating all the children they already have as the precious beings they are…
and until the children with the raging hormones learn to manage their feelings…
I will remain PRO-CHOICE!
Amen sister!
And this is all very appropriate timing for us in Melbourne as the decriminalisation bill is almost at it’s third reading. Those of you who care about this might want to drop a line to your local representative and give them your view. Some people think this law change is going to increase the abortion rates, where the reality is that the law change is just going to make the law fit in with current reality. Which means better regulations to better protect women’s reproductive health. That can’t be a bad thing.
Hey and speaking of woman-inspired cross stitch, Cat’s got ANOTHER pattern out! Grab it here.
Anyone else out there got any prochoice crafts to share?
Mosaic Liberation
Those of us in the craftivism world often use our skills to demonstrate solidarity in a public way with those that either don’t have a voice, or have an exceptionally marginalised one. Craft has such a mainstream appeal, it can open up issues to a wider audience than the normal activist audiences that some issues get ghettoed into.
One such issue is the racism of the prison industrial complex. If you live in the suburbs it can be easy to forget or not even know about the living hell that many, mostly indigenous men, are experiencing in prisons across the world.
The prison industry must love all the fear that politicians like to whip up about how unsafe our streets are. The more people demand longer sentences and the abolishment of parole, the higher the profits of the private prisons go. And the higher the cost to society. In the 2006/2007 financial year the cost of housing each inmate in New Zealand was $92,000. If the goal is to reduce crime, you can not tell me that is the most effective use of that much money.
In America aka the land of the Free, there is 1 adult in prison for every 100 adults. A country with 5% of the population has 25% of the world’s prison population. And of course the prisons are all privately run. So the more people in prison, the more corporate profits. And to make things even sweeter, most states don’t allow prisoners or even former prisoners to vote. And when you think about the fact that only about 1% of the prison population in the US are ‘white’ you can quickly see how this human rights tragedy is offensively racist beyond belief.
Which leads me to the point of this post which is to celebrate the new work of The Baroness.
A spectacular new mosaic mural has been unveiled on the outside wall of the Treatment Rooms in the west London suburb of Chiswick to raise awareness of African-American men confined in the notorious Angola prison, Louisiana.
The artwork, which took four months to create with help from a dedicated group of activist artists, decorates The Treatment Rooms, home of street artist Carrie Richards, aka The Baroness, and her partner Mr. Spunky. The mosaic is inlaid with 3D ceramic pieces and tiles that The Baroness has printed on herself. Having studied ceramics for the past 6 years, she is now about to transfer any image onto tile to add incredible detail and complexity to her work.
The mosaic depicts the so-called Angola 3 – Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King – men wrongfully convicted of murder at Angola prison in the 1970s and who subsequently spent decades in solitary confinement. Though Woodfox’s conviction has been overturned, and Wallace’s recommended for such, both men remain behind bars.
The extensive work is also dedicated to Kenny ‘Zulu’ Whitmore, who has similarly spent 33 years in solitary confinement at Angola, where the majority of inmates are black and will die inside its walls.
The Baroness is personal friends with all of these political prisoners and has recently become spokesperson for the London Chapter to support the Angola 3. This mural follows on from the Luis Ramirez Wall – which was a mosaic mural in memory of her first prisoner penpal Luis who was executed by the State of Texas. She continues make mosaics infused with social and political commentary, and she’s The Treatment Rooms as the UK’s only ceramic adorned house of resistance.
The only freed member of the Angola 3, Robert King –who spent 29 years in solitary confinement and was released in 2001 after his murder conviction was overturned – attended the unveiling on June 21. One of the purposes of his stay in London was to launch the Free Zulu campaign. He spoke to a crowd of 150 artists and activists from the UK, Europe and North America who have rallied around the causes of the Angola 3 and Zulu.
Robert King spoke to Zulu after the unveiling and Zulu said he now had hope in his heart. He has since seen pictures of the unveiling and is overjoyed by the support reaching him from the UK.
Isn’t that the most awesome thing you’ve ever seen? I for one, am inspired.
Because this piece is not only beautifully designed and executed, but it deals with something important. With all the effort the creative community puts into making stuff, you’d think we’d be able to spare a bit more time and creative energy for the things that really matter.
www.thetreatmentrooms.org
www.angola3london.org
www.freezulu.co.uk
Counting down til Suffrage Day
Anyone who’s been within air shot of me recently would have heard me going on about Suffragettes. I’ve been doing a ton of research into the Suffrage Movement in the context of creative resistance. And I’ve been reminding myself how militant the movement was. And it makes me wonder what fabulous ideas we’re missing out on hearing due to the fear based panic our world seems to be operating on. If the suffragettes were doing their campaign today, the majority of them would be locked up indefinitely as terrorists because they dared to question the state and how the state defines participation in democracy.
You wouldn’t think that exercising your opinion is a crime these days. But try telling that to the 400-odd people, including journalists, that got locked up during the Republican Convention. It is unbelievable that in the supposed land of the free, the government would spend US$50 Million on policing to prevent people from getting out and voicing their opinion. Most of the people arrested were on pre-emptive charges. So they hadn’t even committed a crime, the police just thought they might. And many people were arrested just for attending a concert. Brilliant. In the real world, we call that fascism.
So in the spirit of free speech and celebrating true heroes, let’s all take some time to remember all the freedom fighters in our history that dedicated their lives to ridding the world of injustice. And those who put their bodies on the line to demand equal rights and liberation for all on this lovely planet that we share.
Cat has taken a lead with the awesome pattern of American Suffragette Lucretia Mott at the top of this post. You can download the pattern here. Thanks Cat, legendary!
And if you’re in London, go see this.
Hoopla interview
Have you seen the new hoopla page? Yay! Thought it was time to have a one stop shop for all things hoopla.
Recently we’ve been working to spread the hoopla message and I sent a heads-up about Issue #3 to the Grrrl Zine Network and they responded with interview questions! It was quite an interesting interview so I urge you to check it out here. And check out the rest of the website while you’re there, there’s some super inspiring stuff!
Don’t forget submissions for Issue #3 close on the 19th of September so get writing/crafting/picture snapping!