The good reputation of Wonderwool Wales – the UK’s largest Wool, yarn, natural fibre and textile festival – is spreading around the globe.
This year’s 20th anniversary show, to be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd in Mid Wales on April 25 and 26, will have exhibitors from Portugal and Netherlands for the first time.
Last year, Kimberly Perkins from Cat Mountain Fibre Arts, Colorado, who produces hand dyed, multi-textured, yarn bundles and knitting and crochet patterns, became the first exhibitor to jet in from America.
This year’s international exhibitors include Marisa Arosa from Abenaia, based in Marvão, Portugal. Her yarn is woollen spun, with no superwash, bleach or siliconed based softeners.
She offers a range of natural colours where the variation in colour comes when wool is carded in the mill. Both base colours – white and black – are blended together. Marisa also sells a variety of naturally dyed colours, which vary with the seasons.
From the Netherlands, Stephen and Penelope, a high-end yarn boutique located in Amsterdam, will be showcasing its exclusive house brand yarn, West wool, in six bases and 100 stunning colours, together with leather bags by Re:Designed.
Tickets for Wonderwool Wales and for its Woolschools – craft workshops which this year include willow weaving – can be booked at https://wonderwoolwales.co.uk/ .
“We are delighted that the reputation of Wonderwool Wales is spreading around the world and especially pleased to welcome the new exhibitors from Portugal and the Netherlands to our 20th anniversary show,” said show director Chrissie Menzies.
“There was going to be a third new international exhibitor but unfortunately their visa application was refused.”
In excess of 220 exhibitors, including around 30 new ones, have booked their stands at the show, tickets for which cost £16 a day or £30 for the weekend.
The award-winning event attracts around 6,000 visitors and exhibitors from across the UK and worldwide. Sheep Walk fashion shows, demonstrations and have-a-go sessions hosted by some of the exhibitors are regular features.
Wonderwool Wales covers everything from start to end of the creative process. Exhibits of sheep, raw and hand dyed fibres, yarn for knitting and crochet, embellishments, equipment, dyes and books can be found alongside superb examples of finished textile art, craft, clothing and home furnishings.
Calico Dress Cymru, a Welsh community textile project led by textile artist, Menna Buss, will be one of the star attractions this year. Commissioned by the Museum of Wales and celebrating Welsh identity, heritage and creativity through embroidery, the project will occupy a large exhibition space.
The Calico Dress is the first ‘daughter dress’ of the internationally-renowned Red Dress, a 14-year collaborative embroidery project by artist Kirstie Macleod with contributions from almost 400 countries worldwide.
A collaborative community project in Wales, people stitch personal stories and Welsh cultural symbols onto a large calico dress, creating a collective artwork representing Wales’ past, present and future through hand embroidery.
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