Let's Move the Needle

Starred review from July 1, 2024

Downey (design and business, Columbia Coll.) is the artist behind Badass Cross Stitch and a longtime activist. When she returned to stitching during a period of personal burnout, she found that her creative work aligned with her community organizing and activism efforts. These interconnecting spheres led her to craftivism, a centuries-old merging of handmaking and activism that has spread widely through online creative communities. In this guide, she takes aspiring activists through a step-by-step approach to defining problems, building coalitions, setting goals, and developing messaging to motivate and engage. For example, she uses a sample community project involving a beach cleanup as a template. Throughout the book, she emphasizes her key message: craftivism isn't a "quiet, humble" form of activism; it's an impactful way to encourage social change. Crafters looking for specific projects won't find them here, although there are numerous examples of Downey's work throughout the book. VERDICT This is a practical manual for aspiring activists, crafters or otherwise, who want to make a difference in the world around them. This stimulating, thoughtfully-organized guide to craftivism will appeal both to activist-minded creatives and noncrafters looking for practical steps to help turn their intentions into action.--Nanette Donohue

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
Squirm a little. Sweat a lot. Because following what Badass Cross Stitch founder Downey calls craftivism--pushing change through the making and use of crafts--will require more than a little personal investment to make an impact on the world. Downey offers examples of craftivism through history, such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Welcome Blanket Project (which creates blankets for new immigrants to the U.S.), and groups like the Guerilla Girls, Stitch Buffalo (celebrating the textile work of women from Buffalo, New York's immigrant and refugee communities), and even the American Red Cross. A lifelong activist and dedicated craftivist, Downey peppers her inspiring and funky "get active" narrative with a lot of personal soul-searching and case histories. Most of all, this book will get readers thinking about how to make a difference and create the kind of world they want to live in, whether it's through craftivism or via some other pathway. Includes self questionnaires and planning templates.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.