Lou does the double with her needle felting panel

The reserve overall spot was taken by E Huda Bladon’s fine lace knitted evening wrap top.

The judging team who made the difficult decision, left to right: Christine Kyle, Uplawmoor SWI; Dorothy Morris, Cleish SWI; Anne Rogie, Bridge of Earn SWI; Pat Cooper, Dellavaird SWI; Alison Tolson Edinburgh Lace Club; Les Glen, Lammermuir Stick Dressing

Entry numbers held steady, with a slight rise on last year with entries in the region of 450 and as ever, the efficient and dedicated ladies of the SWI put together a great display that showcases one of the highest levels of crafting in Scotland.

Lou’s needle felt panel was an impressive three feet by two and for the eagle eyed among you, it is a copy of a RHS poster from a previous year – incorporating the theme’s necessary rainbow. She put in 12 entries this year and would encourage anyone to try needle felting because, as she says, all you need to start is a needle and off you go.

The overall winner in the handcrafts competition is this panel in needle felting by Lou Washington

Lous said: “I still can’t believe I won it. I craft as a hobby, but I follow professional felters online and I know the standard of work they are producing, and I feel I’m not quite there yet.

“I had the idea to do the poster, the challenge was just fitting it all in and make it look as it should. It had to be 2D, but I was trying to make sure it looked like it had depth. I work quite fast, so this entry took me about a week to complete.”

The winner of the handcrafts overall prize is awarded a £500 voucher towards a crafting course. Lou said: “I’ve only just decided what I want to do with the prize that I got as last year’s winner, so I’ve signed up to do a blacksmith’s course.”

The reserve overall handcrafts entry was this fine lace knitted evening wrap top by E Huda Bladon

I’m looking forward to seeing how Lou incorporated felting and blacksmithing in next year’s entry.

Picking up reserve overall was E Huda Bladon, from Cheshire. Huda’s entry of an evening top wrap which was entered in the class of an article other than a shawl in fine lace knitting showed intricate work with a little added sparkle to draw the eye.

She said: “I was bouncing up and down when I heard I had got reserve. I still can’t quite believe it. I was super excited and I’m really looking forward to seeing all the other entries.”

RHS overall sticks and crooks entry from Ian Paterson, of Kelso, with this horn walking stick

The theme for Huda’s class was purple, so she dyed some white lace weight wool she had, so that it wasn’t uniform in tone. She added: “I am not a fan of purple and I was worried the judges would think I had dyed it wrong, but it really was the intention. It’s a fine knit evening top, similar to a shawl, but I sewed up the sleeves so that it stays on and I trimmed it with a fine silver bead to add some sparkle.”

Huda put in nine entries this year and she said the reserve winning piece took around a month to make. “I had to wet it, block and pull it hard to open up the holes to make the lace effect.”

This is Huda’s third year entering and she has had a few firsts in class before but has never won anything at this level. “After years of my family not been interested in my knitting, it is back in vogue and there is now a queue to see who can get the next piece I make. I think for this shawl I’ll sell it to them for the highest bid," she laughs.

The winning group of four sticks entered by one competitor, Ian Paterson of Kelso

The winners of each class are brought forward for the judges to talk them over and to each give their view on the skill level involved and why they put them in first place.

Christine Kyle, of Uplawmoor SWI, who put forward the overall winner from the felting entry that she judged, said: “There was six or seven in the class and this just stood out. It was so beautifully executed. The rainbow was very natural, and though it’s a very large canvas, the proportions and perspectives of everything in the picture were perfect. Even though it was a 2D class, there were raised areas that really gave it form. It scored 20/20.

“Not only in this class but in them all, there is so much imagination and thought put into all the entries, I often wonder how they come up with such fantastic ideas for the brief.

“I’m delighted to see such high levels of skill on display, and to see the crafting skills being handed down through the generations by the ladies who attend our SWI clubs.

"We run regular courses and workshops to teach these skills and a complete novice can very quickly become skilled in their chosen craft. I should remind everyone that you do not have to be a member of the SWI to enter the RHS handcrafts section. Everyone is welcome.”

Sticks and crooks

Red rosettes all the way for Ian

Winning the red rosette for the overall best stick in the competition was a delighted Ian Paterson, of Kelso, who managed to pick up a ticket for 11 of his 12 entries he had in this year’s competition.

Ian, who is a member of Tweedale Stick Dressers and a member of the British Stickmaker’s Guild, won both the overall competition and also took home the top prize for best four sticks by one competitor, consisting of one horn crook, one wood crook, one horn stick and one wood stick.

This is Ian’s first time winning overall and he did it with his ram’s horn walking stick, with scroll and thistle. What’s the secret to a good horn stick?

“Well, you can never tell if the horn is good or not until you start to boil it and file it. That’s when the flaws start to show. It’s very difficult to get a good horn these days. This one has a hazel shank and I go out and find the hazel wood myself, then it has to be dried for a year before I can start to straighten it.

“Adding the scroll and thistle does give more work but I like making them that way.” Ian is a carpenter to trade and only took up making sticks around nine years ago when he retired. Start to finish, it takes him around 15 hours to make an elm burr walking stick, but the ram’s horns take longer because of the work involved shaping the horn.

“I put in a good elm burr wood stick with scroll and thistle and that was pulled out along with the other three as part of the winning four.”

Back in 2016, Ian had the best wood stick in the show and he has always entered one or two into the Highland over the years, but this year he is delighted to have all but one of his sticks pick up a ticket.

Next year’s provisional RHS handcrafts schedule can be found here: https://www.theswi.org.uk/events-news/scottish-handcrafts-competition-2024.html

HANDCRAFTS awards:

Overall – L Washington’s 2D picture in needle felting incorporating a rainbow; reserve – E Huda Bladon’s purple fine lace knitting evening top.

Crooks and walking stick overall – I Paterson’s rams horn walking stick. Group of four sticks – I Paterson.

Best exhibit for colour and design – S Paice. Best exhibit in handweaving, knitting, spinning or crooks from Scottish Crofting counties – D Broadbent. Trophy for innovation and creativity in knitting and/or crochet – M McPhillips. Best exhibit of a ‘fancy’ hand-spun yarn – S Case. Best exhibit in basketmaking – B Reynard. Madeira Best free machine embroidery – M Main. Best woven item – M Henderson. Best exhibit of lace in section G with special reference to creativity – H Clark. Best exhibit of two-ply handspun, extra fine, Shetland yarn for lace knitting – L Baigrie. Best in patchwork, applique and quilting – J Duncan. Best exhibit in painting – G Chapman.

Medley of crafts in rainbow colours:

Mother's Day card – 1, J Christie; 2, J Currie; 3, A Morris.

Sewn box cushion with zip and pad – 1, J Duncan; 2, S Plummer; 3, E Penders.

Beadwork flower – 1, K Aspinall; 2, S Knight; 3, K Shepherd.

Felted spring wreath – 1, Rosemary Hastie; 2, Louise Washington; 3, Julie Christie.

2D Picture in needle felting incorporating a rainbow – 1, L Washington; 2, J McCabe; 3, K Aspinall.

Fruit basket, basketry technique – 1, B Reynard; 2, A Shaw; 3, M Beith.

Model of a sheep in clay – 1, L Washington; 2, J McCabe; 3, M Finlay.

Painting inspired by ‘Over the rainbow’ – 1, L Washington; 2, B Reynard; 3, G Chapman.

Painting of flower(s) in watercolour – 1, G Chapman; 2, S Knight; 3, M Finlay.

Photo of a rainbow, mounted – 1, A Hall; 2, I Speir; 3, L Washington.

Photo of autumn colours, mounted – 1, M Finlay; 2, D Stainton; 3, A Hall.

A picture in quilling in a box frame – 1, K Huggett; 2, L Washington; 3, L Stewart.

Doormat size rag rug – 1, H MacIver; 2, K Huggett; 3, L Washington.

Unicorn toy, any technique – 1, J Duncan; 2, E Penders; 3, J Christie.

Three items, three different crafts – 1, D Gibson, 2, M Dick; 3, E Huda Bladon.

Novice exhibitors:

A bookmark – 1, M Henderson; 2, M Nicoll.

Crochet shades of blue shawl – 1, M Main; 2, M Finlay; 3=, J Boswell, 3=, A Watson.

Article using granny squares – 1, M McPhillips; 2, S Paice; 3=, L McFarlane, 3=, S Day.

Hand knitting shade of purple – cot blanket incorporating a minimum of five different knitting techniques – 1, I Reid; 2, S Paice; 3, P Hannah.

Knitted hat, any ply – 1, M MacCormick; 2, M Main; 3, M Crawford.

Adults socks, four ply – 1, S Ross; 2=, S Paice, 2=, M Finlay.

Child’s Jumper, any ply – 1, M Finlay; 2, I Reid; 3, E MacGregor.

An article other than a shawl in fine lace knitting – 1, E Huda Bladon; 2, J Boswell; 3, S Paice.

Handspinning, weaving and dyeing – Golden Shears theme:

Two ply extra fine hank of Shetland yarn, for lace knitting – 1, L Baigrie; 2, S Grimes; 3, P Skett.

Three hanks of hand spun yarn using different natural fibres and dyes inspired by the title – 1, EH Bladon; 2, M Beith; 3, K Huggett.

Hank of fancy yarn – 1, S Case; 2, M Beith; 3, K Huggett.

An article in homespun yarn, knitted, crocheted or woven – 1, M Henderson; 2, L Baigrie; 3, S Grimes.

Belt in any hand weaving technique – 1, M Henderson; 2, K Templeton; 3, T Schyma.

Shopping bag, any hand weaving – 1, M Henderson; 2, P Skett; 3, F Bleakley.

Lace and tatting:

Fan in two or more colours, inspired by the colours of the sky – 1, H Clark; 2, K Brander; 3, M Finlay.

A 2D or 3D article in any technique – 1, H Clark; 2, K Shepherd; 3, K Brander.

Lace edging at least 25cm in length in any technique – 1, H Clark; 2, K Shepherd; 3, J Boswell.

Embroidery, colours of the spectrum:

Picture in cross stitch – 1, M Finlay; 2, R Barnet; 3, MJ Lawrie.

Free style machine embroidery table mat – 1, M Main; 2, C Tuck.

Item in crewel embroidery – 1, EH Bladon; 2, MJ Lawrie; 3, L Stewart.

Canvas covered foot stool – 1, J Currie; 2, K Shepherd.

Patchwork, applique and quilting theme Wizard of Oz:

Patchwork toy – 1, J Duncan; 2, K Shepherd.

Applique body warmer – 1, E Penders.

Quilted wall hanging inspired by the theme – 1, L Lincoln.

Children’s classes:

Collage in rainbow colours (up to four years) – 1, M Maciver; 2, C Hamilton; 3, H Pidcock.

Sock puppet(5-8 years) – 1, E Hamilton; 2, I McDougall; 3, A McKeown.

Vase of five paper flowers (9-13 years) – 1, F Welsh; 2, A McDougall; 3, S Webster.

Model of a sheep farm (group entry – 1, Windyknowe Primary School; 2, The Kids@Jennie's; 3, H and V Pidcock, M Maciver.

Decorated plant pot, Young Dippers Groups – 1, Jasmine McLeish; 2, H Brown; 3, I Philip.

Crooks and sticks:

Neck crook (plain wood, one or two piece) – 1, G Mabon; 2, I Paterson; 3, D Broadbent.

Neck crook (plain horn) – 1, I Paterson; 2, A Dent; 3, G Mabon.

Neck crook (fancy horn) – 1, D Broadbent; 2, I Paterson; 3, A Dent.

Neck crook (fancy wood, one or two piece) – 1, Iain Paterson; 2, D Broadbent; 3, A Dent.

Walking stick (plain wood, one or two piece) – 1, G Mabon; 2, I McConchie; 3, J Currie.

Walking stick (plain horn) – 1, I Paterson; 2, G Mabon; 3, J Currie.

Walking stick (fancy wood, one or two piece) – 1, I Paterson; 2, C Worrell; 3, I McConchie .

Walking stick (fancy horn) – 1, Iain Paterson; 2, C Worrell; 3, G Mabon.

Leg cleek (horn) – 1, D Broadbent; 2, A Dent; 3, G Mabon.

Leg cleek (wood) – 1, D Broadbent; 2, I Paterson; 3, J Currie.

Thumb stick (horn or wood) – 1, C Worrell; 2, A Dent; 3, J Currie.

Walking stick (plain or fancy buffalo horn) – 1, G Mabon; 2, I Paterson; 3, I McConchie.

Half head sportsman’s stick – 1, A Dent; 2, I Paterson; 3, J Currie.

Stick suitable for a lady – 1, D Broadbent; 2, I Paterson; 3, G Mabon.

Walking stick (horn head) for competitors who have not previously been awarded a first prize for a stick at the RHS – 1, NI Day.

Walking stick (horn or wood by a novice) for competitor who has not exhibited their work before 2022 or won a prize for a stick at RHS – 1, S MacDougall; 2, N Day.

Walking stick (horn or wood) by a junior (16 and under) – 1, A Chambers.