Making a Life

Starred review from September 2, 2019
Falick (Knitting in America) profiles authors from her former Abrams imprint, STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books, as well as other artisans she admires, in a remarkable series of 30 vignettes that simultaneously comfort and stimulate. “Even though I didn’t need to make my own clothing... to stay alive,” she says of her own crafting pursuit, knitting, “I needed that bond to feel whole, competent and grounded.” Falick asks two basic questions, of herself and others: “Why do we make things by hand?” and “Why do we make them beautiful?” Among the artisans profiled are Natalie Chanin, who helped pioneer “slow fashion”; Charles “Chip” Dort, who cuts linoleum blocks to print fabrics; and the members of the African American Quilt Guild of Oakland, who use the medium to explore their lives and their California city’s history. Other subjects include weavers, spinners, dyers, and shoe, spoon, and furniture makers. Falick sprinkles choice quotes throughout: “For the next two hours,” says Elsa Mora to her paper-cutting class, “the only thing that matters is that we’re here and we’re going to do this... and do it well.” Falick’s treasury, sumptuously photographed, will appeal to anyone who admires the people dedicated to making the world around them more beautiful.