Old2Gold processes beloved pieces of clothing as lining in a bag made from reused leather. For many, garments contain a special memory: the first baby clothes, your wedding dress, a blouse of a deceased loved one or simply a favourite pair of trousers. For many, throwing these kinds of items away is difficult, resulting in a box of clothes sitting unused in the attic for a long time.
Old2Gold makes this memory tangible by incorporating recognisable elements of that special piece of clothing as a lining into a bag. Each bag is made from reused leather from old furniture, trimmings or samples to prevent high-quality, usable material with a special and personal story from ending up in the trash.
You will use recycled materials during this workshop to make your personalised phone bag. This phone bag will be made from reused (furniture) leather and lined with your beloved piece of clothing! This way, we give existing materials a second life, and you go home with a super cute and personalised bag.
During this workshop, Jolien will teach you the basic facets of the bag-making craft. She will take you from the first idea to realisation. How do you design a bag? How do you make the patterns? What tools do you use? Meanwhile, you get to work behind the special sewing machine (single-needle free-arm sewing machine with triple feed) to stitch your bag together yourself. The bag is 20 cm high, 11 cm wide and 2 cm deep, therefore suitable for phones up to 16.4 inches.
Would you like to make this personalised phone bag? Then don’t forget to bring your beloved piece of clothing or another precious piece of textile for the bag’s lining. Please note that you will need at least two pieces of 20×15 cm fabric. It is nice when this fabric is not too thick (like a knitted jumper) or too ‘open’ (like a lace blouse).
This workshop will be run by Jolien Roesthuis, bag designer, memory artist and owner of Old2Gold. “Because of my background in textiles, I constantly came into contact with the many abuses in the textile industry, so I decided I wanted to do something about it. I truly believe that we should no longer see used textiles as waste but as raw material for special products with a personal story. This mission, my interest in fashion and my fascination with craft and workmanship made me open the doors of my studio in 2017. I draw inspiration from timeless classics, existing shapes, textures, and materials. I am creative, conceptual and practical in my designs. After all, a bag from Old2Gold should be something you can wear anytime, anywhere, so you can take your special memory with you every day.”
In collaboration with Andrevo Sewing Machines.
A pop-up book is something magical. Every time you turn a page, a three-dimensional and/or moving surprise appears. The most spectacular pop-up books are hugely complex structures made of paper. But an exciting pop-up does not necessarily have to be complicated if you use the basic techniques cleverly and combine them!
This workshop is for anyone who already has a little experience with pop-ups (e.g. if you attended the pop-up basic techniques workshop). Rianne shows a number of alternative book shapes, such as a carousel, star book and leporello, in which you can incorporate pop-up elements. You will choose a book shape and make your own pop-up mini-book, which you will take home afterwards, of course. Plus your sketches, inspiration and tips to continue experimenting at home.
Rianne van Duin is a Paper Adventurer and professional tinkerer. She invents and creates interactive 2D/3D worlds from paper. For children and with children (from 0-100 years old).
Rianne’s work ranges from illustrated pop-up books to life-size foldable theatre sets, from children’s newspapers to paper animation. Interaction is central to her creations. They stimulate the imagination and invite one to play, manipulate and experience them.
Rianne built her own studio on the NDSM-Werf. From there, she works on commission for publishers, theatre productions and festivals; independently or in collaboration with (the work of) illustrators such as Fiep Westendorp and Leo Timmers. She also initiates personal projects such as Your Adventure, her self-published interactive children’s book without batteries or electronics.
Enamelling is applying powdered glass to metal under high temperatures. This gives you a composition that is resistant to climatic and weather influences. This technique was already used many centuries before Christ. Depending on, for example, the colour and composition of the glass powder, the temperature during firing is higher or lower (but usually between 750 and 950 degrees Celsius). You can apply enamel to steel, copper, silver and gold. There are different materials and techniques you can apply to it. You can make and enamel utensils, jewellery, and autonomous works of art. You can create tiny works and very large ones. There is usually a degree of unpredictability: how does it come out of the kiln? Did the colours turn out exactly as planned, even relative to the other colours? Did no unintended oxides emerge? This makes enamelling an always exciting and magical process.
In this workshop entitled ‘Magical Enamel’, we will take you into the magic of making a piece of work in enamel. We will first tell you something about the age-old process of enamelling. What is enamel, what is it used for, since when, what applications are there, and why is the material so unique? Very different pieces of work are on display. We will point out the various techniques used.
Museum Elburg and its cloister garden display works of art by members of our association and foreign artists. We have the catalogue of that exhibition with us for inspiration. Now that you have got some idea of what is possible with enamel, you will get to work yourself with the basic techniques. We will teach you how to clean a copper plate and apply enamel powder. This may seem easier than it is, but we take you through this step by step. The work is fired in an oven at 850 degrees.
The work comes out very hot and red-hot. This is a magical moment! Slowly, the colour appears, and the powder becomes glass. Afterwards, you can edit the piece further by adding dyes or materials, and then it goes back into the kiln. You will eventually go home with a unique piece of work.
In addition, you will have gained some knowledge and experience about the craft process and its application in art. Have we made you enthusiastic about learning more about enamelling? We will tell you where you can take classes or workshops and what you need for your workshop.
The Association of Dutch Enamelists (VNE) was founded in 1983, so this year marks its 40th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a jubilee exhibition with over 200 enamel works of art by Dutch and foreign artists has been set up in Museum Elburg. According to its statutes, the VNE promotes enamelling as an artistic expression. The VNE currently has over 70 members and several donors. A general members’ meeting (ALV) is held twice a year. In addition, the VNE organises several workshops in Amersfoort every year (also open to non-members) and, if possible, an exhibition in a gallery or museum. A Newsletter is published four times a year, and members are also kept informed of activities and events by other means. Members can also visit each other’s studios and exchange knowledge and skills.
Amsterdam-based artist Daan Wille, also known as Blazin, has mastered calligraffiti, a fusion of calligraphy and graffiti. Taking inspiration from the well-known graffiti artist Shoe, Daan is now an allround designer who creates logos, fonts and especially calligraphy.
In this workshop, you will closely examine Blazin at work and, with his help, create your own artwork with your name on it.
We first offered this workshop in 2015, collaborating with the Street Art Museum Amsterdam. Daan also gave workshops during Craft in Focus New York in 2017 and 2019. This year, due to success, again in Amsterdam!
An ancient technique with a modern twist: you will make a wind light during this workshop.
A wind light or lamp made of wool gives off a beautiful diffused light that you will continue to enjoy. Not only will you learn the basics of wet felting, but you will also apply the techniques of transparent and three-dimensional felting. You work with loose wool fibres that you place around a mould, then wet with water and soap. Friction creates a solid substance.
You will go home with a wind lamp, including a tea light and holder and a hardener, so you can make another lamp at home if necessary. You don’t need any experience for this workshop. We work with wool from Dutch sheep.
WOL IT Felt atelier is located in Kollum. Hennie Henstra: “About 15 years ago, I came into contact with wet felting. It has been my passion ever since. After following a course at the Dutch Felt Academy, I started a business where I enjoy giving workshops. Passing on knowledge and gaining new knowledge is fantastic. The possibilities of felting are endless. The many types of wool, with their different properties and structures, still challenge me. Which wool is suitable for which product? Felting is about meeting yourself. You have to work calmly, especially in the initial process. And that in a time when everything goes fast. Making choices: colour, shape, add something else? Felting is making your world smaller for a moment and being busy creating.”
This workshop is organised in collaboration with the Pleed Foundation.
“Wool is a beautiful natural material that has kept us warm for centuries. Yet most wool from the 800,000 Dutch sheep is discarded as waste or ends up in the incinerator. At the same time, we massively buy cheap clothes made of polluting synthetic fibres from low-wage countries. Community initiative Pleed explores how wool can be made of value again.”
Buttons have been used for centuries as a special accent to a garment; think of the silver Zeeland buttons worn as jewellery.
Handmade buttons from fabric, ribbon, beads and embroidery threads are made around a simple ring or fabric button. You can make them as simple or elaborate as you like; you can embroider them!
In this workshop, you will make two craft buttons of your choice. Monique will bring several examples and many materials, such as ribbons and bands, beads and embroidery threads so that you can customise your buttons to your taste. She will teach you how to make a button using beautiful materials, a simple ring, a needle, and thread.
Monique van Munster has immersed herself in craft techniques for over thirty-five years and is now an embroidery specialist. She has a fascination for the infinite possibilities of needle and thread. Wanting to know how something is made, she researches many techniques and applications. The research does not focus on being able to reproduce historical and traditional embroideries but serves more as inspiration and interpretation. Monique values preserving her craft and wants to share her skills with others, so she teaches in her studio in Tilburg, wherever she is invited to share her knowledge, such as now at the Ambacht in Beeld Festival.
“Drawing with the sewing machine” is what Riëtte Sommerdijk calls her craft. Among connoisseurs, it is also known as free-motion embroidery. A specific sewing machine setting allows the needle to move freely over the fabric. Quilters widely use this craft. Using this technique differently, you can draw yourself, using the needle as a pencil, on cloth. You can create the most beautiful representations by moving the fabric with your hands under the needle. You can stitch freely or use an existing image as a starting point. Various transfer techniques can be used. Furthermore, you can endlessly vary and combine with other techniques.
During the workshop, you will learn the principles and create a small drawn embroidery in a short time. You will work with stencils that you transfer to fabric with a water-soluble marker. Feel free to bring your fabric (size A4, not stretchy.) Or else use my second life textile. You will go home with a homemade thread drawing in an embroidery hoop. No experience is needed. You will surprise yourself.
Under the name ‘Riëtte geeft VORM‘, Riëtte works in a beautiful studio near the Textielmuseum in Tilburg on products related to textiles. In different ways, she (re)uses fabrics. Among other things, she is inspired by old painters and nature. The products are characterised by refinement and humour. She also makes personalised butterflies, panels, comfort gifts and stitched portraits on commission. Now and then, she picks up her old profession as a costume designer.
Language: English or Spanish
Embark on a captivating journey into the art of Mexican “Randa de unión” embroidery! A traditional craft deeply rooted in the culture of Xochistlahuaca, Mexico, which beautifully adorns the “huipil” garment’s chest, neck edges, sleeves, and seams, as well as bringing beauty to tortilla napkins.
Join us in celebrating the rich legacy of Amuzgo women in embroidery as you discover their captivating narratives and deep-rooted beliefs. Under the guidance of a skilled artisan, Gabina Valentín López, and translator/facilitator, Inês Queirós, you will learn the art of embroidering two pieces of cloth together using four types of stitches: “randa de 3 puntadas”, “randa de diente de iguana”, “randa de 5 puntadas”, and “randa de gusano”. You’ll create samples of each stitch in the workshop and receive a video tutorial for future reference. Take home your samples and unleash your creativity, using this versatile skill to beautifully finish garment seams or create stunning patchwork pieces.
By participating, you gain practical embroidery skills and contribute to preserving and reviving this exquisite craft, which faces significant challenges due to the prevalence of commercial fabrics and a shrinking market.
Join us in honouring the dedication of Amuzgo women to keeping the tradition of “Randa de unión” embroidery alive. Unleash the potential of this technique and explore its diverse applications with us. Let’s celebrate the rich heritage of this craft together!
Gabina Valentín López is an Amuzgo weaver from Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, on the Costa Chica of México. From age nine, she started weaving and learning the traditional symbology of her indigenous community, side by side with her family elders. Forced to migrate to the urban areas of Mexico City, weaving became, for some years, a night activity to keep practising her knowledge and feel closer to her roots. With her passion and strength, Gabina dedicates her life to preserving and maintaining her textile culture. She travels around México to sell the work of the Amuzgo weavers, safeguarding their ability to gain independence as women while keeping their culture alive.
Inês Queirós is a Portuguese textile artist and researcher based in Amsterdam, devoted to safeguarding endangered textile cultures and the unique multicultural expressions of the ethnosphere. Through TuYo Foundation and her expertise in natural dyeing and weaving techniques, Inês motivates communities to revive ancestral textile practices while exploring new possibilities. She sees textiles as a tangible medium for storytelling, social engagement and a powerful tool for women’s emancipation. She will be the translator and facilitator of the workshops taught by Gabina Valentín López.
English spoken workshop.
The price includes the materials, tools, glaze, and fire service.
This is a fun and exciting opportunity for you and your child to get creative. Join us at a fantastic clay workshop where you can spend an hour and a half creating your beautiful clay mask.
Which character will you make?
In this workshop, you will create the clay mask using hand-building techniques. Each one will make their mask using different shapes and textures and decorate it with colours. Kesem will demonstrate and help throughout the making process.
When the project is finished, you will leave it to get dry. Then, your project will be first baked, dipped in clear glaze, fired again in the kiln, and will be ready for pick up after two weeks from the studio in Amsterdam centre (Nieuwmarkt area).
Prices are per ticket. Each parent/grandparent / other adult caretaker and child (or children) needs a ticket.
This workshop is taught by Kesem Yahav, a ceramic designer and a Creative Coach. She has worked with Clay for the last 20 years and runs her Clay studio Kesemy Design in Amsterdam, making small-batch ceramics collections and working B2B with European shops.
She has been teaching for 20 years. She has taught different clay workshops and hosted many groups for their team-building events and party workshops at her studio in Amsterdam.
Please arrange a time/date for pickup with Kesem. The address is Kesemy design studio, Korte Koningsstraat 21, 1011 EX Amsterdam. She can also ship the finished masks. Costs are around €13 to be paid separately.
Filography is an art form that originated in the Middle East and spread to both the West and the Far East. Although more information is needed about its origins, it is known that it was widely practised by many people in the Ottoman Empire. This art form is relatively new in Europe.
During this workshop, you will create your own filography artwork with a beautiful 3D effect. The primary material of filography is 0.30 mm copper wire and a specially coated filography nail.
Following the lines in the pattern, you hammer nails into the board and then remove the pattern paper. You choose the suitable coloured copper wire and start threading between the nails. First, the basic part, then a visual feast is presented by threading in accordance with the pattern. With about 17 different wire techniques, many patterns can be made.
Filography requires patience. It calms the soul and creates beautiful psychological effects. Another beauty is that there is no pattern limitation, and the patterns increase at the same rate as the imagination.
Kezban Arslan will teach this workshop. Born in Amsterdam, she studied art history and art therapy.
After engaging in various art forms, she became interested in philography in 2016. She developed a passion for this art form. In Bursa, Turkey, she received training from highly experienced professional masters. In July 2018, she obtained her certificate and approval from her teachers.
In March 2020, she organised her first exhibition in Amsterdam, presenting 100 designs. This was also the first filography exhibition in the Netherlands. In December 2021, she received the titles of Filography State Artist and Bearer of Cultural Heritage (UNESCO) from the Turkish Ministry of Culture.
Festival address:
NDSM Loods
NDSM-Plein 85
1033 WC Amsterdam
Postal address:
Stichting Ambacht in Beeld
Kalf 158
1509AH Zaandam
The Netherlands
