Craft status

At the recent Heritage Crafts Awards Winners’ Reception at @wentworth_woodhouse we took the opportunity to celebrate 23 of our 50 training bursary recipients from this year, all of whom are acquiring the key hand skills they need to have a successful and fulfilling craft career.

Image 1:
• Reianna Shakil @studiozrx, furniture maker
• Zein Harfouch @zeinhh.design, furniture maker
• Emily Salinas @emilysalinas_, signwriter
Supported by the @cityandguildsfoundation

Image 2:
• Winta Afewerki @winta_a_, tailor
• Leah Jennings @threadsoflobo, weaver
• Kuljit Jandoo @_sparklesandcraft, jewellery maker
• Angel Nkomo @Iamangelnkomo, fashion textile maker
• Aminat Seriki @s.i.l.e.nt.t, machine knitter
Supported by the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion

Image 3:
• Michelle Wong @mwmakes, leatherworker
• Rob Price @oldnorthnature, shoe maker
• Emily Perigaud @wildstyledogs, saddler
• Johnette Taylor @netteleathergoods, leatherworker
• Eleni Kai @elenikai, shoe maker
Supported by @theleathersellers, the British Leather Industry Development Trust and @worshipfulcordwainers

Image 4:
• William Appleby @willapplebysilversmith, silver spinner
• Annie Higgins @annie_higs, silversmith
• Rebecca Oldfield @rebeccaoldfieldjewellery, silversmith
Supported by @royalmintuk

Image 5:
• Clare Sikorsa @rm07_studio, tailor
• Rachel Spence @rachel.luthier, luthier
• Freya Bletsoe @@isabellaossett, polisher
• Kerrie Hanna @kerriehanna, stained glass artist
Supported by the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the Angelicat Trust, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Image 6:
• Jenni Bangs @thistlesandtimber, boatbuilder
Supported by the William Grant Foundation

Image 7:
• Lesley Romano, calligrapher and illuminator
Supported by @ssi_uk

Image 8:
• Phoebe Harris @phonservation, timber frame conservator
Supported by the @sussexheritagetrust

Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Angel Nkomo @iamangelnkomo, from London, began her interest in fashion at school as a fashion leader, but her hopes of moving into an apprenticeship or junior position within the industry were prevented due to a lack of qualifications. Her bursary will fund her place on the Level 1 and 2 sewing courses at the @fashiontechnologyacademy.

Angel’s bursary is supported by the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion

Angel said: “I’ve been working towards diving deeper into sewing and fashion design but unfortunately ran into some barriers. This bursary represents the chance for me to grow my skills and take my craft more seriously. It’s a big step towards me building the future I’ve dreamed of.”

Earlier this year, we awarded @ruthfarrisdesigns and @bea.uprichard of @fishbone.sycamore an Endangered Crafts Fund grant to develop new products and routes to market for silk woven at Macclesfield’s historic Paradise Mill @silkmuseummacc.

Now they have launched a new range of scarves made from one hundred percent deadstock silk using heritage machinery at the mill. They are soft, vibrant, and easy to wear, and every purchase helps save heritage jacquard silk weaving in the UK.

https://fishbone-sycamore.square.site/

This week’s #craftfocus is tile making (wall and floor tiles).

Tile making (wall and floor tiles) is the creation of clay tiles by hand or in small batches for functional or decorative purposes on walls and floors.

Once the clay has been extracted from the ground, unwanted matter is removed and it is mixed to the right consistency. The clay is then shaped in a mould and sand is used to prevent sticking; it is vital that no air is trapped inside the clay. Excess clay is removed by running a wire over the mould. The tile is dried until it is ‘white hard’ and then fired.

Tiles can also be made in a mould with a pattern carved in relief to indent on the clay slab. The slab is dried and the impression is filed with white pipe clay, shaved flat after further drying, glazed and fired.

Tile colour is determined by the chemical composition of the clay, the fuel used to fire the tile and levels of oxygen available during the firing process. Iron oxide provides a red colour, very high levels of iron oxide give a blue colour, limestone and chalk added to iron gives a buff/yellow colour, magnesium oxide gives a yellow colour, and no iron or other oxides provide a white colour.

Wall and floor tile making is classified as viable on our Craft Inventory, but threats include a lack of courses at colleges. The market for handmade tiles comes and goes depending on fashion, and it is very difficult to make a living exclusively from the craft, especially as customers may opt for cheaper mass manufactured tiles.

Different regions have different traditional tiles depending on the local clay; some clay streams are at risk of disappearing. Similarly, certain types of tile are coal-fired to achieve the right finish and there are currently issues in the supply of coal.

Images: Tom Chamberlain

#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #wallandfloortilemaking #tilemaking

This week’s #mondaymaker is Elizabeth Ashdown – a passementerie maker.

Elizabeth studied woven textile design at university and came to passementerie by chance, learning the craft through trial and error as there was no formal teaching available. Supported by training bursaries from Heritage Crafts and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, Elizabeth has honed her skills through many years of learning and development. She has now been running her business for eleven years.

If you want to read an exclusive interview about Elizabeth’s work, become a member of Heritage Crafts and learn more in the members portal: https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/join-us/

#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #passementerie