As industry trainers of the NZ Certificate in Industrial Textile Fabrication we were proud to be a sponsor at the Advanced Textiles Association New Zealand (ATA NZ) conference on 19-21 June in Christchurch. MAST Academy sponsored the Apprentice of the Year – Tier 1 & 2 awards.
Aimed at apprentices who have been in training for less than 15 months, Tier 1 showcased developing techniques and skills. Entrants were provided with the materials and specifications to create a messenger bag. The winner of Tier 1 was Ella Dodd from Kolorful Kanvas in Christchurch. While Ella found the project mostly straightforward, she said, “The turnbuckles were a bit of a challenge as I had never fitted any before, so this was something new to learn.”
This year, in the Tier 2 award, ATA NZ recognised a highly commended apprentice and an overall winner, commenting that both showed tremendous skill in their work. Using no more than 1.8 square meters of outdoor fabric, entrants presented a portfolio of two previous projects alongside their unique entry projects.
The Tier 2 - Highly Commended award went to Sebastian Devlin-Hall from Douglas Outdoor & Textile Innovation in Hastings for his project, The Chill Chair. Inspired by the large trees in his front garden, Sebastian said, “To me, the idea of relaxation involves being outside in nature.”
The overall Apprentice of the Year award went to Tegan Hayes of Vexus Upholstery in Invercargill, for her Go-Kart Seat Cover project. Drawing the initial concept digitally allowed Tegan to explore the design process and finalise the details before she began to create. Tegan wanted it to be both functional and stylish, saying, “I wanted to incorporate the kart-sport into the seat, which is where the pattern comes from; it represents tire track marks.”
Tegan was presented with a unique new trophy – a vintage miniature sewing machine, donated by Malcolm Wilkie of Napier Auto Upholstery.
