Tuesday 28 July 2009

Prayers and stitches

I was recently commissioned to make a new altar cloth for the Manor School in Melksham.

The main white cloth had an appliqued golden cross, above which I had embroidered (in the purple of the school uniform) the words "Bless this School" - which is taken from the school's prayer.

The cloth had three sets of different coloured runners, denoting the different seasons of the church year. Each of these had the school logo embroidered on them, and will be rotated throughout the year.

The frontal was blessed at a special assembly earlier this month by the Rev Derek Smith. It was a little worrying when he splashed my delicate stitches with Holy Water!

But of course, the frontal survived unscathed, and I was able to talk to the children about its design.

The event even made it into the Melksham News!

I've done a lot of work with Rev Smith over the years, and sadly he is now leaving the area to take up an exciting new position in a parish in Cyprus. We all wish him well.

I've also been back to Dillington House since my last blog entry, to teach at their summer school. The ladies worked on stumpwork flowers, and some beautiful pieces were produced.

The Partridge in a Pear Tree class in November proved so popular that it quickly filled up.

However, several ladies who were keen to do the design, are coming along on December 12, and I will run the Partridge workshop alongside the Christmas King workshop. There are still four places available on this date, if either of these festive designs take your fancy.