Slow stitching

Slow stitching seems to be a ‘thing’ these days, and although I’m not known for being on trend, I have embraced the idea.
It began In 2018 with a heart. Helen Birmingham, aka Untangled Threads, invited people to take a sawdust heart and hand decorate it as part of a remembrance of those who had been involved in the first world war. I took up the challenge, though I hadn’t done anything like this before. You can read more about the project and the resulting exhibition here.
My heart was covered in fabric from the blanks fired for royal salutes in the Museum Gardens here in York. The poppies recognise the ongoing work of the British Legion, and the white poppy acknowledges those, like my grandfather, who were pacifists and went to prison for their beliefs.

It was very moving to see my heart as part of the exhibition in Scarborough in November 2018.