Craft day is big success
Crowds flocked to the Arran Heritage Museum last weekend where there was proof that traditional crafts and skills are still very much alive on Arran. Spinning, weaving and quilting were all demonstrated at the craft day, and in the smiddy shed the blacksmith showed off his skills. Music on the day was provided by the Arran Pipe Band.
Proving that traditional crafts and skills are still very much alive on Arran, the annual craft day at the Arran Heritage Museum hosted a variety of local groups who put on a variety of demonstrations in the garden.
The Arran Spinners, Weavers and Dyers held a demonstration of how freshly-sheared wool goes through the processes of being coloured, traditionally spun and then turned into yarn that can then be woven or knitted into a variety of garments. The newly woven tweed is then ‘waulked’, another traditional skill which has since been replaced by machines but which was demonstrated by a group of Gaelic singers who soaked and thumped the material as they rhythmically sung and worked the tweed, allowing the colours to bed in and also helping to make it supple.
On display too, was the handiwork of Bettie McCormack of Quilt-Arran who makes brightly coloured bags, purses and quilts and who is part of a small group of patch-workers and quilters on Arran. The Brodick Embroidery Group were also in attendance, providing information to visitors on how to breathe new life into existing items as well as creating decorative works of art.
Blacksmith Barry Taylor impressed the audience with a fantastic display of his craft, metal forgery and the traditional tools and equip-
ment used in the restored blacksmith shop.
For edible crafts, besides the less traditional venison and beef burgers that were on sale, and very popular with the crowd, there were also scones and pancakes available. These made use of the butter that was enthusiastically churned in a wooden hand-churner by groups of children who repeatedly asked to peek inside to see if their turning efforts had produced any butter.
While visitors took in the various crafts the air was filled with music from the Arran Pipe Band who performed at the event and who also attracted a newly-married couple from Calgary, Canada, to pop into the event as they drove by and heard the pipes and drums being played. Michelle and Howard Shoquist, who had just returned from a blessing ceremony in Whiting Bay and were still in their wedding attire, were photographed with the band and took an interest in many of the skills on show and sampled some of the food on offer.
The craft day marks the second event on the museum’s calendar which will play host to the classic tractor rally on August 7 before the anticipated children’s day on Sunday August 14 which is filled with games and story-telling and the popular chocolate fountain.
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