Heritage Crafts has just published the 2025 edition of the Red List of Endangered Crafts — a vital document that tracks traditional crafts in the UK that are at risk of disappearing.
As a member of the organisation and a practitioner working with historical textile techniques, I read this list not as an outsider, but as someone directly affected by the shifts it reflects.
This year’s list includes several textile-related crafts now classified as critically endangered — including hand quilting in a frame, silk ribbon weaving, linen beetling, and traditional flower making using silk. While embroidery itself is not on the list, these techniques are part of the same ecosystem — and in some cases, directly intersect with the kinds of materials and methods I use in my work and teach in my courses.
I’ve written a detailed response, focusing on the textile crafts named in the Red List, and why this conversation matters now — not just for heritage preservation, but for anyone thinking seriously about the future of making.
