Poppy making event in full bloom ahead of Armistice

A SINGLE poppy can become part of something big as the community is invited to get crafty in the lead up to the Armistice Centenary next month.

Artist Chris Just will be conducting poppy making workshops at the Toogoolawah Condensery with Jayne Hodge on October 20. Picture: Rob Williams

A SINGLE poppy can become part of something big as the community is invited to get crafty in the lead up to the Armistice Centenary next month.

As part of preparations for a major Armistice Centenary project in November, the Toogoolawah and District History Group is hosting a poppy making on the weekend, October 20.

The community can learn how to craft or knit poppies which will be included in a display from November 10.

Professional artists Chris Just and Jayne Hodge have created an installation of Remembrance Poppies that will feature in the upcoming exhibition An End to Conflict, commemorating the end of the First World War.

The exhibition will also highlight the roles a number of local families and individuals played during and after the war.

It will all be staged at the Somerset Regional Art Gallery - The Condensery, Factory Rd Toogoolawah. The display will be open to the public from Saturday, November 10.

Chris and Jayne will be instructing a free workshop in Remembrance Poppy making at The Condensery between 11am and 3pm on Saturday, October 20.

Their aim is to engage local communities in their collaborative project by adding local participants poppies to their existing poppy installation.

All materials will be available at the workshop. Participants will be instructed on how to make two types of poppies: a simple one from polar fleece that can be made quite quickly and a knitted version.

Patterns will be supplied, and some materials will be given to participants to take home to continue making poppies if they choose.

Participants will be asked to deliver all poppies, made at home via the workshop materials or their own materials, to The Condensery by Friday, November 2 to be included in the installation.

The artists will hand stitch all donated poppies onto the installation on-site at The Condensery.