TRADITIONAL crafts of all kinds were on display at St Matthew’s Church in Winchester, last weekend.

The exhibition organised by Vera Edwards, featured examples of tapestries, embroidery, quilting, lacework, felting and smocking, with some exhibits dating back as far as the 1700s.

One exhibit, created by Christine Bennett from Lancashire, featured a series of six sepia tapestries illustrating northern industrial landscapes, that were inspired by the work of famous British painter L.S Lowry - She explained: “I really admire Lowry’s work and I’m also a painter, so he’s a bit of an inspiration. The tapestries remind me of my childhood in Lancashire, when we really did have a mill on every corner.”

Another exhibit, a finely crafted handkerchief created by Irene Casey, which won first prize at last year’s Alresford Show, featuring pattern of a small bird on branches used nearly 400 bobbins and represented almost a year’s work.

Canon Peter Seal, rector of the parish, said, “In the past few days here at St Matthew’s we’ve had the wonderful juxtaposition of fruits of human creation in our craft exhibition and our traditional harvest celebration. We give thanks for the extraordinary miracle of all that God makes possible in our lives: the natural world he gives us and all that human effort and skill can achieve.”