Friend and partner-in-crime Jenn and I snatched up tickets to see Wednesday’s screening of the newly released documentary film “Handmade Nation” at the Mezzanine in San Francisco. The film’s creator is Faythe Levine who, as described on the film’s official site, “traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos”.

We’d read all about it online and were curious to see it as, apparently, were a slew of others. Little did we foresee there to be a long line dribbling out the door and by the time we got in, standing room only! Actually I sat on the floor because the only standing room space I could find without blocking someone else’s view was either behind the left giant concrete pillar blocking too big a part of the screen, or the right one.

For me the film was an insightful and inspiring look into the lives and minds of the crafting community’s 24 makers and 5 essayists who were interviewed for the documentary. One of my favorites from the film AND from the live panel afterwards was SF local Stephanie Syjuco, owner of the shop Anti-Factory whose tagline is “because sweatshops suck!” In 2006 Stephanie started a hilarious Counterfeit Crochet Project with yet another catchy tagline which basically describes it all: “debasing and defiling designer items one step at a time…”.

photo from Counterfeit Crochet

As a relative newbie to the scene (I registered my Etsy shop in 2006 but didn’t really get crackin on it until about April/May 2008), I loved hearing the ‘how I got started’ stories such as how (if I remember correctly) glass bead artist Jenine Bressner got hooked on flameworked glass by playing with a kit she ordered in the mail.

photos from Jenine Bressner Fireworks

Afterwards, I was thrilled to meet The Curiosity Shoppe owners and Design*Sponge DIY editors Lauren and Derek (who also took questions at the panel), Natalie Zee Drieu from the Craftzine.com blog and of course we couldn’t leave without introducing ourselves to Stephanie Syjuco who was just as lively and engaging in person as she was in the film. It was also fun running into StitchCraft’s Nicole Vasbinder, whom I always love seeing, and re-introducing myself to Bazaar Bizarre coordinator Blas who was super-nice and helpful when I was a vendor at the 2008 Bazaar Bizarre Holiday Show.

Of course, what would a screening about the handmade life and community be without tables offering handmade wares for sale?! I picked up two items: a cool vinyl wallet made from a used tennis racket cover for Jenn, made by fellow Etsy seller mittenmaker; and a purty boatneck t-shirt made by textile designer Sharon Spain.

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