Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers hope to weave creative spell over judges

Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers member Lisa Lochead models the outfit the group has entered in the Creative Fibre Festival.

Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers have put their design skills to work to take part in a nationwide competition as part of a Creative Fibre Festival.

The festival is marking Creative Fibre New Zealand's 50th anniversary and will be held in Palmerston North from Thursday April 25 to Sunday April 28 at B&M Centre in Pascal St.

A team from Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers have taken on the Group Runway Challenge and have put in many hours of work to create an outfit for the challenge.

The brief was to design and create an outfit suitable to wear in 2019 and the future, inspired by gold. It had to be a club effort and involve different skills with fibre.

The team of Jean McFarland, Heather Ridge, Laurene Neill, Greg Nelson, Pat Hewitt and Tracy Bowie took up the challenge six months ago by spin, knit and crochet merino wool, transforming it into a fashionable outfit.

Their work was titled Today, Tomorrow, Classic Retro.

It's a beautifully worked ensemble in single and double ply merino wool and lurex.

In its entry notes the team said it decided to use the green that represents Manawatu for the specification of the brief.

"During these discussions the idea of acknowledging the achievement of Creative Fibre in reaching its 50th anniversary was raised with the suggestion that wouldn't it be wonderful if we could expand upon the brief to work on a design that could have been worn 50 years ago, still worn today and into the future."

Team member Jean McFarland said plenty of research went into the project.
"We studied old patterns and came up with a design that incorporated two or three patterns. We experimented by throwing things at the wool to see what worked best."

The top has gently draped sides to give it a more modern design while the skirt is made up of eight separate panels, four plain and four featuring different patterns. The outfit is topped with a soft crocheted beret and a neck bow.

The Dannevirke creation is one of 13 entered in the challenge. Each outfit will be displayed during the festival and they will be judged on Saturday night.

A representative of each club will give a short presentation outlining the design, the fibre used and the work undertaken before the judging.

The festival will be of interest to anyone interested in knitting, crochet, dyeing, spinning, weaving, felting, tapestry or any other fibre art or craft.

There will be contemporary and historical displays, a curated national exhibition, traders offering all kinds of fibre, accessories and equipment, and opportunities to have a go at many crafts.

Admission is $5 for adults and children are free.

There will be two professionally-staged fashion parades on Friday at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $50 and are available at the door and online at www.creativefibre.org.nz

Contact for more information about the festival is Susan Barber, festival2019@creativefibre.org.nz.