A sparkling new addition for the Stitch Roadshow

We have another swatch to add to the exhibition! Katharine Collett, who is very impressively running informal sewing circles in Battersea, has created a sparkling new piece. Katharine attended the course launching new embroidery packs and motifs in the autumn.
"I found the design in a tattoo source book, of all places - it made me think of a phoenix and a peacock at the same time," she says.
It's great that the body of work is growing in this way.
Katharine is embroidering a new logo for the group which meets at York Gardens Library, Battersea. Now known as 'Needle loves thread'. If you're interested in going along, please email and I can will you in touch.

When Stitch leaves York Gardens Library. Though new venues are possible

Sarah Crowe, Bridging Arts intern, and I take down the Stitch exhibition from York Gardens Library, Battersea, this morning. The library looks bigger - but bleak without the colour. It is quite sad to say goodbye to Angela Emmott, librarian - she says she has learned a lot about her local community through the project.
Later a meeting in Shepherds Bush in the Old Library with David Hampshire from Hammersmith and Fulham library service about bringing the show to the Borough. And possibly the British Saris too.

A Sri Lankan fish curry

Another tremendous post Christmas dish. Therese Rajadurai, Wandsworth Asian community librarian, has been another keen supporter of Stitch from the start. Before her annual pre-Christmas trip to Sri Lanka, she very kindly came along to the York Gardens Library classes to help out. And even found the time to contribute a recipe.

A Sri Lankan Fish Curry

Ingredients

6 pieces fish (Kingfish or salmon)

1 Tbsp Chilli powder

2 Tbsp Coriander powder

½ tsp Cumin powder

½ tsp Black pepper

½ tsp Cumin seeds + ½ tsp Cumin seeds

7 cloves Garlic – chopped and mashed

½ tsp Fenugreek

½ cup Coconut milk

½ cup Tamarind water

½ Onion

Salt

Curry leaves

Oil

½ tsp of black pepper

Basmati Rice

Method

• Fry the onion with the cumin seeds and fenugreek.

• When brown add the coconut milk and all the spices individually.

• When it comes to the boil add the fish pieces.

• When the fish is cooked add the tamarind and salt (to taste)

• Just before taking the fish out off the heat add the black pepper, 2 cloves of garlic and ½ tsp Cumin seeds (these add to the flavour). At the end put some curry leaves to bring out the full aroma.

• Serve with boiled Basmati rice or String Hoppers or Hoppers

• Desert can be Vatilappann (Sri Lankan egg custard – delicious)

Chinese steamed cod from Lam Moy

As promised ... a series of fish recipes contributed by the embroidery class will follow. To kick off - Chinese steamed cod from Lam Moy who is one of the dedicated embroiderers continuing to meet on Thursdays at York Gardens Library, even after the formal classes have finished a spontaneous sewing circle. Left: Lam with Maureen Markham, who kindly came to give a demonstration to launch the exhibition at York Gardens Library.

Chinese steamed cod

Ingredients:

Cod

Ginger – shredded

Chinese mushrooms (or other) – sliced

Spring onions – shredded

Soya sauce – Light

Sesame oil – dash

Strips of Carrot – for garnish

Method:

Steam the cod, ginger, mushrooms, soya sauce and sesame oil.

Add spring onions before serving and decorate with strips of carrot before serving

Serve with rice.

A spontaneous sewing circle...

Our formal classes at York Gardens Library are over. But a keen group of embroiderers is going to continue to meet on Thursday mornings. What better result could we have hoped for? One of them is Jean Morgan, who - after a chat with Glynn Christian about his embroidered landscapes - brought in a book Embroidered Landscapes by Helen Stephens to cone of the classes.
Jean is interested in creating pictures with embroidery, particularly in using single thread embroidery which she thinks can imitate the fine lines of a drawing. She brought in a dormouse of her own design to demonstrate just how.