Queer Crafter Collective

The QCC in Curve Magazine

2010-07-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Queer Crafter Collective, along with the Queer Etsy Street Team, is featured in the latest issue of Curve Magazine! Click on the image above to read the full story - or better yet - head to your local newstand and buy a copy for yourself!

Rock-n-Shop 2009

2009-12-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

Come doing your last minute holiday shopping with the Queer Crafter Collective as we set up for our 2nd annual Rock-n-Shop. This "garage sale" event is full of vendors, crafty to thrifty to vintage, in the upstairs main stage concert room. Come grab a beer and shop to your hearts content with DC's queerest and craftiest collective. More info available @ The Black Cat's website. Doors open at 8pm.

237 Inc. featured on NBC Washington Gift Guide

2009-12-02T05:43:00.000-08:00

Lara of 237 Inc. was just featured on NBC4's Washington-themed Gift Guide! They chose her punk DC skull shirt, which incorporates the DC flag (3 stars above two stripes; history here) into a skull motif. What an awesome honor! Not into skulls? Lara also has a number of other DC-themed designs available in her shop: i heart DC, go skins, and a kids camo hoodie with the DC flag. Her latest design highlights DC's persistent fight for statehood and is called 51st state.

Comes see 237 Inc. next Saturday, December 12th, where she'll be selling with the QCC at the DC Rollergirl's Holiday Bash at McFadden's. More info about the venue here!

The QCC @ DC Rollergirls' Holiday Bash

2009-11-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

Come join Julie Yoder of Junk Science, Lara Watson of 237 Inc. and Meaghan O'Malley of Oh Ginger at the DC Rollergirls' Holiday Bash Saturday December 12th from 8-11pm downtown at McFadden's.

From the DC Rollergirls' website:

This event is free and open to the public (those ages 21 and up, that is). You can have your picture taken with Santa or a Rollergirl, grab tickets to our next bout (or enter the raffle to win ‘em!) and pick up some stocking stuffers at the DCRG merch table. And if all of this isn’t enough, PBR will be in the house with free schwag!

We’ll also be collecting craft supplies for N Street Village. Everyone who brings in a donation will get a free DCRG sticker and coupon for $2 off of DCRG merchandise! We’re looking for items like A.C. Moore and Michaels gift cards, construction paper, glue sticks, scissors, markers, chalk, crayons, erasers (kneaded and rubber), acrylic paints, “easy cut” & linoleum cutters for stamp making, water-based printmaking inks, paper towels, larger beads (wooden), stretched canvases, plastic face molds for mask making, tape (scotch, masking, packaging), smocks, aprons, long-sleeved shirts, latex free gloves, charcoal, and drawing pencils (2H-6B).

November's Crafternoon

2009-10-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

[click image to enlarge]

Please join us for an afternoon of crafts, art, creativity and awesomeness at Buzz Bakery & Cafe in Alexandria. This location is conveniently just outside of DC, right off of the GW Parkway or near the Braddock Road stop on the Metro. We don't have a special spot reserved, so be prepared for the possibility of squishing together at a table inside, or braving the crisp autumnal weather on the patio.

With autumnal sniffles and sneezes on the rise and the need to reduce our environmental footprint, the QCC plans to have a simple instructional workshop on how to create your own stamp, which will then decorate a hankerchief that you can take home with you! Just bring a few creative ideas, basic clip art or simple sketches with you and we'll provide the rest. So we have an idea of how much to bring, please RSVP by e-mailing us.

In addition to stamping your own handkerchief, feel free to bring along a recent project to discuss with like-minded crafty folks in the event you need advice or creative brainstorming. Have extra craft supplies on hand that you'd like to trade or swap? Bring those too - you can trade with someone else or donate them to the commity pot which will be shared with crafters at Crafternoons in the future.

About the location:
Buzz Bakery & Cafe
901 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA
http://buzzonslaters.com

E-mail us with questions: queercraftercollective@gmail.com

Goings on with the QCC

2009-10-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

When you have a collective full of hardworking and busy folks, it can certainly feel difficult getting things off the ground. In order to fuel our creative energies and share our strengths with each other and the community, the Queer Crafter Collective is starting a monthly event called Crafternoon! At this point in time, these events are by invitation only (apartments and houses are only so big, y'know) but we hope to expand the format and invite people out on afternoons and evenings in the future to various coffeehouses and meeting places throughout the city. If attending a Crafternoon event is something you're interested in, please send us an e-mail and we'll add you to the list!

Additionally, the QCC is in the midst of planning a Holiday House Party, which will be held on Sunday December 6th. Members of the QCC will be selling their wares and there will most likely be a few Craft-It-Yourself stations for folks to visit. Please mark your calendars and look for more information very soon!

Bike DC Shirt by Lara @ 237 Inc.

2009-08-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Washington DC, home to the Queer Crafter Collective, has an ever-increasing population of cyclists. Whether you're riding for pleasure or purpose, there is not a street downtown that hasn't be touched by the wheel of a bike. A great environmental gesture and a superb way to squeak some physical fitness in on the way to work, you can see packs of cyclists where there used to be a single renegade pedal-pusher. DC and its surrounding Metro area boast some beautiful scenic bike paths and trails, too; anything from a smooth ride along the Mount Vernon route down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon itself or up the W&OD trail into Reston and points north, there's a bevy of choices for skilled and aspiring bikers.

Faced with a critical decision, Lara of 237 Inc. made lemons (a totaled car) into lemonade by making a commitment to traversing DC via bicycle or public transit many months ago. Her energetic and positive spirit has turned this necessity into a bit of an evangelistic endeavor, by cycling even more and more for pleasure and encouraging others to do the same! In fact, Michelle of Monkey Grl Duds and Lara biked many miles to Buzz for a QCC meeting not too long ago. It should come as no suprise, then, that she created this new design for her line of t-shirts, which also includes an homage to our hometown with the DC flag inside the wheel's center.

Lara creates each design by hand and screenprints each and every one in her home with the creative support of her loving feline family. One great service Lara provides is the ability for you to pick a shirt color and ink combination to suit your fancy. Each of these choices is provided here for you and also in her Etsy shop. Support handmade, support queer crafters, and support folks who are making great decisions for themselves and for the world that we all live in.

QCC @ Capital Pride!

2009-06-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

President Obama declared June 2009 "National GLBT Month" and we should all finally start celebrating, right? RIGHT! While a presidential proclamation hasn't stopped any of us from celebrating Pride in June for the past however-many-years, this year's Pride will probably have a special warm and fuzzy feeling to it. The fact that our country is slowly moving in the right direction towards marriage equality, despite some hurdles here and there, should really give us something to celebrate. So come to Capital Pride's street festival this year, June 14th from 11am - 6pm, and celebrate our accomplishments!

Headliner: The Fabulous RuPaul
Most fabulous booth: The Queer Crafter Collective

We're not quite sure where the QCC booth will be situated, but we would love to have each and every one of our fans stop by and say hello. Support handmade, especially when it's made by local queers! Our booth will be wo-manned by Julie, Lara (of 237inc.) and Meaghan (of ohginger), but we'll be selling the crafty creations of all FIVE of our members, including Michelle (of MonkeyGrl Duds) and Mandy (of Molten Arts), our newest member!

You might wonder why we have a crafty group dedicated to uplifting and supporting crafty queers, and here's our answer: supporting handmade feeds the cycle of sustainability. If you're purchasing handmade wares, made with love and dedication by local crafty queers, you are effectively eliminating corporate control over your money and the creative processes required to generate materials and products. Buying handmade is also environmentally friendly, especially with the QCC, as many of our members recycle and upcycle supplies in order to make their wares. You also increase the likelihood that you'll have a wardrobe or home filled with original pieces of handmade art. Keeping our dollars circulating within our insulated community ensures that we are doing our part to sustain and keep viable the beautiful vibrance that is the GLTBQ community.

Ready to pledge? Visit Buy Handmade.org and sign up!

single and making it

2009-04-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hello to all fellow crafters! I just wanted to stop in and let you know how incredible it is to be a part of such an amazing group of women who are not afraid of success! Less than a year ago I was making t-shirts as a way of therapy for myself with only a dream of running a business. Now thanks to Queer Crafter Collective I have my own Etsy site and have been a part of two shows (going on four). The dream I have of owning my own t-shirt company is coming true with the help of fellow artists in the QCC. The best part is that NO ONE is helping me financially or emotionally. That's right; I have no man or woman giving me money or buying my supplies to make my business a success. The only people I can say have helped me are my friends in QCC. I work as a server and save what money I can to buy silkscreens, paint and t-shirts. It feels incredible to be living my dream without a man behind me (which is what I was raised to believe I needed). I am so grateful to Meaghan, Michelle and Julie for giving support and love that we work together to ensure the success of us all. Check out our sites. If you love crafting too then fill out an application. If you just love buying handmade goods then shop away! Either way THANK YOU for your support of local DC artists!

QCC has been hard at work!

2009-04-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment and support handmade by visiting (and shopping at!) the shops owned and operated by members of the Queer Crafter Collective!

Michelle of MonkeyGrlDuds has been hard at work honing in on her signature ear plug and cell phone pouch collection. These little pockets of convenience easily latch onto your keychain or slide into your pocket, keeping the contents protected and easily accessible. Her products are made from 100% recycled/upcycled fabrics, so you can also count on them being environmentally-friendly and completely original! Michelle is also making baby hats in adorable stripey and polka-dotted patterns, scarves with unique fabric and ironic clip art and phrases, handsome neck ties and even funky handbags! Check out MonkeyGrlDuds at Etsy for the full array of products!

Lara of 237 inc. has been hard at work cultivating a diverse and incredibly unique line of handmade screenprinted t-shirts. She works diligently at not only creating the screens herself, one by one, but also at formulating designs that are both thoughtful and incredibly progressive. Through her work she touches on sensitive and emotional topics like chronic illness, addiction, sexual identity and even the trials and tribulations of heartache. She also has created a few unique homages to Washington DC, home of the QCC! Lara debuted her "fuck jenny" screenprinted t-shirt at Phase 1 Lounge in Eastern Market a few months ago during the final season of the L Word, and the fever certainly caught on! You can find all of Lara's designs at 237inc at Etsy...send her a conversation if you have a special request, too! She's incredibly flexible!

Finally, Meaghan has been focusing on a new line of designs for her shop oh ginger. Using her love of the homespun, homestyle element ricrak, Meaghan has created a line of jewelry using this zigzaggy, inexpensive material. Combining vibrant, rich colors with copper, brass and sterling silver, The RicRak Collection is really like nothing else out there! Rest assured, though, that Meaghan continues to expand on her felt ball jewelry making obsession by offering unique, springy and summery designs. She's also working on incorporating smaller felt elements to her work, including eco-friendly felt shapes and textures! Please visit ohginger at Etsy to check out all of her designs!

If you have any questions about the QCC or its members, please e-mail us at queercraftercollective@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

QCC: New member!

2009-04-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

The QCC would like to welcome our newest member, Julie Yoder, to the group! By day, Julie is an English as a Second Language teacher and by, well, not-day she endeavors to create "recycled, reworked, reimagined" crafts for her tentatively named business, [rı], where she attempts to use at least 80% used materials in all of her work. An eco-friendly approach to crafting is certainly en vogue right now and also something the QCC values as a DIY/crafty group! We all try to rework and upcycle materials in order to create what we make!

"I like the stuff that I make," Julie says,"it's loud and tacky and doesn't fit with the muted-colors-and-forest-animals aesthetic that seems to be popular." We certainly appreciate this left-of-center approach to crafting; mainstream is for the birds! Not only does Julie create, but she's part of the amazing group of volunteers behind Girls Rock DC, an organization established to "create a supportive, inclusive and creative space for girls to develop their self-confidence, build community, stand up and rock out!" Julie is certainly a dynamic and exciting addition to the QCC family and we can't wait for her to open an online shop! In the meantime, satisfy your curiousity with a few pictures!

Upcoming Meeting - Application Review

2009-02-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

The QCC is meeting on Sunday 3/1 to discuss further plans for the group and also go over applications that were submitted by the 1/1/09 deadline (sorry for the delay, folks...January and February ran us all over).

If you'd like an application please e-mail us at queercraftercollective@gmail.com.

Applications for this round must be submitted NO LATER THAN Friday February 27, 2009 at 10pm.
Thanks!

This holiday season...

2008-12-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

From all of us to all of you...enjoy this festive season! Support the handmade crafters in your area by buying handmade. Buy from the QCC!

Monkeygrl Duds
237inc.
oh ginger

Become a member of the QCC!

2008-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

With a clear vision, enthusiastic founding members, and a whole bunch of energy and excitement, the Queer Crafter Collective is ready to open up our first round of recruitment! We're looking for a wildly diverse collection of queer-identified and queer-allied crafters, artists, photographers, and people committed to supporting and sharing the DIY ethic with our group and the greater DC Metro area.

[click the graphic to send us an e-mail; we'll forward the application]

Here are some of the benefits of membership:

The support and creative inspiration of a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds and visions, in a non-hierarchal collective format.
Ability to participate in local craft shows/sales at a reduced cost as a member of the group.
Participation in and planning of the arts and crafts section of Phasefest, an annual queer music and arts festival. Additionally, planning of our own trunk sales and shows.
Online exposure through our website and blog.
Monthly meetings with crafty tutorials and sharing in a relaxed, social environment.
The privilege of being part of unique group of crafters in the Nation’s capital.

Applications are due no later than January 1st, 2009 for this round of recruitment. We will get back to you after our January meeting. Please make sure you submit your application to us in one of the following formats:

MS Word (.doc)
TextEdit/Notepad (.txt)
or within the body of your e-mail

If you would prefer to meet and greet the group before you apply, stop by our booth at The Black Cat's Rock 'n' Shop on December 21st. It will be our first public appearance!

If you have any questions at all, please e-mail us: queercraftercollective@gmail.com

QCC at Rock 'n' Shop!

2008-12-01T09:09:00.001-08:00

Come to DC's renowned music venue and bar, The Black Cat, on Sunday December 21st at 8pm for their twice-yearly Rock 'n' Shop: A Rock 'n' Roll Garage Sale. It's FREE!

The Queer Crafter Collective will be there, taking up a whopping four spaces, with recycled/upcycled clothing and accessories, screenprinted tees, jewelry and other fantastic wares from our awesome members. We'll also have applications to join the QCC available for interested folks and kick ass buttons for you to wear and help us promote the group.

Please stop by The Black Cat's website for more information, including venue specifics and directions. We hope to see you there!

Check out our stuff!

2008-11-05T05:08:00.001-08:00

While still in the planning stages, the Queer Crafter Collective continues to create! Each of our current members has an Etsy shop and we've created a small collection of our favorites from each. Check them out and be sure to visit each of the Etsy shops (linked in the sidebar) to find unique and craftily created originals from DC's finest crafty queers!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
DCQCC

We're looking for members!

2008-09-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by! We're a small group right now, but if you are queer and craft in DC or the surrounding area, please consider joining! We're looking for just about any type of artist or crafter out there, so please E-MAIL US and we'll get back to you!Things we'd like to do with the group:

community focused workshops on a variety of crafty topics
kid focused workshops on kid-friendly crafty topics
attend local craft shows together and save on the cost of application fees
events for members of the collective to share their expertise with other members
provide an open and safe space for sharing, critique and advice when requested about the topic of crafts or a crafters own work
serve as one of DC's top crafty organizations dedicated to creating unique art and crafts, all motivated by the spirit of a collective

OUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: queercraftercollective@gmail.com