earning my reappropriated materials badge

A few weeks ago a friendly acquaintance was telling me about an ongoing Craft Night that she and her friends have been having pretty regularly for the last few years. I was enthusiastic and jealous, since I have been talking about making things and not actually making things for the past year now. Also, I love anything involving gatherings of people. We talked for awhile about how they managed to keep it going, and then we barbecued. Last week, the friendly acquaintance emailed me that it was her turn to host and did I want to come? Of course I did! Not only would it be a chance to hang out more with an interesting person I didn't know that well yet, but we could make stuff! Joy!

If you haven't been building or making or sewing or crafting in awhile, you probably have a bag or a box or a basement full of half-finished projects. I spent 40 minutes down in my basement, digging through those boxes and bags to find something that a) wasn't too complicated to carry or figure out in a group setting; b) I wanted to work on; c) was easy enough to transport; and d) wouldn't embarrass me in front of a group of dedicated crafters. I settled on a project that I started right before I left NYC, an idea ripped directly off of Kelly K: Girl Scout Patch T-Shirts. Kelly had made one for herself years ago, taken from her own earned patches when she was just a little kk. I thought it was so cute that I spent a lunch hour picking out my own badges to buy from the GS website. Unearned, but still fun. I made two or three for friends, and then put the patches away and forgot about them, until this past week.

The shirt I made at Craft Night was for my friend Jane. She's an artist, likes to sew, is good with repairs, and is both a star and #1. Now this will be apparent even to strangers whenever she wears the shirt.

And P.S., Craft Night was awesomely fun.