Category Archives: doing

Slow TV

This is film of our Darning workshop, Meet Make Mend, filmed 4 November 2020 in the studio at Atelier Stroud and on Zoom online.
I’m doing a demonstration of English Darning, a technique from Hikaru Noguchi’s book Darning: repair, make, mend as published in the UK by Quickthorn, an imprint of Hawthorn Press. It’s quite lovely to watch while getting on with your own mending.
The workshops are run on Wednesday evenings at Atelier Stroud, in the studio and online. The next one is 9 Dec, 7pm, booking through Eventbrite

  • the finished darn, including the belt that was caught in the car door…

Crochet a Facecloth

Here’s a quick project if you’re just learning how to crochet, or remembering some skills learnt long ago. This is a follow on to the earlier ‘How to Crochet’ films in the previous post. I use 100% cotton yarn to make these so they can go in the hot wash, what we used to call ‘dishcloth’ cotton is perfect. It’s a great project to practice on and to try different sizes of hook or try new stitches to see what happens. It’s just a cloth, so it doesn’t really matter. If they’re great why not make a whole load for presents?

Day workshops are starting again at West Dean College in August and there are plenty of things to try if you’re out and about. The films are great though, if you’d rather try this from the safety of home.

Try out different edgings on your facecloth, simple double crochet, scalloped or crab stitch.

Keeping busy

https://youtu.be/PLWNEtMJSP4

Since everything has been cancelled for the foreseeable, West Dean asked me to do some online tutorials so people can keep their hands and minds busy. These are going to be a series, starting from absolute beginners and working through all basic crochet stitches. Once we’ve done that we’ll make something, perhaps some make-up remover pads and /or some granny squares. If you have any requests or preferences, let me know.

https://youtu.be/3_RwGN969xc

I’m delighted to have an article this month in Resurgence & Ecologist magazine all about the art and craft of darning, highlighting the lovely Darning: Repair, make, mend book from Hikaru Noguchi. All books are currently 25% off on the Hawthorn Press site.

Meanwhile, our Atelier darning workshops, Meet, Make, Mend have move online to Zoom. Follow on social media to get a link for the next one.

Keep well, keep busy.
Katy x

Darning launch in Stroud

Join us for the launch of a new imprint for Hawthorn Press Called Quickthorn. It will publish books about sustainability. Our first book is Darning: repair, make, mend by Hikaru Noguchi. To celebrate the launch as part of the Stroud Book Festival we’ve invited textile artist Celia Pym to run a workshop on 6 Nov at Atelier Stroud . She’s staying to raise a glass afterwards, so if you can’t bunk off work for the workshop, come along later to meet her and be the first to see the book. 5–6.30pm November 6 2019.

Darning at the last Meet Make Mend session at Atelier Stroud. The next session is on Monday 25 Nov, 7–9pm.

For new workshop dates have a look on the workshop page over here https://www.thecrafter.me/workshops/

Darning: repair, make, mend

I feel privileged to have worked on this darning book for Quickthorn, a new imprint for books about sustainability from Hawthorn Press. This is Japanese designer Hikaru Noguchi’s cult darning book, Darning: repair, make, mend, which is so good people have been buying the Japanese version just to look at the inspiring pictures. No need to do that when the English language edition is published on 1 Nov. We are also arranging some events to celebrate, including Celia Pym at Atelier Stroud and Darners in Conversation at Loop in Islington. At the time of writing this is already sold out, but you can console yourself by pre-ordering a copy of the book . You can even get 20% by signing up to the newsletter (and this doesn’t go out very often as I don’t get around to it, so you won’t get bombarded).

Darners
Darners: Rachael Matthews, Celia Pym and Hikaru Noguchi.

Celia Pym is coming to Stroud to celebrate the book for the Stroud Book Festival as part of their new Sustainable strand. It promises to be an enlightening day stitching with like-minded folk under Celia’s cheerful and patient eye.

Atelier Stroud are also hosting regular mending meet ups and a Repair Cafe, so there are plenty of opportunities to join in, share and learn. The next Monday eve mending session will be 28 October, 7-9pm. These are super casual and drop in. We’d love to see you.

http://www.atelierstroud.co.uk/product/celia-pym-mending/