Monroeville Mischief Makers offer a fun spin on crafting

They are Monroeville’s mischief makers, but not in the traditional sense.

A group of 12 working and retired individuals — the oldest member, Marie Bair, is 94 — the Mischief Makers enjoy socializing and celebrating creativity.

Their latest creations — a round robin exercise involving fabric — will be showcased in the Monroeville Public Library’s gallery space in August, an exhibit titled “CollaborArt.”

Round robin originators Marylouise Turano and Kathy Crawford have been trading fabric since the group began in 2019.

“The number of participants has varied over time, as many as 14. But there’s at least eight or nine each year,” said Turano of Penn Hills.

The projects for this year’s exhibit began almost a year ago.

Each September, Mischief Makers participants choose a panel or piece of fabric. Some will prep the material with a “flip and turn” method, sewing around the edges so the fabric doesn’t fray. The material is generally around 36 inches by 42 inches, a good size for wall hangings or art pieces.

“I like to add a hanging sleeve so it’s ready when I get it back,” said Crawford of Ford City. She switches out her wall hangings every season.

Each month, the cloth gets passed to a different member of the group — called round robin-style — until everyone has added at least one embellishment to the piece. When everyone has contributed, the project is returned to its original owner.

“It’s always exciting getting your piece back,” Crawford said.

The group isn’t for those who are very particular though. Once a piece has been entered into the round robin, the original owner has very little creative control.

“Any sort of idea that you can think of can be incorporated,” Turano said, noting there is a basic questionnaire with some guidelines. “But it’s a matter of looking at the piece and embellishing, not changing the aesthetic of it.”

No sewing or quilting background or knowledge is required. All a participant needs is the desire to be creative and the means to execute their ideas.

The pandemic didn’t halt the group’s creativity.

Members continued to meet in the library parking lot. They would take turns showing off their enhancements at a distance, then put the projects in each other’s car trunks for the next round.

“It was a diversion for a lot of us,” Turano said.

Sometimes family members even get involved in process.

“There’s a lot of people who have a bunch of creativity but never tap it,” she said.

The exhibit will run from Aug. 1-26, with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2. About 25 pieces will be on display, with a few available for purchase.