Narrative Embroidery , Which She Panel Demonstrates the Use of Stem and the Books, Scottish Diaspora

COMMUNITY The art of narrati ve embroi dery The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry tells the story of Scots making their way in the world throughout history – and its creation united the endeavours of stitchers across 31 nations n recent years the small town of Prestonpans, which community project’ the Diaspora tells the tales of the Scots lies on the Firth of Forth to the east of Edinburgh, who dispersed around the globe, building new lives, often Ihas become synonymous with the creation of epic thousands of miles away from their homes. Wherever in embroideries. The first major embroidery, the the world they live, the Scots and their descendants today Prestonpans Tapestry , emulated the Bayeux Tapestry and retain a sense of pride and connection to their Scottish was worked in a restricted range of stitches and limited heritage, and their skills have often had a profound impact colour palette. Worked by around 200 stitchers from on the areas where they settled. the communities that Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army Celebrating those accomplishments and influences, the passed through, the resulting 104 panels, each one embroidered panels of the Diaspora Tapestry were stitched metre wide and almost half a metre deep, trace the in countries from Russia to Brazil and from Ethiopia to steps of the Prince from exile in France, culminating in Antarctica, making them as widely travelled as the people the Battle of Prestonpans, a resounding Jacobite victory. whose stories they document. Another even bigger project, The Tapestry of Scotland , Everyone involved with the creation of the epic artworks also emanated from Prestonpans, with more than is aware that they are in fact embroideries, but they 1,000 volunteer stitchers from all over Scotland reference the world’s most famous embroidery, the Bayeux completing some 160 panels, each one metre square. Tapestry . Initially, the plans for the Diaspora aimed to For this project, a wide range of colours and stitches include 150 panels from 25 countries. By 2012 the were used. countries were identified and Gillian Hart and Yvonne But the most ambitious embroidery of them all has Murphy, the project coordinators were tasked with finding to be the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry. A n ‘international the stories. The Prestonpans area already had historic links 2 Above: Known as the most Scottish town in Italy, 60 per cent of Barga’s residents have family in Scotland and there is an annual fish and chip festival and a Scotland Week there. Famous Scots-Italians are the singer Paolo Nutini and the football player Johnny Moscardini. IT05 From L-R: Dr Elsie Inglis (1864-1917) was a pioneer of women’s medicine. With the outbreak of the First World War she was a founder of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service, which opened medical units across the front. The first to open was a 200-bed auxiliary hospital in the medieval Royaumont Abbey, north of Paris, under the auspices of the French Red Cross. FR09 One of the Global Panels, Auld Lang Syne . GE02 During the Second World War, Isabella from East Lothian fell in love with Helmut Joswig, a German prisoner of war and, after his discharge in 1948, they determined to build a T R life together regardless of prejudice. They married in A H N Edinburgh but in 1953 moved to Germany. There they met A I L L I more opposition: no one would rent a home to a former G : Y enemy but through much toil, they built their own home, H P A R where Isabella still lives today. They had five children, seven G O T grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. DE04 O H P 48 EMBROIDERY March / April 2017 March / April 2017 EMBROIDERY 49 to Gothenburg in Sweden and Barga, large size of the Prestonpans panels From L-R: During the Second World War From L-R: David Sime Cargill was born which the stitches were used to such worked in loose French knots. known as ‘the most Scottish town in meant that they had to be mounted Loch Ewe in Wester Ross provided sheltered near Montrose in 1826. By 1874 he had great effect. ‘It was very difficult to narrow down Italy’, so while Gillian and Yvonne on stretchers; in comparison, I found anchorage for Arctic convoys to assemble founded a successful business in Ceylon ‘To give the broadest selection, the the choice of details shown and areas went to Barga to unearth stories, that the 50cm square size of the before sailing to Russia. The men of the (now Sri Lanka), but upon visiting Burma, book includes details from both the from some panels, such as the he purchased the Rangoon Oil Refinery, a Andrew Crummy, the artist Diaspora panels was perfect to work convoys were awarded the Ushakov medal Prestonpans and Diaspora Tapestries . We beautifully stitched Baron Singh were by the Russians but only received recognition small oil prospecting business. In 1886 this responsible for the design work on all on. It didn’t need to be put on decided to group the images according shown in several chapters while the from the British government in 2013 with was renamed the Burmah Oil Company. LK01 three tapestries, headed to Sweden. stretcher bars and I just used an the issue of the Arctic Star medal. RU04 to the subject matter. ‘Landscape’ Scottish Country Dance panel was From those small beginnings, contact embroidery hoop, moving it around to Christina Macleod Martin from Coille includes mountains, trees, plants, sea, shown in its entirety.’ was made with Scottish associations, whichever area I was working on.’ The plentiful supply of clean water from Ghillidh, believed to be the last Applecross clouds and sky; ‘Heads’ includes faces, For the volunteers, the actual crofter to produce wool for sale, had a Burns’ clubs and blogs all over the But before anyone could begin Loch Lomond flowing into the River Leven hair, beards, eyes, wigs and skin tones; stitching was no doubt a huge industrialised the Vale of Leven, and it was at spinning wheel, which travelled with her great world and the stories began to flood in. stitching, each design had to be ‘Buildings’ includes castles, churches, achievement, but one stitcher also Croftengea works in 1827 that the first granddaughter to Piha, New Zealand in the For Andrew Crummy, the task was meticulously planned. Andrew commercially successful Turkey red dye 1850s. In 2010, this spinning-wheel returned houses, bridges, roof-tiles, walls and voiced her ‘deep sense of pride to be different to his work on the previous Crummy worked on a grid system that was made and used. IN13 to the Applecross Heritage Centre. NZ05b much more.’ taking part in such a project’. tapestries as there was no key allowed information to be dropped in. With a final count of over 300 That sense of pride and connection historian involved and the narrative ‘The initial design for each panel panels from all over the world, some obviously resonates with many originated with the stitchers themselves . was hand drawn in black and white of the volunteer stitchers on the communities around the world as, Once the stories were received, and sometimes redrawn several times Diaspora Tapestry had no previous after a global tour finishing up in sources and facts had to be checked before the final line drawing was the outlines were to be stitched in Prestoungrange, who had the original experience of embroidery, while Ottawa, visitor numbers to the 30 and verified for historical accuracy. To coloured in by hand. I used certain charcoal grey: ‘Black outlines were idea and was the driving force behind others were very accomplished Diaspora Tapestry exhibitions have maintain the personal aspect, where colours to convey certain themes as I used on the Prestonpans Tapestry and it the Prestonpans and Diaspora Tapestries needleworkers. exceeded 120,000. In 2017, it will be possible a piece would be stitched by felt that this would make it easier for was a nightmare as the black yarn and suggested that a book about the ‘Even the most inexperienced exhibited at Westminster Halls, someone who was a family member, the stitcher.’ tended to fluff and become very thin. I stitching could be a good fund raiser. stitchers had achieved amazing London (20 March-29 April) before it family friend or from the local Once the design was finalised, the found that if I ran it over a lead pencil, ‘Although the stitchers had been results, but the ones who stitched returns home to Scotland. e community of the person or place that linen/cotton mix fabric, yarns and a it kept it from fluffing.’ given carte blanche, when I looked their panels after the book was KATHY TROUP was the subject of the panel. copy of the original drawing for the Once the ‘kits’ were sent out, it was closely at the panels it soon became published told me that they found it Stitcher Rosemary Farmer, was born panel, were packaged up and sent to a waiting game until the panels began apparent that, by and large, the range an invaluable resource.’ in New Zealand, lives in Sydney, the volunteer stitchers. The to arrive back in Scotland ready to be of stitches used was quite small. But Rosemary herself stitched three and Australia and her daughter lives in accompanying guidelines were very stretched and backed – and maybe they had been used in very different a half panels, including Bendigo Gold Musselburgh, a few miles from brief (outlines were to be worked in have any little problems sorted out. ways,’ Rosemary recalled. Rush and Gabriel’s Gully , which she T R Prestonpans, so she has both local and charcoal grey and there should be no When she attended the launch A The book was to be more than just a completed on her own.

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