Nerd Out
Dear Readers,
From today through next Tuesday from morning through night, I’ll be at SXSW interactive, which you might know is going on here in good Austin. So I might be a little more absent than usual, but hopefully I’ll come back full of ideas!
Did you know there’s even a panel today of crafting interest? It’s called High-Tech Craft: Why Sewing and Knitting Still Matter. The description says:
Traditional crafts such as knitting and sewing are surging in popularity today thanks to the growing Do-It-Yourself (DIY) movement. These modern crafters on the panel not only promote the notion of DIY, they are using technology to reclaim these old techniques. From soft circuits and mathematical knitting to fashion technology and wearable computing, find out more about this new trend of high-tech…
Panelists: Natalie Zee Drieu (Senior Editor, CRAFT Magazine), Syuzi Pakhchyan (SparkLab), Alison Lewis (Producer, IHeartSwitch), Mouna Andraos (Electronic Crafts), Diana Eng (Fashion Designer, Diana Eng)
Mostly I will be going to panels about promoting community via the interwebs (actually, the crafting one still works for that, doesn’t it?), including things on promoting nonprofit interests or causes via the web, volunteerism, and other sorts of lovely interesting things.
NERD FUN! See you soon, y’all 
Saturday at the Maker Faire
Wow. Maker Faire.
I was not sure what to expect when I went, but let me just tell you that I have never seen such a collection of involved and amazing stuff in one place. The Faire is HUGE, first of all. Ten booths just for the Robot Group here in Austin. A whole floor of electronic geekery, a field of organic foods, a store of kits and books, a barn full of DIY. I was worn out well before it was finished.
So, what was there? Modded computers, animatronic animals, air & water pianos, robot spin art, mechanical flowers that open up, a kick ass beer brewing setup, mini transistors to make, crazily articulated models, dimming 3-color LED lights - oh, and Instructables was there …
Organics: lots of tea, brownies, vegetables from multiple places, honey, goat cheese
Art cars, make-your-own buttons, carnival rides, demonstrations on several stages, Tesla coils, Jacob’s ladder, mechanical wood carvers (at least 3 kinds), Darth Vader Legos, Tinker Toys
(deep breath)
Sewing demonstrations, a truckload of yarn to try out, a big ol’ clothing swap & fashion show made of re-made clothes, spinning and weaving demonstrations, and various kids of machines that screamed and wailed when you touched them.
And dude, they had those guys with the Mentos and the Diet Coke - the Eepy Bird guys. And did I mention the rockets?
Seeing all the Austin people represented was very nice, although clearly there were a lot of out-of-towners as well. Very inspiring to go to, very obvious that a large part of Austin certainly doesn’t go home after work and crash in front of the TV.
So tired now. Will do show and tell later.
@ the Market
If you’ve ever been to a craft fair, purchased a craft or piece of art, or sold at a fair, you’ll want to read the following two posts and the comments on them. This is the sort of post to inspire a new appreciation of artisans and handmade items - a great deal goes into the production of these items and what goes into being the person producing them.
I was really sorry to hear about Margaux’s experience at the Crafty Bastards fair in DC. As a regular Barbie-defacer when I was young, I am quite taken with Margaux’s work and the statements she makes with it. I really wish she made something with Barbie hair, as that was my favorite aspect to deface.
I am really disappointed in the show attendees. I am a former DC resident, and although it’s not probably the artsiest place around, it’s not a void, either, so why the unfriendlies? Plus,I’m sure the show attracted plenty of non-residents as well. So why so many people who came to a craft fair and made stupid, insensitive comments. Were they not expecting artisans? And for pete’s sake - the artist is right there and you’re being rude about her art to her face? Hello basic politeness? Plus, what’s up with people telling an artist what she “should” and “should not” be creative about? I think Margaux (and the other artists who put up with this crap) had tremendous restraint.
I have quite a few more thoughts about all this, and hey! I have a blog, so I can sit down and tell all of you all about them. If you want to read (and I am somewhat garrulous), then the rest is after the jump.
