Crafternoons are so Spring/Summer 2011. Popping up all over the place are people coming together with old materials and collective creativity to make things like clothes, jewelry and other accessories. In addition to being incredibly sustainable, crafternoons are a place where people can share ideas and inspirations and tackle the notion of a “throw-away culture” to find a better way forward. Afterall, one person’s trash is always another person’s treasure.
This weekend, London based Crafternoon Tea Club are putting on a ‘Fash Mash’ at the Barbican. Formerly named ‘Barbicanoon’, it’s a chance for people to bring in old unwanted items to reinvent, repair an rework into new things.
Also in London, tonight at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, there’s an ethical fashion mini festival where plenty of making and mending will be taking place. Fashion designer Betty Jackson will be there and sharing her wisdom about buying ethically and how returning to mend and make do is becoming the next big trend.
Similarly, in Melbourne, two young designers are running a series of workshops called Wearit. They describe Wearit as an opportunity for people in the community to come together and swap skills and materials in an inspiring and creative setting.
In early April San Francisco’s hosting the Craft Forward Symposium, where various, makers, designers and artists will come together to explore how crafting has reemerged in the 21st Century. While older generations may find it odd that crafts are becoming a trend rather than the norm, at Green Thing we’re hopeful that it’s not just a fad, but a change of lifestyle.
Making old stuff into new things with a little bit of creativity is right up Green Thing’s street. We have Glove Love and Saved as our own landfill diverting clothing lines and we love a good all-consuming idea, such as crafternoons.
With all this talk of making, why not start your own crafternoon? Or start mending things that you have kicking around the house.
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
