- Wednesday 8 September 2010
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Turning trash into treasure
JOHANNAH Haaijema and Felicity Willis with their winning creation, a nuno felt jacket called Hydrangea Blue.
TURNING trash into treasure has produced some extraordinary textile exhibits in the Taranaki Creative Fibre Fibreworks exhibition at the Percy Thomson Gallery in Stratford. The Taranaki Regional Council sponsored this first-time award for recycled fibre, and CF members rose to the challenge with a variety of entries, some whimsical some practical – but all reusing and repurposing textile finds from the back shed and opportunity shops.
Award winner was Felicity Willis (Hawera) with ‘Warm Memories’ an embroidered rug. Other entries included a feed sack woven into a wall hanging, knitted hoodies made from old t-shirts, and a knitted shawl made with mohair thrums discarded from weaving.
Award winners at the exhibition were:
Taranaki Area Award for best overall entry, Beth Pottinger-Hockings (New Plymouth) - The Wedding Cape; Sentosa Silk Award, Johannah Haaijema (Eltham) and Felicity Willis - Hydrangea Blue jacket, 2nd Winsome Sarten (NP) - Butterfly Flight.
Ranui Award for artistic design, Margaret Springett (Hawera) - Early Morning Stewart Island wall hanging; Inspire Fibres Colour Award, Hilda Langdon (Hawera) - Triangle and Stripes knit cardigan; Egmont Alpaca Award, Sally Johnson (NP) - Coco wrap and handwarmers; Knitworld Exotic Fibre Award, Florence Potts (NP) - Creme de la creme jacket and skirt; In Stitches Black and Coloured Wool Award, Beth Pottinger-Hockings - Noughts and Crosses rug.
ITL Accessory Award, Nell Hone (Waverley) - felted merino gloves, 2nd Bernice Mitchell (Stratford) - Recycled Tropical Wrap; first time entrant, Debra Lovie - Double Up and Bernice Mitchell - Barrier Reef bag and accessories.
Merit awards: Janet Snow (Hawera) - Woven Women; Raewyn Stevenson (NP), Silver; Lynne Mackay (NP) - Rag Bag.
The exhibition was selected by Nynke Piebenga of Pirongia, a nationally known textile artist, specialising in weaving and a past president of New Zealand Creative Fibre.
It will be open daily in the Percy Thomson Gallery until July 12 and also includes lace knitting by guest artist Janet Hainsworth (New Plymouth). Using the theme Nature’s Patterns, Janet has taken her inspiration from the beach and has recreated the delicate textures of shell and paua in handspun and hand-dyed silk in wall hangings and wearables.
