Muswell Hill Creatives Make and Mend Festival

Sunday 16 October

10.30am-5pm

Hornsey Parish Church Hall, Cranley Gardens, London N10 3AH

North London’s designer maker collective Muswell Hill Creatives will be holding its first ever Make and Mend Festival in October.

The Festival will be a showcase for the skilled craftsmanship at the heart of the collective and promises to be a lively and inspiring event. Visitors are invited to watch local artisans at work, create something themselves and shop from local makers.

As part of the festival, Muswell Hill Creatives aims to inspire visitors to live more sustainably via mending workshops, providing clothing and leather repair advice and offering refill services for candles, craft beer and store cupboard and household products. Muswell Hillbilly Brewers will be selling their popular craft beer and plant-based food and hot drinks will be on sale by independent local business The Whole Bowl.

Pre-bookable Workshops and Drop-Ins are:

– Make a Papershade with Ros Freeborn of Papershades using paper collage. Ros was a winner on Channel 4’s The Big Naked Painting Challenge earlier this year

– Expert in all things Japanese textiles, Rob Jones of Romor Designs will be teaching traditional Japanese mending and stitching techniques. Rob has taught at the prestigious West Dean College, Kew Gardens and other venues around the UK

– Skilled bookbinder Amy Kitcherside of The Idle Bindery will be teaching basic bookbinding

– Make a scented candle under the guidance of independent candlemaker Jenny Titchmarsh at Crouch End Candles

– Beaded gemstone necklace making under the expert guidance of contemporary jewellery designer maker Michele Wyckoff Smith

– Gel printing fun with Bounds Green artist Mollie Weston at Art With Mollie

– Screenprint a tea-towel or tote bag with Suzanne Bailey of indie clothing brand Bailey and Free.

– How to upcycle clothes with the team at Crouch End’s Nest Sewing School

There will be demonstrations by:

– Shelley Zetuni at Sewingsmith who has worked on visible mending projects with Brora and Alexandra Tolstoy, will be demonstrating knitwear and silk visible mending.

– Wood Green’s Steph Rubbo Saddlery & Leather Work. Steph will be demonstrating how she hand-stitches leather to make beautiful durable leather bags and accessories. She will also be available to discuss leather repairs (bags and furniture subject to consultation)

– Sunbul Akhtar of The Night Press will be showing the intricate skills of linocut printmaking. Sunbul’s portfolio includes whimsical prints, cityscapes and prints on her Pakistani heritage.

Sketches of local scenes will be on sale by Hilary Sketches and handmade organic skincare by Queenie Organics.

Full events programme, how to book a workshop here: www.muswellhillcreatives.com/make-and-mend