Craftivism was the beginning of Sans Limites Crochet. I've loved stitching forever, but it was a project sophomore year of high school that got me inspired to actually sell what I had made. The project had to include the community, service, creativity, and involve at least 80 hours of work... other than that, it could be whatever we wanted.
Living in Fort Collins, a college town, I decided college students were my ultimate target. I set up shop with my mom's help (she did A LOT while I was in class) and held my first sale in the Lory Student Center. I donated all the money I made that day to the Epilepsy Foundation of America. My father has been studying Epilepsy and seizure disorders for longer than I've been alive. My grandfather suffered from seizures after he had a severe stroke. At the time, I was amazed by how little the public knew about a disease that's been around since the ancient Greeks. Epilepsy is still something very close to my heart. In a weird twist of fate, my mom (my craft inspiration, companion, and teacher) was diagnosed with Epilepsy after having brain surgery last year. It was something I cared about enough that it gave my little business a kick start.
Two years later the Tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004. This time I teamed with the UNICEF group at Colorado State and we held a bake and crochet sale for 2 days... and made a ton of money. Hopefully making a great difference.
Today there are many crafters that are inspiring and using their crafty awesomeness to make a difference in the world. Etsy features Food Justice at Earthworks Urban Farm, Gay Pride with the Queer Etsy Street Team , Etsians Help Clean the Gulf, and Etsy Teams GO GREEN!! All are truly awesome!!!
Current craftivism you can relate to? Suzy Thorne's Preemie Project in Little Rock, Arkansas. Check out her blog, and if you are a stitcher, consider whipping up a preemie hat!
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