Common Threads
Details:
ITS FINISHED!?!
COMMON THREADS have completed a wall hanging for the Village Hall!
The people involved so far have so enjoyed playing with textiles and learning new skills together they extend an open invitation for others to join forthcoming workshops – see Holmbridge Church website and Facebook page for details or email catherine.davie@btinternet.com
Common Threads started in 2018 with the explicit aim of bringing local people together to produce a wall hanging for the Village Hall. Our ethos is to be open to all, to learn from each other by sharing experiences with sewing and textiles and to work collaboratively. None of us are experts and we learn to let go of our hang ups and have a go at many things including painting on fabric, printing photos on fabric, hand stitching, using machines, quilting and applique – so far.
Various ideas and themes for wall hangings emerged. We wanted to express our appreciation of the natural landscape of the upper Holme valley, including words and images. Several of us visited Alice Kettle’s stitch a tree workshop Exhibitions | Thread Bearing Witness at the Whitworth Manchester. We reflected on the symbolism of trees in our lives in community and the creative power of different people contributing their stitches to a bigger picture. A plan emerged to produce a wall hanging for each season, starting with ‘Winter’ and including the variety of techniques we were learning from each other every month in the first banner.
By ‘lockdown’ in 2019 we had a wonderful collection of ‘pieces’ and continued meetings on zoom. For a while we were each distracted by other projects – masks, headbands for NHS workers, Christmas angels and children’s toys. Once we were able to meet in person, we placed all the ‘pieces’ on a table and deliberated the final design. One person kindly and lovingly backed the pieces and sashed them together. Job done? Yes, and we’ve got so much out of the process we hope others of all ages and stages will join in as we journey on. Some reflections from the group:
A wonderful exchange of skills, ideas and opinions.
It has been good for me to work with other people on a project, to step back sometimes and allow others to take an idea in a different direction, to be able to “let go “and to keep learning in an atmosphere of generosity and friendship.
Common Threads has lived up to its name - valuable for friendship and fellowship especially during lockdown, alongside making an amazing wall hanging.
Every piece of fabric has a history and I feel I’m adding mine to it as I stitch.
I've been encouraged and inspired hearing others’ stories.
We are all like threads – beautifully different and wonderfully able to be woven together in community.
