Textile artist Jeanette Sendler will be making a felted sail on the Victoria Pier in the old town centre of Lerwick on 25 June as part of Johnsmas Foy, a celebration of mid-summer.

Jeanette is reaching the end of a three month residency on Shetland at Mossbank, Olnafirth and Brae primary schools and she will be helped to build the sail by Shetlanders who have taken part in her workshops over recent months. 

The work of the school children will be on show in the exhibition marquee in “The boat – a textile journey”.  The name comes from an old Shetland boat, Thelma, which is over 100 years old and was given to the children by Tommy Allan from Scalloway to store individual pieces of work, creating a cargo that can be shared by all the schools.

Since the 16th century Johnsmas Foy coincided with the beginning of the Dutch herring fishing which started on Shetland and moved south as the fish moved.  Hundreds of French, Prussian, Danish and mainly Dutch fishing boats would congregate there and Shetlanders would sell meat and other provisions.  Knitters would sell socks, gloves and hats to the fishing fleet and people would come to the harbour to do business. 

Nowadays the Foy, Shetland’s Festival of the Sea, which is taking place from the 11 to 26 June 2005, is marked by a series of nautical events. 

There will also be a chance to add to The Great Gravit on the 25 June when it becomes part of the Foy.  Visitors to the Pier are invited to use their knittings skills and add a few rows in nautical blue and white stripes to the scarf which is now over 12 metres long.