The dust has settled after a whirlwind community project which took over not only my life but the lives of many within our sleepy Derbyshire village of Brailsford.
Our aim was to create a narrative embroidery to commemorate the coronation of King Charles, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. This was to take the form of a central panel depicting an imagined scene of the Coronation Day. King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Archbishop of Canterbury were to take centre stage; with a procession of some of the community groups we have here in Brailsford, streaming from community meeting places. This central story was to be surrounded by, we hoped, 100 embroidered squares to create a border top and bottom.
We wanted to include and encourage as many people as possible within the community to take part. And wow, people did. With open hearts, minds and enthusiasm.
This project has been heart-warming and humbling. Participants willingness to step out of their comfort zones and try something new or share their time, experience and knowledge has meant that together we have created something far beyond our wildest dreams.
For many taking part was not easy, but that didn’t stop them. From taking days off work and organising child and pet care, to overcoming significant physical and mental health barriers, villagers joined us.
In workshops and from homes participants overcame these barriers to be faced by something that clearly had left an indelible, and for some, unpleasant mark from their school days, needlework! Despite fears of ‘I can’t do this’ and I’m not good enough’ the mantra of ‘connection not perfection’ soon meant large numbers of beautifully crafted squares began to pile up. We received a whopping 406 squares in total, 4 times our original goal. These squares tell stories of the place we call home, they share memories, document our passions and communicate our love and gratitude.
As confidence grew so did the number of those working on the central narrative embroidery. 26 women worked this panel in just 7 weeks. It is an incredible achievement, not helped by my last-minute decision to add a border. I am so incredibly grateful to you and every single one of the 282 individuals who have taken part.
I have witnessed disparate parts of our changing and expanding community come together, neighbourly disputes resolved, mental health issues relieved, loneliness diminish, new friendships made, old friendships rekindled. With participants as young as 2 and as wise as 94, knowledge, skills and stories have been shared between multiple generations, we have learned from each other and become more connected with the place we live.
It has been an honour to be a part of this project and I hope that everyone who has taken part is proud of what we have created together. It is more than an embroidery, it represents the threads of our community which have strengthened, developed and expanded over the last three months. These threads of connection now bind us together whilst also reaching out to future generations. They tell the story of the place we live and who we are.
The Brailsford Bayeux is now going on tour! Its next stop will be the Ashbourne Methodist Church from Thursday 13th July – Saturday 15th July… keep an eye on the Brailsford Bayeux Facebook page for further announcements.
Huge thanks to every single person that took part, shared their time and talents. A special thank you to Teresa Mikula & Richard Faulkner for capturing the project on film.
Laura x
Every Stitch A Story 