Yicraftslondon

02/10/2026

📖 Our first book at Yi Crafts — Memory on Hands

Can a piece of cloth hold a memory?

We’re very excited to introduce Memory on Hands, the first book we have ever selected for the Yi Crafts collection.

The book takes us into the world of Miao batik in Guizhou, Southwest China, through the lives of two Miao craftswomen, Sister Yang and Sister Li. Through years of fieldwork, conversations and observation, it records not only their extraordinary batik knowledge, but also their memories, changing lives and relationship with home.

More than 100 traditional wax-drawn patterns are documented within its pages — patterns that carry stories and knowledge passed through generations.

Miao batik has long been close to what we do at Yi Crafts. We teach wax-resist batik in our London studio, and many beautiful examples of Miao batik live within our textile collection. This book gives us another way to understand what we see on the cloth — by listening to the people behind it.

Because craft is never just about making an object.

It is about people, memory, and what we choose to carry forward. 💙

Memory on Hands, pre order now from Yi Crafts.

01/10/2026

October at Yi Crafts 🍂🧵

This month, our studio calendar brings together crafts from Bai embroidery, JiaMa woodblock carving and indigo stitch-resist dyeing, to Pankou Making, bamboo weaving, Sashiko, Kogin and Chinese knot making.

We’ll also be heading out of the studio for two special events: the Knit + Stitch Knit + Stitch Craft Fair and our Traditional Chinese Arts & Culture Festival at County Hall County Hall Arts (CHA) on the 3rd and 4th of Oct.

Whether you want to spend a quiet few hours stitching, discover a craft you’ve never tried before, or simply slow down and make something with your hands, we’d love to welcome you.

📍 Yi Crafts Studio, London + selected events across London
🧵 All levels welcome — many workshops are suitable for complete beginners.
🎟️ October bookings are now open via our website.

Which one will you be joining us for? 💙

28/09/2026

And just like that, our 2026 Yunnan Arts & Crafts Journey has come to an end. 🌿

Over 13 days, we travelled across Yunnan — from Kunming to Dali, Shaxi, Lijiang and Lugu Lake — following a journey shaped by craft, culture and the people we met along the way.

We carved wood in Shaxi, met silversmiths in Heqing, discovered Naxi traditions in Lijiang, learnt traditional weaving with a Mosuo family by Lugu Lake, shared countless cups of tea, and spent time with the people who keep these traditions alive.

We were also incredibly lucky to arrive at Lugu Lake during the Mosuo Mountain Praying Festival (转山节) — joining the local community for one of their most important annual celebrations and experiencing a side of Mosuo culture that we could never have planned in quite the same way.

But looking back, the moments I remember most aren’t necessarily the ones written on the itinerary.

They’re the conversations around the table, unexpected encounters, laughter during workshops, and watching a group of strangers slowly become travelling companions.

This is exactly why we created these journeys.

Not simply to see Yunnan, but to slow down, meet people, make things with our hands, and understand a little more about the cultures and stories behind the places we visit.

A huge thank you to everyone who travelled with us, and to all the artisans, families and friends who welcomed us so generously along the way. 💙

And now we’re looking forward to the next chapter…

🌿 2027 Yunnan Journeys
March — Dali Textile Retreat Trip
August — Yunnan Arts & Crafts Tour

Come and experience the Yunnan we call home.

24/09/2026

This Saturday, Yi Crafts is joining Margins United Margins United , a festival celebrating alternative East & South-East Asian culture in London.

Created by Eastern Margins Eastern Margins , Margins United brings together a new generation of ESEA creativity — spanning live music, underground culture, art, fashion, food, independent makers and workshops. At the heart of the daytime festival is the Eternal Market, a gathering of ESEA traders, artists and creatives from across the community.

Yi Crafts is excited to be joining Margins United Margins United : Eternal Market at Exhibition White City, from 3–9pm.

Alongside the market, we’ll be bringing one of our favourite traditions from our home in Dali, Yunnan:

Bai JiaMa Woodblock Printing.

JiaMa（甲马）are traditional woodblock prints deeply connected to the folk beliefs and everyday spiritual life of Bai communities in Dali. Carved with images of deities, animals, natural forces and protective symbols, these small prints have historically carried wishes for protection, prosperity and wellbeing.

During our workshop, you’ll be able to discover the stories behind JiaMa and experience the process of printing from traditional carved wooden blocks by hand — bringing an ancient visual language into a contemporary London setting.

You can also find Yi Crafts at the Eternal Market, where we’ll be sharing a selection of crafts, textiles and objects from Southwest China.

📍 Exhibition White City, London
⏰ 3–9pm
🖤 Eternal Market + Bai JiaMa Woodblock Printing Workshop

Come say hello, make a print, and discover ESEA culture with us!

16/09/2026

This is Yi Garden.

It’s not a hotel.
It’s not a tourist attraction.

It’s the home I grew up in.

Last year, my dad spent months redesigning and rebuilding it, transforming our family home into the Yunnan home of Yi Crafts—a place where we can welcome travellers from around the world.

Looking back, it feels like a natural continuation of our family’s story.

In 1986, my grandfather opened Star Cafe on Dali’s Foreigner Street, where backpackers gathered to eat, drink tea and exchange stories. My parents were among the first English-speaking tour guides in Dali, introducing visitors to the place they called home.

Today, we continue that tradition in a different way.

Our guests begin their journey here, sharing their first meal together, drinking tea in the courtyard, and getting to know one another before setting off to explore Yunnan’s villages, artisans and living craft traditions.

For me, Yi Garden represents something deeply personal.

I left this home when I was 20 to study in the UK.

Years later, I returned with a new perspective, and now it has become the place where I welcome others to discover the Yunnan that shaped me.

Every Yi Crafts journey begins here.

And in many ways, so does our story.

🌿 Join us for our Dali Textile Retreat (March 2027) or Yunnan Art & Craft Journey (August 2027), and let Yi Garden be the beginning of your own journey through Yunnan.

15/09/2026

What a festival at celebrASIA 2026!

Thank you to everyone who came to find Yi Crafts at Battersea Power Station — whether you stopped by our stall, joined us to weave a Bamboo Moon Boat or Bamboo Fan, came along to the panel, or simply stopped for a conversation about craft and culture.

One of our favourite moments was joining the conversation “The Artisan: celebrating heritage, not stuck in the past.” Curated by Anna Sulan Masing with panelists Niconico MiMi Aye and host John Newbigin

It felt particularly close to what we believe at Yi Crafts.

Tradition doesn’t survive simply because we preserve it. It survives because people continue to make it, use it, question it, adapt it and pass it on.

Seeing so many people from different backgrounds sitting together and learning a craft with their hands is always a reminder of why we started Yi Crafts in the first place.

Craft can carry where we come from, while also creating new connections between people and cultures.

A huge thank you to the celebrASIA team and Battersea Power Station for bringing so many communities, makers, performers and stories together — and to everyone who shared a little part of the weekend with us.

Until next time. 💙

31/08/2026

26/08/2026

🌕Light Up Mid-Autumn with Your Own Hands 🌕

Celebrate this Mid-Autumn Festival the creative way — with our DIY Lantern Craft Kits! 🏮
Perfect for kids, families, or anyone who loves a little hands-on joy, each kit includes everything you need to make your own magical lantern at home.

🌸 Multiple designs to choose from
🧵 Easy to assemble — no experience needed
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A meaningful activity to enjoy with loved ones

Whether you’re lighting up a balcony or sharing stories under the moon, your handmade lantern will carry the spirit of reunion, warmth, and tradition.

24/08/2026

🎙️Panel announcement: 2026 In Pursuit of Luxury Conference

Talk Title: Who Makes Luxury? New Models of Value, Creativity and Craftsmanship.

This September, Yiran Duan — founder of Yicrafts, is honoured to join the IPOL Conference to explore the future of traditional craftsmanship in the context of the luxury industry. With a background rooted in the ethnic community of Southwestern China, she will explore craftsmanship as an intergenerational and daily practice. Not only so, the talk will reflect on the values of ‘luxury’ through a cross-cultural lens.

Join us at:

📍Goldsmiths, University of London (8 Lewisham Way, London, SE14)
📆 11.September.2026
🕚 10:00 - 11:00

Book your ticket at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-pursuit-of-luxury-conference-2026-time-to-change-tickets-1980768655369?aff=oddtdtcreator

We look forward to seeing and hearing from you on the day!

21/08/2026

Now that the heat is in hindsight, we are ready to bring some colours for the ambient fall. 🍂

Our vintage piece features the indigo batik & brocade top (贯首衣) from the Miao ethnic minority. This item is made with one of the most ancient cutouts. The head goes through the center of the top while the two sides remain open. Meanwhile, the decorations are achieved through wax-resist dye and delicate traditional embroidery. The two features create an irreplicable silhouette and vibrant details.

The necklace completes the look with the Miao whorl pattern, representing people’s worship towards water as the source (and end) for all.

Finally, the embroidered Wa-Mao (Bai people’s mascot cat) is held in hand, welcoming the influx of wealth and good fortunes.

Welcome to bring yours home.

All available now on yicrafts.com 💙