The textile pieces in the upcoming show at the Millbrook branch of the CM Libraries bear no resemblance to your great aunt’s handiwork that you may have stashed somewhere in your attic.
These are modern pieces of art, reflecting the ingenuity, skill and imagination of their creators who call themselves The Creative Collective. This group of seven local women meet on Tuesday afternoons to explore and experiment with fabric, textiles, beads, buttons and other craft materials to learn new techniques, create interesting pieces and have fun. The group has been together for roughly ten years, and is inspired by their ringleader, Liz Avery. Other members include Susan Rice, Fran Lowery, Mary Preston, Martha Corfe, Linda Thompson and Sherlene Challice.
Pieces are rarely completed at one sitting. In fact, many are never completed at all, as sometimes the objective is to master a certain technique or experiment with a different material. Some days they are exploring felting or dyeing, other times they are finding new ways to incorporate intricate stitches into new designs or as embellishments to decorative handbags or hand-crafted books. Occasionally they incorporate new items such as beads, glass, paper, buttons and glue guns.
While their pieces are as unique as their creators, they begin together with a theme. The creative process is inspired by a word prompt, a poem, a puzzle or a challenge to create a specific item such as a felted bowl or a collage. Group members found lots of inspiration during the Covid era, embedding games, word puzzles and observations into those pieces. They’ve created handbags, decorative bowls and containers, murals, hand-bound books and delicate images.
The group founder Liz Avery brings an extensive background in fibre art to the group. She spent many years while living in Oakville working with the renowned fibre artist Sybil Rempen, who has inspired many emerging artists with her experimental approach to her craft. The pair were members of the Oakville Stitchery Guild together, and worked in television and film creating costumes and items for production sets.
Visitors are invited to drop into the Millbrook Library on Tuesday, October 8th from 1 to 4pm in the Harry Williams room to see some creativity, artistic talent and technical skill in an astounding display of textile creations made by a few of our talented neighbours. KG