Latest news with #handmade
The Herald
6 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Stitched with love: 67 Blankets brings warmth and dignity to Nazareth House
'I noticed when I picked it up that it's handmade with love,' said a resident. 'Thank you very much on behalf of the Sisters of Nazareth and the whole of Nazareth House.' Resident Fay Paul was visibly moved. 'I am thrilled. I cannot tell you — the colours are what I like. Nazareth House has been fantastic to me. I was a carer for my husband for 22 years. I needed help and they took me in with open arms. Now, to receive something so beautiful, I am so happy.' Lynton, a representative from 67 Blankets, highlighted the time and effort put into each piece: 'It takes about four months to make a blanket. There's a lot of work, but it's more than a blanket — it becomes a comfort, especially for older people. It's something they identify with. It stays with them.' Sister Sikholiwe Ngwenya of Nazareth House expressed deep gratitude: 'We are so happy, especially because it's winter. The blankets are beautiful and mean so much to our residents. Many of them have no visitors. Receiving these gifts feels like a blessing.' For Steyn and the KnitWits, it's about more than just wool and hooks. 'It's a movement for change in our world,' Steyn said. 'It's incredible what individuals are capable of.' TimesLIVE
Vogue
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Vogue
Weaving Through Guatemala: A Textile Lover's Travel Guide
Photo: Molly Berry My guide was Molly Berry, the California-born, Guatemala-based founder of Luna Zorro, a textile studio that collaborates with Maya weavers to create handwoven robes, striped throws, and one-of-a-kind vintage cushions—blending Berry's design sensibility with her partners' artisanal skill and experience, while ensuring fair wages and sustainable partnerships. 'I act as a bridge to connect us all to a global, evolving marketplace,' she says. 'I believe this is essential to the future of handmade; staying relevant and existing in luxury settings where the product is honored not only because it is beautiful and stylish but because it is an art form and a creative expression that holds a story of irreplaceable heritage.' Photo: Courtesy of Luna Zorro Photo: Courtesy of Luna Zorro Berry's small group trips are centered around Guatemala's textile legacy, designed to connect people to the handmade. 'Textiles are so integral to Guatemala; they became the focal point from which the trip unfolds,' she says. A former teacher, Berry scaffolds guests' experiences, offering hands-on introduction to dyeing and weaving before deepening the journey with experts, whose insights ground the process in cultural context. 'By the time we get to the market in Chichicastenango, we can look at a huipil with real understanding,' she says. Tucked inside a coffee estate on the edge of town, the Luna Zorro studio is equal parts showroom and sanctuary—and where my textile immersion began. On our first full day, we gathered in the sun-dappled courtyard to begin with a hands-on dyeing workshop—boiling pericón flowers and palo de vida wood into golden and terracotta hues, then hand-dyeing cotton aprons. Two master weavers demonstrated their artistry before letting us try our hand at a rustic weave. Lunch, prepared by Wild Daughter, was a vibrant feast: grilled vegetables, fresh salads, handmade tortillas, herb-infused sparkling drinks, and a chocolate masa dessert. Photo: Christine Chitnis Photo: Christine Chitnis The following day, we visited Casa de Artes, a gallery and boutique founded by Karla Ceballos's family and home to one of the finest private collections of traditional Guatemalan textiles. As a textile historian, Ceballos offered deep insight into regional symbolism, technique, and the evolution of Maya weaving traditions. Our time together culminated in a day trip to Chichicastenango, home to Guatemala's most iconic open-air market. Held every Thursday and Sunday, the market spills through the town's narrow streets in a vivid display of embroidered huipiles, ikat shawls, tzutes, and ceremonial pieces dyed with cochineal, indigo, and pericón. With my newfound education, I found myself asking better questions: What story does it hold? What technique was used: backstrap or foot loom? And perhaps most important, who made this? Photo: Christine Chitnis Photo: Christine Chitnis During my time in Antigua, I stayed at Villa Bokéh, a serene hacienda just outside the city and Guatemala's first Relais & Chateaux property. Six acres of lush gardens—home to ducks paddling across a lagoon and hummingbirds darting between blooms—give way to quiet corridors glowing with candlelight and the warm textures of Guatemalan textiles: vintage huipiles framed like gallery pieces, handwoven pillows in deep indigo and cochineal red, and ceramics placed with reverence.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The secret part of the charity shop you're forgetting to check for unique buys – I found a perfect dress in mine for £2
EVERYONE knows to check the bags and shoes section in charity shops for some amazing bargains. But there's a hidden section of thrift stores that people are forgetting to look in, and they're missing some incredible purchases. 6 6 6 6 Even Els, who's a pro at stumbling across hidden gems, admitted that she's never looked in the fancy dress section before. But she said in the video on her TikTok page that she's glad she did - as she ended up finding a one-of-a-kind, handmade gold dress for just £2. "Today I learned to never skip the Halloween costumes section," she wrote over the top of the clip, which showed her coming across the stunning outfit. The dress appeared to be leopard-print with gold detailing, with carefully encrusted gem cups and draped sections to make it even more flattering. The bottom was also embroidered with sparkling gem flowers - and Els managed to get the dress for just four Canadian dollars, the equivalent of £2. "Still in shock!" she captioned the video. She added in response to one question: "There is no tag, it looks handmade & the dress is not for sale, I'm sorryyy!" And the comments section was immediately filled with remarks from people stunned by her incredible purchase. "Looks very Roberto Cavalli," one said. "This is a professional belly dance costume, they cost hundreds of dollars!" another wrote. We went hunting in the charity shop's 'rag house' and were stunned by our discoveries - we found a £80 bag & £600 shirt As a third added: "I think this is ballroom Latin costume. "Look them up. They are soooo expensive!" "That and sunset pics at the beach would eatttt!" someone else suggested. While others shared their own similar finds in charity shops and on secondhand apps and websites. "Someone listed once listed a Emilio Pucci set as a clown Halloween set on Poshmark for $25," one wrote. "It haunts me to this day someone got so lucky lol!" Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London. Choose your area - As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated. Don't hang around - If you see something you like, buy it, as it'll likely be gone when you come back Look out for cut-off labels - Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn't sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes. Stay at home - While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won't get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you're looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too. "My fave dress was in the Halloween section," another added. "It's technically a black bird costume, but it's just a black dress with a strapless off the shoulder black feathered neckline. "I always check now!" "I worked at the thrift and everything fun/fur/sparkly/leather/baddie went into Halloween cause they didn't think it would sell," a third revealed. "Omg the shoessss too - there's so many good ones at Halloween!" "Halloween season is truly thrifting heaven!" someone else said. Els modelled the dress in another video, showing that it clung to her enviable figure and fit her like a glove. "Belly dance costume dress! It was made for you!" one gushed. "OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD!!! IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!" another added. "You're not wearing the dress, the dress is wearing you - stunning!" a third commented. 6 6
BBC News
26-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Clog making and roof thatching - the people behind craft jobs at risk
Ever fancied a career weaving baskets, making helmets or building rattan furniture?Those are some of the crafts that are falling out of favour, making it on to a list of endangered by Heritage Crafts, a charity which supports and promote traditional crafts, has identified 20 more crafts at risk of vanishing from the UK. Research found that rising operational costs, a lack of structured training, and mounting market pressures are placing unsustainable strain on crafts that depend on expert hand skills. Crafts such as cut crystal glass making and fabric flower making are just some that have been classified as "critically endangered".This means there is a shrinking base of craftspeople, limited training opportunities, low financial viability or there is no mechanism to pass on the skills and craft that was added to the list this year is thatching, both Welsh and Irish vernacular. Master thatcher Alan Jones and believes continuing the craft is important if people want to live a sustainable lifestyle. He said: "In these days of high tech, people appreciate hand made because someone has put their heart and soul into it. Quite literally and that's valuable. "It's valuable because of heritage, it's a part of our story and where we came from and how we got to where we are as a society and part of a timeline for keeping the traditions going. "Mass product isn't necessarily better. Hand made has a bit of heart to it."Priya Pannochia has been working with Alan as an apprentice and believes her generation is "less and less interested in these old crafts". She said: "A lot of these ways we are learning here is very natural in other parts of the world. "It feels more to me like living in harmony with nature and knowing how to do things for ourselves. "If one day I need to know how to make a fire, I know how to make one. If I needed to build a shelter, I know how to build one. "So I feel that this is very important in general to remember these old ways and the crafts involved." Some crafts classed as endangered include:Armour and helmet making Flax, hemp and nettle processingHazel basketmaking Lace making Lute makingOrgan building Quilting (in a frame)Welsh double cloth weavingCut crystal glass makingFabric flower making Glove makingRake makingRattan furniture makingThatching Clog making, which sees the clogs made by hand, has also been classified as critically endangered. Geraint Parfitt, one of only two makers in Britain who still creates clogs entirely by hand in his workshop at the National Museum of Wales, St Fagans, said he's happy there is recognition that these skills are being lost, but "it's sad that the list has to exist in the first place".As the clogs are made to measure, Geraint draws around the person's feet. "I then use a stump of straw and I cut it whole in my hand using three knives and then I do all the leather work, cut it and sew it by hand. "People come back for an extra fitting to make sure everything is right and then I put them together and that's it. Simple," he said it could take up to 10 hours of his working time but it can take up to six months before the clogs are ready due to working in the museum and speaking to the public. "I do think people are starting to appreciate the old form but the challenge is to make a living out of it because people are not willing to pay for the time it takes to do these things," he said."They are willing to pay £50 an hour for their car to be fixed but not for me to make their shoes."Daniel Carpenter from Heritage Crafts said the list underscores the need for investment and support to safeguard skills for the next generation. "Reversing this decline would represent not just the continuation of skilled trades, but also a significant boost to the UK's cultural heritage and countless opportunities for future innovation," he said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carlisle chocolatier 'working round the clock' amid demand for new creation
A POPULAR independent confectioner in Carlisle has been 'inundated' with orders for an indulgent new chocolatey creation. Castle Chocolates, whose sweet treats are all freshly handmade in its shop on Fisher Street in Carlisle city centre, has thanked its customers that have made its new 'deep-filled' chocolate bars such a sensation. Not only have its talented chocolatiers created a Carlisle take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar, new flavours include Caramel Shortbread, Double Decker and Cookies and Cream. READ MORE: We compared easter eggs from a local chocolatier and a 'luxury' national chain The team at Castle Chocolates took to social media to post: "Thank you so much everyone who has ordered our filled bars. "We have been inundated with orders. I have just reopened the website for orders of filled bars with the caveat that it might take us a week or more to get through the orders that we already have. "We are working round the clock to keep up. I can't tell you how heart-warming it is to have our product be so well supported." Head to the Castle Chocolates website to reserve yours.
