It wasn’t long ago that sewing skills were rarely regarded as anything other than a skill to prove your marriageability as a woman. It was seen as quiet, gentle and the work of women for the benefit of men. But in the early 20th century women took these skills in needlecraft and used them to change the world. Embroidered banners, posters and postcards were created to publicise the suffragette movement and wave high during protest marches. The first wave of craftivism was born.
Talking to Sarah Corbett (), founder of the Craftivist Collective () and author of, she tells me more about what Craftivism is and how it looks today. “Craftivism is activism through craft. The word ‘craftivism’ was coined in 2003 by Betsy Greer as a “way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper and
