Cindy Johnson, a new Subversive stitcher, told us about her Zoom stitching group and also about the tradition of Home Bureau. So fascinating that I asked her to write a blog post to share the idea. I think we should all revive the idea of Home Bureau and make it Subversive!
During the pandemic of 2020, the National Nordic Museum in Seattle hosted monthly “Craft & Cocktail” zoom nights where a docent described an art exhibit, a bartender shared a recipe, and a legit artist guided speed lessons in watercolor painting, papercut art, colored pencil cubism, among others. Living in San Luis Obispo, CA with travel limited, I started doing these classes with my sister in Seattle. Our group grew to eight, pushing ourselves with high level art learning but happy to divert attention from suggestions to inject bleach or horse tranquilizers to combat hoax-y COVID. These zoom art nights went on for nearly two years, and the time together creating felt like rebellion from the surreal state of our Nation.
When life returned to normal and the museum announced their “last” event, we panicked! How could they lure us to this artsy life and dump us like a worn face mask? We wanted to be artists, but without a teacher, we were sunk. I remembered my childhood in Western New York State from 1964-1982. The moms in our idyllic neighborhood had joined a craft movement in New York called “Home Bureau.” The ladies met monthly, Elmer’s Glue in hand, for an evening of friendship, bric-a-brac, styrofoam balls, and pipe cleaners. OH, the Christmas decorations that still hang on my tree! A miniature knitted sweater on a toothpick “hanger,” a wooden baby in a walnut shell, a styrofoam-headed elf in a felt jumper.
Time for resurrection! Home Bureau 2.0 was born in May 2023, with cocktails and a reading of the Creed. We’ve had two years of Home Bureau and lots of photographic evidence of empty cocktail glasses, laughter, and a fair share of failed crafts. One lesson we’ve learned so clearly is the power of community. Sometimes over a hardened bowl of baked, melted, and re-formed peppermint candies.
This year I've felt a screaming need for something more to get me through Surreal Nation 2.0. A chance visit to a funky gift shop in Los Osos, CA turned me on to Subversive Cross Stitch. I visited Julie’s site and spent a delicious hour laughing, screenshotting, and sharing the patterns with my fellow “Home Bureau” members in WA and CA.
September is my month to host, and we’ll be drinking a “Huckleberry Sin” gin cocktail from my Tequila Mockingbird book. I recently read James by Percival Everett, and my son is reading the Twain original for English class right now. It’s crazy to think parents in some towns have banned the book for (irony!) “racism.” No better time for September’s subversive craft. I’ll be stitching this:
p.s. if you want to take an even deeper dive, read about Stephane Hessel, who created this quote. ALSO, check out the cocktail names in that book linked above. Hilarious!