She's Crafty - Wonder Woman edition

Representation matters. I know this isn't really a novel statement to followers of this blog, but it's still an important one to remind ourselves of from time to time. It's important to be able to see ourselves portrayed in a powerful and positive way in the media. And by the same token, it's important to be able to see ourselves as these powerful and positive people. Cosplay is so much more than just wearing a costume. The impact it has on our lives is significant even when we're not in costume. It changes us. We internalize some of that power.

Last week I had a conversation on Twitter with Amadi about how awesome this photo of Melissa Benoist as Supergirl doing awesome stuff with these adorable little Daisy Girl Scouts. It's clear that her role is already having a gathering a huge following, even before the show has even started. And it's no surprise why. Young girls are desperately in need of this kind of role model. The reaction seems so familiar. It's a lot like how girls my age would emulate Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman.

@S_R_P_S me too! I made myself a tiara & bracelets out of cereal box covered in aluminum foil that I kinda turned gold with watercolor.

— Amadi (@amaditalks) September 1, 2015

This got me thinking about how much I still love Wonder Woman. She's strong. She's smart. She's brave and kind and all the good things I aspire to be. For me she still holds a special place in my own personal story -- dressing up as her is empowering -- and I still buy Wonder Woman gadgets and decorations. I love my Wonder Woman pencil box! I really want this jacket, but the price is well outside my budget. I guess that means I'll have to make my own Wonder Woman inspired clothing and decorations. Fortunately, there's no shortage of inspiration out there, all designed by incredible clever and crafty folks.

As a grown up, I don't necessarily want to use pasteboard if I don't have to. Diana (!!) at The Chic Life made herself a set of Wonder Woman accessories out of shiny gold fabric. She made them to wear with her Zumba outfit, but I could see these making a great casual cosplay set as well.

How adorable is this little amigurumi Wonder Woman doll by Clare Heesh?! She even has removable boots! It's part of a whole super hero set she's created and sells patterns to at 53 Stitches.

I know Christmas is a ways off still, but this handmade felt Wonder Woman ornament by Hayley Etter of Vintage Hummingbird is too great to not include in this list.  In fact, she's got a whole bunch of different geeky super hero ornaments. And to be sure, this doesn't have to be ONLY a tree ornament.

Even though it's still summer here, autumn is just around the corner. And you know what that means! Cooler temps, rainy days, and time to snuggle up on the couch with a good movie and a warm blanket. Like this really great Wonder Woman crochet afghan by Nicole Pellegrino. I really love the changes in the pattern between colors. What a neat idea.

I think I'm going to have to figure out how to knit just so I can make this awesome Wonder Woman sweater designed by Natalie Bursztyn. I love that it's made out of sparkly yarn. And that she purposely made the pattern so it can be adjusted for individualize fit.

All I can think is based on how long it's been since we've seen Wonder Woman appearing in a major media role (comics are great, by the way, but not nearly as far-reaching as TV or movies), it's clear that the love for her among women young and old (and guys!) is still very strong. She has been a symbol of strength and intelligence for generations.

My hope is that over the next few years Super Girl will gather as strong a following. It's exciting to see the attention she's already getting from little girls and their parents. I know that excitement intimately, and want to foster it. I hope to see lots of little Super Girls at Halloween this year, along with Wonder Women, Elsas, and other awesome female characters. There's certainly room for as many as we can dream up!

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