Craft Focus - Dec/Jan (Issue 76)

56 “In 2020, King Cole will be launching some exciting new yarns. We’re dipping our toes into the home dyeing market, and we’ve also got some double knits coming up that perfectly complement our existing ranges. Look out for some stunningly beautiful chunky yarns on the way too. We’re very pleased with the colours and combinations we’ve come up with – we hope our customers will be as well!” Morgan Spicer, King Cole. “The sector is confronted with a constant supply of innovations, with fresh ideas and materials in high demand. End users are raising their standards and are looking for service, a genuine experience and expert advice. To this end, retailers must train their staff to supply high-quality shop window and store design as well as the latest products, tools and materials. This is the only way they will be able to survive at the strongly competitive point of sale.” Michael Reichhold, Creativeworld & Paperworld “The current popularity of embroidery, dressmaking, knitting and crochet show no signs of slowing down, and there’s a huge appetite amongst crafters for new designs, techniques and products to try. Yarn crafts are definitely going places. Needle felting is big and getting more and more popular, as are weaving, macramé and punch needle embroidery. Crafters are becoming increasingly environmentally aware and are being far more discerning about the source of the materials they’re using. People are keen to re-use and re-fashion, with upcycling and recycling on the increase. In art, there’s a definite shift towards a more experimental, mixed media approach, with collage showing something of a resurgence. Crafters are also discovering the joy of watercolour painting and hand lettering.” Katie French, Search Press “I think 2020 is going to be an exciting year for craft. People are becoming really creative with their projects and one thing that’s been huge is incorporating mixed media materials, whether that means creating a standalone piece of art with alcohol inks or using vibrant water-based colours to create stunning backgrounds for cards. Spectrum Noir’s new Aquatint water reactive inks, for example, are perfect for experimenting with different techniques such as clingfilm, faux bleach and salt effects. Crafters have, rightly so, started to want more from their tools and equipment and now expect cutting edge technology. That’s why we launched our innovative double- sided dies earlier in the year and have more releases in the pipeline. Similarly, people are getting more out of their gadgets with die-cutting machines being used for sewing and quilting purposes, to make accurate quilt blocks and intricate appliqué effects or to create a bag in an afternoon using multimedia dies. I think the use of die-cutting machines for different mediums will continue to be hugely popular. We’ve seen how popular foam flowers have been this year, and I think this trend will continue to gain momentum. Other materials are also being used to create a whole host of papercraft, home décor and sewing projects.” Sara Davies MBE, Crafter’s Companion “Climate change has rarely been out of the headlines this year, with experts campaigning for global action to reduce carbon emissions. The desire for eco-friendly buying choices is now firmly at the front of consumers’ minds, and for retailers, this offers an enormous opportunity to provide craft materials with good provenance. Crafters will continue to question their shopping habits in 2020, so make sure you’re paying attention to factors like plastic usage, packaging and sustainability when selecting which products to stock.” Andrea Ashfield, Craft Focus In 2019, we’ve seen consumers falling out of love with fast fashion, and creative stitchers increasingly choosing to make their own clothes. As the trend continues, expect to see more patterns and gorgeous fabrics that will help crafters create their own one-off garments at home. Elsewhere, felting will continue to be popular, while embroidery and cross stitch look set to enjoy a bumper 2020. Look out for new techniques and materials that put a contemporary spin on traditional methods, attracting younger crafters into the market.” Tracy Voice, Craft Focus