Discover who was involved
Embroidered image by Fariha Quddus, Asian People’s Disability Alliance
Childhood
WILLESDEN GREEN WEEKLY SEWING CIRCLE
Women attended weekly sewing circles at Willesden Green Library Centre, led by textile artist Nisha Chadha. Their panels, on the theme of childhood, use mixed textile media and stitch.
Education
CHILDREN FROM BREAKSPEAR JUNIOR SCHOOL, ICKENHAM
Year 6 children from Breakspear Junior School, Ickenham, used felt, simple embroidery and appliqué to create images of their thoughts about education.
Body Image
QUEENS PARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Students at Queens Park Community College used fused plastic and wire to reflect their ideas of body image.
Gender
ASIAN PEOPLE’S DISABILITY ALLIANCE
Women from the group, which provides social care and a range of art and cultural activities, used heavy silks to embroider images that they drew on canvas.
Marriage
WOMEN FROM BRENT IRISH CENTRE
Women who both attended and worked at the Friday sessions held by Brent Irish Association for elders in Shipley Court, Willesden Green, used transfer printing on felt with layered sheer fabric and stitch embellishment to create images on marriage. Members of the Wednesday sewing circles helped to complete and embellish the panels.
Motherhood
WEST LONDON MOTHERS GROUP
The women in this group all have children. Their work reflects their thoughts on childbirth and motherhood. Their work has been made using scrap-booking style on paper and fabric.
Friendship
ASIAN WOMENS RESOURCE CENTRE
The AWRC works on issues around violence against women. Women there used their fine needlework skills to embellish patterns that they created with batik and vegetable dyes.
Women’s roles
HEBA
Women at Heba, which trains women from many different backgrounds in sewing and garment production, ESOL and basic ICT. The machining class created patterns reflecting their many roles and responsibilities in life. They used partial quilting on stencils of hands. Heba is based in Brick Lane, London.
Health
ROYAL SCHOOL OF NEEDLEWORK WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
Women who attended workshops led by the Royal School of Needlework learned traditional English surface stitches. They afterwards created work on knitted panels, using the these stitches and incorporating them with their new, invented patterns.
Old age
CHRISTINE WARRINGTON
Brent artist Christine Warrington, who works as a nurse, used stitches in her work that reflect a long-standing relationship and her many conversations with an elderly lady, Rose, which have helped her think about mortality and old age.