A voice for craft

Tim Noad @teanoad has been awarded an MBE in the King`s Birthday Honours, in recognition of his international reputation as one of the most accomplished artists and craftspeople working in his field, combining heraldry, calligraphy, design and illustration.

Tim was nominated by Heritage Crafts in 2022, and is likely to be one of a number of nominations for him, having since designed The King’s Royal Cypher and the Stole Royal which His Majesty wore at his coronation.

The charity – which was set up in 2009 to support and champion traditional craft skills – has made 32 previously successful nominations for National Honours since 2013, believing that the vernacular craft skills practised across the UK deserve as much recognition as other popularly-celebrated forms of culture.

Read more via the linktr.ee in our bio.

This week’s #craftfocus is passementrie.

Passementerie is the making of elaborate trimmings such as tassels, braids, gold or silver cord, fringing or edgings for clothing or furnishings.

Skills involved in passementerie comprise dyeing, cord-spinning, weaving and tassel-making, which are coordinated to produce mainly bespoke work.

Dyeing – although usually carried out in independent dye workshops, the dyeing of silk yarn to match the furnishing fabrics on which the trimmings are to be mounted is integral to the design of the end product.

Cord-spinning – whereby component parts used in weaving and tassel-making are produced. The cord-spinner produces ropes, cords and gimps which can be immensely complex, and it is this aspect of passementerie which is most at risk, as it can only be learned by watching and following an already skilled craftsperson.

Weaving – bands, braids and fringes of a range of different formations are woven on a ‘trimmings’, ‘ribbon’ or ‘narrow’ loom.

Tassel-making – the making of tassels and tassel tie-backs, usually using a wooden mould in the centre and covered with silk or other threads, and with gimps and bullions made by the cord-spinner, and often made to co-ordinate with the woven trimmings. The tassel-maker, like the weaver, attaches handmade ‘hangers’, ‘drops’ and ‘jasmines’.

Passementerie is classified as endangered on our crafts list. Increasingly, passementerie is manufactured in greater quantities on power machinery by large manufacturers, and in many countries. While there is still a place for handmade pieces, the market is small, with competition between companies.

Training is often done in-house, without any system of qualification or professional recognition. Cord-spinning is considered the most at risk element and many practitioners are reaching retirement age.

Images: Elizabeth Ashdown @ashdowntextiles

#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #passementerie

This week’s #mondaymaker is Kitty Griffiths – a bespoke goldsmith, working with precious metals.

Kitty studied a Metalwork and Jewellery degree at Sheffield Hallam University, where her love for metal began. Kitty works with colourful diamonds and carved gemstones, using traditional but playful stone setting styles to create a free spirited twist on classic fine jewellery. Since graduating in 2013, Kitty has worked within the trade for a number of bespoke jewellers and designers. Honing her skills and knowledge, Kitty has set up her own business and brand, ‘Kitty Griffiths Jewellery’, based in Brighton.

#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #goldsmithining #jewellerymaking