Why traditional crafts are so satisfying (and how to have a happy marriage).

Posted on May 9, 2011 by John Morse-Brown

After watching the royal wedding (I couldn’t get away from it – honest!), we made use of Kate & Will’s present of an extra bank holiday by going camping. And on a gorgeous eco-campsite in the Cotswolds I rediscovered how satisfying it is to really live outdoors. I don’t just mean being outdoors but doing most of life’s tasks outdoors. Like cooking, eating, finding wood for warmth etc. And at least part of the satisfaction for me is the efficiency with which this can be achieved. A kettle full of water can be brought to the boil over a fire of dead sticks and twigs that have been blown from the neighboring oak tree overnight. I cannot think of a better example of efficiency and sustainability. (We refused to pay the £10 fee for a barrow-full of pre-cut wood, preferring to build wood-collecting into our day’s activities).

And this made me think of other traditional crafts. So many of them fit within this efficient and sustainable pattern, especially as most of them involve the use of natural materials like wood, fleece and clay. Crafts like wheel making, soap making and felting. So it’s not just the satisfaction of the craft activity itself – the satisfaction is increased by knowing that you’re using readily available and sustainable materials – at least it is for me.

And the happy marriage bit? Well the ‘work’ of camping for us turned out to be pretty neatly divided between ‘in-tent’ and ‘out-of-tent’. ‘Out-of-tent’ (my work) involved fetching water, making fires, washing up, cooking, all of which I was very happy to do. All the manly stuff :-) And Becky seemed happy to do the ‘in-tent’ stuff. And not only that – she was glad I was doing the ‘out-of-tent’ stuff. Both busy, both glad the other is doing the work you are not doing yourself. A great division of labour.

So are we selling up and moving to an eco-camp? Er not yet…



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Crafts: why are they getting more popular?

Posted on April 4, 2011 by John Morse-Brown

The Case for working with your hands, or why office work is bad for us and fixing things feels good.The Case for working with your hands by Matthew Crawford

I’m reading a very interesting book at the moment: The Case for Working with your Hands, Or Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing Things Feels Good. Variously described as: ‘A next-generation Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to rally the millions who feel emotionally disconnected from work (Financial Times); ‘A deep exploration of craftsmanship by someone with real hands-on knowledge. Quirky, surprising and moving.‘ (Richard Sennett), and ‘a beautiful little book about human excellence (New York Times).

The bit that has really jumped out at me so far is the story about when Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in 1913. When Mr Ford wanted to hire an extra 100 workers to man the line, he actually had to hire 963 workers. Why? Because when they discovered what they were being asked to do, 863 of the new workers simply walked out. The work was so far removed from the way they were used to working that they just downed tools in disgust and left.

I think this speaks volumes. Before Mr Ford’s assembly line, these guys’ work (I’m not being sexist – it was mostly men) was so much richer and rewarding. They had to have a massive range of skills, from tree felling to technical carpentry to metalwork. Henry Ford’s assembly line broke their work up into little mindless chunks and got lots of people to do small bits of it, repetitively.

It may seem a bit of a leap from car assembly lines in 1913 to crafts today, but I wonder if one of the reasons crafts are enjoying a boom in interest is because we hanker after a more complete kind of work. Work where we are the master of the process from start to finish, instead of where we just get good at one little bit and never see the whole. SO many jobs today are like this – the manager carries the whole process in his head, and doles out bits to people under him. All in the name of efficiency and a better bottom line. But when you make a bar or soap for example, you are in charge of the whole process, from buying the ingredients, making the mold, mastering the chemical reactions, colouring, frangrancing and then using it. So much more satisfying than piece-work.

The Case for Working with your Hands, Or Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing Things Feels Good

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Why do we make things? What drives our creativity?

Posted on March 12, 2011 by admin

These days, more than ever, it’s almost always cheaper (and definitely always easier) to buy something rather than make it. From fashion to furniture, cooking to crafts there is either a shop very near you, or a website in your pocket that will sell it to you, for less than the sum of its parts, in the time it takes to click a mouse. Add to this the fact that our lives seem busier than ever juggling work, leisure, home and children and it becomes increasingly difficult to justify making anything at all.

So why do we still make things? Why, instead of the art of making things dying out, has there been a huge increase in the popularity of hand-made crafts? Why do we subject ourselves to complicated, messy, and even dangerous making processes to end up with something that we could often buy in the shops for the change in our pockets? Take soap making for example: the choice is a bar of beautifully packaged, sweet smelling moisurising vegetable soap for 46p bar from the local supermarket, or a whole day making your own soap using chemicals that, if handled wrongly, can dissolve bits of your anatomy (and that’s after you’ve cleared your diary, bought all the fragrances and essential oils, cleaned the kitchen, made the molds…).

Two friends and I are planning to make a ‘scratter’ this year (it’s a machine that chews up apples before they are pressed) to go with the apple press we made last year, and last week we went to visit a guy who’d made his own scratter, to see how he made it. Only it turned out that he’d made an awful lot more than just a scratter. He had made, or was in the process of making, a ciderpress (and 16 gallons of cider from apples on apple trees he himself had planted) a complete metal-working forge, a solid steel jack plane, two sheds from timber he himself had felled, and presumably many more items we didn’t get to see because it was dark. When you see making on that scale, the question ‘why’ stares you in the face more forcefully and it was this that got me thinking about why we make things.

We didn’t specifically ask our new friend why he made things (probably because our jaws were permanently on the floor so we were unable to formulate the question), but he did suggest one reason, to which after some thought, I’ve added a few more. So here’s my manifesto for making things. If you’d like to add any more, write a comment at the end.

1. Satisfaction. Last night I opened a bottle of homemade cider that had been fermenting for the last month or so, and it opened with a wonderful pop and fizz. I will remember that pop and fizz for a long time because I created it. It was the sound of a successful making process. The satisfaction that can be gained from making things is huge and lasts considerably longer than feeling you get when you buy something ready-made.

2. A connection with the past. This was the reason our scratter friend gave – when he was growing up, all the adults around him made things – he described them as being rooted in the victorian age; an extremely creative age when making things was much more common than it is now.

3. A grounding with the earth/reality. By this I mean that after making something yourself you end up with a greater knowledge of how things work, how things are made. You understand, just that little bit more, how the earth ticks. You get none of that from merely ‘consuming‘ something.

4. Curiosity. My wife found a quote from Picasso which sums this up: “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

Advertisers would have us believe that there is a huge amount of satisfaction and happiness to be derived from the consumerist buying process. I, for one, believe there is more satisfaction in making something yourself. Heres to making things!

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Crafts Guide Feb 2011

Posted on January 24, 2011 by John Morse-Brown

Welcome to the first of our monthly guides to crafts around the world in february 2011. If you have anything you’d like us to mention, drop us a line.

Craftsense at Bilston Craft Gallery

An exhibition highlighting the links between 18th industry and contemporary crafts. Historical pieces on display alongside items made by some of the UK’s best contemporary designer-makers.

RBSA Birds of a feather flock together exhibition

On display in th RBSA Crafts Gallery – crafts inspired by birds. Work by Becky Adams, Claire Brewster and John Moore.

Cambridge Contemporary Art

This is a gorgeous art gallery – one of the best we’ve come across recently (and much nicer than it’s website implies…) They have an excellent sellection of prints by artists such as Ruth Green, Clare Halifax, and Paul Catherall. If I had pots of money, this is one of the places I’d spend it…

Wonderwool, Wales

The 6th Wonderwool Wales event, the premier Wool & Natural Fibre Festival in Wales is happening on the 9th and 10th of April this year (2011).

The Contemporary Craft Fair

Bovey Tracey, 10th – 12th June 2011. Workshops, demonstrations, children’s crafts and lots more. A must see event for lovers of crafts.

That’s all for this month. Do let us know if you spot anything you’d like us to promote.

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Felt biscuits inspiration

Posted on January 18, 2011 by admin

Jo Caskie, owner of our book Felt Biscuits has emailed in with pictures of the biscuits and tin she has created. Jo writes: I loved these and found the felt very forgiving if, like me, your sewing skills are lacking. I made them for my daughter’s birthday so she could play with them when she has tea parties with her teddies! I changed the tin lid design but kept the colour scheme. They look absolutely great, and when Felt Biscuits is reprinted, Jo’s pictures will be added to the Readers’ Gallery page.

If you’ve bought one of our craft books and have a finished making a bar of homemade soap, a tin of funky felt biscuits, so sparkling acrylic jewellery, a set of handprinted cards, a felt handbag or a handbag, clutch bag and purse set, then do send us a picture of your creation.

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A creative new year.

Posted on January 5, 2011 by admin

I don’t know about you but I find the Christmas break an excellent time for coming up with ideas for the year ahead. And so I don’t forget them all in the blur of going back to work, I wrote a small list. Here it is. Feel free to add your own list in the comments – maybe we’ll all inspire each other to be more creative.

1. There was a lovely article in the Observer Review section on line drawings by Matteo Pericoli. I just love his style. And I wondered if I could combine it with some new printmaking books. (Printmaking is so far the most popular choice for our next book, as voted for by you). But in the meantime I’m hoping to draw a panorama view of our home city skyline (Birmingham, UK) for a new lampshade in our hallway at home. I’ll let you know how it goes…

2. Make a pinhole camera. I was given a kit for Christmas which I’m really looking forward to making.

3. Make sourdough bread and learn to forage. (I was also given a foraging course with Loaf for Christmas). I’ve started the yeast in our airing cupboard, feeding it every evening. It’s a bit like having a pet. Watch this space to see how it grows… And perhaps we’ll commission a bread making book too. Again, add your vote.

It’s only a small list but it feels like a good start to 2011…

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The future is in making… smelly cheese.

Posted on December 20, 2010 by John Morse-Brown
stilton cheese

stilton cheese

To end the year on a suitably crafty and Christmassy note… the Guardian has written an interesting piece about cheese… Economists say Britain’s future is in making things, specifically in making Stilton cheese. We can’t help you make Stilton, (unless perhaps you live in one of the designated areas of Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire, and even then, we might have to call it Stylton to get round the EU laws) but we could help you make cheese if you vote for a cheese making book on our ‘vote for the next book‘ page…

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Taking a pig to Muck

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin

Calgary Art in Nature woodcarving By Andy Coulson

Woodcarving at Calgary Art in Nature. Photo by Andy Coulson. www.ryburnimageworks.co.uk

We recently visited the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. If you’re after authentic crafts, I’d recommend the Scottish islands. We visited an amazing award-winning family-run cheese maker and a beautiful sculpture trail at Calgary Bay. Coming down the wooden steps carved into the hillside (not made from B&Q pre-planed fast-food softwood, but from local hardwood, all beautifully cobbled together like something out of the Lord of the Rings), we found the sculpture gallery. I poked my head around the workshop door at the back of the gallery and found Matthew, the owner, in a workshop that most guys I know would willingly sell their left kidney for.

We chatted for a while – really nice bloke – obviously very good at what he does but also humble and very encouraging of other creatives. He told us a great story about taking a pig to Muck. And by Muck, I mean the Isle of Muck, another Inner Hebrides island. They had to take this pig for (ahem) breeding purposes, by boat, and being a fun-sounding kind of trip, lots of people wanted to come along. So there was Matthew, his parents, a brother (who runs the cheese place above), a couple of other hangers-on, and the pig. The pig sat in the middle, with the humans all round the edge.

Just as they were approaching Muck, the engine died. And the pig was sitting on the fuel tanks.

So they had this complicated manoeuvre of trying to get this big pig off the fuel tanks so they could siphon fuel from the full to the empty tank, while at sea, with a full boat, off Muck. I can just picture the scene.

Later, after we’d been to the beach and were heading back to the car, I asked at the cafe for Matthew again, wanting to show him our craft books. Try down at the beach I was told. He’s working on a blue boat. And he’s got a black Audi. Hmm. I think I might sell my other kidney for a lifestyle like this.

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Interview with Joy James, Soap Maker

Posted on August 20, 2010 by John Morse-Brown

Joy James, author of make your own soap

Joy James, author of Make your own soap.

Interview with Joy James, author of the soap making book Make your own soap. Questions by John Morse-Brown

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a few short months off my 50th birthday, married with three children and three gorgeous grandchildren. I currently live in Shropshire on a dairy farm.

How did you get into soap making?

When I worked as the Marketing and Event assistant for Made in Lancashire we had a soap maker. I had never even thought about making soap or even how it was made until seeing Sue’s soaps. She gave me a bar of patchouli soap to use and from that day on I was hooked. The soap felt fantastic on my skin and I could actually use it on my face without it drying my skin and making it feel taut so I decided to have a go at making my own. Sue did show me how to make it but I spent a lot of time researching it from soap making books and the internet and experimenting with various oils and recipes and making a lot of notes.

What did you do before you made soap?  Do you have a crafts background?

I have always done crafts from a very early age. I can crochet, knit, patchwork and quilt, sew, make cards and scrapbooking. I have a real passion for using the computer to design my quilts and digital scrapbooks. I bought my first sewing machine when I was sixteen. Fabric dying is another one of my passions.

Job wise I have been lucky enough to teach mixed crafts and OCN level 2 patchwork and quilting for Telford College of Art and Technology as well as teaching a variety of workshops for the WI and private quilt groups.

Describe the creative process – do you do a lot of experimentation or do you follow recipes?

My basic soaps all follow the same basic recipe which I formulated with a bit of trial and error but occasionally I formulate a new recipe using more exotic ingredients or for a specific purpose e.g. shaving soap. I love to experiment.

Do you indulge in any other crafts?

I am currently crocheting an African Flower Hexagon blanket to put in our caravan; I have numerous quilts and quilty projects on the go as well as a few machine embroidery projects on the go. I also make custom bunting so have a few of these on the go at the moment.

Does soap making bring in enough to live on or do you have to suppliment your income from crafting?

At the moment soap making doesn’t provide me with enough income to live on but maybe one day it might. I would dearly love a part time job or even to own a shop to sell quilting supplies and other crafty bits.

How do you promote your soap – do you enjoy the selling side of things?

I’m not fond of the selling side of things I must admit but I do use Twitter a lot and am a member of a local group and I get a lot of my business from being a member of that scheme. At the moment I sell mostly to Shropshire based people and businesses. And of course, writing a soap making book probably helps!

What’s you favourite soap at the moment?

I have several favourite soaps at the moment but am especially fond of a new one I’ve just done which has lemongrass, lime and ginger in it. I also have one called Fairy Magic which is to die for.

What’s the worst soap you ever made?

Honey has a nasty habit of heating a soap batter up and doing horrid things to your soap. I made a honey soap a couple of years ago and that was awful. When the soap log was cut was full of holes with sticky goo and stringy bits in it. It smelt nice though. J

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a soap maker?

Experiment, read all you can but also don’t believe everything you see that’s written. There is some odd if not totally inaccurate stuff written out there. Join a good forum like Fresholi which is UK based and see if you can get another soap maker to teach you how to do it. It’ll take a good 12 to 18 months of trial and error and experimentation before you will be in a position to ever sell your soap. And of cours, buy my soap making book :-)

In ten years where would you like to be?

I would love to have my own quilt/craft shop. Teach soap making and also quilt classes but if I win the lottery who knows?

I would also love my own small herd of Dexter cows and some rare breed sheep. I think I may be getting some chickens for my 50th birthday as well.

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