BEAUTIFUL STITCHING

A few months ago, Anne, a friend who used to come to our Church, but has now moved, asked me if she could use one of my photographs of Christ Church, Swindon, for a Stitching Exhibition, entitled “In Focus Stitching".  She told me that this would be taking place in the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery from the end of May until September and she would be taking part as she was a member of the Great Western Embroiderers.  The brief was to interpret Swindon’s historic photography collections and there were also several old cameras and photographs in the exhibition. 

I was delighted to agree and duly sent her the photograph - so she was busily working on her exhibition piece for several months.  Today she and her husband, Dave, met us in Jack’s Coffee shop, prior to us visiting the exhibition together.

There were some beautiful pieces, many of them for sale, and I marvelled at the expertise of those who had stitched them.  The main photograph in my collage is of the Great Western Railwaymen going home for lunch - and both Anne and I were talking about the different hats the men were wearing.  Being a former GWR worker, Mr. HCB was able to tell us that the bowler hats were worn by the Foremen in “the Works” whilst the flat caps were worn by the ordinary workers.  

The top right piece was entitled “Reinventing the Wheel” by JF, using various Dorset buttons, metal rings embellished with threads, beads and washers, which had been inspired by the stitcher’s personal connection to the GWR and also photographs of wheels and locomotives.

Underneath is a wall quilt entitled “Snowballs” stitched by CA, with appliqué, which has been padded, quilted and hand and machine stitched.  This was inspired by the work of a local photographer in the 1950s, Albert Beaney, and depicts four boys playing in the snow.  Interestingly, I remember seeing Mr. Beaney, because he lived quite near me and I often wonder if he took any photographs of me when I was a child!

The bottom right and left pieces are inspired by the local haberdashery department at McIlroy’s in Swindon - which sadly is no more - but it shows all the little “bits and bobs” that could be purchased there including pins, needles, hooks and eyes, buttons, ric rac braid and Sylco cotton. It was a wonderful shop and it was often said that if you needed something, then the best place to go was McIlroy’s, but if they didn’t have it, then it wasn’t worth having!  It was such a sad day when this particular shop closed.

The middle shot at the bottom of my collage is the piece made by my friend, Anne, entitled "Christ Church: Coloured Inspiration”.  This was inspired by a photograph taken from Albert Street, which is in the Museum collection and also my photograph - with the colour inspiration coming from a recent postcard of Chichester Cross.  The only stitching was round the edge of the piece and the image, constructed from sheer fabrics, was assembled using a soldering iron! It was very cleverly done and it was kind of Anne to give me credit for the photograph.  There was another piece above this one, which is not in the collage, that Anne had stitched, again using my photograph and it also had the famous poem by Sir John Betjeman, “On Hearing the Peal of Ten Bells from Christ Church, Swindon”, printed on organza and overlaid.

A wonderful morning admiring the work of many embroiderers, which brought back lots of memories for both Mr. HCB and me.  If you live in the area, it is worth a visit - the exhibition finishes on 7th September, so you have time.  I have a friend visiting for a few days at the end of next week, and as she is interested in embroidery and stitching, may take her to see it - and we could always go to Jack’s for coffee beforehand.

“The only place where 
     housework comes before needlework 
          is in the dictionary.”  
Mary Kurtz