Guild’s exhibition finally celebrated

The second time is the charm.

After having its plans thwarted by Covid-19 restrictions last year, the North Otago Embroiderers’ Guild successfully held its Embroiderers’ Southern Regional Exhibition at the weekend.

The exhibition was supposed to be held last year, coinciding with its 50th anniversary, but was postponed to Saturday and yesterday.

Although guild members were happy the exhibition had gone ahead, fewer people attended than they had anticipated.

Guild president Patricia Edmondston said although some people had been deterred because of fears of the Omicron variant, there had been a constant flow of people from when the exhibition opened at Weston Hall, 6km west of Oamaru.

It was the first exhibition the guild had held since 2009, showcasing the intricate skills of its members and the passing craft between generations with its ‘‘mother-daughter’’ theme.

The exhibition also featured a competition, including the Ivy Pollard prize, which was created in honour of the late Ivy Pollard who helped establish the group half a century ago. She was a teacher at Waitaki Girls’ High School. The guild also hosted a regional meeting for 12 guilds from Waitaki to Invercargill.

ruby.heyward@odt.co.nz