It was once thought that hand-crafted arts would die out and that machine-made was the way forward. Happily, London Craft Week gave us the opportunity to expand our "artisan" skills beyond where we had previously ventured.
Sustainable Fashion at Ray Stitch taught us creative and beautiful ways to repair or ornament existing clothing items to prolong their lifespans and reduce waste going into landfill. As well as sewing and embroidery techniques, we learnt about the Japanese art of "Boro" which uses scraps of fabric to prolong the life of garments AND make them look fabulous in the process. Clothes Aid claims that "Great Britons send 700,000 tonnes of clothing to recycling centres, per year." Through repair and revamp techniques we can reduce our environmental footprint and create something uniquely hand crafted and special.
The Art of Cutting Letters at The Goldsmiths' Centre gave us an insight into the craft of working with metals and the tremendous skill needed for hand engraving. We were able to have a go at embossing using special stamps designed for metal - it was really difficult but fun!
“Crafting and traditional skills are hugely important,” he said. “Making things and passing on knowledge through the generations is part of what makes us human.” - Owen Morse Brown one of the last British makers of wooden hat blocks.