I almost always notice that there's something missing from my life when I'm not actively making things. And by making, I mean building, designing, piecing and crafting with my hands specifically. I noticed during the last year when I was finishing up my undergrad work and had my sewing machine put up in storage. I noticed when I tried to clean out and pack up as much of our house as I could and all my crochet hooks went to live in box buried in the closet. There's something I find so profoundly satisfying about crafting, I've come to think of it as my own spiritual practice.

I think that the Wikipedia definition of Spirituality is a pretty good one:

Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.

I've found that the process of creating -- whatever medium I'm working with -- fabric, yarn, metal, clay or paper -- from start to finish, design to completion, gives me time and space for reflection on the choices I make within the scope of the project. It gives me opportunity to know who I am at the aesthetic, artistic, creative level, and room to find the realistic applications of that self . The finished craft is a product and proof of my process, which is uniquely different -- even if I'm following directions or hacking apart something someone else came up with first.

I'm working on a project and I'll tell you about it now -- it's a little book of crochet patterns for dishcloths and corresponding meditations/thoughts on my process. I know I've said before that it's my guilty little craft pleasure, but it's honestly the most relaxing craft form and application I've ever come across (with embroidery as a possible second). It makes me sound borderline insane I know, but when I'm crocheting a dishcloth, my inner monologue runs out of steam and I just do it without thinking about much of anything and it's fabulous. (I experience a similar feeling when I'm skating or doing yoga). I've never been able to do sitting meditation, but I can park in my comfy chair for an hour or so and whip up a dish cloth and feel just peachy about my place in the universe (and then I can wash dishes with it).

More from Wikipedia:

Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life. It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world.

There's really only one reason that so many crafty blogs exist. We inspire each other. We're in awe of the talent we see in others and we want to find that same well of creative genius in ourselves. Etsy pretty much blows my mind every time I look at the front page. It's a testament to the potential of regular artists and creators like us (regular people like me! and look! they make beautiful things!).

There's a reason why our mothers didn't throw out those now ratty quilts their mother's made -- why we hold on to hand-embroidered hankies we find in our grandmother's linen closets. The crafts we make become our legacy. They hold our memories, our family histories, our DNA, and we treasure them and care for them. When I die, my kids will have to sift through the massive trove of stuff I've made and divide it up somehow. I'm certain a good chunk of it will wind up in second hand shops (all those washcloths!!), but even then, it can have new life. DIY-ers like myself dive after vintage quilt blocks, granny afghans and crewel-work. I always think of the people who made these things and hope that my remake will honor their work, their choices and process, and their creative souls.

If that's not transcendent, I'm not sure what is.

The idea of crafting as a spiritual practice isn't original. I first ran across this concept on the internet in the form of the Church of Craft. I'd like to incorporate more of my process into my writings here also and if you're a soul-crafter, I hope you'll join in the discussion too.

Here are some questions I aim to answer. Do you have any comments or suggestions for further explorations on this topic? Please leave me a comment or shoot me an email!

1. Why is making things satisfying?
2. What do we find about ourselves through the process?
3. What do we find about others through the process?
4. What do we think/feel about the things we make?
5. How are we known/revealed through the things we make?

In the meantime, I've started cutting fabric for this quilt-a-long on Oh, Fransson! It looks totally intense and I'm loving that about the project. I've got the red print blocks cut, but I'll have to run to the quilt shop for the solids. My goals for the project include keeping accurate seam allowance, and patience. Oooooh the patience for 1600 little 2-inch blocks. It's just going to be fantastic.

Here's a fantastic easy origami paper craft. I learned how to fold these pretty paper butterflies in middle school. Time to share!

(Sorry about the chipped blue nail polish and chewed up thumb -- it's been a long week. For those who are interested in an update, my dad is doing much better and will be coming home from the hospital after all! Thanks to the amazing folks at OSU Medical Center who figured out his strange and rare illness! xoxo)

The first thing you need is a rectangle of paper. You can cut or tear a piece of origami paper, or just make a rectangle with a 2:1 ratio.

Fold the paper in half and unfold it -- white side up. Fold the corners down toward the center line.

Now fold the sides in again toward the center like this:

Now flip it over and let the back crease unfold like this:

Take the top point and fold it down to meet with the bottom point(s). Unfold it. Now, fold the top again down to the center line. Like this:

Now, fold the top corner down again and tuck it into the flap on the lower half like this:

Fold your butterfly in half so the wings go down, then fold up each wing separately.

The last thing you'll do is tuck the little wing flap in like this:

The end! You made a pretty paper butterfly.

Now, go around your house and gather up all kinds of different paper. Try velum. Try newsprint. Try magazine pages.

Fold up a flat-rate box from the post office and fill it with butterflies. Send it to someone who needs a lift.

Go to Swap-bot.com and sign up for this swap! If you're not a member of swap-bot and you still want to swap butterflies with someone, leave me a comment or email me at honeybeehill (at) gmail.com and I will hook you up with a fantastic partner.

Have fun and don't fold your eye out!