Have Your Say

An email we received recently from Kate Teesdale posed a question – ‘Can I share with you what I hope is an inspirational story that shows what a wonderful community the embroidery world is?’ – to which our response was a resolute YES!

‘I live in Barcelona and take a weekly embroidery class with six other ladies. At the age of 61, I am the youngest member, with our oldest about to turn 90. We support each other and share the good times and the bad. We, like so many other groups, use WhatsApp to exchange morning and evening greetings in a variety of languages each day. I have taken to posting an image of a piece of embroidery each morning as inspiration.

One of those photos was a Hardanger house. Rosa, one of our group, fell in love with it and desperately wanted to stitch it. She is not very well and has to have weekly blood transfusions making her very tired, so I particularly wanted to help her out.’

‘I told her that I would do my best to find the pattern for the house. I searched the internet, but could only find photos of the finished piece, and not the pattern. So, through Facebook I reached out to the members of the Strictly Crewel and Freestyle Embroidery Group, asking if any of them knew where I could find the pattern. I received a lot of helpful answers, including one who suggested I get in touch with Penny Cornell. And then, lo and behold, Penny herself replied and told me it was her design!

It seems she had stitched it for herself, but it had proved so popular she had turned it into a chart which was for sale. We got in touch via mail and I have just received the pattern which is now printed and ready to give to Rosa. I know social media gets some bad press, but there are also times when it restores your faith in human nature.

It’s able to join people from around the world with a common interest and a willingness to share not just their work, but their time and observations.

Even my small embroidery group here in Barcelona have taken me in and made me feel part of their Catalan family. I am so happy to have been able to help a friend and have such a great pastime. Embroidery really does cross all frontiers and boundaries!’

Kate, we couldn’t agree more! Embroidery really does provide a common thread that knows no frontiers or boundaries and we’re ever grateful to be part of its tribe.