The Integrate Art Society & MJ Bailey will be hosting a collaborative fibre art project in Market Square from 12:00PM to 4:00PM on Sunday August 30th. The finished project will be a textile pastiche of individual free form pieces produced by local fibre artists and joined together on site by volunteers.

In planning pieces for inclusion in the project, participants are encouraged to create pieces that are expressive or experimental, an abstract exploration of colour and texture or a simple representation of patterned stitch work that is unique, visually striking or personally significant. To participate, bring finished pieces to the Integrate Collaborative Fibre Project site at Market Square on Sunday August 30th (12-4) or drop them off at one of our collection sites to submit for use in the project. Bring your crochet hook or yarn needle to join us to volunteer your time, socialize with other fibre enthusiasts and help build this exciting project.

The finished project will be displayed in the Integrate HQ (The Bay Centre unit #228c by the fountain on Fort St) from September 1st to September 12th.

Collection Sites: Seaside Button and Yarn in Sooke (#3-6631 Sooke Rd, Sooke BC V9Z 0A3)

Guidelines and Rules:

In order to allow for a balanced representation of the diversity of submissions, ensure the surface area of your piece does not exceed a total surface area of 10 inches square (10x10). Small pieces will aid in filling out joined areas for irregular shapes.

Participants must ensure a tail of yarn long enough to join the piece to others remains on the project. This will allow the volunteers to sew and crochet the pieces together using the colours and textures of the pieces. Participants may submit as many pieces they like but are encouraged to experiment with various styles, themes or approaches if submitting multiple pieces.

There is no guideline or rule for shaping, you may create a square, rectangle, circle, hexagon etc. Please consider ease of integration with other pieces in planning your design.

Materials used in the piece must be clean and free of contaminants or excessively strong odours. Unexpected non-fibre materials (plastic bags, upcycled fabric, twine) may be used however must be appropriate and safe for our volunteers to work with. Any submissions that are deemed unsuitable or unsafe (for example dye staining fingers, highly scented or moth infested) will not be used.

In order to allow for ease of joining, please ensure your work has an edge of accessible stitches that can be joined by sewing (with a large needle and yarn, not a sharp sewing needle) in a whip or blanket stitch, or crocheting pieces together. If using felt or fabric, please ensure an edge with appropriate holes is applied to your work. The finished piece will be displayed flat or hung. In order to allow for the finished piece to be displayed, your submission should not exceed more than 2 inches in thickness.

Submissions will not be returned.

Submissions will be arranged by volunteers, participants may only influence the placement of their submission if they volunteer to assist in joining, which will be a collaborative effort.

For more information or to register as a volunteer please contact MJ Bailey at miijii@nerdigurumi.com. Walk in volunteers will also be welcome.

Calling all knitters, crocheters, felters, weavers and fibre enthusiasts!