The Folk School

OK – I have something to confess.  I love to prowl craft fairs and look at all of the beautiful handcrafted items.  Wooden spoons, needlepointed rugs, felted purses, paintings, corcheted Christmas ornaments, stained glass windows, knitted sweaters…  I dream of these things in my home, gracing my table, worn around my shoulders, feeling the wonderful textures… I admit it – I am a crafts junkie.

I also like to make stuff.  I especially like to feel like I accomplished something.  I MADE something.  Something with my hands.  That is so COOL!  Look what I did!  I need a creative outlet to help me feel balanced, especially after marathon doctor’s appointments and therapy sessions, IEP meetings and support group debates.  It helps me keep my sense of humor.

But I don’t really know how to do much that is “crafty”.  I can knit and crochet a little…  I can sew patches onto my son’s knee-holed jeans and turn pants into shorts (what is it with little boys and wearing out the knees in all their pants?).  I can do needlepoint.  I’ve sewn curtains and lined drapes and pillows.  I can hot glue felt onto a mask for a Halloween costume… but something of significant quality?  Not really.

But soon I’ll be able to say “Look what I did… and some people charge $500 for something like this.”

My friend Ms L and I are enrolled in a December weekend class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.  The Folk School “offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing.”  How cool is that?  We are going to learn how to make a “Rug in a Tub” – a felted wool rug made using a wading pool or bathtub.  We are like little kids waiting for Christmas – so excited and full of great expectations.  What sort of design should we create?  Colors?  Where will we use our rugs? 

I can’t wait to share pictures of our adventures – and our rugs! 

Meanwhile, check it out–I’ve put a link to the Folk School under “Food, Entertaining, Crafts…” in the sidebar.  Lots of classes to choose from!  I’ve also put in a link to another friend’s blog (“Felt Like Knitting…”) – one who can really do some beautiful needlework.  She makes me jealous!