Origin The London Craft Fair

Origin is a craft fair like none other; one hundred and fifty exhibitors this week and the same number next week; chosen by the Crafts Council, which means that the standard of the glass, ceramics, jewellery, wood, paper, and basket work is of the highest quality. Several of this week’s crafts people were seriously committed to using recycled, natural or vintage materials. Ruth Singer, first noted here, showed scarves and pillows made of hemp, and vintage fabrics. Magie Hollingworth made garden tools and implements by recycling old paper(pictured). Some had wonderful patterns as they were made from Ladybird books from her childhood. Each was mounted on a framework of old boards. Tiny bowls were made of graphite and pencil. Laura Marsden made delicate, pink “lace” necklaces using a technique that heats waste plastic bags and changes their property and appearance. The resulting textile can be sculpted and hand-stitched. Rachel Max was influenced by Japanese and Finnish basket making, creating exotic baskets and sculptures out of Indonesian cane. :: Origin