Improvisation

When I was first learning fiber crafts, I would get an embroidery kit. I followed the directions meticulously. I achieved the result on the package. For many of us, this is a solid way to learn a new skill. The project can have a skill level matched to our level of comfort. Everything can be planned so a beginner is successful. Nothing is too difficult nor uncertain.

At some point, crafting is about more than following instructions. There's a difference in art class between "let's copy this famous painting" and "pick your own subject and express it." Yes, copying and following directions can help you acquire skills. Crafting at its highest artistic level is about using those skills to create items reflecting the personal expression of the maker. It is about transmuting tradition into innovation, old into new.

For knitters, the transition to innovation is often subtle. It may start with, "Oh, I like this pattern, but I can't find the yarn. I need to substitute." Or maybe it starts with the same yarn but in a different color? As we gain skills and confidence, we make other changes. Perhaps we alter the fit? Perhaps we change the decoration? Perhaps we add embellishment? Perhaps we develop a favorite way of executing a particular technique? Sock knitters, for example, often have a favorite heel turn they use regardless of pattern directions.

Realizing I could improvise was a big step for me as a maker. That step came from a strange source — Current. Current is primarily a purveyor of stationery, gift wrap, and other paper products. Way back in 1982, they experimented with embroidery.

The tree topper angel kit #7115 was not a true kit. It was a piece of fabric with printed markings and instructions for how to put it together. But it did not come with any materials. You could paint it. You could embroider it. You could glue embellishments to it. There were pictures to spark ideas. But there were no specific instructions.

For me, this project became a catch-all to use a wide range of skills I had developed. I knew a little bit about stuffing toys and using pipe cleaners for support. That skill was helpful in the arms and hands. I had a Russian punch tool. I used it for some of the hair. I used beads, sequins, and metallic threads from my stash. I used an unusual slippery rayon floss to embroider the wings; then I quilted to add relief. I used a variety of decorative embroidery stitches. I followed a lot of the ideas on the kit, but I had to figure out how to execute them my way and with the materials I had.

The open-ended quality gave me an opportunity to improvise.

Beyond that, it was just plain fun! I could use materials that had languished. I could try decorative stitches that never seemed to appear in a kit project. I could stretch myself as a crafter. I could discover the level of skill I had acquired. I could play!

In the hubbub of holiday doing, it is easy to forget the playful aspect of crafting. That is the part that feeds our souls. It is good remember it is okay to pick up a project and just see where it goes, without planning. You might be surprised what you can make.