Threads, the Art of Brac Crochet

Crochet was part of Brac culture	Crocheted dolls clothes by Avalinda Ebanks
Antique item from Vernice Foster Tibbetts collection	A modern crocheted crop top
Avalinda Ebanks and Simone Scott are the women responsible for putting together this week's display at the Heritage House called "Threads", which showcases the Art of Brac Crochet, a culturally significant skill for four generations on Cayman Brac

Friday,  October 28, 2005

The quality of crochet from the Cayman Islands, and particularly Cayman Brac, was once so highly thought of that it was a duty free-item into Jamaica, and it became an integral part of the culture in the Cayman Islands for at least four generations.

In October 2003, the then Director of the National Gallery, Leslie Bigelman, spearheaded a presentation of “Threads, the Art of Brac Crochet”, which showcased items in just a few of the many collections on Cayman Brac. 

As well as taking the skill to an extremely high standard, the ladies who perfected their crochet work also developed patterns and stitches unique to Cayman Brac.

This week, a scaled down version of the original exhibition returned to the Heritage House in North East Bay, for this week’s art display. As well as more than 300 examples of new and antique pieces of crochet work, the original exhibition included a new art form, created from the old.

Virginia Foster, who lived on Cayman Brac for many years, found a way to preserve the intricate stitches by pressing pieces from her collection into wet clay to form prints of the texture and patterns before it was fired.
The resulting pottery pieces were then coloured to make stand-alone artwork, but are particularly striking when displayed next to the original crochet work, as they were in the 2003 Threads display.

Some of Ms Foster’s work is on permanent display at the Cayman Brac museum, and several items were lent to the Heritage House for this week’s exhibition.

Also on show were antique items, often made for a bride’s trousseau, such as doilies, place mats and wall decorations, as well as more modern items of clothing, bedspreads and hats.

Crochet threads range from linen, cotton, silk, wool or man-made fibre. Simone Scott, who helped coordinate this display, said that the older crochet items are made with a very fine thread that is not available any more.

Ms Scott is in the process of creating a permanent home for the Threads display in the building that was the old gas station at Stake Bay. The idea is to share the building with the radio station Heaven 97 until they find a permanent location.

Then Threads can occupy the whole place, she said. However, this is taking longer than she hoped so, in the meantime, she is creating space for the collection at her art gallery in NIM Things at Spot Bay.

Avalinda Ebanks, Assistant Project Coordinator at the Heritage House said that over Christmas they are planning an original exhibition, “Collections and Reflections and Christmas.”

She would like to encourage anyone on the Brac with any kind of collections and also memorabilia, including old photographs to call her at work 948 0563, or contact Chevala Burk at the District Administration Building 948 2222.

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