The Buildings Project

2004 saw Scunthorpe & District branch of The Embroiderers’ Guild obtain funding of just over £4,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with the intention of ‘taking
embroidery out to the wider community’. Public exhibitions of work were mounted, competitions launched and discussions with other related craft groups in the area were begun. It was a very successful year for the branch culminating in a Grand Finale Day in April 2005. By this time, the deadline for spending the remaining grant was looming and the committee reported many pleasant meetings discussing how this could best be used.

Following a very successful group project depicting Elizabeth 1 the year before, the branch were keen to repeat the experience in a different format. It was decided to
purchase a five metre bolt of 25 count linen and all twelve colours of the newly launched linen thread from DMC Creative World Ltd in Leicester.

When the parcel arrived, the Chairman, Sue Longman, divided the fabric into 10” by 10” pieces and cut the thread into 1 metre lengths. Instructions were then written to include in the pack, inviting members to complete an embroidery of a local building, ensuring that the design was no larger than 8” square and using the threads as a basic colour palette. Members were able to add other threads to their designs as long as they stuck to their brief.

The project was launched in October 2005 and a completion date was anticipated to be May 2006, so that it was ready for exhibition at the many summer and autumn shows across the region. A trip to Texere Yarns in March found a wonderful braid which was to surround each finished piece.

Work began and a list was compiled to ensure that each piece depicted a different building. There were two workshops to guide members who didn’t feel confident to create their own design from scratch and needles started to fly. From January 2006, as the pieces were completed, they were handed back to members with a finishing pack of mount board, calico backing and braid. The final pieces were completed in the nick of time, and although a little later than planned, the project had it’s first public showing at the Yorkshire & Humber Region Centenary Day in September. This was closely
followed by a trip to the Fashion & Embroidery Show in Harrogate in October.

The project has interested many people, both locals and from further afield, as the
Regional Chairman, Maggie Judges reported from the Fashion & Embroidery Show. One visitor was so impressed that she adopted a very tricky angle to obtain the best photographic record!

With two successful group projects under their belt, the branch committee are
considering their next challenge, but it could be a case of “follow that!”