Let Us Entertain You

Crafts / Trades / Hobbies

This category features creations of LGBTQ+ craftspersons and tradespersons and hobbies that you might enjoy.

There's something about textures and the sensation of feeling that intrigues us. From the moment we are born our hands seek texture - we seek to discover what is behind what we are feeling. Our curiosity moves from touch to visual - when possible - and then processes those actions in either a present or unpleasant way. Our responses cause us to either pursue or avoid those sensations. Crafting and creating provides us with both the visual and tactile sensations. Visual by being pleased with our finished project, and tactile by satisfying the urge to use our hands - to create. We constantly seek out these and other sensations which are pleasing to us. Create. Live. Express.  -E-

Below are pictures of the quilt donated by Suzanne Horton and Karen Simmons - two of the quilters who created last year's quilt - to Montgomery Pride United for the raffle coming up in September! The winning raffle ticket will be drawn Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 PM on the Zoom video conferencing platform. To purchase a raffle ticket - only $1 each - visit the website below and follow the instructions.

Hello, I am Steph Tanner. I am a queer poet/fiber artist living just outside of Louisville, KY .   I work as a Development Coordinator for the Louisville Youth Group and I wanted to reach out and share my work. I have only been "out" as a bisexual woman for the past 3 years and it has been both liberating and difficult at times. I often wonder where I fit in queer spaces because as a bisexual woman  in a heteronormative relationship I have been made to feel like I am "not queer enough". Always too much or never enough...  Most of my work deals with that juxtaposition as well as depression, childhood trauma and heartache.

Occasionally, our ability to create involves more than the senses of sight and touch - they can include auditory sensations as well, as in the case of creating windchimes or musical instruments. The photographs below show how an ordinary wooden cigar box was turned into a musical instrument - a kalimba - an instrument, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs, the right forefinger, and sometimes the left forefinger.