A cozy, colorful “Culture Day” at the Grace Centre in Sydenham

Oct 01, 2014

There is nothing better to get one into the spirit of fall with the vibrant colours and the cool temperatures it brings than a show of finely made, hand-crafted textiles. That was the case at the Southern Frontenac Community Services Grace Centre for a one-day show titled Textile Adventure. Sponsored by the Grace Centre Arts Committee, the show included displays and demonstrations by the Trinity Quilters, the Frontenac Rug Hookers, the Cataraqui Guild of Needlework Arts, weaver Beth Abbott and knitter Michelle Zigman.

I spoke with long-time painter turned rug hooker, Linda Hetherington, whose 3 by 9 foot hall floor runner was front and center at the show. Titled "Fantasy Creatures" the piece demonstrates how craft can quickly become art in the right hands. Hetherington worked for years as a professional painter and said the piece was not planned but rather just seemed to grow of its own accord. She said that she looked at mythological drawings and old tapestries to inspire the fantasy animals that appear in the piece. The colors of the piece are both rich and subtle and were hand dyed by the maker. The piece took Hetherington a full year and over 1000 hours to complete. “It is repetitive and methodical work and is really meditative.”

Hetherington makes her pieces for herself and, disappointingly for fans of her work, does not sell them.

The show included various kinds of block quilts both in traditional and modern designs, a historic name quilt and a barjello, different types of needle work and embroidery including Swedish weaving, felting, black work, long and short stitch, Elizabethan style needle work and examples of gold thread work. Master weaver Beth Abbott was on hand to give spinning demonstrations and Michelle Zigman demonstrated various knitting and weaving techniques. Many of the Trinity quilters were also busy working on projects that they had on the go. For those with a passion for the textile arts, the show was a delight and an inspiration for those looking for new ways to get their hands busy this coming fall and winter season.