Hands Occupied Studio is Open!

The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!

Man, the last two weeks have been some for the books! I finished moving into the Hands Occupied Studio, hosted a sold out live show for the Very Serious Crafts podcast, attempted to keep up with my regular work, and held a Studio Warming party …. oh wait. All of that? That was all on my plate before the coldest polar vortex-induced temps in 25 years hit Chicago.

Fun fact: It was so cold out when I washed the outside of my studio windows that the cleaning solution froze & left streaks!

The Studio Warming Party!

Take a look inside the new Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago, learn about when it's open to the public, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see in the new space! #handsoccupiedstudio — *Just a few of the friendly faces who made it out to the Studio Warming party this week!*

Last Friday night we thoroughly warmed the Hands Occupied Studio. We had about 3 dozen folks in and out during the open house style soiree, and I’m so grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time and braving the cold to be there. We all contributed to a giant community weaving project as the first official creative act in the space, we had snacks and drinks, folks brought knit and crochet WIPs, and it was hopping! It was such a special evening. I can’t wait to see how Hands Occupied Studio will grow and evolve over time!

What’s next for the Studio?

While I first pursued a studio space to, you know, use as a place to do my design and other creative work, I also really envision it as an opportunity to foster a community of crafters. We’re starting slowly with weekly open Craft Nights (more on that below), which will take the place of last year’s monthly Meet Ups. Then I want to expand to include a monthly weekend Crafternoon, requested by folks who can’t come in to the city on weeknights, as well as out-of-towners who want to come visit. In addition to open crafting, there will be workshops, private lessons, guest instructors and more. If you’ve got any ideas for things you’d like to see in the Hands Occupied Studio, or if you’re interested in collaborating on something with the space, drop me a line at heidi-at-handsoccupied-dot-com. I very sincerely would love to hear your ideas. ❤️

Craft Night every Wednesday!

Tonight is our first open Craft Night from 6-9 p.m. at Hands Occupied Studio. (We’re at 3323 W Diversey Ave. #1 in Chicago. All crafts are welcome, and feel free to bring any snacks and drinks to share.) Mark your calendars! We’ll be doing this open Craft Night every Wednesday unless otherwise posted. I’ll make Facebook events for each of them as well as posting them to the Events page on this site, though RSVPing is optional.

Before I go, I wanted to once again say that I’m so grateful for the Chicago crafting community. Y’all showed up on Friday after a hell week of terrible weather, and I couldn’t have been more humbled by and truly grateful for the support. See you at Craft Night! :)