In its golden anniversary year exhibition, members of the Cambridge Creative Fibre Club are basking in the afterglow of a successful annual exhibition at the Raleigh St Christian Centre.
Most agree that the 2017 event brought more people through the doors than in the previous year. Even inclement weather didn’t slow the tide, and Thursday’s trader’s day was a bumper one.
Exhibition convenor Anne Curtis said club members were delighted with the June 20-23 exhibition in which close on 60 of their number put a wide range of crafts on show.
“We had huge numbers come through – a lot of families and children as well this year,” she said. “I think we can put a lot of the interest down to the success of the yarn-bombing of Cambridge.”
The decision to yarn-bomb the town for the 2017 event took the less extensive 2016 yarn-bombing to an altogether different level. This year, Cambridge was awash with colourful crafts wrapped and draped all over the place. “People were very curious about it all – then they came to the expo. We’ll be doing it again next year, that’s for sure.”
Members also put paid to any lingering thoughts that most of them might simply be older ladies gainfully employed with yarn.
First to blow that out of the water – there’s said to be a gentleman member in their midst. Next, there has been something of a resurgence of interest in craftwork, with many younger people now eager to learn.
And then – sitting plum in the middle of their exhibition was a tiny pincushion, tellingly dubbed “The Don”. On the exhibition’s penultimate day, a member said the yellow-haired pincushion appeared to be attracting the sharp end of an increasing number of pins as the exhibition wore on.
Judging entries this year was independent Hamilton selector, Gail Kelman.
Award-winners included Cynthia Read (Selector’s Choice Award); Sabine Lang (Best Use of Colour); Inga Bockholt (Domestic Excellence Award); Elaine Paton (Bess Aston Award); Jean Welch (Best Use of Fleece); Janet Greenall (New Skill Award); and Bronya McInally (Outside the Square).
By Viv Posselt
