Picking up the exhibition pieces

Picking up the exhibition pieces from Restart 50+. Ferdous Rahman with her piece inspired by a tile she saw on holiday in Istanbul. Amina aziz with her fabulous free-style flowers racing over the pencil border that she originally drew for herself, ignoring a second, embroidered, border and looping right to the edge of the fabric.

Plunging into the unknown in Tooting

Plunging into the unknown. Six weeks into the classes, we introduce 'exhibition packs' - square pieces of calico and a variety of silks, threads and fabrics chosen by Jessica of the Royal School of Needlework. She also photocopies pages of books from the RSN's library that might inspire and encourage.... People start to create their own designs. Ferdous Rahman is inspired by a photograph that she took on a recent holiday to Istanbul. Others draw their houses.
Several different tutors from the RSN worked on the project. Pictured is Sophie Long.

Goldwork classes at the Asian Women's Group

Royal School of Needlework tutor Owen Davies teaches goldwork at the Asian Women's Group. On the table - a cushion he embroidered while training at the Royal School of Needlework.

Fashioning Diasporas seminar at V&A Museum

No embroidery was on display - but I spoke about Patterns, Place and Heritage at a conference and mentioned Stitch Wandsworth. The conference - Fashioning Diasporas at the V&A - brought together a kaleidoscope of speakers on the subject of fabric, pattern and dress.
Thanks to the organisers (Fashioning Diasporas is an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project run by the Royal Holloway in collaboration with the V&A) we were able to display some of the British Saris. Draped expertly by Ann Tailor and her daughter, Deepika.

Asian Women's Group visit the V&A

The Asian Women's Group visit the V&A. For many, it was their first visit. Again, curator Mor Thunder talks about 17th century printed patterns for embroidery.


































Lunch outside afterwards. Centre: Therese Rajadurai, Asian Community Librarian in Wandsworth.

Hampton Court visit

A fantastic visit to the Royal School of Needlework's collection at Hampton Court Palace. Jessica Aldred pulled out embroidery and hangings that she knew would be of interest. Blackwork (above.)
















Lunch afterwards on the grass despite the cold. Chicken curry cooked at 6am and kept warm in the thermal saucepan (centre).

Restart 50+ visit the V and A Museum

Restart 50+ visits the V&A. Pictured here amidst Rodin sculptures.
Then up to a Study Room for a talk on 17th century English printed embroidery patterns by curator Mor Thunder.














Mor (left) talked about printed patterns for muslin.














She also showed the pattern above, pricked with pins along the pencil lines so that blue chalk could be sifted through to trace the outline. Many of the women in the group had been taught this technique at school.
Packed lunch (shared) in the new Sackler Centre.

Embroidery focus group in Battersea

Women from North Africa and Somalia at the Katherine Lowe Community Centre in Battersea, south London, bring in their embroidery. Above - a wedding gift. Napkins embroidered in Agadir, Morocco, by a friend who was taught by Spanish nun. The patterns reflect the Islamic influence in the embroidery patterns seen in central Spain.



















Another wedding gift. Sarah Rackham, group leader, with a tablecloth embroidered by her aunt and given to her as a wedding present.

Christmas and more embroidery

Christmas is fast approaching but we squeeze in another focus group, this time in Wandsworth with the Asian Women's Group. We've had less chance to meet and talk things through beforehand here, and the women are shy. But it's clear that embroidery is a passion.

The stitch in yellow (pictured) is new to Jessica (our Royal School of Needlework expert).

One lady very kindly gives me a handkerchief she embroidered for me the previous evening because she knew we would be meeting today. It's the first time that I have met her.
People are keen to get started on embroidering themselves now, even though many not have done much needlework for decades.

Pulling out the stops in Tooting

The first focus group and we're dazzled. The room at the community centre, where the group meets, is filled with suitcases, bags and bundles. It's the first time I meet Jessica Aldred of the Royal School of Needlework (who throws herself into the project with a passion) and in one sense we don't know where to start. Such is the variety of pieces brought in, the stitches and the background. We take as many photos as we can. We make a list of the stitches, some regional that Jessica has not seen before. People tell their stories.
We're lucky with the light. There is just time to take photographs in the street as the sun sets.