Hebden Bridge WI Spectacular Spring Rag Market - the Waterfront Hall
Saturday 22nd April 2023
Entry £1 for all locations, crafty under-16s FREE
10.30am - 4pm
The Rag Market, organised by Hebden Bridge WI, returns to the Town Hall, Northlight Studio and Word of Mouth.
Twice a year, Hebden Bridge WI hosts a fabulous Rag Market with stalls at The Town Hall, Northlight Studio and for the first time, Word of Mouth Workshop on Valley Road.
Rag Market organiser Val, from HBWI explains:
“What on earth is a rag market? Well, it’s definitely not a place to sell old rags, in fact, it’s a traditional term for a textile market.
“Our bi-annual Hebden Bridge Rag Market is becoming well-known amongst textile fans and crafters in Calderdale and beyond. With the continuing trend for ‘make do and mend’ and the rise in the popularity of homemade furnishings and clothing (thanks to programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee and Kirstie’s Homemade Home), there’s never been a better time to brush up on old crafting skills or learn new ones. And our Rag Market is the perfect place to find the tools and materials to get started.
“Although some of our stalls are professional companies, many are crafters just like you who are having a clear-out of their stash. This means that much of the yarn and fabric on sale is vintage and you can pick up unusual items not available in the shops.
“There are also books, buttons, stamping equipment, decorative paper, ribbon and lace, old patterns, needles and tools, and a myriad of other delights to rummage through. It’s a real treasure hunt and you never know what you might find.
“This year we have two venues – Hebden Bridge Town Hall, and Northlight. There is a small entry fee that gets you into all venues and the proceeds fund our educational bursary, our WI speakers, and our charity of the year.
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“Our Rag Market has to be the perfect place to source not only a bargain but original and quality crafting, dressmaking and tailoring materials buttons, ribbons, yarn, vintage pieces, patterns, books, and anything else you could possibly need to inspire your creativity! Many of the fabrics are vintage, one-offs and from private collections, so you can pick up many items that are not available in the shops for amazing prices. Our stallholders are generally crafters themselves, reluctantly selling items from a treasured hoard that has become too large to store, but some of our regular stallholders also include local small businesses selling beautiful (Yorkshire!) woven wool tweeds and plaid fabrics and a ceramicist selling unique and unusual handcrafted ceramic buttons.”
The next Rag Market will be on Saturday 22nd April, split across two venues where you can find more textile bargains than ever before, and the ever-popular WI cake stall. There is a small £1 entry fee that gets you into all three venues and the proceeds fund the WI’s educational bursary, speakers, and the charity of the year. For up-to-date information, follow HBWI on Facebook or Twitter.