It takes about 40 feet of twine to make three feet of rope, said Simcoe County Museum volunteer Murray van Rassel.
And there were no apologies for the use of Imperial measures: the equipment van Rassel was using dated back to the 19th century, definitely pre-metric.
The hand-cranked rope-maker came out of van Rassel's personal collection, but the museum provided the twine, and visitors to the Simcoe County Museum's annual Simcoe County Quilt, Rug and Craft Fair provided the muscle.
Rope-making was just one of the traditional “fibre arts” on display at the museum this weekend.
Glen McLean demonstrated the “functional art” of broom-making; there were lace-makers demonstrating bobbin lace-making techniques; the Huronia Spinners’ Guild transformed fleece into yarn; and weavers worked their shuttles, while answering questions.
Jo-Ann Giorshev has been weaving for about three years. “I’m more a beginner,” she said.
It was about three years ago that she accompanied a friend who was a quilter to the annual quilt fair, and saw a loom in action. “I was interested because the first computer was a loom,” she said.
She spoke to a weaver at the fair, ended up taking lessons, and this year was back - providing a demonstration of her craft.
That’s a common pattern at the Simcoe County Quilt, Rug and Craft Fair, said Shaughna Crew, events programmer at the museum.
Every year, the museum welcomes back crafters who have become friends - the lace-makers, embroiderers, stitchers, spinners, weavers, rug hookers and quilters.
“We see their work, and we welcome the public back to see their work,” Crew said. The demonstrations by the various guilds and crafts “are important,” she noted, providing a learning experience. “It gives an idea of how to do it,” a sense of the challenges of a craft, and the possibilities, she said, before investing the time and money into taking classes.
For those who decide that they want to learn more, representatives of the various guilds and associations were on hand and happy to provide information.
“One of our Guild’s biggest mandate is education,” said Barb Relf of the Huronia Handweavers’ Guild.
With all the range of crafts on display at the museum, the heart of the annual fair remains quilting. Examples of the quilter’s art line the walls and fill an exhibition hall, with everything from traditional designs, to abstract and even op-art patterns.
Judy Cotter has been involved with the fair for about 15 years, but she’s been quilting for three decades. How she got into quilting in the first place is typical.
“I started when my daughter was born,” Cotter said. “My mother-in-law said I had to make my daughter a quilt. I said, I don’t sew!”
She not only completed the quilt, she got ‘hooked.’
“It’s an addiction,” Cotter said. “I just enjoy doing it.” From that first hand-quilted and appliqued project, she has gone on to detailed patterns and machine-quilting, and now teaches the craft.
In addition to the displays and demonstrations, the fair offers a Merchant’s Mall filled with crafting supplies, Simcoe County Arts & Crafts Association Boutique selling items handcrafted by its members, and embroidery, hand-woven and hand-hooked items, quilts and more, on sale by Guild members.
Crew enjoys the fair for the demonstrations, the remarkable display of quilts, the people who return each year - but also for “the shopping,” she said. “I buy so much at the show. I’ve got lots of fall birthdays… and Hallowe’en… and of course the Christmas gifts. And it’s all hand-made!”
The crafts on display at the Simcoe County Quilt, Rug and Craft Fair were once vital to survival, in the days before mass-production and online shopping. The popularity of the fair shows that the "fibre arts" are still appreciated and practiced by a growing number of county residents, who enjoy working with their hands.
As weaver Brenda Hatcher noted, “We’re fibre people. We’re hands-on!”
The fair continues at the Simcoe County Museum, 1151 Highway 26 north of Barrie, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and youth, $5 for children ages 4 to 12.
