Not Your Grandma's Stitch 'n' Bitch

Special to Seattlest by Ann Janikowski

If you’re one of those people who can’t even sew on a button, then you might be dubious about the extent to which such a skill could translate into a lucrative business. Well, it most certainly can and, based on the high number of giddy participants at Urban Craft Uprising this weekend, it often does.

Already in its fifth year and billed as "the largest indie craft fair in Seattle," this DIY event crammed over 100 vendors into the Seattle Center’s Exhibition Hall on August 1-2 to sell their handiwork and put a face to the craft.

But there wasn’t a Bedazzler to be found, folks. This here is the real deal-handmade professional grade clothing, jewelry, wallets and prints, along with other off-the-wall items like chalkboard t-shirts, journals bound with old-school textbooks, waterproof shower art, custom bulk yarn, sock puppets and dog treats. Need a canister of assorted buttons? Or a handful of syringes? We sure didn’t but after poking through these odds and ends, our minds started wandering.

Also on deck were a number of demos showcasing some interesting techniques. Did you know you could sew LED circuits into fabric? Or what about sculpting balls of felt using only a needle? UCU’s president, Moxie, made it look as easy as pulling cotton candy out of a sugar vat.

With the way our economy is going, this show is only going to get bigger, so if you missed the festivities this weekend or if you’re a DIYer looking to make your commercial debut, don’t worry-the roadshow will be back on December 6-7 for its fifth anniversary celebration. In the meantime, check out their Twitter feed for more info.