Community Shawl Project

#communityshawlproject

The Community Shawl is my response to The Red Dress (created by Kirsty MacLeod) which I was very fortunate to have been able to arrange exhibitions and presentations twice in Wales, the most recent in Abergavenny in October 2022.

I have been curating the Shawl project, and was delighted to be joined by Ginevra from The Wool Croft last year. Ginevra donated a box of fabric, threads and yarn, for anyone to use who needed more materials, and we asked for everyone to drop off or post their donated squares to The Wool Croft.
Ginevra and I have worked together previously, and we are really enjoying this project!

I invited members of the public to join us in creating a fabric square, in any medium, for the creation of the Community Shawl; each square is 4 - 6 inches in size, and has an element of red.

My aim was for everyone’s work to unite our communities, and the completed Shawl will be then taken to exhibitions, talks and storytelling events, celebrating our traditions of tales, community, and friendship.

I absolutely did not expect to receive 120 pieces for the Project! They are all very intricate and beautiful, ranging from knitted , embroidered, felted, woven to crocheted. Each one tells its own story and is a little symbol of love and connection. The residents at Penpergym care home crocheted 50 squares for us, and they will be the first audience to see the completed Shawl when I take it to show them.
I have also been invted to take the Shawl to Hereford College of Art and give a talk about the project.

The next stage? To now have each square carefully stitched onto the background material.

We had thought we may purchase some woollen flannel or maybe a vintage shawl for this… but then out of the blue, my mother donated my grandmother’s vintage, handmade, woollen nurse’s cape! My Nana was for many years, Sister of the wards at Pen Y Fal hospital in Abergavenny, retiring in 1977. Her cape was made by Doreen Rice, in the huge sewing room at the hospital.

I can’t think of a better addition to the provenance of this Community shawl, and we are hearing all kinds of wonderful anecdotes from those who remember working there before it was demolished.

I am also looking into publishing a two-page leaflet that could be printed and accompany the Shawl when it travels to talks and exhibitions, so we can capture the story behind the making of the Shawl.

We have asked Cheryl at The Wool Croft to stitch the amazing work onto the cape, to transform it into the Shawl. What we would love to do is pay her a fair fee, and we wondered if you would consider donating towards this please?

Any share, or donation, is greatly appreciated, thank you!

Please get in touch with any questions, or suggestions for venues that would like to display the Community Shawl.

With love and gratitude…