14 February 2013

Valentine's Guest Post by Craftivist Collective

Love is in the air today... but rather than celebrating with choccies and vino, we have a Valentine's special guest post from the awesome Sarah Corbett of Craftivist Collective - who you may remember from this interview - about their current hand-stitched project in support of Save The Children’s Race Against Hunger campaign...

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HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW YOUR LOVE THIS VALENTINES DAY?

"My name is Sarah Corbett and I run the Craftivist Collective. We are a collective open to anyone in the world to join who want to use craft as a tool for political and personal positive change. I loved craft and saw how through craft I could engage myself and others in global issues in a non-threatening and engaging way. Craftivism is a form of ‘slow activism’: it helps me stop and reflect about what the issues mean to me, who injustice effects and how we can be part of a solution. It’s about personal change as well as provoking conversation and building relationships.

As you may already know, Craftivist Collective is currently working on the UK-wide (not international at the moment sorry!) #imapiece Jigsaw Project, in support of Save The Children’s Race Against Hunger campaign. The aim is to stitch puzzle pieces with words that will encourage and challenge both the general public and the government to do what they can to end world hunger. With the G8 summit arriving in the UK later this year, it’s too good an opportunity to miss.

February 14th is a day that divide’s people - depending on your point of view it’s either the most romantic day of the year, or a commercial construct designed to make us spend money.

But there’s one thing that might get everyone to agree: what if we made it a day where we can show our love to all the people of the world? There are thousands of starving adults and children who go to bed hungry every night. But we can do something about that.

Each crafter is being encouraged to create three jigsaw pieces - one to send to Craftivist Collective to be a part of a massive art installation March 2013, one to send to your local MP to encourage them to use their position for good, and one to keep for yourself to remind you to keep being a part of the solution, whether that’s by signing a petition or shopping ethically.


We have until the 21st February to post our pieces for the installation and 1st March to hand over a piece to our MPs. Without your help we will have just a handful of jigsaws on a bare wall - we want thousands instead! It will be hard for anyone to not have a reaction to so many personalised messages, whether they’re an MP, Prime Minister or World Leader from the other G8 countries. Check out what craftsters have already made for inspiration. But we need hundreds/thousands more to make our crafty voice even louder and more overwhelming!

This Valentine’s Day, whether or not you’re planning on sending a card or a box of chocolates to your special someone, why not reach out in love to your global neighbour too? Stitch your own pieces by following the templates and instructions on the project website, sign the Save the Children petition, and spread the word online through Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc using the hashtag #imapiece.

Remember Aesop’s words: “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”

PS INVITATION: Everyone is welcome to see the installation up on Friday 1st March 6pm-8pm at People’s History Museum, Central Manchester where you will be joined by other craft lovers, media and local MPs and can have your photo taken with the installation as well as hear more about the project in person by Craftivist Sarah Corbett, Mr X Stitch, Deadly Knitshade & Hilary Pullen of Craft Blog UK. Check out the Facebook event."