Meet the Makers – Sarah Conn
Tell us about yourself.
The name’s Sarah and I am a big lover of all things cute and felty. Most people are surprised of my enthusiasm for bats, snakes, and dragons, but dragons are basically snakes with bat wings (or bats with scales and claws), so it’s not that much of a stretch. I’m fond of hand-sewing felt plushes, though I am expanding out into fleece and clothing in the near future.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I am presenting my game, Bats in the Belfry, which basically acts like a beanbag game, only the bean bags are bean BATS. You have to attempt to ring the bell in the wood and plasticore belfry or, alternatively, you must get all five bats in the belfry to win. In addition to my game, I will be showcasing my Les Misérables singing bat collection, featuring 20 bats based on the Les Misérables theater production and book. Some of the bats will sing 10-second chipmunk voiced versions of the musical numbers. Please stop on by!
Why is making important to you?
Making is a way of finding community and friends for me. Without my maker friends egging me on, I definitely would not have the encouragement to make all of the crazy things I’ve made. Sewing is also a very calming exercise for me that grounds me in my very busy and fast-paced life.
What was the first thing you remember making?
My grandma was a big quilter back in the day and I was determined to follow her. So determined, in fact, that I stole into my mother’s sewing cabinet and cut up all her nice, expensive upholstery fabric and an expensive bed sheet to make my jagged quilt pieces. She discovered this fact when I came crying to her when I accidentally sewed my masterpiece through my dress and somehow into my tights. I swear I’ve improved since then.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
The sheer undertaking for my Les Misérables bat project makes me amazed that I’ve stuck with and finished it, but I’d have to say one of my pride and joys is my giant hand-sewn Toothless, from DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
With an unlimited budget and time, I would probably design a bat and dragon army and maybe make some giant metal structures to go with. I’ve got some serious plans for more singing bats (Wicked with Elpha-bat and Batlina/Blinda and the Bat-dom of the Opera spring to mind) as well as other literature and pop culture icons (Elizabeth Benn-bat and Batswilliam Darcy, anyone? Or Steven Bat-iverse?). I’ve been saving up for some dragon and dinosaur patterns, so those could be in the future as well.