Happy May Day!
I hope you are all delivering flowers to people you love and dancing around a pole wearing crowns of grasses and florals. I’m sitting at my desk watching the rain. Whomp whomp. I’ll dance around my apartment later.
I didn’t send out a newsletter last month for two reasons. 1) I had nothing to report and 2) I spent every waking minute FINISHING the first draft of my BOOK! I wrote a whole ass book y’all! There will be more exciting news about it in the coming months but for now I’m honoring that I did what seemed, at times, to be impossible. I feel confident that it will be a valuable contribution to supporting craftivists and art activists in their work. Yay us!
Now it’s May and there is much to report, so let’s dive right in.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MAY
May 4th - Intro to Craftivism - Marlborough Public Library, MA
May 7th - Intro to Embroidery - ZOOM
May 9th - Intro to Craftivism for Teens - Reading Public Library, MA
May 20th - Patreon Community Stitch-up - ZOOM
May 27th - Drop-In Art Making at the ICA Boston
Come to the ICA Boston anytime on Saturday, May 27th and make art with me! More importantly, come see the Simone Leigh exhibit and then pop by and hang out with me in the Art Lab. Family friendly.
JUNE
During the month of June, Radical Acts, will be on exhibit at The PEG Center for Art and Activism in Newburyport, MA. I will be hosting a workshop on June 17th from 2-4pm and the reception will be held on June 17th from 6-8pm. I hope to see you there!
June 10th + 11th - I will be in Portland, ME at Handiwork Studio. Details are coming but if you are in or around Portland I sure hope we get to hang out.
June 22nd - Queer Craft Night to Celebrate Pride - Weymouth, MA
June 25th - Patreon Community Stitch-up - ZOOM
May Abortion Pattern
This month, if you donate $10+ to Abortion Access Front, you will get the pattern for this delightful granny square crochet pillow from Rachael Mason of Wool Intentions.
You know what to do!
Book Recommendations
Patreon Community Updates
#YearOfStitch
We just started the next sampler and it is a choose your own adventure delight. A study in chain stitches and knots. If you want to learn these fancy ass stitches then join us here: https://www.patreon.com/BadassCrossStitch.
All support levels get access to everything so pay-what-you-can and let’s have some fun.
Tiny Book Workshop with Amy Tingle
Amy Tingle joined us for National Book Day and taught us all how to make the most precious hardcover tiny books (under 3”). The workshop is available in the Patreon Community. If you missed it, you can watch anytime. Look at what we did! You can too.
Personal Updates
This month I wrap up my time as a Teaching Artist at the ICA Boston. It has been such a joyous experience. We have dabbled in collage, character design, comics, block printing, zine making, embroidery and ceramics. We have explored exhibits and learned from guest teachers. It has truly been an honor.
This July, I am moving back to Chicago. I have missed my community and my people. As I make my way back, I am taking a do-over on the events that I had to cancel due to my accident last year. You will find me at Stitch Buffalo, in Buffalo, NY the weekend of July 29th - more on that in the next newsletter.
I am really excited to be going home and having a more centrally located base to travel from.
I’ll have more for you soon. Thank you for being you.
Shannon