Fascinating textile exhibitions at this year’s Wonderwool Wales include a knitted map of Llandysul, a felt model of Llareggub Village and displays brought together to mark the centenary of the First World War.
To further commemorate the Great War there will be costumed re-enactors wearing authentic reproduction clothing from 100 years ago at Wonderwool Wales and show organisers are inviting hand-made contributions for their Centenary Textiles Community Project: A Curtain of Poppies.
The hugely popular wool and natural fibres festival on April 22 and 23 at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells will showcase a Centenary Textiles Exhibition in Hall 3.
Organiser Jane Veevers said:
“This will explore the role and development of handmade textiles including knitted, crocheted and felted items, during World War 1. It will include Centenary Stitches, a project co-ordinated by costumier Pauline Loven, a range of Circular Sock Knitting Machines demonstrated by Hilary Kendall and various displays telling the story of textiles 100 years ago.
“Alongside this, we’re hoping to bring together our community of textile makers to recreate the united determination of the WW1 volunteers. There’ll be an interactive area where volunteers can make a textile poppy for an installation we’re planning for Wonderwool Wales 2018, to mark the end of the Great War. Our ‘Curtain of Poppies’ will include 887,858 textile poppies, to commemorate each person from the UK who died serving their country.” Jane added: “If individuals or textile groups would like to make a larger contribution, they are invited to make lengths of poppies. Instruction leaflets can be picked up at the show or find the patterns and further information on the show website.”
Centenary Stitches, part of the special Centenary Textiles Exhibition, is a display of clothing from the WW1 film ‘Tell Them of Us’ by WAG Screen not-for-profit filmmaking group. The exhibit shows how a modern-day international army of knitters was created almost by accident, helping to costume the film and shedding light on the extraordinary range of knitted items produced by the women back home for the men in the trenches.
Alongside this Hilary Kendall will be exhibiting some of her collection of fully restored and operational circular sock knitting machines, developed at the end of the 19th Century. By WW1 these had enabled socks to be produced much more quickly and a popular British-made model, the Cymbal, was adopted during the war effort not only for sock knitting but also for producing bandages.
Visitors to Hall 3 can also admire The Llandysul Map, a 10ft x 6ft knitted map produced by a small group of Llandysul knitters and a model of Llareggub Village, made from felt and other materials and created for the Dylan Thomas celebrations in 2014 by Swansea-based Itchy Fingers Textiles.
All this can be enjoyed at a show which bursts at the seams with stalls brimming over with supplies and ideas for fibre fans and also features a full programme of Woolschools, with opportunities to learn techniques from felting to weaving. There will also be have-a-go sessions on some of the stalls; demonstrations by members of the Welsh Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and the ever-entertaining Sheepwalk, a woolIy take on the catwalk.
For more details visit www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk
