Interview with Diane of Craftypod

Graphic for the interview with Diane of Craftypod

We’re starting a new interview series here at Dabbled — interesting people in the worlds of arts, crafts, & food — and to start it off, we have Diane from CraftyPod -The blog & podcast all about Making Stuff – www.craftypod.com. I’ve been regularly reading her blog for a while now, and she always has such interesting ideas– lots of great inspiration. So be sure to check it out!

1. OK, easy stuff out of the way first.. In 3 sentences or less, who you are, what you do, and how long have you been doing it?
My name is Diane Gilleland, but I usually go by the nickname “Sister Diane.” I produce a blog and podcast called CraftyPod, write for various craft publications, teach craft classes here in Portland, and for the last 5 1/2 years, I’ve organized the local Church of Craft. I’ve been self-employed as a crafter and podcast producer for the last year and a half.

2. How did you get into podcasting?
My partner, who is very techy, first introduced me to the concept. At the time, I had a website called SpinsterSpin [ed-no longer up, but here’s the archive link], which was about women who don’t seek marriage or motherhood. So my first podcast was the SpinsterSpin podcast. I loved being able to put a voice to the stuff I was writing, and I found editing sound to be the most compelling thing ever. After a couple months of that, I had a sudden thought: “What about a podcast about crafts?”

3. What’s your current favorite thing that you’ve created?
I love the Reverse Applique tote I made for CraftStylish. And I’m currently playing around with recycled book purses for a class I hope to teach later this year. But really, whatever I’m working on now is my favorite thing. I’m much more into the process than the finished product.

4. Portland sounds like a great place to live! Does it rain all the time, like it does in Seattle?
Yes! From November through June, it’s pretty gray most of the time. Our rain is fairly gentle – much of the time, it’s more like “misting.” What’s cool, though, is that on those rare sunny days, this town becomes one big MGM musical – everyone’s in a great mood, and all is well with the world.
If you ever want to come visit, I’ll give you the crafty tour!

5. What’s the deal with the Church of Craft? It sounds very cool… why don’t I have one in Atlanta?!?
Church of Craft (http://www.churchofcraft.org) is essentially a public craft group, but it’s also a church.

Think of it this way: if you take the idea of a church, and you strip away all the specific doctrines and dogma and ceremonies, what you’re left with is a safe space where people can come together, connect, and experience some kind of renewal. And this is exactly what happens at a Church of Craft meeting.

Church of Craft chapters, or “flocks” as we call them, are happening in lots of cities, organized by dedicated volunteers who care about the power of craft. You’re right, there isn’t one in Atlanta – maybe you should start it!

6. Who is hotter: Mal from Firefly or Angel from Buffy?
Without a doubt: MAL. I loves me some Nathan Fillion!

Thanks Diane for sharing your story and your thoughts, as well as your cool crafts!