The order of the fish

Just to recap what fired the discussion about cooking in our embroidery classes....
Our own fish embroidery, a kantha (quilt) from Bangladesh has been loaned by Ferdous Rahman, of Restart 50+. These quilts are traditionally made by stitching layers of fabric together, sometimes old saris.













The fish motifs on the quilt inspired many of the embroiderers - At other classes, we also asked participants to bring in embroidery from home that they cherished.
It also inspired Hannah Walker who designed a fish motif for our sewing pack. At the classes, she pointed out that the fish is a Christian symbol, but is also widely used in the Islamic world... Pictured - a fish banner of the Mughal emperors. Each of the sewing packs has a theme for discussion. Naturally the fish motif prompted talk about cooking and recipes. To follow: more recipes contributed by participants.

Stitching from Bangladesh and the operating theatre

A pencilcase bought in Bangladesh by Seeda Islam to the latest embroidery class – much loved and well used... Women in villages and towns embroider these cases through special schemes aimed at encouraging skills that they can use to earn money and transform their lives…. This pencil case is quilted with the same tiny running stitch as the kaftans from Topkapi Palace (seen in Paris) and the kantha in the exhibition at York Gardens Library.

And a blog reader who spent the afternoon fitting pacemakers emails to say he has been stitching too. Stitching of a different kind and a sharp reminder of the different pressures people face in their lives. A surgeon's stitching saves lives.