King Athelstan and the Eamont Tapestry

The Crewel Work Company is working on a series of embroidered panels about King Athelstan.  According to their blog, he is thought to have been the first king of the English about 1,100 years ago. The panels will be known as the Eamont Tapestry. 

Photo courtesy of the The Crewel Work Company

You can see from the photo above, as well as on the blog post here that the embroidery is being worked in a style similar to the Bayeaux Tapestry. It will be a community project and, as with the Bayeaux Tapestry, it aims to preserve significant history through the medium of stitch.

Today, the 30th of July, is World Embroidery Day. Whatever you are stitching, either a group project or your own personal project, I hope you have a very happy day working on your embroidery!

World Embroidery Day

July the 30th was declared as a day for celebrating embroidery by a group of Swedish embroiderers in 2011. It is now recognized and celebrated around the world. I attended a delightful high tea held on Sunday at the Queensland Embroiderers' Guild in Brisbane to mark the occasion. 

It was good to see familiar faces in the crowded hall and also meet some of the members visiting from groups all around Queensland. The tables were beautifully set out with understated flower arrangements, pretty pink napkins, plates of sandwiches, and tiered stands of small delectable eats. We were asked to bring our own favourite cup and saucer which added a fun personal note to the occasion too. 

After tea we listened to three speakers. Keeping to the theme of our connection to embroidery around the world, they shared their experiences of visiting Mountmellick, the home of Mountmellick embroidery in Ireland; seeing the sixty eight metre long Bayeux tapestry on display in France; and finding some rare heirloom lace treasures in Italy. It was a most enjoyable and interesting morning.

Today, wherever you are, I hope you are either meeting up with stitching friends or contentedly working on your embroidery with a nice cup of tea. May you have a happy and peaceful World Embroidery Day!

If you are looking for a small project to do, please visit my Etsy shop here for pulled thread and canvas work pincushion patterns.

Now for my cup of tea...

'Till next time, happy stitching!

World Embroidery Day

It was World Embroidery Day yesterday and I sat and stitched with some of the friendly embroiderers at the Embroiderers' Guild Queensland in Brisbane. Almost everyone had disappeared into the kitchen for a delicious cream tea when I took this photo of the hall. 

 With a gift table laden with beautifully stitched gifts for sale, a number of tables with tempting second hand supplies and wonderful displays of embroidery, there was plenty to buy and admire. There was even a personalized version of one third of the Bayeaux tapestry. The next third is in progress! 

I took my Hardanger runner along and completed a few more Maltese crosses. In preparation, I'd cut the threads of a few Kloster blocks beforehand. It was then easy to pull the cut threads out and work the crosses without having to concentrate too much while chatting and catching up on what everyone else was stitching. 

I hope you were able to enjoy some time with your embroidery yesterday and perhaps also meet up and stitch with some friends.

'Till next time, take care of yourself and happy stitching!