BOS - Lore - Censorship

Crafting the Craft

23rd March, 1999

While many people find it hard to believe, Witches and Pagans are just like everyone else. We work, cook, clean, pay the bills. And we like to craft! While the image of a craft such as quilting may be of a group of ladies at a church quilting bee, that image is just as likely to be applied to a coven of witches or circle of pagans.

Traditional crafts such as patchwork, quilting and cross stitch are finding new homes on the Internet. If you think it's lonely being a witch, try being a witch who is attempting to find a cross stitch pattern for a pentacle or a goddess applique pattern! There are now several web pages and e-mail lists that allow Pagans to incorporate their faith and their love of crafting in new and exciting ways.

Incorporating your belief into your craft can take on many forms. For example, quilting a goddess pattern on your quilt, incorporating elemental colours in your quilt or cross stitch or perhaps even using the repetitive nature of quilting as a meditation technique.

Here is a list of web sites to get you started Crafting the Craft:

Web Sites

Sacred Spiral - http://www.sacredspiral.com/crafts/craft.html

This site has come great Goddess applique patterns as well as a variety of other handycraft ideas of a Pagan nature.

SarKarNor's Pagan Quilters Page - http://members.home.net/sarkarnor/

This site acts as a networking point for Pagan Quilters. Great links page.

Quilting and the Craft - http://www.paganlibrary.com/editorials/Quilting_And_Craft.html

This article looks at what quilting and Wicca have in common.

Ashlynn's Grove - http://paganism.com/ag/crafty.html

Includes making a basic tunic, and other handy craft tips.

Paganism and Quilting - http://www.oocities.org/Athens/Forum/3567/GG8.html#Paganism and Quilting

Another article that looks at the history of quilting and Paganism.

Witches Stitches - http://www.visi.com/~kwallen/MainPage.htm

This site has a small but wonderful range of Pagan/Witch cross stitch patterns.

Latvian Cross Stitch - http://www.ndtc.org/hypermedia/students/gunda/gl.htm

The designs used in Latvian decorative arts and crafts have been in existence since pagan times. They mostly signify deities of nature. Over the centuries these simple designs have become more and more embellished through use.

E-mail Lists

Magick Stitches - http://www.oocities.org/Athens/Delphi/4713/

The Magick Stitches mailing list/discussion group was created to fascilitate discussion among Pagans, Wiccans and other Earth Traditions about using needlecraft for magickal purposes.

Quilters Coven - http://www.oocities.org/Heartland/Oaks/4720/

This list is dedicated to Pagan quilters. It covers a variety of areas including quilting techniques and also Pagan specific issues such as finding Pagan patterns and how quilts can represent Pagan philosophy and teachings.

Spirit Crafts - http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/spiritcrafts

The Pagan/Wiccan arts and crafts web site. Great place to ask questions and learn new skills.