Make Something Good with The Handmade Alliance

Handmade Alliance is a social enterprise training prisoners to produce high quality hand-finished textile products for British designers. 

They also provided training and employment to ex-offenders, with the aim to dramatically improve their chance to reintegrate successfully into society. 

Handmade Alliance are currently in the process of launching their debut homeware range and will be running a few half-day sessions to enlist help for the cause, like crowd funding. This is crowd 'helping out', having fun learning something new or helping to share your own knowledge as a maker/crafts pioneer.

You will be making strings of hearts and moons, and alternative tinsel (from recycled fabrics). 

All work and donated time will benefit Handmade Alliance and its work with the community.

Don't be shy if you're not a crafts-person or sewing expert. There's teaching if you need it, and you will be able to take home a decoration of your own ready for your tree. So smiles all round!

These sessions will be taking place afternoons (with teaching for keen stitchers) on Wednesday the 4th and 11th of September from 1-6pm and Saturday 7th and 14th September from 1-6pm.

If you think this is something you or someone you know would like to do please send your name and availability to training@handmadealliance.org

Spread the word!

www.handmadealliance.org

Make the World Better with a Sweater

This Friday 14th December my office will be taking part in Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day

Wearing a Christmas jumper (or tinsel, tights, hat as we've decided) for the day and bringing in £1.00 helps everyone to get into the Chrsitmas spirit, whilst at the same time helping some of the world's poorest children. Contributions go towards providing school books, classrooms, mosquito nets and life-saving vaccines.

Their website has lots of free knitting patterns if you don't have your own jumper yet and fancy knitting your own (my friend offered to teach me to knit yesterday in the coming weeks, so I'm looking forward to making my own next year!). And if making your own jumper from scratch in the space of a few days is too much - as is the case with most people - then you can print off templates to stick onto your clothes, or try out customising an old jumper for less than £10.
I really like the idea of attaching these felt Christmas decorations to yourself at just £1 each from Wilkinsons.

There's also other fun things to do like hanging up Christmas jumper bunting with Save the Children's template or try out making some yummy gingerbread men to share around the office, thanks to their Frost the Gingerbread Man recipe.

This is a great cause for anyone who's crafty and wants to take part in a great charity. Read more here www.savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumper-day