We had a great time at the hoedown this weekend. Lots of people learned to knit and walked away with some fabulous screen printed shirts. The bands; Freaky Mountain, Justin Gordon, Foot Foot and Old Californio were amazing and the music sounded great in our space! Thank you so much to Flounce Vintage, Polly Danger and Meg and Jenn for vending into the evening. And a huge thanks to Elaine Layabout for co-hosting the event.
If you were unable to make it, we hope to see you at an event in the future. Check out the slideshow below!

Another great Intro to Sewing class taught by Christine Haynes. Congratulations on your new skills ladies!

Head out to West Hollywood on Saturday, December 5th, from 11:00-5:00pm for a holiday craft fair featuring local designers and handmade vendors showcasing their newest creations. We will be there all day offering free workshops in needlefelting and embroidery. Admission is only $3 and all proceeds benefit the West Hollywood Toy Drive. See you there!

This amazing two day workshop at our studio kicks off with a free book signing on December 4th from 6-9pm. The workshop will take place Saturday December 4th and Sunday December 5th from 10am-5pm.

Lexi’s book, Intertwined, The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning (Quarry Books, 2008) is filled with patterns, techniques and stories that reveal spinning as an art is as deeply connected to the human spirit as it is to the spirit of D.I.Y. Crack open her book and you’ll see an amazing assortment of styles and stories – all told through handspun yarns. Flipping through the pages you’ll see skeins filled with doll parts, candy wrappers, fabric scraps and more. You’ve just got to see it!

We are already counting down the days until Lexi Boeger waves her plucky, fluffy wand over The U.C.C and transforms the studio into a world of truly one of a kind yarns filled with; sparkles, nubbles, crescents and coils. Lexi’s Camp Plucky Fluff workshops are world renowned – she is scheduled to teach her Camp in Japan and Norway in the next year!
The price for the two day camp is $230 (PLEASE NOTE: There are no refunds for Camp Pluckyfluff). You must have basic spinning experience and will learn new techniques to create personalized art yarn like the ones shown here!
To sign up for the class now, please call us at 310-392-0139, visit us in person, or download the class schedule here to print out the sign up form to send it via mail.

Find out more about Lexi Boeger and Pluckyfluff here, and the class materials list here
Feel free to call us with any questions or concerns!

Below are some links to previous Pluckyfluff events, if you’re curious what exactly spinning art yarn is all about.

http://jazzturtlecreations.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-art-yarn-let-it-go-camp-pluckyfluff.html

http://monstercrochet.blogspot.com/2008/11/camp-pluckyfluff.html

http://blog.urbanfaunastudio.com/camp-pluckyfluff-march-09

(photo credit: Becky Sapp)

A lot of the crafters I’ve met first learned the importance of handmade skills when they were kids. Cheryl grew up in the Nebraska Sandhills, where she was taught by her family to crochet and sew at the ripe old age of four. She comes from a long line of crafters who seem to create magical environments within the sand dunes and prairie landscape. In the 1950s, Cheryl’s uncle took apart television sets and made dioramas out of them to put all around the house.

That imagination has certainly been passed along. After teaching workshops at Machine Project in Echo Park (including the talking amigurumi yeti in the photo), she was invited to take part in their show at LACMA. Cheryl crocheted 101 little birds at the LACMA entrance, and one gigantic crochet bird, nearly 5 feet tall, to sit beside his hanging friends. The event included an ongoing crochet workshop where Cheryl taught nearly a hundred people how they too could use their hands to create a magical creature for their world.

Cheryl came to The Urban Craft Center to add a few new skills to her repertoire. She’s picked up quilting, spinning and screen printing over the past couple of months. I am quite fond of her Yeti cards from our Yudu class. Adorable little beast, no? This design is a continuation of an image Cheryl created and had made into fabric. She’s started an Etsy shop, you can see it here, with more great items coming soon. For more information about Cheryl Cambras and her work, visit her website.

You may have noticed that The Urban Craft Center makes an appearance in the newest infomercial for Yudu screen printing. If you are wondering how you can use the Yudu in our space or what materials we have for sale, read on!

If you already know how to use the Yudu, without help from one of our instructors, you can purchase studio time at our regular hourly, daily or membership rates . This gives you access to the Yudu machine, materials are sold separately. If you would like instruction, we offer scheduled classes for $85, or individual private lessons for $35/hour. Please call us for private lesson group rates.

Materials available for in-studio use:
Screen Rental: 1 screen (110 mesh) $15/day, maximum 3 day rental
Emulsion Sheet: $10/single sheet
Ink: $8/bottle
Transparency: $2/sheet
Screen Tape: $2/screen

We sell many of the Yudu materials in our retail store such as; emulsion sheets, screens and ink. We will have Yudu machines for sale soon.

Give us a call if you have any questions, or if you’d like to sign up for a class!

Elaine Layabout is bringing her popular Hella Hipster Hoedown to the westside (hay bales and all), to The U.C.C! Not only will you get to hear great live music from; Old Californio, Foot Foot, Justin Gordon and Freaky Mountain, you’ll also get to craft for Free!!

Admission is just $5….bring a t-shirt and screen print and image…..pick up some cozy yarn from our store and get a knitting crash course….make a souvenir button to take with you….all included! We will have complimentary cornbread and drinks to wet your whistles along with some handmade crafty vendors with goods to take home in time for the holidays. Feel free to dress appropriately!

This event is the first of its kind for us, you’ll definitely want to be a part of it. Save the date:
Sunday, November 22nd, 3-8pm
See y’all there!

This Saturday from 10am-6pm!