Katie Hawkey describes herself as a “Jeans from Old Navy” kind of girl and as far as pants and other garments go, feels worlds away from the urban fashonistas that will be pouring into AV-aerie on Saturday March 29th to swap, design and strut their repurposed duds at Chicago’s first Swap-O-Rama-Rama.

Photo courtesy of Swap-a-Rama-Ra

“I think of myself as an art facilitator,” Hawkey says.” I like to see (art) thrive. We need rich ways to communicate with each other—bonds that aren’t geographical or racial or related to a sports team—things that bring us together. There comes a point where art becomes more about bringing your inner self out. With things like the Swap—byou can use your clothes to identify yourself with a certain group, the swap is about letting people in on that. If you see people that look a certain way and you want to look like them—this is the opportunity—come learn.”

Participants can look forward to a day that is a little bit clothing swap and a little bit Project Runway. This is an opportunity for fashion independent, green-minded, and DIY-centric individuals to bring in unwanted clothing, fabric, embellishments and more and use the community stockpile to create their own, one-of-a-kind garments and accessories. Expert instructors and volunteers will be on hand to guide participants, and all the necessary tools will be made available for transforming “fiber trash” into wearable treasure. Finally, all are invited to take a runway walk to show off their fabulous finds, in addition to a Zoolander-style walk off.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama has been gracing the DIY circles of cities the world over before making its Chicago debut. Founder Wendy Tremayne created the Swap in the hopes of encouraging people to be creators, not consumers, and promoting the idea that the process of making things can be just as much a leisure activity as anything else. Revamping the traditional clothing swap with workshops and activities gives all the solitary knitters a chance to meet new people and non- knitters a chance to learn from the pros.

It’s this sense of community building among crafters and non-crafters that Katie is really excited about. “The idea is that you can turn to your neighbor and start a dialogue with a complete stranger about what you are creating—and you are in a partnership of creating that way. There are so many different artists coming together on this—I got most of my volunteers by grabbing business cards from other craft events and then asking for their help with the Swap. People were so excited about the event and that it was finally coming to Chicago. I’ve had people contacting me saying they are so thrilled we are going to do this!”

The Swap makes its way to Chicago thanks to Hawkey’s mom, Jennie Hawkey, who first introduced her to the idea from an article she read in a crafting magazine. Jennie, a life-time educator, had been working on opening a Folk Art school where people would be able to come together to learn and practice classic folk crafts like weaving and pottery.  For Katie the idea of the Swap became a perfect way to do some fundraising for the school seeing it as an opportunity to make a crafting connection between Chicago and her native Chillicothe, IL, where Jennie lives.  Jennie Hawkey will be holding a Swap-O-Rama-Rama in Chillicothe at the Three Sisters Park April 12th once the Mother Daughter pair has packed its sewing machines and supplies up from Chicago’s event.

Chicago’s Swap-O-Rama-Rama will give the hipsters who have reaped benefits from repurposing folk art to give back to the crafty traditions that their food-themed woolens and silk-screened squids emerge from. Hawkey explains that her mom is trying to open the Folk Art school to reinvigorate arts such as weaving and woodworking and help them thrive in a new generation. The Chicago Swap will serve as a fundraiser that will allow today’s successful crafters give back to the folk art traditions that inspired them by benefiting the Folk Art School.

“I am a life-time crafter because of my Mom,” Hawkey says. “My Mom is a weaver and there are other older folk arts like pottery and blacksmithing that are in danger of not having another generation picking them up. With this resurgence of DIY, people are really updating and reclaiming these crafts and putting a really urban feel into them. Birds owls, robots and cupcakes and squid seems to be this generations motifs for crafting. It has become a community a way to identify yourself and it gives you a connection with new people just through what you are creating.”

With workshops and activities to help even the most uninspired, Chicago’s Swap-O-Rama-Rama will give anyone the opportunity to get a little spring cleaning done and walk away with something new and personal made in the company of all your new crafty friends.

Katie says, “My hope is that people learn something new— meet some one new and start a conversation. I hope that they make something they will treasure much more than any thing they ever bought in a store and walk away with a little pride of ownership. You get to tell a story every time some one compliments you on your clothes.”

Swap-O-Rama-Rama will be held in Chicago at AV-aerie, 2000 West Fulton, Suite 310,on Saturday, March 29, and in Chillicothe at Three Sisters Park, 17189 North Route 29,on Saturday, April 12. Admission is a bag of clothing and a suggested donation of $20 for adults or $10 for students and senior citizens. All proceeds will benefit non-profit organizations Three Sisters Park, AV-aerie and Swap-O-Rama-Rama.