Textiles Enrichment pupils are broadening their skills with customisation projects

January 31st 2025

The Textile Enrichment pupils look to continue their success with their Textile skills through their new Customise a Charity Shop Item project which started with a trip to Sherborne Charity shops on Friday 31^st January. Over the remainder of this term, pupils will learn surface decoration techniques to help their garments come alive as unique one-off designs, through techniques such as appliqué, reverse appliqué, embellishment, hand and machine embroidery and fabric painting techniques. Pupils will also use the construction skills learnt in the Christmas term, which saw them deconstruct and reconstruct up to two white shirts. This project was a huge success, where pupils also modelled and photographed these creations.

With the Enrichment Group alongside using existing fabrics within the department, I wanted to highlight to them the environmental and financial benefits to buying second-hand clothing today. As a society, where in the UK alone we waste around 350,000 tonnes of clothing a year equating to about 30% of unwanted clothes in an individual’s wardrobe, where we purchase our clothing is so important. Whilst there is the rise of young people using online auction sites and second-hand selling platforms, I think it is also important for young people to visit the ever-declining high streets to support local charity shops and enjoy the instore experience of shopping, where you can use more senses to help you decide on what you will purchase than you would shopping online. Also, it is also more affordable to look at second hand clothing as pieces of fabric that your can transform with a bit of creativity and skill.

Within my Textile sessions at King’s, I try to work as sustainably as possible. Recently, I was donated fabric samples from Altfield London which has allowed pupils to work with such a variety of fabrics to explore within their work. The fabric has already appeared in GCSE and A Level final pieces which will be exhibited at the end of year Art Exhibition.

I look forward to seeing the Enrichment Group develop their designing and making skills this term and will share the results at the end of term.

Sandy Ling - Art Technician