Birds of a Feather Sew Together: A mixed methods approach to measuring the impact of textile and e-textile crafting upon wellbeing using Warwick- Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS)

In this paper two textile-based craft workshops focused on constructing and personalising 3D fabric birds are presented; one using traditional textile materials and another also incorporating electronic components. Working with the public, we employed a mixed methods approach measuring social and mental wellbeing factors using the Warwick- Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and conducted semi-structured ‘conversations’ throughout the crafting sessions. Our findings showed a statistically significant increase in wellbeing following both sessions, with no significant difference between the traditional or etextile workshops. We contribute findings relating to the quantitative evidence of an increase in wellbeing during crafting sessions and the learning associated with e-textiles crafting in comparison to traditional textile crafting. Although previous textile craft studies have shown benefits to wellbeing, the approach has been qualitative and e-textile crafting is underexplored for its impact upon wellbeing.