The Oakville Fibre Artists (OFA) are a creative and collaborative group of 30 individuals who meet weekly at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC) in Oakville. Based on strong interpersonal relationships, OFA are a ‘textile tribe’ who share insights and push each other outside their comfort zones. The group, that started in 2011, provides a supportive milieu for learning, exploration, experimentation and movement towards the tenets of art, while preserving some of the aspects of traditional needlework. Some OFA members pursued formal art education and training, others achieved ongoing learning through workshops, classes and fibre art practice. This blend of experience has created a melting pot of dynamic ideas and methods such as fabric dyeing, layering textiles, slow stitch and various ways of manipulating the textile surface. Today, our work continues to evolve and although we maintain our foundations in fibre, we have added in other mediums and ecological techniques such as eco dyeing, wet and needle felting and recycling clothing.During their weekly meetings, artists work on fibre related activities and spend an hour ‘sharing’ ideas by displaying work and explaining the process and methods used. If the members want to learn more about a specific technique, a ‘sharing day’ is arranged and the lead artist organizes the educational event including the development of a resource list and planned activities. OFA hosts a bi-annual exhibition in the Main Gallery of the QEPCCC called ‘Hanging by a Thread’ for approximately 4 weeks. Each member enters up to four pieces of original art, as well as contributes to group projects for the show. Throughout a given year, we have works based on a theme hanging in the corridors of the building. Members of OFA have exhibited both locally and nationally and many have had their work appear in publications including ‘Quilting Arts’, ‘A Needle Pulling Thread’, as well as numerous web-based forums.The next Hanging By a Thread show will be from March 7th to April 3rd, 2026 and will be shown on the Events Calendar.
Photo of work from previous HBAT Close up of Donna Funnell’s piece