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Writing this craft column for the past 14 months has been one of the highlights of my 28 years as a journalist. I’ve met truly interesting, talented people who can take an ordinary object and turn into art.
Each time I met with Utahns and talked about their craft, I felt their fire and love for what they do, whether they do it for charity, to relax or as a profession. For many, they believe what they do — crocheting, knitting, tatting, wood work, quilting, metal art, glass art, sewing, pottery — are becoming lost arts.
I’m entering a new chapter in my life where crocheting and sewing are going to play a major role. I’m retiring from journalism. I’m not saying this is the last column, but that I need a break.
As I thought of all those who have loyally read each and every column since 2015, I decided I’d share and revisit some of my favorite columns (even though all are my favorite).
Meeting Hooper resident Aline Hull, who was 96 a year ago, and the group of women who hang out with her weekly to crochet and gab was fun. They began hanging out at her 100-plus-year-old home 10 years ago. They find the time to be therapeutic, as well as productive.
Women crochet in a group started by Hooper resident Aline Hull, 96, on Wednesday, February 17, 2016.
Dianna Farr of West Haven amazed me with her doll-making skills. In almost every room of her home there were dolls, teddy bears and stuffed animals she made. Her passion, though, was making “reborn dolls,” a manufactured vinyl doll that has been transformed through various techniques to resemble a human baby.
Dianna Farr says she has been making dolls most of her life. She now builds, collects and sells a variety of dolls and stuffed animals.
People become attached to their trees and unfortunately, for many reasons, the trees have to be cut down. That’s when Kay gets a call from those who want to have their old tree stumps turned into works of art.
Ted Kay of West Point stands next to a “mama bear and cub” on Saturday, April 23, 2016, he carved from the stump of a tree that had been cut down in Hooper.
Some of her good advice: Don’t worry if the finished product doesn’t look like photographs in books or on the internet.
Ashlyn Szymanski, 6, of Layton learned how to make rainbow bubble foam with her mother, Brittany Szymanski.
Meeting Anne Datko of Ogden last March was truly a pleasure. The 81-year-old taught me that too many times, society has said, “women’s art is not valued, so we don’t sign it, and we can’t find history concerning the piece,” whether it’s knitted, embroidered, tatted, crocheted or quilted. Dakota has had many of her quilts exhibited all over the world. None of them are traditional, but they all tell a story.
Anne Datko discusses the stitching on one of her quilts in her Ogden apartment on Friday, Mar. 11, 2016. Datko makes art quilts with intricate quilting and abstract dyed fabrics.
What did end up on a wall was Michael Howard’s 15 inch by 20 inch Star Trek counted cross stitch design. The retired Weber County Sheriff’s Office deputy, from Roy, created the design, then devoted two years stitching the cross stitch sampler containing 238,937 stitches. I remember when I first saw it, I honestly thought it was a photograph because of how intricate the work was.
Michael Howard of Roy created the pattern for this counted cross stitch “Star Trek Masterwork” done on 32-count white Belfast linen, using 211 colors of DMC embroidery floss. It took him two years to complete the 15 inches by 20 inches design.
Now, as I’m heading out to find a quiet spot so I can crochet a baby afghan or two for a new grandbaby, I hope you all find time to craft.
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