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Craft Congress Is in Session

Indie/DIY craft movement organizers are holding their first worldwide conference.

by Staff Report (March 19, 2007)

(Note: The following is a press release received by CLN.)

Craft Congress, the first-ever gathering of the DIY/indie craft movement's leaders, will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 31 and April 1, 2007. The goal is to build connections between the movement's organizers who have been primarily working in their communities; Craft Congress attendees will share knowledge and experience, creating a network and fostering the movement's growth.

Fifty participants from across the U.S., Canada, (and one from England), will attend this gathering of leaders in the increasingly popular craft subculture. Many attendees will stay in the homes of Pittsburgh hosts.

Local crafter, Jenny Hart, will be attending hier craft is embroidery designs and murals and she is also the organizer of www.sublimestitching.com and a founding member of the Austin Craft Mafia, www.austincraftmafia.com.

Craft Congress is organized by the creators of Handmade Arcade, (www.handmadearcade.com), Pittsburgh's first indie craft fair, which began in 2003. The idea grew from the indie craft community that was forming across the country, primarily via the internet. Countless websites, web stores, blogs and forums connect crafters. These new crafters are mostly young women, in their 20's and 30's, who delight in combining retro images with traditional craft techniques to produce practical items with an off-kilter, humorous streak. There is no right or wrong. If anything, the movement is defined by its eclecticism.

Fueled by internet relationships, the number of indie craft fairs across the U.S., has tripled in recent years. Craft Congress' goal is to strengthen the indie craft community by sharing ideas, experiences and discussing the future of indie crafting. Portions of the sessions will be podcast for those who are not able to attend. Participants will discuss best practices and explore ways to expand their markets, techniques for guerilla marketing, business challenges, such as "big box" stores' attempts to rip off the diy aesthetic.

A recent survey of 100 indie crafters found that over 25% have recently switched from part time crafting to full time. Almost 85% report their 2006 sales were up from 2005. They sell via their own websites, (56%), at fairs (90%) and in brick and mortar stores (47%).

Details

When: Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, 2007

Where: Spinning Plate, 5720 Friendship Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

Local Contact: Megan Refice Sublime Stitching LLC megab@sublimestitching.com. Pittsburgh, Pa. Contact: Gloria Forouzan, 412-583-8757 or gtforouzan@gmail.com.

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