Call ‘em glue-gun guerrillas
THINK crafting’s just for scrapbook-happy housewives and yarn-packing grannies? Think again. These days, country geese in bonnets and crocheted toilet paper roll covers have been replaced by trippy Technicolor dolls, retro-styled paper products and fashion-forward handbags -- just some of the whimsical wares available at the biannual craft fair extraordinaire called Felt Club XL, taking place this Sunday at the Ukrainian Culture Center in Los Angeles.
It’s the premiere summer gathering for vendors hawking kitschy, irreverent and unique handmade creations, a place where young artsy types experimenting with form, function and their own freaky/funky aesthetic offer clothing, home decor and tchotchkes that are definitely more mod than Martha Stewart.
Driven by the same kind of DIY spirit that sprouted the indie music and ‘zine scenes, the new crafting community might be an underground phenom, but it’s slowly starting to influence the mainstream too, leaving its mark on fashion trends, pop culture and the retail world by offering an alternative to mass-produced items.
“Making stuff yourself is taking power back from the man -- getting to meet the person who made the thing you’re buying, knowing it’s not put together in some sweatshop,” says Jenny Ryan, Felt Club’s creator.
Ryan, who has been doing Felt Club for two years (she branched off from the holiday “punk rock” craft fair known as Bizarre Bazaar), is typical of the new generation of groovy glue gunners: a generation reared on creative kiddie pastimes such as Spirograph and Shrinky Dinks, and the fantastical TV shows of Sid and Marty Krofft (“H.R. Pufnstuf”). On her blog Sew Darn Cute, she writes of thrift store trips and fabric finds with a zest and insight not unlike that seen on music blogs. Pitchfork may make you want to download a new band’s music, but crafting sites like Ryan’s make you want to go out and get a Bedazzler.
The Web has, in fact, played a big role in crafting’s renaissance. The popularity of simple homemade items is obviously a reaction to our high-tech world, yet that very technology has helped crafters connect. And although this isn’t your grandma’s craft scene, the most popular items do have a vintage feel, referencing the color palettes and design elements of collectibles and fashions from the ‘60s and ‘70s -- such as the vibrant mushroom pincushions of Cathy of California, the sweet knitted animals of Mr. Funky and Mahar Drygoods and the Cindy Brady-like kidswear of Eenie Meanie, all showing at Felt Club on Sunday.
“Los Angeles has a large community of highly creative, artistic individuals who enjoy expressing themselves through the art of making,” says Carla Sinclair, who is Craft magazine’s editor in chief and who lives here. “People want to stand out in L.A., and you can’t do that shopping at chain stores, but you can flaunt your individuality by crafting your own clothes, accessories and home decor -- or at least purchasing one-of-a-kind items through other crafters.”
INDEED, in look-at-me L.A., the scene has exploded. Silver Lake’s Akbar holds a craft night every Wednesday (upcoming themes and projects include “Make Your Own Foam Beer Cozy” and “Summer of Love Bead Necklace Explosion”), and local flea markets and farmers markets are seeing more and more handmade hawkers alongside the produce growers and sale socks.
Marcel de Jure, whose line Cinnamon Roll Gang includes dolls and bags made from colorful vintage and bright raver-type materials, is a regular on the circuit, with a weekly post at the Sunday Sunset Junction Farmers Market and Ghetto Gloss gallery’s Kraftwerks events (which ended last month). He’s putting together a craft vendor area for Spaceland’s upcoming music events at Pershing Square downtown.
“The movement really got kick-started about four years ago with Bizarre Bazaar because that was the first event to exclude the rainbow, unicorn, tie-dye crowd,” says De Jure, who was an illustrator and filmmaker before doing doll duty full time. “Crafting has taken the place of entertainment for a lot of people. I don’t consider myself an artist -- I’m an entertainer, and I want people to enjoy my stuff like they would a cartoon or comic.”
Such fierce pride is perhaps the biggest thread that runs through the new-craft crowd. As Ryan says, “Handcrafted products shouldn’t just be as good as stuff you buy in the store. They should be better.”
Expect this to be the case at Felt Club, where, Ryan says, products have been screened for quality and distinctiveness. “You can only have so many ironic baby onesies,” she says.
The event also will feature classes in yarn spinning, needle felting and jewelry making. Plus, there will be background sounds from DJ Lance Rock and Dirty Robot, and emcee Charles Phoenix (known for his quirky “Disneyland tours of L.A.”).
Fitting, as the room filled with colorful characters (both the sellers and their wares), clothing and collectibles promises to be very Disneyland-like.
As Ryan says of Felt Club’s offerings: “They vary, but what they have in common is quality, originality and most importantly, fun.”
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Craft connections
Felt Club XL
Ukrainian Culture Center, 4315 Melrose Ave., L.A. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. $1 donation requested. www.feltclub.com.
Akbar Craft Night
Akbar, 4356 Sunset Blvd., L.A. Every Wednesday. Free. www.crafthead.com.
Sunset Junction Farmer’s Market
Sunset and Griffith Park boulevards. Every Saturday. Free.
Spaceland Thursday Nights
Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., L.A. 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 16. www.laparks.org/pershingsquare/pershing.htm
