We’ve recently added a new Intro to Knitting class on Friday, September 24th from 6-9pm. Open to both complete beginners and advanced beginners looking to expand their horizons, this class is a great way to get you started knitting all your beanies and scarves for Fall!

We’re also expanding our Kraut & Kimchee syllabus to include Kombucha, a tart carbonated tea whose unique flavor comes from the fermentation process. Taught by Master Food Preserver Delilah Snell, instructor for our popular Summer in a Jar classes, this class definitely makes the most of produce at its seasonal best. There are still a few spots left, so come take advantage of this fantastic Fall class while you can!

In a timeless tale of skill against skill, there is a competition a-brewing here at the Urban Craft Center.

It’s happened to all of us. We see our friends breaking out their most impressive projects and we feel the need to show off our own skills. Occasionally bragging will ensure, and sometimes a dare or two will slip into an otherwise civil conversation. Last night when Amy brought out her new quilt project, she discovered Rhea also had a quilt project in the works. Two crafters, two projects, both at the same stage of completion. What began with a few harmless jokes ended in a challenge; a race to see who would finish their quilt first.

The odds are difficult to judge. While Rhea’s quilt is certainly bigger, Amy is trying a new sort of binding on this quilt and may run into a few problems while mastering the new technique. With the outcome so uncertain, excitement is definitely in the air at the UCC.

In case you missed us at the Renegade Craft Fair last weekend, here are a few captured moments.

Here’s a view of our patchwork tent from the main thoroughfare!

Inside our cozy 10 x 10’s!

Feather Headband Workshop!

Gocco Screen Printing Workshop!

Circuit Bending Workshop with special guest teacher Andy Ben! Circuit Bending is the creative rewiring of musical toys, for more information check out our two session class starting August 15th!

Bookbinding Workshop!

All in all, Renegade was AMAZING!!!! So many great vendors and people! Our patchwork tent cover came out beautifully, thanks to Amy and out intern Rachel. The string balloon lanterns Rhea made really added to the decor and made our tents feel like a home away from the UCC. If you missed it this year do not fret, Renegade 2011 is on it’s way.

We hope to see you soon, Luv The UCC

April Winchell, author of Regretsy, hosted Club Etsy last night and it was an amazing turnout! The club night is usually about celebrating what people create and in a way, last night was about that too. It was also about poking fun at the ways we sometimes take ourselves and our ideas too seriously.

The most frequently asked question I get at our club nights is “how do I get my Etsy store noticed?”

One of April’s main points during her presentation was that while her website and book draw attention to people’s creations in a critical way, the response from people who embrace what is featured on her site often brings more attention to these artists and crafters than they might receive on their own. Personally, I’ve always been fascinated with counterculture and its ability to blur the line between low and high art.

April is no stranger to outsider culture herself. She hosted a radio show for several years, sharing unconventional music to her listeners that may never have been heard on a large scale. She genuinely appreciates what she points out as weird or terrible and in fact, her presentation included a slideshow of over 20 items featured on her site that now sit comfortably in her home.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of her book, we have several autographed ones for sale in the store! We even made April a gift in true Regretsy form. Just before we got to take a staff photo with her, April let me know that our gift to her had been “mysteriously stolen” during her book signing! While I wish we could have gotten a group photo with her wearing it, luckily, we snapped several photos of her right when I presented the very special gift, one of which you can see below.

Thanks again to April and everyone who made it out last night! We hope to see you at upcoming Club Etsy meetings on the second Wednesday of every month from 6-8pm.

Last night we held our FIRST EVER sock monkey class at the Urban Craft Center! Each participant brought with them a pair of socks that were transformed into these kitschy little creatures. The studio space was full of creative energy and conversation as we worked into the evening. Everyone in the class went home with a new friend and the know-how to create their own sock monkey in the future! Be sure to join in on our next sock monkey making madness on August 25th from 5-9 pm!

INTRO TO SEWING
Friday, Oct 23rd, 3-6pm
Friday, Nov 6th, 11am-2pm
Saturday, Nov 21st, 3-6pm
Saturday, Dec 19th, 3-6pm
Level: Beginner
Just starting out? Take Sewing 101 and you’ll be sewing in no time. Taught by special guest teacher Christine Haynes, you will learn all the parts of the machine, how to sew perfect straight and zig zag stitches, and what tools you need to set up your own sewing room at home. In addition, we’ll make a simple throw pillow for you to take home!
Additional materials list.
One Session Class:
$65 non-member, $60 member

RANDOM WOVEN SPHERE LAMP
Thursday, Oct 15th, 10am-6pm
Saturday Nov 7th, 10am-6pm
Level: Beginner
Create a breathtaking pendant lamp made from natural woven materials!
By the end of the day you will have created a 16” functional art piece. Special guest teacher Aaron Kramer will teach, from start to finish, the basics of weaving this unusual piece of home decor.
Materials included.
One session class:
$155 non-member/$150 member

AN ARTIST’S JOURNAL
Saturday October 17th, 10am-2pm
Level: Beginner
Recycle a hardbound book in a new way and create an entirely unique artist’s journal. Bring your ideas and imagination to life in a day of creative exercises with special guest teacher Kelly Kilmer. Apply techniques in layering, painting, collage and much more! Additional materials list.
One session class:
$65 non-member, $60 member

THE ART OF RESIN JEWELRY
Saturday October 17th, 3pm-7pm (PLEASE NOTE: This class has been changed from a 2 day class to a single day class)
Learn to make the beautiful resin jewelry necklaces you see for sale in our store! Special guest teacher Lynn Latta will guide you through the process to create your own one-of-a kind jewelry elements with a non-toxic, crystal clear jewelers resin. In this workshop you will focus on multi-layered techniques to create one complete charm or pendant. Materials Included. Students may bring small trinkets to experiment in their jewelry.
$65 non-member / $60 member

Sundays, Oct 25th & Nov 1st, 12-4pm
COIN STACKED BABY QUILT
Level: Basic sewing experience
comparable to Intro to Sewing
You can quilt! Special guest teacher Alissa
Carlton, will teach all of the steps to making a small scale quilt, from piecing the top to quilting & binding. By the end of the class, you will have made a modern, stroller sized quilt.
Additional materials list.
Two session class:
$150 non-member, $145 member

Yes, you should sign up for it! :-)
Knitting Series I, Thursday October 1st, 11am-1pm, $100 non-member
Hardcover Bookbinding I, Friday October 2nd, 10am-1pm, $85 non-member
Little Windows Resin Jewelry, Saturday October 3rd, 10am-12:30, $90 non-member
Molecule Jewelry, Saturday October 3rd, 3pm-5pm, $60 non-member

There are still a few spots left in our Intro to Needle Felting class, this Thursday, September 24th from 6-8pm. The class is $25 non-member/$20 member. Below is a photo from our August session. It’s always lots of fun and highly addictive!