Becky Stern is an artist and tutorial maker whose work combines traditional crafts like embroidery, knitting, and jewelry-making with electronics and physical computing technologies like Arduino. She is a Video Producer for MAKE, the preeminent do-it-yourself (DIY) technology publication, where she co-hosts the streaming show-and-tell Make: Live, as well as CRAFT, the online journal “transforming traditional crafts.” Stern makes and sells a line of geeky jewelry and accessories and shows off her artwork at sternlab.org.
All events are at Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.
Sunday, October 2
7:00pm – Opening Program: Becky Stern Is from the Future (south rec room)
Becky Stern wants to show you how to be fearlessly awesome by making things and sharing them. She’ll share with you her geek-chic artwork and preview the week’s program of events.
Monday, October 3
7:00pm – Free Range Monsters (south rec room)
Learn to hand-sew a new friend, perfect for beginners. We’ll stitch up some unique monsters from fabric scraps. Monster supplies will be provided but feel free to bring festive yarn, an old washcloth, or anything else to dress up your creation.
Tuesday, October 4
7:00pm – Get Yourself a Blog (south rec room)
Learn how easy it is to set up your own site to document your projects, thoughts, photos and videos. Get your digital life organized and coordinate your social media to be the next internet celebrity. Bring a laptop if you have one.
Wednesday, October 5
7:00pm – LED Embroidery (south rec room)
Use Becky’s LED sewing kit to stitch lights into an embroidered picture. This introductory soft circuit project will let you embellish your jacket, bag, or the sample fabric provided. Bring your enthusiasm for sewing and electronics, though no knowledge of either is required.
Thursday, October 6
7:00pm – Show and Tell and Document (south rec room)
Bring something (anything) you’ve made for show-and-tell. We’ll share processes and discover each other’s projects. We’ll discuss tips for documenting your projects with photos and presenting them online. Bring your digital camera and laptop if you have them.