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Three women and one hashtag bring together crafters from across the globe.
Although social media is considered an antisocial pastime by some, it is a space for like-minded people to come together. The epitome of this being the #SaturdayNightCraftAlong, a global community (with hosts in Australia, the UK, and US) of creatives who share a passion for crafts, sewing, and quilting.
The idea began in Australia with blogger Rachel (@barefootcrafter) who “sat down in a very quiet house after putting the children to bed,” in 2014. Inspired by a one-off event, The Great Friday Night Sew In, and to avoid a lonesome evening whilst her husband was at a work function, Rachel made the impromptus decision to seek out other crafters.
“I thought I might see who else was crafting and wanted to chat as we created,” she explains.
The success of the evening led to bloggers approaching Rachel asking if #SaturdayNightCraftAlong was happening again, and “just like that, it was a weekly event, with a community forming around the tag within weeks.”
The trio
In the beginning, Rachel was “spending a lot of time chatting and interacting on Saturday night, and then again on Sunday morning to catch up on the international crafters joining overnight,” until Meg.
Meg (@teaandbrie) became the American co-host of the event in 2016 (up until 2021) before UK blogger Lucy completed the trio. “The three of us have worked well for several years, and they have been such a huge part of ensuring the continuing popularity of the event,” enthuses Rachel.
In a heartfelt post, Meg announced that she was switching from co-host to participant in 2021 to focus on other ventures. Thus, Lisa (@lisapinenotes) took the reins.
“I’m very thankful for them! It now means the party is always rolling – if it’s Saturday night somewhere, there’s an SNCA host to welcome you to the community! I kick off around 6pm AEST, and love jumping back in on Sunday mornings with the US crew, for what we Aussies affectionately refer to as the #SNCAafterparty,” explains Rachel.
A charming conversation with Lucy
“I met Rachel through joining in with the craft along,” explains British co-host, Lucy. “She’s a wonderful person who is genuinely passionate about having a positive and encouraging community.”
Since the age of seven, Lucy found joy making “friendship bracelets and scrunchies” alongside her gran, who also taught the now 42-year-old to embroider and knit.
Lucy’s childhood hobby flourished into a creative career as a designer and demonstrator on the Sewing Quarter channel. “Presenting was a lot of hard work and preparation, but the demonstrations were so fun. I always tried to show the important steps in making a project, as well as giving more general sewing tips and tricks,” she recalls.
Throughout her years as a designer, Lucy has made quilts, cushions, table runners, and patterns. “Sewing gives me peace”, explains Lucy, who shares her creations and journey on her blog Charm About You.
Join the global community
With 70k hashtags (and counting) the #SaturdayNightCraftAlong continues to welcome new and old participants.
“I’ve made some great friends through the SNCA,” explains Rachel, who loves “seeing regulars from the old days doing cool things in their crafting lives and meeting new people each week.”
Rachel’s impromptu decision to avoid an otherwise lonesome evening in 2014 has not only materialised into a creative community but brought people together. A tag that has “taken on a life of its own,” and never ceases to humble its creator as she watches how “enthusiastically the craft community has embraced it.”
