Highlights from our Art Of Africa Charity Craft Night

WOW! There was some serious creativity going down at our Art Of Africa Craft Night. Thank you to everyone who came, hope you are enjoying wearing and showing off your creations. Here's some pics from the night - we're so impressed with everyone's work!

And what's more, we raised £59.38 for mental health charity MIND. 

Read more about our night below...

WHY SO SHINY'S PENDANT WORKSHOP

Why So Shiny aka Elizabeth Joseph is a London based Graphic Designer & Jewellery Designer who specialises in running acrylic jewellery workshops. These run regularly around the capital and they really are fantastic sessions. As a taster of what you can do at one of her classes (which we highly recommend!), Elizabeth ran a pendant making workshop with wooden printed and acrylic shapes. Each one made was a masterpiece. We could open a Make Escape shop with them! Head to her website to find out when her next workshops are! 

KAREN ARTHUR'S EARRING WORKSHOP

Karen runs Reddskin Bespoke Womenswear where she makes you the dress or outfit of your dreams. An expert sewer her creations are made from gorgeous, colourful African print fabrics. There's always some scrap fabrics left over when you're clothesmaking and Karen kindly brought her remnants stash along for a special African fabric earring workshop. 

It was great to see you all wearing your original designs.

KNIT & KNATTER WITH ALISON BEADNELL

The wonderful textiles tutor and baker Alison Beadnell has run several workshops at our craft night before and this month she took on the knit & natter corner where three new people learnt how to knit having never picked up the needles before! WOW!

We were especially thrilled to see regular attendee Arnold who has also learnt to sew by coming to The Make Escape, now learn knitting too. 

Well done everyone. 

RAISING MONEY FOR MIND CRAFTERNOON

Our craft night has always been free and there are no plans to start charging but this month and at our next event we decided to support a fundraising initiative by mental health charity MIND who launched Mind Crafternoons. They are encouraging people to get together and craft - whether that's at home with friends, family, at a local community centre or even at work... and made a donation. 

At The Make Escape we are firm believers is the benefits of crafting, it's an instant de-stresser and we have encountered so many people will depression who have told us crafting and making has made them feel better. Supporting Mind therefore was an obvious decision. 

HOST YOUR OWN MIND CRAFTERNOON

Be a craft avenger like our Founder Momtaz and the ladies from Mind

Anyone can hold a Mind Crafternoon, all you need is some materials and projects to make, a venue and some participants. If you're not sure what you could make head to the Mind Crafternoon website where there are ideas forprojects to make which are great in the lead up to Christmas. 

SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER!

Our next craft night is Disco Fever on Tuesday 29th November. As usual it takes place at The Hackney Attic 7.30pm onwards. The event is free to attend but we will be supporting MIND CRAFTERNOON again so please bring a donation.

More details about the night to follow. Keep an eye on our Twitter account! 

See you there!

Momtaz

(and if you have any questions or want to get involved in helping run the night or run a workshop get in touch - email me any time! )

FREE African Charity Craft Night Tuesday 27th September

Come and make African fabric earrings with Karen Arthur

YAY! After a summer break we're back with an Autumn, African themed Craft Night AND it's also our FIRST EVER CHARITY event. We're supporting a new fundraising project by mental health charity MIND who are encouraging people to hold Mind Crafternoons, events where you can get together, craft and make a small charity donation. So this month while entry, workshops & craft materials remain FREE we ask you to bring a donation (around £3) to donate directly to MIND.

Never been to our Craft Night before? Here's a recap...

The Make Escape is a voluntary run, London based Craft Night which takes place bi-monthly at The Hackney Attic. It's aimed at adults (making stuff isn't just for kids) and it's a chance to take a break from normal life, work stress etc and have some chill out time using your hands whether that's for knitting, sewing, drawing, collaging or doodling. 

But don't worry, it's nothing formal or like going to school. 

We have a fully stocked bar and DJs and all the craft materials you need, all you're required to do is bring yourself. 

We usually have 2-3 tutor-led workshops, a knitting area where you can learn to knit (this month it's led by Alison Beadnell) and a collage corner where you can do what you like. 

For our Art Of Africa night we're planning sessions in jewellery making, mask making and instruments and we're super excited that we have Special Guest Tutor Karen Arthur from Reddskin lined up to run a fabric earring workshop.

We're also delighted to be joined by Jewellery Designer Elizabeth Joseph who'll be showing you how to make an African pendant necklace. 

The night and workshops are drop in so turn up when you can, but we recommend coming by 8.30 in order to be able to finish something that you can take home with you. 

The Essentials:

Date: Tuesday 27th September

Time: 7.30pm-10.30pm

Location: Hackney Attic, 5th floor Hackney Picturehouse Cinema, 270 Mare Street, London, E8

Entry: FREE but collect a ticket from the box office when you arrive to get in and don't forget you donation for MIND - hopefully you'll get inspired to maybe even run your own Crafternoon too!

See you there! Come alone or with friends!

DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THE BATIK SESSION WILL NO LONGER BE RUNNING BUT THERE'S STILL PLENTY MORE GOING ON SO COME ON DOWN!