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 e-textile 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.