Sunday, 19 May 2013

INSPIRATION FOUND IN KINROSS Reported by Helen Miller



June spotted an advert in a magazine for a craft exhibition in Kinross and casually asked Helen and Stephanie if they fancied a wee run out to Kinross to see what was on offer. I’ve got to admit that, as the day drew closer, we wondered whether we had made the correct decision to go. The entrance fee was only £2 and that included refreshments. That sounded like good value for money so we set off to find Kinross Parish Church.




We had an enjoyable drive through and found the venue easily enough. As we paid the entrance fee we were astounded as we looked around at the variety of crafts on display. The exhibition was organised by the Scottish Handcraft Circle which tries to encourage people to learn traditional crafts which would otherwise die out. The photographs don’t do justice to the quality of the exhibits. There were quilts, wall-hangings, felted items, fabric and stitched landscapes, jewellery and much more. Amelie, June’s grand-daughter, was particularly interested in the felted fish bowl and the knitted toys. The church hall was ablaze with colour and we walked round several times in an attempt not to miss anything.





Being a polite soul I asked permission to take photographs and was delighted to meet such a lovely group of ladies who were interested in our being there and willing to discuss their group. They took a note of our details and promised that the Glasgow branch of Scottish Handcraft circle would be in touch to liaise with our group and have an exchange of ideas. They run meetings from October to May and are based in Elmbank St, Glasgow.





You will be happy to hear that the promised refreshments included tea, coffee, juice and home baking. We were made to feel right at home. Amilie got her money’s worth of juice and nibbles, (actually, we got her in for free). After tea we chatted to Meg who was working on Quaker Tapestry. This event was greatly enjoyed by everyone and our imaginations were running wild with the thought of things to come.




Needless to say we had a shopping urge. I had done my homework and we drove to Linlithgow to visit Nifty Needles  and Purely Patchwork on Main St. Nifty Needles had a good array of cross-stitch kits to entertain June. The wool section was varied and prices were competitive. Well worth a visit.




Purely Patchwork held an interesting supply of fabrics and fixings and project kits. This is also well worth a visit.
All in all, we had a grand day out and look forward to organising another adventure soon.



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