Colour, clever quilting, and creative stitching all part of Whangārei exhibition

Whangārei Patchworkers and Quilters Club members Lynda Parker, Lynne O’Donnell, Beryl McDowell and Sheila Ujdur have fun with members of the public while promoting the club’s upcoming exhibition.

Colour and passion will be sewn-up in an exhibition at Whangārei this weekend.

The Whangārei Patchworkers and Quilters Club is holding its biennial exhibition, the Quilt and Textile Art Extravaganza, at Forum North from Friday to Sunday.

The club has been running for 37 years and many of the 90-plus members have high profiles, with some members working professionally in their art, said club secretary Lynne O’Donnell.

“It was originally a fairly traditional patchwork group but there’s a lot of art involved and creative stitching; it’s not just bed quilts,” she said.

This weekend’s event will feature displays of textile art, including dyed fabric and stitched pictures, plus creative techniques incorporated into quilts, O’Donnell said.

The exhibition will include a tribute to Petra Pilkington, a club member who sadly died this year and was known throughout the country for her textile art, O’Donnell said.

Another guest exhibition will be by Opua’s Charlotte Scott, also known as the “mad quilt lady”.

The exhibition will also include a display by one of the club’s satellite groups, the Wot Knots, on the theme of seasonal chimes.

Another highlight will be a display from the national Aotearoa Quilters. There will be more than 40 entries into this challenge, where the theme is the colours of spring, O’Donnell said.

The extravaganza will also include the usual sales table, merchant tables, and coffee and cake.

The main raffle has two prizes of quilts, while a secondary raffle of about 10 handmade bags will raise money for the Papermill.

The Forum North exhibition will be open from 10am to 4pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. Entry is $5 and Eftpos will be available.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.