Art in fabric

Linda MacDonald pulls strips of wool fabric through a canvas with a hook, carefully following a traditional pattern of the three bears from the Goldilocks fairy tale.
The porridge-displaying, classic ursine layout is for her four-month-old grandson, Mathieu, and the little guy should consider himself lucky.
Not a lot of grandmothers still do this kind of work. Even fewer mothers could, or would, be able to pull it off.
Ditto for other hobbies such as hand spinning, bobbin lacing or smocking.
"These things are dying out," said Janice Hamilton during a bobbin lace demonstration at the Hector Heritage Quay in Pictou, part of an exhibition of traditional fabric work. "I can't seem to get my daughter interested in it. So many daughters don't take their craft up to keep them going on down the road."
Thus, MacDonald's classic homemade quilt might be something of an endangered species. And the reason seems to be a rather obvious one, as Sue MacLachlan points out. Times have changed, and so have the lifestyles of women. The days of sewing circles as a mother's primary source of entertainment are well over, and they aren't likely to come back.
She's currently smocking, an embroidery technique used to gather fabric so it can stretch, and most commonly seen in baby's nighties and bonnets.
"These used to be social activities," MacLachlan said.
"Women would gather to talk, and they'd knit or smock to keep their hands busy. Smocked baby bonnets were used in fundraisers for churches before bake sales or barbecues. You don't see a lot of it now, because with the work that goes into it, you'd be selling something for less than 30 cents an hour."
The tapestry of these crafts fades to various degrees. You'll still find plenty of knitted mittens, such as the pairs shown off by Ruth Nelson. She insists first-timers begin with an easier project, like a scarf, before moving to the more challenging mittens and socks.
But according to the demonstration's organizer, Donna Bullerwell, about a dozen people in the province currently practise Hamilton's bobbin lace technique.
Hamilton has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, explaining that the fabrics made were generally reserved for royalty in the 17th and 18th centuries. Young girls would learn only one pattern and stick to it for speed purposes, which is why the current projects in books are entitled by their original apprentice - "Marguerite" is an example.
Visitors seemed to enjoy the demonstrations. Anna Pereda's spinning loom is a rarity these days, the type of stuff now best remembered in fairy tales like Rapunzel.
Bullerwell hopes the interest sparks new artisans.
"These are the things people used to do, and we want to show people that they are still alive in Pictou County," Bullerwell said.