Make
Your Creative Outlet
Making things yourself, creating new friends and catching up with old, supporting local designers.
Past, Present & Future:
When I opened Make in early 2005, my number one goal was to offer a creative outlet for busy urban women who needed to escape their chaotic everyday lives for a few hours and create something. The void for a place that allowed people to make cool crafts, while carrying on my Grandmother’s traditions, led me to develop the first classes. Our initial class offerings read like a syllabus for home economics: Sewing I, Sewing II, Culinary Basics, Baking, Jewelry Design, and Tailoring. While these classes remain to be some of our best, I quickly learned that the need for an outlet like MAKE was much larger than initially thought. A small shop that I thought would just serve as a small niche in search of evening and weekend entertainment has evolved into a growing do-it-yourself community.
Women of all ages and lifestyles are finding that they miss the carefree days of their youth, where they spent time using their hands and socializing with others about nothing in particular. Granny had it going on. Many of the women (and even a few men), come into Make wanting to know how to use that sewing machine that has been tucked away in their closet, still in it’s original box. While their Grandmothers were domestic goddesses in the true sense of the word, the time for doing things ourselves got lost in society’s quest for professional achievement. Not to mention the fact that crafting became associated with cheesy flea market vendors and painted birdhouses with hearts on them. It was just not hip to craft your own home accessories or clothing, no matter how easy it could have been, or how much money you might save getting the gratification of total customization and achievement.
The key at Make is to take the traditional crafts that generations of Grandmothers blessed us with and give them an urban twist. Taking a craft such as hand embroidery traditionally found in wall hangings and cheap frames and use it along with the trends of today, on t-shirts and handbags in vintage patterns. The sense of self-achievement that left the classes was truly inspiring. Something so basic gave these professionally successful women such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I was awed myself, I mean these women were lawyers, doctors, advertising executives and the like, and they just couldn’t believe they were not only enjoying crafting, but that they were actually crafty! Soon they were signing up for classes left and right and some even went on to turn this new found hobby into side businesses. Selling handbags & other crafted goods to everyone they knew, supporting in part their new addiction, but mostly fulfilling their personal need for a creative outlet and the sense of accomplishment that comes from making it themselves. As we began to get involved with the community we began meeting some of Dallas’ most creative talents in everything handcrafted. Designers and Crafters were coming out of the woodwork. Who knew Dallas had this secret society of DIYers? We started hosting small bazaars within the shop to showcase these makers, though the attendance was small, the demand was huge.
I had Grandmothers calling me and donating attics full of fabric and supplies, telling me how important it was to make this a success, and that this was the revival of a lost art. They began sending me their daughters and grand daughters for classes and to check out the locally made goods for sale in the shop. It wasn’t much longer before I realized that there really was a larger market for these independent designers and cool crafters that had remained unfulfilled. Would Dallas really welcome such a buck to the mass consumerism that it had become known for? Would a city that is so car and shopping mall friendly really take to shopping in the streets under tents, buying handcrafted goods from local vendors? We were about to find out! In June, Make sponsored the first Urban Street Bazaar in front of the shop on Thomas Ave. Over 35 vendors took a chance on this DIY fair modeled after the ever popular culture of such cities like New York and Seattle. They set up shop in pop up tents, closed down the street, and sold their handcrafted goods for 3 days in the scorching Texas heat. It was bigger and better than any of us anticipated, it was welcomed with an out pour of folks and the long held reputation of a Dallas that loves to shop rang true.
Again, I received comments about how important this was for Dallas, and how beneficial it would prove to be for the local creative community. So much in fact, that we are now planning the next street bazaar for the end of September and already we have over 75 interested vendors that want to form a community and bring their craft to the streets of Dallas. As a community of creators, each one has invested their time and money into building this experience for the masses and filling a void in a growing urban environment. Make has now grown their class roster to include DIY activities such as Paper Making, Painting Classes, Screen Printing, Hand Embroidery, Stamp Making & Block Printing, Japanese Lace, , Ottoman building, Basic Chair Covering.
The comeback of crafts cannot be attributed to any one demographic, as we have learned. Some come for a Girls’ Night. These women bring wine, gossip and catch up while learning to sew. Some use Make to provide their clients with an escape from the hectic office environment, treating them to a floral design class. New home owners come to learn how to create their own window treatments and bedding. Mothers treat their daughters to a blast from the past while getting in a little quality time, and women tired of their role in a 9-5 come in hopes of turning their love of craft into a form of income. What these women all have in common is that they leave with a sense of empowerment, of self-reliance, and a new outlook on the craft life. Ironically, it is believed that women moved away from crafting, sewing, and cooking because it had associated them with a stereo-typical role domestically. Yet today we see a revival of women that have found a way to empower themselves as business owners or stay home with their families, thanks to the income provided by their craft. While it probably started out as just a form of entertainment or an urge to carry on a tradition, as it did for me, they usually do not even realize how important they have become in furthering this unofficial movement for all things handcrafted. There is something about creating it yourself, using your hands and your ideas to produce something. Even if the sleeves on the dress make it look like you are wearing a straight jacket, you will love it, you will feel accomplished, and you will have the desire and urge to proudly wear it out in public.
Come visit us at 313 N. Bishop Avenue www.themakesite.com
Whether you are coming to make to learn or to discover, you will surely find creativity in the air.
Things At Make:
Location:
313 N. Bishop avenue
(in the Bishop Arts District)
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) - 256-3061
shop@TheMakeSite.com
Closed Monday & Tuesday
**3 Doors down from Hunky's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
Classes:
Register online or in person - Registration at least 48 hours in advance is required to ensure supplies and instructors are prepared for you. Some classes require more advanced registration and student minimums, these are noted. Under 48 hours? Just call us, we'll do our best to squeeze you in if we can! Remember, we are closed Mon/Tuesday
The Urban Bazaar:
An event that Make hosts to showcase local designers for Dallas to meet and shop! Contact themakesite@gmail.com or www.urbanstreetbazaar.com for applications
Shop:
Come on in! We always have fun and creative clothing, handbags, housewares, children's clothing, jewelry and gifts.
Our boutique is always full of unique gift and fashion items. We showcase between 20 and 35 designers, artists and makers at any one time, with changes seasonally. These designers are local and everything in the boutique is handcrafted and usually one of a kind.
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