Craftzine.com blog: Maker Faire Archives

Archive: Maker Faire

June 26, 2009

Mini Maker Faires at Copperfield's Starting This Weekend

Starting this weekend, Copperfield's books in CA is hosting a series of mini Maker Faires, we hope you can join us for a fun afternoon this summer! Download this PDF for more information.

Mini Maker Faires at Copperfield's:

6/26 - Sebastopol (11am - 1pm)

7/11 - Petaluma (11am - 1pm)

7/18 - Montgomery Village (11am - 1pm)

7/25 - Healdsburg (11am - 1pm)

8/1 - Petaluma (11am - 1pm)

8/8 - Montgomery Village (11am - 1pm)

June 20, 2009

CraftyPod at Maker Faire: Why Do You Make Things?

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Diane of CraftyPod launches her first of several podcasts she recorded at Maker Faire. This CraftyPod episode asks "Why Do You Make Things?" to a bunch of crafters such as Crafty Chica, Nicole Vasbinder, and Kristin Roach.

June 9, 2009

Threadbanger Maker Faire Coverage

Check out this rad video by the folks at Threadbanger of their experience at Maker Faire. Awesome, thanks Rob and Corinne!

Last weekend, Threadbanger hosts Rob and Corinne traveled to San Francisco for the world famous Maker Faire. On Sunday, they launched their first-ever Twitter-activated scavenger hunt that led participants through the throngs of booths and vendors to the best of the best crafters. The grand prize winner picked up a brand new Janome Sewing Machine, but while on the hunt, participants picked up dozens of prizes from the likes of Kodak, Duncan, Provo Craft, Make Magazine, Coats and Clark Thread, Generation T/Dritz, Simplicity Pattern Company and Janome.

June 8, 2009

Giant Needlearts Display at Maker Faire

One of the most eye-catching booth displays at Maker Faire came from The National NeedleArts Association. Their oversized knitting and embroidery props were not only fun to see, but were actually fully functional, too! This video captures the folks from TNNA working with students who visited Maker Faire and were able to actually stitch on plastic fence webbing with a giant embroidery needle and knit with 10-foot long knitting needles. They stitched with giant lengths of yarn made from plastic bags tied together.

CRAFT at Maker Faire: Talking with Lion Brand Yarn

The Lion Brand Yarn booth is always a fun place at Maker Faire. It's always constantly busy so I found some time on Sunday morning before the fair opened to talk with Zontee Hou and Liz Shaw on all the fun things coming up with Lion Brand Yarn and their podcast at YarnCraft.

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See some of my photos from Lion Brand Yarn at Maker Faire and photos from Lion Brand's blog.

June 5, 2009

Thousand Hand Quilt at Maker Faire

The San Mateo Area Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America was at Maker Faire last weekend with a fascinating project. They brought 24 crazy quilt blocks and encouraged folks to stop by and hand embroider on them, with their goal of having one thousand hands work on the quilt. Over the weekend, they had at least 100 people stop by for five to 30 minutes to stitch designs and beading on to the quilt blocks.

I added a five-petal Lazy Daisy flower on one block, and loved chatting with the ladies at the booth. I love the idea of a collaborative stitching project like this. The chapter will continue to take the blocks to various events throughout the year, and hope to have the completed quilt finished and on display at the 2010 Maker Faire Bay Area. I'm looking forward to seeing it then!

Maker Faire Crafty Fashion

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Sarah James of Instructables (scoochmaroo) modeled her Instructables t-shirt dress she refashioned. How adorable is that? i love that she had Instructables buttons to hold up her dress straps.

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This crafter came over to the CRAFT booth and I was dying over the handmade dinosaur sweater vest she had on! She didn't make it herself but it is handmade and she picked up this gem for only $4 at the thrift store. Check out the awesome terradactyl on the back.

More Maker Faire crafty fashion photos after the jump!

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June 4, 2009

CRAFT at Maker Faire: Talking Star Wars Crafts

I caught up with Bonnie Burton of StarWars.com and her crafty assistant Terri Hodges after their last Star Wars kids craft workshop at Maker Faire on Sunday afternoon. Watch the video and find out some of the cool stuff coming up in the world of Star Wars crafting!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.

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Check out Bonnie's Maker Faire recap on the Star Wars blog and Ewok Sock Puppet photos and Yoda Stick Puppet photos, as well as all of her photos around Maker Faire.

June 3, 2009

Fluid Sculpture Dress at Maker Faire

Here's one of the pieces I was looking forward to seeing at Maker Faire this year. Rachel Hobson managed to snap a few photos, and I got to meet the creator of this fluid-pumping dress made from surgical tubing. From the Casual Profanity site:

There was one question I got frequently that is worth answering, and that is: “how did you think of this”?

Forgetting for a second that we’re talking about a dress made with tubes and a pump and not, for instance, something useful. I would like to propose that the origin of this, and most any idea, is a bit absurd and mostly irrelevant.

What is vital though, and of greater influence on any project, is how it perpetuates.

The Maker Faire is what motivated me. The receptive, forgiving, and care-full group of people represented there and on the internet is of much greater consequence to my project than whatever random elements fused at its conception.

More:

Knitted Plastic Tubing makes Fluid Sculpture

Maker Faire Through The Eyes of a Pre-Teen

When we report on Maker Faire, a lot of it surrounds cool things we see. Truly, though, the best part of Maker Faire is the people we meet. Online connections are great, but it's that in-person interaction that really makes events like Maker Faire exceptional. Back in October at Maker Faire Austin, I had the pleasure of meeting Maddy Sherman and her mom and younger brother. I stopped her to compliment the Pysanky egg she'd made at the Craftastica booth. I took her picture, we chatted briefly, and I wrote down her name and email address before parting ways.

This past weekend at Maker Faire Bay Area, we had hundreds of people coming in and out of the CRAFT area, and as one woman and I started to talk we had a simultaneous moment of recognition. It was none other than Maddy's mom, and she quickly pointed out that Maddy was busy working on a needle felting project in our needle felting lounge area. It turns out that Maddy and her family live in Los Angeles, and have been to the last three Maker Faires - including traveling out to Texas for Maker Faire Austin. I had a great conversation with her mom and with Maddy, who proudly declares, "I make something every single day." I asked Maddy if she'd be up for writing a post-Maker Faire report from the eyes of a 12-year-old, and here's what she had to say.

If any of you have been to the Maker Faire, the first thing that stands out is the people. There is no average maker. They range from LEGO obsessors to women and men in 18th century couture. The interesting part about it is that they are all there for the same reason - creative insight and inspiration.

I, being a 12-year-old girl, was more than overwhelmed by the throngs of people with cup creations and tape wallets marching around to get from one hall to the others. Other than that, it was a crafter's dream. Every which way there another spectacle. Whether it was Japanese art or adorable felt toys, there was no way you could be bored. There was always some tutorial or show we could see. The first day we went, my seven-year-old brother accompanied us. To put it nicely, Milo is fascinated with LEGO. I should say obsessed. Anyways, when he reached the LEGO exhibit, he freaked. He screamed. He yelled. I mean that literally. After that piercing example of excitement, he raced to the LEGO buildings. My mom said that I could go find something to look at while he played. Next, I wandered to the Ponko table, where they displayed their innovative methods of creating laser-cut art. I made a bracelet made of plastic with a laser-cut tree design. It was so awesome.

We cruised through a ton of things. We looked at a learn to knit booth that was giving out yarn to customers. The next day we got to the things we missed. My mom and I sat in on an embroidery tutorial led by Rachel Hobson. After that, we looked at the Bazaar Bizarre and Swap-o-Rama-Rama. I found a sweatshirt that was perfect. A little big, but it was in perfect condition. I got it screen printed and was amazed at how wonderful it turned out. The guys at the silk screen station had a ton of designs and we were able to choose them for free. How great is that?

The next few hours consisted of being constantly amazed by the jewelry and machines being sold and demoed. Overall, there is no way you can be in the vicinity of Maker Faire and not attend. You don't even have to be crafty! It will get you inspired and pumped up to create things. This is a definite worthwhile place to visit.

CRAFT at Maker Faire: Talking with Crafty Chica

I walked around the craft area at Maker Faire and got some great short interviews with some crafters which I'll be posting up here for you each day. First up is Crafty Chica herself, Kathy Cano-Murillo where she and the team at Duncan's Ilovetocreate.com made glitter art and sparkly sequined treasure tins.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.

June 2, 2009

More Views From Maker Faire

I just got back to Austin from Maker Faire at 1:00 this morning, so I'm going to let these pictures do the talking for how amazing our Maker Faire experience was. We met fantastic people, held hugely helpful demonstrations and got great feedback from people who are keeping up with CRAFT on the Internet. Stay tuned for more coverage this week, including a kid's point of view report of Maker Faire!

June 1, 2009

Maker Faire Coverage Continues

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As our team recovers from Maker Faire, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all the people who came by to say hi to us at the CRAFT booth! We love what you are making and that you are reading CRAFT online and following our tweets. It was an amazing and inspiring weekend for us. Give us a bit of time and soon we will have lots of post-faire coverage.
Here's some fun pictures from me in the meantime. (L to R, Top to Bottom) Rachel and me [ photo by Marie Kare ], Diane from CraftyPod doing the Button It Up! button hairclip demo, Bonnie from StarWars.com and Terri with the Ewok sock puppets and R2D2, "The Gang" Rachel, Matt, Becky, and Alex waiting in line for the amazing paella dinner on Friday, Becky after her awesome "Intro to Soft Electronics" demo with the winner of her giveaway, and finally, myself with Corrine and Rob from Threadbanger where they hosted the Threadbanger Twitter Scavenger Hunt. More pics and videos are coming!

May 31, 2009

Boy Makes Needle Felted Surfing Chicken at Maker Faire

Maker Faire: We missed this 5 year-old's name while he was at the needle felting playground yesterday with Brookelynn Morris with his mom and brother, but he made the most awesome surfing chicken sculpture from wool! It even has some white froth at the edge of the wave.

May 30, 2009

Views From Maker Faire

I took some time Friday evening to walk around Maker Faire and soak in as much as I could. I knew that when the Faire officially kicked off this morning, I'd be too busy to get to spend much time strolling! I peeked in on folks setting up their booths at Bazaar Bizarre, scoped out the Swap-O-Rama-Rama area while it was empty and still and got lost in LEGO world. Stay tuned for full coverage, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter for our on-the-spot posts from Maker Faire!

May 28, 2009

Maker Faire Twitter Talk

One of the most fun things I've been doing this week is following folks who are tweeting about Maker Faire. There have been great conversations, lots of excitement, pictures (see Crafty Chica's Maker Faire Prep picture above) and even a few contests. Be sure to follow all the Maker Faire action through CRAFT, MAKE and Maker Faire, and if you are at the Faire, please use the official Maker Faire hashtag of #mf09 in all your posts. Can't wait to see you there!

Here's some of the Maker Faire Twitter buzz from this week:

From CraftyChica: http://twitpic.com/5yzco - Prepping for my Maker Faire make-and-take.

From TheCashmereKid: Maker Faire Needlearts Stitch Zone booth #261 giving away free looms or download yours now http://www.spinweave.org/resources/instruct.html

From Charmingsam: I finally got up pics and deets on what I'll have for people to make at Maker Faire http://www.charmingsam.blogspot.com

From QueenPuffPuff: is in very good shape for Maker Faire. Tomorrow will finish sewing and then can tag and pack on Thursday. Lots of new styles!

CRAFT is Getting Ready for Maker Faire!

Rachel Hobson and I just started setting up the CRAFT area for Maker Faire Bay Area 2009. It's so great to finally be on site getting ready for the happiest weekend all year!

Swap-O-Rama-Rama Remake Fashion Show at Maker Faire

Swap-O-Rama-Rama is hosting a much-anticipated Remake Fashion Show at Maker Faire Bay Area this Saturday, May 30th, at 4:45 p.m. on the Cypress Stage. I can't wait! The fabulous Miss Velvet Cream (her designs in the image above) sent me a list of featured designers and a little info about them each that I want to share with you. For starters, here are the designers who will amaze you with their creativity and talent:

Alexandria Von Bromssen and Camp Couture
miss velvet cream + Jean Therapy
Tamo Design
Seapony
Mock Made
Homey Grown
Kittinhawk
Upcycling by Lucid Dawn
Field Day Wearables x Turnikat x La Serena Sardine

Tune in over the next couple of days as I share images and bios for these crafty peeps. See you at the Faire!

Win Maker Faire Passes, Sewing Machine With Threadbanger's Twitter-Based Scavenger Hunt

Threadbanger hosts Rob and Corinne will be at Maker Faire this weekend, and are hosting a Twitter-based scavenger hunt with an opportunity to get into the Faire for free and with a Threadbanger-branded Janome sewing machine as the grand prize. Fans of ThreadBanger's weekly DIY shows can join in and start finding scavenger hunt clues by following ThreadBanger on Twitter.

The first ten people to arrive on Sunday, May 31st at Maker Faire's Will Call table with the secret password, which will be revealed via ThreadBanger's twitter account, will receive a free ticket to the event and the next clue to continue the hunt. The first two people to arrive will also receive a brand new Kodak Camera. Prizes will be given at each checkpoint with the grand prize being a ThreadBanger-branded Janome sewing machine. Other partners in the contest include Coats and Clark thread company, Simplicity Patterns, Generation-T, Make Magazine, O'Reilly Media and Yudu Personal Screen Printing.

The scavenger hunt will take tweeps through some of Maker Faire's best stops. Along the way, participants will pick up new clues by tweeting passwords to @Threadbanger while collecting craft-happy prizes from selected stops. Those who finish the hunt successfully will get to compete for the grand prize: a brand new Threadbanger-branded Janome sewing machine.

May 27, 2009

Foxy Monster at Maker Faire Bay Area

Last year, at Maker Faire Austin, it was fun to see photos of folks walking around with big furry bear hoods on, and the crafter responsible for all the furry fun is Ashley Larson of Foxy Monster. Ashley's mission is to "spread smiles, joy, love, and goofiness, while keeping heads and necks warm." Ashley will be bringing her furrrrocious handmade hoods to Maker Faire Bay Area this weekend, May 30th and 31st. Can't wait to meet her and get my fur on!

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