Wildflower Farm Craft Circle

I must apologize. This group is in point of fact NOT a book club! We are a small craft circle. So if you are seeking a book club you are in the wrong place. Sorry. Not being a book club, doesn't mean we don't like books. We love them! We have a whole other group dedicated to books and meeting to discuss them. For the purposes of this group too we are not opposed to reading books and patterns and other things that support us in our crafting activities.

What is crafting? Well, it isn't high art like oil painting or sculpting such as fine art. You don't generally spend decades studying crafting where as you do when it comes to high art. I like to define crafting as creative creation of objects and things that are pretty and or utilitarian. I am on a homestead so much of my crafting is utilitarian. Making a wreath would be a craft. Painting the Sistine Chapel, would be high art. Crafting is something anyone can do. It's the small day to day homemade and DIY stuff many create. It involves many mediums and various everyday objects like yarn, or paints, or glass jars or anything else that can be given a purpose. It is our every day creative activities from candy making to baking to cooking. Crafting has a very wide range.

We are the devotees of the grey eyed ancient Greek Goddess, Athena. A goddess of inspiration, creativity, artistry, and crafts such as weaving and spinning and many more. She was beloved by black smiths, and is a fire Goddess, known for being brave, and intellectual.

This group is special in that those who tend to join genuinely want to be part of something. A sisterhood of creatives that gathers bi monthly to entertain ourselves by crafting together at our meeting location at Wildflower Farm. A small homestead farm in the heart of Massachusetts.

We gather, to craft together something all of us enjoy or do as just a feature of our lifestyle. Each member brings something different and amazingly special to this group in addition to their artistry, and personal creative interests. Once a season we put aside our independent projects to learn a new craft together as a small community. The rest of our bi monthly meetings we work on our independent projects together. A sisterhood of makers and creators each of us creating something of value for ourselves and/or our own lives. We love the community that this club offers. We tend to be a fairly open minded crew of all ages, and crafting experience levels. This club is full of dedicated members who make a concerted effort to attend meetings.

We meet in person on a small homestead farm that some say resembles a fairy tale, others have called it "alive," and at least one magazine has inquired about doing a feature on. The environment here impacts different people differently. Some are horrified by it's countriness. others get nervous about turning off the paved road of the quotidian world and traveling down the long gravel farm road to the farmhouse in the distance. Wildflower, can seem like a place outside of time and place. Some find it exciting. Others feel like they are coming home, some feel out of place and uncomfortable... Everyone creates a different relationship to this place with their reaction to it. I felt I had come home to my best friend the first time I met this place. But everyone experiences things differently.

We are a group that works in a way most won't recognize. We are a group that builds each other up, there is not enough of that in the world. Women building up other women. We are a crew that thrives on discussion as we work. Sometimes we disagree and find ourselves debating a wide range of different stuff amongst ourselves. We build each other up even as we disagree. We understand right and wrong are subjective and what might be right for one person might not be for another. We disagree with respect, and kindness, when we disagree. We think interesting discussions, viewing things from many perspectives helps us all grow as people. But only if respect is a main stay of the discussion.

For our last seasonal meeting every season,we learn a new craft together. This final seasonal meeting is the only meeting that costs money. You are not paying to attend. You are paying for the materials you will need for the new creative project we will learn together. Everyone else will cover the cost of their own materials. Aside from this last meeting of each season we work on our independent projects at our gatherings, and no money is involved.

The new crafts at our last seasonal meeting are chosen by those who have attended at least 3 previous meetings. Every member who has attended at least 3 meetings earns a vote. Everyone with a vote can present up to 3 options to the group. We discuss each one as we craft. The one that gets the most votes becomes the end of the season new craft. All votes are equal to all other votes once you have earned one you are on equal footing to everyone else that has earned one. In the event of a tie, Pikku, our literal dog member votes with the the club founder.

Our Rules:

No Karens. We don't need anyone desperate to be offended by really anything. If you want to try that hard to be offended might I suggest a pearl clutching club instead? You can even start your own! Karens also are notorious for their racism and other bigotry. We don't want that here. Profanity, a little weed, or a glass of wine or 2 are fine. They are also fine to not engage in. Up to each adult in attendance to choose for themselves. We are just not overly up tight. But there IS a difference between swearing about something and cursing at someone in the group. Please understand the difference, Thanx.

Don't be an asshole. Racism and bigotry and not engaging in them falls under this rule too. Interesting how that works isn't it? It also means, discuss other people's crafts/views/ideas/project/whatever the way you would want them to talk about yours. Do not make an effort to be offensive please. This is a group where we don't judge each other. There is enough of that everywhere else. Show up in your pajamas, wear make up or don't. There is no right or wrong and no one who is part of this group cares about the dumb stuff. We care about you. That you are happy, healthy and safe. We don't care where you get your clothes or what designer label or lack there of is on them. We are here to craft, do art, and build relationships. Not to judge and be cruel. Cruelty and judgement have no place at Wildflower.

We require proof of vaccination at your first meeting for admittance. We were founded by an ER nurse and an asthmatic homesteader. So safety first. When Covid is high in our area we ask that everyone test within 24 hours of our meeting. By doing these things, we don't require masks. By doing these things, we can prevent people from losing out on life and work as a result of attending our meetings. Thank you for understanding. I am sorry we make no exceptions to this rule.

We welcome women of all kinds, colors, all shapes and sizes, from all cultures, careers, and educational background. We welcome those who are LGBTQ, marries unmarried, with pets, without them, We welcome even cat people just don't tell Pikku the dog you have one. We welcome women with children and women without them. We welcome all political persuasions. If you can't handle this reality politely and kindly I suggest you keep looking for a club to belong to, cuz this one won't work for you.

A note on political persuasions. Politics isn't outlawed, we have no objection to these discussions so long as they adhere to our rules about not being a Karen or an Asshole. It is also not one of the reasons we meet. While we welcome all stripes, we do draw a line at conspiracy theories. None of us cares who is eating the pets this week, nor do we care who is from Kenya, or what is going on in the basement of pizza parlors on the opposite side of the country that have no basements. Save this crap for your pearl clutching club or your church group. Thanx.

Loving dogs is mandatory. Loving cats is optional.