In 2012, from our unit at Wood Street Market, we have offered 6 sewing programmes and innumerable private lessons, led 3 community arts projects, and put on half a dozen exhibitions, both at the Hub and partner organisations.

Our blog was viewed 9,600 times, by people in 61 countries. Our newsletter readership grew five-fold.

In October we coordinated Walthamstow involvement with Oxfam and the Craftivist Collective‘s GROW project, raising awareness of global food injustice through craft. GROW culminated with an event at Apple Day at Vestry House, which was attended by over 1,250 people.

In 2012 we had the pleasure of being featured in:

•  Cross Stitcher magazine and the
•  Waltham Forest Guardian, and on a number of blogs including:
•  Transition Walthamstow,
• Did You Make That?,
• Ms Wanda’s Wardrobe,
• Wood Street Indoor Market,
• E17 Art Trail,
• Cheeky Handmades,
• The Archipelago of Truth,
• Poesie Grenadine,
• Thoughts and Works,
• Craftivist Collective, and
• Baby Steps in Walthamstow.

We ran fabulously fun seasonal family activities throughout the year, including a jelly roll quilt making contest for the Jubilee, and “extreme knitting and crochet” at Wood Street Fiesta. Our Neighbourly and Neighbourhood Quilts attracted many participants (and scores of visitors when they were exhibited in the E17 Art Trail), and have been printed on to cushions and notecards so that everyone can own a piece of their Neighbourly/Neighbourhood Quilt!

In addition to securing funding from the Walthamstow & Chingford Almshouse Trust and Waltham Forest Council to develop the Hub and support our core programmes and volunteering initiative, Significant Seams closed the year with the news that we have been awarded a second grant from the Near Neighbours Fund, to support our community building programmes and extend our successful ESL pilot with the Waltham Forest Asian Seniors Club.

Individually we are pleased to report that:

• Debs has learned to use a lucet and has learned how to make and use ‘plarn’ (plastic bag yarn) and t-shirt yarn.
• Mark has learned how to make Chinese knots and began whittling extreme crochet hooks and knitting needles.
• Catherine taught herself to crochet. Before, she could make a small bowl, no matter what pattern she followed, but is now making bags, zebra hats (with fuzzy little tufts on top!), hello kitty bags, ponchos and jumpers. In the coming months look out for her reviews of some of her favourite crochet books (all available in the Stitch & Craft library- provided Catherine doesn’t have them out AGAIN) which helped her get this goal done. Catherine has also learned what a lucet is.
• Kate completed her dissertation, earning  a FIRST CLASS  degree and launched her business personae, Posie Grenadine.
• Amongst our volunteers, Zelda is learning to sew, Wenna has learned to piece diamonds, Alice has tackled a new job, and Lauren has made some momentous decisions about her future direction.

This New Year, we are humbled and thankful for the support given to Significant Seams in 2012.  As a not-for-profit organisation, we really couldn’t have done it all without you, our fantastic community. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.