SAN MATEO, Calif. — The muffins are rolling. The muffin cars, electric-powered vehicles built to resemble cupcakes, scoot around the open spaces of the San Mateo Event Center & Expo, a sprawling fairground about 20 miles south of San Francisco and, on this day, a million miles from normal.

Just inside the gates of the third annual Maker Faire, a converted fire engine belches an occasional explosive flare that sends a chest-pounding Pfoomp! throughout the fairground, startling bystanders over and over again. That contraption was made by folks from the Crucible, an industrial arts studio based in Oakland where people can take lessons in welding, blacksmithing and many, many other ways to play with heat and flame.

In the area we had lots of crafty demos every hour from how to make your own shoes to soft circuit embroidery. The Needlefelting Playground in the CRAFT Corner by Moxie and Brookelynn was constantly busy with new obsessive needlefelters! I even had a chance to finish my needlefelted cuff I was working on last year by late Sunday afternoon! Read on after the jump for more photos and the full crafty recap.

Andrew "Bruce" Lau made this amazing LED cape and wore it around Maker Faire all weekend. I caught up with him to chat about it, and he said that Leah Buechley's LED tank top was a huge inspiration. He used her suggested technique of soldering metal beads to surface mount LEDs and stitching them in a grid using conductive thread. Controlled by a PIC microcontroller, the cape scrolls letters saying "MAKE" and "DIY as well as traveling patterns.

From the pages of CRAFT:

CRAFT: 01 - "The Electric Tank Top," by Leah Buechley pgs 54 - 67. Digital Subscribers can read the article here.

My recent post on the Maker Faire CRAFT Schedule shows you at a glance what's happening in crafts for our Main Stage and CRAFT demo area.

• Maker Faire Bay Area Schedule
• CRAFT Demos
• Maker Faire Map

Also don't miss the Bazaar Bizarre and the Swap-O-Rama-Rama!

Maker Faire
San Mateo Expo Center
2495 South Delaware Street
San Mateo, CA 94403
Directions & Transportation Info

Related:
Bring Your Old Raincoats to Maker Faire

I'll be running a demo at 11am on Saturday at Maker Faire on how to sew/embroider a simple circuit using conductive thread, an LED, and a watch battery. This is a beginner's level demo, so don't worry if you've never embroidered or never touched electronics. I look forward to seeing you there!

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset May 3rd and 4th at the San Mateo Fairgrounds, CA (Upcoming.org). It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.

If you're in the Bay Area, or plan to attend Maker Faire add "makerfaire" to your Twitter, we'll be giving away tickets and will have updates before and during Maker Faire!

Ach Ach Liebling
Bored inc design
Bossa Nova Baby
Bug Under Glass
Combustion Glassworks
Ezme Designs
Fieldday Wearables
Jaime Zollars
Joie Studio
KLEAN Bath & Body
Mr.Funky
My Imaginary Boyfriend
My Windup Bird
Nouveau Motley
Pepto Industries
Planet Tokki
Recover your thoughts
Sweet Meats
Woody Miller Art
Mary Jane's Attic

Saturday, May 3

Main Stage:
11am - Things I Learned from Knitting - Stephanie Pearl-Mc Phee of the Yarn Harlot
1pm - String Theory - Autumn Wiggins of Crafting a Green World
4pm - Extreme Craft - Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft

CRAFT Stage:
11am - Soft Circuit Embroidery - Becky Stern
12pm - Make Your Own Free Range Mini-Monsters - Moxie
1pm - Making Jewelry - Sonya Nimri, author of Beadalicious
2pm - Felt Faux Fruit - Brookelynn Morris
3pm - Fashioning Technology: DIY Style - Syuzi Pakhchyan
4pm - Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone - Krystina Castella
5pm - Photojojo DIY Photo Blocks - Amit Gupta and Kelly Jensen

CRAFT Corner:
12pm - Weaving with Small Looms - Karrie Weaver of Girl on the Rocks
2pm - Knitting with the Yarn Harlot

Sunday, May 4

Main Stage:
11:30am - Crafty Chica: Squeezing a Dollar from a Dime: How to Make the Most of What You Have - Kathy Cano-Murillo
12pm - String Theory - Autumn Wiggins of Crafting a Green World

CRAFT Stage:
12pm - How to Make Your Own Shoes...the Easy Way! - Thomas Maiorana
1pm - Finger Puppets Who Wish To Not Die - Stacey Gordon
2pm - Create Ribbon Straw Flowers on Vintage Flower Looms - Cathy of California
3pm - The DIY Bride: Quick & Easy Wedding Projects for Any Budget - Khris Cochran, author of The DIY Bride
4pm - Guerilla Pattern Drafting - Autumn Wiggins
5pm - Create Your Own Photo Flip Book - Jackie Ortega

CRAFT Corner:
2pm - Star Wars Kids Crafts: Making Star Wars Bubble Magnets - Bonnie Burton

CRAFT Video Podcast on the Maker Faire:

For more information, visit the Maker Faire web site.

MP4 Video | QT Video | HD | Subscribe in iTunes

Hi Crafters! The Maker Faire is just around the corner, happening on May 3 & 4 at the San Mateo Expo Center in San Mateo, CA. Here's a quick video preview of some of the fun activities you can expect in the CRAFT side of the fair. (Photos from Maker Faire Bay Area 2007 and video footage from Maker Faire Austin 2007.) Stay tuned for more Maker Faire news on the CRAFT blog in the days and weeks to come!

Hi Crafters! We are now accepting entries for the Maker Faire Bay Area, May 3 and 4 at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds.

The first step to participating in Maker Faire is to submit an entry that tells us about yourself and your project. Entries can be submitted from individuals as well as from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools. Please provide a short description of what you make and what you will actually bring to Maker Faire. Please link to photographs or videos of what you make. Maker exhibits should be non-commercial. We particularly encourage exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process of making things.

Maker Faire Bay Area Entries: Deadline March 12, 2008 Key Points:

• Entries Due: March 12, 2008. Space is limited, please submit your entry early!
• Maker Faire Tryouts: February 17, 2008, The Exploratorium, San Francisco, noon - 4pm.
• Notification of Acceptance: Entries submitted by March 12 will be notified by March 19.

This Thursday, January 31 is the Maker Faire Town Hall at the Exploratorium from 7:00pm - 8:30pm in San Francisco. Come by, meet others, and give us feedback on what you want to see happen at Maker Faire. See you there!

To find out more information and to sign up, visit the Maker Faire site. - Link.

The Maker Faire team is joining forces with Felt Club for the upcoming Felt Club XL Holiday event - Sunday, November 18th from 11am-6pm on the Los Angeles City College campus (855 N Vermont Ave, LA CA 90029). This family-friendly event will feature 75+ amazing crafters, delicious food and great music, plus an all-new section called MAKER SQUARE, a miniature version of Maker Faire! (Felt Club is a biannual indie craft fair featuring the best and brightest of the SoCal craft scene: www.feltclub.com)

Maker Square is organized by the staff of Make and Craft magazines and is a mini-fair that brings together science, art, craft and engineering in a fun, energized and exciting public forum. The aim is to inspire people of all ages to roll up their sleeves and become makers. We will showcase the amazing work of all kinds of makers--anyone who is embracing DIY and wants to share their accomplishments with an appreciative audience.

We encourage you to join the fun and enter a project to exhibit. You can submit your entry by sending an email to sherry@oreilly.com. In your Maker Square entry request, please tell us about yourself and your project. Entries can be submitted from individuals as well as from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools. Please provide a short description of what you make and what you will actually bring to Maker Square. Please provide links to photographs or videos of what you make. Maker exhibits should be non-commercial. We particularly encourage exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process of making things. Please remember that our space is outdoors and we do not have access to electricity.

Here's some suggested ideas for topics that we're looking for:
Things Made From Recycled Items
Microcontrollers
Robotics
Making Musical Instruments
Bicycle Hacks
Ham Radio
Puzzles, Games and Toys
Cars (hot rods, custom vans, electric vehicles)
Airplanes and Aeronautics (models, etc)
Biology/Biotech
Chemistry
Cool RC Toys & Mods
Video Games (retro, home arcade and more)
Model Trains and Planes
Weaving/Looms (historical or unusual)
Kites
Temporary Structures (Tents, Domes, etc.)
Unusual Tools or Machines
How to Fix Things or Take them Apart (Vacuums, Clocks, Washing Machines, etc.)

Maker Square Space: Our standard setup for each Maker is roughly a 10x10 space. Use this space to display your work and/or demonstrate how you make something. You will need to bring your own tables/chairs/displays.

NOTE: Makers whose entries are accepted will receive free admission to Felt Club XL Holiday featuring Maker Square. However, we cannot pay for transportation and accommodations. Makers do not pay a fee to exhibit at Felt Club XL Holiday featuring Maker Square and maker exhibits should be non-commercial.

If you have any questions about participating in the upcoming Maker Square, please contact us by email: sherry@oreilly.com

We look forward to seeing you at Felt Club XL Holiday featuring Maker Square on November 18th in Los Angeles!


Best,
Sherry Huss
Director
707-827-7074

• Maker Faire photos - Link.
• Maker Faire map and schedule! - Link.
• Maker Faire Austin 2007 preview photos from Laughing Squid - Link.

More photos on MAKE! - Link.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama

Wendy Tremayne is back again with the amazing Swap-O-Rama-Rama. Bring in your old clothing to swap and turn them into something new and fashionable for you. The times are Saturday from 11-5pm and Sunday from 11am-4pm. There will also be a special Fashion Show on Saturday night that you won't want to miss! Visit the Swap-O-Rama-Rama site for more info. - Link.

Maker Main Stage

Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching speaks about her embroidery art and craft business in "Big Bold Embroidery". Faythe Levine gives us a presentation about her upcoming craft documentary, "Handmade Nation". And our own Jenny Ryan of CRAFT and Felt Club talks about Craft Biz 101.

Maker Store

Sabrina Gschwandtner of Knit Knit will be signing books at our Maker Store along with a special appearance by Knitta. Sabrina and Knitta will also be doing a demo at the CRAFT booth on Saturday at 11am. At the Maker Store, you'll also get a chance to pick up the debut of CRAFT: The First Year box set, any back issues of CRAFT, books, crafting kits, and lots, lots, more.

Lion Brand / Bernina
We've got some great sponsors attending the fair and just to name a couple, you've got to check out Lion Brand and Bernina. At the Lion Brand booth, you can learn how to knit and crochet. Cecily Keim will be teaching crochet again and Karli of the local Austin yarn shop, Gauge, will be teaching knitting. Looking for a new sewing machine? I sure am. Head on over to the Bernina booth and find out more about what crafters consider Berninas to be the best sewing machine around. There are plenty of other sponsors so make sure you check them all out! Here's the full list of them here. - Link.

CRAFT Booth

Come by the CRAFT Booth and meet the editors! We will have a multitude of demos running every half hour throughout both days of the fair. Learn how to make a Light Up Purse with Alison Lewis of SWITCH or Make Junk Mail Art with Patricia Zapata of A Little Hut. Plus lots more fun! Just come by and say hi to us!

To check out the full schedule of events at Maker Faire, visit the Maker Faire site. See you in Austin! - Link.

Here's a link also to all the CRAFT related activities - Link.

"Knowing where your food comes from is a powerful thing," says Marla Camp, publisher of Edible Austin. "This year at Maker Faire you can meet the people who make and grow your food and learn how rewarding it is to make and grow more of your own."

At the Food Maker Pavilion, Maker Faire participants can catch a variety of food-making demonstrations, including:

• Beer making
• Cheese making
• Bee keeping & honey making
• Butter making
• Pasta making
• How to cook bison
• How to cook with vodka
• How to create organic tea fertilizer
• How to build a square foot garden
• Handmade tools and using hand tools for cooking

There will also be fun activities you can take part in such as the Sustainable Pumpkin Painting -- paint pumpkins and take home recipes for what to do with your pumpkin after Halloween! There will be an ongoing "Talk To A Farmer" booth where you can ask local farmers and producers questions about what they do and how they do it. Also, don't miss the Day of the Dead interactive food art altar, where you can bring items and create the alter on-site with help from Austin Green Art.

For more information, visit the Edible Austin site here - Link.

The QUEST team would like you to know that QUEST’s TV story, Do-it-Yourself Science: The Maker Faire, is set to premiere on KQED next Tuesday, September 25th, as one of the segments in the episode. Thanks so much for sharing your time and being part of this story! The story will air Tuesday at 7:30 pm on KQED 9 & KQED HD on Comcast 709. On Tuesday, the story will be posted on the QUEST website in its entirety - so you'll also be able to watch it there.

It's been called "Burning Man for science geeks." The annual Maker Faire attracts thousands of amateur inventors and scientists, displaying their home-made prototypes and gadget hacks. In a world where the technological race is speeding up, the Maker movement has revealed that the do-it-yourself culture is in no danger of dying out.

KQED QUEST: A Different Kind of Science and Nature Adventure - Link.

Here's all the details from Wendy:

Swap-O-Rama-Rama - Artist Open Call
Saturday October 20th (11 to 5pm) Sunday October 21 (11 to 4pm)
w/ a Fashion Show Saturday Eve
Travis County Fairgrounds, Austin TX

"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness." Gandhi

Join in the communal process of reuse and celebrate our collective creativity! You are invited to participate in Swap-O-Rama-Rama as staff. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a giant clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores reuse and creativity through the recycling of used clothing. At Swap-O-Rama-Rama consumers are taught to be creators and this transformation takes place through the local talent in the community. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is seeking artists of all calibers, recyclers and creatives of all kinds for the following roles: artist taught DIY workshops, designer run sewing stations, silk screening, reuse designers for a recycled fashion show, sorters (get first dibs on clothes) and general help.

DIY Workshops: If you have a unique skill that transforms would be trash into a wearable item (clothing/jewelry/handbag etc.) please consider bringing this to Swap-O-Rama-Rama in the form of a DIY workshop.

Sewing Station/Fashion Show: If your a whiz behind a sewing machine and work with reuse, consider being a Swap-O-Rama-Rama designer helping people learn how to mod the used clothing they find at the swap. And join the Swap-O-Rama-Rama fashion show and show off your creations.

Silk Screen Crew: If your a silk screener and would like to join the silk screening crew, offering your fresh designs to bring used clothes back to life, please get in touch!

Examples: Artists/workshops at previous events:
http://gaiatreehouse.com/makerfaire07.htm
http://gaiatreehouse.com/winter2006.htm
Treehugger Podcast
Ryan Is Hungry Podcast

Some roles pay a stipend and all materials are supplied by Swap-O-Rama-Rama.

If you're a nonprofit, you can set up a fundraising page for yourself and everyone who stops by the Firstgiving booth at Maker Faire will be invited to donate, if they'd like to. Having seen your work firsthand,
we expect a lot of people to be excited about helping you stay in business.

If you'd like to raise money for some other nonprofit, you can turn what you do (baking, modding bikes, distilling grain alcohol, etc.) into a fundraising "catalyst." Then everyone who stops by the Firstgiving booth will be invited to donate to your "baking for charity" page.

For more information email alison@firstgiving.com with any questions or to get involved, and visit the Firstgiving web site here. - Link.

This family-friendly event will feature 70+ amazing crafters, delicious food and great music, plus an all-new section called MAKER SQUARE, a miniature version of Maker Faire! What does this mean? All the crafty fun you've come to expect (including an expanded hands-on craft demo area), plus a whole bunch of science fair-inspired fun from the folks behind Make and Craft magazines! Stay tuned for more details about this must-attend event.

You have until September 26 to apply. Link.

Related:
Maker Faire Austin, TX: Oct. 20-21 - Link.