Tag: arts and crafts

“I See Fire” prize-winning shawl

Wow! To my great surprise, my knitted shawl won 1st place in the Crafts section of Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society’s annual Awards. The 2026 theme was ‘Art and Craft inspired by popular music’. The shawl was very beautifully displayed by the Kāpiti Gallery exhibition team.

My shawl’s inspiration was “I see fire (inside the mountain)” by Ed Sheeran, from The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug (link) – although I first heard the fantastic version by Sol3 Mio (link).

2nd place was won by fellow “Spinning, Weaving and Knitting group” member, Valerie Copeland for her fabulous quilt.

Here’s the citation from judge Fiona Christeller: “1st Bronwyn White: Shawl – Wool – ‘I see Fire – Ed Sheeran’

“The shawl clearly provides an image of the mountain being sung about. The swirling fire, vibrant reds and orange swirl and intermingle with remaining colours and textures. The knitting technique looks complex – I like the use of different knitting types and the way colours wind their way around the body and into each other.”

Icing on the cake: the shawl was bought before the exhibition closed and the buyer told me she loves it!

“We’ve always been makers”

See the latest quotations about creativity on my Fave Quotes page. Here’s a sneak preview:

Let’s admit it: We put ‘Made with love’ on our home crafted gifts, because…

You can also find quotes from one of my favourite comedic and philosophical writers, the late Sir Terry Pratchett, and a whole section from Sir Stephen Fry on depression.

Autumn & Winter ShapeShifters

Have a look over on my EclecticYarn website where I’ve posted about two new fibre artworks for a gallery exhibition:
Post about new works
ShapeShifters range page

These are called “Autumn Forest” and “Winter Forest”. Guess what I’ll be working on next…

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News of latest stitching ranges

New ranges: Gumtrees and Yuletide

No sooner had the Kāpiti Coast Art Trail  (November 2024) – for which I stitched a lot of new fibre artworks, including Vivid Forests – ended when it was time to prepare for the Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society’s Christmas-New Year Exhibition in Kāpiti Gallery.

I completed two triptychs: Gum Tree Triptych (ii) because I’ve decided not to sell the first one, and Black and Red Villages Triptych (i), the latest in my Quirky Villages series, and began a new Yuletide range, an evolution from my Vivid Forests!

The next couple of Yuletide works will be variations on Christmas Candles, either in groups of three or quartets representing the liturgical Hope, Peace, Joy and Love – works in progress just now.

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2023 in review

In early December – a great finish to the year – I enjoyed many visitors and a good number of sales as an artist in residence during the annual Kāpiti Coast Art Trail.

Also in December, my third book of inclusive, progressive, evolving-christian liturgy resources, named “Joyful Spirit Bubbling“, was published.

In July, my hand-stitched cushion, “Sunshine on Fields of Gold”, was awarded the Crafts prize in Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society‘s annual Art and Craft Awards. Judged by Penny Eames and sponsored by Forsyth Barr, the Society awards prizes in both Art and Craft sections.

March – April: my story about a fibre art commission made the cover of March 2023 Creative Fibre magazine – and one of my entries in the national Creative Fibre Exhibition at Pataka Art & Museum in Porirua had a red sold sticker before the Creative Fibre event began!

Friends have given me linen and Aida cloth, and I’ve tried new stitching techniques this year, for example, the Black and Red Village fibre artwork. And for the first time, as part of a demonstration/workshop following my weekly craft group, I made silk paper, and was very please with the results.

I’ve been concentrating my jewellery-making on high end, complex floral creations for wedding parties and special occasions; my best-sellers are still kids’ bracelets at the Saturday morning markets.

And right at the end of the year, I’ve tidied the gardens – including moving some plants, and finding a home for the beautiful standard “Iceberg” rose my daughter and grandsons gave me for Christmas!

Wishing you a happy new year and heaps of art-and-craft enjoyment in 2024.

Sunshine on Fields of Gold

(July 2023) This cushion, “Sunshine on Fields of Gold”, has been awarded the Crafts prize at the winners of Kāpiti Arts and Crafts Society’s annual Art and Craft Awards. Judged by Penny Eames and sponsored by Forsyth Barr, the Society awards prizes in both Art and Craft sections.

See images and description here

but is it iconic?

Latest stitching work in progress: fibre artwork for gallery’s “NZ Icons” themed exhibition. Started out okay, but – since taking the photo – I overdid the pāua and it’s a mess. So here goes with the unpicking, and finding a better “icon” to include. Also, the punga fronds / koru look a bit like horns sprouting out of the shell.

I’m jolly pleased with the stylised pōhutukawa and fern, though.