The upcoming Wairarapa Embroiderers’ Guild [WEG] exhibition – ‘Knot Just Threads’ – will be on display for two weeks at Aratoi.
The biennial embroidery exhibition will be showcasing textile artworks that include free-form machine stitching and hand-stitched embroidery created by members of Wairarapa, Wellington, and Kapiti guilds.
According to WEG’s Lynley Brown, Wairarapa’s guild was founded 42 years ago, in 1981, and meets four times a month – on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, members get together and stitch whatever they like, while the second and fourth Tuesday of the month members work on a specific project.
“We get someone from our membership to tutor something – my speciality is blackwork. I have taken a class in blackwork, but there are others who can do all sorts of things” Brown said.
“No matter what type of embroidery a person would be interested in doing, they would find somebody who can help them do it.”
The Guild is always looking for new members to join, no matter their embroidery experience.
“Even if you hardly know how to thread a needle, we can show you how to do that easily,” Brown said.
Running in conjunction with the Aratoi exhibition is a ‘Have a go at Stitch’ event.
“We invite people to sit down at a table and have a go at some kind of stitching.
“For men, we offer the chance to learn how to sew on a button,” Brown said.
“If you want to try out various different things, there’s always someone who can show you how. If you get a bit stuck in what you’re doing, there’s always somebody who can give you some helpful advice.”
The exhibition is at Aratoi, from Saturday, August 26, to Sunday, September 10. It will be open 10am-4pm every day except for Monday, when Aratoi is closed.
