18 Sep A Heart For Your Sleeve #fortheloveof…
A hand-stitched green heart can help us all protect us our beautiful world and secure a safer future for the next generation of crafters.
Our world is amazing. It blooms with remarkable people, with art that can make us laugh, cry and even change our world view, with technology that can connect us to our loved ones on the other side of the world… and have you noticed there is a little thing many of us love called Pinterest that can nourish us with beauty and new ideas (as well as distract us for hours!)? The growth in social enterprises and cooperatives are showing us that business can benefit people and the planet, not just profit. I could go on.
But then there is the elephant in the room: climate change. When I worked for Christian Aid, I met people in Kenya affected directly by global warming: farmers whose livestock and crops were being killed by drought, women who had to travel much longer distances to find water to bring back home amongst others. I’m sure we have all listened to the warnings. It can feel overwhelming: too complicated, too many problems to overcome. But now there is an opportunity for us craft-lovers to be eco-warriors rather than weary worriers – and make a direct difference.
We’ve made a super ethical craftivism kit to help you. Made in the UK using donated cotton, felt made from post-consumer plastic bottles and with detailed instructions and crafter thought questions to reflect on as well as everything else you need and 2 free gifts for the maker it should really help you with this project as well as help you become a confident and skilled craftivist (plus each sale helps us continue to exist).
At the end of 2015 year world leaders met in Paris for the UN climate talks (often referred to as ‘COP21 Paris’) to sign new agreements on climate change and sustainable development, agreements that determine what kind of future we are shaping for our children. We need to keep our leaders (as well as business leaders and ourselves) to their agreement, vision and ambitions in the coming years to create a better future – and that’s where our new global Heart on your Sleeve campaign comes in.
We are changeMAKERS
I founded the Craftivist Collective five years ago to create resources to help me and other people do effective and gentle activism using craft as the tool. I was – and am – inspired by life-changing activists such as the suffragettes, who gained votes for women, and Nelson Mandela, who ended apartheid: people who showed that campaigning works.
Over the years of honing my craft in strategic activism through needlework I’ve noticed that we crafters can have real impact. Politicians and businesses take note when we stand up for what we believe: our craftivism gifts for influential people can encourage them to be the change they wish to see in the world. The time and thought that online pharmacy directory goes into our craftivism pieces shows genuine commitment and questioning. The media want to cover our attractive campaigning, people nervous of activism join our stitch-ins, and passers-by are intrigued by our craftivism.
The Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change, launched their “For The Love Of Climate” campaign in the run up to COP21 in December 2015 and it is still worth supporting now. They have 11million supporters through a network of over 100 organisations from environmental and development charities to unions, faith, community and women’s groups. We thought craftivists and craft lovers around the world (not just the UK) would be a good addition and Clare Fussell, Campaigns Manager at The Climate Coalition, agrees:
“Unless world leaders know that people from across the world with different passions, hobbies and backgrounds all care, they won’t have the mandate to take strong action on climate change. We all need to be climate changeMAKERS.”
Therefore… for the love of our world
Let’s re-imagine how we can live and help world leaders recreate our world. Join us this campaign is just as important now as when it launched. To make and wear your green handmade heart on your sleeve is a small, positive, beautiful and therefore influential and powerful act for at least three reasons:
- It’s personal. Craftivism is a thoughtful approach to activism: it’s about slowing down, using the comfort of craft to really grapple with world issues and think critically about how we can help solve them, from changing our habits and consumer choices to adding our voice to the campaign to tackle climate change.
- Craft can be a catalyst for open, honest and friendly discussion. By stitching what you love on your heart banner (bluebells, bumblebees or even beautiful buttons!) you are showing people that you are genuinely concerned about our world, not ignoring the problem. Your craftivism piece can be a powerful icebreaker and conversation starter with people on and offline to encourage others to join the climate movement.
- Craftivists unite. Make your hearts as attractive and intriguing as possible, wear them every day, share them online with us. Let’s create an aspirational vision of our world to excite, empower and encourage others to pick up their craft tools and join us. Seeing your heart on your sleeve alongside so many others is inspiring and empowering.
Here is a useful Why To short video to help you too:
So… order your craftivism kit, pick up your scissors, and start shaping the future of our world into a more sustainable, beautiful place for all with us? Craft alone or with friends, family, or even set up a public stitch-in and bring the discussion to passersby and at other events. Tag us @craftivists on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest or ‘Craftivist Collective’ on Facebook) so we can share your creations with others (unless you say otherwise) and we can all join #fortheloveof conversation.
A Heart For Your Sleeve
£12.00
A hand-stitched green heart can help remind us all to protect our beautiful world and secure a safer future for the next generation of crafters. Stitch what you love about the world on your sleeve in support of The Climate Coalition’s #fortheloveof campaign.
Sourced and made ethically in the UK by me (Sarah) in my little apartment normally whilst listening to talks online before I pop them in the post to you…
All profits go to help sustain and grow the collective’s activities to engage people in craftivism and support people to be the change they wish to see in the world. Win win!:)
More info on the project here
4 in stock
Description
What’s inside:
- Felt heart and banner (made from post-consumer plastic bottles)
- Fabric heart (upcycled)
- Badge back
- Embroidery thread
- Needle
- Detailed instructions
- Tips & message ideas
- Crafter-thought questions to reflect on whilst stitching
- Craftivist Collective label
- plus 2 free little gifts for you x
Use with courage and care.
Sourced and made ethically in the UK by me (Sarah) in my little apartment normally whilst listening to talks online before I pop them in the post to you…
All profits go to help sustain and grow the collective’s activities to engage people in craftivism and support people to be the change they wish to see in the world. Win win!:)
More info on the project here
Additional information
| Shipping Policy | Items will be shipped within 3 business days. |
|---|---|
| Returns Policy | You can return your unwanted items for refund, please ensure they are returned within 15 days of delivery. |
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“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King
More info on the Climate Coalition: fortheloveof.org.uk
All photographs by the super talented Victoria Siddle
Elizabeth R. Herbert
Posted at 04:52h, 05 DecemberThese are so creative! Love to see this,
Kathy OConner
Posted at 21:10h, 29 DecemberDo you have a partner in the US where I can order supplies or kits? Lovely ideas!!
Craftivist Collective
Posted at 21:37h, 01 JanuaryYou can order supplies and kits direct from our website Kathy = I sell worldwide. If you want to discuss buying wholesale to sell via your own store then please email me directly with more information here: https://craftivist-collective.com/contact-us/
Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
Bridget Santos
Posted at 00:19h, 13 JulyFabulous idea, and so simple.
Have a heart,
for Mother Earth.
Have a heart,
love your Mother Earth.
Craftivist Collective
Posted at 19:49h, 16 Julythanks Bridget 🙂 Our kits include ‘crafterthought’ questions to reflect on whilst you stitch what you love so that you can really think deeply about how you can be part of protecting what you love from the climate crisis and how to encourage others to be part of the solution and not problem too. The power is in the detail so it’s not that simple because we are asking people to use ethical resources to make their heart (our kits use felt made from post-consumer plastic bottles, cotton from donated upcycled fabric) and we encourage people to stitch their word in lower case in their neated handwriting and backstitch over or add their love in an image and then share what they love online to create more conversation about how we can all be eco-warrior rather than eco-worriers and make real positive change. Do check out our indepth instruction sheets that include our campaign strategy in the Ethical DIY Kits and in our book ‘How To Be A Craftivist: the art of gentle protest’ to find out more and see how you can be the most thoughtful, strategic craftivist possible 🙂
Michelle Lorenzo
Posted at 21:15h, 28 SeptemberYou curated the heart brilliantly and with so elegance. Kudos to your work!
Craftivist Collective
Posted at 11:34h, 30 SeptemberThanks or your kind words Michelle 🙂 Our kits are all ethically made and include felt made from post-consumer plastic bottles and fabric donated that I have upcycled for you x