Crafternoon.

Maura Madden is a funny and crafty powerhouse, and her new book, Crafternoon: A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long offers an  easy-goes-it approach to creativity and companionship. Her book as much fun to read as it is to draw upon for craft information, and it made me hungry  too (there are recipes!).

I first learned about Crafternoon when a fellow librarian introduced me to the author.  I proceeded to hound Madden about collaborating with me on some library programs.  She relented, and our programs are in the works at this point (more news on that later this summer).  And in the meantime, during our scheming, I got my hands on a copy of Crafternoon and fell for it.

Madden’s book is organized into twelve chapters, one for each month of the year.  Each chapter includes craft how-to, recipes, hints for the hostess or host, suggested projects for charity crafting, and excellent guidance on supplies, invitations, and not sweating over perfection.

Madden’s approach to the issue of handmade perfection is one of my favorite aspects of her book.    She offers pithy instruction alongside enthusiastic encouragement to do your own thing and not worry that your end result be camera-ready for a feature in a glossy magazine.  As she explains, “Crafternoon speaks to that space inside all of us that wants to make things and share the things we make with those we love…Crafternoon is about being around friends who support your work, who encourage your growing craftiness, and who inspire and get inspired by you.”  You can be a perfectionist crafter, a slapdash dilettante, or something in between–at Crafternoon there’s space for everyone.

If you are interested in sampling Madden’s brand of friendly, low-pressure crafting, then come along to one of her CrafterHours evenings at SpaceCraft in Brooklyn.  I  hope to see you there sometime!