By Leah Blain, Observer columnist
The red walls were the perfect background. The Shuswap Needle Art Guild held a special show in honour of Canada’s sesquicentennial at the Mall at Piccadilly and the red walls added to the Canadian theme.
“Two years ago we thought Canada 150 is coming up, we should recognize it. We should show images of Canada. We wanted it to be something special,” says Shuswap Needle Arts Guild president Sandra Baker.
And so it was. More than 20 artisans took part and put in more than100 pieces. Throughout the week many people stopped by, drawn in by the impressive artistry. At one end were several eight-inch quilted squares, done by the Di-versity Heritage Quilt Group, each adorned in some way with a poppy to honour the men and women who served in the armed forces.
There were other military themed pieces such as war planes done in needle point, but the show celebrated all that was Canadian from salmon, geese, beavers and moose to provincial flowers, landscapes depicting our northern climate, trains, RCMP and even a homemade Hudson Bay coat. And of course, the Maple leaf was everywhere.
“It’s themed,” says Baker, as she glances around the room. “Everything in here has some significance to Canada.”
The members of the guild took turns sitting at the exhibit throughout the week. On this particular afternoon Ingrid Belt and Elaine Foskett are there with Baker. Foskett is one of the longtime members of the guild but her love of needle -work goes back much further than her 20 years in the guild.
“I learned the basics in a girls’ club in Alberta when I was eight. I guess I had those iron-on transfers. You would put them on pieces of clothing and practice,” she says reminiscing about some of her first projects. Now she’s retired, she enjoys the relaxing hobby and social aspect of being part of the guild.
Belt also got an early start. When she was 15 she was sick for a few months and couldn’t go to school so her mother bought her some supplies to keep her occupied.
“I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s calming. I find it’s peaceful. You can create something lasting, an expression of yourself, or you can revisit a memory,” says Belt.
Many of them frame their needle art pieces, and from a distance, the pieces look like they’re painted. People are often surprised when they get close to the pieces to see that it’s needlework, says Baker. It’s a dying art form, she says, but for centuries it was integral to many cultures.
“For hundreds of years historical events were preserved by the ladies in needlework. Events were done in tapestries. Internationally, that’s how history was presented,” says Baker.
In a salute to this tradition, the guild wanted to celebrate Canada in a special way. Throughout the week the many people who stopped by to see the show appreciated their efforts.
“We had a tremendous response to the show,” says Baker. “We heard a lot of ‘Thank-you very much – that was amazing.”
“It’s incredibly important that we celebrate such a major milestone,” says Belt. “Our status internationally reflects what a wonderful country we live in.”
The Shuswap Needle Arts Guild meets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month from September to June at the Sunnybrae Seniors’ Centre. For information contact shuswapneedleartsguild@gmail.com
Watch for an upcoming show at the Salmon Arm library.