Craft Focus - Oct/Nov (Issue 63)

Craft It Yourself is an interior design craft series that taps into the latest trends and techniques from the craft world. Crafting has always been a hit in the UK, but now it has a whole new generation of devotees with websites like Pinterest and Houzz fuelling a crafting renaissance. Home and craft are two of the most searched terms on Pinterest and this new series combined a renewed love of craft with stunning interiors. Clemency Green is a maker of beautifully crafted cakes and passionate craft novice. Ant Anstead is luxury carmaker and enthusiastic all rounder and Robin Johnson, a bespoke furniture maker and lover of wood. Whether it’s a tile-painting, giant arm knitting, or the good old art of whittling, the three craft beautiful and innovative objects, of varying degrees of difficulty and price. Each week the presenters attempted to makeover a room in a different theme from Cuban to Boho, and all fighting for bragging rights on the best make. They’ll also visit master craftspeople to road test crafts you can learn in a weekend, and crafts you can make on a budget. The programme was commissioned by Gill Wilson, Head of Features at Channel 4, who said: “This is a beautiful take on interiors, and insightful for those looking to make huge changes, without huge amounts of money”. The Executive Producer is Andrew Anderson added: “This series has been a real eye opener on the extraordinary things you can make with a bit of know-how and a whole heap of enthusiasm.” Tell us a bit about yourself and why you love the do-it-yourself concept? Ant: As a boy, I grew up making stuff and had a knack for building things with my hands and turned my passion for making into a career as a car builder. I build bespoke one off cars for clients all over the world, and with each car that I’ve built it has part of me in it, forever. There’s no greater feeling than standing back and saying ‘I made that’. Robin: Making things has always been part of my life. We had a workshop in the basement of our house, which was full of tools and materials. It was the most perfect place for a kid like me – I used to make swords, airplanes and go-karts. My father is a ceramicist and he had a do-it- yourself and make-do-and-mend mentality, which was passed onto him from his father. Spending time with my dad gave me an appreciation of all kinds of skills and crafts, I wanted to learn how to use all the tools. I found it far more satisfying making stuff than playing with toys. My passion for making steered me into teaching, where I taught Design and Technology at secondary school and college. Setting up my company, Johnson Bespoke, I’ve had the chance to work with different materials from wood and metal, to composites and paper. I find making so satisfying and fulfilling. I absolutely love learning new things and the feeling of achievement when I’ve made something is next to none. It’s great to stand back at the end of a project and think ‘I made that’. Clem: I would describe myself as a craft enthusiast! I love learning new crafts and I’ll give anything a go. I bake a lot of cakes, and I think if you’re a hands-on creative person then there are a lot of transferrable skills. I find the process of making something from scratch so rewarding, there’s something really satisfying about mastering a new skill. And you have the bonus of knowing that it’s one-of-a-kind. What makes this programme different from previous TV shows, and is there room for another crafting programme? Ant: There’s always room for shows about making as there’s a real hunger for it! It’s a sector that inspires people. This is a real show, we don’t always succeed, and we start a make in real time and see what happens. The three of us have great chemistry, humour and enjoy what we do. Often the failures are better than the success! Robin: I think the show takes a new look at craft, mixing traditional and modern in a way that tells the real story of what we’re making. If some things we makes are difficult and time consuming, we’re honest about it – we don’t just say, ‘it’s easy’ or ‘anyone can do it’ as that would de-value the craft itself. Some crafts are easy, many are not, and even the easy ones are hard to master. I’d like to think that we’re exposing people to things they might not have seen before, and encouraging them to have a go. Craft-based programmes on TV are such a beautiful thing to watch and totally inspirational as well as aspirational too! Clem: There’s absolutely room for another crafting show! I love the show because we get to try so many different crafts from quilting and woodwork to glassblowing and felting. No crafting stone has been left unturned! There’s something for everyone, no matter if you’re the most experienced maker or a complete novice. When things go a bit wrong, or not completely to plan, we’ve left those bits in – because that’s what happens in real life when you’re learning to make things. The joy is in the learning. I like the fact that everything that we learn to make follows a theme and goes towards making a room over – it’s brilliant to see all the things we’ve worked on come together. Do you think traditional crafts have a place in today’s modern society? Ant: Absolutely! I would much rather my children made me a birthday card or gift than Julie Bonnar caught up with three presenters – Ant Anstead, Robin Johnson and Clemency Green – as the series Craft It Yourself comes to an end on Channel 4 craft it yourself Robin, Clem and Ant (left to right) 88 craft focus