The year of thrift is nearly up...but not over!

So, our year of thrift is nearly up. But 

What started out as an experiment and has become a lifestyle. 

It's been so much more than the middle class image of thrift, it's a considering each purchase for its need and priorities.

No longer do we buy for the sake of it. We no longer do we treat ourselves with the excuse that we "work hard". 

Quite simply, if it's not needed, we DONT get it. 

As a family, we have instilled good spending habits in ourselves,

So, no longer do we go sales buying, no longer buying on a whim anddefinitely no impulse buying. 

We shop in budget supermarkets, getting good quality food but oh so much cheaper, we shop locally, engaging with the people we buy from at the local markets. 

Our spending habits have become more economic and we repurposed money more effectively. We spend with in the household income, living lightly.

Making savings are good but it's about stretching what we have to the best effect. We've been inventive, using freecycle, or posing the questions friends, for an old unwanted computer for example, When we needed a wardrobe, we swapped an unwanted desk for one.

This year has changed everything about us, how we live, how we spend.

Its a lifestyle now and one we'll continue. 

More importantly it's the impact it has had on us as a family and beyond, learing how to be thrift, living it in an effective way abd realizing the impact we had on those around us. 

Thrift isn't about being cheep or getting  things cheaply, it's about being effective with money and requirements, it's about being mindful. 

Life will never be the same again.

Festival of Thrift workshops

 It's that time of year again! 

Festival of Thrift time! I hope you will have the opportunity to travel to visit and enjoy. After it's success of last year, it's not to be missed. 

I was one of the workshops available last year and as well as bring there with in The Beehive, along with my fellow artists Jane Riley and Becky Sunter, we'll all be leading workshop there too. 

And I'm incredibly proud of my 16yr old son Reuben, who is also leading an accessory making workshop! 

You can now book the workshops for the 2nd annual http://www.festivalofthrift.co.uk/whats-on/ Of Thrift.  

An Interview with John Orchard, a 'Festival of Thrifter'

 A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to interview John Orchard 

( http://www.marchday.com/people/john-orchard/ ), a director of Marchday, the owners of Lingfield Point and co-founder of Festival of Thrift. 

So I thought long and hard about the questions, which ones would provoke great answers...and get in to the mind of a 'festival of thrifter'. 

Now I'll be honest, I don't agree 100% with every answer he gave, and that's the beauty of Thrift, we all do it in a way that suits us and our families. 

Hello John and thank you for your time to answer a few questions-

•How is thrift important in your life, and how does this influence your day to day living?

"Like most people I try not to be profligate. My Mum grew up during the war and her habits have influenced me."

•Have you seen a change in the consumer habits of your friends and family?

"I think people are moving away from mass production and mass consumerism. We’ve got chickens, we bake our bread and there’s lots of people doing that sort of thing again."

•How much impact has the recession had on the Interest in thrift? And do you think the Festival would have been so successful in a different economic climate?

"I think the recession has made Thrift a necessity for a lot of people but it's put it on everyone's agenda. At the same time the festival struck a chord with a younger generation who love stuff that's handmade, remade and unique."

•Do you think thrift is mainly focussing on past generations experiences or have we developed our own modern thrift culture?

"A lot of stuff that was commonplace to my Mum's generation has been lost to younger generations, things like knitting, making and cooking - so to lots of younger people all this stuff is new."

•What impact do you think the Festival of Thrift has had on the culture and perception of the North East/Darlington?

"It feels like an authentic home for the festival. Hopefully it’s another thing that will reinforce the region’s cool image."

•Do you think technology and our cultural hunger for 'new' will have an impact in how we approach thrift in the future? 

"I think society is pulling in two directions; those who want more and want it cheap and those who say ‘I have enough, this (rampant consumerism) can’t go on for ever’."

•How do you see thrift culture  shaping the future of Lingfield Point?

"It already has! We haven’t built a new building. All our spaces are created by recycling existing spaces."

•My family are experimenting with a 'Year of Thrift' for 2014, how do you think you and your family would approach a Year of Thrift and what impact would it have on your life?

"I’d be surrounded by unhappy children! (they’re a bit young to get the concept of Thrift.)"

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Working out of my studio on Lingfield point, I see everyday the innovatiion and enthusiasm that Marchday and John have injected into an industrial landscape and the lives of thoses who work there. 

Thrift culture for me can be looked at in the same way as recycling was 10/15 years ago.

 If we teach the new generation of children to be thrifty, by perhaps shopping local, thinking about each purchase and not shopping for the sake of just buying, by teaching them that small changes can have a huge impact over all and we can be the ones to change, it has to begin somewhere!....And it can begin with you! Thrift isn't about cheap or skrimping, I see it as value for money, local businesses and supporting sustainabilty.

If anyone else has their own opinions I would be so happy to hear, to stop the mass consumerism that our society adopted as a way of life.

The festival is back this year, bigger and better and I for one will be there, I can't wait! 

Lingfield Point-Textile landscape

My personal work as an artist has be moving in leaps and bounds the last few weeks and months.

I've been able to make a vast amount of textile images. This is partly because I spend so much time at Lingfield Point, at my studio, so my inspiration has moved to the wonderful architecture and landscape of the environment where I spend so much of my time.

And as it happens the fabrics and textiles being used in the landscapes are all scourced from St Theresa's hospice also based at Lingfield Point! 

The finished items will be displayed at our studio, Bobbin Shed 21 and then at the Festival of Thrift, showing all the passion and enthusiasm I have for the Lingfield point skyline! 

   

A Year Of Thrift & reusing, recycling & remaking with fabric.

So it's that time of year again where I'll begin to think of what I'm working towards for the Festival of Thrift, to be held again at Lingfield Point, Darlington in September. 

As you will have gathered, I love remaking something with fabrics with a remake, reuse, recycle attitude and firmly believe that one persons junk is another persons treasure! 

I decided to go through only some of my vintage duvet covers that will potentially be turned into Aprons for the Festival of Thrift. 

I was recently given a wonderful vintage 1950's tabard style apron that would have been worn for the most practical of tasks. 

I'll be cutting a new pattern off the vintage apron to create an apron that has a throw back to the overall aprons originally worn by the workers at the Patons and Baldwins site that was based at lingfield Point from 1940's-1980's. 

As a textiles artist I not Only find the garments fascinating but as my studio, Bobbin Shed 21 is on the Lingfield Point site, I'm passionate to make a sympathetic replica...watch this space!  

2014, A year of upwards & onwards for Drawn Threads

2014, A year of upwards & onwards for Drawn Threads and a very exciting one too. 

The open arts outreach funded workshops have now begin and are all booked out. 

The wonderful ladies at the sewing Circle bring joy with their enthusiasm and passion for their own individual sewing project, weather it be patchwork, cross stitch or dress making. 

The equally awesome students at the weekly Wednesday Patchwork & Quilting course come with an abundance of enthusiasm to learn a new skill or brush up on something they have forgotten. 

 

We are continuing to do the Saturday seeing workshops at a cost of £40.00 for four week, and I just love teaching different sewing skills and techniques. 

We are looking forward to the Festival of Thrift in September, especially as my family are now in to our #YearOfThrift and will enhance our experiment further. 

Last years Festival was an eye opener for all who not only attended as a visitor but for the stall holders and organizers alike-we have been so blessed to have such a vibrant festival on our Door step and I can't wait to get into the thick of things again this year. 

New products for the Festival of Thrift.

In September Darlington are hosting the Festival of Thrift and I'm so excited to be going, and as such have re-launched some of the more popular Eco-kits that were big sellers last summer. 

The most popular was the table mat kit but this time I have sourced some super Eco-cotton 'yarn'. 

Having these Eco credentials is hugely important to me from the raw material to the packaging and everything is always sustainably sourced. 

The 'Plait a mat' kit lends it self perfectly to many types of fabric and is good to teach differ t skills for children such as hand eye coordination for the playing as well as teaching skill like sewing to all. 

Everything is in the kit to begin and have lots of fun making....and best of all, you can continue enjoying the when it is made, with every drink that it put upon them.

Look out for them, along with the relaunched Eco-bag kit on Etsy and at the Festival of Thrift where I'll also be doing mini workshops in making.