I’ve been dying to share this news for weeks; admin done, materials sourced,
and plans made I can now finally share my latest commission. The Brailsford
Bayeux; a community stitch project bringing together the people of Brailsford
& Ednaston in celebration and commemoration of the coronation of HRH
Charles III. Working together with the Brailsford & Ednaston Churches
Together Group and local residents we are making an ENORMOUS embroidery
inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. This is by far the most ambitious project I
have worked on to date and once finished will, we hope, will be well in excess
of 5 meters!
The coronation of HRH Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on
Saturday 6th May 2023. The ceremony will see His Majesty King
Charles crown alongside the Queen Consort. The Brailsford Bayeux will
commemorate this historic moment in time, depicting a procession of
well-wishers, made up of community organisations and groups from the locality
who travel from important local landmarks and community spaces.
The Bayeux tapestry, which is actually a large embroidery and not a
tapestry, acts as our inspiration. The original narrative hanging was
commissioned by William the Conqueror’s half-brother and tells the story of the
events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy. The
original is made of 9 panels of linen joined together, in total it is a
whopping 68.3 meters long and 70cm wide. Our narrative hanging will not be
quite this big but with the help of parishioners we hope to make it as large as
possible.
The original hanging was crafted by three groups of workers using 4 basic
stitches (stem, chain, split and laid or Bayeux stitch) in 10 colours of wool
thread. We hope that everyone in the village will get involved, from
experienced stitchers through to those who have never picked up a needle
before, everyone can add their mark. We’ve got open stich sessions planned
throughout March at the Brailsford Methodist Church, see below for details.
Plus, as always, I’m open to running sessions with community groups so if you
live in Brailsford or Ednaston and would like to get involved let us know!
Every Stitch A Story 