Craft showcase at festival

Craft Scotland have created a way for people to escape the hustle and bustle of the Edinburgh Festival this year.
Handcrafter Bakka knitwear from Shetland is among the exhibitsHandcrafter Bakka knitwear from Shetland is among the exhibits
Handcrafter Bakka knitwear from Shetland is among the exhibits

From Friday, it will bring together 33 of Scotland’s most talented makers and designers at its summer show, to be held in White Stuff on Edinburgh’s George Street.

Organisers say the show is an opportunity to understand why design-led Scottish contemporary craft is sought after by customers worldwide.

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The second floor of White Stuff will also play host to series of workshops throughout the month of August allowing visitors to get their own ‘feel’ for Scottish craft.

Ursula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festivalUrsula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festival
Ursula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festival

Selected makers include Vogue favourite jeweller Lynne MacLachlan, award-winning ceramicists Fitch and McAndrew, Belle & Sebastian textile collaborator Laura Spring and Christopher Kane commissioned knitwear designer Flora Collingwood-Norris.

For the expected 20,000 visitors to the show this August they can expect to see and shop a curated selection of unique homewares, handcrafted textiles, design-led jewellery and more.

It’s the perfect place to pick up unique gifts, including stunning 3D-printed jewellery, slip decorated earthenware, minimal concrete vessels and graphic textiles.

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Craft Scotland Fiona Logue said: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to showcase so many stunning items at this year’s show.

Ursula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festivalUrsula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festival
Ursula Hunter's scarves are on show throughout the festival

“The breath of talent in Scotland is quite something so to be able to feature exquisite jewellery, beautiful limited edition items of clothing, sought after ceramics and imaginative homewares is testament to the growing global demand for Scottish contemporary craft.

“It’s my favourite time of the year because every time I visit I fall in love with another ‘must have’ piece!

“With makers from all across Scotland of different disciplines processes and sources of inspiration there is no better way to get a whistle-stop tour of Scottish craft all under one roof.’

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“Craft Scotland is delighted to collaborate with White Stuff on the Summer Show.

“We believe that craft is an essential part of our cultural, economic and social life and we regularly work with other like-minded agencies to achieve this goal.

Craft Scotland Summer Show runs from Friday until Sunday, August 27; Monday-Wednesday, Fri-Sat: 11am-6pm, Thurs: 11-7pm, Sunday, noon-5pm; in the Second Floor, White Stuff, 89 George Street, Edinburgh.

Some of the makers taking part

Aubin Stewart (Jewellery, Aberdeen)

Aubeebop Jewellery is the work of Aubin Stewart, jewellery maker, designer and tutor practising from her studio workshop in Aberdeen. Designs are created using a mixture of precious with non-precious materials.

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With a strong focus pearls, they feature heavily in most of her work and is always looking for new ways to include them in my designs. Traditional silver-smithing techniques are employed along with digital laser printing methods on materials such as wood and acrylic to create surface textures and repeat patterns. http://www.aubeebopjewellery.com

BAKKA (Textiles, Shetland)

BAKKA aims to promote the tradition and heritage of Fair Isle knitwear, with one significant difference: instead of Shetland wool, the garments use 100% extra fine merino yarn. The result is a silky soft and light product that provides additional warmth, comfort and convenience. The best traditional patterns and colours of the past are successfully married with the best yarn of the present, making BAKKA products distinguished and unique amongst other Fair Isle producers. https://www.bakkaknitwear.com/

Collingwood-Norris (Textiles, Galashiels)

Collingwood-Norris are a small knitwear company, based in the textile heartland of the Scottish Borders. Creating luxury clothing and accessories, each piece is made on hand powered knitting machines in a small studio, and hand finished. All the processes from design, fabric sampling and manufacturing are done here, to ensure high quality at all times. Flora Collingwood-Norris graduated in 2009 from Heriot Watt University (formerly the Scottish College of Textiles) with first class honours in Design for Textiles, winning the Doctor Oliver medal for Best Overall Student of the Year. Her collection was sponsored by Todd and Duncan, and shown in ‘Hanatsubaki’ magazine in Japan, with pieces displayed at the Borders Textile Towerhouse in Hawick. Flora has worked on several prestigious projects, with work appearing in London Fashion Weeks for Christopher Kane, Jasper Conran and William Chambers Millinery. http://www.collingwoodnorrisdesign.com/

Fitch and McAndrew (Ceramics, Castle Douglas)

Douglas Fitch and Hannah McAndrew are both long established potters with international reputations, having travelled in Japan and throughout the USA, to exhibit their work and to deliver workshops and lectures. In 2013 they became partners in life and in business. Their styles compliment, as they have evolved from similar influences, but our work is nevertheless clearly distinct from one another. They share materials, working in red earthenware, decorated with a self-imposed restricted palette of coloured slips, covered with rich honey glazes. The pots are fired in the wood kiln, which are stoked continuously for up to twenty hours. http://www.fitchandmcandrew.co.uk/

Helen Ruth Scarves (Textiles, Aberdeen)

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Each scarf starts with original hand-drawn illustrations, pen and paper. These artworks are then converted to digital files to be coloured, repeated, mirror imaged, collaged and combined with found imagery and photography to create the intricate and layered prints of the scarves. It has always been a a core value of the brand to keep production local and ethical. Printing is carried out in Glasgow, and the hand-finishing in Aberdeen. Allied with these local production and manufacturing values is the brand’s signature style statement: designs are inspired by the wild Scottish landscape and animal life, as well as fairy tales and traditional folklore. Each scarf tells its own story – a well known and loved tale, an old saying or a personal childhood memory, giving the wearer an emotional connection to the piece. Often spiking beautiful design and illustration with subtle sinister undertones, there is always more than meets the eye! http://www.helenruth.co.uk/

Jude Gove (Leather, Dundee)

Jude Gove is a designer/maker who creates handcrafted leather and pure wool felt accessories from her home studio, just outside Dundee. She established her business in 2015 after years of exploring different crafts, following her graduation from DJCAD in 1999.

Using the landscape from both home and her travels as her colour palette, she sources genuine soft leather hides and pure wool felt in contrasting colours. Each purse, clutch bag and wallet is cut and stitched by hand, with an emphasis on simple practical shapes, exquisite colour combinations and high-quality materials. http://www.craftscotland.org/profile/3005/jude-gove/#

Juliet Macleod (Ceramics, Peterculter)

More than twenty years as a graphic designer generated a fascination for mark making. This, combined with a love of Scandinavian and Japanese design have developed into Juliet’s particular approach to making. Self-taught, she uses time-honoured pottery techniques such as sgraffito, slip trailing and mishima to create contemporary porcelain pieces.www.julietmacleod.com

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